by Dan | Oct 18, 2018 | Exercise, Family, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Last weekend Nick took me to a Vikings football game at the new US Bank Stadium for an early birthday present. It was the first time I had been inside their new stadium. We made a weekend out of it. It was a great weekend! Time to talk…about football, music, school, exercise…life in general! The football game is what brought the memory together, but it was not about football! There is no question that football, and in particular, the Vikings, has brought a lot of memories to our family over the years.
Even when Nick was little he was wearing his Vikings attire! We went to quite a few games when they were younger. All bringing back good memories.
We even had our Christmas card the one year with us all wearing our Vikings jerseys!
There is something about the atmosphere of being at the game…the fireworks going off at the beginning, all of he cheering, fans screaming!
I took a picture of Nick against one of their walls in the new stadium…
Honor the game! But more important, honor the memories that have come about from all of the times we have had over the years cheering them on. You develop a common bond that we have in common. It is not about football…but football brought those times together. That is what was fun. That is what will have a lifetime of memories. It was a great weekend to spend with Nick. Hopefully, we can do this more often…I can spring for the next game! Time really does go by fast. As you can see by the pictures, we have been having some kind of bond with the Vikings for years. If that is what helps bring us closer together at times, then so be it. Spend time with those who matter to you in your life. Have lasting memories to share forever. It has been fun over the years. I just keep telling myself…”It is not about football”…Have a great week coming. Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 4040
by kelsey | Oct 17, 2018 | Etc., Food
Pumpkin is one of, if not, the most common fall flavors that everyone enjoys. Several types of desserts have pumpkin added to them to increase taste or appearance. Here are a few healthy pumpkin recipes to enjoy this fall season without feeling guilty about eating bad:
Healthy Pumpkin Pie
- 1 can pumpkin puree
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup rolled oats
- 2 tbsp ground flax
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- pinch of stevia or 2 tbsp of brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
Directions:
Healthy Pumpkin Pie Recipe: Preheat oven to 400F. Blend all ingredients together until smooth, then pour into a prepared pie crust (such as the recipe below) in a 10-inch round pan. Bake 27 minutes (it will still be underdone after this time, which is okay!), let it cool, then refrigerate at least 5 hours uncovered for the pie to thicken and “set.”
Honey Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
- ½ cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp. ginger
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- 1 ¾ cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/3 to ½ cup rinsed millet (optional
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ¼ cup hot water
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius) and grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, beat oil and honey together. Add eggs, and beat well.
- Stir in pumpkin purée and vanilla, then the salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice. Stir in flour, just until combined. If you’re adding millet, stir that in as well.
- Add baking soda to hot water, stir to mix, and then mix briefly into batter until it is evenly distributed. Spread batter into the greased loaf pan.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon, and swirl with the tip of a table knife for a pretty marbled effect. Sprinkle a big pinch of turbinado sugar on top for a light, sweet crunch.
- Bake for 55 to 65 minutes. Be sure to check that the bread is done baking by inserting a toothpick in the top. It should come out clean. If the top of the bread jiggles when you pull it out of the oven, it’s NOT done! Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for 5 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes before slicing.
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Cookies
- 2 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- ¾ tsp. nutmeg
- ¾ tsp. ground cloves
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1 ½ sugar
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- powdered sugar (optional)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt).
- In another medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla; beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Use a cookie dough scoop or two spoons to drop one tablespoon of dough onto a parchment paper-covered cookie sheet. Flatten each cookie slightly.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle the baked cookies with a light dusting of powdered sugar and transfer the cookies to a rack to cool.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Oct 16, 2018 | Etc.
Reposting to remind you all that Running’s Ladies Night is THURSDAY!!! Come visit our clinic booth and our Radiologist, Dr.Gwen Schaunaman!! We will have some great handouts and goodies to give out!! Runnings is offering a special that you buy a pink bucket (proceeds go to fight breast cancer) and 15% off anything you can fit in the bucket. It’s a great event!! Come visit us!
Be sure to mark your calendars for Running’s Ladies Night Event October 18th from 5-8pm! It is an awesome event supporting and promoting the fight against breast cancer!! Our radiologist Dr.Gwen Schaunaman will be at our clinic booth to answer any questions about our 3D mammography and diagnostic testing we do here at the clinic. Be sure to stop by and say hello to us!
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Many of us know of someone who has been affected by breast cancer as it is the most common cancer in women and more than 230,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the United States as stated by the American Cancer Society.
It is important to recognize some symptoms of breast cancer. The most common symptom is the presence of a painless lump in the breast area. Less common symptoms include swelling, tenderness, skin irritation, redness, or nipple abnormalities which may include ulceration or discharge.
Factors that increase the risk of developing breast cancer include the onset of menstruation before age 12, menopause after the age of 55, not breastfeeding for at least one year, not having children, or having children after 30 years of age, and having a high body mass index.
Increased body weight in postmenopausal women who are not taking hormones increases the risk for developing breast cancer. The more fat cells you have, the higher your levels of estrogen in the postmenopausal period, when your ovaries are no longer producing estrogen. Moreover, overweight women have higher insulin levels, and insulin may promote breast tumors.
