by Guest | Mar 8, 2023 | Eat Well
We’ve all heard that we should be eating fresh fruits and vegetables as key portions of our daily meals – but at what cost? With food prices on the rise, preparing nutritious, well-rounded meals can seem like an extra strain not only on our available time but also on our wallets. Luckily, there are some strategies (and local resources!) that can help in getting the biggest bang for your buck in the grocery aisles.
- Plan ahead: Start simple by taking a look in your pantry and fridge to see what you might already have hiding in the back of a cupboard. Then try to plan a couple meals that you’ll be shopping for – a great resource for tasty, healthy, and budget-friendly recipes is the OSU Extension Food Hero website. They focus on sharing recipes that use easy-to-find ingredients and easy-to-follow directions to make healthy meals a little more stress-free.
- Consider meatless meals: Plant-based proteins like legumes, beans, lentils, or tofu are highly nutritious and often cheaper than meat at the grocery store. You might find that switching a meal or two each week to a plant-based protein like dried beans or legumes can help stretch your food dollars and still be tasty and satisfying. For preparation and cooking tips, Food Hero is a great resource, or a quick Google search will get you started.
- Shop smart: Try to stick to the list you created – you might find that eating a snack before shopping will help reduce any hunger-induced impulse buying! Look for any generic or store brand items that may be cheaper and utilize available coupons or sign up for rewards programs at your local grocery store. When debating between two of the same items that are different sizes, consider how much of the item you need or will use. Buying the larger item (or “buying in bulk”) can be a better deal for the amount you receive, but only if it’s an item that you’ll be able to use completely before it expires.
- Buy canned or frozen fruits & veggies: Fresh produce can make up a large part of a grocery bill, but canned or frozen fruits and vegetables can still provide plenty of nutrients for a better price. Just keep an eye out to avoid canned items stored in syrup or with added sugar or salt. For frozen items, look for those either stored without a sauce or labeled as “lightly sauced” to avoid extra sugar or salt.
- Utilize local resources: Food Roots is a non-profit that provides local fresh fruits and veggies, dairy and meat products here in Tillamook County. They are part of the Double Up Food Bucks program so if you spend $10 in SNAP/EBT, then they will provide another $10 of goods at no extra cost. And as an added bonus, SNAP shoppers can receive free delivery of Food Roots items, check out their website to learn more: https://www.foodrootsnw.org/
- Give yourself grace: There will always be weeks where things don’t work out quite as you hoped, and that’s okay! Remember to be kind and patient with yourself as you try out new things, and don’t feel like you need to change an entire lifestyle overnight – small steps can still have a big impact.
For inspiration, check out this quick weeknight dinner recipe from Food Hero:
Pasta with Greens and Beans
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta (try penne)
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 10 ounces frozen spinach
- 1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 can (15 ounces) white beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet. Add garlic and cook on low (250 degrees F in an electric skillet) until soft.
- Add spinach, tomatoes with juice, beans, salt and pepper. Once the mixture bubbles, cook uncovered on low heat for 5 minutes.
- Add drained pasta and parmesan cheese to spinach mixture. Toss well and serve.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Recipe Notes
- Substitute cleaned and chopped fresh spinach (about 6 cups).
- Try other greens, such as Swiss chard or kale instead of spinach. Be sure to clean greens well and cook them until soft.
- Cook your own dry beans. One can (15 ounces) is about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups drained beans.
Article Sources:
AUTHOR: Tillamook County Wellness
Other wellness questions? Email us at info@tillamookcountywellness.org. For more local health and wellness information, visit www.tillamookcountywellness.org or follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook and Instagram.
by Guest | Mar 1, 2023 | Lunch & Snack Recipes, Recipes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup raisins
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- ⅔ cup buttermilk
Directions
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Mix well.
- Add raisins and mix lightly.
- In a small bowl, combine melted butter and buttermilk. Add liquid ingredients to flour mixture; mix gently.
- Spoon dough into 9 equal mounds on a greased baking sheet.
- Bake until well browned, 18-20 minutes.
- Serve hot or at room temperature. Best eaten the same day you bake them.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Recipe Notes
- Substitute vegetable oil for the butter to reduce saturated fat.
