Spring is in the air, and April is upon us. It is the time of year everyone starts going outside to garden, exercise, and spend time with others in the community. April 5th is National Walking Day, and the walking groups in Tillamook County are ready to start back up to help everyone stay active by getting their daily steps in. Over the last several years, 10,000 steps a day has become the goal many people aim for in their daily fitness journey. That is a lofty goal for some people as 10,000 steps averages about 5 miles. However, 10,000 steps may not be the right amount for everyone.
The 10,000-step history:
In 1963 during preparations for the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, a prominent doctor in Japan expressed concern about the lack of physical activity among Japanese citizens. He wanted to find a way to encourage people to walk more and suggested 10,000 steps as a goal. In 1965 the manpo-kei pedometer, whose name translates to “10,000 steps meter”, was created. Some sources say 10,000 steps were chosen because the Japanese character for 10,000 resembles a person walking.
When wearable devices, such as FitBit, became popular for fitness tracking the 10,000-step goal was adopted. In an article for Fortune.com the CEO of FitBit conveyed the 10,000-step goal was selected because the company felt it was achievable for many people, and the amount of time needed to accomplish the 10,000-step goal fell within the recommended fitness guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control. This guideline recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week (30 minutes a day). This standard became rooted in the exercise consciousness of Americans as people began pushing themselves to reach this goal.
What the research shows:
With the popularity of the 10,000-step goal, researchers finally began looking into whether this amount of steps is an ideal amount to walk. Interestingly they found it is not. It turns out 10,000 steps is more than most people need. The recommended daily amount of steps varies depending on which research you are reading. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found the benefits of walking peak at about 7,500 steps a day. This amount is closer to 3 to 3.5 miles a day, depending on how tall someone is. A second study published in Nature Medicine indicates the optimal number of steps to ward off disease is 8,200 a day or about 4 miles.
Staying physically active every day is ideal for improving general health for everyone. Researchers all agree walking more improves your health by reducing the risk of many diseases. The less you walk, the more at risk you are for health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and obesity.
For many people, 10,000 steps a day can appear overwhelming. Hopefully, knowing these lower daily step goals will make the idea of staying physically active more achievable. Walking is an activity that can be done anywhere in almost any weather. Yes, even in the rain. So get out there, move your body, and consider joining one of the walking groups to connect with people in the community. Your body will thank you for it.
Every year in March there are campaigns across the nation to bring awareness to Developmental Disabilities. This is a time where individuals with and without disabilities can share their experiences, their stories, and their advocacy for justice, equity, and inclusion. This is an opportune time for communities to unite and join forces with individuals with disabilities to advocate for resources for schools and education, resources for accessible sidewalks and buildings, and resources for the full spectrum of healthcare (physical, mental, emotional, social, and recreational). You may not be aware of this, but President Ronald Regan recognized March as Developmental Disabilities awareness month in 1987. His goal was to “increase the public awareness of the needs and potential of Americans with developmental disabilities” and provide the “encouragement and opportunities they need to lead productive lives and to achieve their full potential” (National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, 2023). 1 in 6 children, ages 3-17, are diagnosed with a developmental disability in the United States between 2009-2017 (Zablotsky et al., 2019).
Autism Acceptance Month
April’s Autism Awareness began with a campaign in 1972 called the “National Autistic Children’s Week”, this eventually changed into what became Autism Awareness month, and now it is known as Autism Acceptance month (National Today, 2023). The Autism Society’s goals are to increase acceptance and ignite change, and ultimately improve outcomes for individuals and families who experience autism (National Today, 2023). Autism spectrum disorder is classified as a developmental disability, and everyone will have their own specific set of strengths, challenges, and difficulties. Some of these areas include communication, sensory processing, social skills, adaptive skills, and behavior. Individuals may need a range of supports from very little, where they will be able to live completely independent, to needing significant daily support from one or more people (National Today, 2023). According to the CDC, autism rates are as high as1 in 44, and are 4 times higher in boys (Maenner et al., 2021).
