Food as medicine: Health equity’s new battleground

Taking care of yourself starts long before you make a doctor’s appointment. Nutrition is crucial to your well-being, which is why people view food as medicine. Unfortunately, food deserts and a lack of nutritional education prevent people from getting the at-home help they need to stay healthy.

Read on to learn more about health equity’s new battleground and why innovation is the next best solution. When companies utilize their resources to help people like FarmboxRX does, people across America will have equal access to nutritious food.

What Are Food Deserts?

People may not think food deserts exist because every town has at least one grocery store. However, the issue of food scarcity is more complicated than that.

Food deserts are any location or population where healthy food remains inaccessible due to distance or income. When considering how nutrition and health care relate, eliminating food deserts is essential for those who can’t afford healthy diets and suffer from health conditions due to their hometown or economic standing.

How to View Food as Medicine

Understanding how people view food as medicine requires a slight shift in perspective. What you eat is about more than consuming enough calories or fitting within a grocery budget. It’s primarily about how the nutrition in each meal and snack serves your comprehensive health.

Reflect on Physical Health Benefits

First, food availability and choice directly affect your physical health. Living near a large city with multiple supermarkets competing to provide the best prices makes healthier food more affordable. You’re more likely to eat whole foods with better nutrients because they fit your budget, so your body gets the support it needs to thrive.

People can also stay healthy by eating food from farmers markets. Locally grown food is less likely to contain chemicals because independent farmers can afford organic fertilizers for their smaller fields. However, farmers markets also limit who can shop there by not including payments from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) cards.

Remember Your Dental Health

Eating highly processed foods high in sugar because you can’t afford healthy alternatives will worsen your dental health. Many people from impoverished communities afford routine dental services with discount plans but get overwhelmed by medical debt when they need more costly procedures due to unhealthy long-term diets.

Access to affordable, nutritious food would maintain their dental health and prevent dental emergencies. Food deserts and a lack of health equity prevent this simple solution from becoming available to those who need it most. It’s a side effect of inaccessible healthy foods that many people don’t consider.

Include Your Mental Health

Food also plays a significant role in your mental health. Nutrients provide the brain with everything it needs to function while preventing oxidative stress that would complicate anyone’s mental health standing. Losing vitamins and minerals due to strained budgets or a lack of accessibility means people are more at risk for mental health conditions.

Whole foods also create bonding opportunities. When families, friends or loved ones buy fresh foods and cook meals together, they develop deeper relationships that strengthen crucial mental health components like self-esteem, love and a sense of community.

What Is FarmboxRX?

Ashley Tyrner saw food equity disparities in New York City and founded Farmbox Direct to address them. The delivery service provided fresh fruits and vegetables to those in need and ultimately grew into FarmboxRX.

FarmboxRX is the original and only delivery service that provides food and produce to people who purchase groceries with EBT or SNAP assistance. A consumer-centric approach to government-assisted health care needs was a foundational reason why FarmboxRX began.

As it continues to grow, more people will gain food and health equity.

National customers can start viewing their food as medicine because they can buy anything from a typical produce section with whatever means they use to put food on the table.

How Does FarmboxRX Help People?

The revolutionary process behind FarmboxRX makes nutrition and health care equally accessible. When someone signs up, they can use their memberships with SNAP and EBT or Medicaid and Medicare programs to qualify for the service.

After setting up an account, users can choose from seasonal veggies or curated boxes designed to make cooking meals from numerous cultures easier. Simple selections like packages that include asparagus or bananas can address health issues like gut problems without costly doctor appointments.

It’s also notable that the shipments arrive at each customer’s front door. Research shows that 6 million Americans can’t afford car insurance due to where they live. Without car insurance, they can’t drive to a grocery store for food. Overcoming a lack of transportation for low-income families and individuals is another way FarmboxRX helps people bridge the gap between getting adequate nutrition and health care.

It’s Time to Provide Food Equity

More people can view their food as medicine when food equity challenges meet innovative solutions. FarmboxRX helps people do that, even if they rely on assistance like SNAP, EBT, or Medicaid and Medicare programs to afford their expenses. Making nutrition accessible helps people stay healthy in more ways than one, which makes companies like FarmboxRX the way of the future.