Nosh, nap, and move.

Nutrition, sleep, and physical concepts are all integral parts of the Performance Triad program being advocated by Naval Hospital Bremerton’s (NHB) Health Promotion and Wellness department for 2019.

With the annual holiday stand down wrapped up, Health Promotion and Wellness department is helping all those seeking assistance for any New Year’s resolution.

“A healthy workforce is a healthy organization. Also more productive and more efficient. What we offer is really very important, especially to staff. Our plan is for all employees to have the resources to improve their health and wellness and perform better at what they do and how they live,” said Nancy Henry, Health Promotion and Wellness department head, Master of Science, Certified Health Education Specialist, and Regional Health Promotion Coordinator.

One such resource is the Performance Triad program that focuses on improving personal health and wellness through the overlapping and connected concepts mentioned above.

According to Anthony Barkley, public health educator with Navy Marine Corps Public Health Center (NMCPHC), the Performance Triad is a proven Army program that helps improve personal health and wellness.

“We work collaboratively with Army Public Health Center and are very familiar with the Performance Triad.  It is a high quality approach to addressing the core wellness concerns (of) nutrition, physical activity and sleep. If you like the Performance Triad materials and your customers are receptive, use them,” said Barkley, adding that another similar Army program, Fit for Performance, was developed through collaboration from the Navy ShipShape program with the addition of sleep.

The ShipShape Program offered at NHB is the official Navy weight management program. It was designed for active duty and reserve service members, including personnel who exceed or are at risk of exceeding Navy body composition assessment (BCA) standards, beneficiaries, and government civilians to help them make healthy behavior changes in order to lose weight.

“The eight week program focuses on three important components for weight loss of mindset, nutrition, and physical activity.  The goal is to equip participants with the skills and resources necessary to jumpstart and maintain a healthier lifestyle,” explained Henry.

NHB also offers ShipShape Facilitator training to prepare individuals with the knowledge and skills required to become certified to assist others. The training course familiarizes attendees with the ShipShape curriculum modules and associated classroom activities. Attendees also learn how to support participants with weight management, including leading group activities and assisting individuals establishing weight loss goals. The course will also cover administrative responsibilities of the ShipShape Program at the local level. There are some pre-requisites and requirements to become a facilitator. Those interested can contact NHB Health Promotion at 360-475-4997/4523.

ShipShape is one of several programs available as NHB’s Health Promotion and Wellness starts in the new year by designating January as ‘Healthy Weight Month.’

Henry attests that maintaining a healthy weight is critical for professional readiness and personal resilience. For Sailors and Marines, exceeding BCA standards can negatively affect one’s career if a Sailor or Marine is unable to pass annual physical fitness benchmarks such as the Navy Physical Readiness Test and the Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test. Exceeding BCA can also be an impediment to readiness because extra pounds can decrease physical performance, reduce quality of life, and increase health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

NMCPHC offers numerous resources to help those towards their healthy weight, such as ‘One Day at Time: 31 Day Challenge for a Healthier Life.’ This program centers on taking just one, small incremental step a day to help guide someone in developing habits that will allow them to achieve and/or maintain a healthy weight for a lifetime. Examples include drinking water instead of soda or juice at lunch; limiting the use of technology with a screen light at least 15 to 30 minutes before sleeping, and taking the stairs instead of an elevator.

The nutrition, sleep and physical activity concepts of the Performance Triad again.

“The great thing about wellness is no matter where you are at, you can get better.  Be it physical, mental, emotional there's always something we can work on to improve our quality of life right now.  Make it a journey instead of a destination so that you can enjoy all the good things that are going to happen along the way,” Henry said, noting that each month has offerings Monday through Friday, each week.

Other available classes at NHB include; ‘Prevent T2,’ developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a 16-week lifestyle change program to help people prevent and/or delay type 2 diabetes and improve their overall health; ‘Small Steps, Big Rewards,’ a public health program aimed at raising awareness and supporting healthy lifestyle changes for adults at risk for developing type 2 diabetes; and ‘Heart Healthy’ which provides support to help people determine personal risk factors and set goals for prevention, practice relaxation techniques, incorporate nutritional and exercise guidance.

Additionally, NHB’s Diabetes and Healthy Eating class is now offered on the first Thursday of the month in Room C1626. The class is open to all eligible active duty, dependents, and retirees. The session will have participants learning about how to manage blood glucose through counting carbohydrates, nutritional balancing on a plate, physical activity, and other tips. There is also an Introduction to Nutrition class offered Jan. 19, 2019. For information on other classes offered, contact (360) 475-4541 or Puget Sound Military Appointing Center at 1(800) 404-4506.

“Being healthy, it’s contagious. Once people get going, they tend to stay in motion and others join,” stated Henry.

By one nosh, one nap, and one move at a time.

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