A diet and a healthy lifestyle are two very different things. People in Hollywood diet but people in Oregon are healthy and more and more Oregonians are getting healthy. “In the last year alone Portland moved from number 17 to number 9 on the “Americas fittest cities” list in Men’s Magazine. Maintaining a fit or healthy lifestyle in Oregon is easy! For one, Oregonians love their outdoor activities, regardless of the weather conditions. Oregon is also never short on organic products and healthy foods both on the menu and in grocery stores. If you need support with your new life style, help is just are the corner, literally. Oregon was not always so health conscious though, but over the last decade Oregon has made many improvements!
In almost every city in Oregon there are weight loss programs, healthy choices at restaurants, healthy food at schools, exercise groups and gyms where Oregonians have the option to make better choices.
Organic and Trans fat free foods have taken center stage over the last five years. Portland again was at the top of the list as the city had one of the highest percentages of organic food buyers in 2007 (27%). Portland only trailed San Francisco (35%) and Seattle (37%) by a few percentage points according to Vegetarianorganicblog.com. Seeing this demand, grocery stores met with a supply of organic products, a health food section and stocking Trans fat free items. In the past many grocery stores either did not offer items such as tofu or soy and if they did, the cost was through the roof. Now with the increased interest in these products, stores have answered with sales for these items. Grocery retailers are not the only ones seeing the growing health trend, but restaurants also see the benefit to healthier choices.
Not only in Oregon but nationwide restaurants are offering alternatives to high calorie menu items. Applebee’s was one of the firsts to offer Weight Watcher menu items and Red Robin offers meat substitutes for all their burgers. Often dieters avoid eating out because typically there are few healthy choices besides a salad on menus. But now with these special menus, dieters can feel confident eating out instead of feeling chained to their ovens and health food recipe book.
Being healthy is not simply about eating right but also getting daily exercise. Oregon again has topped the list in this department. While the weather can be temperamental at times, this does not stop people from getting out and enjoying the scenery. Oregon has many parks with pathways, schools with tracks, and parks for dogs. If running or walking is not your thing, many people bike to work. Often in Oregon many companies have “biking groups” with contests for the person who rides their bike the most. Oregon was the first state to pass the “bike bill” in 1971, by 2001 3.8% of people were biking to work at least three days per week according to Oregon.gov. Since Lance Armstrong brought biking back into the spot light over the last few years, biking in Oregon is hitting an all time high.
All of these healthy options put Oregon in the top 10 in 2007 for the “fittest cities” article in Men’s Magazine, where Portland ranked number 9 which was up from 17 the previous year. Oregon’s healthy lifestyle trend is not likely to change anytime soon. With all the options available to you and the beckoning scenery, many people have a hard time silencing the quiet voice in their head telling them to eat better or get more exercise. If you can’t beat them, join them!
