Yesterday, I attended 1 one of the 3 Transition New Orleans Recreation Task Force Public Meetings – held by the New Orleans Recreation Department Citizens Advisory Panel (NORDcap). The goal of NORDcap is to provide recommendations for the development of high quality, broad-based playgrounds, facilities, programs and services creating a sense of community, enabling a safe and secure environment, and enhancing New Orleans’ quality of life.

By far the biggest thing that clearly stood out last night is how extremely passionate the citizens of New Orleans are about improving recreational opportunities and facilities because of how critical it is to the proper formation of our youths.

Coaches, parents, children and communities leaders stood up one by one; taking their 2 minutes and 30 seconds to express their concerns, disappointment, and burning desire to see changes in NORD and to see community parks, facilities and programs returned and be properly managed.

In the last five years, since Katrina, it’s clear that the citizens of the city, the parents, coaches, booster clubs and volunteers have put forth the efforts, the money, the time, love, and care in reviving the parks, and organizing the programs.  The citizens of New Orleans are heart broken by the recent raise of violence and are demanding change and better opportunities, and programs for the kids in the city.

The members of the NORDcap chaired by Rod West, CEO, Entergy New Orleans, Inc. and Roy Glapion, Founder and past President, Citywide Testing & Inspections, Inc., listened carefully, took notes and have a big job to fill in making the best possible recommendations to Mayor Mitch Landrieu.

To find out more about the New Orleans Recreation Task Force I recommend listening to the New Orleans Recreation Department Citizens Advisory Panel presentation to the New Orleans City Council, August 28, 2009 – Rod West clearly articulates the current situation, the issues that need to be addressed, the challenges ahead, and mission NORDcap has undertaken.

I personally stood up last night, stepped to the microphone and expressed that as the parks and recreation centers are revived, it’s critical that the entire family and community is taken into account. As the CEO of Be Fit NOLA – what I’ve discovered is how many people have no access to any kinds of facilities or ability to exercise and workout.  I do believe it’s critical to setup programs for kids but it’s also imperative to give parents access to exercise programs and equipment.  Lets setup Green Gyms in our parks…lets invest in the health of the citizens in New Orleans by providing parks and recreation centers that support all – people of all ages.

I really hope that amazing things will happen in the next few years…real change, real improvement, real innovation.

We are joining great cities of the likes of Boston, San Francisco, Toronto, San Diego, Philadelphia and Nashville in holding a HealthCamp in our wonderful city of New Orleans.

HealthCamp is an unconference inspired by the popular BarCamp conferences, which are intended to allow people to share and learn in an open environment. It is an intense event with discussions, demos and interaction from attendees.

The purpose of the HealthCamp is to bring together health, fitness and wellness professionals in the Greater New Orleans area to share knowledge, network, and open dialogues around the challenges, issues, and concerns they face every day.  As well as, brainstorm, explore and discuss solutions, ideas and the latest innovations, policies and technology available.

An unconference means that the attendees are the presenters – this is a user generated conference.  There is no keynote speaker and planned agenda for the day.  However, we are establishing some guidelines and tracks.

HealthCamp NOLA will explore 4 different tracks:

Technology

Sessions in the technology track will vary from discussing improving or extending the efficacy of health care by embracing social networks, open standards, and the latest web and mobile technologies to new breakthroughs and latest technology available or being developed that will change the way health services are provided.

Prevention/Wellness:

Sessions in the prevention and wellness track will focus on discussing and addressing what can be done in our community to educate, assist, motivate and encourage people to take preventive measures to prevent diseases and health problems. What can be done?  What are the biggest factors affecting the members of our community? How can health care and fitness professionals best support and help each other? Etc.

Policy

Sessions in the policy track will focus and vary from discussing federal, State and city policy that impact health and wellness providers.  This could include anything from funding issues and concerns, privatization of local hospitals, and the impact of the Health Care Reform Bills recently signed by President Obama.

Business

Session in the business track is to discuss the state of health and wellness businesses, opportunities and entrepreneurship in the health and wellness industry.  What opportunities exist in New Orleans? What type of businesses already exist – what makes them successful?

