by Guest | Jul 20, 2018 | Why I'm In
Tillamook County Wellness (formerly YOW) continues it’s work because of the extraordinary level of engagement and collaboration among partners, volunteers and the community. The series “Why I’m In,” will feature what has inspired and motivated these efforts toward a common goal of improving community health.
“WHY I’M IN …” Eva Manderson, Director, Northwest Regional Childcare Resource & Referral and Preschool Promise Manager for NW Early Learning Hub
What drew you/your organization into the Year of Wellness, now Tillamook County Wellness?
Manderson: I was drawn to this type of work through a prior experience while at Tillamook Early Learning Center. We received a wellness grant from the State that allowed us to implement new procedures, support different projects and provide training that resulted in: 1) Teachers increasing children’s movement inside and outside the classroom, 2) Children increasing the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables they consumed daily, 3) A decrease in screen time within the classrooms and 4) Encouraging our moms to breast feed for the first full year of their baby’s life.
Where that was an organizational effort, Tillamook County Wellness is more of a community-based movement. It felt like a natural extension of that previous work. I really believe that, if we learn how to build healthy habits when we are young, we won’t have as many habits to change when we are adults.
What, if any, changes have you seen come about as a result of this work?
Manderson: Personally, connecting with this movement has prompted me to remember the more-healthy me “before kids” and I have resumed some healthy habits and made other positive changes.
I have worked really hard to fit in a walk or a run when I can but I am also more intentional about fitting in more movement opportunities throughout my day, whether that be parking farther away or scheduling a walking meeting. Being active doesn’t have to mean participating in a prescribed activity or exercise program. And I am giving myself permission to avoid things I don’t enjoy, like not running on a wet, rainy day and instead finding something else I will enjoy.
I also planted a garden with my kids this year. We’ve been enjoying tending it together. So far we’ve eaten fresh strawberries, raspberries and cilantro. We’re looking forward to other home grown goodies soon.
What have you learned from being involved in this work?
Manderson: It has been really impressive to me to see the level of community involvement. Granted, Tillamook is an involved community, but I have been especially impressed with the diversity of the people involved in Wellness. There are many people from all walks of life, who bring all different types of experience, to this work. You don’t just see the athlete and the nutritionist working on this. And it’s not just the medical community or the health community. It’s people from many types of work: social services, behavioral health, schools, business to name a few. For some people, it may be harder to engage in this work and it speaks volumes to me that they have chosen to engage and help create the changes we need to see in the community.
What are your hopes for this work as it relates to you/your organization?
Manderson: I wear a lot of hats. I didn’t mention that I also serve on the Tillamook District 9 school board. My hope is that we can shift community norms and see people choosing as their default, healthy foods and being more active. I believe that, when we can do that with our youngest kids – the babies – then, when they go to school, we will see those changes reflected in student health, which we know is linked with academic success. And academic success is linked to life success and happiness. It’s silly but my hope is that, when I go to the end-of-the school-year BBQ, the carrot bin will be empty and maybe the ranch pump will still be full. That will happen when our children make healthy food choices as their default.
What are your hopes for this work as it relates to changing population health in Tillamook County.
Manderson: I want to see that, when it’s a nice day, and parents are waiting for their kids, (picture me with my soccer mom hat on,) they’ll get out of their cars and move while they are waiting for their kids. It used to be that, when I had a few minutes to wait for my kids, I would sit in my car, answer emails, practice my Spanish, or scroll through my Facebook feed. Other times, I might sit on the sidelines and visit with other parents, which is great. But we can take advantage of those moments to be more active. Of course, we need to give grace to ourselves when we don’t always choose the perfect option, like not wanting to run in the rain but, shifting our awareness of when those opportunities present themselves is something I hope we can achieve in this work.
It seems like there is a growing number of people who are doing this. It’s so nice to see more people out, interacting, walking and talking to each other.
by Guest | Jul 15, 2018 | Recipes
Recipe Source: Recipe and photo from www.FoodHero.org
Number of servings: 2
Time for preparation (including preparation and cooking): 10 min
Ingredients:
1⁄4 cup shredded cheese (try cheddar, mozzarella or a blend)
1 Tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise
1⁄2 teaspoon mustard
2 English muffins (try whole wheat)
1 medium tomato, cut into 4 slices
Directions
- In a small bowl, combine cheese, mayonnaise and mustard.
- Cut English muffins in half and spread mixture evenly over all 4 halves.
- Broil 5 inches from the heat for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Place a tomato slice on each English muffin half.
- Serve as is or broil for 2-3 minutes more to heat tomato.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Notes
- For extra flavor try fresh avocado or basil leaves under the tomato or add 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder to the cheese mixture.
by Guest | Jul 13, 2018 | Why I'm In
Tillamook County Wellness (formerly YOW) continues its work because of the extraordinary level of engagement and collaboration among partners, volunteers and the community. The series “Why I’m In,” will feature what has inspired and motivated these efforts toward a common goal of improving community health.
