As summer draws to a close, so does the season for fresh berries like strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and mulberries, but you don’t have to stop enjoying them. Among the great taste of berries are nutritious reasons to keep them in your diet. Berries are high in the following: Antioxidants- protect against chronic illnesses like heart disease. Fiber-regulate blood sugar and bowel health. Vitamins and minerals (also called micronutrients)-contribute to overall health and well-being.
The simplest, most nutrient retentive way to preserve berries is to freeze them. Remove any stems or leaves. Wash the berries in a colander and let them air dry or pat with a towel.
Optional: Cut berries to your desired size. Place in freezer bags of your desired size and store in the freezer.
Note: if you think the berries might freeze together, quick freeze them before adding to the bag by freezing them in a single layer on a pan and then placing them in a freezer bag when they are frozen as single units.
-Anna Barr, SDSU Dietetic Intern
**Fall STRIVE 2 Survive starts September 8th. Contact us today to reserve your spot! Space is limited due to COVID19 social distancing.
Our original WARC (Watertown Area Run Club) picture! Carefree…just a bunch of people getting together because we like to run. This week has brought up many of those times over the years that reminded meof the fun involved with this. We need to remember to learn to have fun with our activities/exercise now more than ever. I will start first with our Wednesday evening run club gathering. My daughter Megan and I were having fun at the Zoo where they put up some caution tape. It was not there when we started, and 40 minutes later, it was up. So, we pretended we were racing and getting ready to cross the finish line .
We even did another where Megan was pretending to fall, or at least look like I tripped her! (interpret for yourself!)
Saturday brought a few different things. Sarah and Erika were helping Jenn run and train for her upcoming marathon. Jill was riding the bike along side.
Patricia and Paula were in Castlewood competing in a 5k run. They were working, and running together.
But when we run together, we have fun together. We cheer each other on, keep pushing each other to the finish. We can talk, laugh, joke…today was talking about “Pizza lady” at the lake a week ago ( I will leave it at this for now…you had to run with us to hear the inside story on this one!). It is not about exercise. It is about spending time together, supporting each other, spending time with friends, who just happen to like exercising/running!
We are learning from each other all of the time. Here are a few more pictures of us in the past, where we are posing and goofing around taking pictures after we get done running.
Whether we all just “died” on the run, or practicing “snow ballet”, we have fun! Some of the best parts of the week are running with my friends. Carefree, laughing, and forgetting about all of life’s other issues at the time. And best of all, making memories!
So get out there and move, and have fun! Join us anytime for run club. Watertown also has a walk club as well. Get somebody to walk or work out with you, and if you can’t, then take the scenic route out on the bike trail by the lake and walk and take in all of the beauty! Just remember to keep having fun! Keep moving everybody!
You can’t listen to anything on the radio or the TV without getting an every 30 second update on COVID. I deal with it all day long in the clinic. The clinic has still been very busy, but now, when I leave, I go home, and I get to stay home. Prior to all of this going on it would mean multiple other things going on: meeting for this, or for that; going out to eat; gathering in groups somewhere, for something. For me, life has slowed down once I get home. I for one am thankful for this aspect. I never got to spend enough time at home before all of this occurred, and now it has allowed me to be home, spend more time with Sarah, and getting things done around the house. There will never be any changing the busy, crazy world of medicine. It will always be chaotic and stressful. But when I leave, it is time to wind down, slow down, and appreciate what I have.
During the week, Sarah will take Dakota for a walk in the morning, and I take her in the evening. She is ready to go anytime, anywhere. On the weekends, we may both run together with her in the mornings. Dakota is just out there, carefree, taking it all in, just happy to spend time with us, and go walking/running. We all need to act like Dakota. Forget everything else going on, and enjoy the moment at hand. Slow down. Life moves too fast anyway. Maybe this is the positive we can take out of this. Slow down and enjoy our life at home more. Spend time with those of our family. Just slow down the hustle and bustle of everything else going on, and take a deep breath. When I take Dakota in the evenings, I have been taking pictures of sunsets at the Lake. I have to admit, I did not really take the time to appreciate what was even going on before. There was too much to do, and not enough time to get it all done. Now I have some time, and it is one of the things I enjoy very much right now. It is a perfect way to forget about all of the other craziness going on this year. Here are some examples:
Maybe God had some insight into this, and is telling us to all slow down. Enjoy life. Take it all in. Take care of ourselves, and respect others as well. This is not about each of us individually. This is about all of us, and how we are going to get through all of this together. Nobody is immune. We all have to make sacrifices. We all need to take care of not only ourselves, but each other. I can’t even watch the news anymore. I think I have heard everything that could possible be the stupidest thing possible, and every day, something else tops it. Maybe that is how some people are dealing with the stress. I don’t know. But we are all human, and I think it is time to start acting human. Be respectful. Be kind. Is this how you would want to be treated? Use your head. Get out and move, and enjoy the things that are available to us, especially during the Summer. Pretty soon, we will be back to Winter, and won’t be able to spend time outside. Don’t blow it. Exercise of some sort is the cheapest medicine we can all take…and it is free! Keep moving everybody!
