FORT WAYNE – With big holiday meals behind us and winter hibernation coming to a close, it’s a great time to think about healthy eating.
As March begins, Parkview is celebrating the return of National Nutrition Month and hosting several local events to provide residents tips, tricks and good habits for eating healthy, according to a news release from Parkview.
Since 1973, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has hosted National Nutrition Month, an annual campaign with a focus on learning how to make informed food choices and creating lifelong healthy habits.
A healthy diet plays an important role in maintaining good personal health. About 7 in 10 Hoosiers are overweight and about 37% are obese, making Indiana one of the heaviest states. Obesity is a complicating factor in many chronic diseases including high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease, but combining a good diet and exercise can help keep weight under control and contribute to overall better health, the release states.
“Good eating habits play such a pivotal role your overall health picture by helping you reach recommended intakes of vitamins and nutrients, generating sufficient energy and maintaining a healthy weight,” said Katie Fulk, community outreach dietitian, Parkview Health. “Improving your diet doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing approach. Making incremental changes over time is the best path to change your habits and make them stick, and our dietitians and nutritionists at Parkview can help you identify ways to make changes that stick.”
Throughout National Nutrition Month, visit the Parkview blog at Parkview.com/blog and follow Parkview on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for posts about nutrition. Follow the Center for Healthy Living classes and events for more opportunities at Parkview.com/chlevents and sign up for the Center for Healthy Living Newsletter for tips and events year-round at Parkview.com/newslettersignup.
Area residents also will have the opportunity to take part in the following local events throughout March:
Kosciusko County
• Martin’s Supermarket: Grocery Store Tour
Tuesday, March 26, 2 – 2:45 p.m.
Martin’s Supermarket, 1150 Husky Trail, Warsaw, meet at Martin’s Customer Service
Have you ever wondered if you’re making the best decisions at the grocery store for you and your family? Grocery shopping can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t need to be. Plan to join Lydia Hall, RDN, LD, community outreach dietitian, Parkview Center for Healthy Living at Martin’s Supermarket for your very own guided grocery tour with a registered dietitian. Plan to learn grocery shopping tips, expand your nutrition and health knowledge, gain more confidence in selecting your groceries. The tour will take about 30 minutes with time for questions during and the following the tour.
Cost: Free
Registration required.
• Martin’s School of Cooking: Beyond the Table – Meals On-the-Go
Tuesday, March 26, 6 – 7 p.m.
Martin’s Supermarket, 1150 Husky Trail, Warsaw, Martin’s School of Cooking, second floor
In our busy world, it can be challenging to be mindful and make healthful food choices. Join Lydia Hall, RDN, LD, Parkview Center for Healthy Living, community outreach dietitian at Martin’s School of Cooking to learn two on-the-go options to pack.
Cost: Free
Registration required.
Other Events
• Food for Thought: Nutrition and Your Gut Health via Zoom
Monday, March 25, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Did you know a healthy gut supports your immune system and helps prevent disease? Join Briana Aspy, PA-C, IFMCP, Parkview Physicians Group – Integrative Medicine, for this important conversation about gut health, as she shares information about foods that nourish and maintain your gut microbiome to improve your health from the inside out.
Cost: Free
Call 260‑266‑6500 or toll free at 844‑835‑0003 to register.
• Beyond the Table – tasting tables
To inspire nutritional wellness throughout the month of March, Parkview dietitians and Parkview Health Nutrition Services will be hosting “Beyond the Table,” a series of tasting table events that will take place in Parkview hospital cafeterias throughout the region. Tasting tables will feature samples of a variety of entrees and a wealth of nutrition information. Tasting tables will be open from noon to 1 p.m. on the following dates:
Thursday, March 21, Parkview Kosciusko Hospital: Wheat berry Waldorf salad