Archive issue
Sept. 24, 2001

Lifestyles

UK program helps people get in shape 'Wildcat Way'

Program gives Kentuckians a holistic plan for wellness

After years of watching people try all the wrong things in the pursuit of wellness, Janet Tietyen had had enough.

"So many people think, 'I'm going to diet and exercise and be a happy, healthy person,'" she said. "But wellness and well-being are so much more broad than that. You have to take a more holistic approach."

Tietyen, a food and nutrition specialist with the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, wrote a program to give Kentuckians a holistic plan for wellness. She broached financial security and mental well-being, as well as good eating and exercising habits. With the help of other Extension agents and the UK Wellness Program, she developed "The Wildcat Way to Wellness." The program, launched last year, is based on what she dubbed CATSkills for Better Health - "Cooking with Pyramid Power," "Activity You Can Live With" and "Time to Be Well." It is broadly written so it can be used by all Kentuckians.

"I felt UK's land-grant mission meant that I needed to come up with a way to improve the lives and health of all the people in this state," she said. "I wanted to give people information that would allow them to make informed choices about how to improve their own health."

The program's "Cooking with Pyramid Power" section helps participants look at what they eat and determine changes to make and includes suggestions on proportions and food selections.

CATSkill No. 2, "Activity You Can Live With," looks at activity levels and ways to increase those to optimal levels. Walking, building strength and aerobic fitness are important parts of this skill.

"Time to Be Well," the program's final CATSkill, features a mind-over-matter philosophy and focuses on mental well-being. Dealing positively with stress, resting well and taking time for yourself are key in this section.

Each year, a series of classes is offered for each CATSkill, in addition to publications and resources available on the Internet at www.ca.uky.edu/agcollege/fcs/wildcat. The classes are offered, often on a request basis, through Extension's 120 county offices across the state. Classes have included "Building Your Strength," "Simply Beautiful: Choosing an Uncluttered, Focused, Rich Life," "Kentucky Food Heritage" and "Writing for Insight and Well-Being." This year, several new classes are being added to give tips on living a healthy life with diabetes, financial check-ups, healthful home environments, and water and wellness. The new "Walk Across Kentucky" program mixes walking with learning about the environment and community.

A special part of the Wildcat Way, Tietyen said, is its focus on educating Kentuckians about the food and unique preparation techniques of their own state.

"We don't have to eat fast-food all the time," she said. "There are many health alternatives in the ways our ancestors cooked and ate. Kentucky grows an abundance of foods, and buying those from local farmers is a means to improve your health and your community."

Nearly 23,000 Kentucky Homemakers Extension programs have used the Wildcat Way. For the past two years, Tietyen has taken her program to Kentuckians via the Wildcat Way Cooking School at the Kentucky State Fair. The program was so popular, Kentucky 4-H asked Tietyen to create a similar program especially for children. The Clover Cat Way to Wellness will be piloted by Clark County 4-H clubs this fall, she said.

"They were concerned with the number of inactive and overweight children in Kentucky," she said. "So in Clover Cat, I've developed CATSkills for three age levels, fifth- and sixth-graders, eighth-graders and high school freshmen. The goal is to help them talk about weight, self-esteem and self-image in positive ways."

For more information on The Wildcat Way to Wellness, visit the program's Web site at www.ca.uky.edu/agcollege/fcs/wildcat or contact the local Cooperative Extension Service office for a schedule of classes or to request a class.

The Fayette County Extension Office is located on Red Mile Road and can be reached for more information by calling 257-5582.

Selena Stevens