January 19, 2012
Nutrition, Fitness Class Begins Feb. 7
LINCOLN, Neb. — There's no shortage of advice about food and fitness. For many consumers, the problem is understanding the information and putting it into practice.
Nutrition advice can boggle the mind, with references to fiber, anti-oxidants, saturated fats, unsaturated fats, trans fats, triglycerides, sodium and sugars.
When it comes to physical activity, experts advise that just 30 minutes per day can improve health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, depression, bone disease and certain types of cancer. But nearly one-third of Nebraskans fail to meet this daily goal, according to a Health and Human Services survey.
To help Nebraskans make sense of the latest dietary and fitness recommendations, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension is offering a seven-week class, Creating Balance with Food & Fitness, starting Feb. 7. The course is based on the 2010 release of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
"This is not a 'weight loss' class," said Lisa Franzen-Castle, UNL Extension nutrition specialist. "This is just good, sound advice on nutrition and physical activity that applies to nearly everybody."
A fee is being charged for the class and pre-registrations are due by Jan. 31. For details on how to pre-register visit Food & Fitness or contact the nearest UNL Extension office.
The course will include an overview of foods to increase, foods to decrease and a discussion about how to balance calories to achieve a healthy weight. Each session will also feature brief practice sessions of physical activities which can be done at home to improve fitness levels. Instructors will lead participants through a variety of exercises that can be used to build a well-rounded physical activity program.
The course will be offered over the noon hour (central time) via weekly webinars each Tuesday from Feb. 7 to March 20. All that is required is a computer with an Internet connection and a web browser such as Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox. The online sessions allow participants to submit questions and interact with other participants.
"And," Franzen-Castle added, "for the benefit of people who like the support they get from meeting with others, we also have locations set up across the state where participants can go to view the program in a group setting." A list of sites can be viewed at the website above.
"Using the computer to deliver this program not only allows us to draw on our team of educators who are spread across the state, but it also allows us to reach people no matter where they are," explained Franzen-Castle.
The sessions also will be recorded so those who can't view the programs live can watch them later from their home or office computer, she said. "So, there is no reason for anybody to be left out."
Links to the archived version will be e-mailed to participants by each Wednesday afternoon.
1/19/12-DO/DM Lisa Franzen-Castle, Ph.D.
Nutrition and Health Sciences Assistant Professor (308) 632-1230
 
Dan Moser IANR News Service (402) 472-3007
Department:
Extension
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