LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) – Learning to heal your body with what you eat can be challenging, but health professionals say that doing so can alter your life forever. That’s why the City of Lake Charles teamed up with CHRISTUS Ochsner to help educate Southwest Louisiana.
“TalkHealthy With Me” is a three-week course designed to educate the community on ways to improve their overall health. The classes are free and open to all every Tuesday evening in February, which is also American Heart Health Month.
Kristie Evans, a registered dietitian with CHRISTUS Ochsner, has spent the past 27 years trying to guide residents on their health journey.
“It is heart month, and we know that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. The city invited us out for those free community events to talk about heart-healthy nutrition,” Evans said.
Tonight’s class was focused on the Mediterranean diet. The diet is mostly comprised of whole grains, fish, beans, and tons of fruits and veggies. This way of eating claims to improve heart health, reduce inflammation, and support a healthy metabolism.
Evans backs those claims up.
“We know that it is the healthiest diet when it comes to heart disease prevention. People don’t realize that even a slight weight loss can really impact your health. If you lose just eight pounds, you can lower your blood pressure,” Evans said.
Evans says it’s all about balance.
“Nutrition is very difficult, especially in SWLA, we know we have some of the best food in the country. It’s always a delicate balance to teach about nutrition. We know that food does affect our health. My goal is to teach about good quality food, heart-healthy food that we can eat for the majority of time and then we can pepper in our fun,” Evans said.
Evans encourages all to make little healthy changes each week because they can drastically shift your overall well-being and improve your quality of life.
The next class is Tuesday, Feb. 18th at 5:30 p.m. in the College Oaks Recreation Center on Ernest Street. It will focus on smart snacking. For more information, call 337-491-1280.
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