FEBRUARY 2017
Welcome to
Heart Health Month
February is Heart Health Month! Did you know heart
disease is the leading cause of death for men and
women in the United States. Every year, 1 in 4 deaths
are caused by heart disease. The good news? Heart
disease can often be prevented when people make
healthy choices and manage their health conditions.
Some major risk factors associated with heart disease
are high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
However, by living a healthy lifestyle, you can help keep
your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar normal and lower your risk for heart disease and heart attack. A healthy lifestyle includes the following:
 Eating a healthy diet - Eating foods low in saturated
fats, trans fats, and cholesterol and high in fiber.
Limiting sodium and sugar.
 Maintaining a healthy weight - Being overweight or
obese increases your risk. Our staff can help you
determine where your weight and measurements
should be.
 Physical activity - For adults, the Surgeon General
recommends 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderateintensity exercise every week. Children should get
one hour of physical activity every day.
 No smoking - Cigarette smoke greatly increases
your risk for heart disease.
 Limit alcohol use - Avoid drinking too much, which
can raise your blood pressure. Men should limit to
two drinks per day, and women only one.
All these things will help
keep your blood pressure,
cholesterol, and blood
sugar levels under control.
Risk factors you cannot
control are age, family history, and sex. It is up to
you to take control of your
health and lifestyle!
Share with us how you have lowered your risk for Heart
Disease! Grab a heart from the membership office, tell
your story, and add your heart to our Heart Wall! At
the end of the month we will do a “heart” drawing and
the winners will receive a gift certificate to Smoothie
King and Subway!
Share the gift of health with friends and family this
month also!
 Each time you bring a guest in February, your name
will be put in a drawing for a free metabolic test!
Your guest must fill out a guest consent form.
 If your guest joins in February, you will receive a free month!
 Current personal training clients may bring a friend
to train with you this month for $5 per session.
 If your guest purchases a training package
in February, you will get a free session!
Please
Remember to scan in at
each visit!
Your scan is important!
Scan reports are used for budget of staffing,
equipment needs, and justification of hours of
operation.
Let staff know if computer does not say “Thank
You”
Ask front desk or membership office staff to
scan you in if you forget your card.
Metabolic testing
Maintaining a healthy weight
How many calories can I eat without gaining weight?
How many calories should I eat to lose weight? The
Sam B. Cook Healthplex offers metabolic testing to help
you answer these very questions! Metabolic testing
gives you the exact number of calories you need to lose,
maintain, or gain weight. The test will show you if you
have a slow, average, or fast metabolism and give you a
range of calories best for weight loss, maintenance, or
weight gain based on your individual metabolic rate.
Testing requires a minimum 4-hour fast and no exercise.
You will be required to breathe into a tube, with your
nose plugged, for about 10 minutes. Your oxygen is collected and analyzed. Upon completion of the test, one
of our exercise specialists will review your results and
educate you on healthy eating, exercise plans, and lifestyle changes to help you find and maintain your most
heart-healthy weight!
What the Experts Eat…Heart Health!
February is Heart Health Month so we’ve decided to share a
recipe perfect for keeping your heart healthy!
Oven-“Fried” Okra
Canola oil cooking spray
1 20-oz. bag frozen sliced okra, thawed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 cups yellow corn meal
Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet
with aluminum foil and spray the foil generously with cooking spray. Set aside. Spray the inside of a gallon-sized food
storage bag with cooking spray. Add the okra, salt and pepper. Close the bag and shake to blend. Let the okra rest for
10 minutes. Add the cornmeal to the bag and shake vigorously to coat the okra. Let the bag sit for 10 minutes; then,
shake it up again. Using a wide mesh strainer or colander
over a large bowl, remove the okra in batches and shake off
excess cornmeal into the bowl, discarding the leftover meal.
Place the coated okra on the sheet pan and continue the
process until all the okra is on the pan and the pieces are
not touching each other. Spray the okra well with cooking
spray. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven
and stir the okra, trying to turn over as many pieces as possible. Lightly spray them again. Return to the oven for another 20 minutes.
We have recipe cards with a nutrition analysis available in
the fitness center for this recipe as well as Braised Beef
Steaks with Zesty Sauce, Chicken Pot Pie, and Salmon &
Corn Chowder. Try one or all of them and let us know what
you think!
Dates to Remember
February 1—Lunch & Learn, “Discussing Heart Attack Risk
Factors”, 12:10-12:50, Oakview Conference Room
February 7 and 15—Heart Health Screenings! Lipid Profile/Cholesterol Screens - 6:30-8:30am in the Corporate
Health Office
February 16—Heart-to-Heart Luncheon, 12:00-1:00pm,
Tunnell/Wherritt Community Conference Center
February 25—Heart Risk Assessment. Cardiac Rehab area
at Sam B. Cook Healthplex. 7:00-10:00am.