Food has become much more complicated than it once was. Instead of simple ingredients going into homemade foods, we have an abundance of time-saving products that may have a more enticing taste and may also be a cheaper way to get a filling meal on the table. Is it worth it to save time with convenient foods? Which convenient foods aren’t as nourishing? Are these foods helping us toward our desire to feel good and enjoy our health?
In comes the concept of food as medicine. Food is nature’s medicine, providing our body with the building blocks that it needs to maintain health. Some say that we can pay a farmer now, or a pharmacy later. And while this statement may oversimplify the whole picture of nutrition and health, hopefully it has you thinking. In reading the ideas below, you may draw some connections between what is (or isn’t) on your fork and how you’re feeling.
Note: If you decide to take a food as medicine approach to eating, it is important to continue to take medications as prescribed and consult with your medical provider before making any medication changes. A salad with dinner is not a replacement for a specific medication, though several small steps over time may begin to shift things in a positive direction.
Food informs our bodies
Food is a powerful source of information for our bodies and we have several opportunities each day to make choices about what food we will eat. The field of epigenetics looks at how behaviors and environment can affect the expression of our genes. For someone with a family history of a particular condition or disease, there may be nutrition and lifestyle factors that can alter gene expression in a way that protects from that condition or disease. While we don’t need to strive for perfection with our food choices or become fearful of eating something that isn’t seen as nutritious, there are many ways we can adjust our food choices to be supportive of our health. Whether you already have a health-related diagnosis or are focused on prevention, there are many ways you can start making changes to move toward your goals.
Food connects us to the land
As the ground continues to warm and more seeds begin stirring within the earth, there will be more and more signs of spring here on the North Coast. This area is home to many amazing growers and producers, each offering us a unique way to connect with our region and with the seasons. While most of us enjoy the variety that we can find at a grocery store, nature is also providing what we need throughout the year. For example, vitamin C comes from many more places than oranges! In the early spring we may find vitamin C in overwintered kale in the garden, in the summer in fresh, juicy strawberries that come from the valley an in the winter in potatoes from a local farm.
Eating plants is for everyone
Luckily, you don’t need to claim to be a vegetarian or vegan to enjoy a wide variety of fruits and vegetables with your meals – plant foods are for everyone! Our bodies benefit from plants in various ways, such as the fiber that many plant foods contain. Fiber can bring ease to digestion, feeds the beneficial bacteria that live in our digestive tracts and can be an important part of a meal feeling satisfying. When increasing the amount of plant foods in your daily meals, it can also be a good idea to drink enough water, as water and fiber work together to keep digestion moving smoothly.
Boost flavor and nutrition with herbs and spices
Herbs and spices can be great ways to get an extra dose of nutrition and flavor. Many herbs and spices are sources of antioxidants, which are often linked to protecting the health of our cells. Adding spices could be as simple as a dash of ground pepper or more of a focus like a soup spiced with curry powder. Herbs can be used as a garnish, such as a sprinkle of parsley on the top of a bowl of soup or as a main feature of the meal such as vegetables and pasta tossed with basil pesto.
Eating well on a budget
If using food as medicine sounds expensive, it doesn’t have to be! There are many ways to prepare and eat nutritious foods on a budget. Beans and lentils provide protein, fiber and so much more and are a great base for a hearty meal. If you don’t have access to fresh vegetables or they often go bad in your refrigerator, frozen and canned can also be great options. Several local farms have Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes that you can subscribe to in the spring and enjoy a box of fresh vegetables each week throughout the summer. Buying spices in bulk can be much less expensive and allows you to try smaller amounts of new spices to see if you like them before purchasing a larger quantity.
Finding what works for you
If using a food as medicine philosophy is something you’re interested in and you’re not sure where to begin, you may want to connect with your primary care provider and ask for a referral to meet with a registered dietitian. Registered dietitians are trained to translate nutrition science into actionable steps that you can take to maintain your health and to help treat or prevent many common illnesses. With some creativity and a sense of adventure, making changes to support your health and how you feel can be a fun and rewarding experiment.
For more information:
Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs): Food Roots provides a pickup spot for weekly CSAs and also has a wonderful selection of local products throughout the year; accepts SNAP benefits and matching program also available https://www.foodrootsnw.org/csa-shares
Bruce Roos has never shied away from a hard day’s work, but that doesn’t mean he’s not ready to enjoy, and explore some other things in life that are important to him. Thirty-five years as a dairy farmer, or any life-long career, will do that to a person. He and his wife Sandi raised their twin boys, Case and Cody, while running the farm on East Beaver Creek.
The couple is excited to enter this next phase of their lives. Yet, Bruce recognizes that at 58 years old, and with his family’s medical history, he has a responsibility to ensure he will be ready, and healthy, for their new adventures.