- Try other dried fruit.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon before baking.
- Try mixing in 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon or orange zest (grate the outer colored part of the peel).
- No buttermilk? Place 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar in measuring cup and fill to the 1 cup line with milk. Stir and let set to thicken slightly.
- Whole-wheat flour can be replaced with all-purpose flour.
Recipe Photo and Source: https://foodhero.org/recipes/buttermilk-scones
by Guest | Feb 22, 2023 | Being Well
February is all about love since the major holiday is Valentine’s Day. The focus is often about showing that special someone how you feel about them. But what about the relationship you have with yourself? How much love and kindness do you show yourself?
First, let’s define the difference between self-care and self-love, as these terms are often used interchangeably yet are actually different. While self-care and self-love are both classified as nouns, self-care is about the actions we take to show ourselves care and regard while self-love is defined as the “regard for one’s own happiness”, accepting ourselves fully, and treating ourselves with kindness. Both are essential, and you cannot have one without the other, yet self-care is action oriented and self-love is rooted in thoughts and feelings. Self-care is everything from brushing your teeth and good sleep hygiene to massages, pedicures, and other indulgences or pampering. Self-love is the inner and outer dialogue we have with and about ourselves, how we treat ourselves compared to others, and how we then allow others to treat us.
When you have love for yourself it means you have an overall positive view of yourself. It does not mean you are selfish, vain, or narcissistic, despite what some may believe. Self-love does not keep you from loving others or having empathy, it simply means that you treat yourself with the same love and kindness you would show others and do not prioritize them to your own detriment. It does not mean you think you are above making mistakes or having flaws, yet you still love yourself regardless of any imperfections.
Self-love does not mean you never have unpleasant feelings towards yourself either. That would be nearly impossible as we are human and experience a vast range of emotions. Yet when you have love for yourself, navigating more difficult or uncomfortable emotions becomes easier. In fact, in Emotional Freedom Techniques, an evidenced based modality used to help with emotional regulation and also known as EFT or tapping, the set up phrases end with “and I love and accept myself fully”. This helps build and strengthen neural pathways that support self-love and self-acceptance by “tricking” the brain into feeling more self-love.
Self-love also means that you do not sacrifice your own well-being for that of another. When you do not love yourself, you become susceptible to abuse, boundary violations, and manipulation. You stop practicing habits that promote or sustain good health. You speak to yourself in an unkind and negative way that erodes your self-esteem or causes you to be a people pleaser or perfectionist. You may make riskier choices or put yourself in harm’s way. Typically, if you do not have self-love, then you do not have a healthy self-care practice either. This may mean you are not eating healthy, getting good sleep, going to the doctor, paying bills on time, developing healthy and safe relationships, etc.. This is where self-care and self-love overlap. The better your self-love is, the better your self-care practice is and vice versa.
Self-love is also essential for us to build healthy relationships with others, pursue our bigger goals and dreams, and live a more fulfilling, vibrant life.
How do you begin to build a self-love practice?
Become aware of the messages you tell yourself, interrupt the negative ones, and begin to replace them with more loving, kind thoughts. EFT is a great tool for this and so are sticky notes with affirmations or kind messages placed where you can see them. Practice forgiveness and gratitude toward yourself. Put your needs first on your list and speak up about what you need, including asking for help. Set boundaries and know your core values. Honor your emotions and celebrate your strengths and wins(especially the little ones we often overlook, adulting is hard, some days putting on pants is a win). Have realistic expectations of yourself and let go of what you cannot control. Give yourself grace and compassion. And most importantly, build a sustainable self-care practice that allows and encourages you to take care of your whole self.
“How you love yourself is how you teach others to love you.” – Rupi Kaur
AUTHOR: Amanda Ferrat, Founder of Value Yourself Counseling LLC and Certified Advanced EFT Practitioner & Wellness Counselor
by Guest | Feb 14, 2023 | Recipes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 6 mini Hershey’s special dark chocolate bars (chopped)
- 2 cups plain nonfat greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp honey or 4 packets artificial sweetner
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup skim milk
- 6 tbsp whipped topping
- 2 cups fresh raspberries
Directions:
- Add the chopped chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate on high for 1 minute, then stir. If not completely melted, microwave for 30 more seconds, then stir until all chunks are melted. Do not overcook.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whip the Greek yogurt with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the honey, vanilla, and milk and beat some more. Then add the chocolate, a small amount at a time, beating in between additions.