This will be an extremely beneficial event to all health, fitness and wellness professionals in the Greater New Orleans area – the energy, opportunities and networking generated from unconferences can’t be compared to anything else you have attended in the past.

Our first priority in bringing this event to New Orleans is finding a location that can support 100-150 attendees.  A space with 4-5 classrooms.  The event will be held on a Saturday.

As soon as we have reserved a location, we will accept sponsorships.  Sponsors are critical to make this a free event for attendees.  The sponsorship will be used to pay for the food for the day, possibly the facility and t-shirts.  NO MONEY is made by the organizers of this event – this event is being organized by volunteers…currently myself and Tung Ly; assisting us is the HealthCamp Organizer Mark Scrimshire.

You can stay abreast of what’s happening by joining our Facebook Group and following us on Twitter.

Today, we have an inspirational interview with Jacques Courseault – a medical student at Tulane University School of Medicine and Co-Founder/Program Designer of Don’t Weight to Lose.

Don’t Weight to Lose (DWTL) is a 501c(3) non-profit organization designed by Tulane medical students, to promote long-term behavioral changes in terms of diet and exercise habits. DWTL ultimate goal is for each program participant to develop practical lifestyle changes without diet or exercise fads. They aim to promote small changes in nutrition habits, without sacrificing cultural characteristics in taste; and to increase physical activity, without needing sophisticated exercise equipment.

Q: Can you tell us a little more about Don’t Weight to Lose?

Jacques Courseault: Don’t Weight to Lose (DWTL) is a faith-based non-profit health and wellness organization based in New Orleans. Basically, Ryan Jupiter and I came up with this idea as first-year Tulane medical students. There was a program that I ran, as a personal trainer, called “Fat Tuesday,” where we offered free body composition and cardiovascular screenings at the Reily Center (Tulane’s gym). Ryan and I were working out one day and were discussing ways to bring a program like Fat Tuesday out into the community. After a year of research and development, DWTL was born. DWTL is now an 8-week program, held twice a year at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church. Components include physician speakers, health screenings, free exercise equipment, exercises classes and personal counseling from medical students. At this point, we have seen around 500 participants, and many noted significant health improvements.

Q: How does someone become a participant in the Don’t Weight to Lose program?

Jacques Courseault: Visit www.dontweighttolose.org and sign up for our newsletter. We release dates 2 months in advance for people to sign-up. If you don’t want to wait, we have tons of exercise and nutrition information available on our affiliate websites www.ExerciseMenu.com and www.DrGourmet.com. I am the Chief Editor of Exercise Menu, and Dr. Timothy Harlan is a chef turned Tulane Internist who developed Dr.Gourmet.com.  There is tons of great information on both sites.

Q: How much personal attention do the participants receive?

Jacques Courseault: One of the great aspects about DWTL is the personal attention that participants receive from our medical students. We have about 25 volunteer medical students that are trained in exercise and nutrition counseling, in addition to, what they are learning in medical school. Each student is assigned to three to five participants. Students review body composition readings, nutrition diaries and workout logs with participants during each session. There is really a strong bond that develops…

Q: You mentioned it’s faith-based health and wellness program – can you explain that a little more?

Jacques Courseault: Faith-based meaning that we address health issues from the mind, body and spiritual perspectives. Obviously, you have to take physical action, by increasing physical activity and making health food choices to improve your overall health. What is not so obvious is that many of these issues have a psychological and spiritual basis to them that should also be addressed. Having a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, I have designed this program based on particular theories to address behavior change. Obesity and other chronic diseases have also been linked to psychological disorders, such as stress and depression. Last but not least, is the spiritual component. Making sustainable lifestyle changes is difficult. By making the connection that God has blessed us with the gift of life and health, I try to teach our participants not to take this time we have for granted. In addition, the church offers a support network that provides encouragement when the temptation to revert back to previous ways arises.

Q: What inspired you to start Don’t Weight to Lose?

