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Tag: Healthy Living

Healthy Body, Healthy Mind

Posted on by djbechard

Research has shown that what is good for your heart is also good for your brain. What we eat, how much we move, how well we sleep, and how we manage stress affect nearly every aspect of our well-being, including physical and mental health.

It is common to think that health and longevity are genetic traits. While genes do determine 20 to 25% of our overall health quality, lifestyle habits and the environment have a much greater influence on how well or long we live. While some benefits of a healthy lifestyle won’t be realized for weeks or months, you will probably feel better immediately after a walk or other physical activity.

Exercise increases brain chemicals associated with feeling happy, feeling less anxiety and stress, and even less physical pain. Getting more movement can also help some people relieve feelings of depression.

Other positive lifestyle habits will bring results quickly. Eating well and getting good rest will pay immediate dividends on your mental outlook and energy level.

By: Jamie Rathbun

Does “Green” Mean Clean?

Posted on by djbechard

Regular use of cloth bags is considered important to “save the environment,” but isn’t personal and family health just as important? The inside and outside of reusable grocery bags can be a breeding ground for dangerous foodborne bacteria which can pose a serious risk to our health.

Reusable bags if not properly washed between uses, create the potential for cross contamination of foods.

When transporting foods, keep food safety in mind. Juices from meats can leak from packaging and contaminate ready-to-eat foods like fruits and vegetables in the cloth bag. A good rule-of-thumb is to put raw meat in a separate plastic bag before packing in reusable bags, or use a separate cloth bag for meats.

Where do you place your reusable bags while putting groceries away? The outside of the bag may be contaminated from the grocery cart, the store counter, or from the floor of your vehicle. If you set bags on the counter when you get home, the germs on the outside of the bag are now on your countertops. Remember to wash and sanitize your countertops before preparing food.

When shopping for reusable cloth bags, look for ones that are washable and remember to launder bags often. Simply washing reusable cloth bags between uses in the washing machine, or by hand, with soap is effective at reducing bacteria by 99.9%.

By: Jamie Rathbun

Tips To Keep Your Heart Healthy

Posted on by djbechard

Valentine’s Day is known for its roses, big red hearts, and vibrant pink and purple colors. It’s a holiday meant to show someone how much you care for them. February is also known as heart month and what better way to spread love than with a healthy heart?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death in America. Healthy food choices and an active lifestyle are two things you can control and will have a huge impact on your heart’s health. So what are some things you can do keep your heart healthy?

Eat a Variety of Foods. One of the keys to a healthy heart is making smart food choices. Eating a well-balanced diet will include a variety of foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and low-fat or fat-free dairy foods.

Know Your Fats. Be sure to incorporate healthy fats into your diet. This means eating foods low in saturated and trans fats and high in unsaturated fats. Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature and found in animal proteins and dairy foods. Trans fats are commonly found in vegetable oils that go through an industrial process to make the oils solid in form. Unsaturated fats tend to be liquid at room temperature. You can find unsaturated fat most commonly in fish, avocados, nuts, and vegetable oils.

Get Label Savvy. Learning how to read the food label can help you make heart healthy choices especially when it comes to fats. Remember information on the label is based on 2,000 calories per day. Visit the Food and Drug Administration’s interactive nutrition facts label to learn more.

Physical Activity Matters. Physical activity can play an important role in keeping your heart healthy. Regular, moderate physical activity (30-60 minutes most days of the week) can help control blood pressure, manage weight, manage stress, help you sleep better, and help you feel good by giving you more energy throughout the day. Our Walk Kansas program can help get and keep you motivated in your exercise endeavors.

 

By: Jamie Rathbun

Don’t Miss Out On Your Simply Produce Basket!

Posted on by djbechard

If you have not ordered a Simply Produce basket from either Gene’s in Smith Center, Girard’s in Osborne, or Kier’s in Mankato, now is your chance! We will take a break after each location’s June distribution so be sure you order your fresh produce basket for $15.00 before it’s too late! Each location’s ordering and distribution details can be found on our website under “Events” https://www.postrock.k-state.edu/. You can also call our Lincoln office at (785) 524-4432 for details.

By: Ashley Svaty

Move More, Stress Less & Cut the Clutter Programs at Osborne Library

Posted on by djbechard

Do you have the spring-cleaning bug? Or just want to learn ways to keep your home free from clutter? Join Brenda and Ashley for a fun program to learn how to keep your home tidy! This free program will be held at 5:30pm at the Osborne Public Library on April 11th.

This is also a perfect time to focus on moving more to stress less being that April is “move more month” and “stress awareness month”! Brenda and Ashley will cover ways to increase movement during your daily activities to reduce stress along with daily tips to reduce stress. Join us at the Osborne Public Library on April 18th at 5:30pm.

Be sure to call the library to register for this event at (785) 346-5486

By: Ashley Svaty

Walk Kansas 2022 Promotes Physical Activity & Brain Health

Posted on by djbechard

For the past 20 years, thousands of people enrolled in the program have walked, biked, swam and moved their bodies in many other ways to improve their physical fitness.  Exercise is beneficial not only for our physical health, but also our mental health and our brain.

Walk Kansas will run March 27 through May 21, encouraging teams of six to sign up together and get moving. Each 15 minutes of activity counts for 1 mile of distance, and teams track their mileage virtually as they move across pre-determined routes in or across Kansas.

Registration for Walk Kansas is available online and if you live in Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Osborne, or Smith counties, you will choose “Post Rock District” when registering online. The cost is $10 per person; a program t-shirt can be purchased separately. Team registrations require a captain and up to five additional members, which can live anywhere in or out of the state or country. If you would rather participate solo, individuals can sign up to complete their own challenge.

Paper registration is also available at any Post Rock District office and will open March 7.

This year’s program provides three team challenges:

  • Challenge 1 – “8 Wonders of Kansas” trail, requires each person get at least 2 ½ hours of moderate activity/week and challenges the team to travel 480 miles.
  • Challenge 2 – “Cross Country Trail” requiring 4 hours of activity/week from each person, with the team traveling 768 miles.
  • Challenge 3 – “Little Balkans to Nicodemus Trail” that will require 6 hours of activity from each team member/week, challenging the team to go 1152 miles.

All participants will receive a weekly online newsletter with helpful information on physical activity, improving lifestyle habits, nutrition, and healthful recipes.

Physical activity on its own is something that helps us retain our brain function as we age, and helps delay the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. It can help manage stress, which is hard on our mind, as well. Join us for the joy of movement and share the experience with friends and family!

By: Ashley Svaty