Snack Attack

Snacking is defined as food & drinks eaten between meals. The word "snack" tends to conjure thoughts of yummy, gooey foods that aren't very good for us. However, when chosen wisely, snacking can be a healthy habit. It can help maintain energy levels; improve concentration; limit overeating at meals; add important vitamins & minerals; etc.

Since less healthy choices can have the opposite effect, consider the following:
- Think about why you are snacking. Are you bored, nervous, sad, or actually hungry?
- Avoid eating directly from multi-serving bags or containers.
- Combine a lean protein; a little healthy fat; & whole grains, fruits, & vegetables (all are good sources of fiber) to help feel & stay full.
- Limit drink calories. Most sweetened drinks are high in calories but have little nutritional value. Consider eating fruit instead of drinking juice.
- Remember that extra calories gradually lead to weight gain. So, make sure that your snack & meal portions are the correct size for your dietary needs.

For more info, check out:
- Eat Smart Move More's Snacks & Drinks
- Cooking Light's Healthy Office Snacks & Portable Snacks
- Delish's Guilt Free Snacking: 15 Low-Fat Snacks & 17 Healthy Snacks for Work
- WebMD's 25 Super Snacks With 100 Calories or Less

Summer Food Safety

In prior posts, we've discussed many healthy ways to enjoy the things that make summer special. But, do you realize how much summer temperatures can impact the safety of your food? From sitting out too long at parties to improperly thawing or cooking, eating food at the wrong temperature can teach you an uncomfortable lesson!


Instead, learn more at:
- Woman's Day's 10 Summer Food Myths That Can Make You Sick (slideshow)
- Parents.com's Summer Food Safety Tips (includes grilling, road trip, & shopping tips)
- Partnership for Food Safety Education's Safe Food Handling (includes the 4 core practices)
- WebMD's Do Food Expiration Dates Really Matter? (good definitions)
- YouBeauty's What Expiration Dates Really Mean (infographic)

Are Sports Drinks Necessary?

Demand for sports drinks has continually grown. The multi-billion dollar businesses pump out eye-catching, adrenaline & athlete filled advertisements. These drinks are available everywhere-- including grocery stores, convenience stores, concession stands, & school cafeterias. But, are sports drinks really helpful or even necessary?

Sports drinks contain water, sugar, & electrolytes (salt, potassium, etc.). They often have 50 calories & 3 teaspoons of sugar (per 8 ounce serving). While light or diet versions do exist, the artificial sweeteners can upset your stomach while being active.

Water usually provides enough hydration for most workouts. Plus, the extra calories from sports drinks are often counterproductive for the average person. Sports drinks are recommended for people who participate in vigorous physical activity for an hour or more. When active in hot &/or humid conditions, they may also help replace fluids & electrolytes lost through sweat.

For more info, check out:
- Food Network's Sports Drinks: Good or Bad?
- WebMD's Drink up for Sports & Fitness
- KidsHealth's Energy Drinks: Should Your Child Drink Them?
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Consumption of Sports Drinks by Children & Adolescents
- Chicago Tribune's Sports Drinks: How to Make Your Own 

To Post or Not To Post?-- Does posting calorie counts matter?

The nutritional value of restaurant meals have gotten bad (but, sometimes, well deserved) raps! Often, these meals are far larger & have more calories, fat, salt, & sugar than recommended. There also tend to be less fruit, vegetable, whole grain, & low-fat dairy options. For more surprising info, check out WebMD's Typical Restaurant Meal Loaded With Fats, Calories (& Salt).

If eating out is an occasional treat, the excess calories can be managed with a little effort & planning. (More to follow...) However, many people eat out regularly. It becomes easy to see how the repetitive excess calories could contribute to weight gain.

On the bright side, it seems to have gotten easier to find healthy options. Or, has it? Some restaurant chains have spent a lot of money to advertise their "healthier" offerings. Although sometimes still nutritionally shudder-worthy, these foods may truly be healthier when compared to their other menu items. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Consumers' Estimation of Calorie Content at Fast Food Restaurants shows that we're really bad at estimating the calories in foods.

Perhaps it isn't our fault... ABC News' Calorie Counts: How Accurate Are They? indicates that some nutritional info provided by restaurants can be misleading or wrong.

So, is it even worth making restaurants share this info with us? Study results are mixed. People who are already concerned about their health tend to use & appreciate it. But, providing this info doesn't seem to influence everyone's choices.
- Today's Who Cares About Calories?
- WebMD's Calorie Advice on Menus Might Not Help People Eat Better
- Stanford Graduate School of Business' New Stanford Study Shows Posting Calories on Restaurant Menu Boards Lowers Customers' Calorie Counts per Visit

How Others Impact Your Weight

Many years ago, Simon & Garfunkel sung, "I am a rock. I am an island." However, this isn't necessarily true where weight is concerned. Our weight (as well as weight gain & loss) can be heavily influenced by our friends, family, co-workers, etc. Check out these articles to see how the effect can be positive or negative:
- NPR's Gain Together, Lose Together: The Weight Loss Halo Effect
- The Daily Texan's Study Reveals Weight Loss Could Negatively Impact Relationships
- Psychology Today's Are Your Friends Making You Fat?

