by Michelle | Apr 4, 2019 | Move Well
Step It Up! Tillamook County
April is “Move More” month and the first Wednesday in April is National Walking Day. To celebrate, we are teaming up to offer Step It Up! Wellness Walking Groups. Being active and having positive social support are keys to lifelong health. Research shows people are more successful in making lasting health behavior changes when they feel supported and find enjoyment in new activities. Joining a walking group is a great way to get healthy while having fun with friends, old & new.
Walking groups that formed last spring are welcoming new walkers in south, central and north Tillamook county. Groups are informal, volunteer-led and drop-ins are welcome. Comfortable shoes, layers and rain gear are recommended as groups walk outdoors, rain or shine. Groups walk approximately ½ hour, arrive a few minutes before the start time since groups begin walking immediately. Walking groups meet at the following locations/times:
South County – starts April 1
Kiawanda Community Center, Monday, Wednesday & Friday, 10 am. For more information contact Julie, 503-863-9307, Juliekrohn@gmail.com or Cathy, cathy@griffinnetwork.com
Central County – starts April 1
PRI Building/OSU Extension Office, Monday, Wednesday & Friday, 10 am. Contact Corinna, 503-801-0789, matsell83@charter.net for more information.
Tillamook Junior High, Saturday, 9 am. Contact David & Doris Mast, 503-801-2944 or 503-812-6789, davidmast48@gmail.com or dmast0526@gmail.com for more information.
North County – starts April 16
Neah-Kah-Nie High School Track, Tuesdays, 8 am. Contact Patty, 503-355-8040 or Lena, mamalinabest@gmail.com for more information.
If you can’t attend an existing walking group, you can form your own. Ask co-workers or other walking partners to join you and set a regular schedule for days and times you plan to walk. Lunch breaks are a great time to get in a quick 20 or 30-minute walk. Consider walking together as a family after evening meals. Whether you walk, hike or run, alone or with others, you’ll feel refreshed and energized being active outdoors.
Visit our website tillamookcountyhealthmatters.org and follow us on Facebook at “Tillamook County Wellness” for more health tips and information.
by Michelle | Mar 27, 2019 | Eat Well
Thanks to a sponsorship by Tillamook County Wellness partner, Oregon Dairy & Nutrition Council, we will periodically feature articles and recipes from Judy Barbe, author, columnist and nutrition expert. As a registered dietitian nutritionist and food enthusiast, Judy offers realistic food solutions to help people “live their best.” Judy was a featured speaker for the Tillamook County “Year of Wellness” in 2016.
Meal Planning 101: Scan, Plan & Cook
By Judy Barbe RDN, LiveBest
It’s 5 o’clock. Somewhere.
That means it’s time to kick back and relax. Right?
Somewhere. But not after work when the kids want attention and the dog demands even more. And you’re trying to get dinner on the table.
If you want to control chaos, save time and money, and reduce wasted food, meal planning is your ticket. Here are three steps to get you going.
- Scan
Before you grocery shop, scan your cupboards, fridge and freezer. Are there foods on hand you can use to start a recipe? Tomatoes (canned or fresh) can be simmered with olive oil and garlic to make a pasta sauce. If you have a can of olives, tuna or clams, add those. Do you have vegetables you can repurpose into a salad, soup, or salsa?
- Plan
Plan at least 3 meals you can make this week. Check the grocery promotions to see what’s on sale and what’s in season. Seasonal fresh fruit and vegetables taste best and cost less. Ask the store produce manager to learn what’s in season. Plain frozen and canned fruits and vegetables are also good options. Keep high-fiber foods in mind. Fiber is found in plant foods such as beans, seeds, nuts, whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
Think about how you can use what you’re cooking in another meal. Cooking ground beef or turkey? Cook extra and freeze for another meal. Baking salmon? Save some for a salad with lettuce, avocado, cucumber and orange slices. Cooking quinoa? Make extra to add to soups, chili, or toss with black beans, corn, mango, green chiles and a vinaigrette.
- Cook
Set aside a power hour for meal prep that will last all week.
- Set the oven to 350° F. to bake nuts, vegetables, or chicken. Potatoes can be reheated later and topped with broccoli and cheese or chili. Add chicken to salads or casseroles.
- While the oven is heating, chop vegetables for side dishes, snacks and lunches. Keep some raw and store them at eye level, in a clear container in the fridge. When they’re the first things you see, you’re more likely to eat them. Toss some with 1- 2 teaspoons of olive oil, spread on a baking sheet and bake until just tender. Add to tacos, pizza, salads, or a frittata.
- Simmer a pot of soup. Split pea soup, Peruvian Quinoa or white bean chicken chili can give you a night or two of meals.
- Hard cook eggs. Perfect for breakfast, lunches, and snacks. Add in salads, such as canned beets, toasted walnuts and blue cheese crumbles or curry egg salad.
- Cook a whole grain such as quinoa, bulgur, or wheat berries. This is an easy way to boost fiber and protein in salads or stuff a pepper. Yogurt and fruit are another way to enjoy whole grains.
- Blend bean dip or hummus for a high-fiber snack that’s ready when hunger strikes. Pack it with veggies and whole-grain crackers for lunch.
As you finish, pack foods in airtight containers, label and place them in the fridge or freezer. The more you plan, the easier the routine becomes. You’ll also appreciate when the 5 o’clock rush is more like “I’ve got this!”
