As the end of the year draws near, many people ponder over their options for New Year's resolutions. Many of the top five resolutions occur year after year. Why is this? Resolutions are set with the greatest of intentions, yet the majority are not accompanied by specific goals and action steps that lead to long-term behavior changes. With a little guidance, the right plan of action and realistic goals, you can help your clients achieve their health-related resolutions.  

Losing weight, eating healthier and being more physically active always seem to pop up as the most popular New Year’s resolutions. Yet, with all of the “quick fixes” promoted in the media, many people believe these goals can be achieved with a magic pill or program. As health professionals, we know that long-term weight loss and sustained healthy lifestyle changes occur slowly over time. Encouraging your clients to take small steps toward their goals will yield the greatest results. Our program booklet Activity & Eating—Linking Together for Optimal Health and Fitness can help your clients set realistic goals, overcome barriers and ultimately achieve positive lifestyle changes with regards to food choices and physical activity. This self-instructional booklet also focuses on nutrient-rich foods as the basis of a healthy diet. In a world where simpler is better, we can get caught up in giving “sound-byte” nutrition messages. Although well-intentioned, these messages are incomplete and may harm our clients more than help them. Take some time to read our monograph Unintended Consequences of Simplistic Dietary Recommendations: Good Advice Gone Awry? We also offer this timely information as an online Continuing Education Course.

Dairy Council of California wants to equip you with the right tools and information to help your clients achieve optimal health and well-being by providing you with effective and up-to-date resources, like the ones mentioned above. So this year, when your clients approach you with their resolutions to lose weight, eat healthier and be more physically active, you can set them on the right path to making those resolutions a reality!

Ashley Rosales, R.D.

Project Manager

On Thursday, November 5, Dairy Council of California was recognized at the California Fit Business awards ceremony held in Sacramento. The award, established by the organization in 2003, recognizes California employers that promote healthy workplaces. In all, 71 employers were honored statewide, ranging from organizations with more than 70,000 employees to those with less than 100. Dairy Council of California received the Honorable Mention award for our outstanding commitment to promoting workplace wellness. This recognition was remarkable given this is the first year of our employee wellness program. The criteria to qualify were extremely difficult this year and many companies went unrecognized. 

Being a nutrition- and health-based organization, it was only natural to promote wellness within our workplace. Some of the key highlights of our wellness program include:

• monthly newsletters with health and physical-activity tips and recipes
• policies for healthy food and beverage choices at Dairy Council of California-sponsored meetings and events
• interactive staff competitions such as the Meals Matter Nutrition & Fitness Challenge
• opportunities for physical activity at work.

We look forward to growing our wellness program by continuing to create a healthy workplace and supporting healthy employees.
 
Ashley Rosales, R.D.
Project Manager

The holiday season is officially underway, which means plenty of tasty treats, delicious cuisine and specialty drinks. We see temptation around every corner and, although a little indulgence is just what many of us need this time of year, too much can pose a problem. Most people think of those few pounds gained over the holidays as a small price to pay in return for weeks of enjoyment, but for individuals with diabetes it can be much more serious. In addition to our national holiday, Thanksgiving, November is also National Diabetes Month. Health professionals can play a huge role in helping clients with diabetes deal with some of the temptations they may face during the holidays, so that they too can enjoy the season to the fullest while staying healthy!

Here are some tips you can share with your clients:

• Fill your plate first with nutrient-rich foods. These foods are higher in nutrients and lower in calories, such as low-fat dairy foods, whole grains, vegetables, lean meats, beans, nuts and seeds. When you fill up on these items first, you are less likely to overeat those “once in awhile” foods.
• Inform your hostess. By letting the host or hostess know your dietary preferences, you can prevent slip-ups. Many times they can do simple things to accommodate you, such as put out sugar substitute with coffee or provide sugar-free alternatives for dessert.
• Plan ahead. If you are going to a potluck-style gathering, you can bring a healthy dish to share. That way, everyone can enjoy your nutritious cuisine and you can too, guilt-free!
• Don't skip meals. Make sure you eat a balanced, healthy breakfast and lunch on the day of a holiday party. When you fuel up on nutrient-rich foods during the day, you will have better self-control and will be less likely to overeat at the party. By choosing well-balanced meals throughout the day, you are better able to manage your blood-glucose levels as well.
• Continue to be diligent in sticking to your blood-glucose monitoring and medication schedule. The holidays can be hectic, so on those busy days set a timer on your watch or on your cell phone to remind you.
• Get moving! Celebrate the holidays with family by engaging in activities like going for a walk or turning on some music and dancing. Physical activity is a great way to keep blood-sugar levels under control and burn off some of those "discretionary" calories.

