Let’s Get Healthy celebrates its new location

The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Let’s Get Healthy Program held an open house Tuesday to get the word out about their new location (at the former LBM Lumber building on Route 37) and to inform the community of what programs and services they offer.

Representatives from the Let’s Get Healthy Program and the Mohawk Healthy Heart Project handed out free healthy goodies and gave door prizes to guests.

“The Let’s Get Healthy Program is a health promotion and health education program for the residents of Akwesasne,” reads the program description. “Education in healthy lifestyle including diet, exercise and smoking cessation is available.”

The program supports two main objectives, as outlined in program documentation:

1 – to prevent diabetes in persons who do not have diabetes and/or those at high risk through education and special services that target: healthy weight, regular physical activity, smoking cessation, nutrition, etc.

2 – to prevent the complications in persons who have diabetes such as kidney, eye, nerve and heart damage through education and special services that target: healthy weight, tight blood sugar control, lipid control, smoking cessation, stress reduction, etc.

The programs have nurses, diabetes educators and fitness trainers available.

Justin Point, the Lead Fitness Specialist, operates several fitness classes throughout the week at Hart to Heart Fitness Center.

To learn more about the programs contact the Let’s Get Healthy Program at 358-9667. Or, stop in to the Mohawk Healthy Heart Project at Hart to Heart, or call them at 358-6091.

Spring into Action

Eat Healthy, Be Healthy

By the Let’s Get Healthy Program

How to Eat

Follow the saying, “Eat like a king for breakfast, a prince for lunch and a pauper for dinner.”

This helps regulate your food and your meals. It helps to have the same amount of foods for each meal rather than having sporadic amounts. It is very important if you are trying to lose weight to eat breakfast, and that it consists of having protein such as an omelet with vegetables, fruit, and just one piece of toast.

Lunch should then be smaller such as salad with fat free dressing and half a sandwich or just add meat and fruit, and then dinner should be a little bit smaller than lunch.

Remember to eat fruit and vegetables in between meals to help from feeling starved. This will also help get your five a day in of fruits and vegetables.

Food Choices

Eggs: Try poached, egg whites, or egg substitutes

Omelets: Western or veggie lover’s is a good choice without cheese

Oatmeal: Good for cholesterol try without brown sugar and use skim milk

Daily soups: Choose only a broth soup, not a cream-based soup

Tossed Salad: Try fat free dressing or low calorie dressing

Chef Salad: Order without cheese and ham, try turkey or shrimp

Chicken fajita: Order without cheese and ask for fat free sour cream

Hot Turkey Sandwich: Order without gravy and no bread or only one slice

Haddock: Broiled is better

Hamburgers: Try without the bun, or with mustard, avoid the cheese

Meatloaf: No gravy on top

Desserts: Look for sugar free or Jell-O without whopped cream

Drinks: Ask for bottled or tap water or try unsweetened ice tea