Healthy Living Tips from Dr. Garth Graham and Aetna Foundation #GoLocalGrants

This post is sponsored by the Aetna Foundation. All opinions are my own.

Healthy Living is important. Taking care of yourself can help you live longer but not only that - it can help you to live better. Sometimes it can be difficult to figure out how to work healthy living into our everyday lifestyles. Between work, school, the kids, the pets - you know, everyday life stuff, sometimes we feel a little lost with where healthy stuff fits in. Well, today I have some great Healthy Living Tips from Dr. Garth Graham and Aetna Foundation that can help us all with healthy living!

Healthy Living is an Important Cause to Aetna Foundation

Did you know that your zip code is more of an indicator of your health and longevity than your genetic code? That means that your exercise and eating habits have more to do with how long and well you'll live than your body does.

It makes sense if you really think about it. 49 million Americans live in food-insecure households. That means that they're either going hungry or on the verge of it. How is this even possible in the United States? How is HUNGER even an issue? Well, zip code really does make a difference - if you aren't aware of this, let's just saw that you're as blessed as I am in where you live and probably your financial status as well...23 million Americans live in low-income neighborhoods that are more than 1 mile from a grocery store. In addition to that burden, 9 in 10 children aren't eating enough veggies (that part probably doesn't startle you if you've have children - we all know how picky little kids can be when it comes to the food on their plates. But there is a difference between children who don't want to eat their carrots and children whose parent's can't FIND carrots in their local stores or can't afford them. All of this points to lifestyle being the major factor in health and longevity, not our family history.

Healthy living is a cause near and dear to Aetna Foundation's heart. In fact, they give grants to local organizations all across our country that promote a healthy lifestyle. They look at their initiatives through the lens of healthy living and they try to help enhance the health of those in need, and they work directly in cities and neighborhoods to reach people in the places they spend the most time - at school, at church, and at other neighborhood gathering spots.

The Aetna Foundation awards GoLocal grants to organizations that engaged local residents in the healthy living lifestyle with:

• Nutrition education and/or cooking classes
• Building job skills
• Distributing produce reflecting local ethnic food and traditions
• Community service or volunteering

The Aetna Foundation is even pushing the healthy living lifestyle in my hometown of Miami. They've donated $50,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Miami-Dade to help them promote the idea of healthy living to children all around the area.

Healthy Living Tips from Dr. Garth Graham

Dr. Garth Graham, president of the Aetna Foundation, has a few tips that he wants to share with us to help make healthy living easier on a daily basis. He says:

• Eat Well - When grocery shopping for large (or small) family meals, choose fresh, seasonal, nutritious foods as often as possible. When fresh is not possible, keep in mind that frozen and canned fruits and vegetables still offer a healthy option. To guard against nutrient loss be sure to eat your frozen fruits and veggies soon after purchase and steam or microwave them rather than boiling to minimize the loss of water-soluble vitamins.
• Cook Together - As you plan and cook meals for your friends and family over the holidays, inviting your children to cook with you is a great way to teach them about nutrition and better food choices.
• Get Off the Couch - It can be tempting to curl up on the couch and stay warm and dry during the cold winter months, but find ways to stay active with your family – like interactive dancing video games, an indoor game of hide-and-seek, or dancing during commercials while you watch your favorite TV show.

Make a Commitment to Healthy Living

Healthy living is the best way to ensure a long, healthy life for your and the rest of you family. The Aetna Foundation and Dr. Garth Graham, through their healthy living tips and their GoLocal grant program, want to help as many people as possible achieve the healthy living that can mean so much to a better quality of life. You can find more great healthy living tips for you and your family on the Aetna Foundation website.

Are you committed to healthy living? Have you heard about the GoLocal grant program from the Aetna Foundation?

{Photos courtesy of aetna-foundation.org}