Jacques Courseault: I love New Orleans and the potential that this city has. Nothing can compare to the culture of this city. At the same time, I realize that overindulging in our food and leisurely activities can lead to serious health problems. So, I asked myself “How can we improve the health of this city and still eat great tasting foods and enjoy ourselves?” The answer is to teach small and practical changes that can drastically improve health. The people of New Orleans want to be healthy; however, it’s not always clear how to do that, especially with the day-to-day fads that pop up in mainstream media. Therefore, it is my passion as a personal trainer, physician and citizen of this great city to teach these practical changes.

Q: Have you reached out to former participants?  Have they maintained the new habits they developed during the program?

Jacques Courseault: Being a member of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church and from seeing previous participants at various health fairs or at other functions, we realize that our changes look to be sustainable. We have also received many testimonials about the positive changes people are noting in their lives. One participant reported at 40-pound weight loss, and we have had quite a few that reported 25 pounds or more. We are working to set up a screening session of all of our former participants to see if these changes have been sustainable as we hoped.

Q: How do you feel about the health and fitness scene in New Orleans?

Jacques Courseault: The health and fitness scene in New Orleans has notably improved after Katrina. The greatest improvement that I have seen is at City Park, with the addition of the new walking and biking tracks. New Orleans provides many avenues for outdoor exercise. One can walk through the French Quarter, bike on the levees, play pick-up soccer at Audubon or join any of the many run/walks that are held here each year. Unfortunately, there is a lack of indoor facilities. To address this problem, I have developed ExerciseMenu.com, which allows people to workout in the comfort of their own home. Resistance training, or weight lifting is important, but we can maintain better health if we regularly participate in outdoor activities.

Q: We hear you are graduating this year – what’s next for you? Will you be staying in New Orleans?

Jacques Courseault: I will never leave this city. I had a wonderful four years at Tulane University School of Medicine, but will now hang up the green and white for the LSU purple and gold. Starting in July, I will begin my residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. I love this field because I can combine my exercise passions with medicine, in order to help people maintain their physical health. I will also continue to make sure that DWTL contributes to improving the health and wellness of this city.

With the passing of the Health Care Reform bill, hopefully more people are becoming aware of how policies (and laws) have an impact on the current and future health of our country.  It’s important that the right issues are addressed and supported.  One of the organizations in New Orleans that is researching, educating, and serving on Advisory Committees in service to our community is the Prevention Research Center at Tulane.

The Tulane Prevention Research Center (PRC) is one of 37 Prevention Research Centers funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The Tulane Prevention Research Center studies the impact of physical and social environments on obesity and collaborates with community partners through policy, education and communication strategies to build healthier communities in New Orleans and beyond.

Here is a highlight of how PRC is serving you and the health of our community:

Healthy Eating Projects

Core Research Project on Neighborhood Food Environment

PRC core research project examines the relationship between availability and promotion of healthy and unhealthy foods and consumption.  The project explores whether changing the food environment is predominantly low income, New Orleans neighborhoods will result in improvements to residents’ food purchases, diets and change in weight status.

Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research Network

PRC is working in collaboration with the national Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research Network (NOPRN) to advance research on policy and environmental approaches to obesity prevention.

New Orleans Food Policy Advisory Committee

PRC serves on the New Orleans Food Policy Advisory Committee (FPAC), an advisory body to the New Orleans City Council which is made up of diverse members from the public, private, and civic sectors.  PRC directed research and advocacy for an FPAC initiative to improve access to grocery stores, farmers markets, and other fresh food retail outlets in neighborhoods.

Active Living Projects

Physical Activity and Policy Research Network

PRC is a collaborating center on the national Physical Activity and Policy Research Network (PAPRN).  This network works to identify physical activity policies and determinants, describe the process of implanting policies, and determine outcomes of physical activity policies.  The Tulane PRC will develop a community play index for playground and schoolyards.

Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities

New Orleans is one of 41 sites nationwide selected by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities Program.  The PRC will support the KidsWalk coalition to increase the walkability and bikeability of New Orleans, particularly around schools.