Nutrition Tips for Cancer Prevention:
Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are great sources of antioxidants and phytochemicals. Antioxidants and phytochemicals play a role in cancer prevention. Carotenoids is a type of antioxidant that is found in red and yellow produce. Some examples of foods that contain carotenoids are carrots, pumpkin, winter squash, tomatoes, citrus fruits, and red sweet peppers. All dark green vegetables contain nutrients that protect against cancer. Good sources of dark green vegetables include spinach, asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli, brussels sprouts and kale. An additional benefit to eating a well balanced diet that includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is that it promotes a healthy weight. Maintaining a healthy weight will help you to decrease your risk of developing cancer. A helpful tip to remember is that the more colorful the fruit or vegetable, the more nutrients it contains; so pack your plate with colorful choices!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Oct 11, 2018 | Family, Food
If you ate today, be sure to thank a farmer! Tomorrow, October 12th is National Farmers Day! Consumers want to know where their food comes from, yet know very little about how food gets from the farm to the dinner table; in fact, most consumers today are three generations removed from the farm. For example, one thing consumers are unaware of is that milk travels from the farm to grocery store in about 48 hours. In addition, some criticize farmers because they use GMO (genetically modified organisms) seeds and hormones in cattle to promote growth. Farmers understand the science behind these products and why they should be used: by using them, they can use less water, less pesticide and herbicide, and produce enough yield to feed the world! Without these scientific advancements, we would not be able to feed the starving world! Farmers share the same values as consumers on many topics including those related to producing nutritious food, environmental stewardship and animal care. This is not a just a “job” for them, it is their life! The above picture is of my favorite little farmer, our son Corbin, who was helping dad combine beans last year. The rain lately has greatly impacted harvest so hopefully it dries out soon so they can get back in the fields! Corbin is a 6th generation farmer!
October 12th is National Farmers Day and it’s a perfect time to tip our hats to America’s farmers and recognize all of the hard work they put into getting delicious food to our tables!
Here are few fun facts for you about agriculture in South Dakota include:
•98% 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 in 2016 was 1,397 acres.
•The average age of a South Dakota farmer is 57 years.
•There are 46,000 producers in South Dakota on 31,000 farms or ranches.
•Each year, one South Dakota producer raises enough food to feed 155 people in the U.S. and abroad.
•South Dakota’s agriculture industry has a $25.6 billion economic impact each year. With more than 19 million acres of cropland and 23 million acres of pastureland, our farmers and ranchers are one of our economy’s key drivers.
•In addition to generating 20% of our state’s economic activity, production agriculture and its value added industries employ over 115,000 South Dakotans.
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Here are some fun facts about dairy production:
• Milk takes about 48 hours to get from farm to store. Thanks to hardworking dairy farmers for making our food fresh & local.
•Between 1944 and 2007, milk production has quadrupled but emits 63% fewer greenhouse gasses, requires 90% less cropland and consumes 65% less water.
•Cheers to the dairy farmers working hard to make the milk behind our pizza!
•Take this 10-stop video tour to see how milk from real cows, on a Midwest farm, becomes dairy foods you love. Use your smartphone, tablet or computer for an insider’s view of dairy farm living: http://bit.ly/MidwestFarmTour
•Delicious dairy comes from local farms – see for yourself: http://bit.ly/MidwestFarmTour
Producing the food that you put on your table, truly is a labor of love and hard work, so in celebration of National Farmers Day, I encourage you to thank our local farmers for helping put that delicious food on your table… and take extra appreciation of it!
To all of you that work in acres, not hours. We thank you!
-Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
by Dan | Oct 7, 2018 | Exercise, Family, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Yesterday was our 28th wedding anniversary. It seems like yesterday when Sarah and I said “I do”! A lot of things have changed over the years, but the one thing that has not is much I care, and love, Sarah. I thought I was in love that day, but little did I know that was just the beginning. That love has grown so much over these years that I cannot imagine my life without her. We have raised a family, gone on many adventures, and have a passion for exercise and running that has truly been our bond together over these years.
We have been biking, running, walking, hiking all of these years. Here we went back on to where we went on our honeymoon at Estes Park, CO. We spent many times hiking the Rocky Mountains, and have gone back 2 other times and relived that honeymoon as well. We have been in many races together, and separately. We may have run some races separately, but we were there together in all of them!
Here 2 years ago Sarah is patiently waiting for me to finish the Twin Cities Marathon! It was a struggle for me to finish that day. But I knew she would be waiting for me at the finish line, and she was.
I kind of collapsed in her arms at the finish. Tears of joy from me at that time. I knew she would be there, just like always. Supporting, cheering, and many times now, running with me. No other words to describe that kind of a relationship…a relationship that gets even stronger over time.
We have run many races together, and here our friend Cory Ann took one of us in the Brookings half, and we saw her, so of course, I put my arm around her as we ran and smiled! That is what life has been. Doing things together, supporting each other, good days and bad days. I can think of no one else I would rather be with.
Now that the kids are grown and out of the house, we are planning on what our next adventures will be. We don’t know what they will be yet, but guarantee if will involve races, and places we have never been to yet. Many more adventures to go and experience together, and hopefully we will have this for years to come.
It may have been 28 years ago yesterday where we said “I do”, but the lifetime adventure is where it is at. The adventures and lifetime memories only get better, and running and exercise has been that strong bond between. What are you waiting for? It is never too late to start. We can all move, and do something. Start making some ongoing memories for you as well. The biggest limitation is not your legs, but your mind! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 4029