The Connection with Mental Health
You may be asking why I am talking about this subject? Well, the answer is this; these are two populations whose mental health tends to get ignored and is very much at risk. There is evidence that shows youth with autism spectrum disorder have higher rates of depression and suicide than their neurotypical peers (Mayes et al., 2013). Researchers have found some evidence that “twice exceptional youth”, those with autism and have high IQ’s (120 or higher), are at an increased risk of suicidal thoughts compared to neurotypical youth in the same IQ range (Brown, 2023). This is concerning as high IQ has long been thought to be a protective factor against suicidal ideation (Brown, 2023). Individuals with developmental disabilities tend to experience higher rates of mental health conditions, but many times they do not receive appropriate mental health treatment due to the lack of understanding, training, and education about the specific needs of this population (Pinals et al., 2022).
Awareness, Acceptance, and Advocacy
Children and youth with developmental disabilities, including autism, may need specialized support at school. This may be even more important when they need mental health supports. Schools are in a unique position where they not only provide education, but they have resources to provide social-emotional learning for our children; this is a prime opportunity for all children to learn how to interact, foster self-management, and work cooperatively.
Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (Time to Celebrate!)
I encourage everyone to take time to celebrate the diversity of people in this world. I encourage you to be inclusive of everyone, no matter their ability (or any other reason). Advocate for resources so that schools and communities can assure equitable access to buildings, sidewalks, education, and services, especially individualized education, and mental health services. By doing all of this we will increase educationally opportunities, increase pro-social behavior, and reduce mental health disparities for individuals with developmental disabilities, including autism.
AUTHOR: Dr. Danell Boggs, DBH, LCSW at Tillamook County Community Health Center
References
Brown, J. (2023). Autism combined with high IQ increases risk of suicidal thoughts. https://uihealthcare.org
Maenner, M., Shaw, K., Bakian, A., et al. (2021). Prevalence and characteristics of autism spectrum disorder among children aged 8 years – autism and developmental disabilities monitoring network, 11 sites, United States, 2018. MMWR Surveill Summ, 70(11) 1-16. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.ss7011a1
Pinals, D., Hoermale, L., Mauch, D., & Anacker, L. (2022). Persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the mental health system: part 1. Clinical considerations. Psychiatric Services, 73(3). Doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201900504
Zablotsky, B., Black, L., Maenner, M., Schieve, L., Danielson, M., Bitsko, R., Blumberg, S., Kogan, M., & Boyle, C. (2019). Prevalence and trends of developmental disabilities among children in the US: 2009–2017. Pediatrics, 144(4):e20190811
2 Tablespoons maple syrup, agave or honey (see Notes)
1½ Tablespoons melted coconut oil
2 to 3 Tablespoons water
2 Tablespoons fruit jam (optional)
Directions
Wash hands with soap and water.
Set oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, stir together the almond flour, hazelnut flour and cinnamon, if desired.
Add syrup and oil. Stir to mix in evenly.
Add 1 Tablespoon water at a time, stirring after each addition. The mixture will appear crumbly but will hold together to form a cookie.
Scoop 2 Tablespoons of mixture into your hand and shape into a ball. Press your thumb gently into the center of the dough to form a thumbprint. Place cookie on a parchment-covered or lightly-greased baking sheet.
Add a small amount of jam (any type) into the thumbprint of each cookie.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the bottom edges of the cookies begin to brown.
To avoid breaking the cookies, let them cool completely before taking them off the pan.
Refrigerate or freeze leftover cookies in an airtight container.
Notes
Look for nut flours in the baking section of your grocery store. For best quality and freshness, store nut flours in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.
If almond or hazelnut flour is coarsely ground, sift before measuring.
Try making your own nut flour in a food processor. Use short pulses of about 1 second each. Stop and scrape the bowl about every 10 seconds to be sure the grind is even and to stop before you grind the nuts into nut butter.
You can substitute an all-purpose gluten-free flour for the almond flour.
No coconut oil? Use vegetable oil or melted butter or margarine instead.
Try a small piece of chocolate or a hazelnut in the thumbprint instead of fruit jam.
Honey is not recommended for children under 1 year old.
Gardening can be a wonderful hobby for enjoying fresh veggies and spending time outdoors, but it can also be intimidating to figure out how to get started as a beginner gardener. We recently talked with Sarah Ostermiller, a Tillamook County Master Gardener through OSU Extension, to learn more about her experience as a gardener and any advice she might have for those who want to try their hand this spring.
How did you originally get started in gardening?