In today’s society we are often consumed by the next best diet. There are many kinds of shakes, supplements, the next best diet gimmick to help you lose that 20lbs in 2 weeks. The predicted weight loss is usually what intrigues us to learn more and want to try it…especially when it says “no exercise recommended.” Note–this is a red flag that this diet is not a good one! More often than not, the representatives promoting the products and plans for these fad diets do not have credible and substantial education in health and nutrition. In addition, the supplement and diet industry is huge and everyone in it is trying to make the big bucks, thus they are going to tell you exactly what you want to hear! These plans are very tempting to try, but it’s very important to be aware of the consequences some of these diet plans and supplements can have on our bodies and take the proper precautions.
A few years ago an article was published in the British Journal of Medicine that showed a high protein, low carbohydrate diet (typical of diets like the Atkins Diet, True Weigh/Ideal Protein Diet, and the Paleo Diet) increased risk for heart disease in women. In addition, this high protein, low carb diet can result in damage to our liver and kidneys (Yes, this can really happen and I have seen it happen here–most lately with the keto diet). In regards to the supplements, it’s important to be mindful of the ingredients and the nutrient content as many contain ingredients that can act as stimulants and cause elevated blood pressure, heart palpitations, and overall stress to the heart. Most of these fad diets will result in weight loss as you are often cutting your calories very low and as a result you lose that superficial weight also known as water weight. The odds of you keeping this weight off when following a fad diet are minimal, which is why we come back to the good old fashioned diet and exercise as our best plan for weight loss and weight management.
Sometimes we need that reassurance that dieting the old fashioned way is still recommended because there are so many other temptations out there…but what you need to know is YES, this is best for you and your body long term! Following a lower calorie, balanced diet plan that includes all food groups in moderation (and even some treats here and there) will not only help you lose weight and keep it off in the long run, but it will also keep your body healthy inside and out. A healthy and balanced diet paired up with an activity routine is your ticket to success and has been heavily researched to prove this. US News and World Report ranked the best diets recently and the top ones are consistent with our recommendations: the heart healthy and mediterranean diets are the best for us!
Sometimes doing it the old fashioned way takes a little longer than we’d like, but be patient!! We really like to see a slower, steadier weight loss than a quick one so stay strong and true and eventually you will reach your goal! If you need help with improving your weight and wellness or have questions don’t hesitate to contact us! We’re excited to start our fall session of STRIVE 2 Survive September 8th! Enrollment is beginning now so contact us today to get signed up for a great session of learning and working on improving your health and wellness!
The weather is nice, and the trails are open, so what are you waiting for? Get out there and use them while you can! Before too long, Winter will be here, and we will be much more limited on spending time outdoors. With everything going on with COVID now, you want to take this time and spend as much of it outside now while you can. The scenery has been very nice lately too, especially around the Lake! Here are a few more examples!
Get out there and take it in. When you have views like this, it does not even feel like you are exercising. Do whatever activity you like to do: running, walking, biking, roller blading, whatever, just get outside and utilize the trail system we have while you can. 30+ miles just waiting to be used! It does not matter if in the morning, afternoon, or in the evening as the sun is setting. I will say, when the sun is setting, the views have been spectacular!
You don’t know what you are missing, until you give it a try. It really is very relaxing, especially at the end of the day. This time is great to unwind from everything that has gone on from the day, and a time to just forget about everything else…especially COVID!
So go get your tail out on the trail! Spend the rest of this Summer enjoying the weather, and utilize the resources we have available to us. Make it a priority. Take your health into your own hands, and enjoy the scenery. Keep moving everybody!
