A registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator, Kirsten Gram has spent 22 years helping people make healthy choices.
Through a partnership with Market of Choice and Cascade Health Solutions-Center for Healthy Living, Kirsten provides professional wisdom about eating right.
"Each season, you need to recommit," Kirsten says, referring to diet and exercise. "It’s about keeping the body moving, setting shorter goals and recommitting."
Unfortunately, she says, many people have abandoned traditional cooking, opting for quick meals that are a better fit for their fast-paced lifestyle.
But even busy people can make healthy choices, she says.
Read Kirsten’s Healthy Meals suggestions, which includes six delicious and nutritious meals that are both quick and easy. They all have 500 calories and 50 carbohydrates or less – now that’s healthy!
Kirsten’s blog provides helpful information about eating in moderation, finding a nutritional balance and making sensible food choices.
Market of Choice, which provides an array of fresh, seasonal and organic produce, is always a healthy option for those on the go, she says.
Another benefit of shopping at Market of Choice, she says, is that customers can choose from a variety of all-natural meats, free of antibiotics and steroids.
It’s important, she says, to slow down from time to time and savor the foods we put into our bodies. "I enjoy cooking. I think it’s fun to keep things healthy. Fish is a big part of my diet. The challenge is getting my family to try new things."
The mother of two teenagers, Kirsten knows how difficult it can be to maintain a healthy lifestyle. "I have to constantly make adjustments in my own life. Some people try to make it more difficult than it needs to be. You just need to get into the habit of eating real food and considering portion sizes."
Consider these three simple words: variety, moderation and motion.
Making healthy choices are especially important for those suffering from chronic illnesses - diabetes, asthma, heart disease, depression, thyroid conditions, arthritis and more. Treatment, she says, is about much more than medication. It can also involve nutrition habits and exercise.
Recognized as one of the leading educational services in Lane County, the Center for Healthy Living provides assessment, counseling, and educational services for those suffering from chronic illnesses.
What, when, how often and how much you eat directly affect your ability to avoid or manage illness. In addition to what you will find here, the Center for Healthy Living offers nutrition education to help develop and maintain healthy eating habits.
"We strive to meet people where they are at and move them forward," Kirsten says. "We don’t have to be perfect – it’s about doing better."
Making Life Better…
Cascade Health Solutions is a non-profit organization, whose mission is to improve the quality of life in our community by helping to support and provide quality, charitable, compassionate health care now and for generations to come.
Kirsten Gram, Manager of Center for Healthy Living, can be reached at 541-228-3022, or kgram@cascadehealth.org
