Loup Basin Public Health Department

Here’s a wellness challenge that is FREE and will encourage you to improve your health and personal finances. 

UNL Extension is supporting a new online Small Steps to Health and Wealth™ (SSHW) Challenge event called “SSHW Fall 2010 Challenge.”  This free six-week program, open to anyone who enrolls online, will be held from Sunday, October 3, through Saturday, November 13.  Prizes will be awarded for participants who report the highest point totals.  

To sign up for the SSHW Challenge, follow the “Challenges” link on the Small Steps to Health and Wealth™ Web site at www.smallsteps.unl.edu.  After going to the national challenge you will need to set up a user name and password and download a simple one-page user’s guide with instructions about how to proceed. Enroll in the Challenge titled “SSHW Fall 2010 Challenge.”

The SSHW Challenge is part of Small Steps to Health and Wealth™, a national Cooperative Extension program developed to motivate Americans to take action to simultaneously improve their health and personal finances.

Soon the U.S. House of Representatives will have the opportunity to follow the Senate’s lead and pass the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act, which ensures that our children will be served safe, nutritious meals each school day.

Without this crucial legislation, we miss an opportunity to get healthier food in school vending machines and meals, and 120,000 low-income students will miss out on free meals.  With 1 in 3 children overweight or obese and 1 in 4 at risk for hunger, we can’t let that happen.

If your passion for plants has outgrown the pots on your balcony or you see a local need for fresh veggies, a community garden could be the solution.

What is a community garden? In short, a community garden is a parcel of land divided into garden plots that are assigned to individuals, families or groups wishing to garden. By helping communities transform vacant (often run-down) lots into open spaces that provide recreation and fresh produce for residents, communities become healthier, safer, and happier places to live and work.

One great thing about gardens is that they have the power to bring people together.  Gardening is an activity that anyone with a little time and patience can participate in, no matter your age, income or health.  Gardens also provide great opportunities for socializing.  Everyone loves being outside on a nice summer day, and gardens provide a great excuse for that!  A garden can be a great place to spend time with friends, family, and neighbors.  

Did you know that fruits and vegetables you raise in your own garden are often more nutritious that those you can buy at the supermarket?  First, nothing the supermarket offers can even compare with the freshness of your own neighborhood crop.  While you can pick your produce minutes before you eat it, the crop you find in the supermarket has traveled hundreds, even thousands of miles to get to the store.  All that travel time means that fruits and veggies are often harvested before they are even ripe, and then it can take days (or even weeks) before they get to your plate.  In that amount of time, fruits and vegetables have lost flavor and nutrients.  For the best taste and nutrition, eat fresh!  

Gardens also support your health by providing you with great physical activity, fresh air, and the satisfaction of eating the season’s first tomato.  Garden tasks, like hoeing, digging, and even harvesting, can provide you with as much exercise a workout at the gym.  

Since you now know that produce from a garden is going to taste better and be fresher and healthier than anything you can buy at a store, it shouldn’t be surprising that a lot of people will want to eat the fruits of your labor.  Community gardens across the country participate in direct marketing, and sell their produce at farmer’s markets and event to local restaurants and grocery stores.  Because many people have begun to recognize the personal and ecological benefits of eating foods grown close to home, it is becoming easier for gardeners to sell their produce.  

Gardening is also a great way to make your mark on your neighborhood.  If you look around your community, it’s probably easy to find areas that would benefit from the beauty of a garden. Community gardeners around the nation have taken over vacant lots, rooftops, schoolyards and even medians to make room for gardens.  As long as you have permission to garden a space, even the tiniest plot can provide inspiration.  

Growth is a natural part of life, and gardening is one means to explore and cultivate this phenomenon. Not only relaxing and rejuvenating, gardening is also a practical means to provide nutritious food for one's family. Community gardens enable families to enjoy all the health benefits of growing their own food while at the same time helping to beautify their neighborhoods.

2 servings

3 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon curry powder
1 (6-ounce) eye-round steak
1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
¼ cup thinly sliced onions
I garlic clove, minced
¼ cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
1/3 cup sesame seeds
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese

Mix together the lime juice, soy sauce, oil, sugar, garlic powder, ginger, and curry powder in a  small bowl.  Place the beef in a ziplock bag.  Pour half of the marinade into the bag.  Squeeze out any air from the bag and seal it.  Place in the refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight (the longer it sits, the better the flavor).  If you’re letting the beef marinate overnight, cover the small bowl with the remaining marinade and refrigerate.

When you’re ready to eat, bring a pot of water to a boil.  Salt the water and add the macaroni; cook 8-10 minutes, or until tender.  Drain and set aside.

While the macaroni is cooking, remove the beef from the ziplock bag and discard the marinade in the bag.  Cut the beef into thin strips.  Sauté the meat in a large skillet over medium heat until cooked through.  Remove the beef from the skillet and set aside.  

Pour the reserved marinade into the same skillet.  Add the onions, garlic, red pepper, and sesame seeds, and sauté until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the browned beef and cooked pasta.  Sprinkle with feta and serve.

If you work full-time, you may spend an average of 50 hours a week working, and chances are you’re eating 1/3 of your meals at work.  

About 40% of U.S. workers report feeling stressed or very stressed at work.

Your office – where you spend 30% to 50% of your waking hours – can work for you or against you, depending on how you use it.  

To reduce stress and increase energy during the work day without having to drop everything and run to the gym, try some of these sure-fire methods to beat those afternoon blahs at the office.  

Get Physical

•    Every day, the staff here at LBPHD takes a walk during our fifteen minute morning and afternoon breaks.  We’ve mapped out a route that is close to one mile long, and we walk whenever weather permits.  Depending on schedules, sometimes just one or two of us walk, and sometimes everyone wants to go; we break into smaller groups when necessary.  This is a great way to get a break from your office!  
•    Go to the office staircase and step up and down the bottom step (like step aerobics).
•    Massage your own head and shoulders.  Find trigger points of tension in the shoulders, jaw, and base of the skull.  Hold pressure for 6-10 seconds.
•    Stand up and stretch your muscles.  Don’t forget your neck and wrists.
•    Jumping jacks are a simple, quick way to pump you up.  Try to increase your intensity (speed) and duration (minutes) to keep it challenging.  

Go Mental

•    Do puzzles.  Crossword, sudoku, word finds – you could even start a jigsaw puzzle in the break room.
•    Fill out a Mad-Libs with your co-workers.  A little laughter can improve your mood and decrease stress instantly.
•    Rearrange your office –or organize your desk.
•    Draw something – let your mind create.
•    Stand perfectly still for two minutes – let your mind regroup.
•    Make an inkblot with a folded piece of paper and liquid ink.  Have fun with what you see in the blot.
•    Have a small container of brain-break items, such as a slinky, spinning top, wind-up toys, etc.  These items are great when listening to conference calls or for a brief break when working on reports.

As you plan family activities this summer, make sure to include some fun opportunities for family fitness as well!  Take advantage of warm weather and flexible schedules to get out and try some new outdoor activities with friends and family.  

I’ve definitely used the excuse that I’m too tired to exercise after work, or that I just don’t have the time.  Nobody has an extra hour in their day for working out – we have to make time, which sometimes means multi-tasking in order to get some physical activity each day.  If you find yourself falling in the trap of coming home from a long day and crashing on the couch in front of the tv, why not workout while you’re watching your favorite shows?  You’ll feel good afterwards, and many of these moves will help you wind down from a busy day so that you’ll get a better night’s sleep.