The problem

Many of the clients who attend our programs have High Blood Pressure and need to avoid sodium intake.  They needed education on ways to season their foods in alternative ways than using only salt.  

The educational program response

A class was scheduled with a herbalist from Floyd County who had taught raising and preparing food with herbs at an artisan center in North Caroling for twenty years.  She and I worked together to plan a class for participants to share with them how to grow, preserve and use natural herbs to enhance the flavor of foods.

The participants/target audience

After advertising the class for a month, there were 18 people who signed up to take the class.  The particpants ranged in age from twenties to seventies, all who either had high blood pressure themselves or had a spouse or family member with high blood pressure.

Other partners (if applicable)

Carol Blackburn, Herbalist

Program impact or participant response.

Eighteen adults attended the program and were given the information they needed to grow, preserve and prepare food with fresh herbs.  They all went home with 2 dried herb packets and a pint of herbed vinegar to use in healthier food preparation.  The class lasted two hours and the instructor provided very useful information about the herbs, brought fresh herbs that she cut from her herb garden, and all of the dried herbs to make the dried herb blends.  She also provided many recipes for ways to use the herbs in lieu of salt. Seventy percent of the clients who attended  have given great feedback about how they are successfully using their herbs to replace the heavy use of salt in their dishes. The information should assist them in getting their high blood pressure under control.