Healthy eating, exercise: There are ways to do it

Stressed out with the after-school drill: Commute, take kids to soccer, help with homework, and dinner ends up being a speed drive through McDonald's?

There are ways to help families cope with hectic schedules and still get nutritious and easy-to-fix meals.

And there are ways to use those small niches of time in your schedule to increase your exercise levels, says Joe Piscatella, an expert on lifestyle and health.

But today's the last day to sign up for a program aimed at helping adults and families find ways to reduce stress, lose weight and exercise smarter.

The program, “Six Weeks to a Healthier You,” kicks off April 17 at the Lynnwood Convention Center and is open to anyone in Snohomish County.

The program will include cooking demonstrations of how to cook healthy and tasty meals at home.

The $49 charge helps pay for pre- and post- class testing of health measures such as cholesterol and blood pressure levels. Scholarships are available to low-income families.

So far, 350 have signed up, but there's room for as many as 1,000 people.

The program is sponsored in part by the Verdant Health Commission, a nonprofit organization to promote better health in South Snohomish County.

Register today to sign up for the class.