STAY
A guide to how to get healthy and stay healthy in Columbia
HEALTHY!
STAY HEALTHY COLUMBIA
Though staying healthy can be tough on a budget and in the heat of Mid-Missouri, we compiled a variety of ways for residents to stay fit, cool and happy this summer.
Staying healthy can be tough on a budget and in the heat of Mid-Missouri. We have compiled a variety of ways for residents to stay fit, cool and happy this summer. We will take you through a day in the life of a healthy Columbian.
Our morning starts early, but this wake-up call has enormous benefit. The Columbia Track Club has more than 200 members, and they meet at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday mornings on the MKT trail entrance off of Forum Blvd. Most of the time the sun has not even risen and these runners finish 8 miles before most of us are even up.
After a run, most of us get a serious appetite, and you can eat healthy in Columbia by making your own food. Tim Watring, a certified nutritionist, said all meals should consist of protein, like lean meat or eggs, and complex carbohydrates, like whole grains. Don’t forget your vegetables, and you’ll reap the health benefits.
People looking for a healthy snack or meal in downtown Columbia can check out Main Squeeze Natural Foods Café. The café serves locally grown and produced foods. In “greening” one’s lifestyle, eating organically can cleanse your body and make you feel healthier.
After a snack, it’s time to breathe and practice tai chi. Arthur Du, a Chinese tai chi master, began to demonstrate the authentic tai chi methods to the local practitioners in 2011. So far, more than 150 local residents have learned tai chi from Du, and the number of practitioners has been increasing over the years. By practicing tai chi, the so-called “oriental ballet,” people of all ages can eventually achieve the balance of their internal and external energy, benefiting their health and life.
While tai chi offers a way to balance, pickleball, a mix of Ping-Pong, tennis and badminton, offers a fun and energetic way to get your body moving. Unlike tennis, it involves less running. Columbia residents see pickleball as a diet tool and way to stay connected with one another.
When it’s time for dinner, Clover’s Natural Market provides people with a healthy, local option for grocery shopping. Clover’s gets food from local farmers and tends to sell out of local foods quickly. For example, zucchini and corn will only be available freshly for a few months this time of year.
When the day is done, most of us have put more into 12 hours than we ever thought possible. As a way to wind down your heartbeat while still strengthening your body, you can practice acrobatic yoga with instructor Laurel Goodman on Monday evenings. Goodman said yoga can be very effective in reducing stress and alleviating physical pain. People don’t have to go to a long class to get the benefits of yoga because they can just stretch for a few minutes at a time, Goodman said.
In a day, it is easy to disregard health, exercise and an overall mind-set on living. Our “day in the life” offers cheap, easy and beneficial ways to keep your body, mind and soul in check this summer.
My name is Maggie Angst. On a typical day I get up at 6 a.m. to run. I run anywhere from five to 12 miles a day. In addition to running, I try to ride my bike every other day as well.This helps me stay healthy and fit. As for my diet, I stay away from all fast foods and make sure to get a good amount of protein every four hours. Most importantly, I carry a water bottle everywhere I go and make sure to drink continously throughout the day to stay hydrated.
My name is Samantha Ware. To stay healthy, I eat a lot of protein. In the morning, I eat eggs along with some whole wheat carbs. As the day goes on, I eat small meals. I mostly eat sandwiches with kale or spinach (both are super healthy) and a chicken breast. I especially love raspberry chobani yogurt! At night, I work out for one hour. It's only 4% of the day. I usually run for a good song, and then walk another. If I find I don't have time to run, I do yoga. I also try to drink as much iced tea (no calories) as I can, since I don't like water.
My name is Carly Wooldridge. I have always been huge into excercise, but processed foods have never scared me the way they should. Learning about how important it is to eat fresh and with a healthy body in mind, I now want to focus on my health in terms of the food I eat, not so much the way I excercise. Excercise can simply encourage me to eat healthier. It really is true that what you put in is what you get out. Healthy anf fresh gives you energy and a positive attitude for the day!
My name is Weicheng Zhao. I pay a lot attention to what I eat every day to make sure that I have a balance diet of vegetables and meat. As for sports, table tennis is my favourite because it helps me practice focusing on samll things and not being distracted easily. I was amazed by the energy and positive attitude of those senior players. When one of my subject told me he was doing "old-man stretching" before games, I started laughing. But later I reflect on own my life. We are young, energetic. But too many times, we are too lazy to exercise. Keeping healther is not a thing that we can save for another day. We must start it now.
My name is Catalina Costa, and since I became vegetarian almost two years ago, I have been worrying about eating right and getting all the nutrients and protein my body needs to be healthy. I try to incorporate some type of protein, usually soy protein, into every meal since I can't get that from meat. I think that daily movement is also necessary to complement a healthy diet. I don't necessarily work out every day, but I try to walk or bike places instead of driving and I do a lot of stretching and yoga on my own time.
My name is Stefan Ouyang. Since I am not a very athletic person, I sometimes do some slow-motion activities, like tai chi, a kind of Chinese martial arts, which is now accepcted by more and more Americans. According to Arthur Du, a tai chi master who moved to Columbia in 2011, tai chi is a kind of life philosophy. For me, it's both interesting and balanced at the same time. All the moves and meditation in the tai chi make me feel centered and unbothered. To keep healthy, tai chi is definitely a long-term way.
My name is Mitchell Ferman. I buy my groceries at Clover’s Natural Market for many reasons. The food is not processed – it is all natural and grown locally. I know what kind of food I am getting and am not misled by labels. The employees make it known that I know exactly where the food comes from. Relationships with the employees and fellow shoppers are important to me. They are all extremely nice and welcoming, many I am even on a first name basis. I know the employees and I really feel like I know my food. I shop at Clover’s Natural Market to stay healthy.
How do we stay healthy?
