Healthy Lifestyles in Oregon
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!
Passing the “bike bill” in 1971 put Oregon as the first state which took the first step toward healthy living. By 2001 3.8% of people were biking to work at least three days per week to according to Oregon.gov. Other fitness activities have also increased over the years. The Nike Hood to Coast Relay Marathon is the largest relay race in North America. It began in 1982 with eight teams. By 1999 it reached capacity of 1,000 teams. If biking or running is not really your cup of tea, there are plenty of hiking trails, gyms and countless dog parks where all activity levels are welcome.
Portland had one of the highest percentages of organic food buyers in 2007 (27%) which only just trailed San Francisco (35%) and Seattle (37%) 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. As early as ten years ago, many grocery stores either did not offer items such as tofu or soy and if they did, the cost was excessive. Now with the increased interest in these products, stores have answered with sales in these items. Grocery retailers are not the only ones seeing the growing health trend, restaurants see the benefit to healthier choices as well.
Restaurants around Oregon have also seen a change to menu items. Popular restaurants like Applebee’s are now offering a Weight Watcher menu with point values listed directly on the menus. Red Robin offers meatless or turkey meat options for their hamburgers which makes dinning out less of a hassle for those trying to maintain a healthy diet.
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!