- Once all of the chocolate is mixed into the yogurt, divide the mousse into 6 portions and top each portion with 1/3 cup raspberries and 1 tablespoon whipped topping.
Recipe Source: The Diabetes Cookbook/Diabetes Forecast. Recipe Credit: Lara Rondinelli-Hamilton, RD, CDE, and Jennifer Bucko Lamplough. https://www.diabetesfoodhub.org/recipes/greek-yogurt-chocolate-mousse.html
Photo Credit: Photography by Terry Doran; Food Styling by Skyler Myers; Styled by Stacey Heston.
by Guest | Feb 8, 2023 | Being Well
When we think of healthy relationships, especially around Valentine’s Day, our thoughts often go to dating or marriage. We know it isn’t always hearts and roses when it comes to relationships. It can be a lot of hard work and it doesn’t always work. It might surprise us to know that the health of our adult relationships ties back to the earliest stages of life.
Long-standing research has shown that secure bonds of attachment between a baby and its caregiver play a significant role in a child’s development. In one study, researchers observed mother rats who licked their baby rats, a form of maternal bonding. Those babies had higher levels of serotonin (a feel-good hormone) than baby rats who did not get slobbery kisses from their moms. Even more interesting, the pups licked by the mother experienced functional changes in their DNA; changes that altered how their brains and bodies responded to stress.
Former California Surgeon General, Nadine Burke-Harris, explains the rat experiment in her book, The Deepest Well, to highlight how positive, early life experiences impact the brain’s ability to tolerate stress and manage emotions. Going back to our rat families, researchers were amazed to discover that even if baby rats were exposed to significant stress and trauma, if they had that bonding experience, they were less affected by it than rats without the stressful environment and no maternal bonding.
What does the rat experiment have to do with having healthy adult relationships? People who don’t experience secure attachment during early stages of development tend to devote more energy to managing their emotions or protecting themselves emotionally, rather than using their energy to explore, learn and safely interact with others. Having the ability to recognize and manage our own emotional states and co-regulate those with other people is key to having healthy relationships. Along with having empathy, these are the basic qualities of Emotional Intelligence (EQ), which is also tied to greater academic and job success in life.
When early, secure attachment doesn’t occur, other positive experiences can help fill the gap. Consistent, nurturing experiences in childcare and preschool environments and with extended family, neighbors and other community connections contribute to “licking our pups” and, thus, play a large role in helping kids build resilience and the foundation for strong and healthy relationships.
School bus drivers, teachers, staff, and counselors who interact with kids daily are often serving in these roles. We are fortunate to have trauma-informed educators and staff in Tillamook County, who understand and utilize these practices. We teach children the ABCs so they can learn to read and write. Increasingly, schools are integrating Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) to guide kids’ understanding of how emotions drive their thinking and behavior. Early bonding and attachment are the ideal, but it is only one opportunity to support raising healthy and resilient humans.
Every community touchpoint matters. Programs such as Scouts, 4-H, youth sports and other positive outlets for kids, not only put them with nurturing mentors and coaches but also help them develop essential skills for managing emotions and working together with others. By the way, those programs are always looking for volunteers (hint, hint).
If we are struggling with maintaining healthy relationships, there is help and hope. Tillamook Family Counseling Center, along with all our local medical providers offer counseling. Tides of Change is a valuable resource for people who have experienced or are experiencing intimate partner violence or domestic abuse.
It’s also important to remember that you are the only person you will be with your whole life. The healthiest relationship begins with us. We need to treat ourselves the way we would counsel a friend, with compassion, patience, and love.
References: Burke-Harris, N. (2020). The Deepest Well. Pan Macmillan.
AUTHOR: Michelle Jenck, Adventist Health Tillamook Director of Community Well-Being
Other wellness questions? Email us at info@tillamookcountywellness.org. For more local health and wellness information, visit www.tillamookcountywellness.org or follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook and Instagram.
