Category: healthy living

Smart Habits Mean Savings

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Onions on store shelf

Healthy eating doesn’t have to be expensive. While we can’t do much about food prices, we can learn to shop smarter and make our food dollars stretch further.

Meal planning will allow you to spend less time in the grocery store and save you money. Create your shopping list and stick to it. Start by finding meals you would like to prepare, add ingredients you already have on hand (fridge, freezer, pantry), and look for special buys.

Purchase fresh produce in season or “less-than-perfect” produce at a reduced price. Avoid prewashed and precut produce, which is priced higher.

For meats, buy the whole piece or bulk packages and cut up or divide it at home. Stretch your ground meats by adding bread crumbs, herbs, eggs, or plant protein (tofu or textured vegetable protein).

Take advantage of weekly sales and deals. Don’t overlook in-store promotions or the store’s website. Track prices on the products you buy frequently. After a while, you will be able to spot a good price and stock up. Go to Spend Smart. Eat Smart., spendsmart.extension.iastate.edu/plan/shopping-tools/, for more money-saving tips.

Sources:
NCOA, go.iastate.edu/LFSA2J
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension, go.iastate.edu/KV3KLK

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Flu Shot Time!

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Wintertime is flu season, and getting your influenza vaccine (flu shot) in the fall is the best way to prevent the flu and its complications. It can take nearly two weeks to build immunity after a shot.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cdc.gov, recommends an annual flu shot for everyone age 6 months and older. It can lower your risk of having serious illness from the flu and the need for a hospital stay. You can still protect yourself against late flu outbreaks even if you get the flu shot in February or later in the season.

Talk to your health care provider if you have questions about getting the flu shot or visit your local public health office for more information.

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Sleeping Is Time Well Spent

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Person laying in bed reaching for alarm clock

Sleep is as important to our health as good diet and exercise. Adults need seven to nine hours of sleep per night, and many people do not get enough. Quality sleep allows our brains and bodies to rebuild and repair. Lack of good sleep raises the risk of heart disease, obesity, stroke, and dementia.

Healthy sleep is not only the amount of time spent in bed, but also getting quality, uninterrupted rest on a consistent sleep schedule. Use these tips to give your body and brain the restful recharge it needs for optimum health:

  • Be physically active during the day.
  • Create a good sleep environment that is quiet, dark, and cool.
  • Go to bed and get up at a consistent time, even during weekends.
  • Remove electronic devices from the bedroom.
  • Avoid stimulants such as nicotine and caffeine.
  • Limit alcohol and large meals close to bedtime.
  • Talk to your health care provider if you have persistent sleeping issues.

For more information about sleep and sleeping disorders, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/sleep.

Sources:
CDC, www.cdc.gov
National Institutes of Health, newsinhealth.nih.gov

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November Is National Diabetes Month

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Girl testing blood sugar

Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects more than 37 million U.S. adults. In the last 20 years the number of adults diagnosed has more than doubled, and one in five of all adults with diabetes do not know they have it.

Most of the food we eat is converted into glucose (sugar). Glucose is used as energy to fuel our bodies, including our muscles and brains. Too much glucose in our blood causes damage to our eyes, nerves, kidneys, and hearts. Insulin is a hormone that allows our body to use glucose for energy.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when a person’s body does not use insulin well. More than 90% of people with diabetes have type 2, which develops over many years. You can manage symptoms or prevent type 2 diabetes by being physically active, eating nutritious food, and maintaining a healthy body weight.

Type 1 diabetes is when a person’s body does not make enough insulin. People with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin to manage their blood glucose.

Talk to your health care provider if you have questions about diabetes or visit the CDC Diabetes website, www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics, for more information.

Sources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov
Iowa Public Health, go.iastate.edu/QC72N8

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Creating a self-care plan

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What does self-care look like for you? The emphasis being on “self,” meaning it’s personal. What works for you may not work for others. Self-care is about engaging in healthy activities that you can do to fill your cup.

There are eight “ACTION” areas that we can take to preserve or improve our health. These are listed below. As you read through them, consider what it is that you do for your own self-care under that dimension of wellness.

Community/Social Health—A sense of belonging, connecting with friends or your partner, attending community gatherings, volunteering

Intellectual Health—Exploring creative abilities and interests, expanding knowledge and skill, reading, brain games

Physical Health—Exercising, eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, preventative care

Emotional Health—Adjusting to challenges, coping with life’s stressors, enjoying life, relaxation techniques, journaling

Environmental Health—Activities that focus on “reduce, reuse, recycle;” learning and relaxing in natural places (When was the last time you took a walk that reconnected you with nature?)

