Just One Thing -- Step 2: Set ONE Goal

By Audrey Burghard, Health and Wellness Coordinator at the Co-op

Now that you have a list of things you would like to change or know you should change to improve your health, Set ONE Goal.  It might be drinking more water, going for a 15 minute walk every day, cutting back on tobacco or alcohol use, or adding more vegetables and fruits.  Make your goal simple and attainable!  Take some time to set your goal rather than jumping in and picking something that you really can’t take on right now.

You might be someone who is in the more “advanced” stages of being healthy.  You still are not exempt  from needing to continue to make changes.  Some more advanced changes might include switching to all whole grains, reducing red meat intake, getting enough fiber in your day, or reducing stress.  If you are already active, maybe it’s time to enter an event and train for it.  Committing to health is a daily process that is continuous.  It does get easier the more we do it, but we all need to focus on prevention of disease and maintaining healthy body weight.

Send me your goals!  I’d like to hear about all the positive changes being made out there in your lives.  Stay tuned for Step 3, and keep up the good work on your journey toward a healthy lifestyle!

Stay tuned to my blog for the next step!

Yours in Health,

Audrey

Just One Thing – Step 1: Make a List

By Audrey Burghard, Health and Wellness Coordinator at the Co-op

“With the right food choices, physical activity, and not smoking, we could prevent about 80 percent of heart disease, about 90 percent of diabetes, and 70 percent of stroke,” says Walter Willett, chair of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. “Those are the three pillars. They really do make a difference.”

Take a moment to think about those numbers. Those diseases would be almost non-existent if we could somehow find a way to live a healthy lifestyle in this culture of over abundance of food and propensity toward sedentary living. The key word in the statement above is “prevent.” Taking action NOW to prevent disease is a necessary daily action for everyone. Whether you are a “healthy” person already or working toward it, it’s a daily decision to confirm your commitment to health.

We all know that we need to make good food choices, exercise and not smoke. The question is “HOW?”

Stay tuned to my blog to find “Just One Thing” to do each day to move toward a healthy lifestyle. One day at a time, one step at a time, one thing at a time. Let’s work together to simplify the process of moving toward a healthy lifestyle and weed through some of the information coming at us daily about what we should do to improve our health. Let’s get started with a first step:

1. Make a list – Write down a list of things you have been considering doing to live a healthier lifestyle. It doesn’t matter if it has been scientifically proven to work, or it’s something you heard from a friend. If you read about something or know someone who has had success and you want to try to make a change, write it down. It can be something simple, or more challenging. If nothing comes to mind here are some simple questions to get the process going:

• Am I getting enough sleep every night? (7-9 hours)
• Do I drink enough water every day (at least 32 ounces)
• Do I eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables?
• Do I need to lose weight?
• On a scale of 1-10, what is my stress level?
• What does my diet look like on a daily basis? Make a food log for 3-4 days and take a look!
• Am I willing to risk having disease by using tobacco or alcohol to excess?
• Do I have a medical condition that could benefit from making a change? If so, what change would benefit my health and make my PCP or ND happy?

Stay tuned to the Co-op Be Well blog for the next step!

Yours in Health,
Audrey