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North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live is a daily, five-minute newscast that shines a spotlight on the stories and perspectives of Minnesota’s diverse communities, including Black, Latine, Asian American, East African individuals, people living with disabilities, LGBTQIA2S+ residents, laborers, veterans, and those from Greater Minnesota.
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HOST: You're listening to North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live, a daily newscast about what it means to live in Minnesota.
ANCHOR: Some Minnesota organizations are using food as medicine. Then, a proposed natural cemetery sparks controversy, And, a new scam targets consumers' mobile wallets.
I'm Chantel SinGs.
A proposed natural cemetery in eastern Minnesota is at the center of a federal court case. Several news outlets report that the 20-acre site in Blackhoof Township, owned by a New Jersey nonprofit, would become "Loving Earth Memorial Gardens," a 512-plot natural cemetery. In this newly approved practice, the body is placed in a biodegradable material to decompose fully and return to nature. But neighbors worry about soil and water safety. A judge is expected to rule on the case in the next few months.
Next, food-insecure households are at least two to three times more likely to suffer heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Britt Aamodt speaks with Minnesota organizations that are providing food for hunger and health.
Britt Aamodt: The idea of food as medicine has been with humanity for thousands of years and has been shared across cultures. But nearly a million people (about one in 10 individuals) in Minnesota don't have enough food. This is according to data provided by Second Harvest Heartland. And the state's largest hunger relief organization noticed something else, too, after a survey of its clients.
Robin Manthee: People who are food insecure are much more likely to face chronic disease.
Britt Aamodt: Robin Manthee is the director of Second Harvest's Neighbor Services. She says the reasons why food insecure folks are more prone to chronic illness are multifaceted.
Robin Manthee: Inconsistent access to food and nutritious food, the stress of that, the quality of the nutrition you're getting—those are all contributing to these challenging chronic health diseases.
Britt Aamodt: Put another way, people who don't have enough to eat are often facing other stressors like inconsistent housing and transportation. They may live in a food desert without a proper grocery store, where the cheapest and most available meals are the junk foods we're supposed to avoid. Robin says this can impact long-term health.
Robin Manthee: If you are food insecure, you are two to three times more likely to face diabetes. You're six times more likely to have heart disease and you're two times more likely to have high blood pressure.
Britt Aamodt: For almost a decade, the Second Harvest program FoodRX has helped Minnesotans who are both food insecure and already dealing with at least one chronic disease.
Robin Manthee: We are really excited that in Minnesota, some of our health systems, as well as some of our Medicaid insurers, understand this connection of food as medicine. They partner with us to identify patients that they serve who are food insecure and have chronic disease, and then are able to basically prescribe them this medically tailored food box.
Britt Aamodt: So in addition to prescribing insulin or high blood pressure pills, the doctor of a food insecure patient can also prescribe a monthly box of food curated for that individual's health needs. FoodRX also comes with food education and nutrition coaching. Combining nutrition with conventional medicine is also a win for healthcare providers.
Kate Henschel: We know, based on Fairview's own data, that patients experiencing food insecurity are nearly twice as likely to be readmitted to the hospital.
Britt Aamodt: Kate Henschel is a coordinator with Fairview Health Services Food as Medicine program Fair Table.
Kate Henschel: Food as medicine is really just thinking about making sure that all people have the food that they need to thrive.
Britt Aamodt: You can find out more about FoodRX at 2harveset.org. This is Britt Aamodt for North Star Stories.
ANCHOR: You are listening to North Star Stories.
Watch your wallet. Scammers are using a tactic called "ghost tapping" to charge tap-to-pay cards and mobile wallets without contact. Fraudsters may crowd you, pose as vendors, or rush donations to slip through small charges that add up. To protect yourself, monitor card statements, enable transaction alerts, shield your card or phone with R-F-I-D protection, and ask for receipts before you tap.
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HOST: North Star Stories is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota's communities, with support from the McKnight Foundation and the State of Minnesota. Online at ampers dot org.