Blog – Page 2 of 64 – Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes

Mindfulness Gives Us Options

May 16, 2024May 16, 2024 by Casey Collins

As humans, we have the ability of metacognition, which is a big word that describes something most of us do every day probably without even noticing it–that is thinking about our own thoughts. Our ability to think about our thoughts allows us to practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is deliberately paying attention to the present moment without judgment.

Research shows a myriad of health benefits related to mindfulness: reduced stress, improved chronic pain management, improved immune function, and reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression ¹.

Applying mindfulness to specific behaviors can lead to intentional choices instead of responding to external cues, emotions, or your environment. Mindful eating refers to an individual maintaining a non-judgmental awareness of one’s physical and emotional sensations while eating or in a food-related environment ¹. You can also apply mindfulness to physical activity. Be in the moment and focus on how your body feels during physical activity. After you exercise, assess how you feel–do you feel better, stronger, happier, or less stressed? Notice, but don’t judge.

Mindfulness is not a goal-oriented practice and it is not about getting something perfect, rather it is about awareness. Once we have awareness, options open up!

Download the 12 Steps to Mindful Eating. Incorporating these steps into your life can have transformative results.

Dunn, C., Haubenreiser, M., Johnson, M. et al. Mindfulness Approaches and Weight Loss, Weight Maintenance, and Weight Regain. Curr Obes Rep 7, 37–49 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-018-0299-6 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13679-018-0299-6

Write it When you Bite It & Jot it When you Trot It!

May 16, 2024May 16, 2024 by Casey Collins

Study after study indicates that tracking what we eat and how we move using an app or pen and paper is strongly linked to helping us achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Tracking is a critical piece to success and makes us more aware of our personal patterns which can inform healthy behavior changes. This is why our programs continue to recommend tracking your weekly weight, food, and physical activity. As a reminder, an individual’s healthy weight is influenced by many factors that can include age, sex, genetics, body frame, pre-existing conditions, and external environment.

Tips for Tracking

You can keep it simple, aim for at least three entries each day (ex. in the morning, afternoon, and at night), and do it consistently day after day for the best results. Tracking takes less than 15 minutes each day, and this information will help you make a plan tailored to your needs.

You don’t have to track forever. Tracking every once in a while can still help you be more mindful about what you eat and how you move in order to improve your habits. For example, you may not realize how many calories are in the foods and drinks you regularly consume or that daily physical activity is much higher or lower than you realized.

If you are new to tracking, check the nutrition facts label for serving sizes and number of calories, and consider portion size. For physical activity tracking tips read our blog, Sample Weekly Workout Plans. We would also recommend observing your personal patterns without passing judgment against yourself. Allow the awareness of your patterns to help inform future decision-making.

National Physical Activity and Sports Month

May 2, 2024May 2, 2024 by Meg Sargent

May is National Physical Activity and Sports Month. We know that staying active is an important continuum throughout our lives for our physical and mental well-being.

Children

Adhering to 60 minutes of vigorous activity a day benefits their growing bodies and leads to a lifetime of movement. A body in motion stays in motion. Visit this health.gov website for information about kid’s physical activity and health weight.

Adults

For adults, finding 150 minutes a week to be active improves strength and cardiovascular health which is essential for overall fitness.

Aging Adults

As we age, finding activities to increase flexibility, mobility, and balance are important for our overall health and safety. This health.gov link outlines ways to protect your health as you age.

How can we plan to move throughout the week? The Move Your Way activity planner is an interactive tool that reminds us of physical activity guidelines and helps us create a unique activity plan based on our lifestyle and goals to meet physical activity recommendations. The activity planner helps us to identify why we want to get active and what kind of activities we are interested in, focusing on lifestyle and what stage of life we are in. Based on our responses, the activity planner gives you potential activities to participate in throughout the week and helps you to make a comprehensive plan inclusive of both aerobic and strength-building activities.

Sometimes, making a plan to be active is the first little step we need to start building a good habit. I challenge you to plan to be active this month, whether with this tool or another way that is helpful for you. Plan on being active this month and move your way!

