by Guest | Feb 19, 2025 | Eat Well, Featured, Move Well, Recipes, Uncategorized
Written by Eva Foley, Oregon Dairy Council Intern
Did you know that your heart is the most important muscle for your overall health and well-being? This special organ delivers oxygen to your entire body and deserves the best treatment from you, its owner, to keep it working for a long, healthy life. Giving your heart some tender loving care starts with something you do every day: eat! This means that with each meal and snack, you can strengthen your health by making heart-smart decisions about the foods you eat. February is National Heart Health Month, so let’s dive into some savvy food choices that will make your heart happy!
- Fruits and vegetables: Plan to eat 2-3 servings of each fruit and vegetables per day. A good way to think about it is adding one fruit and one vegetable to each meal or snack. Picking fruits and vegetables that are in season usually means better flavor and texture and paying less at the store. Frozen or canned fruits (without added sugar or heavy syrup) and vegetables (without added salt or sauces) are just as nutritious as the fresh kind and will last longer.
- Dairy: Studies have shown that 2 servings per day of fat-free or low-fat dairy have a protective effect on the heart. Dairy is also an affordable addition to most diets and can be included in many recipes, both sweet and savory.
Lactose intolerant? Check this out: https:/www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/lactose-intolerance/eating-diet-nutrition
- Fiber: The goal for fiber in a heart-healthy diet is 25-30 grams per day from foods. Both soluble (think oats and beans) and insoluble (think whole grains, fruits, and vegetables) are important to include. Increase fiber intake slowly over time to allow your body to adjust to the right amounts.
- Healthy fats: Including the right kinds of fats in your diet helps you feel satisfied after a meal and nourishes a healthy heart. Foods like avocados, nuts, and seeds supply healthy unsaturated fats, while limiting saturated fats (such as butter, coconut, and palm oils) is just as important.
- Lean proteins: The right kind of protein supports heart health by building stronger muscles and helping to control hunger between meals. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, fish and seafood, and tofu are all great options. Remember, many dairy foods, vegetables, legumes, and nuts contain protein, too!
- Limit salt and added sugar: Limit sodium intake to 2300 milligrams or less per day and aim for no more than 25 grams of added sugar per day for women (36 grams per day for men). You can find how much sodium and added sugar a packaged food has per serving on the nutrition label. It’s important to remember that the sugars to limit are those that are added to a food (such as table sugar or high fructose corn syrup); sugars that are naturally part of fruits and dairy products should not be counted towards daily added sugar intake.
Helpful links:
Serving sizes/portions: https://www.myplate.gov/
Are you ready to get started with a heart healthy recipe? This comforting breakfast for all ages supplies fruit, dairy, and both soluble and insoluble fiber for a healthy start to your day. It’s easy to make ahead of time and portion out for a quick, on-the-go breakfast treat. Top with a serving of plain Greek-style yogurt to boost your dairy and protein intake.
Apple Spice Baked Oatmeal
Prep time: 10 minutes; makes 9 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup applesauce
- 1 ½ cups nonfat or 1% milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 apple, cored and chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Topping:
- 2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons chopped nuts (optional)
Directions:
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Rinse or scrub fresh fruits under running water before preparing.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8×8-inch baking dish.
- Combine the egg, applesauce, milk, vanilla and oil in a bowl. Mix in the apple.
- In a separate bowl, mix the rolled oats, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add to the liquid ingredients and mix well.
- Pour mixture into baking dish and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle with brown sugar and (optional) nuts.
- Return to oven and broil for 3 to 4 minutes until top is browned and the sugar bubbles.
- Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Notes:
- Substitute other fruit for the apple. Try bananas, pears, blueberries or a mixture.
- Serve warm topped with vanilla yogurt.
