|
|
|
Coop participates in statewide Women's Health Expoby Kristen Schon Last month, the Honest Weight Food Coop attended the Women's Health Expo, sponsored by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of New York State. This is the second year the Coop participated in the event, which is held annually in Albany at the Empire State Plaza - and attracts thousands of women. Amidst the pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and insurance providers, Lynne Sims and Gloria Genovese and Elizabeth Haywood and I passed out samples of soymilk, soy butter, roasted soybeans and marinated tofu. Many of the women we gave samples to had never tried soy. It was wonderful to see the expressions on their faces when they found out they actually liked it! Flyers were handed out explaining the benefits of consuming soy, including information on isoflavones. Many had questions about menopause, as studies have shown that isoflavones may reduce the severity of menopausal symptoms and reduce the risk of breast cancer. I told them in rural China, where woman eat very little animal products and consume a lot of soy as their protein, there is no word in their language for "hot flashes"-because they don't get them! My favorite part of the event, out of the hundreds of women I spoke to, was talking to the women in the booth next to me-one representing a pharmaceutical company that manufactures hormone replacement therapy drugs. I got to tell these young women that living a healthy lifestyle now may prevent them from feeling they need to use their drugs in the future. I also got a kick out of getting her cholesterol screening done by St. Peter's Hospital. My cholesterol was only 109. I got to share with a lot of women who had levels way above, in the unhealthy 200s, how I do it - most of them don't know how simple it is to break away from the normal American diet and eat healthy! The Coop is planning on returning to the Plaza for next year's Expo. If you would like to receive member hours for participating in this event, or other outreach projects the Coop is involved in, please contact Kristin at 482-3312, ext. 117. |
CoopScoop
Home |