Offering your clients a little support can really help them stick to their goals this holiday season. Encouraging clients to take a few simple steps to prepare themselves can go a long way. By working together, you can truly help them stay healthy and enjoy all that this special time of year has to offer! 
 
Ashley Rosales, R.D.
Project Manager

Well over half of California’s adults are overweight or obese. Improving dietary practices and increasing physical activity are major strategies for preventing many of the most common chronic diseases associated with obesity. The workplace can be a viable location to promote healthy behaviors, which can lead to happier and healthier employees. Dairy Council of California is here to help employers get the resources they need to promote healthy eating and activity in their workplace.  

Some of the nutrition-education resources that employers may find useful: 

• Activity & Eating—Linking Together for Optimal Health and Fitness is a self-instructional booklet that helps adults understand the value of healthy food choices and daily physical activity. Using a behavior-change model, this program can help employees create the lifestyle changes needed to achieve optimal health. Work-site wellness coordinators can order the booklet, which is available in both English and Spanish.
• Our website has numerous tools and resources to meet your nutrition-education needs. Access free, downloadable tip sheets for use at employee events such as health fairs. Direct employees to our online tools such as the Personal Nutrition Planner, MyFitness Planner and Calcium Quiz—all designed to help adults assess the quality of their diet and adequacy of their physical activity.
• Help your employees bridge the gap between healthy eating at home and work through our consumer-based website. Our Meals Matter website makes meal planning for home and work simple by providing thousands of free recipes, quick meal ideas and meal suggestions. Your employees can use the online meal planner and shopping list to stay organized and create a healthy diet over the course of each week.

This holiday season, Dairy Council of California is partnering with the California Task Force on Workplace Wellness for their Fit for the Holidays program. Visit their website to learn more about this exciting program, as well as to obtain additional resources for your workplace.

Dairy Council of California is excited to bring our numerous nutrition-education resources to employers, as the work environment is a critical place where individuals can establish healthy habits regarding food choices and physical activity.

Ashley Rosales, R.D.
Project Manager

The month of October celebrates National Bone and Joint Decade Week and National Osteoporosis Day. While osteoporosis is often considered an older person’s disease, it can strike at any age. In the United States today, 10 million individuals are estimated to have osteoporosis and almost 34 million are estimated to have suboptimal bone mass, placing them at a high risk for developing the disease in the future. Fortunately, there is a lot you can do to help your patients or clients build healthy bones and prevent this disabling disease. Encouraging consumption of calcium-rich foods such as low-fat milk, yogurt and cheese and promoting regular weight-bearing physical activity are key steps in ensuring optimal bone mass. Our program booklet, The Calcium Connection—Healthy Bodies From One Generation to Another, helps women of all ages understand the unique role calcium plays in overall health, as well as how to achieve adequate intake of this important nutrient. This nutrition education resource, printed in both English and Spanish, is available to health professionals and educators within California free of charge. Those outside of California can order for a nominal fee. Go to our program description page to learn more about the program details and ordering information.

In addition to using this print program with your clients, this online Calcium Quiz can help your clients monitor their intake over time. This online tool takes only a few minutes to complete and research has shown that it yields results as reliable as a three-day food record. More information is available from the Journal of the American Dietetic Association regarding the Calcium Quiz effectiveness. Our online Calcium Quiz has suggestions for eating more calcium-rich foods, and suggests easy ways to help your clients include them in their diet. They can decide which ideas they can incorporate into their diet on a regular basis to increase their calcium intake to the recommended levels.
 
Preventing osteoporosis starts early in life, yet no matter the age, everyone can take steps to building healthier bones. We hope our resources and tools help you reinforce this message with your clients during the month of October and for the rest of the year!
 
Ashley Rosales, R.D.
Project Manager