Photo & Recipe Source: https://foodhero.org/recipes/apple-spice-baked-oatmeal
by Michelle | Nov 1, 2024 | Being Well, Featured, Move Well, Why I'm In
Why I’m “in” with Wellness
Michelle Jenck, Well-Being Director, Adventist Health Tillamook and Tillamook County Wellness Coordinator
Wishing for Wellness
I was recently asked how I came to be involved in wellness work. I’d like to say I was a lifelong fitness enthusiast but that isn’t true. As a child, I wanted to be physically fit and athletic but, alas, it was not in the cards for me. Severe asthma left me breathing into a brown paper bag on the sidelines and a debilitating eye condition called amblyopia, (my left eye is nearly blind), meant that, with no depth perception, I was to forever be, the “last one picked for the team.”
During middle school, I was too young to work, old enough to be home by myself but idle enough to have begun getting in trouble (serious, trouble). My saving grace was wandering into a YMCA to kill time after school. I started going to the weight room and pushing weights around. I had no idea what I was doing but kind people showed me what to do and what muscles I was working. It felt so good to feel a sense of control moving my body. I could push heavy things on purpose and muscles would form in places that were once squishy bits. It was like magic.
The best part was how weight training made me feel emotionally. I felt happier and gained a sense of control (something I have learned we need for good mental health, called a “locus of control.”) My self-esteem improved. I could set goals for myself and work to reach them, building successes I never believed possible for myself. I pursued weight training all through high school and was one of a few girls that joined the school’s newly formed competitive power lifting team.
My senior year in high school, I decided maybe I could push my body in other ways and began my first attempts at running. Initially, I “ran” 1-2 blocks and then sat on a curb breathing into a paper bag until my asthma attack subsided enough to slowly walk home. Tenacious and undaunted, I kept after my goal, gradually working my way up to running 2-3 miles at a time, and ultimately up to 6 miles over as many years. Running, even at a slow pace, helped me burn off stress and was a convenient way to get in a quick bout of exercise when I didn’t have time to hit the gym.
Working in Wellness
Through high school, college and into my young adult life, exercise was a staple. I tell people it should be like brushing your teeth; something you do every day without even thinking about it, because it is so ingrained in your routine.
As a stay-at-home mom, I was taking classes at the Tillamook YMCA, grateful to spend time among adults. One day, I made the fateful decision to ask Jeannie Christensen if there was ever going to be a step aerobics class offered at the Y. Like so many things in a small town, the answer was, “why don’t you start one?” Thus began a nearly 30-year career of teaching many different exercise disciplines.
I loved (and still love) teaching fitness classes. It is a way to give back, helping others experience their best life. Over all these years I have seen fitness change people from the inside out. That “locus of control,” it turns out, is an important component of life success and resilience. When we become aware of and gain control over moving our bodies, using our minds, it is very empowering.
The A-Ha Moment
By this time, our oldest son had been diagnosed with autism and our lives were changing dramatically. As we worked with our son to help him develop the ability to regulate his emotions and manage the sensory stimuli causing so much turmoil in his mind and body, I discovered magic could be found in movement. The most effective exercises involved movements that strengthened the parts of his brain involved in balance, spatial awareness and motor planning. How interesting, I thought. The same could be said for teaching a step class.
Teaching adults how to move, while helping our son re-wire his brain with movement, turned out to generate an “a-ha” moment of monumental proportions. As I began to understand how the brain is formed and how it changes with regular physical activity, I began to consider the larger implications of what I was learning. What could this mean for other children? For anyone who wanted to be more physically coordinated, better regulated, smarter and more successful?
Armed with this discovery, I decided to go back to school to pursue a Master of Education in Health & Kinesiology. Graduating in 2012, I used my degree to expand exercise programming at the YMCA, adding Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance, which over 300 older adults took in 2014. The following year, I was tapped to help lead a community effort to focus on reducing chronic disease in Tillamook County, which led to the formation of Tillamook County Wellness.
My Hopes for Wellness
I am very grateful for my experiences and the opportunity to influence health at both the individual and population level. As I enter my ninth year as coordinator for Tillamook County Wellness, I am looking ahead; or better yet, I am looking further “upstream.” So much of what contributes to wellness can be found between our ears. The mind. The brain. The connection between the brain and the body. This is where wellness starts. And it starts early in life – in the womb, in fact. Nearly 90% of a child’s brain is developed by the age of three and much of that development depends on movement.
