Mardi Gras Means Lean Times Ahead But That Doesn't Mean the Pa...( NEW YORK Feb. 4 -- Over 100 mill...),Health

NEW YORK, Feb. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Over 100 million Americans are plagued by high cholesterol, which can lead to chronic heart disease and early death. So the Healthy Monday campaign suggests Americans take the idea of Fat Tuesday and Carnival to heart -- and take a break from meat-heavy, high-fat diets.

"Carnival" has its roots in the Latin phrase "carne vale." Literally, say "farewell to meat" during Lent. Eating a little less meat can be a big step towards living healthier. Cutting back on saturated fat not only lowers your cholesterol but also helps reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer.

It's easier than you think to abstain from meat occasionally. "Try it just one Monday at a time," suggests Sid Lerner, Chairman of the Healthy Monday Campaign. "If you miss this week, you can try again next week. You've got 52 chances a year to get on track."

There are lots of ideas for great meatless meals at http://www.meatlessmonday.com, http://www.americanheart.org and http://www.deliciousdecisions.org.

Healthy Monday (http://www.healthymonday.org) introduces the idea of Monday as the weekly day of health. It's an innovative concept being applied to a variety of public health concerns by a growing network of businesses, consumer groups, advocacy organizations, and schools all dedicated to improving the health of Americans. Healthy Monday is a project of Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Syracuse University Newhouse School of Public Communications with the support of 40 leading schools of public health as well as major health advocacy organizations, including the American Heart Association, the Amer
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