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Fast Food for Smart People | Play it Safe in the Heat | Community Calendar

Fast Food for Smart People

Everyone knows that proper nutrition makes good sense. Fueling your body with the highest quality food is like putting premium gas in your tank. Not only will your engine run better, it will also protect your car in the long run. When it comes to eating right, even the most health- conscious individuals sometimes make poor choices. In our fast food, super-size-me� society, eating on the run, skipping meals and gobbling junk food is often the norm rather than the exception.

What�s a person to do?
One option is Diet-to-Go, a new service offered by LifeBridge Health & Fitness that combines healthy eating, flexible menu choices, convenience and cost savings rolled into one tasty meal plan. Similar to having your own personal chef, Diet-to-Go offers custom-made meals that are nutritionally complete and pleasing to the palate. All of Diet-to-Go�s offerings adhere to the strict guidelines set by the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, the American Diabetes Association and the American Dietetics Association.

With Diet-to-Go, members select from a variety of menu choices and meal plans ranging from as few as three dinners per week to all weekly meals. Menus are rotated in four week cycles so you never have to eat the same thing twice, unless you want to,� says Diet-to-Go�s Dan Schmidt.

 Diet-to-Go currently offers three menus: traditional low-fat, low-carbohydrate and vegetarian. According to Schmidt, those eating Diet-to-Go�s low-fat meals under the full meal plan lose on average two to three pounds a week.

But not everyone in the family needs to go the low-fat route. Foods from different menus can be mixed to suit the needs of even the most finicky eaters. Diet-to-Go can also accommodate special needs such as food allergies or taste preferences.

Diet-to-Go lets family members choose what they want to eat so no one feels left out. The upside is that someone else is doing all the cooking, shopping and planning. All you need to do is heat the meals and enjoy,� says Schmidt.

 For convenience, Diet-to-Go meals come pre-packaged and ready to put in the microwave. Meals can be picked up on Tuesdays and Fridays at LifeBridge Health & Fitness.

In addition to the nutritional benefits, Diet-to-Go meals are wallet-friendly. Five days of Diet-to-Go�s breakfast, lunch and dinner costs only $65.99 per person, an average of only $6.59 per meal�that�s a bargain you can really sink your teeth into.

 For more information about Diet-to-Go, call 800-743-SLIM (7546).

Play it Safe in the Heat

Some weather experts are calling for a long, hot summer in Baltimore. When temperatures rise, so does the incidence of heat exhaustion, which can sometimes lead to heat stroke and even death. Heat exhaustion occurs when a person cannot sweat enough to cool the body.

Before heading out in the hot afternoon sun, parents should make sure children are properly hydrated. The same rules apply for athletes and the elderly. According to William Jaquis, M.D., chief of Emergency Medicine at Sinai Hospital�s ER-7, some common signs and symptoms of dehydration can include:

• Dry lips and tongue
• Headache
• Weakness, dizziness, or extreme fatigue
• Concentrated urine that appears darker than normal
• Nausea
• Muscle cramps

As soon as you have any of these symptoms, go indoors, take a cool bath and immediately
try to lower your body temperature,� Jaquis says. If symptoms continue, immediately seek medical attention.�

Anyone who has been exposed to heat and becomes disoriented should immediately seek medical attention.

Besides drinking plenty of fluids, here are some other tips to help beat the heat:

• Pouring water over your head might feel good, but it does not have any affect on your core body temperature. You�d be better off drinking it instead.
• Avoid drinking too much water, which can lead to hyponatremia. Although rare, hyponatremia can result in seizure, coma and death.
• Always wear light-colored and loose-fitting clothing.
• Whenever you get a chance, take a break in the shade.