When was the last time you had your blood pressure measured? This is just one of the services available at Dia de Salud at the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – When was the last time you took your blood pressure? This is just one of the services available at Dia de Salud at the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation.
“It’s all about the health and well-being of our community,” said Melissa Armijo, chief operating officer of the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation.
Armijo helped organize the non-profit organization’s second annual Día de Salud – Health Day.
“This is important for the entire community. I mean, we’re in a historic neighborhood called Barreras, and there are a lot of people here who may not trust large medical corporations or hospitals in general. So we want to make this a more friendly space, a space where they can get information and resources without fear,” Armijo said.
In addition to blood pressure and lung tests, massages, and vaccinations, vital signs and blood sugar tests were also performed.
“Measuring vital signs and monitoring blood sugar levels are critical to health. Many of our communities don’t have the resources they can access to obtain these checks. But we are working to educate them. “Our massage therapy is very therapeutic. So we’re here to give back to the community.” said Amber Bueno, program director at Carrington College.
Dia de Salu also taught the community different ways to prepare healthy meals.
“Latinx people sometimes don’t eat very healthily. And, you know, we have a lot of traditions, and some of those traditions include some beautiful foods. But sometimes we are not prepared enough,” Armijo said.
Source Functional Nutrition is here to show the community how to make healthy meals easily and quickly.
“We specialize in nutrition and food is medicine. And we just share a lot of our favorite recipes here,” says Kevin Arnold, co-owner of Source Functional Nutrition. I did.
Healthy food can be expensive. So Arnold and Daniel Arnold made a point of using fewer ingredients in favor of healthier ones.
“We try to make everything with the least amount of ingredients possible. We push a little more organic when possible. But we’re trying to make everything, you know, the Dirty Dozen, We’re telling you which things we want to focus on so we don’t go organic. But most of us grew up on food stamps, so we eat healthy. We know how difficult it is, so we want to make sure we share that with everyone,” Arnold said.
The National Hispanic Cultural Center plans to combine Dia de Salud and the cultural center Dia del Niño next year.