When those around you are less excited about your healthier lifestyle, it's easy for motivation to waiver. So, be prepared with polite, assertive ways to respond. Sample scenarios could include eating out with co-workers, a food-pushing family member, or a spouse who's encouraging you to watch TV instead of being active. Remembering why you've chosen these habits can help steady your resolve. Keep reading for more tips!
- WebMD's How Couples Can Team up to Get Healthy
- American Council on Exercise's Is Peer Pressure Leading You to Make Poor Food Choices?
- NOLA.com's How Do You Deal With the Peer Pressure to Eat Poorly?

Summer Safety

As the 4th of July nears, our thoughts turn to vacations, picnics, & fireworks. Being outdoors can bring some challenges & special things to consider.

Dehydration
It's easy to become dehydrated during our NC summers. Dehydrated means that your body has less fluids than it needs. These fluids can come from water, some other drinks, & foods with high water content (e.g., fruits & vegetables). It's important to hydrate well every day-- even if you're not doing anything strenuous. Exercising or spending time in the heat & humidity will often demand even more fluids, etc. Check out the National Library of Medicine's Dehydration & Heat Emergencies pages to learn more. Scroll down below the dehydration article for related topics.

Sunscreen
Most people have heard that the sun's rays can cause sunburn & skin cancer. So, experts recommend routinely wearing sunscreen. However, there's a lot of outdated or incorrect information floating around. For example, most people don't use enough sunscreen & don't apply it often enough. The American Academy of Dermatology's Sunscreen FAQs share what you need to know. Don't forget to protect your eyes with sunglasses, too.

Stinging Insects
What a pain (literally)! For many people, getting bit or stung is merely annoying. However, some:
- diseases can be transmitted by mosquitos. For more info & ways to protect yourself, check out the NC Department of Public Health's Mosquito-borne Illness & WebMD's Chikungunya Virus.
- people can be allergic. The Centers for Disease Control's Insects page recommends how to deal with bees, wasps, fire ants, etc. (There's also advice about poisonous plants at the bottom.) If someone begins having an allergic reaction, call 911 promptly. For signs, see the Mayo Clinic's Allergies page.

On that note, some summer traditions (like swimming, small fireworks, etc.) can quickly turn from fun into danger. See what Safe Kids recommends to have safer summer fun.

2014 Weight Loss Challenge Results

The 6th Annual 2014 Eat Smart Move More Weight Loss Challenge was a great success! Sponsors agree that everyone who participated is a winner if they lost any weight or adopted healthier habits. They also thank the many community partners that generously offered Challenge participants discounted memberships, free classes, or prizes.

The Challenge ended with a celebration on 6/9/14 at the Henderson Family YMCA that was sponsored by Maria Parham Medical Center. The participants will be challenged again in late fall 2014 to maintain their weight lost or to meet their original 10 pound goal if they didn't quite make it yet.

2014 WLC Statistics:
* 390 people weighed in & 51% of those individuals weighed out losing over 1500 pounds!
* Five teams of 3 & 90 individuals qualified for the prize drawings by meeting the goal of losing 10 pounds during the 10 week period.
* 97% of survey respondents said the challenge was worth their time.
* 99% of survey respondents plan to continue to work to achieve or maintain a healthy weight
* 92% of survey respondents commit to continue the changes they made.

Sponsors:  Maria Parham Medical Center, the Henderson Family YMCA, & the Granville-Vance District Health Department

Community Partners:
* Henderson:  Henderson-Vance Recreation Dept & Studio Mainstreet.
* Oxford:  BodyWorx Fitness Center, Zumba with Gwen, Oxford Parks and Recreation Dept, & Starting Fresh Nutrition
* Creedmoor:  The Road to Fitness

The winners present at the award ceremony with MPMC COO Tim Harclerode (back row - far left), new CEO of the Henderson Family YMCA Paul Ross (back row - 2nd from left, & Health Director Lisa Harrison (back row - 3rd from left).

Prize Winners
* New Prize Category - Every Pound Counts! (Participants lost 3 pounds or more)
- 1 Month Membership to Henderson Family YMCA:  Vikki Williams, Alexis Byars, Amy McFalls
- $25 Gift Card Winners: Desree Twisdale, Jean Ayscue, Barbara Felts, Learnetta Speed

All following participants lost 10 pounds or more.

