Category: wellness

Produce Safety in Gardens

eminniha

Gardening is a fun and satisfying summer activity. It can increase your family’s food security and have physical and mental health benefits. However, gardens can be a dangerous place. Here are some essential gardening safety and health tips to keep in mind:

  • Wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Use safety gloves to protect your hands from cuts and irritations. Wear long sleeves, safety goggles, long pants, a straw hat, and boots. Apply sunscreen that has an SPF of 30 or higher and use insect repellent if needed.
  • Consider temperatures. Weather conditions can change excessively from morning to afternoon. Check the weather first and then plan your gardening day. Remember to stay hydrated!
  • Use chemicals carefully. Read the chemical label before use. This ensures it will be used correctly and for its intended purpose. Store away from children and animals.
  • Focus on posture. Gardening includes a lot of bending and kneeling. Take time to ensure you maintain the right posture. Ask for assistance when lifting anything heavy.
food safety, healthy living, wellness , , ,
Leave a Comment on Produce Safety in Gardens

Journey with Mindfulness

eminniha

Stress is a regular part of life, but coping with it can be difficult. Many continue to feel overwhelmed, unsure, and exhausted. One way to welcome a fresh start and clear the head is to explore meditation practices. Meditation practices have a variety of health benefits such as improved sleep quality and reduced physical symptoms of stress and anxiety, and they can help you learn to stay centered and keep inner peace. See below for apps and music for meditation.

  • Insight Timer is a free app for your device. It provides guided meditations and talks led by the world’s top meditation and mindfulness experts, neuroscientists, and psychologists.
  • The Stop, Breathe, Think app is available for Apple and Android devices. It allows the user to check in with emotions and recommends short, guided meditations as well as yoga and acupressure videos.
  • The Calm app includes guided meditations, sleep stories, music, classes, and calm body programs.
healthy living, wellness , , , ,
Leave a Comment on Journey with Mindfulness

Produce Basics

eminniha

Preparing fresh produce is easy if you have the right information! Spend Smart. Eat Smart Produce Basics, go.iastate.edu/EXKVVD, describes how to store, clean, and prepare fresh produce.

  • Corn on the Cob, go.iastate.edu/UIOFP4: A summer staple that is high in fiber.
    • Choose ears of corn that have a bright green husk.
    • If husk is removed, refrigerate in tightly wrapped plastic for 1 to 2 days. If husk is still on, store uncovered in a refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.
  • Onions: This vegetable is high in vitamin C and fiber.
    • Choose onions that are dry, shiny, and firm, and do not have dents or bruises.
    • Store whole onions in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place and use within 4 weeks.
    • Refrigerate cut onions in a tightly sealed container and use within 7 days.
    • Rinse onions under cool running water before use.
  • Zucchini, go.iastate.edu/ZAC1CS: This food helps heal cuts and wounds while helping the immune system.
    • Choose zucchini that have shiny skins and firm flesh.
    • Store in a plastic bag in the vegetable (crisper) drawer of the refrigerator and use within 4–5 days.
food safety, nutrition, wellness , , , ,
Leave a Comment on Produce Basics

Double Up on Food Bucks

eminniha

Did you know more than 380,000 Iowans rely on food assistance programs? Iowa ranks 50th in the nation for fruit and vegetable consumption, according to the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative website. The Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) Incentive Program matches the value of food assistance benefits and makes it easier for low-income Iowans to consume fruits and vegetables while supporting local farmers and economies. For more information, read the tips below.

  • If you are on food assistance, you get more money to spend on fresh fruit and vegetables! DUFB gives you $1 for every $1 you spend on any fresh fruits and vegetables with your SNAP EBT card. You can use the extra money to buy fresh fruit and vegetables at local grocery stores or farmers markets.
  • In Iowa, find a DUFB location, iowahealthieststate.com, near you.
  • Outside of Iowa, see if your state has this program and find participating grocery stores and farmers markets near you at Double Up Food Bucks, doubleupamerica.org.
healthy living, nutrition, wellness , ,
Leave a Comment on Double Up on Food Bucks

Three Simple Rules for Outdoor Meals

eminniha
Man grilling and serving food to a group of people outside

Potlucks and family events are a fun reason to get outdoors in the warm weather. However, you need to take extra care to keep food safe from foodborne illness. Foodborne illnesses increase during the summer months because bacteria multiply faster with warm temperatures. Read the three simple food safety guidelines below to protect yourself, your family, and your friends from foodborne illness.