“I have a family history of colorectal cancer. My dad got it. He was diagnosed in, I believe, 1978. He passed away in 1980 and he was sixty years old.” Cornelis Roos died when Bruce was only a sophomore in high school. “I missed my dad. I went through a lot of ‘life isn’t fair.”
As he entered his 50’s, Bruce began getting screened regularly for colorectal cancer (CRC) a few years ago. During one of these colonoscopies, doctors found a polyp, which they removed. “The doctor told me that if I hadn’t taken care of that when I did, I would have been a very sick man”
Bruce is not alone in this proactive family battle. His sister Nelly was getting a CRC screening when doctors found cancer in her colon. “She was getting colonoscopies on a regular basis, every three years. It was a very aggressive form of cancer to have gotten to that stage so quickly.”
Doctors removed a section of Nelly’s colon and reattached it to save her life. “She is currently cancer-free, she’s doing fine,” said Bruce.
Bruce has made lifestyle choices to help improve his chances of avoiding a cancer diagnosis and to be in a better position to fight it if necessary. This includes lifestyle changes in diet, alcohol consumption, exercise and getting regular CRC screenings every three years.
Throughout this time, Bruce has gained a real understanding of what’s important to him and how to prioritize a life-work-health balance, as he Sandi prepare for retirement. Their plans include lots of travel and spending time with family.
“We’ve saved enough money to go into retirement. Now, I want to be sure that I’m taking care of myself enough to enjoy the years that we’ve got to look forward to. Throw a grand kid in the picture and that changes things too,” said Bruce, his composure immediately softening as he talks about Rose, his two-year-old granddaughter.
“I want to be around for that.”
Bruce hopes that sharing his story will remind others to focus on the important things in life and to realize there are ways to increase the odds of enjoying them longer. He believes that even if only one person decides to get a CRC screening after hearing his tale, it was worth sharing it.
“I don’t know much more to add, you know, you look around, you look at life, you look at the things you enjoy, and you ask yourself, ‘Do I want to be here?’ If you do, there’s only so much I can say. It is up to you, but I can only recommend that if you really enjoy things in life, do these things to help prolong your life.” If you are aged 50-75, contact your healthcare provider about getting screened for colorectal cancer.
So, it’s spring break time and naturally you are wanting a break! You want to get outside, have some fun, and do some exploring. But, you also know COVID-19 doesn’t take a break. How can you enjoy your break and still prevent yourself and loved ones from getting COVID-19?
As much as we’d like to be saying to one another, “We can finally travel without worry- people are getting vaccinated! It’s finally over!”, we just can’t say that yet. The truth is, worldwide we are still in the very early stages of vaccinating, and COVID-19 is still spreading. The same things we did to protect ourselves last year will be useful precautions for us all to take now, especially during Spring Break.
Just as with the Holiday Season, the absolute safest way to spend your Spring Break is to stay home. Try planning a staycation, see those parts of town that you haven’t visited in a while, spending time with those in your household.
Whether you do decide to travel, or stay in your home area, here are some practical Do’s and Don’ts for planning safe and responsible adventures:
1. Don’t fly, take a train or bus if at all possible.
Instead, DO drive! Using your personal vehicle to get from place to place is the safest way to travel.
If you don’t have your own vehicle, consider alternative options like biking or walking. If using public transportation or sharing a ride, wear a face mask and pick a seat that is 6ft or more apart.
Don’t travel to or explore crowded, popular destinations.
Instead, DO get outside! Go camping or hiking in areas less populated, where it is easy to social distance.
If going to popular destinations, book private accommodations for yourself and household members.
3. Don’t travel to parties, festivals or other large events.
Instead, DO attend virtually through Zoom or FaceTime!
4. Don’t go out to eat at restaurants with indoor seating.
Instead, DO choose places with outdoor seating or buy groceries and prepare your own meals!
Going skiing? Call ahead and ask which lift times are less popular! Book private classes versus group classes.
Going to the beach to soak up some sun? Skip the group outings and book private excursions or do your own exploring!
Staying home or camping? Plan a family barbeque and make s’mores!
While this Spring Break will once again be a little unusual, we can make these small changes with huge effects by following the current guidelines to keep everyone safe. And remember: wear a mask, wash your hands and social distance!
AUTHOR: Morganne Skinner, RN, BSN, Public Health Nurse at Tillamook County Community Health Center
For more local health and wellness information, follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Insulin Resistance. You might have heard this term before and wondered what it meant. Insulin resistance can lead to diabetes, and it is associated with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity. If you have any of these conditions you might have insulin resistance.
So, what is Insulin Resistance?
Insulin is like the key that unlocks the door so that blood sugar can move from our blood stream into our body’s cells. This keeps our blood sugar from getting too high, resulting in diabetes.
