Healthy Living
The Orchard Village Healthy Living program teaches individuals supported by Orchard Village how to choose and prepare healthy foods for dinner and snacks. The results after less than two years are better than anticipated. According to the American Heart Association, a person must lose 7% of his/her body fat in order to cut his/her risk of heart disease and other related medical conditions in half. The average consumer participating in the Orchard Village Salubris intervention has already lost 8% of his/her body weight in the program’s first year. Two Salubris participants have even reduced or discontinued their diabetes and thyroid-related medication due to their improved health. Additionally, food costs have decreased with the new methods, disproving a common assumption that eating healthy costs more.
Healthy Living not only focuses on health, but also on how food is used as a social tool to build relationships. Orchard Village clients are now involved with events like the Taste of Morton Grove where they share the healthy recipes they’ve developed. They throw parties and invite their neighbors and friends over to snack on hor d’oeuvres. They bake holiday cookies and bring them to loved ones.
The result of the Healthy Living initiative for Orchard Village clients is a healthy balance of both physical and emotional well-being.