My hopes for wellness are that we will begin to prioritize proper movement, nutrition and secure relationships during this critical window of childhood development. Do I have ideas for this? You bet I do and I can’t wait to keep working on wellness!
by Guest | Aug 19, 2024 | Featured, Move Well
Tillamook County is a wonderland of beautiful trails within an easy drive, giving everyone the chance to breathe the fresh air, walk off stress, and experience something new right here in our own backyard.
Worried that you won’t know how to hike the right way? In the hiking community there is a saying; Hike Your Own Hike. It means that there are a million ways to hike and the only “right way” is the right way for you. Power walkers and the “sloth team,” over-packers and minimalists, booted stompers and sneaker-wearing wanderers, all are welcome. Take your time, find the method that works for you, and do what makes you happy.
Here are a few guidelines that will help make your first hike a great experience.
The Ten Essentials
The Ten Essentials are the 10 things you should bring with you on every hike. Yes, every hike, even when it’s only half a mile. All of this should fit in a small backpack and don’t be afraid to dig out that old school bag.
- Good Shoes: Happy feet make for happy hikers. Pick shoes that fit well, have good treads for traction in mud, and will protect your feet from rocks, roots, and everything else. Worn in jogging shoes are usually a good choice for beginners. Wear wool or synthetic socks rather than cotton to prevent blisters.
- Map and GPS: You probably rely on your phone for directions, but it won’t necessarily work in the woods. Download a map to use offline, print out a hard copy map, and maybe even break out that old compass just in case.
- Water: There’s nothing like a cool gulp of water on a hot day. Bring a 16oz bottle of water for every person for every hour of hiking. Fill up a reusable bottle (usually 32oz) to save space and money. Bring extra water if it’s hot, the trail is steep, or if you’re bringing your thirsty dog.
- Food: Hikers need snacks! Your body will want more energy during your hike and kids especially need snacks. Choose something healthy like fruit, vegetables, whole grain crackers, nuts, and trail mix. High-protein energy bars can be a good choice.
- Rain Gear and Extra Layers: This is the Pacific Northwest, after all. Rain, fog, cold winds, and cool nights are normal. By layering a t-shirt under a sweatshirt you can take off a layer if you get overheated and then put it back on if it cools down. A rain jacket can also be a wind break and bringing a sweatshirt and a warm hat can help you be ready for whatever our wild weather can throw at us.
- Safety Items: Bring a light, a fire-starting kit, and a whistle. You can buy little “emergency prep” kits in most gas stations. These are just-in-case items, but you’ll be glad to have them if you need them. Kids should each have a whistle and know to blow 3 short blasts if they need to “find Mom and Dad.”
- First Aid Kit: Blisters, scrapes, or twisted ankles, a good First Aid Kit can take care of the problem. These kits are available in pharmacies in several sizes. Open up the kit and make sure you know what’s inside and how to use it to help. Think about if your family has any specific needs and add things if necessary.
- Knife or Multi-Tool: A simple pocketknife is a good thing to have and a multi-tool can be useful in many situations. From opening a snack packet to emergency fire starting, you’ll be glad you have it when you need it.
- Sun Protection: The sun is a welcome visitor to the Oregon coast, but we all know how harsh it can be. A hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen will help you enjoy the sun, rather than getting burned.
- Shelter: Many First Aid Kits will have a space blanket; light, inexpensive, and a great option for an emergency.
If your bag is packed with the Ten Essentials, then consider yourself ready for an easy trial run. Choose a well-known trail that’s close to town, short, and easy for your first hike. Let someone know where you’re going and when you’ll be back. Test yourself by pretending to be in the wilderness and imagine how you would deal with rain, getting lost, or a minor injury. Finally, make sure to have fun! It’s more important to enjoy yourself than it is to finish the trail, follow a specific plan, or reach your destination. Hike Your Own Hike, and you may find yourself planning your next trail as soon as you get home.
AUTHOR: Samantha Goodwin, NW Youth Corps, GIS Intern, US Forest Service
by Michelle | Aug 10, 2024 | Being Well, Featured, Move Well, Uncategorized
August is a busy month! There are several free wellness activities coming up, some of which you can learn more about at the Tillamook County Fair.
