American Heart Association in Cooperstown

On April 4th I had the pleasure of working with a group of women in Cooperstown, among them Brooke Fredrickson of Cooperstown and Sherri Stastny of NDSU, for a “Go Red” event. Brooke is a registered dietitian at Cooperstown Medical Center. One aspect of her job is being a part of the facility wellness committee. They focus on promoting wellness in the community through educational luncheons, fitness challenges, and events like Go Red.

Sherri works with NDSU Extension, and has been overseeing food service for over 20 years, is an expert in eye health but officially reports to the health, nutrition, exercise science, and dietetics program.

So with my good friend Jeanne Beare off I went to Cooperstown to cook for about 80-100 women. Here is the rest of the story.

High Plains Reader: When did you find out about the grant?

Brooke Frederickson: We were first notified about the grant two years ago. The American Heart Association had mailed the information and grant application to one of my co-workers, who is also a registered dietitian.

HPR: Was this grant specific to North Dakota?

BF: Yes, the grant monies were made available to the American Heart Association by the Dakota Medical Foundation (DMF).

HPR: Is the grant just for heart healthy “Go Red” events?

BF: Yes, there is a very specific criterion that has to be met in order to receive the grant. All of the program and advertising material comes directly from the American Heart Association. We just make some minor changes specific to our community and event. Once the event has taken place, we have to write a report and send information to the American Heart Association.

HPR: Could you give some information on Go Red?

BF: The American Heart Association started the “Go Red” movement as a way to inform women about the risks of heart disease, since heart disease is the #1 killer of women in the U.S. Their goal is to educate women on this preventable disease through community events like ours.

HPR: Brooke and Sherri, I noticed that the average age at the meal was around 50 or 55 and older. So this message would be that there is not a certain time or age to start eating heart-healthy, right?

BF: Yes and no. You can begin making healthy lifestyle changes at any age; however, once the damage is done to your heart and arteries, it may not be reversible. The younger you begin living a healthy lifestyle, the better chance you have of preventing damage to your cardiovascular system. The grant actually specifies a target audience of women ages 35-54. We did have a lot of older women attend our event, because we certainly wouldn’t want to discourage them from wanting to learn more about heart health.

Sherri Stastny: Studies show that even a 55- year old lifelong sedentary person can benefit from a new exercise program, such as increased muscle and balance.

HPR: I know you did this last year also. How long will you continue to do it?

BF: I think we’ll continue to host these events as long is there is grant money to fund them. We haven’t heard yet if there is another grant available for next year. They can make sure that we did the things that we said we were going to do. It’s not until they receive this information and approve it, that they send us the grant money.

HPR: I know you had Sherri from the NDSU Extension program there to do a demo on the meal that was served. Is that also part of the grant, having the demonstration?

BF: Yes, each event is required to have a “fun” activity, and a cooking demonstration was one that they recommended.

HPR: How was the turnout?

BF: Great, but there is always room for improvement. 65 women attended the event. We had handed out 80 tickets, so we expected that some of them wouldn’t come.

HPR: Can you tell us a little about the space the event was held in?

BF: The event was held in what is now known as Cornerstone Community Church. At one time, it was the home of the Cooperstown School until the county consolidated in the 1990s. The building sat empty for many years until it was purchased and completely remodeled by the church just two years ago.

HPR: What could you tell the readers about starting a healthy diet, or better, a more personal change in what they eat?

BF: Start small. Add a serving of vegetables to your diet each day or start using more heart-healthy oils in place of saturated fats in your cooking. By making one change at time, it doesn’t seem so overwhelming. Eventually these changes become habit, and before you know it, your cholesterol has improved and you’ve lost five pounds. Having the right information is also key. Don’t give in to fad diets or pills promising quick fixes. Following a balanced diet and exercising is tried and true.

HPR: Sherri, What do you think, guessing, the cost would be for this meal?

SS: I spent $65.00 for about six portions, but many of the ingredients would be easily usable in other recipes (such as the leftover dried apricots, spices, yogurt, light sour cream, and olive oil). I would budget about $3.50 for a meal such as this; but if you’d serve the same meal, minus the salmon, you’d lower that to under $2.50 (substitute chickens, skin removed, for example).

HPR: Is there any other information you would like to share about the event or just eating healthily?

BF: I would like to give a special thanks to Deb, Jeanne, and Sherri for bringing their expertise to Cooperstown and making the event a success! We couldn’t have done it without them.

SS: Just do it!