At Vida Senior Centers we take care of the nutrition and diet of our participants. To do this, VIDA has a licensed nutritionist / dietitian who supervises the food services of our participants. Our nutritionist also offers nutritional and diet counseling individually and in groups. The nutritionist works in coordination with the Health Promotion Counselor to put emphasis on people with high risk of diabetes and high blood pressure. Individual and group counseling are done with the objective of helping participants establish a healthy diet, by promoting informed decisions regarding their food. It is always emphasized that a healthy diet helps prevent and manage chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity. In addition to the classes, the nutritionist also offers demonstrates of healthy cooking. Depending on the season and seasonal vegetables or fruits, healthy meals are prepared. The nutritionist regularly uses food from the Food Bank box so that we teach participants how to use those ingredients in the healthiest way possible. Participants are also educated on important issues related to nutrition such as: learning to keep food in good condition; modify recipes to make them healthier; improve decisions when buying food; use healthy portions of meals; and pay attention to their weight. They are often reminded of the importance of having breakfast and not skipping meals to avoid spikes and drops in sugar levels. In addition to that, VIDA gives breakfast to 50 participants in our two centers. We do not have a subsidy to provide breakfast, but for the past year VIDA has obtained private donations of bread and cereals that allow us to deliver breakfast in the morning to 50 people. In addition, we offer free lunch to about 120 people daily. Thanks to the support of the Washington DC Department of Aging, we deliver around 120 hot lunches daily between our two centers, Monday through Friday. Additionally, Vida Senior Center is an official distributor of the city's Food Bank, with which we distribute to each participant one meal box per month. In summary, nutrition and food activities are as follows:

• Free light breakfast: coffee / tea and bread or oatmeal
• Free lunches
• Individual nutrition assessments
• Individual diet tracking
• Group classes on nutrition
• Healthy food demonstrations
• Monthly distribution of a Food Bank box
• Individual counseling to handle stress situations
• Group counseling on frustration management techniques
• Tai-Chi exercises to learn to breathe and relax the body
• Classes on Positive Thinking
• Classes on Mental and Emotional Health
• Referral to doctors if the need is identified