Endings ...
As of today, we’re just a dozen days away from the end of this year’s Get Fit program. We hope you’ve learned some things, made some healthy changes, and had fun!
If you’ve been earning all of your points, you’re probably feeling pretty good right now – maybe walking a little faster or feeling more flexible, or you’ve chosen a great place where you feel comfortable and motivated to work out.
Hopefully, you’ve tried some new recipes and maybe even changed the way you think about food. Thinking about all that delicious produce might even have you planning to plant a garden!
Speaking of measuring changes, our end-of-program screenings are coming up. When you scheduled your initial Get Fit screening waaaaaaay back in January, you also made an appointment for your final screen. You’ll go on the same day (Tuesday or Saturday) and at the same time as your initial screen.
If you’re not sure about the time and date of your appointment, you can find them in your very first email (not newsletter) from Get Fit, or on the actual letter we mailed to you at the time. If all else fails, please contact Barb Lessman for help.
The numbers on your final screening can help you win prizes, of course, but they’re more than that. Look them over and compare the numbers to those from your initial screening. How is your blood pressure? Did your cholesterol levels drop? Those numbers are just as important as your weight.
... and Beginnings
As we finish up the Get Fit program, we’re starting the engines on this summer’s Miles and Minutes exercise program. This year’s competition will run from Monday, May 26 through Sunday, August 24. As always, it’s free to join and you can join anytime during the program. Anyone age 12 and older can join this program – including student-athletes – and log their minutes of activity to help their school district earn money. We hope you’ll join us for a healthy summer full of fun!
FHN offers a range of healthy and fun activities through the summer to get you up and moving. Join us for any or all of these upcoming events:
- May 1: Striking Success for Children: Lights, Camera, BOWL!
June 13: FHN Food Fight Against Cancer – UnMask the Singer
July 19: FHN Healthy Heart Hustle 5K
You’ll find information about upcoming events as well as FHN’s frequent FREE blood pressure screenings across northwest Illinois in our online calendar. Bookmark it and check back often!
Make Your Workout a Game
Speaking of fun, one of the most frequent questions we see is “how can I make working out fun?” We’ve talked about working out with a friend, getting moving to music, and even making your housework into exercise. (Not that housework is fun, but you know what we mean!)
As with pretty much everything else, there’s an app for that. You can also “gamify” your workouts yourself. Here’s how one fitness influencer does it. You can use Meta Quest or Nintendo Switch, a deck of cards, or roll the dice. You can even play exercise BINGO!
A World Full of Taste
We hope you’ve had a chance to experiment a bit with different foods during Get Fit. (Our name-a-recipe for veggies was a lot of fun to research!)
Opening up your diet can be a big step toward getting healthy. We talked a bit about healthy substitutions, and frankly, that’s what eating healthy is all about.
Instead of cheesy garlic bread, try some bruschetta. Choose nachos with salsa or guacamole.
Making a sandwich? Try pesto instead of mayo. (And wow, there’s more than one kind of pesto!)
Wishing for Italian food? Think tomato-based sauces, like this chunky veggie marinara sauce.
How about borrowing from a different culture for a meal or two? EatRight.org has a great collection of recipes from all over the world!
And finally, our recipe for this newsletter is Mediterranean-inspired, and many of you have expressed interest in the Mediterranean diet. We found 18 Mediterranean Diet recipes for beginners!
This pan-seared Fish with Olive Chimichurri can be made with any white fish, and you can make it with or without the skin. The olive chimichurri is so flavorful and beautifully complements the fish!
Quiz Winner
Congratulations to our Quiz #5 winner Katie P. We have one quiz left, so make sure to complete it and enter to win a $25 grocery gift card!
Don't forget to take Quiz #6 and follow us on Facebook for more fun tips and recipes!