Nutrition

When it comes to learning healthy, cell-supportive nutrition, it can seem really difficult to understand. There are so many books on the subject, it's a wonder we can agree on anything nutrition related. It doesn't need to be complicated, however, I've actually broken it down into three simple rules for nutrition mastery. Really? Really. I've had the opportunity to interview many of the leaders in the field of nutrition for my radio show, and I've learned that what we've been taught about nutrition since childhood has largely failed to improve our nation's health.

Special to The Herald-Mail By definition, an appetizer is a small dish of food or a drink taken before a meal to stimulate one's appetite. Depending upon your choice, appetizers can make or break your nutrition goals to consume a healthier diet. Appetizers can be eaten as the traditional definition describes but also can be used to avoid overeating, curve your appetite or as a wise choice for an entree.   If you choose to eat an appetizer as a precursor to your meal, be careful not to choose typical high-calorie, high-fat, high-sodium appetizers that many restaurants offer.

Drop 10 in 10 is a 10-week weight-management program designed to help participants lose 10 pounds or 10 percent of their weight through a program of balanced nutrition, sensible activity and meaningful lifestyle changes. The class will be offered at 6 p.m. Tuesdays, Sept. 27 through Dec. 6, in the McCormack Center on the campus of City Hospital.  The program is free for Highmark members. A fee will be charged for non-Highmark members. There is a materials fee for all. For more information or to register, call 304.264.1287, ext. 1814.

War Memorial Hospital's Center for Rehab & Wellness will offer a free nutrition program, "Healthy Eating Made Easy" at 4:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 22. Sara Kuykendall, a registered and licensed dietitian with Valley Health Wellness & Fitness Services, will discuss ideas for making healthy food choices a part of your lifestyle. Registration is required. For more information or to register, call 304-258-8377.

Portion sizes, sodium content, nutritional value: The road to a healthy lifestyle might seem overwhelming. But according to Rebecca Davis, health and nutrition educator with University of Maryland Extension in Washington County, it's all about baby steps. Strong Women, Healthy Hearts, a program targeted at inactive women older than 40 with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 24, aims to reduce the risk of heart disease while encouraging healthy living habits. "It's important anywhere, but particularly in the United States, obesity rates are rising, particularly among women and adults and we need to stop that," Davis said.

Fiestada pizza, shrimp poppers and tasty tacos will cost 10 cents more next school year after the Washington County Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday to approve its Food and Nutrition Services budget. Food and Nutrition Services Supervisor Jeff Proulx warned the school board in February that he would be returning to ask for a price increase for school breakfasts and lunches. While a federal act mandated a price increase, Proulx told the school board Tuesday that he would have recommended a 10-cent increase anyway to help cover increasing food and labor costs.

War Memorial Hospital's Center for Rehab & Wellness will offer a free nutrition program, "Snack Attack," at 4:30 p.m.Monday, May 9, at 261 Berkmore Place, Suite 2A, in Berkeley Springs. Sara Kuykendall, a registered and licensed dietitian with Valley Health, will discuss tips for choosing healthy snacks. Class size is limited. For more information or to register, call 304-258-8377.

The Washington County Commission on Aging will shut down one senior citizen nutrition site and shorten the hours of three others in an effort to beef up its Meals on Wheels program, an agency official said Monday. Susan MacDonald, executive director of the Washington County Commission on Aging, said the senior nutrition site at the fire hall on Big Spring Road in Clear Spring will close Jan. 28, and the hours at the centers in Smithsburg, Keedysville and Williamsport will be shortened from 20 to 12 per week.

The handful of senior citizens who were at the Clear Spring nutrition site on Monday said they were disappointed and shocked to hear that the Washington County Commission on Aging was planning to pull the plug on the operation later this month. “I was disappointed,” said Doris Younker, 75, of Clear Spring. “I just learned about it today. We were working on a quilt. We had so many things planned to do.” The Commission on Aging told the five seniors who were at the Clear Spring senior nutrition site on Monday that the program will close Jan. 28. The nutrition site not only provided seniors with a meal, but offered activities and health advice.

With all the talk about aging NFL great Brett Favre and his annual retirement, a debate has been opened: How old is too old for professional sports? Should we have a mandatory retirement age for athletes like we do in government service? Or should we let their performance speak to the length of their tenure in their sport? Personally, I feel like with modern training and nutrition strategies, recreational and professional athletes can extend their careers further than they were able to in past years.