Three Things You Can Change Now — according to Louisville’s Public Health Director

By Lucy M. Pritchett


When the director of the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness offers her top three tips for women to have a healthier lifestyle, we might want to listen.

1. Turn out the light and get some sleep.
2. Exercise because it’s good for your mental health.
3. Step away from the soft drinks — regular and diet.

Dr. Sarah Moyer practices what she preaches. “I try to get at least eight hours of sleep each night.” Considering that she has three boys, 4-year-old twins James and Landon and 18-month-old Teddy, the fact that she can get eight hours of sleep or at least attempt eight hours of sleep offers encouragement to women existing on five hours of snooze time.

She is active with her family and says that a walk around the block will do wonders when her stress level is rising. And, she makes sure to drink plenty of water during the day.

Sarah and her husband Jed moved to Louisville in 2013. “We found it to be a great city. There is lots to do here and we like to try new places — restaurants, theater, festivals, and the parks.” A bonus: She has a very short commute from their home in the Highlands.

There is one thing she would like to see gone from Louisville though — Big Red soda. “The red dye and the sugar content contribute to diabetes and ADHD. I had never heard of it until I moved here, but my patients started talking about how much of it they drank.”

Sarah grew up outside Chicago. She majored in physics at Colorado College in Colorado Springs. Before entering medical school, she earned a master’s in public health with honors from Dartmouth and earned her medical degree from Temple University in Philadelphia. Her public health and medical work have taken her to South and Central America, Tanzania, and Malawi.

After those good eight hours of sleeptime, Sarah jump starts her day with Starbucks Keurig House Blend Coffee. “The kids love to help make the coffee in the morning. They like to press the buttons and then count the seconds until the water starts. I usually have a banana and a granola bar on the way to work.”

When asked what the average American does not understand about health and wellness, she replies, “Many think it's all about willpower, but you make the choices that you have. You may want to make the healthy choice, but perhaps that's not the easy choice. It depends on how available your options are. Advertising and portion size have a lot to do with it, too. Fast food is easier to pick up than to plan ahead, especially if you don't have transportation.”

With the wellness of our community in her hands, what does she do to relax? “My husband and I go out to dinner, hang out with the kids, have lunch or go to happy hour with friends, take a walk. We have family dance parties at home with the kids.”

Here's What Works for Sarah:

Photos by Patti Hartog

La Croix Sparkling Water
I drink about two cans a day, usually the lime or lemon flavored... any flavor but the coconut. I always bring one to work for an afternoon snack and pair it with an apple. Honeycrisp apples are my favorite.


Aquaphor Healing Ointment
This is terrific for preventing chapped lips, but it does so much more. I carry it in the diaper bag and use it as a cream for eczema and diaper rash for the boys. It's like a medicated Vaseline. It’s unscented. I use a lot of it.


Sally Hansen Insta-Dri nail polish
I used to never use nail polish because I couldn't sit still long enough to let my nails dry. This polish dries in a minute and I can get back to doing the dishes or run off to work. I have it in lots of different colors.