Mary Jo Mason, a dietician with Hy-Vee groceries, emphasized one of the basic principals of Rotary, when she said a big part of being healthy and aging successfully is connecting with others, something that has always been important to Rotarians.
Two related parts of maintaining good health are increasing activity and decreasing stress. A fourth rule to follow is “thinking your plate.” Organizing a balanced plate replaces the old food pyramid in promoting good health.
Hy-Vee, the Midwest grocery chain, is involved in many aspects of healthy living from employing dieticians who work with customers, to stocking healthy products, to working with community organizations.
Customer concerns that also concern Hy –Vee are eco-conscious foods, memory function, fighting disease, monitoring allergies, cancer and heart disease prevention and working to maintain a vital immune system.
“Our bodies are fascinating,” Mason said and cited several examples of the way nature has set us up to function if we will only cooperate. She listed products to watch for including NuVal and Responsible Choice, as well as several other brands. Hy-Vee sponsors programs for children such as Saving the World and works with many community health organizations such as the American Heart Association.
Mason discussed pro-biotics, the pros and cons of hormones in food, and closed with a question and answer session with questions ranging from genetic modification of foods to whether or not there really are medicinal benefits to chicken soup.
