COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — They say an apple a day can keep the doctor away, but what about a complete diet filled with nutritious fruits, vegetables, proteins and carbs? According to local nonprofit founder Dewayne Webb of All About Fitness Family LLC, a healthy diet can transform lives.
In order to help Columbus locals get educated on eating right, Webb is collaborating with Auburn University to put on a free, six-part nutrition series.
“It’s really, really important to me because our community is getting more and more unhealthy,” said Webb.
He continued, “We’re in a military community – Fort Moore is right here up the road – and the majority of our community don’t even qualify because of the level of obesity, so I want to tackle that.”
The fifth session of the series is set to be held on Nov. 7 at 6:30 p.m. at the Ranger Outreach Center by St. Luke’s and is open to anyone who pre-registers.
It is called “Eat Smart, Move More” and aims to teach how to eat healthy and plan out meals to lead an active lifestyle. The session ties into work Webb does leading free workouts with All About Fitness Family each month.
According to Webb, each session in the series includes a cooking lesson and food which participants can take home with them.
-
A group of Columbus locals attends one of All About Fitness Family’s workshops. (Dewayne Webb) -
Webb creates opportunities where locals may buy produce at discounted rates. (Dewayne Webb) -
Locals buy fresh produce from The Food Mill. (Dewayne Webb)
However, Webb’s goal is to go beyond teaching people how to eat well. He also wants to help locals maintain their new healthy habits by creating opportunities to access affordable produce.
Since buying fresh produce can be expensive, Webb regularly partners with The Food Mill to host events where locals can buy discounted or half-price produce. Discounts are need-based, depending on the income level of produce purchasers at the events.
Webb said, “It’s how we keep up with the reality that eating healthy is very expensive, because it is.”
According to Tony Mayne, a former Army Ranger and now the volunteer military ministry leader at the Veterans Outreach Center, it is important for local organizations to collaborate to support the community.
Mayne said, “What we have here with All About Fitness Family and the Ranger Outreach Center is showing the community that we all do a lot of things, but when we come together, our impact is magnified.”
Even though the nutrition series will only have one lesson left following the Nov. 7 session, Webb said he runs multiple programs every month to help locals live healthier. There are also plans in the works to run a similar nutrition series in Phenix City, Ala., in the coming months.
Webb advised any interested individuals to visit All About Fitness Family’s Instagram or Facebook pages for more updates about ongoings. They can also email him directly at [email protected] to preregister for the upcoming nutrition event and/or ask for a monthly schedule of events.
He said, “No matter what your age is, no matter what your fitness ability is, no matter what your income level is, you can still make a change.”