Take a realistic approach to a healthy New Year’s

resolution. Setting small, attainable goals will set

you up for success. Often, people tend to focus on

their negative habits as areas for improvement. While reducing behaviors and

choices that we see as negative can be a good thing, there are many other

resolutions out there.

This year, recognize the

positive things you do in life

and think about building on

them. Do you already take a

walk for a half hour every

evening? What if you kept

going another couple of

blocks or for ten minutes

longer?

The new year is also a great

time to try new things. It

might be trying new foods or

participating in new activities.

If you’ve always wanted to see

what yoga is all about or still

haven't tried ice skating, give

it a try. There are tons of

delicious and healthy recipes

out there, so why not try one

a week? Remember habits,

resolutions, or new activities

take time to become a part of

your daily life, so be patient

with yourself! A new you is on the way.

Info from: http://www.healthyeating.org/Healthy-Eating/Seven-Steps-to-

Successful-Resolutions.aspx

Seven Steps to a

Successful New Year

Building a Healthier

Independence Independence Health Department ● 515 S Liberty ● 816-325-7185 ● January 2016

1. Don’t do it alone: Find a colleague,

family member, or friend to join

you or to hold you accountable in

your endeavor.

2. Create a connection: Attach your

new behavior to an activity you

already do.

3. Add a positive: Instead of taking a

habit away, add a healthier

behavior to your day.

4. Create a cue: Create reminders for

yourself to help you make sure you

accomplish your goal.

5. Try the morning: Most everyone has

a structured a.m. routine. Develop a

new habit by adding in a step in

the morning.

6. Break down the steps: Make your

resolution easier by creating smaller

steps to equal you full goal in the

end.

7. Be focused: Start with a goal that is

easy to accomplish. Really figure out

what it is you want to change and

the steps it will take to get there.

P A G E 2

Building a Healthier Independence

Can you believe it’s the fifth anniversary

of the Independence Park Trot 5K Walk/

Run? If you haven’t participated yet, this is

the year to hop on board! The event will

begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, April 30, 2016 at

Waterfall Park, 4501 S. Bass Pro Drive,

Independence, Missouri. This year’s race

will be on the same course as the 2015 Park Trot and chip-timing will again

be offered to participants who register online by April 17. By providing this

race free of charge, the hope is for families, friends, running clubs and first

time runners/walkers to enjoy the event together. A free fun run for children

10 and younger will be held following the 5K. Packet, t-shirt pick-up, and

in-person registration will be held from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, April 29 at

Bass Pro Shops, 18001 Bass Pro Drive, and also from 7:00 a.m. to 7:40 a.m.

near the start of the course on Saturday, April 30. A parent or legal guardian

must sign a waiver for anyone under age 18 participating in the race.

Registration is now open at www.IndependenceParkTrot.com. Adult and

child sized t-shirts will be available for $10 through the Park Trot website

until April 10. Register for the Independence Park Trot today and take a step

towards being active in Independence!

Stress Less to Feel Great

Five "Harmless"

Habits That Age You

The human body's response to stress helps us spring into action to survive.

However, being overstressed long-term causes more damage than good

for our bodies, minds, and spirits.

Follow the tips below to help destress your day and life.

1. Be optimistic. Remove your critical inner voice. If you tend to focus on

the negative, change the script in your head. Rethink the way you think

and focus on the positive points.

2. Set boundaries. Set limits for yourself. When you set boundaries,

everyone around you knows what to expect, which can lessen stress.

3. Set a routine. Have a nighttime routine that makes you feel relaxed.

Take a warm bath after a long day or play with your pet.

4. Find the humor. Laughter itself reduces stress and burnout, so find

time to laugh every day.

5. Try deep breathing. Inhale through your nose, and exhale through

your mouth, taking at least 6 seconds for each full breath. Commit to

doing this breathing exercise for just five minutes a day.

Learning how to manage stress and keep it to a minimum is an important

part of maintaining your mental, emotional and physical well-being.

5 Years of 5K

P A G E 3

Habit: You stay up late. It's not

uncommon for busy people to cram a

day's worth of around-the-house to-dos into the

late evening hours, pushing back bedtime quite a

bit. The problem with this is that too-little sleep

can be linked to high blood pressure, diabetes,

weight gain, and even just looking tired and older.

Quick Fix: We're not saying you need 8 hours

every single night, but make sleep a priority more

often and your body will thank you. Find out what

your sleep needs are, for most people, that's 7 to

8 hours.

Habit: You have a soft spot for sweets. A

sugar-packed diet can take its toll on

your waistline, but experts also believe

it can effect your skin too. The more

sugar you eat, the more damage is done to

proteins like collagen and elastin, which keep skin

firm and elastic.

Quick Fix: It's not easy to eliminate sugar

completely, but limiting added sugar to no more

than 10% of total calories can help. Watch for

stealthy sugar in unexpected foods, like salad

dressing, and look for all forms of sugar, including

barley malt, corn syrup, dextrose, fruit juice

concentrate, maltose, maple syrup, or molasses,

among others.

