Congregations tracking omega-3 levels throughout the year for heart health
Memphis-area church congregations are taking care of their spiritual hearts and their physical hearts when they take part in Healthy Heart Sunday on October 30. That is the day they begin their Alpha and Omega-3 Journey to track their omega-3 levels from October 2016-17.
There are currently nine churches participating in the journey. Seafood Nutrition Partnership (SNP) is sponsoring the program and works year round to encourage Americans to eat at least two servings of seafood per week.
“SNP Memphis is looking forward to working with these congregations,” said SNP Director Deidre Malone. “Unfortunately, Memphis struggles as being ranked as one of the most unhealthy and obese cities in the United States. At SNP, we want to encourage Memphians to choose seafood as a healthy protein to eat. Our hope is as their omega-3 levels rise, their cholesterol, blood pressure and weight will fall.”
Omega-3 fatty acids found in seafood are known to reduce the risk of heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the U.S. The average American should have an omega-3 level of 7-8 percent in their blood, but, in the Mid-South, those levels hover around 2-3 percent.
Participants in the program will first sign the Healthy Heart Pledge, a commitment to eat at least two servings of seafood per week. At that time their starting omega-3 level will be tested and continue to be checked until October 2017.
Each participating church will have periodic meetings with omega-3 testing for the participants. The meetings are coordinated by the individual churches and can include recipe swaps, discussions of effective cooking tips and fitness sessions.
SNP encourages all Memphians to take the Healthy Heart Pledge stating their commitment to eat two servings of seafood a week. To date, more than 2,000 Memphians have signed the pledge. For each pledge signed, a can of seafood is donated to the Mid-South Food Bank. Visit: www.seafoodnutrition.org to sign the pledge.
“Our congregation is really excited about this program,” said Rev. Henry Jackson, pastor of Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church. “Churches focus on spiritual health. This gives our members an opportunity to be more physically fit in addition to our spiritual health.”
For more information on the Alpha and Omega-3 Journey or how you or your church can participate, contact Dawn Carter at jdcarter@cmgpr.com or 901-278-0881.
About SNP
The Seafood Nutrition Partnership (SNP) is a 501 (C) (3) nonprofit whose mission is to inspire a healthier America through partnerships that raise awareness about essential nutritional benefits of eating seafood. SNP, a member of the Non-Communicable
Diseases Roundtable, leads education efforts to help Americans gain the skills to select, order and prepare fish and shellfish, and to inspire a healthier America by promoting a nutrient-rich diet that includes seafood. For more information, visit
seafoodnutrition.org