Healthy eating class planned

By WAYNE QUESENBERRY/Staff
For those who made New Year’s resolutions to live a healthier lifestyle in 2009, help is on the way. A local free healthy cooking class will provide information on a plant-based diet.
“We’re trying to get folks to eat healthy and exercise more,” noted Dr. Bonnie Basler of the Crossroads Clinic in Rural Retreat. “Many of the diseases we treat – diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol – are related to an unhealthy lifestyle. A healthy diet and exercise are so important in treating and preventing many illnesses. I’m a firm believer in prevention.”
Basler will open the Tuesday, Jan. 13, class with nutrition facts and other tips on healthy eating and proper exercise. She also will discuss the plant-based diet, which does not include meat.
The class will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Wytheville Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1600 Chapman Road. Participants must contact Joya Cleveland at 686-5695 or .
Cleveland, who has been on a plant-based diet for 20 years, will offer samples of plant-based foods and recipes for meatless dishes. She also will demonstrate recipes for vegetarians and vegans.
According to her, vegetarians eat some dairy products including milk, cheese and eggs. Vegans, she said, eat or use nothing related to animal products.
“We’re not telling people how to eat,” Cleveland pointed out. “We just want them to eat healthy. We’ll show them alternatives to the way they’ve been eating.”
Chops made from gluten flour and fried in extra virgin olive oil or baked are one of Cleveland’s favorites. Potato soup made with soy milk and navy beans flavored with onions and salt are others.
“King’s Produce has an excellent supply of plant-based items,” Cleveland added. “Tofu is available at Wal-Mart. These are not expensive. A lot of the seasonings you can get at a health food store.”
She recommends raw fruit and fresh vegetables as nutritious snacks. Whole grain crackers are another of her recommendations.
“Drinking six to eight glasses of water a day is very important, too,” Cleveland said. “It really helps the body in many ways.”
Depending on attendance at the healthy cooking class this month, organizers plan to continue free nutrition and other health-related sessions each month. They will be held on the second Tuesday.
“We hope to do it once a month,” Cleveland commented. “We’ll see how this one goes. We want people to become more aware of the importance of healthy eating and exercise.”
Wayne Quesenberry can be reached at 228-6611 or .