by Dan | Jun 11, 2017 | Exercise, Family, Motivation, Wellness/Health
There are always time when we need to work out, no matter what type of exercise, by yourself. Time to think, time to sweat, time for you! But, there are those times when it would be nice to have help from others, whether family or friends. As time goes on, these two groups, family and friends, can be hard to differentiate. They can become one in the same. We need them for support, for motivation, for laughing, for working out our problems. A lot of times their problems are similar. Talking about it can resolve things easier. We become better, and they become better. When one of them gets hurt, or injured doing exercise, things are not the same. Something is missing. I have written on this before. Whether it was myself, or a family member, or a member of our run club, something is missing when one of can’t participate. Jill has been hurt with a sore foot lately, and her brother Steve had been dealing with a sore foot, and then my nurse Chris has been dealing with a sore foot while she was training for her half marathon. Bottom line, we will all have some type of injuries along the way, but the benefit that comes when we do exercise, and participate in activities, far outweighs that risk of injury. All we can do is support, listen, help them if we can, and wait until they can return. Until you are in that situation yourself, it is hard to describe that feeling when you can’t participate, and can’t wait for that time to be back at it again ourselves.
Our run club continues to keep growing…not only in numbers, but in friendship. There are some of those times when it is time to meet for a run, and I am not really in a mood to go run, but I am in a mood for spending time with these people…friends…who become like family! We are there for each other. We get to know each other. We worry about each other! We become better ourselves because of our friends!
The Hospital Hill run took place yesterday, and my son Nick, and one of my daughters, Molly, and her boyfriend, came home to run in this. My daughter Molly is “thumbs up” ready to go for this. We got to spend time as a family, running, walking, exercising, together! And of course, members of our run club were there as well.
All smiles after the race. We had some other that were there as well, but they had to leave sooner for other family activities, but we were there…supporting each other, cheering each other…just being there! Jill was able to run it, and we were all cheering! My son Nick came up and brought all of his college room mates as well!
The four stooges! They did great, and they had a good time! This is what memories are made of! We become better ourselves, by supporting those around us, and they return the favor. Can it really can much better than this? That is what makes life rewarding…fulfilling…enjoyable!
I really cannot say it anybody than this! To all of my run club friends: Am I wrong with this? Thanks for all the support you give me as well! Run on everybody! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3543
by kelsey | Jun 8, 2017 | Etc.
Bruce Ford with the IBS Support Group asked us to inform you all of their next meeting. This is a great opportunity to learn more about Irritable Bowel Syndrome and get tips and support from others who have it. It is free and any are welcome!
IBS Support Group Meeting
Wednesday, June 14th at 6:30pm at the North Conference Room at Prairie Lakes Hospital
by kelsey | Jun 6, 2017 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Grilling is a great way to change up cooking techniques and try new flavors after a cold winter season. Spice up any cookout by adding fruits and vegetables to the menu. Beyond the benefits of adding color, variety and flavor, fruits and vegetables can also add a variety of vitamins and nutrients. Keep in mind the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend to fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables at each meal.
Kabobs are a great item to include marinated vegetables like red or yellow peppers, mushrooms, eggplant, cheery tomatoes, and onions. Simply brush your favorite vegetables with olive or canola oil and your favorite spices and grill over medium heat, turning until marked and tender.
When grilling meat, choose healthier options like lean cuts of beef, pork, chicken, or fish. Be sure to keep raw meat, poultry, and their juices separate from ready-to-eat foods avoiding cross contamination. This can be done by using separate plates, cooking utensils, and cutting boards. Frozen foods should be thawed in a refrigerator or the microwave, not on the countertop or by the grill. Also remember to use a food thermometer when cooking meat, poultry, or fish to ensure it reaches a safe minimum internal temperature, this is key to reducing risk of food poisoning. Steak should reach 145°F, hamburgers 160°F, and chicken and pork 165°F.
Vegetarian or an avid mat lover, a grilled marinated Portobello burger can be a tasty alternative. Marinate and grill mushrooms, gill sides up, over medium-low heat with the grill covered until they are marked and softened (about 15 minutes). Flip and grill until cooked through.
Not forgetting dessert, try fruit kabobs with pineapple slices, watermelon, or peach halves. Grilling on low heat until the fruit is hot and slightly golden. Serve them on top of low-fat frozen yogurt or angel food cake.
