March Is Living Well Month!

— Written By and last updated by
en Español / em Português
Español

El inglés es el idioma de control de esta página. En la medida en que haya algún conflicto entre la traducción al inglés y la traducción, el inglés prevalece.

Al hacer clic en el enlace de traducción se activa un servicio de traducción gratuito para convertir la página al español. Al igual que con cualquier traducción por Internet, la conversión no es sensible al contexto y puede que no traduzca el texto en su significado original. NC State Extension no garantiza la exactitud del texto traducido. Por favor, tenga en cuenta que algunas aplicaciones y/o servicios pueden no funcionar como se espera cuando se traducen.


Português

Inglês é o idioma de controle desta página. Na medida que haja algum conflito entre o texto original em Inglês e a tradução, o Inglês prevalece.

Ao clicar no link de tradução, um serviço gratuito de tradução será ativado para converter a página para o Português. Como em qualquer tradução pela internet, a conversão não é sensivel ao contexto e pode não ocorrer a tradução para o significado orginal. O serviço de Extensão da Carolina do Norte (NC State Extension) não garante a exatidão do texto traduzido. Por favor, observe que algumas funções ou serviços podem não funcionar como esperado após a tradução.


English

English is the controlling language of this page. To the extent there is any conflict between the English text and the translation, English controls.

Clicking on the translation link activates a free translation service to convert the page to Spanish. As with any Internet translation, the conversion is not context-sensitive and may not translate the text to its original meaning. NC State Extension does not guarantee the accuracy of the translated text. Please note that some applications and/or services may not function as expected when translated.

Collapse ▲

March is Living Well Month and a great time to get on the right path. Taking charge of your health contributes to your overall well-being. Let’s take this opportunity to look at several aspects of wellness. I’m including links to the statewide 2023 Living Well Campaign I have been a part of creating for the citizens of North Carolina and I hope you carve time out of your day to continue, Living Well.

First up, nutrition. Sugary drinks, soda, sweet tea, juice blends, and even some flavored waters are loaded with calories and added sugars. Take a look at the label on the back of a soda. You will see that one soda and many other drinks contain two-three times the total daily recommended amount of added sugar. Cutting back on added sugars in your drinks is a great start to taking back your health.

I also want you to pile on the vegetables. Vegetables are nutrient powerhouses! Give yourself a challenge of preparing one new-to-you vegetable each week. Roasting vegetables is a fantastic way to bring out some natural flavors in otherwise boring vegetables. One of my favorite websites for vegetable recipes is Food Hero. I also keep a collection of great vegetable recipes at the Extension Office so come by and grab a few! Another great way to test out some new recipes is to try a meal kit program. I love that my delivery comes with all of the ingredients portioned and ready to cook. I would be happy to discuss some of these options if you are interested.

Having a healthy lifestyle means more than just eating healthy and getting plenty of physical activity. Living in a healthy environment plays an important role in the prevention of chronic diseases and accidents. Ensuring your home is safe inside and out creates a healthy home and lifestyle. You can pick up a home maintenance checklist at the office!

Social, emotional and spiritual wellness is so important for your overall health and wellness. Psychologists found that happiness is likely a combination of genetics(50%), situation(10%), and individual effort (40%). We are in charge of a large chunk of our happiness. Practice being thankful. Studies have shown a link between gratitude and happiness. Practicing gratitude on a daily basis allows room for relationships to flourish, leads to improved mental health and allows you to become more open and to think positively about yourself.

Take time away from technology! Unplug and be present in the moment. Screen time is disruptive to  your sleep schedule and tends to distract us from our goals and relationships. So turn it off!

Please reach out by phone (828-764-9480) or email (bsilver@ncsu.edu) to let me know how Living Well Month is going for you! I would love to report what impacts this campaign has on Burke County. Be well!

Brandi Silver
Extension Agent, Family & Consumer Sciences

The Extension Office is located at
130 Ammons Drive
Suite 2
Morganton, NC  28655

Living Well Links

Introduction

Environmental

Financial

Emotional

Physical