Over the winter, a close family member of mine had, or what
was called at the time, a heart attack. She presented with nausea and radiating
pain down her arm. I took her to emergency, where they have her medical
history, list of ailments and medications, etc. Typically her troubles are
entirely surrounding Type 2 Diabetes...so there is a lot of stuff about
diabetes in her files. Anyway, they conducted an array of protocol tests on her
and then it was time for supper. What did they serve her you ask? The Cardiac
tray, consisting of white bread (converts to sugar), jam (made of sugar) apple
juice (loaded with sugar), tea (with a side of sugar), white potatoes (converts
to sugar), glazed carrots (MORE SUGAR) and a piece of unidentifiable
"meat". Were they trying to make her worse?!
The one place we should be able to count on being "prescribed" appropriate food for our ailments is the hospital! When our bodies are already struggling with whatever ailment we're fighting, we should be able to trust that the hospital will provide us with food to support us and help us heal, not cause us further damage. Whether you're visiting someone in the hospital or a patient of the hospital, healthy food should be readily available. Food that will support our bodies when we need it the most. Next time you're there, check the selection in the cafeteria and tell me what you find. Chips, cookies, brownies, pop, fried foods...so called "comfort" food. Sure the odd piece of fruit is available, but this does not make up for the downfall of everything else.
Many people would argue that this sort of thing happens because of cost and because of the quantities that need to be prepared, but I would disagree with them on both accounts. Beans and lentils are some of the least expensive foods available and provide our bodies with a clean, alternative protein and fibre. When soaked overnight, the cook time is no longer than a batch of rice.
The one place we should be able to count on being "prescribed" appropriate food for our ailments is the hospital! When our bodies are already struggling with whatever ailment we're fighting, we should be able to trust that the hospital will provide us with food to support us and help us heal, not cause us further damage. Whether you're visiting someone in the hospital or a patient of the hospital, healthy food should be readily available. Food that will support our bodies when we need it the most. Next time you're there, check the selection in the cafeteria and tell me what you find. Chips, cookies, brownies, pop, fried foods...so called "comfort" food. Sure the odd piece of fruit is available, but this does not make up for the downfall of everything else.
Many people would argue that this sort of thing happens because of cost and because of the quantities that need to be prepared, but I would disagree with them on both accounts. Beans and lentils are some of the least expensive foods available and provide our bodies with a clean, alternative protein and fibre. When soaked overnight, the cook time is no longer than a batch of rice.
There are so many things that we can do to improve the food
in hospitals. I can't be the only one out there who feels this way.
No comments:
Post a Comment