C I T Y
O F
G R A N D
P R A I R I E
W E L L N E S S
N E W S L E T T E R
September is Fruit and Veggie Month
We know the story: you want your family to eat
more fruits and vegetables, and you intend to serve
more, but practical issues seem to always get in the
way. We know, you need foods that are convenient and
quick to prepare, but you also need to feed picky eaters!
So what can you do? Here’s a quick guide to help you
think “fruits and veggies” whether you’re at the store, in the
car or making a grocery list! Check out these surefire ways to add MORE fruits
and veggies to your day!
• Shopping - As you cruise the grocery aisles, remember all forms count.
Pick up fruits and veggies throughout the store. It’s okay to grab canned
and frozen. Try dried as well! And of course, pick up 100% juice.
• Dinner - Getting more fruits and vegetables in at dinner doesn’t have to
be a struggle. Hey, why not add fruits and vegetables to the meals you are
already making? Or, make a meal starring just fruits and vegetables.
• On the go - Eating on the go can feel chaotic, but it’s easy to include
more fruits and vegetables away from home by packing snacks in small
containers.
• On a budget - Fruits and veggies don’t need to break the bank. Get
smart! Remember, all forms count, so look for weekly specials throughout
the store.
Fruits, Veggies and Blood Pressure
Fruits and veggies aren't only full of vitamins and minerals, they also affect
blood pressure. Help lower your blood pressure by following these steps:
• Eat a healthy diet - Ask your doctor about the DASH diet. Studies
show that limiting saturated fat and cholesterol, while emphasizing
potassium-rich foods such as fruits, whole grains, vegetables and low-fat
dairy foods, can lower high blood pressure.
• Watch your salt intake - Limiting the amount of sodium you consume
also lowers blood pressure in many people. Consume less than 1,500
milligrams of sodium a day for the biggest benefit.
• Reach and maintain a healthy weight - Overweight people are
more likely to develop high blood pressure.
• Don't smoke - If you do, talk to your doctor to help you kick the habit.
• Limit alcohol - Women should drink no more than one alcoholic
beverage per day, and men should drink no more than two.
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S E P T E M B E R
2 0 1 4
Grand Showcase:
A Celebration of the
Talent Within
Thursday, Oct. 23
Doors open at 6 p.m.
Uptown Theater • 120 E. Main
You are a talented group of people! The city of Grand Prairie is full
of talented employees, and we want
you to show off your skills. The Parks,
Arts and Recreation Department will
hold its first ever Grand Showcase: A
Celebration of the Talent Within to
highlight your artistic talents. Employees with all types of talents are encouraged to enter. We’re calling all painters, artists, sculptors, crafters, singers,
dancers, filmmakers, writers and all
other skilled employees!
Join us at the Uptown Theater for
an evening of arts, performances and
hors d'oeuvres. Artwork will be displayed from Oct. 23-Nov. 14. Everyone is welcome to attend the showcase.
Applications to participate must be
submitted to the Parks Admin Office,
400 College St., by Sept. 26. Artwork
should be dropped off at the Uptown
Theater by Oct. 20.
For more information, contact
Erin Whitlock at 972-237-8110 or
Doug Voet at 972-237-9409.
Wellness
Mobile Mammography
Tuesday, Sept. 16 • 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
City Hall Parking Lot • 317 W. College
Methodist Health System will be at City Hall to conduct on site mammograms for employees, spouses and retirees on the insurance plan.
To qualify for a mammogram, you must be age 35 or older and have no current breast problems.
No insurance? A payment of $266.55 will be due at the time of service in
the form of cash, check, Visa or MasterCard.
To schedule an appointment, please contact Methodist Health Connection
at 214-947-0026.
Please bring to your exam:
• Your insurance card
• The name and mailing address of your doctor
Free Community Workout
Saturday, Sept. 13 • 8:30-9:30 a.m.
Grand Prairie Farmers Market • 120 W. Main St.
Camp Gladiator and Get Fit Grand Prairie team up to host a free community workout and adult fitness camp for all fitness
levels! Come out and enjoy the fun and free prizes!
