HEA is the new sponsor for the April American Red Cross Blood Drive at the Robinson Community Center on April 15 from 1 – 6 p.m. Please be sure to come out and give blood! Every one of us OR someone we love will need blood at some point in our lives! PLEASE HELP!!!

Please be sure to come out and enjoy a fun-filled morning! Mark your calendars on Friday, April 24, at the Robinson Community Center; the Senior Expo will be going on from 8:00 - 11:00 a.m.! Several things are planned:

• Various Screenings 8 - 9:00 a.m.
• Breakfast 8 - 10:30 a.m.
• Door prizes 9 - 11:00 a.m.

The Palestine Public Library has invited the HEA ladies on their bus trip to Louisville, KY, on Thursday, May 14. The trip includes the Louisville Slugger Museum, lunch at Kingfish Restaurant on the Ohio River, tour Glassworks (glass blowing), and a tour of Schmippf's Confectionery in Jeffersonville, IN, before heading home. The cost of the trip is $50/person, nonrefundable, which includes the tours, bus, and driver's tip. Meals and candy are on your own. Join us for a fun day in Louisville! Deadline to register is April 15. For more information, please call 618/586-5317.

• If you are trying to lose a few pounds, be sure to get enough protein and calcium so you don't lose bone as well. Weight-bearing exercise is also crucial for preserving bone mass.
• For an excellent source of calcium, eat nonfat or low-fat yogurt. A 6-ounce container usually supplies 30% of the Daily Value (DV) for calcium – that's 300 milligrams and, ounce for ounce, more calcium than milk. A few brands supply even more calcium as well as some vitamin D. However, yogurt with fruit preserves on the bottom has less calcium, plus about an extra 100 sugary calories, but little or none of the nutrients of fresh fruit. Also note that some yogurt cups have now shrunk to 4 or 5 ounces, reducing the nutrient levels.
• Spurred by economic woes, sales of Spam canned meat is reportedly up more than 10%; at 22+ cents per ounce, however, Spam actually costs more than pork or hamburger!
• As many restaurants and fast-food places offer bigger and bigger portions (which adds mostly calories and fat to our diet), two-thirds of Americans still say they finish their entrees "most of the time" or "always".
• The mineral magnesium does hundreds of important jobs in the body – involving energy production, bone health, the functioning of the heart, nerves, and muscles, and the clotting of blood. Nuts, beans, seeds, fish, whole grains, and leafy greens are good sources of magnesium.
• One of the best ways to curb a craving for food is to drink a big glass of water. You may just be thirsty and not hungry. If you don't like water, add sugar-free flavoring, such as Crystal Light, or a shot of lemon or lime juice. The latter two also improve the looks of your skin and help fight colds.
• Most crackers are loaded with refined carbohydrates, fat, and sodium, making them the nutritional equivalent to chips. But don't banish them from your pantry altogether – they can be a healthy addition to your diet. Munching on whole-grain crackers can help get you to your whole-grain serving's goal of three servings per day. The key is to look for whole grain as the first ingredient in the product, and there should be a significant amount of fiber.

Are you familiar with the MyPyramid guidelines about how many servings from each of the five food groups you should eat daily? Many times our intentions are good but we don't follow through. Sometimes we just need simple ideas for healthy meals. Following are some guidelines for following MyPyramid for balanced lean choices at each meal. For more information, visit the website: Mypyramid.gov

For Breakfast choose from:

• Oatmeal, skim milk, orange/grapefruit
• Whole grain toast with light ham, strawberries, yogurt
• Whole grain cereal, skim milk, banana
• Yogurt with whole grain cereal, grapes
• English muffin, peanut butter, strawberries
• Melon, yogurt, English muffin

Beware of items that are high in fat, sugar, and sodium like bacon and eggs, waffles, pancakes (unless home made), sausage, omelettes, fast food breakfast sandwiches and large breakfast pastries.

At Lunch consider these ideas:

• Vegetable soup, whole grain bread and crackers
• Lowfat chili, rice, salad
• Baked potato, salad
• Stir fry dish with rice, veggies, chicken
• Turkey pita, lettuce, tomato
• Grilled chicken or fish, rice, salad

Choose from whole grains, baked potatoes or yams, veggies and a little lean protein or beans/legumes. Beware of sodium-laden deli sandwiches, fried foods, bakery items, high-fat fast foods, processed meat and chips.

Dinner is easy even in a hurry with:

• Grilled chicken or fish, vegetable, brown rice
• Baked chicken or fish, salad, boiled potatoes
• Stir fry with brown rice, vegetables, lean protein
• Lowfat chili, rice, salad
• Pasta, salad
• Lentils and rice, broccoli

Choose from lean protein, whole grains, potatoes, yams, vegetables and salad. Beware of fried foods, fatty meats, processed meals with a lot of salt.

Snacks:

Choose fruit, veggies, nonfat yogurt or milk.

Beware of fried foods, chips and sweets.

- Shirley Camp, U of I Extension Educator

FAT FREE BEAN SALAD

1 pound steamed fresh green beans (or use canned if you have to)
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can red kidney beans
1 chopped red onion
1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar -
1 teaspoon sugar - dash of pepper
Combine all ingredients in a sealed plastic container/zip-loc bag and shake well. Let sit in fridge overnight, gets better with age!

• Turkey cutlets are the leanest meat around. While 4 ounces of roasted, skinless chicken breast has 185 calories and 4 grams of fat (1 gram saturated), turkey breast has only 150 calories and 1 gram of fat (almost no saturated fat). In fact, turkey breast with skin even has slightly fewer calories than chicken breast without skin and about the same amount of fat. Because they are super-lean, turkey cutlets cook even faster than chicken or veal – sauté them in a little oil or just grill them quickly.
• The rate of new cases of diabetes in the U.S. nearly doubled during the past decade according to the Centers for Disease Control. While about 25 million Americans have diabetes, about 54 million – that is one in four adults – have pre-diabetes, characterized by mildly elevated blood sugar. Most people who have diabetes know it, but it is estimated that fewer than one-sixth of those with pre-diabetes are aware of it.
• Dietary fiber has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, and digestive problems, so it is not surprising that a large, long-term study has found that people who eat lots of fiber tend to live longer. For every additional 10 grams of daily fiber (the amount in about 3/4 cup of beans or two cups of vegetables), there was a 9% reduction in overall mortality rates, and a 17% drop in coronary death rates, regardless of factors such as body weight and fat intake. People in their fifties and sixties seemed to benefit more than those in their seventies and eighties.