Bike Lane Research

The PRC received a Rapid Response grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to study the impact of new bike lanes throughout the city on ridership.

Safe Route to School Evaluation

The Safe Route to School Evaluation Study is examining the attitudes and possible barriers to children walking or biking to and from school. In collaboration with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, the Tulane PRC has collected community and school-level information thoughout planned sites in Louisiana.

The Lafitte Greenway Evaluation

The planned restoration of the Lafitte corridor includes pedestrian and bike path that will link 7 neighborhoods, parks, historic sites, retails areas and community spaces. The PRC received Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Active Living Research funding to conduct a two-year baseline evaluation of neighborhood residents’ physical activity levels before the renovation of the Greenway is developed.

(Source: Tulane Prevention Research Center handout)

Tuesday, March 9, 2010, at 6:00pm, at the LGBT Community Center of New Orleans, the 2010 Weight Loss Challenge will host its second, open to the general public, Discussion Panel, and its third Contestant Weigh-In.  Remember, last month the panel was cancelled due to the Saints Parade. The guest speakers from February have been rescheduled for March. Special guest speakers for the night will include:

The Fit Gourmet, Chef Dione Duhon: Discussing the importance of having a fully stocked pantry with it comes to making diets work. Visit www.fitgourmetofneworleans.com for more information.

Executive Chef from Ralph’s on the Park, Chef Chip Flanagan: Discussing different cooking techniques to lower the calories in your meal and how to make healthy choices when dining out.

Executive Chef from Oceana Grill, Chef Louis Brown: Discussing different cooking techniques to lower the calories in your meal and how to make healthy choices when dining out.

Creator of Bayou Brew, Renee Brown: Discussing the importance of natural ingredients and the harmful effects of artificial preservatives.

From the Mind-Body Center of Louisiana, Melinda “Mindy” Milam, L.C.S.W.: Discussing staying mentally healthy when it comes to dieting and weight loss and some of the pressures that go with it.

NO/AIDS Taskforce’s Behavioral Health Therapist, Juliet Clayton, LCSW: Discussing how Good Mental Health Leads to a More Fulfilling and Happier Life.

Odyssey House’s and NO/AIDS Taskforce’s Substance Abuse Clinician, Kristin D. MacRae, MSW, GSW, DMHC, LAC: Discussing addictions and mental blocks concerning weight loss.

Salire Fitness’ Life Coach Nolan Ferraro: Discussing Keeping Your Head on Straight When Losing Weight: Maintaining Balance in Your Life.

This is really a great opportunity for people to gain some great insight and get the chance to ask experts some questions.

When: Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 8pm
Where: LGBT Community Center of New Orleans (2114 Decatur Street)
What: Weigh in and Panel Discussion

Yesterday we attended the Lakeview Christian Center Wellness Fair 2010…and we were pleasantly surprised by how well organized the event was.  Parked outside of the Center was the Elmwood “On the Move – Driving to Fight Childhood Obesity” Bus.  This unique program is designed to give school children ages 9-13 an opportunity to learn about health and fitness in a non-competitive environment. Inside the bus is a fitness center designed for children – check the Elmwood Fitness Center Website for more information.

Inside the Lakeview Christian Center we were welcomed by a staff (church members) who were excited, and happy to see us and tell us all about what was available for us to see and take part in.  They had 36 vendors that made up the Wellness Fair to include a station to get your Blood Pressure taken for free and Cholesterol screening from The Blood Center: Blood Mobile & Free Cholesterol Screening. Also in attendance was Salire Fitness, BestRD Wellness (nutritionist), Advance Medical Care and Wellness, DHH/OAAS/Adult Protective Services, Elderly Protective Services, Louisiana Chiropractic Center, Alzheimers Association of GNO and the American Cancer Society to name a few.

From 10:00 am to 3pm they hosted some wonderful free seminars for attendees which included: Tulane hospital discussing Childhood Obesity & Type 2 Diabetes, Rose Dermatology discussed Skin Cancer, and LSU Radiolody has a seminar of Mammogram, When and & Why.

