Active Living
Julie Roberts, Nurse Practitioner (NP) from the Intermountain LiVE Well Center in Salt Lake City, was a featured presenter at our “Just For Women” Conference held at the Gathering Place at Gardner Village. The ladies from last year’s conference requested her back. It was so great to learn from her again. She spoke on making simple changes that will help us achieve big progress in our healthy living. She focused on the four pillars of health:
1. Sleep Well: Make a sleep schedule. Stop eating two hours before bedtime. No TV, electronics, or reading in bed. Set an alarm to go to bed. Target 7-9 hours each night. This helps manage your mood, weight, and chronic disease.
2. Stress Less: Get to know your stress and learn how to manage it. Use apps like “Insight” or “Calm” to manage your stress. Breathing techniques can help you lower your blood pressure. Start each day with 10 minutes of stillness. Take a mental break and find time to relax each day.
3. Eat Well: The key is to build daily healthy habits and stick with them. Eat a rainbow of color every day. Fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables. Eat lean meat the size of a deck of cards. Get 25-30 grams of fiber per day. Our snacks should be fruits and vegetables.
4. Move More: Get your heart rate up every day. Your goal should be 150 minutes a week of exercise. If you want to lose 1 pound a week, cut out 250 calories by exercise, and reduce your food intake by 250 calories per day. Do strength training two times a week and daily stretching exercises. Use apps as a tool to track your nutrition like “My Fitness Pal” or “Lose it.’” Use a prompt to help you remember to exercise. Keep it simple so it will work.
