by Dan | Apr 23, 2017 | Exercise, Goals, Heart Health, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health
We spend Saturday morning at Jackson Park as part of the Clean and Green activity picking up litter/trash. It was a great day out, warm, no wind. The Optimist Group was out as well cleaning up sections along the bike trail leading to Jackson Park. It is amazing how much garbage is out there each year, and how people cannot throw things into a garbage can, even when the garbage cans are right there for them! It was a great way to get an hour of walking in as well, and working on the legs doing squats and bending over while picking up the garbage. We had a good crew from the H2O Watertown Trail Committee.
We are doing good by picking up garbage and keeping the community clean, but we also got to get outside and enjoy the weather, and keep active. From Jackson Park you could look across at the other section of trail and see the Optimist group out cleaning up the section of trail that goes by it.
At the end of the hour, this is what we had collected, just in Jackson Park!
When you volunteer, you are not only doing good, but feeling good about what you do to help with the community. We all live here, and we all need to help take care of it…and we get some exercise as well!
By volunteering, you get to meet new people, take part in worthwhile activities, inspire others, be involved…and above all else…you get to make a difference!
Getting some activity out of it for our own benefit is just icing on the cake!
And then when you get done, you get to see how nice everything looks, the beauty in nature that is out there for all of us to enjoy. Just remember to do your part, and put garbage where it is supposed to go. If we all did this, we would not have to go out and pick it all up!
Make a difference…volunteer! Become a better you, and get exercise out of it as well! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3494
by kelsey | Apr 20, 2017 | Exercise, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Have you ever wondered how many miles you have biked, run or walked on the Watertown Recreational Trail? This summer we want you to join the third annual Watertown Recreational Trail Challenge. Starting May 1 you can stop at the Park and Rec. Fieldhouse and pick up a tracking sheet that also has the mileage chart for the Recreational Trail on it. Keep track of how many miles you bike, run or walk, then at the end of summer by September 29 just turn your tracking sheets back in and we will tabulate who the three people are who have biked, walked or run the most miles and those three will receive awards and be recognized later in the month of October as the ones who put on the most miles on our beautiful trail system.
Dates: May 1 – September 29
Fee: Free
Location: All miles must be on the Watertown Recreational Trail
Contact: Jeremy with the Park and Rec at 882-6260
by kelsey | Apr 19, 2017 | Cooking Tips, Diabetes, Diet, Food, Weight Management
Snacking can be included in a healthy diet as long as you are making a good choice and watching your portions. I encourage snacks to have a balance of nutrients–especially healthy carbohydrates and lean proteins to help keep energy levels stable and provide satiety. Give these a try!
- Peanut butter and banana or apple
- Greek yogurt and fruit
- Hummus and carrots
- Low-fat cottage cheese and red pepper
- Snack mix with nuts, oats, and dried fruit
- Oatmeal topped with fruit and nuts
- Beef jerky and apple
- String cheese and whole grain crackers such as Wheat Thins or Triscuits
- Half of a turkey sandwich
- Almonds and fruit
- Yogurt
- Light popcorn
-Kelsey
by Dan | Apr 16, 2017 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Commitment is what we all need to begin challenges in our life, but we also need confidence to believe we can. The key component of all of this is that it needs to be fun as well. If it is not fun, we won’t continue with it. It would be like having another job, and who really needs to have another job? My daughter Megan is finishing up her senior year in college, having competed in swimming as a club sport. She had her final meet of her college career…going to Atlanta to compete in the national meet. She worked hard at it, but had a ton of fun doing this in her 4 years of college. This was her concentration prior to her event. But, she also knows how to have fun!
You need to stay relaxed before your events. The more relaxed you are, the more confident you can be that you are going to “go for it”!
If we don’t have fun at the same time, we will not do well. We won’t do what we are capable of. You have to believe in yourself, and once you do this, nothing can stop you!
You have to be ready to start. For many of us, the start can be one of the toughest things. For many of the rest of us, it hanging in there and continuing to work at it that is the tough part. If you believe in yourself, you will have a great start.
In this picture, my daughter Megan is the one arched all the way back with her head in the water already, while the other swimmers are still launching back. She had a great start, led by confidence and hard work.
The start is only the beginning…you have to keep going…keep pushing…going past our comfort zones, and pushing ourselves, sometimes past limits we are not used to doing. It may not always be comfortable, but when we do, the confidence that can develop from this is powerful!
You are going to work at it, get tired, push yourself beyond what you perceive as your limits. When you accomplish something like this, the benefits far outweigh the risks.
When you believe in yourself, you become unstoppable! And then, that is when…
Make your workouts fun! Make them unique to you. Do something you like, or you won’t continue with it. You will surprise yourself what you are capable of. Your goals become reachable, and your life is much more enjoyable, and fulfilled. Don’t let your mind hold you back. Your body is ready to go, it just needs that push that only your mind will help you with. Have fun, gain confidence…become a better you! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3487
by kelsey | Apr 13, 2017 | Holidays
Do you have your Easter baskets all ready for the little (or big) kids in your life? Easter baskets are usually filled with all kinds of goodies and I like to think of them being just as exciting as getting your Christmas stocking! My family has all kinds of funny stories about the big search for finding our Easter baskets and of course what we find inside is even more exciting! The candy aisles at the store are filled with all kinds of goodies, but let us not forget that there are plenty of other non-junk food options to fill your Easter baskets with. Here are some ideas for you:
- Sidewalk chalk
- Color Dotz by Crayola (color your bath water with them!)
- Books
- Coloring books
- Stuffed animals
- Sunglasses
- Shoes
- Socks
- Hair accessories for girls
- Mini cars or planes for boys
- Nail polish
- Gift certificate to the movies or iTunes
- Magazine subscription
- Jump rope
- Yo-yo
- Pencils, crayons, markers
Easter Egg Food Safety
With the Easter Holiday and Celebration just a few days away, many of you have your eggs hard boiled and ready to be painted…or many of you already have them painted! As Sunday comes and goes, you may wonder what to do with those eggs. Here are some tips for you to practice proper egg safety:
- It’s ok to enjoy a little candy, but be sure to include some of these other goodies to help make your Easter baskets a bit healthier! And more importantly, remember the real meaning of celebrating Easter!
- Not sure how to boil an egg? Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil with the lid on, then turn off the heat. Let the eggs sit in water for 15 min. Remove eggs and place in a bowl of ice cold water to cool
- Eggs should be used within 3 weeks of the sell by date. Be sure to store them in the fridge at a temp less than 40 degrees F.
- Hard boiled eggs spoil faster than fresh eggs as the protective coating is washed away, making them more susceptible to bacteria. Hard boiled eggs must be refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking.
- If you want to eat the hard boiled eggs after the holiday, you must store them in the refrigerator. Throw away any eggs that are cracked, dirty, or have been out of the fridge for more than 2 hours. If you are going to use the leftover cooked eggs, it is recommended to use them within one week to prevent food poisoning. To help you do this, you could make two batches- one to display and one for eating.
- Ever wonder what the green ring on a hard boiled yolk is? It’s a result of overcooking the eggs and is caused by sulfur and iron compounds in the egg reacting to the surface of the yolk. The green color may also be a result of a large amount of iron in the water used to cook with. It may look funny, but it is safe to eat.
Happy Easter!
Kelsey