  • Clean. Wash hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food, touching pets, and using the restroom. After prepping each item, wash and sanitize cutting boards, utensils, and dishes. Rinse fruits and vegetables under running tap water and scrub firm produce with a clean produce brush.
  • Separate. Never place cooked food on a dish that previously held raw poultry, meat, seafood, or eggs. Bacteria can spread from raw juices to cooked or ready-to-eat food. Instead, use one cutting board for fresh produce and another for raw food items.
  • Cook. Pack a food thermometer to ensure the safety of meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs. These food items must be cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature to destroy any harmful bacteria that could cause foodborne illnesses. Use a food thermometer to test for doneness:

Fish—145°F

Steaks, chops—145°F

Ground meat—160°F

Poultry—165°F

Sources:
US Food and Drug Administration, www.fda.gov
ISU Extension and Outreach – Words on Wellness, go.iastate.edu/IFSNX3

food safety, wellness , , , ,
Leave a Comment on Three Simple Rules for Outdoor Meals

Wireless EBT Project

eminniha

Iowans with limited incomes receiving SNAP have access to locally grown farm-fresh food at selected farmers markets with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services’ Wireless EBT Project. This project provides wireless machines to farmers across the state. This allows farmers to accept SNAP EBT, MasterCard, Visa, Discover and American Express cards. The program is a win-win for Iowans! You can use your EBT, credit, or debit card to purchase food at the farmers markets, making it easy to access fresh local Iowa food. The project helps farmers sell their products to people that may not have been able to buy them before. For more information and to see if you qualify for SNAP, call the hotline number, 1-855-944-3663.

Check out your local farmers market to see if they participate in the Wireless EBT Project.

healthy living, nutrition, wellness , , ,
Leave a Comment on Wireless EBT Project

Plan Your Move

eminniha

The health benefits of regular physical activity are well known, but many of us do not make it a part of our daily routine. Are you active for at least 30 minutes 5 days a week, or 150 minutes a week? Do you engage in muscle strengthening activity 2 days each week? If not, check out these tips:

  • Keep track! Schedule time on your calendar for at least 30 minutes of physical activity 5 days each week. Find activities you enjoy like taking a walk outside or going for a swim.
  • Ask for a partner to join you. Enjoy time with friends and family when you are active. Find an exercise partner to support you and hold you accountable.
  • Join a fitness class. Joining a class can help you stick with it.
  • Find activities you can do all year. Find an indoor place to walk like the grocery store or Walmart or watch an online exercise video when it isn’t nice outside.
Two people walking
fitness, healthy living, wellness , ,
Leave a Comment on Plan Your Move

Diet and Inflammation

eminniha
Man with an upset stomach

A diet focused on eating more plant-based foods and less saturated fats will help lower chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation can lead to disease. Choose anti-inflammatory foods to improve your health and well-being, lower your risk for disease, and improve your quality of life. Plant-based foods, such as berries and dark leafy vegetables, have anti-inflammatory properties. Base your diet on whole, nutrient-dense foods that contain antioxidants, and avoid highly processed products high in added sugar and fat. Your anti-inflammatory diet should provide a healthy balance of protein, carbohydrate, and fat.

Foods to eat more of include the following:

  • Whole Grains: 3 servings/day; whole grains have brain healthy B vitamins and are a great source of fiber.
  • Green Leafy Veggies: 6+ servings/week; dark leafy greens are nutrient packed with antioxidants and high in vitamins A, C, and K, all of which have anti-inflammatory properties.
  • Other Veggies: 1 serving+/day; other vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower are cruciferous vegetables that protect against cell damage in our bodies.
  • Berries: 2+ servings/week; berries get their superpowers from their bright colors that fight inflammation and cell damage.
healthy living, wellness , , , , , , , , ,
Leave a Comment on Diet and Inflammation

Resources to Help You Move More

eminniha

Getting regular exercise and physical activity benefits everyone, including those with Parkinson’s disease. Being physically active can improve your mood, help you focus, reduce stress, and improve sleep. Adults need a mix of aerobic (such as walking or biking) and muscle-strengthening activity to stay healthy. Aim for at least 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week and muscle-strengthening activities at least 2 days per week. Move Your Way®, health.gov/moveyourway, provides tools and resources to make your personalized activity plan.

fitness, healthy living, wellness , ,
Leave a Comment on Resources to Help You Move More

April Is Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month

eminniha
Hands of older person

Parkinson’s disease affects an estimated 1 million Americans. This number is growing daily. Iowa is ranked 33rd for Parkinson’s disease rates. Parkinson’s disease is a type of movement disorder. People with Parkinson’s disease may have a variety of symptoms that can make it hard to diagnose. Early signs of Parkinson’s disease could include the following:

  • Tremor or slight shaking in your finger, thumb, hand, or chin. Shaking while at rest is a common early sign of Parkinson’s disease.
  • Small Handwriting. You may notice your writing is smaller than in the past.
  • Loss of smell of certain foods.
  • Trouble sleeping or sudden movements and acting out dreams while asleep.
  • Difficulty moving or walking because of stiffness that doesn’t go away.
  • Constipation and difficulty swallowing due to how the disease affects muscles and nerves.
  • Speech changes such as a soft or low voice that is a change from your typical voice.
  • Facial masking or reduced face expression.
  • Dizziness or fainting, which can be a sign of low blood pressure and can be linked to the disease.
  • Stooping or difficulty standing up straight.

If you have two or more of the signs above you should consider making an appointment with your health care provider. Learn more about causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatments by attending A Journey Through Parkinson’s Disease class, go.iastate.edu/IFGVG4.

Sources:
National Institute on Aging, nia.nih.gov
Parkinson’s Foundation, www.parkinson.org/
American Parkinson Disease Association, www.apdaparkinson.org/

healthy living, wellness , ,
Leave a Comment on April Is Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month

Categories

Meta