We spoke with Pete Schefferstein the Church Administrator and Wellness Fair Organizer to find out more about the Fair and why the Lakeview Christian Center decided to put on this event. As it turns out, Pete used to be quite an unhealthy fellow – as he puts it “a typical New Orleanian” and his wake-up call came when his doctor told him that he was close to being diabetic and unless he made some changes, he would have to take medicine for diabetics.

Speaking with Pete was an eye opener.  To hear him say that for him; not being able to bend down to pick something up, or not being able to walk up a flight of stair or walk around the block and that living with all the discomfort of bad health seemed perfectly normal was very surreal. It’s hard to comprehend that some people have never known or experienced living a normal “healthy” life.

However, when his doctor told him if he kept going the way he was he would be diabetic – Pete decided to change his lifestyle.  Since then, Pete has lost over 100 pounds.  He enlisted the help of his son who designed a program for him based on the Men’s Health TNT.  After losing 40lbs, Pete was finally able to use a treadmill.  Pete was exercising for the first time in his life.

Pete said to us “When you’re overweight, you don’t really realize how much everything is such a chore – like bending down to pick something up, traveling…how embarrassing it is to ask the stewardess on a plane for a buckle extension”

Since losing the weight and making life changes/establishing a new healthy lifestyle, Pete became more aware of the members in his church community who also needed help and assistance.  He commented on how difficult being overweight is on the families in the community; “People are losing jobs because the can’t perform their duties.” That’s when the Lakeview Christian Center became involved in helping their community become healthier.  Every six weeks they run a Biggest Loser Challenge to encourage members to get involve, participate in learning new things about nutrition and exercise and support each other in losing weight.

They bring in other members of the community who are nutritionists, trainers, nurses and doctors to speak on health issues.  It’s really fabulous what the Lakeview Christian Center have started and how they are supporting their community.

Kids ReThink New Orleans – in healthier and more efficient ways than the grown-ups did.

You may or may not have heard of a group of New Orleans school kids called “Kids ReThink New Orleans.” This diverse group of forward-thinking students has been ReThinking how to make New Orleans schools healthier since Hurricane Katrina.

“Give us fresh, tasty food,” explained ReThinker Daizha Sanders in a 2008 Press Conference.

“We want as little highly processed food as possible.  High processed food is bad for us and it makes us sick. Keep preservatives, chemicals and highly sweetened food to a minimum.”

Read the blog post: Thou Shalt Not Spork behind the video on Center For Ecoliteracy

And they’ve been nationally recognized by media outlets such as Nick News and Rachael Ray.

“We just got back from a speaking engagement at the Georgia Organics Conference – four Rethinkers gave presentations on their work making school food more healthy, local and delicious,” said Mallory Falk, who is part of the ReThink staff.

“On the mental health side, we’re exploring the concept of restorative justice.  We believe that holding circles where the community can come together and discuss a conflict is a much healthier, more healing process than many traditional forms of discipline,” she explained.

With a Nationwide Obesity Epidemic; we owe it to this amazing group of kids to help them out because they are doing something to not only help themselves but create positive chance in New Orleans.

Rethink Benefit at Dante’s Kitchen

What: Benefit to support the great work that Kids Rethink New Orleans Schools

When: Tuesday, March 2^nd

Time: 6 pm to 8:30 pm

Where: Dante’s Kitchen 736 Dante Street, New Orleans, LA 70118

For details and to reserve a ticket, please visit http://www.therethinkers.com/food-benefit/ or contact Jane at jane@therethinkers.org.

Be Fit Nola will continue to follow and blog about the work of this remarkable group of kids.

You can read more about the ReThinkers projects, including their 12 Recommendations for Public School Cafeterias on their website

Last night I attended an event for the LGBT Community Center 2010 Weight Loss Challenge at Oceana Grill.  (Oceana is a sponsor of the contest) Although you will not find any items on the Oceana menu that is under 700 calories, the Oceana Executive Chef – Chef Louis Brown prepared a special menu for the contestants.

