Photo By Staff Sgt. Marnie Jacobowitz | U.S. Army Capt. Leah Evert, a nutritionist with the 4215th U.S. Army Hospital, speaks...... read more read more
RICHMOND, Va. - Lights, Camera, Action! Channel One Network production of “Dream Strong” profiles a soldier of the Northeast Medical Area Readiness Support Group from the Army Reserve Medical Command.
“It was an honor to be chosen,” said Capt. Leah Evert, a native of McLean, Va.
“I was excited to do this. It was a unique opportunity,” said Evert.
The "Dream Strong" production airs late January 2013.
This isn’t the first time Evert has been on television. The Discovery Channel, based in Silver Spring, Md., featured then Lt. Leah Evert Sept. 9 on their program "Why I Serve."
Evert, a dietician and nutritionist for the 4215th United States Army Hospital, Richmond, Va., was filmed Dec. 8 teaching service members about healthy food choices at the Fort Lee, Va., and commissary.
She said serving in the Army Reserve gave her the training and leadership skills that made her dream of helping others live healthier lives come true.
While at the commissary Evert instructed Soldiers on what food to avoid, recommended healthy alternative foods and identifying super foods.
One of the soldiers at the class, Staff Sgt. Jaclyn McCauley, a medical lab technician for the 4215th USAH, said Evert provided her with helpful tip while grocery shopping.
Avoid the middle aisle and focus on the outer aisle where the fresh produce, meats and dairy products are located, McCauley recalls.
Another lesson was about "super foods," said McCauley.
“I learned that the chia seed is a super food,” she said. “Also, that eating blueberries are great for your skin.”
According to Supersfoodrx, super foods contain high concentrations of crucial nutrients, low in calories, and easy to find at your local grocery store. Foods such as broccoli, sweet potatoes, salmon and avocados, containing these nutrients have been proven to help prevent and, in some cases, reverse the well-known effects of aging, including cardiovascular disease, Type II Diabetes, hypertension and certain cancers.
After leaving the commissary, the "Dream Strong" crew filmed while Evert participated in physical readiness training with her soldiers.
During her interview, Evert said a healthy body is a healthy mind.
There is a direct connection between the way soldiers feel during physical fitness and how they perform at their job, she said.
“I always feel great after physical training especially when training with my unit," she said. “It certainly lifts us up ... make us feel strong and capable.”
McCauley said within a few months of Evert being assigned to the 4215th USAH, she was quick to take over projects.
She became the height and weight officer-in-charge and implemented a Soldier Athletic Readiness Program, a two-week physical fitness and nutritional training held last summer at Fort Lee, she said.
“She truly wanted to pass on nutritional wellness and help change the eating habits of soldiers,” said McCauley.
Meredith Walters, vice president of marketing and promotions for New York City-based Channel One Network, said the "Dream Strong" program is a series of profiles created in 2010 to demonstrate to high school students that serving in the U.S. Army gives them the opportunity to make their own dreams come true.
Danielle Granderson, account manager for the Manhattan-based media company McCanny World Group, said Evert was selected for "Dream Strong" because of her success in nutrition and her passion for science that evolved into her civilian career as a nutritionist.
Walters said more than eight "Dream Strong" video productions have aired showcasing service members pursuing their dreams with the help of the military, including soldiers joining the U.S Army Culinary team to soldiers representing United States of America in the Olympic Games.
All of these dreams came true because of their military service, said Walters. “
In today’s case a nutritionist in the Army Reserve that gives back by using her military skills in her civilian life at the same time uses her civilian experience in her Army Reserve life,” said Walters.
During the final day of the "Dream Strong" production, they traveled to Evert’s civilian employer, Wellness Corporate Solutions, based in Cabin John, Md., where she is a senior programs manager.
Julie Rodman, who founded the company with its President Fiona Gathright in 2004, developed customized wellness programs and screening services for organizations nationwide.
Rodman, the senior vice president, knew the moment she met Evert that she would be a good fit for the company.
“Leah is one of our star dieticians,” said Rodman. “She has an amazing background with a degree in exercise physiology, a masters in nutrition and is a registered dietician
Evert explains with rising health care cost it transcends down to the employer. Companies would want to hire us to develop wellness program to lower the health care cost and create overall better work environment for their employees.
“An employer really wants to invest in its employee by provided them with a wellness program,” said Evert. “So if the employee feels healthier and happier they will be more."
Rodman and her staff are very supportive of Evert's military career, so supportive that they participated in a soldier fit test, based on the Army Physical Fitness Test consisting of push-ups, sit-ups, and two-mile timed event.
"It was a challenge for all of us," said Rodman.
It was a great experience for everyone to come together as one ... we felt like our own unit," said Rodman. "Leah as a leader helps our company feel that sense of togetherness and family just like she does in her Army unit."
| Date Taken: | 01.17.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 01.17.2013 18:33 |
| Story ID: | 100678 |
| Location: | RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 362 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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