Certified personal trainers will be available to
answer any questions you may have. No registration is required, but be sure to
bring:
• Yoga Mat
• Dumbbell weights (5-15 lbs)
• Water
• A friend
Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes
Saturday, Nov. 8 • 8:30-11:30 a.m.
QuikTrip Park, 1600 Lone Star Parkway
Walk to Stop Diabetes is the American Diabetes Association’s signature fundraising walk. The festivities will include a walk and timed 5K run, a health and
fitness expo, free breakfast snacks, activities for children, live entertainment and
more! For more information, visit gptx.org/GetFitGP.
Diabetes is characterized by blood glucose levels that are above normal.
The food we eat turns into glucose, which we use as energy. The
pancreas makes a hormone called insulin that helps glucose get
into the cells within our bodies. People with diabetes either do not
make enough insulin or cannot adequately use the insulin their
bodies produce, which leads to sugar buildup in the blood. Diabetics can improve their quality of life by eating a well-balanced diet,
exercising, maintaining a healthy weight and regular medical visits.
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FREE Yoga Lesson at
Flight of the Monarch
Saturday, Sept. 27
1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Central Park • 2975 Esplanade
Bring your yoga mat and a towel
to learn the basics of yoga
from a yoga instructor from
Texas Health Arlington
Memorial Hospital.
Grand Prairie Parks, Arts
and Recreation Department
hosts the Flight of the Monarch event,
featuring Monarch butterfly releases,
bounce houses, kite flying, arts and
crafts, live music and more.
Call 972-237-8055 for more information about the yoga classes.
28th Annual Joe Pool
Lake Pumpkin Run
Saturday, Oct. 11
Lynn Creek Park
Baylor Medical Center of Irving
and the Grand Prairie Metro Rotary
Club present the 28th annual Joe Pool
Lake 10K, 5K Run and Walk, Fun
Run and Pumpkin Fest!
The event will feature free
pumpkin decorating,
free blood pressure
checks, free
pancake breakfasts
with bacon from
Outlaw's Bar-B-Que
and more.
The Pumpkin Run
benefits the Alzheimer's Association.
Since the first event, the Grand Prairie
Metro Rotary Club has distributed
more than $435,000 to local and
regional charities.
For more information, visit
pumpkinrun.us.
Wellness
The Psychological Impact of Diet Soda
In recent decades, artificially sweetened beverages have become an increasingly popular alternative to sugary sodas. At the same time, America’s obesity
rate has risen to epidemic levels. Odd coincidence? Perhaps not: Considerable
research has found consuming these “diet” drinks results in weight gain over the
long run. At first glance, this seems preposterous, since you’re substituting a highcalorie product with a no-calorie one.
But in a newly published paper, a research team led by Texas Christian
University psychologist Sarah Hill finds drinking these non-sugar beverages
can “influence psychological processes in ways that—over time—may increase
calorie intake.”
In a series of experiments, Hill and her colleagues discovered artificially
sweetened beverages impacts our subsequent reactions to sweet food in ways that
are distinctly different from either sugar-sweetened or non-sweetened drinks.
Their research, published in the journal Appetite, suggests these products may activate a craving without satisfying it, thus increasing our vulnerability to the next
high-calorie treat that crosses our path.
In one experiment, 115 undergraduates drank one of three 12-ounce
beverages (served in an unmarked cup): Sprite (sugar-sweetened); Sprite
Zero (artificially sweetened); or lemon-lime flavored sparkling mineral water
(unsweetened). Each then opened a box containing a bottle of natural spring
water, a pack of Trident sugar-free gum, and a bag of M&Ms. After evaluating
each product’s logo and packaging (to distract them from the actual intent of the
study), they were told “they could choose one of the products to take with them
when leaving.”
The results were striking: Those who drank the artificially sweetened drink
were 2.93 times more likely to take the candy than those who had consumed
either the sugary soda or the mineral water.
The researchers could not draw a definitive conclusion as to why drinking
the diet soda had this effect, but they suspect it is based on “the decoupling of
sweetness with energy availability.”
To put it simply: A body that believes it is getting an energy boost (as the
sweet taste of the soda implies) and then does not may react by going into WTF
mode (Where’s the Fructose?). This translates to cravings for the next high-calorie option that crosses our path.
