Southern Health Empowering Restaurant Organization (HERO)
Southern HERO Mission
To support positive change in our local food options that will help redirect our chronic disease epidemic.
Background
Chronic Diseases (like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and conditions related to excess weight) are the leading causes of death and disability and primary drivers of our $3.8 trillion/year health care costs. (cdc)
Traditional Southern food increases likelihood of sudden cardiac death by 46% (Shikany, J AHA. 2021)
Plant-based nutrition can reduce our risk of heart disease by 30% compared to non-vegetarian diets. (Jabri, Am J Prev Card. 2021).
Our Role:
We believe healthy nutrition is achievable, empowering, and fun. We help support local restaurants to include evidence-based health promoting options, and promote these businesses as leaders and visionaries.
Our Ask To Restaurants:
Our primary focus is heart disease (the #1 killer in the USA). We ask restaurants to include a heart healthy vegan meal which is unprocessed and entirely whole plants (specifically legumes, whole grains, and vegetables), low in salt and oil but rich in your unique flavor.