Shop healthy, shop cheap with HAWC classes

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Malissa Lott
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho --  Air Combat Command Health and Wellness Centers work to increase Comprehensive Airman Fitness by showing service members how to shop and eat healthy.

Nutrition classes are offered at most bases, and Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho has begun a class walking Airmen through the commissary to educate them on shopping for nutritious foods.

"Some people think eating healthy costs a lot of money, and it really doesn't have to," said Trish Stephens, registered dietitian at the HAWC. "You eat less when you eat healthy, so you buy less food."

One of the HAWC's missions is to explain the benefits of making healthy choices.

"I usually ask, 'what is one thing you want to change?'" said Stephens. "If that means making a grocery list because you never do, then you start there. That's how we progress into change. We have to create new habits."

The class emphasizes the importance of individuals taking it upon themselves to create a personal health plan.

"I can tell you all day long how to eat, and make a meal plan, but if I do not work with the individual on their level and how they live their life, then nothing is going to happen," said Stephens. "I ask these things so we can work with their barriers and know how to overcome them."

Some participants are eager to alter their unhealthy lifestyles and get back on the track to success.

"I am working on a life style change and it's difficult to do alone," said Staff Sgt. Alyssa Wallace, 366th Fighter Wing public affairs journalist. "I need a starting point, and I believe this class will be that for me."

The class is set up in a step-by-step structure, giving the participants a place to start.

"I provide a two-week meal plan with a grocery list and how to build your pantry of healthy foods," explained Stephens. "I walk through the commissary and really show them what they should get."

For those involved, the focus is to encourage personal changes and allow for flexibility without having to spend too much money, providing ways to achieve a healthier diet without unnecessary spending.

"If you are not eating healthy, you do not have the proper fuel, your brain does not function properly, you actually increase stress and inflammation in the body, which increases fat mass, said Stephens. "This can cause cardiovascular disease and if we can manage that, and get it under control, it will help them while deployed."

www.EatRight.org is operated by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and is not affiliated with the U.S. Air Force. No federal or military endorsement is implied.