First Tuesday Educational Series
Eating for Heart Health
Lower Blood Pressure and Cholesterol, the Pritikin Way
Date & Time
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
5:00 - 6:00 pm
Location
Virtual
Plant-Forward Nutrition for Heart Health
In honor of Heart Month, Registered Dietician Rita Smith offers a free, virtual session to share practical, evidence-based strategies for lowering cholesterol and blood pressure, and fighting coronary artery disease, through the foods we eat.
You'll learn the basics of the Pritikin method, a Mediterranean-style, plant-forward dietary approach used in Sentara Martha Jefferson's Intensive Cardiac Rehab Program. Rita's simple tips for smart food choices will help you eat well, while improving heart health, controlling blood sugar, and promoting long-term wellness. No matter where you are on your health journey, this session will make the road to health clearer and more delicious for you and your family.
Registration to this Zoom session is free and open to the community. We invite you to join us and take a proactive step toward a healthier heart this Heart Month.
About the Speaker: Rita Smith, MS, RD
Registered Dietitian Rita Smith has worked in the field of nutrition and disease prevention for over 45 years. She currently works part time teaching nutrition and cooking classes for the Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital Pritikin Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation program, helping clients put into practice healthy eating. She is also the author of the Eat Well, Live Well nutrition column in Sentara Martha Jefferson's Our Caring Tradition magazine, as well as a volunteer with the Albemarle-Charlottesville Emergency Food Network, an organization that provides food for our community neighbors in need.
First Tuesdays Learning outside of the doctors office
Have you ever left your health provider's office and remembered you had another question? Do you want to learn more about a specific health topic more in depth? Our First Tuesday series is a great place to learn more about various health issues that affect us all.
In past First Tuesdays we have explored topics from Alzheimer's and dementia to seasonal depression. Want to learn more about a topic? Send us an email or give us a call to suggest a speaker or topic. Watch past sessions.
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