You’d expect to find Mercer University pharmacy students cooking things in a lab, but last fall a group of them spent time cooking in the kitchen.
“Cooking and chemistry aren’t all that different. You mix things up and see what happens,” said Ashley Wilkerson, a second-year pharmacy student who earned her undergraduate degree in chemistry.
She has combined her love of cooking with a passion for helping diabetics. The result was a cookbook, “Diabetic Cooking: The Perfect Dose” (G&R Publishing, available at Amazon, $10).
Wilkerson had the help of about a dozen pharmacy students who served on the diabetic initiative committee for Mercer University’s Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) chapter. The National Pharmaceutical Association (NPhA) is a group that represents minority pharmacists and is dedicated to improving the health of minority and underserved populations. Mercer’s student chapter has committees that focus on different diseases.
“We were brainstorming about a fundraising activity that would help support our group’s community awareness activities and the American Diabetes Association during National Diabetes Month, which is in November,” said Wilkerson, chair of the diabetes committee.
Her idea was to print and copy a quick-and-easy cookbook for diabetics that Mercer pharmacy students could sell in front of the school’s cafeteria.
“It was a small idea that just snowballed,” said Liana Tyson-Haynes, a third-year pharmacy student who serves on the committee. “Diabetes can often be managed or even prevented through a better diet and exercise, but it’s not as easy as people think.”
Tyson-Haynes’ father passed away due to diabetes complications when he was only 54.
“I watched him struggle with the disease for years, and when we studied diabetes in class, I realized how difficult it had been for him,” she said. “If I can spread the word on how to fight this disease — on how even making small changes in lifestyle can make a big difference — I want to be part of that.”
The student group decided if they were going to produce a cookbook , they should do it right. They found cookbook publishers who could make their job easier and contacted the SNPhA’s national diabetes leaders, who liked the idea and wanted the cookbook to serve as a pilot program for a national fundraiser.
“We only had about six weeks to find and edit all the recipes. We were feverishly emailing and meeting about once a week,” Tyson-Haynes said.
The group used recipes from the American Diabetes Association, submitted some of their own and held a recipe drive among all SNPhA chapters.
“We altered recipes to make them lower in fat, sugar and salt,” Wilkerson said. “Our goal was to allow diabetics to enjoy some of their favorite foods, while sticking to their diet.”
The project was near to Wilkerson’s heart. Diabetes runs on both sides of her family and she has lost aunts to the disease.
“I know that I need to watch what I eat, and I know how hard that is,” she said. “It’s even harder for minority populations, who can’t always afford fresh fruits and vegetables. We tried to put in things that most people could afford.”
The cookbook includes recipes for appetizers, soups, salads, entrées and desserts, as well as tips on glucose management, reading food labels and making better food choices.
Wilkerson contributed a lasagna recipe that substitutes thin slices of zucchini for pasta noodles. Other recipes call for applesauce for oil or Splenda instead of sugar.
“I put in a barbecued chicken [recipe] with vegetables and rice that I make all the time, because it is quick and easy, but I changed the barbecue sauce, used lean chicken cuts, and added more vegetables and brown rice,” Tyson-Haynes said. “It’s outstanding, and is quick and easy.”
The students were concerned about printing costs, so G&R Publishing suggested adding some advertising to the book.
“Wal-Mart was already a sponsor for SNPhA, so I approached their representative at one of our meetings and he asked me to make a formal proposal. I did and the company agreed to fund the entire printing and shipping costs,” Wilkerson said. “We ordered 100 initially and have sold over half of them. All of the money we raise can now go to our chapter activities and the American Diabetes Association.”
The student committee plans to buy supplies for diabetes fairs they hold at local Wal-Mart stores and elsewhere.
“I’m proud of the book. It’s cool to see it and know I contributed to it,” Tyson-Hayne said. “We’ve been surprised that this fundraiser project grew so big, but if we can raise more awareness and help more people, that’s even better.”
Wilkerson is already thinking of ways to grow and improve the project next year.
“It’s important for a pharmacist to know about nutritional things,” she said. “If a patient says that he’s taking his medication but still can’t get his glucose levels down, the next question should be 'What are you eating?’ ”
About the Author
