My practicum this summer has been insightful and consists of two parts. The first part of my practicum is a full literature review on the nutrient requirements for individuals living with HIV. Food & Friends, a non-profit in DC that delivers meals to people living with HIV has two meal programs that provides their HIV+ clients food to sustain their health. Over the last 25 years, the focus has been to send caloric dense meals that are also high in protein. Although over time they have made strides in sending healthier food, there hasn’t been much attention paid to the micronutrients that are responsible for improving the immune system. During my practicum, I am reviewing the literature to determine the micronutrients of importance and will analyze their home-delivered meals program to determine if they are meeting the recommended micronutrient requirements for people living with HIV. So far, I have found that the nutrient requirements for HIV individuals hasn’t changed much since the release of the WHO report in 2003. However, as I analyze the meals, there are specific nutrients the meals are deficient in such as selenium, vitamin A and zinc. I am now in the beginning stages of making recommendations for increasing these nutrients and creating handouts to educate their clients on the importance of these nutrients.
The second part of my practicum is my participation on the leadership team for the Healthy Eating Active Living Community Transformation Grant in Prince George’s County, Maryland. The CDC with funding from the Affordable Care Act has awarded $103 million to states and local governments to reduce health disparities and prevent chronic diseases. I have attended five meetings since June to discuss the goals for implementing a program. I have also given four presentations on various nutrition topics including healthy eating, chronic diseases and nutrition and smoking. We found that over 400, 000 residents live in apartment complexes and we are working with property managers of these apartment complexes to bring a nutrition program into the community. We haven’t narrowed down the program details, but we know it will include presentations and cooking demonstrations for all ages. So far my presentations have been well-received from the community and they have shown true interest in learning more.
It’s been a pretty busy summer with both components of my practicum but I am glad to have the opportunity to complete research as well as work directly in the community.
Janell