The holidays have once again crept up on us. While all the stores are packed to the gills with everything imaginable to create a fall festival or winter wonderland in your home, we all know what also comes along with the last two months of the year. Pounds. LBS. And a lot of them.
We welcome guests with platters full of food and prepare for hours on end a Thanksgiving feast and hundreds of Christmas cookies. As much as we want to avoid the popcorn tins divided into three sections of caramel, cheese and butter flavors, we just can’t. Fruitcake isn’t for everyone, but it’s delivered any way. Just as easily as the holiday season comes, so do those unwanted pounds, but they don’t leave as quickly as the season is over.
How can we avoid falling into the same dreaded pit of uncontrollable eating and squeezing into our new holiday party wear? Orlando Senior Health Network lives up to its name by advocating a healthy lifestyle all year round. As we gear up for mass encounters with turkey, gravy, cookies and cakes, we can go forward with knowledge, will power and confidence to fight the calories while still enjoying all that this happy season brings.
On November 9th, OSHN held its Healthy Initiatives Kick-Off for employees and residents to start off on the right foot as the holidays are upon us. Through the Fun Committee’s efforts, the Kickoff was an event that provided success tips, a platform to share new ideas, motivation and positive thinking for a healthy lifestyle. The goal is to encourage employees and residents to get on the road to transformation for a well-balanced lifestyle. Executive Chef Christopher provided a cooking demonstration of a healthy tomato, basil flat bread, which he prepared step by step. For a $5 donation, attendees were given a freshly prepared flat bread and the recipe so they could recreate the delectable dish at home.
Additionally, a “Maintain your weight Holiday Challenge” was started by Scott Muller, Director of Wellness at OSHN, where 37 employees signed up to be held accountable to maintain a healthy weight or to shed unwanted pounds from now until the new year. The incentive is bragging rights between coworkers and a $20 gift card if you maintain or lose weight. Creating a competition based on holding each other accountable for staying and getting healthy is what it’s all about! During the Kickoff, Muller, took body fat percentages, Body Mass Indexes (BMI), waist to hip ratios and gave out information regarding each of these important statistics.
“I hope that this competition encourages people to go easy and avoid the holiday extra pounds, the pit falls and agony that goes with it by using will power, good judgment and making good choices," says Muller. "I also offer personal training and lifestyle counseling to all employees by appointment only.” OSHN provides classes such as Yoga and Zumba on a weekly schedule. Employees can also take advantage of the 1,800 sq. ft. Wellness Center. For donations that went directly to the Fun Committee funds, 5 minute chair massages were given by Violet Bryant, OSHN’s massage therapist.
Orlando Senior Health Network encourages all employees and residents to take “Healthy Initiatives” seriously and create a better life by making healthy choices – not only during the holidays, but all year round.
