Healthy resolutions for 2008

Are you among the many Northlanders who vowed to lose weight in the New Year? Most people's passion to follow through with New Year's resolutions fades by the end of January or mid-February.

To help keep the passion and commitment alive, Northland District Health Board's Public Health Dietitian, Daniela Tylkowski, has provided a few simple tips to help improve your eating habits in 2008.

Daniela said: "Large goals, such as ‘I am going to lose weight' are hard to achieve, compared to small behaviour changes that will contribute to your overall goal. You are likely to do better if you set one small, specific goal to work on each month."

Some examples are:

· Switch to trim milk

· Switch to wholegrain bread

· Eat a piece of fruit at morning tea time

· Drink a glass of water afterwards

· Plan for the whole family to sit and eat together at a table with the television off at least three times a week

· Vow to frequent your local growers market for reasonably priced fresh fruit and vegetables straight from the farm.
- Whangarei - Saturdays from 6.30am to 10.30am at the Water St car park
- Kerikeri - Sundays from 8.30am to noon on Hobson Avenue
- Paparoa - Fortnightly on Saturdays from 6am to noon at the village green
- Hikurangi - Monthly country market.

Daniela says it is important to be prepared, be flexible and anticipate lapses, as setbacks are a natural part of change.

She said: "Use them to learn about how to handle situations in the future. For example, if your goal was to change from regular to diet fizzy drinks, and you drank regular soft drink at a friend's because no other drink was available, accept your mistake and continue with your goal, and maybe take your own drink the next time. Remember that one mistake, on one day, is little in the big scheme of things.

"Changing lifelong behaviours is one of the hardest things a person can do. So if you have taken up the challenge, well done! Make sure you congratulate yourself for all the effort you have put in."





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For further information, please contact:

Clare Blackburn, Communications Manager

Northland District Health Board

Phone (09) 430 4101 ext 3315