At Healthy Williamson County, we want YOU to live the healthiest life possible.
How do you Become the Healthiest You? The best way is to make one goal towards improving your health. Learn more about living a healthy lifestyle and set new goals for you and your family to live healthier lives.
Healthy Lifestyle Dashboard
Did you know that Obesity is on the rise in Williamson County?
Click on the images to the right to take a deeper dive into the data!
Goals for Adults
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Health Goal: Know how much physical activity your body needs
Why exercise?
- Engaging in the recommended amount of exercise each week can go a long way in decreasing your stress and improving your mood, focus, and sleep.
How much do I need to exercise?- Adults need 150 minutes or 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week.
- That’s 30 minutes of activity a day for 5 days a week.
- At least 2 days a week, try to incorporate activities which make your muscles work harder than normal.
What counts as exercise?
- Anything that gets your heart beating faster.
- This could be walking the dog, vacuuming the floors, or walking up and down the stairs.
How do I get started?
- Start with just 5 minutes of moderate-aerobic exercise and increase the number of minutes on the days you have a little more time.
- Learn more about moderate-intensity aerobic activities
- Plan your activities
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Health Goal: Find a new healthy recipe
Check-out these healthy eating sites for a fresh new healthy recipe:
MyPlate
- Search for fresh and healthy recipes
Brighter Bites
- Search for recipes based on which fruit or vegetable you have or would like to try
American Heart Association
- Check-out these heart healthy and affordable recipes
Women Infants and Children (WIC)
- Not just for moms!
- Search for nutritious recipes for the whole family by meal type and dietary needs
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Health Goal: Be mindful of what you eat
Eating healthy doesn’t mean you can never eat your favorite foods again. Instead of trying to cut out your favorite foods, try eating certain foods in moderation.
Anytime Foods
These are foods that you can eat a lot of everyday.- Vegetables that are fresh, frozen, steamed or canned
- Fruits that are fresh, frozen, dried, or canned (in its own juices)
- Whole grains have more fiber and nutrients than refined or processed grains. Take a glance at the ingredients label or your favorite, bread, pasta, or cereal to make sure that one or several of the grains are listed as whole grains.
- Click to learn more about whole grains.
Sometimes or Rarely Foods
Glance at the nutrition facts label and look out for foods high in Solid Fat, Added Sugar, and Salt (SoFASS).- Click to learn more about reading nutrition facts labels
Solid Fats
- Solid fats are fats that are solid at room temperature.
- Examples: butter, beef fat, margarine, cream, and more.
- We need some fat in our diet. Fat helps our body absorb important nutrients, protect our organs, keep our body warm, and more! However, too much fat in our diet can hurt our body and put us at risk for things like obesity and heart disease.
- Click to learn more about the different types of dietary fats.
Added Sugar
- Added sugars are extra sugars that are added to processed foods and beverages.
- Examples: Soft drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks, candy, cookies, and more.
- It's important to know how much sugar you are eating and drinking because our bodies don't need added sugars. Added sugars can increase the number of calories you are eating and overtime my contribute to excess weight gain and disease like type 2 diabetes.
- Daily added sugar limit is no more than:
- Women: 6 teaspoons a day
- Men: 9 teaspoons a day
Salt or Sodium
- The majority of the sodium in our diets comes from processed, packaged and restaurant foods.
- Examples: Deli meats, pizza, soup, breads, chicken nuggets, and more.
- Salt or sodium is an essential mineral in our diet. Your body needs sodium to preform functions like controlling your body's fluid balance.
- However, too much salt in your diet can increase your blood pressure and put you at risk for heart disease.
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Health Goal: Focus on the five food groups
MyPlate is a reminder to find your healthy eating style and build it throughout your lifetime. Everything you eat and drink matters. The right mix can help you be healthier now and in the future. This means:- Focus on variety, amount, and nutrition.
- Choose foods and beverages with less saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars.
- Start with small changes to build healthier eating styles.
- Support healthy eating for everyone.
Learn more about each of the Five Food Groups:
Learn more at www.choosemyplate.gov. -
Health Goal: Learn about BMI
Did you know that BMI stands for Body Mass Index? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, BMI is a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. A high BMI can be an indicator of high body fatness. BMI can be used as a screening tool but is not diagnostic of the body fatness or health of an individual.BMI Weight Status Below 18.5 Underweight 18.5 – 24.9 Normal or Healthy Weight 25.0 – 29.9 Overweight 30.0 and Above Obese Learn more about BMI.
Goals for Youth
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Health Goal: Make a MyPlate
Making a MyPlate means filling your plate with the 5 food groups which includes:
- Fruit
- Vegetables
- Grains
- Protein
- Dairy
- MyPlate tips
- Fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables.
- Fill the other half of your plate with mostly whole grains and some protein.
- Learn the recommended portion sizes for your child based on their age.
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Health Goal: Plan, Purchase, Prepare
Follow the 3 Ps: Plan, Purchase, Prepare
Fruits, vegetables, and grains are great, but how do you get children to eat them? There are many small changes you can make that add up to big success over time. Here are three simple steps that can help get your child interested in healthy foods.
1. Plan
Pick a recipe or ingredient together!- Encourage your child to pick out a veggie they would like to cook. Search the web or cookbooks together that included that ingredient. Check out these kid friendly recipes at Brighter Bites.
2. Purchase
Don't be afraid to try a new fruit or vegetable!- Take your child to the store with you and encourage them to pick out a new fruit or vegetable to try. If your child picks something that is new to both of you, take the time to learn how to prepare it together.
- Click to learn more shopping tips.
3. Prepare
Learn to cook a new dish together!- Let your child be a part of the cooking process by learning to cook a new dish or an old favorite together.
- If a child is a part of preparing the meal they are more likely to give the new food a try.
- Click for MyPlate games and activities.
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Health Goal: Be a Role Model
One of the best ways to get your children to eat healthy is to model that behavior for them. As a parent you can do many things to help your child create lifelong healthy eating habits.
Here are a few tips of how to model healthy eating:
- Lead by example
- Let your child see you eating healthy snacks and meals
- Offer the same foods for every family member
- Focus on each other during the meal
- Turn off television, phones, and tablets
- Discover new foods together
- Try new foods with your child and discuss what you thought of the food
- Serve new foods with a food you know your child likes
Click to learn more healthy role model tips. - Lead by example
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Health Goal: Limit the Sugar
Many drinks have added sugar which can negatively affect your child's health.
- Kids ages 2-18 should have less than 25 grams or 6 teaspoons of added sugars daily for a healthy heart.
- Click to learn more about added sugars.
- Make sure your child's drinks are:
- 100% juice
- Low-fat or fat-free milk
- or milk substitutes with add nutrients like vitamin D and calcium
- Water
- Limit sugary drinks like:
- Soda
- Sports drinks
- Fruity drinks with added sugar
- Kids ages 2-18 should have less than 25 grams or 6 teaspoons of added sugars daily for a healthy heart.
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Health Goal: Exercise 60 Minutes a Day
Exercise is important for everyone including youth, ages 6-17 years old.
- Youth should exercise 60 minutes every day.
- Exercise for youth can include play, sports, chores, walking to school, physical education in school, planned exercise, and more.
Benefits
- The proper amount of exercise can help a child develop:
- healthy bones, muscles and joints
- healthy heat and lungs
- healthy body weight
Click here for tips to help your child be activeClick to learn more about the health benefits of exercise - Youth should exercise 60 minutes every day.
Become a Healthier YOU!
What steps will you take to become a healthier YOU! Remember to consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet or exercise routine. Are you looking for events to learn more about health? Visit our Community Calendar to find free and low cost events near you!
