by Dan | Aug 25, 2011 | Wellness/Health
Yesterday was a funeral for Assistant Fire Chief in Watertown, Pat Smith. 32+ years of service helping others. He passed away after a short battle dealing with Melanoma. The funeral was quite the tribute, as multiple different fire trucks from all over the state of SD were in attendance. They had this flag flying at the corner of the church.
Here is towards the end of the processional. I was too caught up in the moment to take a picture, but it goes for as far as you can see, and it was started by all of the firetrucks with lights flashing. It was a very honarable farewell. You will be missed Pat. Thanks for all of your years of service for caring for people. I think this gives me an idea to start next week about the issue of melanoma, and what it involves, and how to prevent it. This will hit closer to home for me as well with all of the outdoor activities I do, my red hair, and light complexion, all of which makes me more vulnerable to this as well.
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1430
by kelsey | Aug 25, 2011 | Diet, Food, Heart Health, Wellness/Health
This last weekend I made fresh salsa for the first time! I was excited for this adventure and am pleased with my end product. Tomatoes are a great source of lycopene with is an antioxidant essential in disease prevention. Tomatoes are also low in calories, making them a great addition to your meals or snacks. One of my favorite treats is chips and salsa. We all know that chips aren’t the best for you, but there are some that are better than others. I highly recommend the whole grain tostito type chips. They are whole grain and very tasty. Just remember to be conscious of your portions!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Aug 24, 2011 | Diet, Food, Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
As I drove along Hwy 212 yesterday, I couldn’t help but notice the multiple vendors selling fresh garden produce! This time of the year is an excellent time to work on increasing your fruit and vegetable intake. As I have discussed before, we need at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day to promote heart health and weight management. When you dish up your plate, half of it should be fruits and vegetables. Whether you get your produce from a local gardener, farmer’s market, or grocery store, I encourage you to work on adding variety to your meals and snacks by trying new produce. You can also try various preparation methods of the produce to make it more appealing. Tomorrow I am going to discuss tomatoes as I made up some fresh salsa with the abundance of tomatoes I have gotten from friends and family lately.
-Kelsey
by Dan | Aug 21, 2011 | Exercise, Family, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health
Great weekend for weather, and even better for hanging out at the Lake. Spent the weekend with some friends, and had a bonfire Sat night, then to the Lake sunday. Very relaxing. Our friend even went on a bike ride with us this AM, so we got our exercise in early.
Here are some of us enjoying the water activities. Great to just relax and have fun, and leave the pressures of everyday hectic life behind for awhile. We all need days like this. Take advantage of the weather yet, and spend as much time outside as you can. Good dive into the water Ayden! It was fun Kaleb, and Cory Ann, always good to see you. It was a fun weekend. Family and Friends–important to focus on the important things in life. It was good for me to get out, and not try to be working on something, or just working. Thanks!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1426
by kelsey | Aug 18, 2011 | Wellness/Health
While we are on the baby and child topic, I thought I would mention that this week is world breast feeding week. This week provides us a great opportunity to learn more about the benefits of breast-feeding for the infant and mother.
Physicians and Registered Dietitians highly recommend breast-feeding to promote optimal growth and development in the infant. There are also many benefits for moms too! These include:
- No preparation: No measuring, mixing or warming like formulas require
- Breast-feeding may aid in greater weight loss post baby. Some research studies suggest that those women who breast feed have greater post-baby weight loss than those who did not.
- Nursing provides relaxation opportunities with your baby
- Those women who nurse have lower risk for developing breast and ovarian cancer, post partum depression, and type 2 diabetes
Breast feeding may not be possible for everyone, but the potential benefits make it well worth it to discuss it with your doctor or a registered dietitian.
This picture is of my nephew when he was about 2 weeks old.
Have a great rest of the week!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Aug 17, 2011 | Wellness/Health
Lately my family has been buzzing about babies as all three of my sister-in-laws will have/had babies within 3-4 months of each other! I love being an aunt and am excited for the many great times to come with these kids! This picture is of me holding my newest niece who was born last week. As a caring aunt and “RD”, I was excited to learn that the American Dietetic Association has created a new organization and website targeting children called “Kids Eat Right.” It has a lot of great resources for families, parents, care-givers, and health professionals to help kids eat healthy. It’s important to start working with children when they’re young to help instill in them healthy habits promoting lifelong health and wellness.
Check it out! http://www.eatright.org/kids/
-Kelsey