Registered dietitian Judy Barbe specializes in realistic food solutions. She is author of Your 6-Week Guide to LiveBest: Simple Solutions for Fresh Food & Well-Being. Visit her website www.LiveBest.info.
by Michelle | Mar 27, 2019 | Lunch & Snack Recipes, Recipes
Overnight Oats
Recipe and photo source: LiveBest, Judy Barbe, RDN
Because this is a make-ahead recipe, overnight oats make it easier to rise and shine by taking some stress out of the morning rush. That benefit continues because they keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Here’s how you make overnight oats while you sleep
- Layer food in Mason jar.
- Place in fridge.
- Wake up.
- Grab spoon.
More specifically, start with grains on the bottom so the milk and yogurt soften the grain. Mix and match from each section based on preference. To keep portions in check, I use a pint-size jar and half-pints for kids.
- 1/3 cup raw whole grains: rolled oats, bulgur, steel-cut oats.
- Pinch to 1/4 teaspoon spice: ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla, pepper.
- 1-2 tablespoons nuts or seeds: quinoa, almond butter, peanut butter, hemp seeds, flax meal, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds.
- 1/3 cup yogurt. Mix plain with flavored to keep sugar levels reasonable. If you don’t want yogurt, replace with more milk.
- 1/3 cup milk.
- 1-3 teaspoons flavor: honey, cocoa powder, instant coffee, maple syrup, jam, apple butter, orange juice, chai, crystallized ginger, coconut, orange zest.
- 1/2 -1 cup fruit: strawberries, mango, peaches, blueberries, bananas, pumpkin, cranberries, or cherries (fresh, frozen canned, dried, they all work). Vegetable ideas are shredded carrots or chopped spinach.
- Save crunchy toppings for last minute toppers. Crumbled graham crackers, granola or toasted nuts or coconut.
Registered dietitian Judy Barbe specializes in realistic food solutions. She is author of Your 6-Week Guide to LiveBest: Simple Solutions for Fresh Food & Well-Being. Visit her website www.LiveBest.info.
by Michelle | Mar 21, 2019 | Being Well
Where There’s Smoke … Second and Third Hand Smoke & Diabetes
By DeAnna Pearl, MAT, BS, CPS, SOS Tillamook Prevention Program, Tillamook Family Counseling Center
“I have diabetes but I don’t smoke – how does smoking impact me?” Most everyone is aware of “second-hand smoke.” Second-hand smoke is the byproduct of the act of smoking made up of particulates of ash and dust that holds up to 4,000 chemicals, including nicotine, which is inhaled by others.
But what about “Third-hand smoke” — what’s that? Third-hand smoke is the ash and dust that holds up to the same 4,000 chemicals, including nicotine, that gets absorbed into the surface of other materials such as walls, clothing, and floors. These are slowly released back into the air of your home and can enter the body through direct contact.
According to Prof. Manuella Martins- Green, UC Riverside CA, “Children and the elderly are especially vulnerable to Third-Hand Smoke (THS) and its impact on health. Because infants frequently crawl on carpets and touch objects exposed to exhaled smoke, they are at high risk for THS exposure. The elderly are at high risk simply because older organs are more susceptible to disease.” While the toxic byproducts of the act of smoking are dangerous, the chemical nicotine causes arteries to constrict, reducing blood flow.
This is especially serious for people who have diabetes. Complications from diabetes include being vulnerable to peripheral vascular disease or narrowing of blood vessels that carry blood to the body’s extremities, such as arms, hands, legs and feet. There is danger of a blood clot blocking a narrowed artery, and the result could be damage to or the loss of an arm or leg. Exposure to nicotine, in any form, is a major risk factor of peripheral vascular disease and more severely for smokers than nonsmokers. Diabetics who smoke or who are exposed to second/third hand smoke are twice as likely to develop this disease and increase dramatically their chances of amputation.
The good news is that when smokers quit, symptoms improve immediately, restoring blood flow to the body’s extremities. And in cases where surgery is needed, it’s more likely to be successful in people who’ve stopped smoking!
Thinking about quitting? Setting a date is a great first step – Kick Butts Day in March is a national day to encourage smoking cessation and, in particular, to end youth smoking. There is help. Ask your doctor about cessation resources covered by insurance. There are also free, effective programs through the Oregon Quit Line at 800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669), or www.quitnow.net/oregon.
For local programs and classes, contact SOS Tillamook Prevention Program at 503-815-5426, or www.sostillamook.og.
For more on this subject go to “Where there’s Smoke, There’s Diabetes”
https://endocrinenews.endocrine.org/innocent-bystanders/
“Thirdhand Smoke Linked to Type 2 Diabetes.” – https://ucrtoday.ucr.edu/35360
For more health tips and information about local wellness partners, visit tillamookcountyhealthmatters.org or find us on Facebook at Tillamook County Wellness.
by Michelle | Mar 21, 2019 | Recipes
Sweet Potato and Orange Muffins
Recipe Source: Recipe and photo from www.FoodHero.org
Number of servings:18
Time for preparation (including preparation and cooking): 30 min
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1⁄2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 can (16 ounce) sweet potatoes (yams), drained
2⁄3 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 cup orange juice
1 carrot, shredded
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil muffin tins for 18 muffins.
- In a medium bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.
- In a large bowl, mash sweet potatoes. Add brown sugar, eggs, orange juice, carrots and vanilla. Mix well.
- Add dry ingredients to liquid ingredients and mix well.
- Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake 15-20 minutes, until tops are brown. Let cool and remove from tins.
- Cool completely then store in an air-tight container at room temperature.