Most of all enjoy!
-Kelsey
by Dan | Jun 4, 2017 | Etc.
Many of us in the Watertown Area Run Club, WARC, have signed up for the Twin Cities Marathon on Oct 1 this year, and many others for the 10 mile run. We are jumping in anticipation of why we are doing this race. It is for charity, and a very special charity. We are running for ongoing research in regards to Friedreich’s Ataxia. Friedreich’s Ataxia is a rare inherited disease that causes a gradual breakdown of the nervous system. It affects nerves in the brain and the spinal cord that control movement. It also affects sensory nerves that help with coordination. About one in 50,000 people in the United States have Friedreich’s Ataxia. In Watertown alone, there have been at least 4 people. For me, they are family members of friends, and also, relatives. I have had at least 3 cousins affected by this. So, Sarah and I have decided, along with many members of our WARC, to run for a cause this Fall. We are going to run for Team FARA!
Team FARA is Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance. All money raised will go towards continuing research in the hopes of finding a cure. Sarah and I have many charities requesting financial assistance from us throughout the year. It is impossible to give to all of them, even though we want to. We have to pick and choose. Tom Batta, whose is a member of WARC, has a daughter with this disease. And as I said above, I have multiple cousins/relatives affected by this. I can’t think of a better cause to run for, and donate to. So, Sarah has signed up to run the marathon. This will be her first marathon ever! She is very nervous about this, but thinks if she were ever going to do one, she could not think of a better reason to try than this. Not only are we going to run, I am donating $1000.00 to her fundraising efforts, and she is going to donate $1000.00 to mine. We will continue to ask repeatedly, through Facebook, or this site, for anyone who wants to donate for this cause. You can get on the internet and type out Team FARA 2017 Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance, and it will direct you to the website. A direct website is http://fara.convio.net/site/TR?fr_id=1371&pg=entry. It then has listed on the left side where you can type in the participants name, so either Sarah or I, or our team, which is Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon and 10 Mile. It does not matter who to list if for otherwise, it can be put under our team. We are all working for the cause. As of this writing, there are currently 12 full marathon participants, 10 of which are members of WARC, and 9 people that are running the 10 mile! One of our WARC members, and my good friend and training partner, Tom Beaudry, is donating $26.20 for each member of WARC participating…to represent the 26.2 miles we will be running for the marathon!
Sarah and I will continue our training together, and running for a very good cause! Please consider joining us. How much more motivation could there be than to run for a charity…to exercise and run when we have the ability, in order to help somebody who cannot? People with Friedreich’s Ataxia would run in this if they could, so we will help them out by running for them. That is what becoming a better you is all about! Appreciate all of our abilities, physical and mental, and join in. The rest of us have no other excuses, except what our mind is telling us. Take advantage of our abilities, and put them to good use. For those of us running this event, we can use all the support we can get…motivational, encouragement, and financial. Please consider donating!
Run for someone else. Exercise for someone else! Become a better you, and…
Doing this for another cause can be more rewarding than anything else life has to offer. Not only do we need to Strive to Survive, but let’s help someone else achieve this too! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3536
by kelsey | Jun 1, 2017 | Diet, Family, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Summer has officially started now that school is out! The kids are back home and they’re going to be eating more of the foods that you keep stocked for them at home. Active children burn through their energy stores very quickly and need to replenish them often. Snacking is an important part of keeping your kids energized for their play-filled summer days.
Snacks should be a combination of fiber and protein so that they are filling and satisfying. Pistachios are a good snack as they contain both fiber and protein. You can also pick out two foods that will meet the fiber and protein combination needs. Some ideas are:
- An apple and a teaspoon of peanut butter
- String cheese and a few whole wheat crackers
- Baby carrots and hummus
- Low-fat yogurt and almonds
- Mixed nuts and raisins
- Celery sticks filled with peanut or almond butter
Just be sure to keep in mind that snacks are just to get by until the next mealtime, so snacks should not be a significant source of calories. Kids have small stomachs so keep the portion sizes small as well. This is a good time to instill healthy habits in your child so try to avoid having the TV or video games going during snack time in order to discourage mindless munching. Any fruit, vegetable, low-fat dairy product, or whole wheat grain product makes a good snack so find out what your child likes and get creative with the combinations!
-Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
