Citizens Med Center

Do it for Yourself!

We are challenging Caldwell Parish to change the way you feel by eating healthy and adding a form of exercise for 4 weeks. We are asking for you to make a commitment to participate in this free challenge.

Our “Feel Better by Eating Better” challenge will begin September 1 through November 30, 2024.

We hope that you decide to do this for yourself and invite a friend to join!

Take this survey to get started!

Please answer the pre- and subsequent post-surveys to allow us to know who is participating and evaluate outcomes of the eating healthy challenge.

Community Health Statistics for Caldwell

Obesity is measured by a BMI greater than 30.

In 2023, 38.3% of adults in Caldwell Parish reported a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher.

Approximately 9 out of every 10 people with type 2 diabetes also have obesity.

Studies show that a 5-7% weight loss can delay or even prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Being overweight or obese increases the risk of heart disease by predisposing people to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood glucose.

Healthy Plate

Vegetables

The more veggies - and the greater the variety - the better. Potatoes and french fries don’t count.

Water

Drink water, tea, or coffee (with little or no sugar). Limit milk/dairy (1-2 servings/day) and juice (1 small glass/day). Avoid sugary drinks.

Fruits

Eat plenty of fruits of all colors.

Whole Grains

Eat a variety of whole grains (like whole-wheat bread, whole-grain pasta, and brown rice). Limit refined grains (like white rice and white bread)

Healthy Oils

Use healthy oils (like olive and canola oil) for cooking, on salad, and at the table to limit butter and avoid trans fat.

Healthy Protein

Choose fish, poultry, beans, and nuts; limit red meat and cheese; avoid bacon, cold cuts, and other processed meats.

See "Healthy Meal" videos and get simple recipes for different kinds of meals from LSU AgCenter.

See Videos/Recipes

Healthy Substitutions

Dairy Drinks → Almond or Coconut Milk

Fruit Juice → Fruit or Vegetable Infused Water

Sugary Sodas → Carbonated Zero Vitamin Water

Potato Chips → Zucchini Chips, Low-fat Popcorn, or Apple Chips

French Fries → Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Flour Pasta → Wheat Pasta, Zucchini Spirals, or Spaghetti Squash

Refined Sugar → Sugar-free Applesauce When Cooking, Raw Honey (small amounts), or Stevia

White Bread → Wheat, Multigrain, or Breads made with sprouted grains (like Ezekiel)

Butter → Banana/Avocado

White Rice → Brown, Wild, or Cauliflower Rice

Pizza Crust → Cauliflower Crust

Mayo → Avocado Oil Mayo

Sour Cream → Greek Yogurt

Did You Know?

Refined carbohydrates or carbohydrates with added sugar spike your blood sugar as rapidly as eating a dessert because they lack fiber, fat or protein to help slow their digestion. This rapid sugar spike causes inflammation in the body.

Examples of refined carbohydrates are found in white flour, pasta, white bread/rolls/buns/wraps, pastries/cakes/muffins, certain cereals, waffles/pancakes, white-flour crackers/pretzels, pizza dough, white rice, and beer.