No Title 1145

Touchstone Energy cycles for a cause
You can choose from one of two starting points in the sixth annual Touchstone Energy Motorcycle Charity Poker Run. The event, which benefits the WHAS Crusade for Children, starts at 1 p.m. local time on Saturday, August 27, at East Kentucky Power Co-op in Winchester, and Warren Rural Electric Co-op in Bowling Green. Riders will stop to draw cards along the way and finish at Elizabethtown. Basic entry fees are $10 for each bike and rider and $5 for a co-rider. Cash awards include $100 for best hand, $50 for worst hand, $50 for the rider that comes from the farthest away, and $50 for the oldest bike that makes the whole trip. For more information on registration, entry fees, and other details, call Frank Owen Brockman at Farmers Electric Cooperative, (800) 253-2191, or e-mail at fbrockman@farmersrecc.com. Last year’s run attracted 500 motorcycles carrying more than 600 people and raised more than $4,700 for the Crusade.

Guest Opinion
A step toward health
by Janet Tietyen

We live in a world where food is everywhere, but physical activity is hard to come by.

Without leaving your car, you can exchange $5 or less for a bag of several thousand calories at the fast-food restaurants that line the roads we travel every day. You can wake in the morning, drive to work, and sit at your desk all day without significant physical movement.

So is it any wonder that most U.S. adults are overweight?

Like any living creature, humans are susceptible to changes in environmental conditions that affect our behaviors and metabolism. To maintain a healthy weight in today’s world, humans have to learn to consume fewer calories and burn more energy. It will take a deliberate effort because “normal” behavior in today’s world means gaining weight.

To help yourself, devise a plan that will work for you most of the time. People who design their own informed approach have the most success at changing eating and activity behaviors.

The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourage us to make smart food choices from all food groups, find the balance between food consumption and physical activity, and to get the most nutrition out of calories. The guidelines recommend eating at least 2 cups of fruit and 2-1/2 cups of vegetables each day. They advise getting 3 cups daily of low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt, or cheese. They say to focus on whole grains and lean protein.

Eating more dark-green vegetables like broccoli, greens, and spinach, as well as orange vegetables like carrots, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes, will help you get the most nutrition for your calories.

Healthy people tend to go grocery shopping regularly and to prepare food at home. They have found physical activities—like walking, biking, or gardening—that they enjoy and therefore will do regularly.

But knowing what to do and actually doing it are two different things. The tricky part is finding what works for you.

Begin by examining why you eat or don’t exercise. Identify another coping mechanism besides eating and sitting on the couch. Many studies have proven that regular exercise can help fight depression and create a more positive outlook on life.

So to feel better about yourself, get moving for at least 30 minutes a day most days of the week. An activity program can help grownups and kids feel better about themselves. And who wouldn’t want that?

Take the first step toward a new way of doing things.

Janet Tietyen, Ph.D., R.D., L.D., Associate Professor, Extension Specialist in Food & Nutrition, University of Kentucky

Scouts exhibit at Fort Knox
The Fort Knox Scouting Community will present a variety of demonstrations and event booths when it hosts its 4th annual Future Leaders Day Scouting Youth Fair on Saturday, August 6. Activities include a military working dog demonstration, Nolin Rural Electric Cooperative’s Shocking and Electrifying Safety show, a blacksmith operation, the Scout Leadership and Teamwork Simulation Exercise, and displays of tanks, helicopters, and other aviation. The program of the Boy, Cub, and Girl Scouts Community of Fort Knox will be held at Keyes Park on the post near the Patton Museum—you’ll need a photo ID to be allowed on the post. For more information, including last-minute schedule updates and procedures for how to visit the Fort Knox post, go online at www.knoxscouting.org.

Sipping in the Bluegrass
A pair of books can help you enjoy some of the delights of the middle of the state.

The New Tea Companion—A Guide to Teas throughout the World, by Bruce Richardson, who has operated the Elmwood Inn in Perryville, Kentucky, and Jane Pettigrew, covers the major tea-producing countries, and how to brew the perfect cup. It’s published by Benjamin Press in Perryville, www.elmwoodinn.com/

Adventures in Dining—Kentucky Bourbon Country, by Kentucky food writer Susan Reigler, offers detailed descriptions of restaurants, picnic sites, farmers markets, bakeries, and nightlife in the areas around Lexington and Louisville. It’s published by Travel Sleuth, Yountville, California, www.travelsleuth.com.