Another successful group Ate Smart, Moved More, and Prevented Diabetes at Carolina Preserve

April 24, 2024April 24, 2024 by Kelly Nordby, RD, LDN

For the sixth consecutive year, the Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes program has been offered to residents of the Carolina Preserve community in Cary, NC. From March 2023 until March 2024, 10 participants completed the program losing a combined total of more than 117 pounds! Many also lowered their A1c and overall decreased their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The program focuses on small step changes to eat healthfully, move more, and manage stress and sleep to help participants achieve a modest amount of weight loss ~5-7% and 150 minutes of weekly, moderate intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking.

This is truly a highlight of my work to deliver this program to willing and eager participants who are motivated to incorporate these strategies into their lives each day in order to feel better and improve their health! They inspire me each and every day!

Amy Hariton completed the program and shared,

“I participated in the year-long Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes program. My motivation for joining was to lose weight, feel better and lower my A1c a bit. Our six-month goal was to shed 5% of our body weight. At the end of the first year, I had lost over 10% of my body weight. I was thrilled.

I have always been an exerciser and a healthful eater. No fried foods, no sugary drinks and no beef or fatty meats for me. The daily “Mindful Eating Journal” is a huge aid. After each meal, I input my foods, my two daily snacks and all of my exercise minutes. I try to take at least one exercise class per day and sometimes two classes.

The instructor focuses on one topic per meeting: e.g., sugars in drinks, added sugars in foods, portion control, mindful eating and forms of exercise. Cutting down on food eaten in restaurants helps me a tremendous amount. My husband and I usually share an entrée or I will bring half of my food home. We don’t need the bread basket. I just returned from a week at Camp Cheerio in the NC mountains where the food was heavier than my usual cooking. I focused on the salads, vegetables and avoided all the desserts. I maintained my goal weight.

The classes are invaluable because we share stories, tips and help to motivate each other. I have recommended five or six friends to the program. I check my weight almost daily and try not to go more than 2 pounds over my goal weight.

By being flexible and focused with foods, drinks, parties and exercise I not only feel better but also look slimmer. It’s a Win-win.”

The Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes program is being offered for only $30 with a full refund for completing the program through funding that NC State University received from BCBS of North Carolina in 2019. This 5-year funding will come to a close later this year with the final classes starting in the summer of 2024.

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“Helped me build healthy habits.”

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Dietary Fiber Intake

April 15, 2024April 15, 2024 by Christine Lavelle

The North Carolina Office of State Human Resources offers wellness webinars as a benefit to employees. You do not need to be a state employee to view the webinars as the link to the most recent recording is available on their website, and past recordings are available on their YouTube playlist.

I recently watched a webinar, presented by a Registered Dietitian, on the importance of fiber. She recommended consuming approximately 25 – 35 grams of fiber per day. I decided to track my food intake for 3 days to see if I was meeting that target. What did I learn? I am consuming enough fiber but certain foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes were critical to meeting that goal. I would challenge you to track your food intake for a few days to see how much fiber you are consuming each day.

Embracing Wellness this Spring Season

April 2, 2024April 2, 2024 by Casey Collins

April marks the onset of spring and two important observances dedicated to our overall well-being: National Move More Month and National Stress Awareness Month. These annual reminders allow individuals to prioritize their physical and mental health through mindful practices.

National Move More Month serves as a timely reminder for individuals to incorporate physical activity into their daily routines. Many of us have a predominantly sedentary lifestyle, where desk jobs and digital devices dominate our time, the importance of regular movement cannot be overstated. Exercise helps maintain a healthy weight, prevents chronic diseases, and boosts mood and energy levels.

It is important to remember that physical activity isn’t limited to rigorous gym sessions or intense workouts. It encompasses various forms of movement, such as walking, cycling, dancing, or even gardening. The key is to find activities that you enjoy and can easily incorporate into your daily life. Whether it’s taking the stairs instead of the elevator or going for a stroll during lunch breaks, every small effort adds up to significant health benefits.

Complementing the physical aspect, National Stress Awareness Month shines a light on the importance of managing stress for overall well-being. In today’s fast-paced world, stress has become a pervasive issue affecting people of all ages and backgrounds. Chronic stress not only takes a toll on our mental health but also manifests physically, contributing to a host of health problems.

During this month, individuals are encouraged to explore various stress-relief techniques and mindfulness practices to cope with life’s challenges more effectively. This could include meditation, deep breathing exercises, yoga, or engaging in hobbies that bring joy and relaxation. Additionally, fostering social connections and seeking support from loved ones can provide a valuable buffer against stress.

