After you have successfully reached your healthy weight and discovered optimal health and wellbeing, the next step on your journey is to optimize and maintain your ideal weight by eating healthy on a consistent basis. Remember, if you aren’t ready to transition at this time, it’s okay! Simply stay focused on your health and wellness goals, stay connected to your OPTAVIA Coach, and continue your journey until you reach the right optimal health and wellbeing for you.

In Your LifeBook, Co-founder and independent OPTAVIA Coach, Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen provides a breakdown of the various portion included in a healthy meal — vegetables, fruits, protein, and grains. Each portion should be evenly divided to fit the entire plate; however, Dr. A notes that vegetables can occupy as much as 50% of your plate, while fruits should be less than 25% of the plate.

Dr. A’s recommendation for a healthy meal consists of:

• Veggies. Since vegetables will comprise half of your meal, it's crucial to select low-glycemic options. Brainstorm and then make a list of your favorite and/or new vegetables you want to try before your next visit to the market!
• Fruits. Congratulations! You’ve successfully reached a healthy weight, so now you can add fruit back to your diet! Remember that fruits should compromise less than 25% of your plate. Berries are a great low-glycemic (and delicious) option to incorporate into your meals!
• Protein. Eating fish one to three times per week can positively impact your wellbeing. Lean poultry is another healthy choice to enjoy, but note that red meat consumption should be kept to a minimum. After cooking, your protein's portion size should fit into the palm of your hand.
• Grains. Healthy grains are a nutrient-rich source of energy. Some healthy starches include whole wheat bread, quinoa, wild rice, and sweet potatoes. (Although potatoes are actually vegetables, they act more like a starch due to their higher-glycemic and higher-carbohydrate content.) The portion size of your grains should be equivalent to a tennis ball.

This breakdown provides the right amount of healthy nutrients to balance and satisfy your hunger.

Remember, it's essential to create and utilize a strategy to maintain the proper portion control, especially while dining out.

While dining out may seem intimidating, it doesn’t have to be! Research the menu before you visit so you can plan your meal in advance, according to your health goals. You can also try two healthy appetizers instead of ordering an entrée. Splitting an entrée with your dining companion is another great way to prevent overeating.

Work closely with me, your independent OPTAVIA Coach, during this phase of your transformation. Let’s partner closely to determine the best plan of action so you are set to eat healthy for life!

The Habits of Health^® Transformation System is a comprehensive path to optimal health and wellbeing. However, it’s not just about movement or food. It’s about realizing the connection between your daily choices and the life those choices can create.

Addressing certain aspects of your health can easily be overlooked, such as dental health. In reality, the health of your teeth and gums are gateways to major systems in your body, directly influencing your overall longevity.

Dr. A's recommendations for practicing proper dental health include:

• Brush your teeth twice a day.
• Floss each day.
• Eliminate tobacco use of any kind.
• Lower the amount of sugar you eat or drink (water instead of soda, healthy Fuelings instead of sugary snacks).
• Visit your dentist regularly for checkups and cleanings.

These are simple practices, but they can easily slip into health issues if you aren't mindful and consistent in practicing these tactics. 

In addition, with great oral hygiene habits, you can:

• Protect your heart. Oral hygiene has been tied to a variety of heart conditions and inflammation as germs from your mouth enter your bloodstream, causing conditions like endocarditis. 
• Protect your lungs. Just as germs can enter the bloodstream to affect your heart, they can also affect your lungs, making you more susceptible to diseases like pneumonia.

Ask me, your independent OPTAVIA Coach, for additional ways to improve your holistic health on your journey to Lifelong Transformation, One Healthy Habit at a Time^®. 

Sharing the gift of health

Audryn remembers waiting for her "aha" moment that many other independent OPTAVIA Coaches testified about at OPTAVIA Convention 2019. “Dr. A shared with us what OPTAVIA has done to help children, and I started to feel a buzz in my chest.”

At the time, Audryn was an inner-city high school teacher and could see her students in that video.

Hearing those words from Dr. A inspired Audryn to start her own club at her school! “I called the club ‘Chain Breakers’ and advertised that kids could learn leadership skills, how to make healthy snacks^**, and how to change the way they thought.”

Her teacher heart was full, but her OPTAVIA Coach heart grew ten sizes. OPTAVIA truly came alive for Audryn during that semester, and she knew that she had a purpose– to teach healthy habits to as many people as she could.

“I personally lost 35 pounds^* and it was the simplest thing I had ever done.” Audryn had been anti-diet her whole life until she found OPTAVIA and learned a safe and healthy way to lose weight.

She also feels that she now has a purpose of serving others, "I've had two sisters join, each losing between 10-35 pounds^*. My boyfriend, the eating-out-junky, has hopped on program, and for the first time in his life, he is purposely eating vegetables!"

Audryn is thankful for OPTAVIA for helping her discover her purpose and create something bigger than herself!