Mindful eating is a way of eating that promotes health, wellness, and peace, control, and balance with food. What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is being aware or conscious of whatever it is you are doing at that moment. It is being fully present. This may seem like an easy concept; however, I think many of us are eating and surrounding our food with very mindless actions and thoughts. What are you doing when you eat? Are you watching TV, driving, reading, or scrolling on your phone? All of these are examples of mindless eating. Even when you are cooking your food, are you paying attention to what you are doing or how you are cooking? Or are you again watching TV or talking on the phone? There are so many places we can incorporate mindfulness into the process of preparing and eating our food.
Benefits of Mindful Eating
• More satisfaction
• Less chance of overeating
• Acknowledge your internal body cues
• Avoid emotional eating The benefits of mindful eating far out way not being mindful.
When preparing your food, paying attention to how you are making it and all the time, energy, and love that goes into it can lead to a greater appreciation for the food. Having a greater appreciation for your food will hopefully lead to a greater appreciation for feeding your body the healthy food it deserves. When actually eating your food, being mindful of each bite and chewing slowly will allow you to pay attention to your inner cues of being satisfied and stop you from overeating. You will also fully taste the food you spent your energy making and again, create a greater appreciation for the process.
Tips for Mindful Eating:
• Pay attention to how you are preparing your food and appreciate the time and energy spent on this.
• Sit down at a table to eat with no outside stimuli.
• Chew slowly- put down your silverware between bites.
• Drink water in between bites.
• Pay attention to your internal cues for when you are full and satisfied.
• Ask yourself, “Why am I eating right now?” or “Is this what my body needs right now?”
• Pay attention to your emotions while you are eating. If you are not even hungry but you continue to eat, slow down. Maybe take out a journal and write down your feelings. It sounds cheesy, but it works.
• Eat foods that are beneficial to your body’s wellbeing.
I hope some of these tips and tricks help you out with your mindful eating! It is hard at first to break certain habits surrounded by mindless eating, but I promise your body and mind will thank you. You may even be able to work through certain emotions and things -Kelsey
Here is to all you Fathers out there! Enjoy your day, and spend some time with your family. Time goes fast, and before you know it, they are grown up! I soon will graduate to Grandfather at the end of next month, and can’t wait to experience this next phase.
There were many times when my kids came along with me to my races. They were my support, and my cheering section. Now in September I will get to run a marathon with Megan. It will be a first for her. I have always wanted to run one with my kids. I am definitely looking forward to this as well.
This was my Father’s Day present from Megan a few years ago, but, what can I say? I am a “Runner Dad…just like a normal Dad, but much cooler!” Right on!
Like I said, they grow up fast. Here is my Dad with Nick. This was about 23 years ago. Wow! A lot of things have changed in that time. But family is still priority. I learned the Father things from a great example. It has been over 7 years since he has been gone, and I still miss him everyday!
Nick and I were trying to get our own tradition going by hitting Vikings games. COVID brought it to a halt last year, so will have to see what we can keep going. Otherwise, we start coming up with a new tradition!
These 3 made me a Father! There were stressful times, but many more good times. Growing pains we all experience. They have all become great adults, and are beginning to work on there own lives now. But, they will always be my kids. Life continues to be an adventure, and we have to just go with the flow, and take it all in.
Happy Father’s Day to all you Dads. You always have to keep working at it, but it is worth it. Enjoy that time for as long as we can. There are always adventures to be had. Keep moving everybody!
Summer time heat raises the risk for dehydration and heat stroke. With the high summer temps and humidity lately, it’s extra important to make sure you get enough fluids! It is important to stay hydrated throughout the day, as it is too late, if you wait to get a drink when you feel thirsty. Especially for those older adults, it takes longer for them to feel thirsty even though they may be severely dehydrated.
Tips for getting adequate fluids:
• Keep a glass or bottle of water with you during the day so you can sip on it. Drink when you are thirsty and even when you are not thirsty.
• Drink more water instead of sugary beverages, milk and juice to avoid those extra hidden calories. Alcohol will increase your water loss. Plain water always works the best.
• Increase your fluid intakes if your diet is high in fiber, protein or salt.
• On days where you may be sweating alot or burning extra calories such as an all day softball tournament in 80-90 degree weather, or doing yardwork/landscaping in the heat all day…you may need to add electrolytes such as Gatorade or Powerade. I prefer G2 Gatorade as it’s lower in sugar, yet still has plenty of electrolytes. **Please note, these drinks are not necessary when you’re doing less than an hour of light activity or more sedentary activities as they just add extra calories and sugar.
• Consult with your doctor or dietitian if you are on a fluid restricted diet and would like further help with your hydration needs. Use the above chart to determine your hydration level by the color of your urine.
Sarah and I finally got away for a week. We went out to the Black Hills to enjoy some hiking, biking, and just plain get away time. It was hot, but we got going early each morning, and then just relaxed the afternoons. Here we are hiking one day in Spearfish Canyon, checking out the numerous water falls that are out there.
The vacation started with the Volksmarch up to Crazy Horse. Almost 6 mile hike up and down, but got up close to Crazy Horse. I got to touch his chin!
We saw plenty of buffalo out in Custer state park. We managed to keep our distance from them though!
We saw deer out hiking up to Little Devils Tower, then off to Black Elk Peak, formerly Harney Peak. That day was about 8 miles total, but took us 4 1/2 hours. Up the mountains, and back down. It was work, but enjoyable.
We spent several days out on the Mickelson Trail biking. These were challenging. You spend many miles going up, then down. We had one stretch of going up 15 miles. It was time for a break after that! But, the views were incredible!