Physical and mental well-being are interconnected, and nurturing one aspect inevitably benefits the other. Let’s embrace April as an opportunity to prioritize our health and well-being. By taking proactive steps to move more and manage stress effectively, we empower ourselves to lead fulfilling lives!

“I have had tremendous success with the program”

April 2, 2024April 2, 2024 by Christine Lavelle

“I was referred to the ESMM program by a friend who had taken it as a on-site program years before, advising me it was a great way to learn how to permanently lose weight and develop healthy habits for life.

Thank goodness for that referral! The program has been a tremendous success for me. I started at a weight of 278 lbs, a waist of 54 inches, A1c of 7.0, and generally was not focusing on my health. One year later, I have attained the benefits of weight loss of almost 50 lbs, reduced my waist by 6 inches, reduced my A1c to 6.1, and am getting a lot more exercise.

The first six months of weekly virtual meetings were easy to attend, even though I travel a good bit. The instructor, Emma, was very effective in making the discussions interesting and held my attention by her practical examples. This weekly checkin, paired with my use of Noom to track my daily eating habits, allowed me to be very aware of what I was eating that was NOT helping, and seeing that I was making progress towards eating foods that were effective in reducing my hunger, while being a lot healthier for me. Tips on food prep and having good quality snacks handy and visible in the kitchen were a frequent reminder to skip the chips and grab some fruit that was waiting in the bowl on the counter. The weekly planning method helped me stop making last minute hungry choices and instead allowing me to have the right foods at hand to get my helping of vegetables and fruits, choosing better proteins, and skipping the white bread/white rice syndrome.

The second six months consisted mostly of reinforcement and plans to prevent relapses to old habits, and to constantly see the benefits of staying on track to gain the objective I was shooting for.

The two booklets the program provided were very helpful (and a great reminder) at enabling me to capture my weight and activity, as well as a reference for good habits and reminders of information from our class meetings to have handy to look at when I was not near a computer. Being able to see my progress in the charts in the front pages was a constant positive reminder of my progress. Emma’s lessons, although less often in the second six months, were still very important in reinforcing the process of making continual progress toward my goal.

I have achieved success beyond my goal and see that I can continue making progress. The end of the program was not the end of the improvement – it was a milestone in the path to a better, healthier, more fun-filled way to choose healthier options without bothering or frustrating those around me. In fact, one of the habits I developed to get more exercise – borrowing a neighbor’s dog to get me out and walking more – had a wonderful side benefit of enabling me to meet more neighbors when I moved into my new neighborhood.

Thank you, Emma, and thank you, ESMM.”

– John, a successful Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes participant

You may also enjoy:

“Helped me build healthy habits.”

“My lifestyle of a good diet, daily exercise, and taking care of myself is the best it has ever been.”

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“Helped me create healthier habits and goals.”

March 25, 2024March 4, 2025 by Christine Lavelle

“This has been the best experience for me. The program really opened my eyes to my unhealthy habits and helped me create healthier habits and goals.”

– Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes participant

You may also enjoy:

“Helped me build healthy habits.”

“My lifestyle of a good diet, daily exercise, and taking care of myself is the best it has ever been.”

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“This class will help set me up for success on my journey to better health.”

March 20, 2024January 26, 2024 by Christine Lavelle

“I am very pleased. I learned a lot and have no doubt that this class will help set me up for success on my journey to better health. I am so excited about the weight loss, but even more excited about my lower A1C level.”

– Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes participant

You may also enjoy:

“Helped me build healthy habits.”

“My lifestyle of a good diet, daily exercise, and taking care of myself is the best it has ever been.”

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Tips for Snacking on Vegetables

March 18, 2024March 18, 2024 by Christine Lavelle

One of my favorite afternoon snacks is baby carrots and cucumber slices. I would buy a bag of baby carrots and an English cucumber and package them into single-serving snack bags. This worked well unless I forgot, or was too lazy, to create the snack packs then the vegetables would linger in my produce drawer.

Then I discovered bags containing mini cucumbers and single-serving packages of baby carrots. More expensive for sure but much more convenient. Now I wash one or two mini cucumbers and toss them and a bag of mini carrots into my lunch box for an easy afternoon snack.

Share your tips for consuming more vegetables throughout the week!

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