HOLLYWOOD — The Hollywood Health Clinic is offering more than just check-ups this year. Clinic staff members are meeting with community members every month to teach them about

maintaining healthy lifestyles.

The monthly meetings, called “Coffee and Chat” focus on offering preventative and treatment measures for diabetes. The latest one, held Jan. 10, focused on ways to set realistic goals to help people achieve their New Year resolutions.

Hollywood nutritionist Karen Two Shoes explained that the key to fulfilling resolutions and other goals is to create goals that are achievable, otherwise known as SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, timely) goals. For example, many people make resolutions each year to lose weight, but a goal such as that is too general. To make increase chances for success, someone with this resolution should say they want to lose a certain amount of pounds in a certain amount of time.

“If you set a realistic, achievable goal, when you reach it you’re more likely to pat yourself on the back, feel good about it and set another goal,” Two Shoes said. “Next thing you know, two pounds turn into five and five pounds turn into 10. You’re more likely to keep moving on if you set small, realistic, achievable goals.”

While weight loss isn’t directly related to diabetes treatment, Two Shoes said that keeping a healthy weight helps prevent the disease. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, Native Americans are 2.4 times more likely as white adults to develop diabetes. The clinic used to solely focus on diabetes treatment in their community meetings, but decided to open it up so that more community members can get more health questions answered and live an overall healthy lifestyle.

Along with discussing health topics at the meetings, held the second Wednesday each month, the clinic also offers healthy food demonstrations. This month’s demonstration focused on breakfast boosters – flavors added to breakfast foods that aren’t packed with unhealthy sugars and fats.

On Jan. 10, Two Shoes made an egg and toaster waffle breakfast. Instead of adding salt, butter or cheese to eggs, she topped them off with salsa and a side of avocado slices. For the waffles, she opted for ones made of whole grains and instead of butter and syrup to top them off, she used one tablespoon of peanut butter and apple slices. She explained that making simple swaps like these add more essential vitamins and minerals to meals and minimizes unhealthy fats and sugars.

According to Two Shoes, a major purpose for these demonstrations is to share that “people aren’t diabetics, they have diabetes.” Instead of focusing on illnesses, Two Shoes wants people to know that their health is manageable and that diseases can be treated and prevented with a healthy lifestyle.

For more information about future Coffee and Chats or about other health-related information, call the clinic at 954-962-2009.