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Category: Nutrition & Family Finance

Dining with Diabetes

Posted on by Harvey County K-State Research and Extension

 

Imagine a gathering with 10 of your friends and family members. Now imagine that at least one of you has a disease that can lead to blindness… or amputation… or a stroke. The prospect is not at all far-fetched.

About one in 10 Kansans has been diagnosed with diabetes, a chronic disease characterized by elevated blood sugar (blood glucose). High levels of blood glucose are a result of inadequate production of insulin or a resistance to the effects of insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas.

K-State Research and Extension – Harvey County is offering “Dining with Diabetes”, a national extension program designed to boost the health and wellness of Kansans with Type 2 diabetes and help educate their family members, caregivers and others who support them.

When:  Every Tuesday in March starting the 6th

Where: Newton Rec Center

Time:   4:30-6:30 pm

What you need to bring:  $30 on the first session. That will be used to provide a meal and handouts for every class.

If you have any questions, contact the office at 316-284-6930.

Family Communication

Posted on by Harvey County K-State Research and Extension

Does your family have a difficult time communicating with each other sometimes? This article I will give some brief tips from an Essential Living Skills publication I have in my office. If you want more information about it, please give me a call at 316-284-6930.

Why is family communication important? Well it determines your relationship with each other, setting the tone for family life. But it is not simple to do and there are many parts! If you can try my simple 5 tips, then you will be on the right path to better communication within your family! Continue reading “Family Communication” →

Relationship Building

Posted on by Harvey County K-State Research and Extension

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day I have a few ways to better your relationship with your partner. Relationships are hard and they take time and constant work. Try to make these ideas a habit for your relationship and you will be on a better path.

Friendship is a powerful thing when it comes to relationships. Being able to talk freely and honestly with your partner is important. Share you day with your partner. Let them know what angered you, what went well and what went wrong. Sometimes it is great to just get your problems off your chest. Make sure to thank them when they do something for you. For example, “Thank you for washing my car,” “Thanks for taking out the trash.” We all get busy and forget to say thank you, I know I do sometimes; that is why it is very important. Continue reading “Relationship Building” →

Kansas Day

Posted on by Harvey County K-State Research and Extension

This Monday is Kansas Day! The best way to celebrate it is to take your family to visit some Kansas History!

We have a ton of places in Kansas rich with history. I have picked a few of my favorites plus a few I have not heard of to give you some ideas!

First of all in Manhattan (only a 2-hour drive) there is the National Tall Grass Prairie Preserve. You can walk the trails and see some great views at the Kanza Prairie, located in the Preserve. It is a really cool experience to walk the trails!

In Wichita you have a few things. There is Cow Town and the Exploration Place. Both are always changing with exhibits and would be fun to see what’s new.

Go to Lindsborg! Here you will experience a Swedish culture and visit their Dala horses! Also the McPherson County Mill museum is there, along with the Small World Gallery, and great Swedish food!

Fort Scott has a great museum called the Fort Scott Frontier Roots. This would be a bit of a road trip, but it is beautiful country along the way. Also there are a few Civil War Battle Fields you can stop at on the way.

Last, in Salina you can visit the Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure. You get to stroll past 100+ animals here! Also you can count the spots on a leopard or see unusual markings on the baboons!

These are only a few things you can do in Kansas! The main thing to do is get out and visit Kansas with your family, these will be the memories they remember!

Flu Season

Posted on by Harvey County K-State Research and Extension

This is a great time of year. Many different types of seasons; Christmas Season, Thanksgiving Season, Giving Season and most importantly it is Flu Season! No one wants to get sick and this time of year it is the easiest way to get sick.

We all get together with family and friends to celebrate the holidays with good food, but we also forget that we are passing germs and can get each other sick by simply hanging out with each other.

Hand washing is easy to do and it’s one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of many types of infection and illness in all settings. Continue reading “Flu Season” →

New Year’s Resolutions

Posted on by Harvey County K-State Research and Extension

Happy New Year! Did you make a New Year’s Resolution? Were they personal, professional, simple, complicated, silly, fun, etc.? It is best to have a mixture of all, because in the end you want to become a better person right? Right!

Will you be able to accomplish it all? It is okay to fail at it! Forming a new habit is hard! They say it takes 21 days to form a new habit. That feels like a long time, but it will fly by!

By now some people reading this are thinking I did not make any resolutions and I have no idea where to start! Well my friends, you start by making SMART goals.

Specific: Goals should be simplistically written and clearly define what you are going to do.

Measurable: Goals should be measurable so that you have tangible evidence that you have accomplished the goal. Usually, the entire goal statement is a measure for the project, but there are usually several short-term or smaller measurements built into the goal.

Achievable: Goals should be achievable; they should stretch you slightly so you feel challenged, but defined well enough so that you can achieve them. You must possess the appropriate knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to achieve the goal.

Results-focused: Goals should measure outcomes, not activities.

Time-bound: Goals should be linked to a timeframe that creates a practical sense of urgency, or results in tension between the current reality and the vision of the goal. Without such tension, the goal is unlikely to produce a relevant outcome.

Now that you know how to make great goals, it is never too late to make some resolutions for the New Year! Good Luck!

Conflict

Posted on by Harvey County K-State Research and Extension

I hope your parents told you that one of the toughest challenges you might face is maintaining a long-term relationship. With that information you might better realize that the pathway of a relationship may have well-paved sections, but it may be littered with potholes and obstacles, as well. I borrow and adapt a portion of the opening line of Charles Dickens’ (1867) A Tale of Two Cities to complete the phrase, What I know about a long-term relationship… “It [is] the best of times, it [is] the worst of times.” My intention is neither to discourage nor scare you from committing to such a relationship, but I hope to encourage you to be ready for the work it takes to make such a relationship work.

 

Conflict is one thing that may be occurring during some of those worst of times. The American Heritage Dictionary defines conflict: “A state of disagreement or disharmony between persons or ideas.” Put two people in a room, even BFFs, and there is likely to be disagreement or disharmony, i.e., conflict. Continue reading “Conflict” →