Healthy St. Pete has officially launched in the Burg. This new initiative in the city comes after the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute national health assesment. The City of St. Pete found itself receiving middle of the road scores. While that's not too bad, residents and officials alike aren't content with the status quo. That's why we love living here and find ourselves reinvigorated each morning. 

The university tested the general health of nearly every county in the U.S., giving them scores based on environment, access to mental and physical health facilities, overall morbidity and mortality, and health behaviors of the county's residents. The City of St. Pete is taking strides to inform citizens how to maintain a healthy diet, while providing them with information about to live healthily on a budget. 

The advice and methods are plucked straight from local groups, chefs, stores and active residents. More than just being a fad that is forgotten in a month, the City wants to reinforce the concept that St. Pete is a place conducive to those looking to live an energetic, organic and healthy life. 

*Photo via tpl.org

The Healthy St. Pete program is built upon four pillars: Live, Play, Eat and Shop.

'Live' identifies group programs available to citizens that can help educate them on healthy behaviors, both mental and physical. Programs include a spotlight on the American Heart Association's sodium pledge and fit-friendly workplace. There will also be a plethora of information on National Blood Pressure Education Month. These programs are about conditioning citizens to make exercise a habit, while removing confusion when it comes to diet friendly meals and habits.

'Play' will focus on free and affordable activities residents can participate in to help encourage fit rituals. This pillar highlights the activities the Parks and Recreation department puts together (i.e. Fitness Zones), along with links to local walking, cycling and running groups in the area. This concentrated calendar will better link residents to an active lifestyle and encourage consistent health conscious behaviors.

'Eat' will host a variety of test kitchen segments educating residents on how to prepare healthy meals. The meals will include local, accessible ingredients used by the top chefs in the city.

'Shop' will be a sort of "how to" guide for grocery shopping. Shop will spotlight local farmers markets including the Saturday Morning Market and the Deuces Live Sunday Market paying special attention to the produce vendors. The segments will introduce those watching to local ingredients they didn't know existed and how they can be used in a myriad of recipes. 

*Photo via Healthy St. Pete

The Healthy St. Pete push will be anything but static. The page will allow local organizations that chance to put forth calls to action to the community. Whether its about organizing a fun run, advertising a local, healthy market, or a push toward donations for a worthy cause, Healthy St. Pete will become the beacon of growth and development in the city. 

The City has also launched a healthy rewards program. The St. Pete Health Hero App is a fitness app that tracks your health and wellness progress. It is a community-based app that allows you to earn rewards for healthy behaviors and group activities. The rewards are all for local restaurants and retailers that support the Healthy St. Pete mission. Download the app for iPhone.