As long as we carried enough water with us, we were fine. We may have spent the week with all the hiking, biking, and sightseeing, but truly many of the things we saw we would not have seen had we not been doing these activities. I took literally hundreds and hundreds of pictures. Words can’t describe what you can see off the beaten path. It made the exercise part of it very relaxing. Even though we were working at it, we took a break when we needed it. The views were amazing. It was a perfect place to get away from all of the busy part of life, and just unwind. We all need to make more effort to do this. The better condition we are in, the more we can see, and enjoy. You don’t know what you are missing out on until you do.
Our last hiking day was at Sheridan Lake. The water was blue, and crystal clear. We saw other water falls off the trails that we did not know even existed. You need to get out and explore. That is how you strive to survive. Push past some limitations and enjoy. Most of the time you will find that those limitations are only in our minds. Our bodies can do a lot more than you think! Keep moving everybody!
June is national dairy month, thus it’s a great time to recognize and discuss the benefits we can get from dairy in our diets. Cow’s milk is the richest source of well-absorbed calcium and is actually absorbed better (about 25%) than the calcium in soy milk. There is about 300 mg of calcium in an 8 oz serving of milk and we recommend getting at least 3 servings of dairy a day. A serving is equal to an 8oz (1 cup) serving of milk, 6 oz tub of yogurt, 1 oz cheese, 1/2 c cottage cheese. In addition to calcium, cow’s milk is an excellent source of phosphorus, vitamin B12, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin A, vitamin D, protein, and niacin…totalling 9 nutrients compared to only 4-5 nutrients found in soy and almond milk. There are many other types of “milks” out there such as almond, rice, coconut, and soy, however these drinks are not the same as cow’s milk in regards to the nutritional qualities. Many of these milks use fortification (adding nutrients), whereas the nutrients are found naturally in cow’s milk.
Below is a list from the Midwest Dairy Association about these beverage’s nutrient sources and nutrition quality (http://www.midwestdairy.com/0p335/dairy-imitators/)
“Soy beverages are made from soybeans and are a good source of protein. However, according to the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS), soy protein is a lower quality protein than the whey protein found in dairy products. Rice-based beverages are generally processed from brown rice and are fortified with nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D. Rice beverages typically contain only one gram of protein compared to eight grams in cow’s milk. Nut-based beverages can be ground from any nut and the most popular is almond. Almond beverages only supply one gram of protein per serving and lack many of the natural benefits found in almonds. Seed-based beverages, such as hemp, are newer to the marketplace. Their nutritional benefit is touted to be their omega fatty acid content. Similar to the other beverages, they also fall short on protein.”
Often times, these other “milks” contain higher sugar content, less calcium, less protein, and are absorbed less than those benefits in cow’s milk. Now if you have a lactose intolerance or milk allergy, these are certainly options for you, however if you do not have an allergy or intolerance, I highly encourage you to work towards getting your 3 a day servings of dairy and preferably low fat dairy. It will not only provide you with excellent vitamins and minerals to keep your bones and muscles healthy and strong, it will also provide you with an excellent source of protein. For more information on the benefits of dairy, you can visit www.midwestdairy.com.
If you want to check out a real life dairy just east of Watertown, you can check out Modak Dairy’s Open House this Saturday! Check out the details below!
“MoDak Dairy Open House – June 12, 2021 – Kranzburg 10:00am-1:00pm
46647 171st Street Goodwin, SD
The Moes family welcomes you to tour MoDak Dairy. Come to learn about dairy locally in South Dakota. There will be many activities including visiting the new heifer building, farm tours, free grilled cheese, and ice cream. All are welcome to attend!
Directions: From I-29 go 8 miles east on Hwy 212. Turn North onto 466th Ave for 1 mile. Then turn right onto 171st Street. https://agunited.org/events/”
I know I will enjoy a nice glass of cold milk tonight with supper, I hope you do too!
Eating healthy on the go can seem difficult at times, however there are many things you can do to make it a little easier! Summer can be just as busy as the school year, thus I thought this was a fitting topic to discuss. Here are some tips that will save you time while still eating healthy nutritious food!
• Plan Ahead: On Saturday or Sunday, take a look at what your week ahead is going to be like. It can be very helpful to write out your schedule so you can see the times in your week where you may be on the go and extra busy. From there, decide on a few meals that would be easy to prep and that will provide you with energy for those busy days. Also, decide on some easy to grab snacks that you can keep with you.
• Meal Prep: If you have looked at your week and you know you will not have time to cook for yourself, meal prep a few staple items that you can easily grab out of the fridge on your way out the door. This can be something as simple as brown rice, baked chicken, and a side of vegetables. A few breakfast ideas include overnight oats, protein balls, hardboiled eggs, and precut fruit that you can throw in a blender and make a smoothie with. Whatever your food choice may be, meal prepping can be a helpful way to prepare meals for a few days at a time.
• Prepare Extra Food: If meal prepping isn’t really your thing, it’s okay! Another easy way to save time is to prepare extra food when you do cook. If you have time to prepare a healthy dinner, make a few extra servings that you can save for lunch the next day.
• Snack Up: Having healthy snacks on hand will keep you from purchasing quick and unhealthy choices when life gets a little busy. A few good ideas include fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts, trail mix, cheese, pretzels and hummus, yogurt, and peanut butter on whole wheat bread.
• Hydrate: This last tip is so important! The last thing you want to happen when your busy is to become dehydrated. Keep water with you at all times and drink it throughout the day. You can always spice your water up by adding in fresh fruit or sipping on unsweetened iced tea. Utilize a few of these tips to make healthy eating a little bit easier when you have a busy schedule or when you are on the go! Eating healthy and staying hydrated will provide you with the energy that you need to get through your day! -Kelsey
