CLAY COUNTY – The New Year often starts with resolutions to be healthier. But many set unrealistic goals, and their confidence takes a huge hit when they fail to reach them. Others become overwhelmed when they set out to make significant changes.

However, getting into shape doesn’t mean hitting the gym seven days a week.

The easiest, most effective way to build healthier habits starts in the kitchen, said Cinet Integrative nutritionist Linda Brown. “What I look at is, what is the simplest thing that can be changed? What is the simplest thing that can be changed to get their condition better or help them manage their condition better, and what is the person actually able to do?”

That starts with a balanced diet.

“If you were to ask me, what is the one thing you can do to eat more healthily and decrease your chance of disease, it’s to cook at home from scratch. Bottom line: if you get something from the store in a box, it’s processed. You don’t want that.”

Try a grocery delivery service if you don’t have time to go to a grocery store. Local Fare is a farm-to-home, organic grocery delivery service on Blanding Boulevard that offers customizable farm bags in four different sizes, from single meals to family style.

Delivered through a subscription service, meal kits provide pre-measured

ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes to cook at home.

A home-cooked meal contributes to a healthier diet, reduces calorie consumption and gives us more control over what we put in our bodies.

“And notice, I don’t say eating out of a box or at a fast food restaurant,” Brown said. “Every day, I get three to four referrals for people with Type-2 diabetes. Every single day. And that’s just the referrals coming into my office. There’s been a huge increase, primarily because of fast food restaurants and junk foods.”

Junk foods are high in trans and saturated fats, which can raise triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood. High levels of triglycerides increase the risk of developing Type-2 diabetes.

“If you want to start cooking on your own, we also have a grocery list. We have the meal plan. We have the software where I can calculate how many calories you need, then you can put in what kinds of foods you like, and then it generates up to 30 days of menus. You can even tell it how many days of leftovers you want,” Brown said

“If you set a goal to eat healthier, most people can find a way to do it, but we can definitely help with that.”

If delivery services don’t fit your budget, there are ways to access fresh fruits and vegetables for little to no cost. Feeding Northeast Florida has distributed 2.7 million pounds of food in Clay County alone.

The organization’s new warehouse will be located on Old Kings Road in Jacksonville, according to President Susan King. The organization announced its purchase and planned renovations of a 121,000-square-foot building that will serve as the new home of the food bank.

“We will be a more efficient organization. Food insecurity in all eight counties that we serve is a huge issue. It’s been a significant issue. We’ve seen a twenty-five percent increase in people requesting food assistance for the first time. More than 23,000 in Clay County are food insecure,” said King.

“In terms of serving the community, we have a lot of programs around health and nutrition. Suppose you can help eliminate the need for high blood pressure medicine or insulin for diabetes or any other number of things that might be a requirement for that budget. In that case, we can help eliminate them by teaching them better eating habits and using fresh fruits and vegetables. If we can do that, we have helped a family or individual escape that cycle of poverty.

“A lot of people are starting from a very limited information base. We think people understand how to cook and eat well, but generationally, some people don’t know how to cook. So, we have to approach this problem at a very basic level.”

Additionally, The University of Florida/IFAS Extension provides the public with free and low-cost educational programs to create healthy people, a healthy environment, and a healthy economy in Clay County. These programs include various health and wellness programs offered at the Extension office. Programs on healthy eating/weight management are offered in partnership with employers such as Clay County Schools and Clay County Government.

Also, seniors at each of the four Aging True Senior Centers receive monthly nutrition education lessons.

For more information on how you can participate in a health and wellness program offered by UF/IFAS Extension please contact Annie Wallau at (904) 284-6355.