We have passed the halfway point of the challenge! I must say it has gone fast, but has been a lot of fun so far.  Continue tracking physical activity on your Week Five sheets, which will be due to the Hospitality Desk, Human Resources office, or Caul Fitness Center by Tuesday, May 5, at 5 p.m. Looking forward to the Week Eight healthy eating challenge, which is to stay within your calorie limits for the day. I recommend an online calorie calculator to figure out your caloric intake needs.  My preference is www.calculator.net where they have a calorie calculator to show you how many calories to consume if you would like to lose, maintain, or gain weight. Please contact Jeff Heidbreder, or Sara Hillard in the Fitness Center, or Lisa Schwarz, Registered Dietitian, if you are in need of help with your daily calorie needs for Week Eight.

Congratulations to Loren Alexander, who won the Week Three healthy eating challenge drawing, which got him a $25 gift certificate to Verna Belle’s. Also, congratulations to Paul Bridges who won our random drawing of a Coach Snyder autographed football.  Look for more drawings in the coming weeks, and at the post-party on Wednesday, May 27. 

Next week’s events include the Group Walks and a Fitness Seminar over “Water & Health.” The Group Walks will be at 1 p.m. Monday, May 4, and Wednesday, May 6. and we will meet at the Village Entrance to start. The Fitness Seminar, “Water & Health” will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 6, in the KSU Classroom. Quiz Questions will be posted in the Game Room Monday, May 4. Please place completed slips in the drop box located at the Hospitality Desk by Friday, May 8.

Last  Week’s Quiz Answers:

1.) You should limit the amount of saturated and trans fat in your diet? The answer is true. The two main types of potentially harmful dietary fats are saturated and trans fats. Saturated fats come from animal sources of food, such as red meat, poultry, and full-fat dairy products.  Saturated fats can raise total blood cholesterol levels, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), as well as increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. Trans fat is mostly found in oils, stemming from a food processing method called partial hydrogenation. This makes these oils easier to cook with and less likely to spoil than do naturally occurring oils. Trans fats have been found to increase unhealthy LDL cholesterol levels, and lower healthy high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels.

2.) Most of the salt Americans eat comes from salt added at the table? Answer is false. According to the American Heart Association, about 75% of our sodium intake comes from processed foods, and restaurant meals. Sodium is often added to a lot of our common foods to improve the taste, as well as increase the amount of time before products spoil. This is where reading nutrition labels, opting for lower sodium options, and choosing natural, whole foods can help limit the amount of salt we consume daily.