Did you know that there are nearly 17 teaspoons of sugar in a regular 20-ounce soda and that the average American consumes 50 gallons of soda and other sweetened beverages each year?
March is “National Nutrition Month,®” and it is time to Re-Think Your Drink by choosing healthy beverages such as water, low-fat milk and limited amounts of 100% fruit juice instead of sugar-loaded drinks. Shasta CAN (Coalition for Activity and Nutrition) and Healthy Shasta want to make the healthy choice the easy choice, and invite you to join us for FREE events in March to learn what’s hiding in your glass?
- March 14th, 3-6:30 p.m.: Try free samples of Tropical Eye Opener during a healthy smoothie demonstration at Sav-Mor Foods, 6536 Westside Road, Redding.
- March 21st, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.: Join us at Clair Engle Park in Shasta Lake for family fun at Lean-N-Green Day. Learn about what’s hiding in your glass through fun, interactive booths. Enjoy Native American drumming and dancing, Zumba, healthy cooking demonstrations, a traditional salmon cooking presentation, kids’ activities, prize drawings and more.
- March 28th, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m.: Anderson Lean-N-Green Day. Enjoy fun, interactive booths and learn about healthy eating, staying active and nature while walking trails at Anderson River Park.
With 65% of adults and 29% of seventh and ninth graders in Shasta County now classified as overweight or obese and at risk for Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and some cancers, it is critical to motivate residents to move toward a healthier lifestyle and for communities to create environments that support healthy choices. Empty calories from sugar-loaded beverages like soda, sports drinks, energy drinks, fruit drinks, sweetened teas and coffees are a major contributor to this obesity crisis.
For more information on how to participate in Re-Think Your Drink events, please contact Mary Messier, RD at 245-6639 or Sherrie Brookes at 229-8456, or visit www.healthyshasta.org.
-from press release
