Preventing Chronic Conditions Through your Diet PLUS Enter to Win a National Nutrition Month Goody Bag!

Time is running out to take the 
Employee Health Risk Appraisal worth 
2 hours of vacation time! 

This survey should only take 10 minutes and will help direct the future of the Wellness Program. 

Hurry! It's only available thru March 31st!

Congrats to Janet Long and Ellen Seely! They are last week's random giveaway winners!
Here are their replies to the giveaway question, "What is your go-to healthy snack?"

"Carrots & hummus or homemade trail mix: craisins, almonds, & sunflower seeds" 
- Ellen Seely
"Kind bars which have a lot of nuts, low sugars, and taste yummy! Also nut-thins (crackers made by Blue Diamond) with some almond or peanut butter are a great snack!" 
- Janet Long

Hippocrates stated, "Let food by thy medicine and medicine be thy food." Today we say, "You are what you eat." Both comments are basically saying our health can be made or broken by what we choose to eat.

Unhealthy diets and lack of physical activity can contribute to or make many chronic diseases and conditions worse, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. By improving eating habits and increasing physical activity, we can reduce obesity and other chronic diseases. 

Here are some tips to jump start your physical activity and improve your food choices;

Keep on the go...

• There are lots of ways to be active. Go for a walk, take the stairs, ride a bike, dance, shoot hoops, jump rope, take a fitness class, or play a fitness video game. Choose what you like best, and then just do it!
• Start slowly. Do not get upset if you can not do a lot - just keep moving! Add more activity each week.
• Aim for 30 minutes everyday. You do not have to do it all at once - 10 minutes at a time, three times a day is fine.
• Use a step counter for fun. Use it to keep track of the number of steps you take in a day. Try to increase this number every day. There are several apps available for download that take the place of a traditional pedometer.

Your nutrition prescription...

• Eat foods that are high in fiber. Whole grain bread, cereal, brown rice, oatmeal, lentils and dried peas, fruits and vegetables.
• Eat small servings of fish, meat, poultry, low-fat cheese, and soy products like tofu. Remove skin and all the fat you can see. 
• Beware how you prepare. Have baked boiled or grilled foods instead of fried.
• Enjoy the natural flavor. Eat foods that are low in salt and do not add salt to your food.
• Drink water instead of regular soda or fruit drinks.
• Make it a "real" treat. When eating sweets, desserts, or candy, have only a small serving after a healthy meal and not every day.
• Eat slowly and try not to take second helpings. If you are still hungry after a meal, fill up on vegetables or a piece of fruit.

Which Tip Will You Try?

Tell us in the comments below for your chance to win a National Nutrition Month Goody Bag!

Giveaway closes on March 21st. 

Must be a Weber County Employee to win.