TOLEDO, Ohio — Experts will tell you that what you eat has a big impact on your health.
Whether you're new to a diagnosis or have been managing chronic illness for years, some changes to your diet can make you feel a whole lot better.
Mercy Health's Starting Fresh program has moved from the classroom to Zoom during the pandemic. While not ideal, Cathy Zeltner says she's thankful for program.
"I've never taken a nutrition class and I've been hypoglycemic since I was 16," says Zeltner.
Cathy graduated from the program and now attends monthly meetings. She said she's not only learned about food, but she's learned about her body as well.
"I always kind of thought of our body parts as being parts. Your heart does this. Your kidneys do this and now I know that everything is connected more and that it affects everything that you do," says Zeltner.
Starting Fresh is a four-week program offered for free by Mercy Health. It's designed to educate folks with a chronic illness, like diabetes, on not only what to eat, but how much.
"We do work with 'my plate.' That is a really important core principle. Start off your meal with half of your plate with vegetables or fruit. That's super important and keep your plate to nine inches or less," explains Kate Backoff, Community Health worker for Mercy Health.
Susan Zirkel is the Community Health program coordinator for Mercy Health.
She says through Starting Fresh, "We educate. We motivate. We help them. We support them. Just so they can have a little better quality of life and not feel bad that they have a chronic disease that so many people do have."
Participants get free, fresh produce through the program and are offered plenty of recipes and lifestyle tips.
Zeltner says Starting Fresh also provides an amazing support system. "This group is so positive," she says.
The next program starts on July 21st. To sign up or learn more, email Kate Backoff at startingfresh@mercy.com or call 419-251-2463. You doctor can also refer you to the program.