Episode 107: Trauma-Informed Nutrition Security Part 1, a Today’s Dietitian Spring Symposium Feature
About the Podcast
“Trauma-Informed Nutritional Security” is a term coined by the organization Leah’s Pantry. We’re lucky enough to have their Executive Director, Adrienne Markworth, on the show today explaining what that term means. Adrienne’s work recognizes how stress affects everyone’s health and behavior, avoids shaming folks for their choices and circumstances, and pushes for resilience.
About Adrienne Markworth
Adrienne Markworth is Founder and Executive Director of of the renowned nonprofit, Leah's Pantry. She and team are on a mission to ensure that all people have access to healthy food and feel competent preparing easy, nutritious meals for themselves and their families. We approach our work through the lens of trauma and resilience, and believe that positive, nourishing food experiences can heal individuals, encourage healthy community norms, promote nutritional security, and support the realignment of broken food systems in low-income communities. A proven innovator at the intersection of public health and nutritional security, Adrienne has led her organization to impact thousands of individuals and hundreds of organizations through the development, implementation, and evaluation of cutting-edge, learner-centered programs and products. Through a focus on accountability to program participants, translation of trauma and resilience research into practice, and a deep appreciation of collaboration and ongoing learning, Adrienne enjoys working across systems and settings to support sustainable community and individual nourishment.
Discussion Takeaways
- Trauma-informed nutrition security is a term coined by Adrienne’s nonprofit, Leah’s Pantry. This organization provides nutrition education, food security programs, capacity building, and cross-sector trauma-informed trainings that all center trauma-informed care.
- Food is an essential part of the human experience. It allows for emotional regulation. Trauma-informed nutrition security ensures connection around food and can be used as a tool for healing.
- When we move into self-awareness about our assumptions, we can be more compassionate to others.
- Adrienne will be presenting at Today’s Dietitian’s Spring Symposium. Her talk is titled, “Trauma-Informed Nutrition: Principles and Application of Trauma-Informed Care to the Field of Dietetics”. It will be on Wednesday, May 25 at 9:15 AM (ET). Along with her co-presenter, Kristi Mollner, she will share the science behind trauma-informed care, ideas for connecting and building trust with patients and clients, and the work behind creating messaging that will resonate and respects others.
- A teacher that runs a class driven by his/her/their curiosity of others brings a generative environment and often more positive results.
- People have the ability to create a fully-developed, multidimensional relationship with food that is not defined by scarcity or lack.
The beautiful image above was created by Rebecca Garofano, our Food Dignity Institute Lead and Illustration Specialist. You can find more of her work at @VeggieDoodleSoup on Instagram and at her website veggiedoodlesoup.com.
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