Injured Veterans Explore Nutrition Goals with Wounded Warrior Project

PHILADEPLHIA, Aug. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For many wounded veterans, the struggle to stay healthy is an ongoing concern – their injuries can sometimes limit mobility, hindering the ability to exercise and stay active. That's why Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) recently hosted a program event focused on nutrition and cooking, to give warriors another avenue to explore healthy lifestyles.

In addition to an open question-and-answer seminar with a nutritionist, where participants could ask any questions they had about dieting and food preparations, warriors were also given a tour through Whole Foods. While a journey through a grocery store may seem mundane, it served an important purpose, according to Air Force veteran and wounded warrior Tyshawn Jenkins.

"As we were wandering the aisles, our guide would stop at different food or produce items and explain what to look for when you're buying it," Tyshawn explained. "I was really surprised to learn that colored peppers are green, red, yellow, or orange based upon their nutrients and vitamins. If you don't know that kind of information, how can you expect to eat properly? Everything we were shown had value because it was measured against how we should be eating every single day."

As participants looked through the variety of items, staff would point out tricks for eating healthier when consuming junk food, or how to properly check a label for certain problematic ingredients. 

"Most experts will tell you that health is a reflection of how you eat," Tyshawn said. "That was reinforced during the tour, and Wounded Warrior Project made it very accessible for us. These techniques are something I am going to use every time I visit the grocery store from now on."

Later that day, participants were treated to a hands-on cooking class. This demonstration was particularly helpful for Earlene Green, a caregiver for wounded Army veteran Angela Waller.

"I went to the class with Angela's father, Steven Waller, who is also a caregiver," Earlene said. "We have our own nutritional issues, but we wanted to learn more on Angela's behalf. Eating healthy can make a huge difference in her quality of life, and there's always more we can do."

The class taught participants different cooking techniques and skills that can reduce unnecessary caloric intake, while still helping food retain its taste, going against the adage that the only tasty food is junk food.

"They showed us some alternatives for cooking – steaming instead of frying with oils," Earlene said. "I always thought you needed oil, but we learned how to steam fry. The flavor was still there, but a lot of the fat was gone."

Through WWP's health and wellness programs, wounded veterans can reduce stress and depression while participating in fun, active, and educational activities. WWP meets warriors in various stages of recovery and provides health and fitness services that include weight training, yoga, cycling, outdoor activities, and nutrition workshops. Along with the benefits of living active lifestyles, warriors have the chance to bond with other wounded veterans and families to discover they're not alone in their recovery.

About Wounded Warrior Project
The mission of Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. WWP's purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public's aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. To get involved and learn more, visit woundedwarriorproject.org.

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SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project