Welcome to the Health and Wellness programs in Travis County. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service offers practical information for families on healthy eating, wellness and making informed decisions related to food quality and safety.
Read on to learn more about some of the programs and opportunities available in Travis County.
Dinner Tonight!
The Dinner Tonight! program encourages family mealtime by providing quick, nutritious, cost-effective recipes to consumers through video webcasts, Blogs and Facebook.
Join by filling in the form your email address and zip code at https://dinnertonight.tamu.edu/.
View an archive of all videos and recipes at https://dinnertonight.tamu.edu/recipes/
Health & Wellness Programs
Find the path to better health with Wellness Programs based on research and best practices
Our Health & Wellness Programs address the obesity epidemic, misinformation about health and nutrition topics, and physical inactivity in Travis County. The goal is to guide participants toward a healthy weight through 1) nutrition education, 2) healthy cooking, 3) physical activity with Power Walk, and 4) mindfulness. We are flexible in the number of classes site coordinators can request, though we recommend series of 4 classes or more to allow significant impacts in the community. Classes can be conducted in-person or virtually, and in English and Spanish.
Wellness topics for discussion include:
1) Portion Control & My Plate
2) Menu Planning for a Day and a Week
3) Smart and Successful Socializing
4) Knowing your Numbers and Clinical Implications
5) Keeping your Motivation Up and learning coping mechanisms to achieve a healthier you
6) Health Benefits of Physical Activity
7) Impact of Hydration
8) Health Benefits of Fruits & Vegetables according to their Colors
9) Controlling Your Blood Pressure
10) DASHing Your Way to Improve Health
11) Healthy Choices for Snacks and Breakfast. Understanding Food Labels
12) Fad Diets
13) Impact of Sugar in Your Health
14) Cholesterol Matters, Be Heart Healthy
15) Nutritional Values of Food Labels
16) Principles for Healthy Weight Loss
17) Altering Recipes for Better Health
18) Emotional Eating
19) Mindful Eating
Duration of workshops to be delivered virtually: 30-45 minutes (25-35 minutes of topic discussion and 5-10 minutes for Q&A), and in-person: 45-60 minutes (45-50 minutes of topic discussion and activity and 5-10 for Q&A)
Walk Across Texas
Walk Across Texas is a free 8-week program designed to help Texans establish the habit of regular physical activity. This program was created by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in 1996. From border to border, you and your team can walk 830 miles across the state. Check out our website at: https://walkacrosstexas.org/.
If you’re interested in signing up please contact Sonia Coyle, FCH Agent at 512-854-9605 or sonia.coyle@ag.tamu.edu.
Master Wellness Volunteer Program
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is committed to “Improving Lives, Improving Texas” through relevant, research-based education. One of AgriLife Extension’s high-priority issues is helping Texans improve their health. Research shows that at least 50% of health status is due to lifestyle factors such as not using tobacco, being physically active, maintaining a normal weight and good nutrition, among many others. AgriLife Extension has numerous programs to help Texans learn and adopt behaviors that can positively impact their health and wellness. The challenge faced by our County Extension Agents is diffusing these programs among the audiences who are in need of such education.
Master Wellness Volunteer program provides volunteers with 40 hours of training in health and nutrition education. In return, the volunteers agree to give back 40 hours of service. The volunteer opportunities are diverse – giving presentations for local community groups, assisting with periodic cooking schools, distributing information at health fairs, and much more.
Get Involved
- For more information on upcoming classes and registrations, please contact Sonia Coyle, Family & Community Health Agent, at sonia.coyle@ag.tamu.edu or (512-854-9605)
- For updates, please visit us at our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/traviscofcs.
- For our Blog, please visit us at https://agrilife.org/fcstraviscounty/news/.
Educational Resources
Useful Links
For More Information Contact:
Sonia Coyle
Family & Community Health Extension Agent
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service – Travis County
512.854.9600
sonia.coyle@ag.tamu.edu