NSS has conducted multiple virtual workshops during pandemic to increase awareness on
mental health in the Nepali community. With this DOH Project Spring Forward grant, we planned to invest in our community’s health and well being with a focus on nutrition pertaining to the Nepali diet to bridge the gap of easily accessible, easy-to-understand resources.
With these initiatives, we planned to advocate for healthy nutrition and healthy eating habits, including maternal and child nutrition, with frequent informational sessions on the Nepali diet with subject matter experts. A recent 2020 study shows that South Asians are four times more likely than the U.S. general population to have heart disease or diabetes (Hussain M, Qureshi S, Suryanarayanan S, Sridaran L, Howard R. Unequal Consequences: The Disparate Impact of COVID-19 Across South Asian Americans. SAALT; September 29, 2020.)
Maternal and Child Nutrition:
It is very important to take steps towards a healthy body through healthy nutrition
and exercise. Since a majority of our elders live in multi-generational homes, and not in
nursing homes or adult care homes, our elders will benefit greatly from health classes.
Thank You to Nima Sherpa, a Bachelor Undergrad in Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health from the University of Washington shared with us some basic information about Maternal and Child Nutrition. Following that we had experts as our panelists: Dr. Nitin Thapa, Pramoj Adhikari studying DNP, and Dr. Seema Prasai, MBBS ECFMG Certified Physician who answered our questions along with Nima.
For more details visit: Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
In this initiative, we also included Hypertension Awareness as it is prevalent in our Nepali community. Dr. Seema Prasai ( MBBS, Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduate Certified) graciously volunteered to share her expertise with the help of Nepali Health Board volunteers such as Dr. Nitin Thapa.
Diet Associated with Hypertension:
Included in this initiative was also a webinar about the Nepali Diet with Pramoj Adhikari, an active community member of NSS and Doctor of Nursing Practitioner who talked about Culturally Tailored Diabetes Dietary Education Among Nepali and Bhutanese Community.
If you have any further questions about these issues or our project please email us at [email protected].
Stay safe, stay healthy.