Healthy start to the year

IkPas, also known as Dry January, makes you break through your habits. That you notice how normal it is to end a long working day with a glass of wine, for example. And that this can be done differently with a tasty (non-alcoholic) ginger beer or a cup of tea.

It is precisely during this time that the importance of a healthy lifestyle has proven to be essential. The foundation for our health and the healthcare system. As alderman for 'care', I am committed to this every day. We really need to invest in prevention. That was already clear to me, but I think this realization is the most important lesson from this pandemic.

The Municipality of Zaanstad signed the Zaan Prevention Agreement with social partners in 2021. With this agreement, the municipality, ZMC, GGD, Parteon, Rochdale, general practitioners, Zilveren Kruis, the Sports Company and De Zaanse Uitdaging are joining forces to help Zaankanters make a healthy choice. The result: a healthier Zaanstad by 2040. That is not without reason, because in Zaanstad we are just a bit unhealthier than in the rest of the country. In Zaanstad, for example, no less than 10 percent of the residents are heavy drinkers.

The positive thing about this corona period is that all kinds of apps and websites have been developed that help you break unhealthy habits and make healthier choices. Earlier I wrote about the Detours app. Now the IkPas challenge helps.

And will I drink another glass of wine next month? No idea. Probably. But then a lot more consciously and with a good feeling about this healthy start to the year.