Monday, April 27, 2009

Making Positive Choices

By Courtney Westlake






Being healthy is all about making choices that are beneficial and positive to your body. Whether it's choices about exercise or diet, people need to concentrate on staying on track through their personal choices every day.

"Life is all about choices, from our nutrition to how much sleep we get and other parts of our lifestyle,” said Amanda Jillson, assistant director of fitness and instructional programs at TRAC. “The choices we make heavily impact our lives and definitely affects the way we look and feel.”

The campus offers many kinds of food options for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Each day is the opportunity for a new and positive choice.

“For instance, if you would like a burger from The Grille in the Food Emporium, that's an OK choice, but try to pair it with a side salad or the steamed vegetables instead of French fries to make it a better choice for lunch,” she said. “If you really want something that’s maybe a little less healthy, pair it with something from the salad bar or something more healthy to make it a better choice overall for your meal.”

“I always hear from students and others: ‘I'm tired of the same old thing’. Well maybe you are getting tired of the same thing because you're making the same old choices,” Jillson explained.

For those that may need a little help with making good food choices, TRAC offers a meal planning program.

“So if you have questions or would like to put a meal plan together, come and see me, and we'll go over some healthy or better choices you can make with the options offered right here on campus,” Jillson said.

Each day provides a new opportunity to make good choices that will have a positive impact on your body.

“Whatever choices you have made, it's in the past,” Jillson said. “So if you made a choice about your diet or exercise or doing your homework or meeting a deadline, don't have regrets; move forward. If you don't feel you made a good choice, you have the opportunity to make a better one next time.”