WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Heart Center Dining Program at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center will host a series of dinner-time talks providing free information about nutrition and heart disease every Tuesday from Sept. 12 through Oct. 10 at California Fresh Buffet, 1370 Peters Creek Parkway. The public is invited to attend.
According to the American Heart Association, more than 50 million Americans suffer from a group of risk factors called the metabolic syndrome. Those risk factors, including abdominal obesity and insulin resistance, will be discussed at the first talk in the series. Children and adults who suffer from the metabolic syndrome have a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease and other conditions related to plaque buildup in artery walls, including stroke and peripheral vascular disease.
Heart Center Dining Program Fall Lecture Series schedule:
Tuesday, Sept. 12 – Childhood Obesity, Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome
• Pediatrician Wesley Covitz, M.D., Brenner Children’s Hospital Metabolic Syndrome Clinic
Tuesday, Sept. 19 – Fast Food, School Lunches and Poor Eating Habits
• Pediatrician Robert P. Schwartz, M.D., Brenner Children’s Hospital
Tuesday, Sept 26 – Making Good Nutritional Choices for You and Your Family
• Registered Dietitian Julie Ellis, Wake Forest Baptist Heart Center
Tuesday, Oct. 3 – Lifestyle, Diet, Heart Attack and Congestive Heart Failure
• Stephanie Starling-Edwards, R.N., Wake Forest Baptist Heart Center
Tuesday, Oct. 10 – Responding To a Heart Attack: Myths and Realities
• Jeff Griffith, Forsyth County Emergency Medical Service
All talks are free and open to the public. Normal buffet charges apply for those who choose to dine. Seatings are at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Space is limited. For information, call California Fresh Buffet, (336) 777-0145.
The Heart Center Dining Program at Wake Forest Baptist includes an array of triad restaurants, cafeterias and food stores serving heart-healthy dishes.
Participating businesses in the program clearly identify foods that are low in fat and salt and high in nutrients that promote good health. The program was created for the Heart Center by a registered dietitian and administered by Stephanie Starling-Edwards, the Heart Center’s community outreach coordinator.
In order to carry the Heart Center Dining Program’s healthy heart logo, which is a heart-shaped icon, the restaurants must agree to provide recipes for analysis to determine if they meet the program’s guidelines. The guidelines are based on moderation in fat and salt intake, using the food guide pyramid as a benchmark.
Participating restaurants and food stores in the Heart Center Dining Program include:
• The Ardmore Cafeteria, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.
• The Bayberry Restaurant, the Hawthorne Inn & Conference Center.
• California Fresh Buffet, 1370 Peters Creek Parkway.
• Green Valley Grill, 624 Green Valley Rd, Greensboro.
• K&W Cafeterias located throughout the state.
• Lowes Foods, 3372 Robinhood Rd.
• Lucky 32 restaurants in Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Raleigh and Cary.
• Midtown Café & Dessertery, 151 S. Stratford Rd.
• Noble’s Grille, Knollwood St.
• Salem Kitchen, Miller St.
• Old Salem Tavern, 736 S. Main St.
• Sampan Chinese Restaurant, 985 Peters Creek Parkway.
• Riverbirch Lodge and Restaurants, 3324 Robinhood Rd.
• The Fresh Market, S. Stratford Rd.
• Wellspring Whole Foods, 41 Miller St.
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Media Contacts: Jim Steele, jsteele@wfubmc.edu, Karen Richardson, krchrdsn@wfubmc.edu, or Shannon Koontz, shkoontz@wfubmc.edu, at (336) 716-4587.
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is an academic health system comprised of North Carolina Baptist Hospital and Wake Forest University Health Sciences, which operates the university’s School of Medicine. The system comprises 1,187 acute care, psychiatric, rehabilitation and long-term care beds and is consistently ranked as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” by U.S. News & World Report.