Better Body. Better Life. part 3 Published Jan. 29, 2013 By Airman 1st Class Joshua Edwards 17th Training Wing Public Affairs GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The Better Body. Better Life. program hosted its second meeting at the Health and Wellness Center here, Jan. 17. After the routine weigh-in, the class talked about popular brand-name food products claiming to be nutritious. One product, Kathy Viau, 17th Medical Group health promotion dietitian and program facilitator, focused on was a cookie. The makers claimed it had no high fructose corn syrup and it had as much fiber as a bowl of oatmeal. Even though the cookies had no high fructose corn syrup, they had 10 grams of sugar. They also used oat fiber. "The type of fiber that they are using isn't the same type of fiber you get from whole oats," said Viau. "It's not soluble oat fiber that comes from the whole oat that helps lower cholesterol. It could be ground up oat stalks." After checking out the cookies, participants looked at a few more popular food brands and products and talked about comfort foods. "We have this huge connection going on between de-stressing or satisfying a craving and a choice," said Viau. "Every time you get that sensation that 'I'm stressed, I want to eat this.' You go for a certain type of food - comfort food." Viau talked about healthier options for stress relief such as getting out and enjoying nature, doing some sort of physical activity that they like or choosing a healthier food option such as fruit or nuts. "Walnuts are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which has shown to be a positive mood booster," said Viau. After talking about comfort foods, the group discussed types of challenges they've come across throughout the week. "On Sunday, I had people come over," said Staff Sgt. Jennifer Lane, 316th Training Squadron instructor. "I just gave in completely, because they brought snacks, cheese dip, chili and chips. Then I made cake. I was just going to have a little of each, then I was just going to have a little more and then I just blew it." Once Lane finished sharing her difficulties, everyone shared ideas on how to make healthier choices when making meals and snacks for her friends. Group members recommended making dishes using chicken or hummus as a snack. Near the end of the learning portion, Viau had a surprise for the participants. She told them whoever keeps track of their diet and exercise the best wins a heart rate monitor. Then she told the participants they would be making green smoothies, which include vegetables, next week. The participants then headed over to the Mathis Fitness Center for the circuit training portion of the program; that week they completed an extra rotation of the workout. After about 30 minutes the circuit training ended, and everyone stretched out, before leaving for the night.