“Treasure Your Wellness” Treasure Map: This interactive map can be found at the Tillamook Library bookmobile located near the Master Gardener’s garden by the east entrance of the fairgrounds. This fun, free, and family-friendly adventure runs From August 5th to September 30th . Explore wellness destinations like Activity Island, Be Well-Nourished Bay, Community Cove and the Isle of Inner Peace. Each location includes activity challenges —volunteer, cook a healthy meal, visit a rec center, start a savings account and more. Complete at least one activity on each island and you could win incredible wellness-themed prizes, like cornhole, pickleball, and disc golf sets or the grand prize of an ATX bike valued over $500! In addition to being available at the fair, maps can be found at local library branches, Kiawanda Community Center, Tillamook YMCA, North County Recreation District and Food Roots or on- line at This Way to Well-Being | Tillamook County Wellness.
Health Literacy Campaign: Materials from our recent health literacy campaign can also be found at the Tillamook Library booth at the fair. Bookmarks and other materials highlighting important health information like finding a primary care provider, getting vital health screenings and knowing when to visit your doctor, urgent care or emergency department, are just a few topics covered. You can also find more information here. Community Health Survey: When you visit the Library Bookmobile at the Fair, be sure to take our Community Health Needs Survey. Tell us what you and your family most need to live your best life and your areas of greatest concern impacting your health and well-being. You can also take the survey here.
Financial Wellness: Visit the Habitat for Humanity booth – located in the main pavilion building, under the stairs near the fair office – for community conversations on what financial health means to you. While you are there, learn more about first-time home buying and other ways you can work toward your financial goals. While you are at the Habitat for Humanity booth be sure to sign up for:
- FUNancial Wellness Event – Come to the Tillamook YMCA, Monday, August 19th, 2024, 5:00- 6:30 PM for food, fun and financial learning opportunities for kids 3rd -6th grade. This FREE event provides kids and families an opportunity to learn about saving, spending, growing and protecting money. Kids will take home more than just knowledge with free giveaways and prizes. Learn more and register for the event here.
- Sign Up to become a “FinLit” Financial Literacy Volunteer – This program relies on volunteers to deliver free curriculum from Financial Beginnings. Classes are held in English & Spanish at multiple community locations, including Tillamook Bay Community College, Helping Hands, and Trask High School.
Volunteers can commit to as many or as few classes as works for their schedule. To learn more or to register to become a volunteer, visit Financial Beginnings (finbeg.org). If we don’t see you at the fair, here are other ways you can get information about these and future wellness events.
AUTHOR: Michelle Jenck, Adventist Health Tillamook Director of Community Well-Being
by Guest | Jul 12, 2024 | Being Well, Featured, Move Well, Work Well
Occupational Therapy is an often misunderstood or unheard of rehabilitative therapy. It is not just about our jobs and work we do. The easiest way to say it is therapy for anything that occupies your time. If there is anything you can’t do that you want to do, then come to us and we will help you get back to doing it. Sleeping, cooking, hobbies, socializing, travel, etc. are all things that occupy your time. There are many ways we can help by analyzing the activity and then finding other ways to do it, using exercises and strengthening to make it more possible, or using devices or equipment to make it possible. We can come to your house and do an evaluation if home modifications or larger equipment is needed, or you can come to see us in outpatient therapy to work on improving function in your life.
Occupational Therapist use more of a wholistic approach to therapy. We don’t just look at the physical, but also the psychological and sociological aspects of a person to help them. What do they enjoy, what is important to them and what they think and believe are important things to be considered. When we can’t do what we enjoy due to pain, or loss of ability this affects the whole person. We can help to deal with chronic pain management as well as behavioral management to work with the person as a whole. We are also Qualified Mental Health Practitioners and can help with depression, anxiety, or other diagnoses associated with these issues.
