When it comes to proper nutrition, every bite counts.

March is National Nutrition Month and it focuses on the importance of developing habits for healthy eating and physical activity.

Take this opportunity to get on track with making healthy choices.  Remember good nutrition is about more than just counting calories to lose weight. It is about fueling your body with the right vitamins and nutrients it needs to keep you going. 

Adults should eat around two cups of fruits and three cups of vegetables per day, while also adding more whole grains to their diets, suggests the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only one in 10 US adults eats the recommended amount of fruits or vegetables each day.

Tackling a healthy diet can seem like a big task, but HealthSelect^SM plan participants, including those enrolled in Consumer Directed HealthSelect^SM, have some helpful resources, available at no additional cost.

Nutrition-focused self-management programs

HealthSelect and Consumer Directed HealthSelect: Well onTarget^® gives you access to a variety of self-management programs. The following programs focus on improving eating habits and overall health:

• Nutrition for Better Health: Eat better to feel better. You can learn ways to improve their health and lower their risk of illness with good nutrition and healthy eating habits.
• Improving Your Cholesterol: For participants with high cholesterol, this program can guide them in making lasting lifestyle changes that have been shown to keep cholesterol in check. They’ll learn about weight, nutrition, physical activity and tobacco as they relate to cholesterol.
• Managing Your Metabolic Syndrome: Learn about the five risk factors that contribute to metabolic syndrome: abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, high blood sugar and low HDL (healthy cholesterol).

Well onTarget self-management programs allow participants to track their progress from beginning to end and provides a midpoint and final assessment. Participants can log in to the Well onTarget portal through Blue Access for Members^SM to sign up for a self-management program. They can also download the AlwaysOn^® Wellness smartphone app on Google Play and the App Store.

For a little extra support from a weight management expert, choose from two different weight management programs

Real Appeal^® and Naturally Slim^® are two weight management programs available at no cost to employees, retirees or dependents enrolled in a HealthSelect plan. Participants must be 18 years or older with a BMI of 23 or higher. Each of these programs helps you achieve weight management goals and improve their overall health. You will be encouraged to adopt daily habits, such as eating healthier or getting more active, that may help your overall wellness. 

The Weight Management Programs page has more information that can help you decide which program is right for you. 

If you have questions about these programs or other wellness resources, please contact your BCBSTX Agency Relations Representative.

Source: ERS (March 2021)