March is National Nutrition Month! This time every year, people come together to remind themselves of the importance of eating healthy and exercising. This year’s theme is “Put Your Best Fork Forward”

which promotes the idea that everyone holds the tool to make healthier food choices. A lot of times, these choices come one “forkful” at a time.

We’ve taken some time at Whittier Street Health Center to ask a few employees steps they are taking to live healthful lifestyles:

“I go for a walk every day during lunch… and I always make sure I eat breakfast every day. Yoga also helps me at night to clear my head, and definitely getting 8 hours of sleep.”

Pediatric Obesity Case Manager/Personal Trainer

Ashley Baril

“Make sure you make time for yourself, whether it’s listening to music in the car or going to the gym. I try making eating healthy a priority in my day… I try to eat a salad every day!”

OBGYN Nurse Practitioner Allison Moore

“I don’t eat artificial food and I try to not eat a lot of meat, only twice a week. But I eat a lot of fish and salads. I always try to be on a mindful meditative state when I’m on the move.”

Pediatrician Dr. Delgado

“I monitor my steps on a daily basis. I try to eat as much vegetables when I go home after work instead of eating something heavy like rice or bread. For breakfast I try to eat a lot of fruits like bananas and apples. During the weekend I’ll try to do a long walk. I try to push myself to live healthy.”

Quality Assurance Ahmad Al-Musa

The Academy of Nutrition encouraged everyone to start with small changes that add up over time. Consider…

• Eating breakfast that includes lean protein, whole grain, fruits and vegetables. Try whole wheat egg sandwich, Cherrios with 1% milk or oatmeal with
• Making half of your plate fruits and veggies!
• Fixing up healthy snacks such as yogurt with granola, raw veggies with low fat ranch dressing, banana with peanut butter or pita chips with
• Getting into the habit of reading your food labels, choose foods with lowest amount saturated fat, sugar and sodium.
• Drinking more water and stay hydrated! This can also replace harmful drinks such as soda, Arizona ice tea and Kool-Aid.
• Practicing portion control no matter if you are eating at home or eating at a Use your hand as an estimate: palm = portion of protein, fist = portion of vegetables, thumb = portion of fat, cupped hand = starch.

Let’s make 2017 a year of healthy choices!

The Nutritionist Team at Whittier Street Health Center:

Mallory Shan – 617 989 3183 and Rachel Dziedzic – 617 989 3096