Hearts Meet Good Eats for Heart-Healthy Meals

Saturated fats, cholesterol, cauliflower and mashed potatoes were a few of the many topics discussed at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) during the Serving Up Healthy Seminar held Wednesday, July 10. The focus of Wednesday’s seminar, Heart-Healthy Meals, was divided into two portions, which were directed by two ARMC employees: Director of Cardiac Services Dr. Steven Fitzmorris, and Dietitian Brian Starck-Riley. Dr. Fitzmorris presented on the effects cholesterol has on a person’s heart and Starck-Riley spoke about the importance of having a good diet. “Doing something like this where we get to reach 30, 40, 50 people at a time is great,” said Starck-Riley. “There is so much misinformation where people are trying to make money off of people’s issues whether they’re suffering from diabetes, cancer or heart disease. The key is really providing knowledge and enabling them to make their own decisions.” The seminar drew a substantial crowd, normal for these types of seminars, shared Justine Rodriguez, media specialist for ARMC. “We average about 50–55 depending on the topic of the event,” she added. All throughout the presentations the attendees were engaged in the discussion topics, asking question after question. The room was lively as Dr. Fitzmorris showed a model of a heart which he brought as a visual aid for his presentation. First-time attendee Carmen Dominguez of Loma Linda shared that the visual aid really helped. She added that being able to see the way the heart’s valves work and what the heart actually looks like was simply amazing. Another first-time attendee, Tish Sanders of San Bernardino, said she loved the presentation. “People were engaged and asking questions,” explained Sanders. Ana Lugo of Colton said that her favorite part of the presentation was learning about all of the fats; the good and the bad. Part of Starck-Riley’s presentation was showing the attendees three healthy and easy dishes for the summer. “Waldorf salad and the cauliflower were my favorite,” said Sanders. “This is where it happens—it’s the preventive side of things,” said Starck-Riley. According to Rodriguez, the seminars started three years ago and today the number of seminars has doubled from the original three which were offered in 2010. Wednesday’s seminar is the fourth in this year’s six-seminar series. The next seminar will be held Thursday, Sept. 26 and will emphasize stroke prevention and smart food choices.