How can you help your Valentine sweetheart stay healthy? Here are some ideas from the doctors, nurse practitioners and other healthcare professionals at Berks Community Health Center:
- Schedule doctor or dentist check-ups together. Call it a “take care of ourselves” date.
- Plan activities that are healthy to do together like an exercise class, or a date to take a walk. Maybe enter a walk or run event together that will support a good cause.
- Next time you go out to eat purposely pick a place that has healthier choices – like Saladworks instead of McDonald’s.
- If you are the cook, get sneaky! Hide vegetables in food. Ground carrots can easily go into pasta sauce, you can use cauliflower for crusts instead of bread. Replace mayo with mustard or 1 tsp. of avocado as a healthier sandwich spread. Replace sour cream with nonfat Greek yogurt in recipes and dips.
- Make less food when cooking so there isn’t as much for seconds! Don’t buy soda or juice for the house. Make flavored water with fresh fruits and vegetables and keep it in the refrigerator.
- Know your sweetheart – if you want to encourage them to eat better, or be more active, think about what will motivate them the most. Do they like a challenge or a competition? Make a bet on a fitness goal, and challenge them to do better than you. Or, be very direct with your feelings. You can say, “I love you so much I don’t want to lose you, so I’m going to schedule your checkup – please do it for me!”
Have a wonderful, romantic February, from all of us at BCHC.
