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Track to fitness is on dinner table

A Land O'Lakes dietitian says the best way to help people is found in their stomachs.

By EBONY WINDOM
Published March 24, 2005

ZEPHYRHILLS - Call her old-fashioned.

But Emily Furtek sees the benefit of carving out time to enjoy a meal with family each day.

Food brings people together, she says.

And, for the past couple of decades, food has been the focal point of Furtek's career. She's a clinical dietitian who has spent years pitching in at hospitals and assisted living facilities. Furtek, 51, even managed an elementary school cafeteria.

So she's paid her dues.

And she knows the food pyramid inside and out.

March is National Nutrition Month, and Furtek has kicked into high gear. She's talking to folks about nutrition and passing out brochures.

Furtek has been tapped to host two nutrition workshops at the end of the month. In January, she helped out at her church's health fair.

Her goal is to promote healthy eating.

Back in Springfield, Va., Furtek was a familiar face at one assisted living facility where she worked. Residents could catch a glimpse of her on a closed-circuit TV program called Nutrition.

Furtek especially enjoys working with the elderly.

And since her recent move to Land O'Lakes, she helps out at Dynamic Seniors Daycare Center in Zephyrhills a few hours a month. She's the "person behind the scenes" who plans fun menus from her Plantation Palms home. Furtek drops in to observe meals from time to time.

"People get tired of eating the same thing all the time," Furtek said. "I try to (plan) a variety of different foods."

For St. Patrick's Day, the seniors sampled corned beef and cabbage and green pudding.

When Furtek added beets to the menu, the boss braced herself. Teresa Warmke assumed her clients wouldn't like the taste. Surprisingly, beets were a big hit.

"(Furtek) really knows what foods people like," said Warmke, who owns Dynamic Seniors.

"Food brings back memories for elderly people," Furtek said. "(People) need basic nutrition to maintain their body weight and good health."

Especially since obesity is rampant in the United States, Furtek said.

"Fifty-seven percent of Florida residents are overweight or obese," she said in a nutrition article. "Eat those fruits, vegetables and whole grains."

According to Furtek, this is the time of year when folks fall off their diets.

"(Diets) drive me nuts," she said, noting the grapefruit and Atkins diets. "They can be successful, but I don't think the long-term effects are healthy. (It's) the yo-yo effect. People start with it and go back to their normal eating habits."

She's also against snacking in front of the television and urges parents to play outside with their kids.

Instead of dieting, Furtek has a bit of advice: Start a food diary. Describe each meal, including the portions and times of day.

"Then you have an idea of what you eat," she said. "It's like taking inventory. So you can see what honestly needs to be changed."

Ironically, Furtek herself is on a high-calorie diet. She barely weighs 100 pounds. And due to a health condition, she must gain a little weight.

That's why a one-on-one talk with a good nutritionist is key, she says.

Everybody has different needs.

Furtek practices what she preaches. In fact, the worst thing you'll find in her freezer is a pint of ice cream, she said.

Right now, she hopes to get a couple of her nutrition articles published. She offers consultations and hopes to land a full-time job working as a dietitian.

"I like to help people," Furtek said. "And I think nutrition is a way that I can help. Everybody likes food."

For information about National Nutrition Month, visit www.eatright.org

[Last modified March 24, 2005, 01:20:20]