STATE COLLEGE — Small changes can make all the difference when it comes to nutrition.
“We’re each given this body to do the best we can with in the life that we’re given,” said Kym Burke, co-owner of One-on-One Fitness Consultants Inc. “If I want to go out every day and make a difference, I better make sure that I fuel my body properly to do so.”
Burke, along with her husband, Bruce, runs One-on-One and co-founded the Nutrition Habit Challenge. February is National Nutrition Month, and in celebration, the challenge participants choose manageable nutritional behaviors to add or change for the month and track their progress.
The focus of the challenge, and at One-on-One, is the “less is more” approach. “Most people, they bite off more than they can chew when it comes to nutrition behavior change; they just try to do too much,” said Burke. “This isn’t an elimination diet. It’s not just about cutting things out of your diet, it’s more about focusing on doing all the right things and then you probably won’t have room for the wrong things.”
Many challenge participants focus on consuming the proper amount of water or meeting fruit and vegetable requirements each day. Participants who are successful with their personalized goal for 25 days of the month of February are entered into a drawing for a trip for four to Disney World.
The challenge is in its third year of being open to the public and has grown from 720 to almost 9,000 participants. The event raised $10,000 for charities in its first year.
“It is truly heartwarming to hear how this event is positively impacting individuals, their families and, ultimately, our community,” said Burke. The Burkes also give back to Centre Volunteers in Medicine and the Youth Service Bureau through donations in lieu of payments that have amounted to more than $247,000 since 2009.
“Besides doing the right thing for the community — because it encourages people to lead healthier lives — it also benefits the clinic,” said Cheryl White, executive director at CVIM.
White has had personal success with her involvement in the challenge, which began with her cutting out Diet Coke and led to her taking up running. “It worked really well for me, just to show me that I have the power to change myself and be better,” said White.
Many of the employees of CVIM participate in the challenge and patients are also encouraged to become involved in the event. “I believe in the theory of taking small steps to making changes in your health,” said White.
That personal responsibility of good nutrition is even available for those who rely on outside sources for their food.
Food banks are required to provide a certain number of foods in each food group, said Nicole Summers, executive director at Faith Centre, a food bank in Bellefonte.
The stock can vary in size and content depending on the time of year and what is donated, but the food bank makes an effort to bring in fresh produce whenever possible. This focus usually occurs in summer because general donations decrease in the warmer months, said Summers. “Everybody thinks about food banks in November and December,” she said.
The food bank relies on donations from the state food bank, the federal government and independent donations and fundraising. This leads to a wide variety of stock.
Summers encouraged the donation of homegrown or abundant fresh produce to the food banks. “We’re constantly looking for ways to supplement,” she said. The Bellefonte food bank is one of seven in Centre County.
Faith Centre has offered a variety of cooking classes in an attempt to teach the importance of good nutrition and ways to cook healthier. The food bank has partnered with the YMCA for a Dining with Diabetes class and with Penn State Nutrition Links, from which students went to Bellefonte to give out food samples and recipe cards.
“I do understand that healthy foods are expensive,” Summers said. “The biggest piece of advice I would give to people is cook for yourself.”
Summers also suggested conscious shopping to improve nutrition. “The best thing to do for yourself is to shop the outlining areas of the grocery shop where it’s not processed,” she said. “Then, take the time to actually cook.
“I think it’s also a good family activity. Get people together. Couples cook together. Families cook together. Venture into the kitchen.”
