Come in out of the Heat . . . into a "Cool" Hunger 101 Session

During August, Hunger 101 carries on its mission of educating on issues of poverty, hunger, and nutrition by offering the following sessions: on Aug. 7 @ 11:30am "Faces of Hunger"; on Aug. 14 @ 11:30am "Label Me Nutritious"; on Aug. 21 @10:30am "Advocacy & Action". These classes, which last less than an hour, are held in the air-conditioned Volunteer Center at our 31st Ave. location. For more information, or to register for one of the sessions, contact Raymond Combe at 602 343-3164 or at rlcombe@firstfoodbank.org.

Keep Up-to-Date on Health & Nutrition Issues

This website contains a wealth of data and information on health & nutrition for men, women, and children. Issues such as nutrition, fitness, pregnancy, and medications are featured at http://health.msn.com/tools-and-resources/?GT1=31036.

The CDC and Your Health

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) is a good source for information on issues related to health and physical fitness. Many of the articles and information are also in Spanish. Visit the CDC at http://www.cdc.gov/media/subtopic/matte/matteHealthy.htm.

Take the Highways and Aid the Food Bank

Since its founding in 1925, Arizona Highways magazine has received national and world-wide acclaim for its photos of the grandeur and beauty that is Arizona. Now the magazine is helping St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance. For each new subscriber who visits http://www.arizonahighways.com/ through September 30 and orders a subscription using promo code V9FF24, the magazine will donate $3 to help the Food Bank fight hunger in Arizona.

Concerts Raise Funds for Food Bank

The current economic climate has resulted in a significant increase in demand at St. Mary's Food Bank - the demand for food has doubled during the first six months of 2009 vs. the same period a year ago. Unfortunately, monetary donations have lagged behind the demand. However, among the positive developments are the number of concerts that have occurred in Phoenix where the performers have donated funds for the Food Bank. So thanks to Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce, the Indigo Girls, and Earth, Wind and Fire for their efforts on our behalf - for the thousands they've donated, and for the thousands of meals those dollars provided to those in need.

Free Food (for your mind) at Hunger 101

Hunger 101 is an education program of St. Mary's Food Bank that covers the subjects of hunger, poverty, and nutrition. Each month we cover these topics in a series of sessions, most less than an hour, at our 31st Ave. location. Join us in July for:

• Faces of Hunger on July 7 from 1:00-2:00PM
• Label Me Nutritious on July 14 from 1:00-2:00PM
• Advocacy & Action on July 15 from 12:00-1:00PM
• Impacts of Hunger on July 21 from 1:00-2:00PM
• Fast Foods: Making Healthy Choices on July 22 from 12:30-1:30PM
• The Food Game on July 28 from 1:30-3:30PM.

For more information, or to reserve a seat, call 602 343-3164. Visit www.firstfoodbank.org and click on Hunger 101 for an in-depth look at the curriculum.

Here's a Bit of Skinny About Fat

Like the weather, everybody talks about fat, but unlike the weather, you can do something about it. Here are some useful bits of information on this important subject:

• fat is necessary for basic metabolism and disease prevention, but no more than 30% of daily caloric intake should be from fat


• unsaturated fats (e.g., olives, avocados, tuna) are best, but in moderation (see above); saturated fats (e.g., high-fat dairy products, fatty meats) should be limited; trans-fats should be avoided


• when reading food labels (and you should), keep in mind that each gram of fat is equal to 9 calories


• if you do cardio or resistance training at the gym, you have to keep at it for 30 minutes before you burn fat


• and finally, remember - "Liposuction is not a cure for obesity"