Last Stop: the Mid-Atlantic Region

I love seafood. Just thought I would let everyone know. I knew Baltimore would provide some delicious seafood options, and it has been wonderful being able to try some crab and salmon down here! While in the area, I had the pleasure of talking with Nurse Mark Walker, PhD, RN, CCRN, CNE. Nurse Walker and I were able to sit down and discuss the nutritional patterns in the Baltimore region, particularly focusing on health issues in the area and their connection to socioeconomic disparities in this area.

One of Nurse Walker's main points of discussion was the high population of minorities in the inner city. Many times, these groups are marginalized and struggle to access education. In turn, lower rates of education seem to correlate with lower financial resources. Sadly, this is a similar pattern to what I have learned in other regions of the country: the cycle that starts with a bad education, which then causes a tighter financial situation, thereby leading to a lack of access to higher-quality foods (produce, healthy oils, seafood, etc.). The issue in this area is again exacerbated when those with lower incomes are not able to travel long distances since they may not have adequate means of transportation. As noted in previous posts, this leads people to be stuck in a food desert, which in Baltimore is characterized by access to mainly only fried foods-fish, chicken, and potatoes. Although tasty, these are not the foods our body is demanding.

Downtown Baltimore

In terms of diseases, Nurse Walker pointed out that rates of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and renal disease are high in this area. Cancer rates are also higher, presumably due to the fact that Baltimore used to be a steel-town, thus being marred with asbestos.

These physical ailments seem to correlate with mental ramifications as well: for instance, levels of depression seem to be higher for those with the aforementioned diseases.

I am so glad that Nurse Walker also gave some nutritional advice that is especially applicable for locals in this area. First, while seafood is a good option, it is important to steer clear of larger fish that may contain higher levels of mercury. I also loved his advice to focus not as much on the meats we eat, but more so on the food that the meat itself eats! He advised to buy more meats coming from grass-fed and free-range animals as opposed to animals fed diets high in grains or animals treated with antibiotics. I was also glad to hear that community education is already taking place via health and education screenings for the homeless. However, at least at this point, these seem to just be in neighborhoods as opposed to being comprehensive, well-advertised programs.

I also did some community-based exploring around town, mostly by going to a grocery store, a farmer's market, and sampling the local cuisine. At the store, I again was immediately greeted by rows of desserts at the entrance, but this also could have been an exceptional situation since I was there on Independence Day! It was great to see so much produce offered at reasonable prices. While the market also had produce, it was a little more expensive, and again, it also would require proper transportation for those living in the inner city since it is in a suburban area. Finally, I got to eat seafood! I stayed with some wonderful extended family, and they cooked some delicious crab cakes, grilled salmon, and fresh peach crisp, all delicious and keeping on-track in terms of nutritional value!

Some fabulous grilled salmon 🍣!!

The cuisine in this area can thus definitely be kept very healthy, but of course, this isn't possible for those with lower economic standings. Although disheartening to hear this same pattern happening in different parts of the US, I am hopeful that, by bringing these issues to light, society can be better equipped to fight this occurrence.

P.S. I also got to go to the Baltimore Museum of Art-everything was so fun, intriguing, and beautiful!

One of the exhibits at the museum