Where did 2018 go? We blinked and it was 2019 and time to settle in with a New Years Resolution.  Choosing to better our health and overall fitness is a focus for many of us at the Dobson Healthcare Corporate Office.  Trying to dig through the various ‘tips’ and ‘how to’s’ can be overwhelming.  What diet is really best for you? What workout will you enjoy and not count the minutes until they are over?

Staying as healthy as possible as we age is a huge focus of not only our staff but many of our clients.  Over and over again we have been told it starts with your diet and we are choosing to focus on that in 2019, even if we are going to really, really, reallllly miss our weekly Friday Donut Run.

We’ve decided that the Mediterranean Diet is going to be our plan of action this year. We picked this plan because it was not only a great way for healthy weight loss, it also reduces the risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, stroke and even some cancers! The Mediterranean Diet has also been proven to show that it can strengthen bones, improves brain health and wards off dementia; all great things for our aging population we service.

So here are some tips we wanted to share as we get started on the Mediterranean Diet

1. Make sure you are putting an emphasis on plants, this can be vegetables, fruits, grain, seeds and nuts.  Make sure you are eating a lot of veggies, making sure to incorporate as many kinds to receive a range of nutrients.  Try and add whole grains and fruit to every meal.
2. Eat More Fish!  Make sure you are consuming this at least 2x a week.  The Mediterranean Diet puts an emphasis on fatty fish like mackerel, sardines and salmon.  The fish are rich in heart and brain healthy omega-3 acids.
3. Switch to extra-virgin olive oil.  Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids which may help to improve HDL cholesterol,  the “good” type of cholesterol.

Here’s a link to a great resource if you are interested in getting started on the Mediterranean Diet!