“WHY I’M IN …” Sarah Beaubien, Senior Director of Stewardship, Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA)
In her role at TCCA, Sarah directs the development of the long-term stewardship vision and strategy in six key areas: Thriving Farms, Animal Welfare, Product Excellence, Sustained Natural Resources, Fulfilled Employees, and Enriched Communities. During her non-working hours, she enjoys cooking, skiing, biking, traveling, and adventuring with her family.
What drew you/your organization into the Year of Wellness, now Tillamook County Wellness?
Sarah: The Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA) had made a commitment to support the Year of Wellness before I joined as a Task Force member. That decision was based on the connection between the wholesome products we offer as a company and the corresponding health of the communities where we are located. As a company, we strive to reflect health and wellbeing in everything we do and we want to support all people living a healthful lifestyle.
As a small department in a company and as one company in a community, I am aware that we cannot have the impact we want on our own. It’s important to be part of working together to generate collective impact. It’s also important that, as a private business representing our employees’ health and wellness, we are reflecting diverse points of view in driving those changes.
What, if any, changes have you seen come about as a result of this work?
Sarah: I am pretty new to the Creamery but what I have recognized is the overall increased awareness around health and wellbeing since I first came here. It seems that people are talking more about health than they used to and in ways they didn’t before. It might be my own increased awareness but there seems to have been a collective shift in awareness around preventive wellness. It’s been great to connect this through the initiatives we are pursuing through the Creamery. There is power in people hearing or seeing something health-related at work and then having that reinforced by something they do with their church or their kids in school.
What have you learned from being involved in this work?
Sarah: Being part of the Task Force has been super humbling for me. I have learned so much about community health and about social services who are the boots on the ground, helping people through really difficult life circumstances. The lives of so many people are really challenging but they do have people and resources to support them. Some of these societal issues seem insurmountable yet there is an optimism and a level of perseverance in this community that has been really inspiring.
The Wellness platform has allowed us to amplify key messages and the beauty of this collaboration is the potential for us to reach more people and impact meaningful change.
What are your hopes for this work as it relates to you/your organization?
Sarah: One of the six dimensions of our stewardship charter is Fulfilled Employees, which means, our hope is that our employees have a fulfilling and enriching experience at TCCA and that they can also find meaningful purpose beyond their role or job title. Being healthful is an important aspect of reaching this goal. We want our employees to thrive in their work environment but also in their personal lives, at home with their families and out in the community.
What are your hopes for this work as it relates to changing population health in Tillamook County.
Sarah: Our hope is to be part of achieving collective impact. We can go about this work alone and we might move the needle a little bit but by working with so many other organizations, we can have greater impact and accelerate the pace of change. More and more, we are marching to the same beat, having a combined agenda, and it is exciting to think where that might take us.
At a basic level, we hope people become more healthful. By that, I mean creating statistical changes but also, overall, creating Tillamook as a place to live that has a culture of wellness. This goes with housing and infrastructure as well. This is a desirable place to live. We want our employees to know this is a place where they can be supported in having healthful options, enjoy area recreation and live to their full potential.
by Guest | Jul 6, 2018 | Recipes
Recipe Source: Recipe and photo from www.FoodHero.org
Number of servings: 3
Time for preparation (including preparation and cooking): 5 min
Ingredients:
1 medium banana, peeled fresh or frozen
1 cup frozen carrots
1 can (15 ounce) peaches, undrained
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor including the juice or syrup from the canned peaches.
- Blend until smooth.
- Serve immediately.
- Refrigerate or freeze leftovers within 2 hours.
Notes
- Juice or syrup can be replaced with ¾ cup water and sweetener of your choice.
- Canned carrots work too! Drain them before adding.
- Try using fresh carrots but cook them first.
by Guest | Jul 6, 2018 | Recipes
Recipe Source: Recipe and photo from www.FoodHero.org
Number of servings: 2
Time for preparation (including preparation and cooking): 10 min
Ingredients:
1 English Muffin (try whole grain)
2 Tablespoons reduced fat or fat-free cream cheese (see notes)
2 Tablespoons sliced strawberries
2 Tablespoons blueberries
2 Tablespoons crushed pineapple
Directions
- Split open the English muffin and toast the halves until lightly browned.
- Spread cream cheese on both halves.
- Divide the fruit between the two muffin halves and arrange on top of cream cheese.
- These are best when served soon.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Notes
- Use any combination of fruit for topping the pizza.
- No cream cheese? Try peanut butter or sunflower seed butter.
- Make your own whipped cream cheese for easy spreading. Use an electric hand mixer to gradually beat 4 tablespoons of milk into 8 ounces of cream cheese. To make it fruit flavored, add any chopped, soft fruit (fresh, canned, or frozen) while beating. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator.
