At the recent Jemez Valley Community Wellness community education event “Green & Clean: Spring Detox for the Whole Body,” attendees were introduced to how healthy food choices and meal preparation can help to detoxify the body for better overall health and wellness. The program held on June 11th was the first of five in the new JVCW “Food as Medicine” wellness series taking place at The Rose Center for Integrative Health.
To open the program, Dr. Juliette Sweet provided an insightful overview of the body’s natural detoxification processes, highlighting how specific foods can support the elimination of toxins. Dr. Sweet specializes in Naturopathic and Ayurvedic education, prevention, and treatment.
“Many people are not informed of how our bodies naturally work to process foods and eliminate toxins,” says Dr. Sweet. “It is harder for our bodies to remove harmful chemicals and toxic substances from the modern diet of processed foods, so this community education series is starting at the beginning to focus on prevention. We hope that people can learn more about selecting, preparing, and eating natural foods so that their bodies can work at their best which results in improved health, overall.”
The six registered participants enjoyed a hands-on cooking demonstration by Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Fallon Bader. The recipes emphasized the role of high-fiber ingredients in eliminating toxins and regular digestion. Fallon demonstrated how to prepare a “Burrito Bowl” featuring massaged kale, brown rice, home-cooked beans, pickled onions, spring turnips, sliced mango, and a herbed cashew sauce. The bowl combined vibrant flavors and textures with several nutrient-rich ingredients. Samples were provided so attendees could taste the flavorful prepared ingredients.
“Most of the ingredients that we chose to feature in these recipes are common enough to find at the local grocery, but we are also looking for ways to encourage people to grow their own or buy from nearby producers in their own communities,” says Fallon. “Beans, onions, kale, and turnips are very nutritious and are generally easy to grow here in New Mexico.”
The monthly “Food as Medicine” series will continue through October. Each event supports a different body system with local ingredients and communal nourishment. Fallon will return each month to feature a cooking demonstration and tasting focused on seasonal healing through food. Dr. Sweet and other invited practitioners and special guests will provide an informational session to connect natural foods to whole body health and wellness.
On July 23, the next program is “Matters of the Heart: Nourishing Your Cardiovascular System.” The focus will be on circulation, blood pressure, and heart health. Food and drink recipes will feature vibrant reds and purples like summer berries.
The in-person events are held from 5-7pm at The Rose Center for Integrative Health at 8372 Highway 4, across from Jemez Valley High School. Attendance is limited; registration is required with a suggested donation. See more at https://www.jvcw.org/specialevents.