The menu was as followed:

Appetizer:

The Famous Oceana Crab Cake Seared and served on top of Creole Mustard.

Entree:

Baked Ahi Tuna in fresh herbs layered over angel hair pasta tossed in a lemon garlic sauce, topped with fresh bell peppers.

Dessert:

Fruit medley

The seared crab cake was heavenly.  When Chef Louis presented his crab cake he explained how searing the crab cake in olive oil instead of putting them in a batter and frying them made a difference of 610 calories.  The seared crab cake only had 112 calories – as opposed to 722.

That was another great part of the meal, Chef Louis, as you can imagine, is a very busy man at Oceana but he took the time to explain each dish to the contestants, answer questions and share pointers.  He really drove home the importance and value of eating white meat and white fish (fish that turns white when cooked) such as what was part of our main course – Ahi Tuna.

Chef Louis opted to bake rather than sear the tuna, the spices he used and the parmesan cheese topping really did the trick.  Chef Louis chose to serve angel hair pasta since that is the lightest pasta option the restaurant carries.

For dessert the contestants and guests enjoyed a fruit medley.  Not one person sitting at the table got up feeling hungry and everyone was pleased and satisfied.  The point was well made that just because you are eating healthy and watching your calorie intake – that does not mean you have to be dissatisfied with what you are eating.

I wish Oceana Grill would choose to have these items on their regular menu…so others who live in New Orleans and come to visit could enjoy a healthy meal under 700 calories.

This was my first time meeting the contestants and hearing their story.  They are truly an inspirational group.  I plan on doing a Question and Answer session with each contestant so you can find out about them and learn from their story.  This contest has been a real commitment for all the contestants who have lost a combined weight of 50 pounds or 13% overall body weight.

The next event for the contestant that is open to the public is an upcoming panel discuss on March 9^th at the LGBT Community Center.  I will post more information about it in the next couple of days.

One of our primary goals at Be Fit NOLA is to bring out to the forefront the many health and fitness activities, events and opportunities that exist in New Orleans that both locals and tourists simply don’t know about.  I’m willing to bet that one area of health and fitness many folks don’t know about are all the various sport organizations that exist and participate in league events.  Did you know that New Orleans has a Rugby Team? We connected the Captain of the New Orleans Rugby Football Club, Matt Upton, and asked him a few questions in order to find out more about them.

Interview with Team Captain Matt Upton

A few basics first. We practice twice a week in Lakeview and hold our home games in Gretna. The team also owns its own bar, the Rugby Pub in Gretna, right near the home pitch. We play a spring season building up to regional and national playoffs, and a fall season that is a little more casual.

The team stays active year-round with different types of competition and fitness opportunities.

Q: What is the history behind the New Orleans Rugby Football Club? (When did it get started…who started the Club? How was the original team brought together?)

Matt Upton (Captain New Orleans Rugby Football Club):

Our team’s roots go back to 1973. It was formed by a group of local guys who had experience playing rugby in college and wanted to create a next level opportunity to help build the sport here.

What we’re seeing now is a deepening pipeline of players coming out of rugby families, in much the same way as you saw soccer develop in America a generation ago. Some of our past and current players have been instrumental in starting local high school rugby programs. When kids start playing as teens, then continue through college, they can have tremendous skills and experience by the time they’re ready to join the NORFC.

Q: What League is the New Orleans Rugby Football Club member of? What teams do you play against?

Matt Upton:

NORFC is part of USA Rugby, the national league for this level of play. The league is divided into regional divisions and ours is called the Deep South Division. During our spring season, we compete against teams in Baton Rouge, Jackson, Miss., Mobile, Ala., Little Rock, Ark., and Memphis, Tenn. We travel to them, and they come here to play at our home pitch in Gretna. If we do well against our regular season divisional competition, we can advance to the regional playoffs and eventually to the nationals. In recent seasons, we’ve made it to the national “sweet 16″ round of playoffs, competing against America’s best teams in our division.

