Whole Grains

Whole grains are a very important part of the heart healthy diet. They offer a great source of fiber to promote heart health. To ensure you are getting a true whole grain product, you will want to check the ingredient list under your nutrition label. The first ingredient should say “whole wheat” or “whole grain.” If it says “enriched” it is still a white product. Product packaging can make this part of grocery shopping really confusing so make sure you allow yourself adequate time in the grocery store for label reading and to ensure you are getting healthy products. Remember to choose whole grain breads, brown rice, wild rice, whole wheat noodles, and whole grain cereals over the white products. If you’re unsure of the full transition to wheat products, try mixing the white and wheat products together…such as when you make spaghetti!

-Kelsey

5 a Day

Do you get your 5 a day? I am referring to 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, which is a very essential part to a healthy diet! A higher consumption of fruits and vegetables not only aids in heart disease prevention, but it also helps promote a healthy weight, prevention of diseases such as diabetes, and gastrointestinal health.

Fresh and frozen varieties offer more nutrients compared to canned or juice products due to the processing. In addition, it’s very important to get a variety of colors!

Did you know that only 17% of South Dakotans are actually getting their “5 a day”!?!  WOW! So next time you get the itch for a snack, grab an apple or orange…and double your serving of vegetables at your dinner to get you closer to that “5 a day.”

-Kelsey

STRIVE 2 Survive Lecture Change

For those of you in our January session of STRIVE 2 Survive, our lecture for tomorrow (2/8/10) has been moved to next Tuesday, February 15th due to a scheduling conflict at the banquet hall. We will then have 2 lectures in a row…Dr. Jon McAreavey on Feb 15th and Dr. Clark Likness on Feb. 22nd. The time will remain the same (5:30pm). If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us!

New Blog Feature!

We are excited to offer a new feature to our blog! Just under our logo on the top right side, you will notice a tab that says “subscribe by email.” Enter your email into the box and you will receive notification when new posts are made! This is a great way to stay up to date with your health and wellness!

We want to hear from you!!

We love to hear comments and questions from you! If you are wondering about a particular topic, feel free to use the “Contact” tab to let us know so we can cover your questions in our posts. You can also comment and/or ask further questions to any of our topic posts by using the “Add a Comment” tab below each post.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Emotional Eating

Do you use eating to deal with feelings other than hunger, such as boredom, being tired, or stress? We often forget that food is fuel and is meant to energize us! Below are a few tips to help get you overcome emotional eating and in turn think of food as fuel!

• Call a friend for support.

• Use inspirational quotes to help you avoid the temptation to eat.

• Take a warm bath or shower.

• Listen to music or a relaxation CD.

• Take a walk.

• Try activities that keep you from eating. For example, it’s hard to eat while you’re exercising.

-Kelsey