The fifth session on nutrition held as part of the Eighth Annual Greater Fall River Fitness Challenge held in the second floor classroom at 72 Bank Street for 45-minute discussion about nutrition and cholesterol led by Southcoast Health Registered Dietitian and Diabetes Educator Amanda Raposo  The free sessions are being offered each week after each Saturday Challenge as a way to assist people with issues of weight loss and personal health related to diet including a recommendation on food and advice on weight loss. Sponsored by Greater Fall River Re-creation, Partners for a Healthier Community, Saint Anne's Hospital, Southcoast Hospitals, the Fitness Challenge includes programs provided by All Generations Fitness, the Diabetes Association, Inc., Fitness Fusion, FitWorks, General Fitness. Greater Fall River Re-creation, TKO Fitness, Wiggle Kids, and the Fall River YMCA. The Challenge offers low cost opportunities for those who live, work or attend school in the Greater Fall River Area. Click here for an 44-minute video of the discussion. Click here for photos and video of the Challenge event held just prior to the session. Click here for photos and video of the Week Four cooking demo and here for the Week Three presentation. For more information, go to www.FallRiverFitnessChallenge.com. or call Greater Fall River ReCreation at 508-679-0922 and ask for Annemarie Holly.

(Top row) Registered Dietitian Amanda Raposo of the Southcoast Diabetes Management Program puts out hand-outs as the group begins to gather before the start of the discussion. (Middle row, left and right) The group listens as Amanda goes over what cholesterol is and how high levels of small dense VLDL cholesterol, caused primarily by eating refined grains and sugars, can lead to heart disease and stroke. She added that fats, including saturated fats, are not associated with heart disease. (Middle row, center) Some of the best books on the subject are: Cholesterol Clarity, The New Atkins for the New You, Keto Clarity, The Low-carb High-fat Food Revolution, Fat Chance, and Good Calories/Bad Calories, and, not shown, Why We Get Fat. (Bottom row) Challenge participant Tara Greenburg looks over some of the hand-outs from www.DietDoctor.com before talking with Amanda after the session.