by kelsey | Apr 2, 2013 | Etc.
Did you get fooled on April Fool’s Day yesterday? It’s a fun day to pull pranks and fool people! One thing in life you don’t want to be fooled on is nutrition and health advice and there is plenty of fooling going around due to the wide reach the internet and media have. When looking for nutrition advice, I encourage you to seek out a reliable and credible source who has the education and credentials to give you a credible answer to your questions. Registered Dietitians are this reliable and credible source and I am always here to help you! The Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics and the Food and Nutrition Science Alliance have created a list of 10 red flags of junk science or misinformation. When you see any of these, take proper precautions!
- “Recommendations that promise a quick fix
- Dire warnings of danger from a single product or regimen
- Claims that sound too good to be true
- Simplistic conclusions drawn from a complex study
- Recommendations based on a single study
- Statements refuted by reputable scientific organizations
- Lists of “good” and “bad” foods
- Recommendations made to help sell a product
- Recommendations based on studies not peer reviewed
- Recommendations from studies that ignore differences among individuals or groups.” http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442475642
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Mar 28, 2013 | Cooking Tips, Food, Holidays
With the Easter Holiday and Celebration just a few days away, many of you have your eggs hard boiled and ready to be painted…or many of you already have them painted! Painting eggs is an Easter tradition. As a child I always looked forward to painting eggs, the egg hunt, and of course of our Easter baskets. Easter was always an eventful holiday around our house and we have many funny stories to tell about our traditions. The eggs, baskets, etc are all part of the fun, but be sure to reflect on the real meaning of Easter!
As Sunday comes and goes, you may wonder what to do with those eggs. Here are some tips for you to practice proper egg safety:
- Not sure how to boil an egg? Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil with the lid on, then turn off the heat. Let the eggs sit in water for 15 min. Remove eggs and place in a bowl of ice cold water to cool.
- Eggs should be used within 3 weeks of the sell by date. Be sure to store them in the fridge at a temp less than 40 degrees F.
- Hard boiled eggs spoil faster than fresh eggs as the protective coating is washed away, making them more susceptible to bacteria. Hard boiled eggs must be refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking.
- If you want to eat the hard boiled eggs after the holiday, you must store them in the refrigerator. Throw away any eggs that are cracked, dirty, or have been out of the fridge for more than 2 hours. If you are going to use the leftover cooked eggs, it is recommended to use them within one week to prevent food poisoning. To help you do this, you could make two batches- one to display and one for eating.
- Ever wonder what the green ring on a hard boiled yolk is? It’s a result of overcooking the eggs and is caused by sulfur and iron compounds in the egg reacting to the surface of the yolk. The green color may also be a result of a large amount of iron in the water used to cook with. It may look funny, but it is safe to eat.
Happy Easter!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Mar 27, 2013 | Wellness/Health
Are you tired of winter yet? Spring officially started last week, but it sure doesn’t feel like it yet! It seems like a lot of people I have visited with lately are suffering from the winter blues. We’re tired of snow, cold, and less than ideal weather conditions. We have had winter for about 6 months now and I think all of us can agree, we are ready for spring and summer to get here! When you’re feeling the blues, it can really get you down in the dumps which can result in overeating, less activity, and depression. I personally feel I suffer from a little bit of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)but I have found there are a few things that spark my spirit so I hope they can help you as well!
Tips for Overcoming the Winter Blues
- Get active! Activity produces natural endorphins that boost mood. I was exercising already, but to help ward off the winter blues, I have increased the amount of exercise and added some strength training to my routine. Try getting at least 30 minutes of activity in a day…if you can do more, the better.
- Eat Right: healthy eating will make you feel healthier inside and out. Aim to get at least 5 fruits and veggies a day, include whole grains, lean meats, and healthy fats. Vitamin D has been proven to aid in SAD so be sure to get your 3 servings of low fat milk or dairy products. If you aren’t a milk drinker you may consider taking a daily multivitamin with calcium and vitamin D or a vitamin D supplement. Please ask your dietitian, pharmacist, or doctor for the correct dosage.
- Spice up your life: Sometimes getting a new shirt, going to the movies, reading a new and exciting book, or getting new tunes on your ipod will help spice up your life and add some more excitement to your life.
- Get out! I was fortunate to have gotten to go on family vacation to Cancun in February and enjoy this beautiful beach view for a week, however going to Mexico is not an option for everyone. Plan a family/friend trip to Sioux Falls, bum around downtown Watertown, or plain just get out of the house! It’s easy to dwell in our sorrows by becoming a hermit and staying inside. We need to get out and get some socialization!
- Think Positive! Dwelling on the negatives can sure take a person down. Instead think about the positives in your life. Tell yourself one positive thing about yourself and your selfworth daily. Focus on the blessings in your life!
- If you feel you are suffering from the blues very seriously then I encourage you to contact your physician for further assistance as we can help you with this!
Spring and warmer temperatures will be coming. Stay positive, eat right, exercise, and get out…those winter blues will be gone before you know it!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Mar 20, 2013 | Food
Yesterday was National Ag Day, and as a farmer’s wife and dietitian, I thought it would be fitting to discuss the benefits we receive daily from our friends in agriculture! Many don’t think about where our food comes from or the effort it takes to put it on our tables. I myself didn’t have much of this knowledge or concept until I started learning more about South Dakota’s #1 industry from my husband Adam in college. There truly is an art and science to farming, raising cattle, and livestock. This includes planting techniques, seed technology, keeping the plants growing to produce a bountiful harvest, harvest timing, and the markets (selling the product). Successful farmers today truly have to have a vast knowledge of agriculture, animal science, and ag business.
A few fun facts for you about agriculture in South Dakota include:
- 8% of farms in South Dakota are family owned and operated – in fact, over 2,500 South Dakota farms have been in the same family for more than 100 years.
- The average size of a farm in South Dakota is 1,374 acres.
- The average age of a South Dakota farmer is 55.7 years.
- There are 46,000 producers in South Dakota on 31,800 farms.
- Each year, one South Dakota producer raises enough food to feed 155 people in the U.S. and abroad.
- http://sdda.sd.gov/education-outreach/agriculture-industry/
Producing the food that you put on your table, truly is a labor of love and hard work, so in celebration of ag day, I encourage you to thank our local farmers and ranchers for helping put that delicious food on your table….they deserve it!
Here are a few pictures from our life on the farm.
Loading corn to take to the elevator.
The “nursery” during last year’s calving season (notice no snow!).
Proof farmers can clean up and look nice! 🙂
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Mar 18, 2013 | Etc.
Today, March 18, 2013 marks 2000 days of consecutive exercise for our very own Dr. Dan. CONGRATULATIONS Dr. Dan on this awesome accomplishment!! Dr. Dan is a real inspiration to all of us to be more active and like he said in his latest post…there is no time like the present to get moving! Whenever I feel like taking the easy way out and not exercising, I always think of Dr. Dan telling us to “get out of bed, get out the door, and get moving!” Dr. Dan is a busy guy and if he can make time for exercise, we can too…it’s all about priorities and time management and once you get into the hang of it, it will be become habit and part of your daily life, just like it has for him! STRIVE 2 Survive and the Brown Clinic are fortunate to have a physician who practices what he preaches and leads by example. This picture is a great example of this as he poses with his good friend Steve following the Disney Marathon this winter. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Dan!
-Kelsey
