Healthy living encompasses so many aspects of life, from nutrition, exercise, and sleep, to social connections, and spending time in nature, our choices affect the environment in which we live as well as our bodies and how well they function. With an abundance of health information coming at us from all directions, it is easy to become overwhelmed with the lifestyle choices available today. At Crestwood, we hope to give you some simple tools and concrete information that help you improve your health. Remember that big changes can happen in small steps, and every day you have a chance to make healthy habits a part of your routine.

Nutrition
Most research suggests that eating plant-based, natural foods best support overall health. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy sources of proteins and fats decrease the risk of chronic disease and may help you live longer.

Here are some simple tips for making healthier choices:

• Fill half of your plate with vegetables and fruits, the more variety, the better.
• Choose whole grain carbohydrates, such as whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and other grains like farro, buckwheat, and barley. Limit refined grains like white bread, white rice, and avoid added sugar.
• Choose healthy proteins like beans, nuts, and seeds. Poultry and fish are also good choices. Limit red meats and processed meats like bacon, sausage, and lunch meat.
• Choose healthy fats to cook with, like olive oil, canola oil, avocado oil, etc. Limit saturated fats like cheese and butter and avoid trans fats (listed as hydrogenated oils) in processed foods.
• Drink water or unsweetened (or lightly sweetened) tea and coffee. Low fat dairy and 100% fruit juice are ok in moderation. Avoid sweetened beverages like soda and juice drinks.

Recipes
Have you ever had a meal at one of our campuses and wanted to prepare it at home? All of the Heart Healthy Diet recipes can be found on the intranet in the Nutrition & Wellness folder and are scaled down to a serving size of four. Check out our cookbook to look for new recipes.

Health & Wellness In-Services
In addition to the Heart Healthy Diet that we prepare for persons served and our Zumba exercise program, we also provide health education on a variety of topics in the form of in-services. These presentations are recorded and uploaded to the Crestwood intranet (Shared folder > Foundational Tools > Health and Wellness > Health and Wellness In-Services) so staff can view them at any time. Topics include exercise, gut health, the benefits of cooking, the effects of eating less red meat on health and the environment, how to avoid processed foods, and many more! We encourage you to check out this resource and useful information to improve your health and get your in-service hours!

Motivational Wellness Tips
Need a small boost or some words of encouragement? Check out our Motivational Wellness Tips. These are small, simple ideas that you can do today to support your wellness. You can also print these out as flyers to post around your campus if you think others could use a boost, too. Never forget, you are worth it!

Motivational Wellness Flyers:
Pat Yourself on the Back
Start small
Practice Self-Compassion
For the Love of Tomatoes
Go Nuts!
Look for Similarities

Wellness Ambassadors
If health and wellness is a passion of yours, consider joining our team as a Wellness Ambassador! Wellness Ambassadors are staff at our campuses who have a passion for any aspect of health and wellness. It doesn’t matter where you are in your wellness journey, we are all on this journey together and welcome everyone to join us. Participation can be as simple as attending our monthly call, sharing what wellness initiative is taking place at your campus, and listening to other Wellness Ambassadors share their ideas. You can also implement aspects of our Health and Wellness Tool that appeal to you and persons served at your campus, like garden programs, culinary diversity week, cooking groups, Good Day Café, and more. In essence, Wellness Ambassadors act as cheerleaders, advocating for persons served to incorporate healthier habits and bring exciting new wellness ideas to each campus. Become a Wellness Ambassador today!

Health & Wellness Newsletters
The Health and Wellness Newsletter comes out on a quarterly basis. Each edition contains articles on a variety of wellness topics, including nutrition, exercise, sleep, food news, and more. Every edition contains a seasonal recipe that can be made at home. Look for the Health and Wellness Newsletter in your email inbox or check them out below.

Wellness Newsletter

If you have any questions about Nutrition at Crestwood, please reach out to Margaret Clayton at employeecenter@cbhi.net.

At Crestwood Behavioral Health Inc., fitness and fun are extremely important to our Recovery Culture. Greg Parnell has played a big role in bringing fitness and fun to Crestwood by implementing our Zumba Program into most campuses and mentoring almost 50 employees. Those employees have been inspired to become licensed Zumba Fitness instructors to bring the fitness and fun to our persons served and fellow employees.

With the addition of Shanel Mayo and Vanny Pareno from the R.E.a.L. Team, Greg now has additional supports to bring this Wellness Initiative to life.

When we think of the equation of F=LBC (Fun = Lasting Behavioral Change), we can have fun while reaping the wellness benefits like decreased anxiety, improved mood, a healthier heart, greater mobility, weight loss, and the list goes on.

When the pandemic began in 2020, we rose above the challenges and Greg began teaching virtual classes for our campuses and community partners, as well as continuing to meet with and mentor campus instructors virtually.

Greg continues to teach a virtual Zumba class on Friday mornings at 11 and we encourage all staff and campuses to join.

As we continue to grow and build this Corporate Foundational Wellness Tool, why not join in on the fun? For info on Zumba and how to get involved, please contact Greg, Shanel & Vanny at CrestwoodZumba@cbhi.net.

Leaders of Zumba Fitness & Crestwood

Zumba Summit staff gathering

Crestwood values your wellness, from physical health to emotional wellbeing. Check out these free resources from Kaiser Permanente to support your wellness.

Click here for a schedule of free monthly workshops offered by Kaiser Permanente.

Click here to access Kaiser Permanente’s Workforce Health Newsletters with tips on cultivating healthy habits and links to additional resources.