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Dietetic interns promote healthy habits Stop by Health 1st’s Wellness Wednesday table in the Children’s Hospital lobby between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. March 26 to receive nutritional information, play games and have a chance to win prizes from the dietetic interns. National Nutrition Month began in March of 1973, as National Nutriton Week, and was started by the  American Dietetic Association to promote nutrition awareness to the public.   This year’s topic—It’s a Matter of Fact—highlights the dietitians role.   In honor of National Nutrition Month,  MUSC dietetic interns are having a Wellness Wednesday designed to educate participants with a variety of nutrition facts.   This Wellness Wednesday features games and handouts as a fun way to share nutrition facts. Participants have the chance to enter a giveaway for prizes, and are encouraged to read the fun nutrition facts that have been posted above the fruit baskets in the cafeteria and above the middle ice machine.   Listed below are a few simple tips from the American Dietetic Association to improve nutrition and health: Make your sandwich on whole grain bread is a great way to get in fiber. Play active games with family or friends after dinner provides a fun calorie burn. Use darker colored leafy greens, like spinach or romaine in place of iceberg lettuce, thus adding more vitamins to a salad. Choose reduced or fat free milk to cut 30-60 calories from a serving. Use exercise, instead of a lunch or coffee date, with a friend makes physical activity more enjoyable. Include vegetables when topping your pizza instead of meat; it  adds vitamins and fiber to the pizza and reduces calories and saturated fat. Get up and move during commercial breaks to  help you get exercise in throughout the day. Choose a high fiber cereal, like Raisin Bran or Fiber One, in the morning to meet your daily fiber needs. Replace fat and oil with applesauce when baking breads, cakes, and brownies to reduce the calories per serving. Bring colorful fruits or vegetable snacks such as red peppers, carrots, grapes, or bananas to munch on at work to help reach fruit and vegetable requirements. Stop by Health 1st’s Wellness Wednesday table between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. March 26 in the lobby of Children’s Hospital to receive facts about nutrition. Highlighted events Worksite screening at Harborview Office Tower on April 24 and Cannon Place on May 8.   Subscribers of the state health plan can receive a thorough preventive health screening at the above locations/dates. This screening, valued at $200, is available for $15. Employees without this insurance can participate for $38. This screening includes height, weight, blood pressure and a blood draw for blood chemistry profile, hemogram, and a blood lipid profile.     For more information and to sign up go to http://www.musc.edu/medcenter/health1st. Weekly tips from the Healthy S.C. ChallengeHealthy S.C. Challenge is a results-oriented initiative created by Gov. Mark Sanford and first lady Jenny Sanford to motivate people to start making choices that can improve health and well-being. Visit http://www.healthysc.gov. Physical activity By walking an extra five minutes a day you can burn an additional 24 calories per workout. Editor's note: The preceding column was brought to you on behalf of Health 1st. Striving to bring various topics and representing numerous employee wellness organizations and committees on campus, this weekly column seeks to provide MUSC, MUHA and UMA employees with current and helpful information concerning all aspects of health.     Friday, March 21, 2008 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.