Apart from these league games (or what we call “matrix games”) we also play a lot of games against teams from across the country and around the world. Not surprisingly, it turns out a lot of teams want to schedule visits to New Orleans. These non-matrix games don’t count for our league record or playoff standings, and we mostly hold these in the fall season. They’re a great chance to get more game experience with different levels of competition.

Q: What is most unique about the sport of Rugby? And how grueling of a sport is Rugby?

Matt Upton:

It’s a rough sport, no doubt about it. Guys take some pretty hard hits, and it’s relentless. Frankly, that’s part of the appeal. It’s extreme. It pushes you to a level you normally don’t ever need to reach. It’s that combination of full contact, no pads, no blocking and 80 minutes games of continuous action. But probably the biggest thing that sets rugby apart is the global community. There’s a very strong, very important social aspect to the sport, within the team and between teams. After games, win or lose, the home team always throws a party for the visitor. It’s the world’s largest fraternity in a way, but the membership requirements are heart and dedication to the sport.

Q: Do players interested in playing need prior experience? Special equipment? Should a player expect to travel with the team often?

Matt Upton:

We’re always recruiting new players, and no prior experience is necessary. That’s part of the beauty of the sport, at least in America. While we are seeing things start to change a bit thanks to new high school programs, most people have not been playing rugby all their lives in this country. There’s not a huge disadvantage here to starting in your 20s or 30s.

Also, there’s no real heavy equipment requirement. Basically, all you need is a mouthpiece, cleats and your jersey.

As for traveling, we do have road games around the Deep South and beyond, so there’s a travel opportunity there for guys who want it.

Q: What brings players out to play? Why do you play?

Matt Upton:

We have guys come out who used to play football and miss that contact. Heard about it in college, thought they’d give it a shot and want to get in shape. Less expensive and more fun than joining a gym. See us out at bars together, see the camaraderie. So there’s the competitive thing, the fitness thing and also that social aspect.

Now why I play is basically because I love the sport and always want to get better at it. I’ve taken time off before, played other sports, did wrestling in college, but I always missed rugby and came back to it. There’s just nothing like it.

Q: If someone is looking for a team sport and has never played Rugby; what do you want to tell them as to why they should try Rugby?

Matt Upton:

It’s like no other sport they’ve played before, and while it’s not for everyone the people who connect with it usually stay involved in the rugby community for a long time. There are guys involved in our club who are still in college and guys who have been playing for more than 30 years. You plug into this diverse network of people who all share a love of this sport.

To find out more information about the New Orleans Rugby Football Club be sure to check-out their website and you can also find them on Facebook. We’ll see you at some of their games!!

Haven’t made a New Year’s Resolution yet?  Or you’re willing to add one more to your list?  We have one for you!! Resolve to help Be Fit NOLA make New Orleans a healthier city to live in.  We’re not asking for drastic changes nor are we looking to change the core traditions or customs of our wonderful city – what we want to do is highlight the healthy people, events, happenings and opportunities in the city and we can’t do that without the community helping us.

How can you help?

1. If you are on Twitter, you can follow Be Fit NOLA and take part in letting the world know we have active, healthy people and things to do in New Orleans. #befitnola your tweets each time you are exercising, participating in a sporting event (p.s. watching a sport does not count!) or when you have a health tip to share.
2. Let people know about Be Fit NOLA – let your friends and family know where they can get information, advice, pointers and assistance with living a healthy lifestyle in the Crescent City.
3. Contact us if you want to get involve.  We’re looking for people interested in blogging about cycling, running, and yoga in New Orleans (to name a few) – folks who know where to get the best healthiest and nutritious meals in the city or anything else that you know and do to live a healthy lifestyle in New Orleans.

We want to show another side of New Orleans to the world.  Our city is full of so much diversity and has more to offer than just about any city in the world but part of being diverse is also being well rounded. New Orleans is still recovering but she is also experiencing a Renaissance…a re-branding; she has the opportunity to become greater than she’s ever been before. Help us, help the city, by showing that there is so much to the city than partying, boozing, and fried food.

We thank you in advance for sticking to this resolution – don’t be shy to let us know who you are and what think!!