Tackle the ‘3-4-50’ with the Healthy Living program at Scripps

What do heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and respiratory disease have in common? They’re all serious chronic diseases and they’re among the most prevalent in California. The California Department of Public Health estimates that 14 million Californians are living with at least one chronic condition, and more than half have multiple chronic diseases.

Unlike an acute illness such as pneumonia which lasts for several weeks, a chronic condition lasts for months or even years; in some cases, it can last a lifetime. In addition to being among the leading causes of death, chronic diseases can lead to disabilities and decreased quality of life. Diabetes, for example, can cause blindness or amputations. Heart disease, which includes high blood pressure, can trigger a debilitating stroke.

While a family history of disease and other factors may increase your risk of these chronic diseases, your lifestyle can play a major role in preventing them. To help you take steps to reduce your risk, Scripps is launching Healthy Living, an interactive education program to help the San Diego community tackle the 3-4-50:  three behaviors (smoking, diet, physical activity) that contribute to four chronic diseases (cancer, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease) that cause 50 percent of all deaths in San Diego and throughout the U.S.

Healthy Living is a series of three educational sessions that help you learn practical ways to improve your health habits.  The fun sessions provide lots of opportunities to practice your new skills and make them part of your lifestyle. The program is free, offered in both English and Spanish, and open to all residents of San Diego County, including at the Scripps Well Being Center, and the Scripps Diabetes Center locations in Chula Vista.

Session One: The Basics of Healthy Eating

In the first session, you’ll learn the basics of healthy eating by using MyPlate, a program developed by the USDA to help you identify the healthy eating style that works for you and build it into your daily routine.  We’ll also teach you how to translate the new USDA Dietary Guidelines and read nutrition labels.

Plus, we’ll review the risks of smoking and secondhand smoke, as well as the new ways tobacco is being used and the dangers they present, including vape pens, electronic cigarettes, and more.  If you’re using tobacco, we’ll provide resources to help you quit.

Finally, you’ll learn how to make lasting, meaningful changes by taking the SMART (Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Relevant, Timebound) approach to reaching your goals. Using small, practical steps, participants set a SMART goal at each session and report on their successes and challenges at the following session.

Session Two: Making Healthy Eating a Habit
In the second session, we’ll offer practical suggestions on how to maintain healthy eating habits when eating out – even at fast food restaurants – and learn to put together a low-calorie, low-fat meal using a fast food menu.
You’ll also practice “mindful eating” to help maintain lifelong healthy eating habits, and learn tips to manage “social cues” that can make it difficult to stick to a healthy eating plan, such as holidays, parties, and food-laden coffee breaks. Lastly, we’ll explore the relationship between calories and activity, and discuss strategies to achieve or maintain a healthy weight.

Session Three: Physical
Activity Targets

With a focus on physical activity, the third session introduces the target of 150 minutes per week of physical activity. We’ll cover how to achieve it through activities that you enjoy and strategies to get around common barriers to meeting physical activity goals. We’ll even get up and moving to demonstrate how we can contribute to our 150 minutes anywhere, anytime.

We’ll also discuss how stress can interfere with maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and practice a few simple and quick stress management techniques.

Healthy Living sessions are offered throughout the community in English and Spanish.  Morning, afternoon, evening and Saturday classes are available. For more information or to register, call 1-800-SCRIPPS or visit scripps.org/healthyliving.

Philis-Tsimikas, M.D., is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in the subspecialty of diabetes and endocrinology. She is the medical director and corporate vice president of the Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute at Scripps Health. “To Your Health” is brought to you by the physicians and staff at Scripps Health. For more information or to make an appointment, please visit www.scripps.org/SNS or call (858) 914-2297.