By T.J. DePaola, PharmD
The month of March marks National Nutrition Month, an annual focus on the importance of making informed healthy life choices including developing smart eating and physical activity habits. For the body to function at its best, it needs a well-balanced and healthy diet that will help it absorb these six essential nutrients: water, protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins and minerals. Deciding to make the change to a healthier lifestyle can seem overwhelming, and the cost associated with living a healthier life is one of the reasons people tend to shy away from transitioning. However, living a life of informed healthy choices doesn’t have to be expensive.
Living a healthier life doesn’t mean you have to change your entire lifestyle. Adopting healthy habits will take time and every small change adds up, but the cost doesn’t have to. Planning your meals and snacks in advance is a good start. Meal prepping is a cost-efficient healthy habit that will help you use the foods that you already have and encourage you to shop for foods that will contribute to your healthy meals. An inventory check of the foods in your refrigerator, freezer and pantry is the first step and will help you craft a set of healthy meals for the coming week. Make a list of the foods you need to complete your meals and only purchase those necessary items, this will certainly cut down the cost of your healthy eating journey. Another healthy habit that won’t wear down your pockets is transforming leftovers into additional substantial meals like soups, salads or sandwiches. Take leftover vegetables and put them on top of a salad, add to a soup or make a nutritious sandwich.
In addition to maintaining a healthy and stable diet, it is important to consider other means of nutrients for your body. It can be difficult to absorb the appropriate amount of nutrients from food alone, therefore vitamins play an active role in helping the body function at its best. For optimal health, adding a supplemental vitamin to your daily informed healthy choices will assist your body in absorbing all the necessary nutrients it needs.
Proper nutrition is important, and through Cypress Pharmacy, the Southwest Florida community can focus on continuing their healthy living journey without the worry of extreme costs. Cypress Pharmacy strives to deliver services that go “beyond the fill” of patient prescriptions and through this emphasis, the local pharmacy offers the community a free vitamin club, a cost-effective program providing children and adults ages 50 and up with the nutrients needed to promote healthier living. Once a month, customers can pick up one 30-count bottle of Leader Children’s Multivitamins or Leader Adult 50+ Multivitamins for free. To join the program, participants must complete a simple enrollment form, and will receive their Club Card at Cypress Pharmacy.
Cypress Pharmacy has been providing pharmaceutical and health care services in Fort Myers for more than 40 years. The entire staff, including pharmacists T.J. DePaola and Justin Ceravolo, are dedicated to providing the best possible service to every customer. For more information, call 239-481-7322 or visit www.cypresspharmacy.com.