Registration open for Healthy Eating Adventure program
Going from being a participant in a local eating program that promotes health foods to becoming its medical advisor, local doctor Ricky Ochoa said he wishes to serve as a wellness example to his patients.
The Healthy Eating Adventure program (HEA) is a project of the Foundation of Yuma Regional Medical Center. It is a communitybased, 28-day program to educate participants on a whole foods, plant-based lifestyle.
For the duration of the 28 days, participants study Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s plantbased, nutrient-dense eating style and participate in healthy potlucks.
Ochoa, the program’s medical advisor, has been practicing medicine since 2007 and has lived in Yuma since 1993. In a phone interview with the Yuma Sun, Ochoa said he first became involved with the program about two years ago.
“The first time I did it was as a participant, and I’ve been the medical advisor since,” Ochoa said.
Ochoa noted he became a participant to try and correct his lifestyle and to try to “really serve as an example” for his patients.
“I wanted to try and find a good, healthy lifestyle for my patients,” he said. “I figured I would start with myself first, and it worked — it really worked for me. I had a bunch of medical issues that I wanted to get addressed, and it was amazing how it affected me, so I decided to stick it out and hopefully guide other people to do the same thing.”
Ochoa said prior to completing the HEA program he had pre-diabetes and high cholesterol.
“I lost about 25 pounds just on the program alone in a 28-day period,” Ochoa said. “It was amazing what it did. Obviously my energy levels changed, my mood changed, my sleeping pattern changed — everything changed for me.”
The lifestyle limits animal products, but does not necessarily eliminate them, Ochoa said. It discourages the use of processed foods and reduces consumption of fat, sodium and sugar. Some of the foods incorporated into the HEA plant-based lifestyle include whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, fruits and vegetables.
During the program, Ochoa said he wishes to encourage participants to be mindful of what they are eating and to encourage having fun in the kitchen.
“I am kind of a foodie,” Ochoa said. “I love being in the kitchen. That’s my biggest joy is to watch people benefit from it medically but also enjoy the time in the kitchen putting recipes together.
“It’s not a diet by any means,” Ochoa added. “It’s truly a lifestyle change.”
Ochoa hopes that the healthy eating habits taught in the program will spill over to participants’ every day life following completion.
According to the 2017 County Health Rankings conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (UWPHI), adult obesity for Yuma County is at 31 percent, compared to 26 percent for Arizona.
Ochoa stressed obesity can lead to diabetes, heart disease and other chronic medical problems.
“It’s not new around the world, it’s not new around the U.S. anyway, but if I can offer some type of relief to whatever chronic diseases my patients have I am going to try to do that,” Ochoa said. “My biggest goal is not to treat it but try and prevent it and ultimately reverse it with some better eating habits.”
The fall session of HEA will commence on Oct. 16. There is a fee for the first session which covers a catered meal that participants are served the first night.
Due to the Sturges Charitable Trust, the HEA is able to provide scholarships for those who would otherwise be unable to participate in the program because of financial hardship.
Registration is on a first come, first serve basis. Participants will meet for a total of five Mondays following the traditional work day.
Teens under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Participants will visit a lab for blood work and be privately and confidentially weighed as well as measured at the start and end of the program.
For more information on the HEA or to apply, email at HEAyuma@gmail.com.