The best way to get a referral is through your primary care provider (PCP). Employees can self-refer, also. We’re working to increase provider awareness about our services, but your always welcome to ask questions. If you have any questions or need advice on what to say to your PCP, feel free to contact Timothy Patching at patchitr@ah.org. We’re here to help you every step of the way!
by Guest | Apr 11, 2024 | Being Well, Featured, Move Well, Uncategorized
We love our pets. We also love our beautiful coastal gardens. Sadly, sometimes, the most stunning things in our gardens can be toxic to our beloved pets. So, how do we protect our pets and still maintain a gorgeous landscape. Depending on your pets’ needs and habits, we can eliminate many of the toxic plants they may come in contact with. Here are a few common plants to avoid.
First to consider is Narcissus (Daffodils). These pretty seasonal flowers brighten up an early spring garden. Many see them as a sign that wet stormy coastal weather is ending and warmer, drier days are upon us. However, even in small amounts, the flowers can cause symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting.
Many of us love rhubarb pie and the rhubarb plant grows well in coastal climates. The stalks produce malic acid which is beneficial for people with acne, fibromyalgia, dry skin, and fatigue. The leaves are a different story. Even in small amounts the leaves can be lethal. They can cause gastrointestinal distress, breathing problems, and internal bleeding.
The flowers from Digitalis (foxglove) contain cardiac glycosides used in modern medicine. Accidental ingestion can be fatal. Dizziness vomiting, irregular heartbeat, delirium, hallucinations, and death can occur if accidentally ingested.
Hemlock is another plant highly toxic to pets. The entire plant, especially the roots, are poisonous. They can be found growing wild along stream banks and ditches. Symptoms vary after ingestion, ranging from nausea, vomiting, and salivation to convulsions, coma and ultimately death.
Finally, Hedra (English Ivy) is a common culprit of poisoning. These evergreen woody vines are extremely invasive and can easily climb up trees, fences, and buildings. The berries of these plants look like blueberries but that is where the similarity ends. If eaten, they can cause burning in the mouth and throat and gastrointestinal distress.
Before discussing pet-safe plants there is one additional plant of concern. Locally, Creeping Buttercups grow prolifically. They are opportunistic and will grow anyway they can take root. Gone unaddressed they will completely take over a garden. It is important to take note of these especially because often they grow in lawns. Many domestic animals eat grass to aid in digestion. The fresh sap of this plant is highly irritating to skin and mucous membranes. If ingested it can cause gastrointestinal irritation, colic, diarrhea, nephritis and in severe cases, paralysis of the central nervous system. The best way to prevent the spread of these is to dig and pull them up by the roots before they go to seed.
Even though there are a number of plants of concern, not to worry, there are many plants and flowers that add beauty to a garden and maintain a safe environment for your pet. Consider planting a pet friendly lawn. You can purchase seeds from a variety of places that sell lawn seed advertised as pet safe and pet friendly. Careful research will help you decide which seed is right for your pet and the area where you live.
Also, there are many herbs that your pet might enjoy snacking on while they improve your landscape. Try planting herbs like sage, rosemary, thyme, dill, fennel or basil. They smell terrific, are a nice addition to dips and sauces, and your pets will also appreciate them.
Many annuals are colorful and safe for your pets. Among them are petunias, fuchsias, sunflowers, camellia, snapdragons, and nasturtiums. All these plants come in a variety of shades, shapes and colors. Because of our mild coastal temperatures, they often winter over, and we can enjoy them over again the next year.
There are also a variety of perennials that are equally gorgeous and pet friendly. They include dahlias, hollyhock, and black eyes susans. These will add the brilliance that makes every garden pop with color year after year.
There is much to consider when designing a pet friendly landscape. It is best to do thorough research before planting. There are a wide variety of choices to meet your and your pet’s needs. If you need help determining what is safe and unsafe for your garden, please feel free to contact your local OSU extension office at 503-842-3433 or contact us through our web site at https://extension.oregonstate.edu/tillamook
You can also contact the Tillamook County Master Gardeners Association for help. Reach them through the OSU extension office, their website at https://tillamookmastergardeners.com/ or find them on Facebook. There are many resources available to assist you in creating a beautiful and safe garden for you and your pet.
Written by: Alice St. Clare, OSU Master Gardener
