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Health & Wellness Coalition of Wichita Newsletter
October 2007

Mission: We will promote physical activity and good nutrition for every generation living in the greater Wichita area through programs, policies, and people.

Our goal for this newsletter is to share physical activity and nutrition information about local programs, policies, and people.

Eating out, but still eating healthy
A number of readers have been asking Kathy Manweiler (editor of Alive & Well magazine) for advice on where they can get a healthy meal in a restaurant. A study from Rutgers University shows that almost three- quarters of the 700 people surveyed usually eat out at least once a week. A USDA report says that Americans now get one-third of their calories from restaurant food-that's up from 18 percent of calories in the 1970s.

Here is where you can benefit: Describe your top healthy restaurant meal, tell her where you get it and what makes it your favorite. And if the restaurant includes nutrition information for the meal you like too, send that as well. Every reader who tells her about their favorite healthy meal by OCT. 5th will be entered in a drawing for $25 gift certificates to Barn'rds Roast Beef Restaurant and Il Vicino Wood Oven Pizza. The Wichita Dietetic Association has given both Barn'rds and Il Vicino its Positive Plate Award, which goes to restaurants that make healthy eating easy and delicious.

How to Enter: With your entry, you must include your full name, phone number, and mailing address.

  • Email: Send e-mails to Alive & Well Editor Kathy Manweiler at kmanweiler@wichitaeagle.com
  • Mail: Send letters to Kathy Manweiler at Alive & Well, P.O. Box 820, Wichita, KS, 67201

Alive & Well reserves the right to publish any and all comments and tips unless you mark your submission not for publication. Entries that are not for publication are not eligible for prizes.
Great Plains Nature Center
Featured Park of the Month
The Great Plains Nature Center is a joint venture between the United States Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Services; the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks; and the City of Wichita. The Nature Center is located at 6232 East 29th St., North (Acreage included in Chisholm Creek Park). This 22,000 square foot facility provides residents and visitors with a place to learn about natural resources and interact with the wildlife and habitats of the Great Plains region. Features include the 186-seat Coleman Auditorium equipped for multimedia programs and the 3,400 square foot Koch Habitat Hall with state-of-the-art interpretive exhibits including full scale prairie dioramas, a 2,200 gallon aquarium, children's interactive centers; dramatic, hand-painted murals and computer generated graphics and illustrations.

The Nature Center is linked to 2 1/2 miles of wheelchair accessible nature trails traversing tall grass prairies, wetlands, and riparian woodlands. And has the following features:

  • Auditorium (186- seats)
  • Classrooms (2)
  • Wildlife Observatory
  • Aquarium (2,400 gallon)
  • Exhibit Hall (3,4000 square feet)
  • Gift shop/bookstore
  • Offices for nature staff
  • Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Regional Office

Ten Great Ways to Fill Up with Fiber

Are you ready to eat more fiber? These ten tips can get you closer to reaching your daily requirement for fiber:
  • Eat a variety of foods. You'll benefit from a mix of soluble and insoluble fiber.
  • Check the food label. Reading the food label can help you find foods with more fiber. Look for phrases such as "high in fiber" or "more fiber:"
  • Eat breakfast. There are a wide variety of fiber-rich breakfast foods from bran cereals and oatmeal to whole-bran muffins and whole-wheat waffles.
  • Switch to whole grains. Eat breads, cereals, buns, pastas and more than that are made from whole grains.
  • Try brown rice. It has two grams of fiber in 1/2 cup, while white rice has less than 0.5 grams in the same amount.
  • Eat dry beans. They are among the best fiber sources around.
  • Eat more fruits and vegetables. They fit into any meal.
  • Keep eating more fruits and vegetables- WITH skin on.
  • Fortify your meals with fiber. For example, add bran or oatmeal to meat loaf or ground flaxseeds to baked goods.
  • Choose whole fruit more often than juice. The fiber content in fruit comes mainly from the peel and the pulp.

For more information on eating healthy visit the American Dietetic Association website.

 Do you have information you'd like to share about people, programs, and policies related to physical activity and nutrition? Please share your news with Sonja Armbruster.