Habit: You only exercise to lose weight. Exercise is

one of the best things you can do for your health,

but in order to reap the benefits you need to

exercise consistently, not just when you want to

lose a few pounds. Being active consistently can

help fight brain fog, reduce inflammation, and pre-

vent type 2 diabetes and other chronic conditions that

crop up over time.

Quick Fix: Don't let your sneakers get dusty. Choose any

activity you enjoy and aim for at least 30 minutes a day.

Break it down, if you have to, into three 10-minute

sessions. Slowly increase the frequency, duration, and

intensity. If you miss a day, just pick up again the next day.

Habit: You eat fruits and veggies—but not

daily. You've likely heard that antioxidant-packed fruits

and veggies can help you stay

young. Antioxidants remain active for only a

few hours and need to be continually re-

plenished, so don't think you're set for the week after eat-

ing a big salad for lunch on Monday.

Quick Fix: To truly maximize their age-defying benefits,

aim to eat fruits or vegetables with every meal.

Habit: You've shunned all fat. Cutting out artery-clogging

saturated and trans fats is a heart-healthy move,

but not all fat is bad. Omega-3 fatty acids are the

ultimate anti-aging fat, essential for protecting

your brain, heart, bones, joints, skin, and more. Another

kind, monounsaturated, can lower bad LDL cholesterol,

raise cardio-protective HDL cholesterol, and decrease your

risk of plaque build up in your arteries.

Quick Fix: About 20-35% of your daily calories should

come from fat, mainly healthy, unsaturated fat, like

sunflower oil, olive oil, canola oil, flaxseed, or fatty fish like

salmon and trout.

Five "Harmless"

Habits That Age You

Information from: http://www.prevention.com/health/healthy-

living/9-daily-habits-age-you

Health Effects of Sitting

Studies show that, on average, we sit 7.7 hours a day. That doesn’t even include to 6-9 hours we are laying down to

sleep. All of this sitting is really starting to harm our health. How can we counter the negative effects of sitting?

Park farther away from your building, use the stairs.

Take a long route to the restroom or mailroom.

Don’t send emails if the recipient is near, choose to

walk over and talk to him or her.

Stand up while waiting for an appointment.

Move during the commercials of TV shows.

Break up your sitting with as little as 5-minute walking

breaks every 30 minutes or hour.

Stand up while making a phone call.

Incorporate an adjustable workstation that enables

you to alternate between sitting and standing.

Sit on a stability ball.

Do whatever you can to reduce the amount of time you spend sitting and better your health. Every little bit of

movement helps.

P A G E 4

Why We Procrastinate and How to Stop

When is putting things off a problem?

Everyone puts things off sometimes, and that's fine. Procrastinating becomes

a problem when it hinders your relationships or getting your work done. For

about one in five

adults, procrastination

is a real, long-lasting

problem.

Why we delay

The things people put off tend to be

boring, hard, time-consuming, or lack

meaning to us. When you avoid doing

what seems less than pleasant, you get a

little mood boost. But this bump doesn't

last. The avoided thing still needs to be

done, causing guilt and stress.

The real reasons we procrastinate lie

deep within human behavior. We tend to

view things in the future as less real or

concrete. Putting things off is a habit.

We're wired to do what's easy - in this

case, delaying doing something we don't find pleasant. And habits are hard to break.

1. In a small bowl, combine milk and packets of oatmeal.

2. Microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes until steaming hot, but not boiling.

3. Stir until creamy.

4. Stir in mashed banana.

5. Garnish with walnuts and serve.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 230

Total fat: 3 g

Carbohydrate: 38 g

Sodium: 53 mg

Protein: 10 g

Fiber: 5 g

What you’ll need: 1/2 cup fat-free or 1%

low-fat Milk 1 packets instant

Oatmeal 1/2 ripe Banana,

mashed 1/2 tablespoon

chopped Walnuts

Recipe from:

www.healthyeating.org/Healthy-Eating/

Meals-Recipes/Browse-Search-Recipes/

rid/14219/creamy-banana-walnut-

oatmeal.aspx

Recipe Corner: Creamy Banana

Walnut Oatmeal

Building a Healthier Independence (BHI) is an initiative that aims to make it easier and safer for our citizens to be

physically active, make healthy food choices, and reduce tobacco use.

How to overcome procrastination:

Be concrete. Instead of, "I'll start the report

tomorrow," say, "I'll outline the three main points of the

report while I drink my morning coffee."

Be realistic about your time. Jot down all tasks you

have to do. That way you can get a true sense of what

time you'll have.

Remove temptations. Shut off or put away all the

things that distract you. Make them a reward after you

finish.

Start with the hardest tasks. Willpower is a muscle.

You'll better resist things that distract when you first

get started.

Pace yourself. Set aside time to make a little pro-

gress every day.

Be kind to yourself. Praise yourself for taking the

first steps.

Information from: www.walgreens.com/health/p1/a/100002/why-you-procrastinate-and-how-to-stop/2111118