Author: Lynnette Allen
Planning Unit: Breckinridge County CES
Major Program: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (general)
Plan of Work: Improving community wellness through nutrition, physical activity and safety
Outcome: Long-Term Outcome
Research shows that overall wellness is more than the number on the scales. According to the American Heart Association long-term stress can cause risk for health conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. Also, recent studies show that sleep is another important aspect to health and mental wellness. Over time, sleep deprivation can negatively affect your energy levels and even your body’s ability to fight off infection. To increase awareness and improve individual wellness, the Breckinridge County Extension Service Family and Consumer Science Agent conducted the six-week series of Live Well, Live Simple. The program began in min-January 2020 with the intent to provide support and motivation for New Year’s resolutions that were waning. Weekly learning session were provided with lesson topics of nutrition, physical activity, stress management, healthy sleep and mental wellness. Participants were encouraged to journal fruits and vegetable consumption, activity and weight or any other wellness aspect, with the purpose of setting goals and forming heathier habits. Five out of eight participants attended all sessions and a total of 29.4 pounds were lost. Post program surveys showed that participants were better prepared to select nutrient dense foods and were practicing this by consuming healthier foods. Through one-on-one conversations and observations, participants have continued to focus on increased fruits and vegetable consumption, choosing nutrient dense foods and losing additional weight even 3 months after completing the program. One participated stated, “the program has given me the skills to read labels and look at ingredient list to choose healthier grains while grocery shopping.” The Live Well, Live Simple program provided simple building blocks that individuals can use each day to create lasting health benefits.
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