Life-Style Part 5

02 Jun Life-Style Part 5

Well, that was fast. Where did May go?! In this month’s blog, we explored what it looks like to be active and lead our lifestyle. 

Lifestyle* – the way in which a person lives. (*not just a category of cute shoes)

Specifically, we looked at key lifestyle factors that have the power to impact our health and wellness if we choose to align how we live with our health and wellness goals. When we talk about risk for chronic health conditions or the management and prevention of diseases, we hear the same lifestyle factors mentioned:

• Diet
• Physical activity
• Tobacco and alcohol use

We focused on the LIFE that we want to live and the STYLE of living that promotes the quality of life that we are aiming for. So here is the recap of our monthly theme:

Diet

• Fruits and vegetables provide a myriad of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals our body desperately needs to function well. Plant-powered foods are also naturally cholesterol free.
• Hydration is important. All year round, our body needs us to be drinking water and eating fruits and veggies to take in an optimal amount of water. The list of benefits of being adequately hydrated is long, so drink up.
• Alcohol isn’t a superfood. Truthfully, alcohol has been in the news periodically for aiding cardiovascular health in low amounts, but the long-standing research tells us that it’s not essential for our body and “low amounts” isn’t realistic for everyone. While I’m all for balance and enjoying life, if you’re justifying drinking alcohol for your health, experts would urge you to reconsider. So maybe treat it like added sugar – know that it exists and it might taste good, but it’s not a health drink.
• Macronutrients are carbohydrates, protein, and fat. These are the big three in the science of nutrition and our bodies need all of them to function well. Quality of the food choices in these categories is key.

Physical Activity

• Which types of physical activity interest me or do I think would be good for me?
• Which days of the week can I carve out time to move?
• For how long each time would I like to be active?
• What time of the day would increase the likelihood of me following through with my workouts?

Tobacco (is whacko!)

• Nicotine is the addictive substance present in tobacco products like cigarettes and vaping.
• Vaping can cause damage to the lining of your arteries, heart damage, and is more addictive than cigarettes. 
• We would like to empower you and let you know that we get it…quitting is hard. Even if you know smoking/vaping are unhealthy, that doesn’t make them easy lifestyle habits to stop. But we do want to make sure that you know you are not alone and when the time is right and you are ready to lead yourself to a healthier lifestyle by ditching smoking, chewing, or vaping you can do it AND you have support. 
• Check with your organization’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or your wellness clinic operated by Marathon Health. Additionally. Colorado QuitLine is another tremendous resource.

Knowledge is power, but making the decision to act on our behalf and beliefs makes all the difference. Go get ‘em!

WEEKLY RECIPES

By Victoria Emmitt RD