But, what if we have insulin, but it doesn’t work? It’s like something has gummed up the lock and the key can’t open the door to let the blood sugar move out of our blood stream. This is insulin resistance. We have insulin but something is resisting it and stopping it from working.
This is what happens in the early stages of type 2 diabetes, or prediabetes. Insulin resistance can be present for years before someone develops diabetes.
When insulin isn’t working well enough, our pancreas tries to make more insulin to get the job done. But, over time, our pancreas starts to wear out and can’t make enough insulin and our blood sugar goes up and we have type 2 diabetes.
Is there something we can do to help our insulin work better and prevent the pancreas from wearing out? YES!
Number 1 – Physical Activity – 30 minutes a day of moderate activity can reduce insulin resistance. This can be a brisk walk or bike ride, heavy housework like washing windows, vacuuming, mopping, yardwork like mowing the lawn or raking. You don’t have to do all 30 minutes at once. It can be spread out through the day.
Number 2 – Eat more Fiber and Less Fat – High fiber foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, lentils and nuts can lower insulin resistance. High fat foods make insulin resistance worse, so aim for lean meat and fish and smaller portions of meat and dairy. The Mediterranean Diet is a good place to start.
Number 3 – Weight Loss – If you are overweight, you can improve insulin resistance by losing a few pounds. Physical activity and eating morefiber rich foods and fewer high fat foods help with weight loss.
Number 4 – Get a Good Night’s Sleep – Seven to eight hours of quality sleep at night helps reduce insulin resistance and does many other good things for your health, but that is for another day.
Simple lifestyle choices can make a world of difference for your health. It is an investment that will last a lifetime. Check out the Diabetes Prevention Program on the Tillamook County Wellness page for more information.
And, when we are able to resume group medical appointments, Adventist Health will resume the Lifestyle Medicine Program led by Dr. Ben Douglas. These group appointments help patients learn about healthy nutrition, physical activity and other lifestyle habits that keep us healthy and happy.
AUTHOR: Dr. Ben Douglas, Adventist Health Tillamook
For more local health and wellness information, follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Photo Caption: Rinehart Clinic’s Art of Eating class participants touring Moon River Farm in Nehalem
At Rinehart Clinic in Wheeler, Oregon, we have learned that helping our patients take a broad and interactive approach to wellness makes a big difference. Combining a supportive environment with tools for health, such as fresh food (and free classes), leads to group and individual successes. The Rinehart Clinic understands success looks different for each person and so must our educational offerings!
What started four years ago as a summer-long veggie class transformed into a comprehensive effort to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and now has grown into a broader Community Wellness program. Many of our participants see multiple health benefits from lowered A1C, lower blood pressure, healthier eating habits, weight loss, and even improved mood.
By offering a wide range of classes – from nutritional education to movement and mindfulness – our goal is to offer something for everyone. We place an emphasis on creating supportive group classes and helping make it easier for people to have access to healthy foods and exercise. The classes often can create social networks, which we know play just as important of a role in health and wellness as recorded screening numbers.
Each year, we try new approaches and check in with our participants to see what they are interested in learning. Their input has helped our Community Wellness program evolve and grow.
Here is a sampling of the Community Wellness classes and workshops we have held over the past four years:
Mindfulness Meditation, taught by one of our social workers, focusing on mindful approaches to eating, managing stress, and more;
Blood Sugar & Nutrition, taught by our Certified Diabetes Educator;
Intro to Fasting, taught by our Naturopathic Physician, covering the health benefits of fasting;
our ever-popular Art of Eating, a hands-on class showcasing local farm-fresh vegetables, recipe sharing, and encouragement for healthy eating habits.
Over the past year, as the pandemic unfolded, it changed how we hold our classes as we moved to Zoom. In 2021, our hope is to continue Zoom offerings and eventually be able to offer some classes in person again (when we can safely do so).
These group classes are a critical part of Rinehart Clinic’s Community Wellness program, and thanks to grant funding and great community partners, we are also able to pair the classes with healthy foods. For instance, our Art of Eating participants not only get to sample and learn ways to cook fresh vegetables during class, but they also get a big bag of farm-fresh produce from Nehalem’s Moon River Farm to take home each week. And (depending on the season), some class participants receive vouchers they can use to buy healthy foods at the Manzanita Farmers Market or the Manzanita Grocery & Deli (the Little Apple).
As another addition to the program in early 2020, we started the Prescription for Exercise Program, partnering with the North County Recreation District (NCRD). As part of primary care appointments, providers could write prescriptions for exercise with patients receiving a 10-visit pass for swim or fitness. We hired a Wellness Navigator, Alisa, to help coordinate first steps into NCRD. We saw a lot of positive results, have a solid partnership in place and will look to resume this program later in 2021 as we adjust to these changing times.