I tell people that I do not remember a time I didn’t garden. My grandmother had a garden and when she babysat, we would be outside and she would hand me big seeds that a little kid could handle, and she would show me how to put them in the ground. And I was absolutely fascinated that they would turn into beautiful flowers or peas to eat. I was hooked from the time I was about 4 or 5 years old so when I retired, the first thing I did when moving here was take the master gardening training and I’ve been involved ever since.
What do you wish you had known when you first started gardening on your own?
Don’t over do it! I think the first garden I planted on my own was probably in college and I planted every seed I could find in a relatively small space and it got away from me. I didn’t have the time to take care of it, to weed it, or to preserve it after harvest. I think the best thing first gardeners can do is decide how much time they have and how much space they have, and then choose exactly what is the most special thing that they want to grow. Start small because it can be overwhelming.
I’m a vegetable gardener primarily, and any cold-weather crops are very easy to grow. So this time of year, you can start getting lettuce, radishes and peas started. Other cold crops like cabbages, broccoli, kales are also relatively easy to grow. “Cool weather crops” start easily in the colder soil in the colder early months of the summer.
What are some common mistakes that first time gardeners make?
Growing things that look good in the seed catalog but your family isn’t going to eat – if you have picky kids who don’t like vegetables, it might not be a good idea to grow kohlrabi but corn might be okay. The best thing to do is try to grow things that you or your household will eat and start with few things that you enjoy using in the kitchen. It may not be as exciting as growing something more exotic or unusual, but when it produces well and tastes good, there’s nothing more exciting than that.
What should people know about our climate when it comes to gardening on the coast?
There are two important things to know about your garden space: the weather and the soil. You could be at the beach and have more rain and wind and sandy soil or you could be up on the side of the coastal range and the soil is really forest loam where you get a full sun exposure. Those things make a big difference on what will grow well and how much time you have to grow things until it gets cold again. I always recommend that people try growing things in raised beds where they have more control over the soil and crops.
Do you have a basic overview of what you would tell someone who is just starting out?
The first step is deciding what exactly you would like to grow: vegetables, flowers, or maybe trees? Then spend a little bit of time doing some research: the local libraries have wonderful selections of gardening how-to books. And if you aren’t sure about what kind of soil you have and want to do a soil test, OSU Extension can help make recommendations on how to do that.
Another great way to get started is to talk to your friends and neighbors! If you walk by someone’s house while they’re out gardening, stop and chat with them. Gardeners love to talk about what they’re doing and they absolutely love to talk about their gardens so don’t hesitate to ask questions and then contact us if you have any specific questions.
How can folks utilize the resources and knowledge at OSU Extension?
The best ways to contact the Master Gardeners is to call the Tillamook County OSU Extension office or email directly at tillamook.mastergardeners@oregonstate.edu. People can also visit our website at https://tillamookmastergardeners.com/ and we can message through our Facebook page, the Tillamook County Master Gardener Association.
What do you enjoy most about working for OSU Extension?
Well I love gardening, but I’m also very conscious about wanting to do it well and right. You can go online and get all kinds of odd information about how to deal with problems or insects or diseases but it’s not necessarily the best sources for information. The Master Gardener training is developed to teach people science-based gardening and home horticulture, and that is what we use for making recommendations when faced with problems in the garden (such as a disease or insect attacking your garden). We want to make sure that the information we give out is scientifically based, research-based information. And that really is a good feeling, because you know that the information that you are providing somebody is going to help them make their garden work for them.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I don’t think there is anything better then pushing a few small seeds in the ground and watching them come up and harvesting a bowl full of fresh vegetables to serve to your family. I find that to be just an absolute marvelous process and something everyone should do at least once in their lives. As a beginning gardener, you can get a couple pots and sprinkle a couple lettuce seeds or stick in a tomato plant and see if you like the process – you’ll have salad all summer long with just a pot and a small package of seeds. Trying it out in some containers or pots is a great way to get started.
We also have a “learning garden” at the fairgrounds. If you come in the main entrance where the reader board is and look to the right, there’s a garden there known as the learning garden. Anytime the fairgrounds are open, people can wander through and see what’s going on. Last year we put together a fairly extensive container garden of mostly vegetables. This year we’ll get started at the beginning of April and anyone can stop by to see what’s growing and get in touch with us when we’re there on Thursday mornings.