Occupational Health—Satisfaction from one’s work, coworker relationships, work-life balance

Spiritual Health—Activities that focus on expanding your sense of purpose and meaning in life, finding balance and peace

Financial Health—Steps for your current and future financial goals

Having a better understanding of the things that you can do to recharge better prepares you to handle life’s stressful situations. Consider creating your own self-care action plan with your favorite strategies in each of these eight dimensions of wellness.

Source: SAMHSA, go.iastate.edu/JNRAUJ

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Load up on these nutrients to fuel your brain!

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Magnesium: spinach, pumpkin and chia seeds, soy milk, black beans, almonds, cashews, peanuts

Omega-3 fatty acids: walnuts, chia and flaxseeds, salmon, herring, sardines

Folate: beef liver, rice, fortified cereals, black-eyed peas, spinach, asparagus, brussels sprouts

Iron: oysters, beef liver, fortified cereals, spinach, dark chocolate, white beans, lentils, tofu

Zinc: oysters, chicken, pork chops, beef roast, Alaska king crab, lobster, pumpkin seeds

B vitamins: chicken breast, beef liver, clams, tuna, salmon, chickpeas, potatoes, bananas

Vitamin A: beef liver, herring, cow’s milk, ricotta cheese, sweet potatoes, carrots, cantaloupe

Fermented foods: yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut

Remember the quality of your diet is more powerful than any one decision you make in a day. Foods play an important role in mental health, but they won’t have a significant impact on their own if you aren’t prioritizing overall diet quality, self-care, and other stress management strategies.

Sources:
Harvard Health Publishing, go.iastate.edu/KP8LPX
Mental Health America, go.iastate.edu/TZYXXY
Health Line, go.iastate.edu/S8ZYMP

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Food and Mood

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An emerging field of research is nutritional psychiatry. This examines the relationship between diet and mental wellness or how foods affect our moods. One reason food choices affect our brain so much is our GI system, commonly called “the gut”—which is directly tied to our brain and the way we process emotions.

Common comfort foods (i.e., high-sugar and high-fat) are the least likely to benefit our mental health. Other harmful habits include eating processed foods, alcohol consumption, irregular meals, and lack of sleep.

The best way to support your mental health through diet is to eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, lean meats, dairy, and whole grains.

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Probiotic Primer

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Bottle with pills

Probiotics are live microorganisms that may aid in improving gastric discomfort, reducing diarrhea caused by antibiotics, help with the digestion of lactose (the sugar in milk products), and lower the risk of infections. Probiotics can be found in some supplements. When choosing a supplement, look for the strain and number of live bacteria to help ensure an effective dose.

Some foods have probiotics too, like fermented foods, which can contain live bacteria and aid in digestive health. It’s important to note that not all fermented foods have probiotics due to processing that can kill or remove the live microorganisms. Some foods with probiotics include yogurt, sauerkraut (sold refrigerated), kefir (fermented dairy), and kombucha (fermented tea). The food label should state the type of live bacteria.

Talk to your doctor about the strain and amount of probiotic recommended for the health benefit you are seeking and if probiotics are appropriate for you.

Source:
International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics, isappscience.org/

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Is Radon in Your Home?

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Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that forms in rocks, soil, and water. We cannot see, taste, or smell radon, but it is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the entire state of Iowa is considered high risk for radon gas in homes, and they have found the average indoor radon concentration in Iowa is more than six times the national average.

Testing your home is the only way to know if the radon level is high. To order low-cost kits and find answers to your radon questions, call the Iowa Radon Hotline at 1-800-383-5992 or go to
www.lung.org/radon.

Sources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cdc.gov/cancer/lung/
Environmental Protection Agency, epa.gov/radon
Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, hhs.iowa.gov/

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Workout Videos to Keep You Motivated!

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Online workout videos give you the flexibility to choose what you do and when you do it. A variety of physical activity options can help you get out of a rut and be active in the comfort of your own home.

For free, easy-to-use videos, go to
Spend Smart. Eat Smart., spendsmart.extension.iastate.edu/video-category/physical-activity/. Workout options include cardio, stretching, and strength training. Low impact and chair workouts are also included.

Being physically active improves your mood, helps manage weight, reduces risk of disease, improves brain health, and strengthens bones and muscles. Adults who sit less and do any amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity gain some health benefits.

Sources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cdc.gov/physicalactivity/
Spend Smart. Eat Smart., go.iastate.edu/Q6EUYK

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