We appreciate all our partners who make this Wellness Program possible–Columbia Pacific Coordinated Care Organization, Manzanita Farmers Market, Manzanita Grocery & Deli, Moon River Farm, and North County Recreation District. We are also fortunate to have a staff team whose varied backgrounds and interests allow us to offer such a range of classes. And lastly, the success is not possible without those in the community who participate and share this experience and wellness journey with us!
During 2021, we will continue many of our popular classes. And NEW, coming in March: a book study/discussion group called “How to Be Sick” led by Sara, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, focused on mindfulness, particularly for those facing chronic health conditions.
March is National Nutrition Month and an easy way to focus on healthy eating is by choosing locally-sourced foods. Tillamook County residents have a variety of options when it comes to enjoying the bounty of local foods available literally from our own backyards. Gardening has seen a resurgence in popularity during the pandemic, and there are several sources for FREE seeds available at the main branch of the Tillamook Library. Call Sarah Beeler for more information about acquiring seeds at 503-842-4792 ext.1708. Food Roots will also be distributing seeds to EVERY kindergarten through 6th grader in Tillamook County.
If growing your own isn’t an option, consider signing up for a local CSA (Community-Support Agriculture) subscription box. This is a great deal and makes your veggie purchases easy throughout the growing season. Beginning in May or June depending on the farm, CSA subscribers receive a box (or set amount – half shares are often available) of seasonal produce. Generally, a full-share CSA provides enough, or usually more than enough, produce for a family of four, and often half shares are available as well. The CSA boxes also often come with recipes and ideas for the veggies, and include heirloom varieties and provide an opportunity to experiment and try lots of vegetables.
According to Corvus Landing Farm, “Your CSA share is truly an investment in the farm. Your early season payments have allowed us to buy seed, supplies, and invest in improvements to the farm. It is a huge motivator to know that there are folks ready and waiting to feast on the delicious returns! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!”
For more information, contact the Farms directly for subscription information, amounts, costs, drop-off/pick-up/delivery and more:
SNAP/EBT Payments for CSA Shares: Food Roots accepts SNAP payments for CSA Shares on behalf of their partnering farms. In addition, they provide SNAP customers with Double Up Food Bucks to reduce the overall cost of the CSA share, further increasing the affordability of local food. There are flexible purchasing options, please ask.
Register for your CSA Directly with Farms: Please note that this year registration for all CSA shares (including SNAP CSAs) will occur directly with farms. Please contact the farms above to choose and register for a share plan that works best for you. Some farms are in the process of setting up their CSA programs, so signup for their wait lists and be patient.
Farm Table Storefront: Meanwhile, until CSA’s begin, you can satisfy your appetite for local foods with Food Roots “Farm Table” storefront that features a wide variety of local producers including in-season vegetables, cheeses, eggs, honey and more! There are multiple ways to shop the Farm Table. You can order online here for pick up on Tuesdays between 2 and 5:30 pm. Or shop in person Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday from 2 to 5:30 pm.
Pay it Forward with SNAP Match Donations: Food Roots offers a 2:1 match on SNAP dollars spent at FarmTable. This match can be used on all SNAP-eligible food items. Spend $1 with EBT payment, receive $2 free.
Interested in helping your neighbors purchase fresh food while supporting our region’s farmers and food producers? Just add “Support our SNAP Match Program!” to your cart with your next purchase. These funds are utilized as matching funds when customers shop with their EBT (food benefit) card.
New Delivery Service: Food Roots is gearing up for another launch this spring 2021, a new food delivery service available to FarmTable customers throughout Tillamook County and in partnership with North Coast Food Web of Clatsop County. Stay tuned for more details to come! The purchase of this new delivery vehicle was made possible thanks to Columbia Pacific Coordinated Care Organization, Tillamook County’s COVID-19 Relief Fund and Oregon Coast Visitors Association.
There are also local farm produce stands available with seasonal produce:
Josi Farms (formerly DeNoble’s Produce Stand) at 735 Wilson River Loop, Tillamook – self-serve farm stand
Valley Fresh Produce at 5112 Third St., Tillamook
HomeGrown at Kendra’s River Inn, 34910 Hwy. 53 at Miami Foley Rd., Mohler
And, remember, starting in June local Farmers Markets will be opening as well – Manzanita Farmers Market on Fridays; Neskowin and Tillamook on Saturdays; and Pacific City on Sundays. Watch for more information about Farmers Market openings soon!
You can make every month “nutrition month” by eating locally-grown foods that provides so many benefits to mind, body, soul and community. When you buy from a local producer, you are not only feeding your family, you are helping to feed many local families.
AUTHOR: Laura Swanson, TCW Advisory Committee Member and Tillamook County Pioneer Editor
For more local health and wellness information, follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