Huffington Post
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Performance
Experience
Performance Experience, or PE,
is a rapidly
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company
dedicated to
holistic health
and wellness. PE believes the body was
created to function with excellence
as long as it moves correctly and we
put the right things in it. PE trains
people of all ages—from 5-year-olds
to seasoned 70-year-olds—and all
fitness levels; there is no one PE can’t
train. The PE trainers have helped
countless people get off prescription
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lose weight and fight ordinarily fatal
diseases.
Performance Experience has
aligned itself with Thorne Nutrition,
Elevation Health and Jill Lane, the
nutritionist for the Cowboys and
Mavericks, in an effort to improve
health in every facet of its clients' lives.
Learn more about Performance
Experience today at www.PE28.com.
Fight the Bite
Learn tips to defend yourself from
mosquitoes and West Nile virus at
gptx.org/FightTheBite.
News
Fall Into Fun at
Farmers Market
The days are getting shorter,
the nights are getting cooler, but the
Grand Prairie Farmers Market, 120 W.
Main St., still has an array of activities planned to peak the whole family’s
interest. Farmers Market is open
8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays, featuring
fresh produce and much more.
Saturday, Sept. 13
• Start your day with the FREE
Camp Gladiator/Get Fit GP
workout on 2nd Street from
8:30-9:30 a.m.
• Refuel after your workout and
learn how to make kettle corn
in the cooking demonstration
featuring the Grand Prairie
Legend Mr. Jackie Harrison at
10:30 a.m.
Saturday, Sept. 20
• Watch Chef Ernst from Texas
Chefs cook up something fun
during the cooking demonstration at 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, Sept. 27
• After you shop the fresh produce, tamales and other fares
at Farmers Market, head over
to the Farmers Market booth at
the free Flight of the Monarch
event at Central Park, State
Highway 161 and Arkansas Ln.
The Grand Prairie Farmers Market features locally grown fruits and
vegetables, meats, honey, pasta, spices,
tamales, candles, soaps and much
more. The market is open every Saturday, March to December, from 8 a.m.
to 1 p.m. For more information about
the Farmers Market, call 972-2374599 or visit gptx.org/farmersmarket.
Employee of the Month
Tim Shinogle, Parks, Arts &
Recreation Sr. Superintendent over
Planning, has been named Employee of
the Month for September. Tim has been
involved in The EPIC Project from day one, and
his dedication to this project, along with his other
job assignments, has not gone unnoticed. Tim
exemplifies hard work, dedication and passion,
and he sets a standard for his colleagues to follow.
Tim’s involvement in The EPIC Project includes preparing presentations
for City Council and a significant amount of research concerning feasibility
studies and revenue generating opportunities. On many occasions, Tim worked
very long days to lead and facilitate evening meetings with various potential
user groups, in addition to leading staff brainstorming sessions. He is involved in
every aspect from reviewing RFQ’s from architects, to presenting at Park Board
and City Council meetings, to working with schematic design and construction.
Tim is a leader in the department, and he demonstrates that when working as a
team, anything is possible. He welcomes input from the entire department and
encourages everyone to share ideas to make a mark on the project.
When Tim is not working on The EPIC Project, he spends his time on
various other projects, including Lake Parks store front and lodge, trails,
irrigation projects, facility improvements and the renovation of the Dalworth
Recreation Center. With more than 30 years of service to the city of Grand
Prairie, Tim shares his knowledge, expertise and experiences with younger
professionals in the department. He is a leader and a teacher. Tim takes the time
to explain processes and answer questions. Tim is not only dedicated to planning
and development of park facilities, he is dedicated to the future of Grand Prairie
and the services we provide to our citizens.
News
December Holidays
The official city administrative holidays in December are Thursday, Dec. 25,
and Friday, Dec. 26.
Earlier versions of the city payroll calendar showed different dates. Please
note the change.
Kid's Fishing Day
Saturday, Sept. 20 • 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Mike Lewis Park
Come reel ‘em in at the Mike Lewis Park lagoon. This popular event is
FREE to children 16 and under. The lagoon will be stocked with
catfish. Prizes will be awarded in the three age categories for the
Largest Fish, Smallest Fish, and Most Fish Caught. For more
information, contact the Parks, Arts and Recreation Department
at 972-237-8100.
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