Take the first step to better health
- Melinda Hill, OSU Extension Wayne County
- May 2, 2024
- 305
Spring is the time of year when new life appears all around us. This week we had a new foal born on our farm, and another is on the way. The flower beds have popped with a variety of colors, and the buds on the trees have given a shade of color to the fence lines.
It’s also the time of year when many of us want to make an extra commitment to healthy lifestyles so we can enjoy the summer months when summer attire doesn’t make it as easy to hide a few winter pounds. How can we do that? Ultimately, we can ask ourselves these questions: How do I feel today? What am I doing to make my life the best it can be?
We all know our diet and activity play a large role in our overall health. The things we do as part of our daily habits reflect not only our current health, but also on our long-term health. Here are a few tips to get you started thinking. Read through them, pick one or two to practice daily, and when you’ve accomplished one, pick another one. If it doesn’t work, try something else. The challenge is don’t give up. Each step brings us closer to being in better health through our activity and our food choices.
Choose a daily activity
As the weather breaks, get outside and move. The goal would be 10,000 steps daily or at least 30 minutes of brisk activity. Increase that time to 60-90 minutes if you are aiming to better your health and weight loss is a goal.
Turn off the television for two hours a night and find something outside to do. Play ball with the kids, give gardening a try or just take a walk around the block with a neighbor. If we have someone to partner with, we are more likely to continue, so grab a friend or family member and go. Check out some new walking or hiking paths or enjoy the sights at Secrest Arboretum with all the crab apples in bloom. There are many wonderful places to see in our beautiful community.
What’s for dinner?
Choose healthy recipes for meals at home and ask yourself, “What can I change to improve this?” We are all creatures of habit and probably purchase the same items at the grocery every time we go. Maybe it is just adding more vegetables to a family favorite or decreasing the amount of salt it calls for. Share recipes you find that are good with co-workers and friends. We are all looking for new ideas.
Snacks are the foods we grab when we are tired or emotional or overly hungry. It takes effort to make them count with vitamins and minerals, not just empty calories. Reach for the fruits and whole grains to enjoy the nutrition benefits along with the fiber. If you choose the chocolate, remember to do so in moderation, just once in a while. Read the labels and watch the portion sizes too.
If when you get home from the grocery store, you prepare the items into grab-and-go containers, it makes snacking a little easier to be a healthy addition to the day. Keep snacks in the car when picking up children from school or sports practices so they have something to tide them over until mealtime, instead of running through a drive-thru.
When dining out, look for the selections that are lower in calories, fat, cholesterol and sodium. Sometimes there are indicators on the menu; other times we may need to ask if there’s a nutrition chart available or even look them up online before we go. Try not to go overly hungry when everything looks good. Grab a healthy snack beforehand.
Every journey begins with a single step. Take the first one so you will have better health and a longer life to share with family and friends. There’s no better time to start than when the sun is shining and there’s a spring in your step.
Melinda Hill is an OSU Extension family and consumer sciences educator and may be reached at 330-264-8722 or hill.14@osu.edu.