* Individual Winners of Partner Prizes:
- Gift Basket from Starting Fresh Nutrition in Oxford: Emillee Johnson
- 10 Class Pass From Gwen Hernandex Zumba: Cathy Hight
- 1 Month Membership to Aycock Recreation Center in Henderson:  Phylis Carter, Cassandra Evans
- 6 Class Pass to Studio Mainstreet in Henderson: Monique Allen
- 1 Month Membership to BodyWorx in Oxford: Debra Montegue, Detroit Yancey, Deanna Katz
- 3 Month Membership to Road to Fitness in Creedmoor: Shana Clegg
- 6 Month Membership to Henderson Family YMCA:  LaRonday Ray, Katrina Williams
- $50 Gift Card Winners: Heather Wade, Cheryl Ellington, Tonya Jones, Anna Walker, Catherine Sledge, Betty Moss, Penny Glover, Kelly Anderson, Kay Burke, Kyle Blackwell, Paulette Adams, Chantel Cronk, Goldie Davis, Barbara Jones

* Team Gift Card Winners:
- $50/member - Team Time Warner:  Eddie Blake, Davis Edmonds, Jeremy Paul
- $75/member - Team Awesome:  Monica Boyd, Rachel Cox, Cheryl Dalman
- $150/member - Team Beauty and the Beasts:  Leigh Ann Fowler, Timothy Fowler, Randy Smith

How to Eat More Fruits & Veggies

During summer, fresh local produce is easy to find & tends to have great texture & taste. Availability often makes the price more reasonable. Check out the NC Department of Agriculture's Produce Availability Chart to find out what's in season. However, to get the most for your money, shop around-- even at a Farmer's Market.

Make sure you choose fresher items & store produce properly.
- Fruits & Veggies More Matter's Fruit & Vegetable Storage 101
- Clemson Cooperative Extension's Selecting & Storing Fresh Fruits & Vegetables.

Not using what you buy is truly a waste of money!
- WebMD's 15 Tips for Veggie Haters
- WebMD's Quick Tips: Adding Fruits & Vegetables to Your Diet
- US News' 5 Ways to Sneak More Veggies Into Your Diet

There are lots of recipes available online (including Prevention, Cooking Light, Fruits & Veggies More Matters, etc.).

If you already routinely eat fruits & veggies, expand your diet to include a wide variety of types & colors for the most benefit.
- HowStuffWorks' Health Benefits of Fruits & Vegetables: Eat a Rainbow

Sensational Summer Salads

When the temperatures rise, who wants to stand near (or heat up the house with) a hot oven??? Take advantage of the plentiful fresh fruits & veggies with a colorful entree or side salad.

Fruits & veggies have vitamins & minerals; help keep you hydrated; & are typically low in calories, fat, salt, etc. Remember to add in various colors for a full range of benefits.

Be creative! To make a complete, nourishing meal, include a lean protein & some healthy fat with your salad. For salads made with mayo, choose a light version, use less, &/or consider substituting a healthier alternative (e.g., greek yogurt).

For inspiration, check out:
- WebMD & EatingWell's 500 Calorie Salad Menus
- Cooking Light's Great Summer Salads
- Epicurious's Healthy Main Course Salad Recipes
- Reader's Digest Australia's Salad Recipes

Take Your Healthy Habits on Vacation

For many people, summer means that it's vacation time. However, don't let your hard work (or hard work in progress) during the Weight Loss Challenge evaporate! Here are tips for having an enjoy & healthy vacation.
- SparkPeople's Healthy Vacation Guide
- WebMD's 10 Ways to Eat Healthy While on Vacation
- Prevention.com's What Nutritionists Eat at Fast-Food Restaurants
- Fox News' How to Eat Healthy at 16 Fast-Food Chains
- Cooking Light's Road Trip Snacks: Healthy Convenience Store Foods
- Active.com's 10 Ways to Get a Workout on Vacation
- University of Nevada, Reno's Exercising While on Vacation

Can't get away? Try an active stay-cation!
- Go for a hike, bike ride, or swim at Falls Lake or Kerr Lake.
- Go for a boat or kayak ride at Lake Devin (Oxford), Lake Holt (Butner), Lake Rogers (Creedmoor), or Wilton Slopes (Wilton). For more info, check out Granville County Recreation. Or, try Kerr Lake. Some of these facilities offer rentals.
- Buy a one day (or month) pool pass for Aycock Recreation Center in Henderson or Rucker Park in Oxford. Or, try the Granville Athletic Park's Splash Pool with small children.
- Play a round of golf at a public course.
- Go to the NC Zoo in Asheboro.
- There's also lots of opportunities nearby in Raleigh, Durham, & Chapel Hill.

Regardless of what you choose, remember to stay hydrated & use any recommended safety gear (e.g., sun protection, helmet, PFD/life jacket, etc.) If traveling outside the US, ensure that your vaccinations are up to date before leaving.