By Anne Goetze, RDN, LD, FAND, Oregon Dairy and Nutrition Council
At the Tillamook Year of Wellness Eat Well, Be Well workshop in March, more than 70 attendees sought expertise from registered dietitian Judy Barbe. In a recent follow-up with Judy, I asked her what she would most like to remind attendees. Her response was to nudge them toward the 3 goals (related to food, physical activity and environment) they set during the workshop.
“I had a great time in Tillamook last March when we focused on nutrition for the Year of Wellness. I’ve heard from some of the attendees and know they are making strides to live best. For most of us, there is always room for improvement. What you put on your fork, how you use your feet, who you connect with, and how you feed your soul are keystones to better living. This article is a perfect opportunity to check in and see how everyone is doing.”
We can all use a refresh on how to eat well and be well.
With food, activity and your environment, the choices you make now can improve your quality of life to live stronger, healthier and happier. Using the power of goal setting, small investments can make huge returns on improving your health. Start small with an easy change that leads to a bigger change over time. Think about where you are now in your health and well-being. Are you where you want to be? How could you make better food choices, do more physical activity, improve your environment and feed your soul?
Maybe it’s getting up early to walk your dog in the morning before leaving for work, or connecting with family and friends over a home-cooked meal.  Perhaps it means slowing down and enjoying a warm latte on a cold morning.  What about giving your plate a make-over with choosemyplate.gov?  Making sure you get enough food from each food group (dairy, protein, grains, fruits and vegetables), most days, is a winning live best strategy.
We reached out to attendees of the conference to see what changes they have made to live best. Here’s what they have been doing:
“Decreasing sugar, taking stairs, parking farther away from the store.”
“Making smoothies with dairy milk.”
“Taking a break or a short nap.”
“I am making breakfast oatmeal in the rice cooker.”
“I have increased my daily activity. Sitting less. Moving more.”
“Cooking at home more.”
“I planned dinners for the week before grocery shopping.”
“Finished painting the outside of the house… big deal, I’m 73!!”
“Drinking more water intentionally.”
“I have begun doing brief high-intensity-interval workouts.”
 
Need some ideas or motivation? Get started with or refresh your own Eat Well, Be Well goals at http://www.livebest.info/
Judy created a free, 5-day High Five Fiber Challenge you can join by clicking this link (http://eepurl.com/c3XHxL). You’ll get tips and tools, resources and recipes to create your own roadmap to meet your fiber goals. Don’t ya? Won’t ya? Seriously, it’s only 5 days.