Tri-County Office on Aging

March 2023 E-Newsletter

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics developed the National Nutrition Month® campaign 50 years ago to invite everyone to make informed food choices while continuing to develop healthful eating and physical activity habits. There is a theme each year and this year’s theme is “Fuel for the Future," which emphasizes sustainability and finding ways to eat healthy while also protecting the environment.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics created Weekly Key Messages to help guide you through the month, with Week 1's message being "Eat with the environment in mind!" The Academy has provided some tips to get started this week:

• Enjoy more plant-based meals and snacks.
• Purchase foods with minimal packaging.
• Buy foods in season and shop locally when possible.
• Start a container or backyard garden to grow food at home.

To see tips for upcoming weeks, visit the National Nutrition Month® home page.

Upcoming Health and Wellness Workshops

We are back in person and a list of upcoming workshops is below. For more information, visit our Evidence-Based Programs website. To register for any workshop, call 517-887-1465.

Matter of Balance

• New Hope Community Church in Charlotte on Tuesdays and Thursdays, April 4 – April 27 from 9:30 – 11:30 am
• Stockbridge Activity Center in Stockbridge on Tuesdays and Thursdays, April 4 – April 27 from 10:00 am – 12 noon
• St. Jude Catholic Church in Dewitt on Tuesdays and Thursdays, May 9 - June 1 from 10:00 am – 12 noon

Diabetes PATH

• Westside YMCA in Lansing on Wednesdays, March 29 – May 3 from 1:00 – 3:30 pm
• Sparrow Clinton Hospital in St. Johns on Tuesdays, April 11 – May 16 from 1:30 – 4:00 pm

Powerful Tools for Caregivers

• First Presbyterian Church of Holt in Holt on Wednesdays, April 26 – May 31 from 1:00 – 3:30 pm

Nikita Bhangu is a counselor with the Michigan Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Program (MMAP) at Tri-County Office on Aging. Currently, she is a second-year medical student at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, aspiring to pursue a career in family medicine working with underserved and underinsured communities. She has thoroughly enjoyed her experience as a MMAP counselor thus far. The goals of MMAP are in lockstep with her goals as an aspiring physician; to provide healthcare to those that would otherwise go without. Lack of coverage or understanding of insurance is another side of medicine that can deter people from seeking and getting care. She believes that efforts as a physician to provide care should not stop in the clinical setting but should extend to these other factors that would stop people from getting care.

By committing time to TCOA and MMAP, Nikita has gained a better understanding of common problems that patients face with their insurance coverage, how to help fix them, and can sign Medicare beneficiaries up for quality insurance to get care. Nikita has also enjoyed her time with her co-counselors and being part of the welcoming and fun MMAP community.