by kelsey | Feb 7, 2013 | Weight Management
Since it’s Farm Show week here in Watertown, I decided to focus my blog topic today on the challenges farmers and ranchers face to stay well. Many of my patients are farmers and ranchers and much of our consultations are spent discussing ways to eat healthier and exercise with their lifestyle. This is also a frequent conversation in my own household as Adam, my husband, is a farmer and rancher. The picture above is from a few months ago when I helped move the cattle home. I enjoy helping and being in a warm pickup tailing the group makes it more enjoyable…unlike the guys who are on 4-wheelers and bundled up!
Farmers and ranchers spend their days in the fields, working with their cattle or livestock, fixing equipment, etc…all essential parts of their contribution to the food chain. They work hard and long days to help put food on our tables. Many are typically up before the sunrise and come into the house after the sun sets….which greatly affects their eating and exercise habits. Their workload has changed over the years due to technology and many are not getting as much activity as they once did…however they still may be putting in long days, thus the last thing on their list is a jog or bike ride. In addition, many eat supper late and go right to bed or sit in the chair watching tv the rest of the night. It truly is a challenge to practice healthy eating habits and get regular activity, however it is essential to build this into your lifestyle!
Adam gets to listen to my pep talks of eating healthy and exercising regularly (I’m sure he blocks me out sometimes as I probably sound like a broken record!). He was asked last week how he does it living with me being a dietitian and his response was “we compromise” ….and he’s exactly right…we compromise with foods, meals, activity, etc in order to practice healthy habits with our chosen lifestyle. The first step is understanding the importance of wellness and making a commitment to adjust your lifestyle to be healthier. The second step is figuring out what changes need to be made to help you do this.
Farmers and ranchers typically are no too thrilled about going to a gym to exercise because they live in the country and it’s just one more thing to do, so having a few pieces of equipment at home or using your driveway or road as your gym becomes more convenient. We recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day but it may be more convenient to split that up until 10 minute increments: 10 minute walk in the am, 10 minute walk at noon, and 10 minute walk before supper….there’s your 30 minutes right there! We have a treadmill and a bike in our home that makes it more convenient to exercise. In the summer, I prefer to jog outside as there’s nothing better than wide open spaces and a gravel road to clear my mind while staying fit.
In regards to eating habits, I recommend to follow a balanced diet with healthy choices. An afternoon snack or “lunch” as Adam calls it is very important! It will help you not be as hungry for supper time which will result in you not eating as much before bed. Practicing mindful eating is also helpful….think about how hungry you are and recognize when you are full. Eating fast and not paying attention to your hunger cues typically results in overeating.
Most of all, focus on a few things at a time. When you tackle it all at once, it’s hard to stay focused and motivated and typically results in giving up. Baby steps will add up to big steps in the end! Incorporating healthy eating and activity will give you more energy to get through the day while promoting health and longevity.
There was a recent article posted in the USA Today about this topic and one of our very own SD dietitians is quoted so be sure to check it out!
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/02/02/farmers-weight-gain/1884589/
Also- this topic was targeted towards farmers and ranchers but really applies to all who have a busy lifestyle!
Motivation is what gets you started, habit is what keeps you going!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Feb 6, 2013 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management
We had some excellent treats last night at STRIVE 2 Survive thanks to County Fair Foods. Both are very tasty and healthy! Be sure to give these a try!
Angel Lush (above picture)
1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
1 pkg (1 oz) vanilla fat free/sugar free instant pudding
1 c thawed lite cool whip topping
1 pkg (10 oz) round angel food cake cut into three layers
10 small fresh strawberries
Mix pineapple and dry pudding mix. Gently stir in cool whip. Stack cake layers on plate, spreading pudding mixture between layers and on top of cake. Refrigerate for one hour. Top with berries.
Chicken Veggie Wrap
Garden vegetable wraps
Cooked chicken breast
Garden vegetable 1/3 less fat cream cheese
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Bell Peppers
Alfalfa sprouts
Lettuce
Dice chicken and vegetables. Spread cream cheese on wrap. Layer chicken and vegetables. Roll, slice, and enjoy!
by Dan | Feb 2, 2013 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Last night Prairie Lakes Hospital held a Women’s Health Forum, talking on numerous topics, particularly heart disease. The keynote speaker was 2004 Olympian Carrie Tollefson, a native of Dawson, MN.
She took a picture with all of us after her motivational speech. I got to go because they presented me with recognition for my consecutive exercise streek, and it was great to be there. I got to bring the rest of the family along as well. Nick and I are the only male attendees that night, and we got to sit at the front table, right in front of the podium!
Before her talk, she took this picture with us, and we are holding two of the Runners World magazines I had with her on the cover (she has 4 total!), and she autographed them for me. She is 6 months pregnant right now, and could still kick our butt running! She gave an excellent talk, fired everybody up, and it was great seeing someone close, and from a town of 1600, do what she has done, and not forget where she came from. She was a journalism major, broadcasting, so her and Megan had a good talk as well as she wants to go into journalism. The kids were all amazed at her accomplishments as well. Sarah could not be there to start with as she was off delivering a baby, and they don’t wait! She did an excelllent job speaking to the crowd of about 450 people. Her line is: “Get after it!” Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1956
by Dan | Jan 31, 2013 | Exercise, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health
Since getting my Nike+ Fuel band watch, I have been keeping track of my daily steps. It makes a big difference when you where this, and then go run a marathon. Wow!
At roughly 2000 steps/mile, you can see what kind of mileage this leads too. With the cold spell hitting here right now, even though it was hot and humid at the Disney marathon, I really appreciate it more now. I would rather put up with the heat versus the cold. Sometimes, you just have to go back and relook at things to remind you of those better weather days as well.
Looking back at how things looked then, when it is cold here, brings back those memories quickly, and can still fire you up to get motivated. Anytime we go somewhere warm during the winter, this helps keep your attention, and remind you of those fun times. It sure helps keep me going! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1954
by kelsey | Jan 31, 2013 | Cooking Tips, Food, Weight Management, Winter
The weather is making headlines today as we woke up to -40-50 below with wind chill. It’s very hard to get motivated to do anything on days like today as we’d rather just curl up in a blanket in our sweatpants and watch a movie. Even though we may feel like being a bum, it’s still a good time to get a little workout in which will help raise your body temperature and give you more energy throughout the day. We also typically eat more soups, stews, and hot-dishes on days like this. If you are watching your waist line, it’s important to be careful of how much you consume of these foods as they can be high in calories, fat, and carbs… depending on how you prepare them. Broth based soups and stews are lower in calories and fat than cream based. In addition, if you’re making a hot dish, you may consider cutting calories by choosing fat free soups to add to your dish, such as fat free cream of chicken or mushroom soup. They also have low sodium varieties of these so if you’re watching your blood pressure or sodium intake, you may consider using this variety. And, as always, be sure to incorporate your lean proteins and plenty of fruits and veggies to your meal. Two of my favorite cold weather meals are my mom’s beef stew that has carrots, peas, potatoes, onion, and roast meat and her chicken noodle soup that also has plenty of veggies with white meat chicken. Nothing beats either of these on a cold winter day!
If you venture out today, be sure to dress appropriately and cover up!
-Kelsey
