Spectrum News: Students, diabetics go up against illness in class

Monica Chea and Anna Spears were making healthy snacks for this week’s class. The University of Cincinnati nutrition students found a way to make chocolate chip cookies that were enjoyable without spiking blood sugar levels.

Chea, a graduate student, and Spears, a graduating senior, run a nutrition class designed to assist individuals with diabetes with healthy eating. It’s part of the Pharmer’s Kitchen program offered at St. Vincent de Paul’s Neyer Outreach Center in downtown Cincinnati. 

The small classes occur monthly in a teaching kitchen complete with ovens, utensils and other necessities and are open to the public. Anzora Adkins, a retired educator, has been coming to the class for the past few months and learning everything from new healthy recipes to how to read food labels and better monitor caloric intake.

The UC students and Adkins were interviewed by Spectrum News for a segment.

The Pharmer’s Kitchen program was developed by staff at St. Vincent de Paul after seeing a growing number of diabetic clients seek costly medications through St. Vincent’s pharmacy program, which provides prescriptions free of charge.

St. Vincent de Paul partnered with a service-learning co-op program managed by the UC College of Cooperative Education and Professional Studies that connects nonprofit organizations with students to promote experience-based education.

Learn more about UC’s work with the Pharmer’s Kitchen at St. Vincent de Paul.

Featured top image: Nutrition graduate student Monica Chea is shown during a class at the Pharmer's Kitchen. Photo/provided.