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Get Healthy De Soto

…having a long-lasting positive impact on the health and safety of the De Soto community by encouraging healthy lifestyle choices, through programs promoting physical activity, healthy nutrition, community involvement, and disease and injury prevention.

Does 10,000 steps a day seem insurmountable?

Well, you aren’t the only one! That 10,000 steps goal that was set years ago was based on…well, absolutely nothing! It didn’t have any scientific basis. Sure, people who walk 10,000 steps a day are generally healthy individuals, but new research sets the bar at something much more achievable: 4,400 steps each day.

Walking more than 4,400 steps helped lower the risk of all-cause mortality even further, but the benefits leveled off when walkers logged 7,500 steps. In other words, more steps did not equal better outcomes.

If 10,000 seems like a stretch, start by getting a simple pedometer and tracking your steps over a week or two. Then, aim to add a bit to your average. For example, if you’re averaging 2,700 steps a day, try to increase it to 2,800, then to 2,900. Incremental changes are easier to manage than simply trying to jump to 10,000 (again, a totally arbitrary number) steps each day, which would be unrealistic and just leave your psychologically feeling like a failure. Take it slow, and if you aren’t getting 4,400 steps a day, try to reach that goal. Let friends, family, or GHD know how you’re doing too. Accountability is important.

Happy trails!

An evening snack

Image: Burg Children’s Dentistry

There are times when I enjoy a snack before heading off to bed. I’m partial to a little bowl of cottage cheese or a piece of dark chocolate. The cottage cheese isn’t such a bad option, but the chocolate… With an estimated number of 492,000 adults in Missouri having been diagnosed with diabetes, a little bit of chocolate before bed is not a healthy option. (We can argue about the antioxidants and pure joy of chocolate some other time.) People with diabetes who have high blood sugar in the mornings need to find a way to keep their numbers in check. There are two things that contribute to this phenomenon of hyperglycemia in the morning:

  1. The dawn phenomenon. Between roughly 3:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m., blood sugar levels surge as part of the process of waking up. This causes high blood sugar levels in the morning.
  2. The Somogyi effect. Glucose levels drop significantly between 2:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. The body responds by releasing hormones that raise blood sugar levels again. It can release too much of these hormones, leading to high blood sugar levels in the morning.

There are some snacks though that might help keep blood sugar levels from going off the rails. Tracking blood sugar is the first step, and people with diabetes should work with their dietitian to determine if an evening snack might help. (If you are diabetic and do not have a dietitian, contact the Jefferson County Health Department to see what options are available: 636-797-3737.)

Possible snacks to help levelize blood sugar overnight are those that have few carbohydrates, are high in protein, and contain healthy fats.

This seems like it makes sense, but then what are your options for snacks?

An article in Medical News Today has some great recommendations. Below are a few, but you should check out the article for other options too.

  1. Nuts-raw or roasted, but check the ingredients to see if oils are added. Also, watch the sodium amounts. Nuts are a better option than the corresponding butters because peanut butter, almond butter, and others generally have added sugar and oils.
  2. Boiled eggs-I like this option, but it takes some advanced planning. You could boil a half dozen or so on the weekend, and store them in the fridge to snack on throughout the week.
  3. Low-fat cheese or unprocessed cheese-I recommend mozzarella, ricotta, or Swiss.
  4. Baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, or cucumber slices-good because the caloric intake is minimal for a generous portion. There’s also some very beneficial fiber in fresh vegetables. I might need to pair this with a bit of cheese or hummus though!
  5. Roasted chickpeas-again, some planning is required. I normally have canned chickpeas in my pantry because I like to randomly make hummus. I have roasted some though, and they are delightfully crunchy. They are also a great source of protein and fiber! Check out this recipe for a spicy version.

Remember to check with your doctor and dietitian if you are diabetic and have blood sugar surges early in the morning. Talk to them about healthy snacks that might help keep those in check.

Source: Jenna Fletcher, Medical News Today

Improving Healthy Relationships

There is research that indicates there are health benefits to having good friends. We often don’t know how to maintain and improve those relationships though. It seems like once you’re friends with someone, the idea of changing or improving the relationship is somehow awkward. As children, we don’t feel this hesitant, but we also don’t change our BFF like underwear, either. As adults, maintaining and strengthening friendships is important, and here are some ideas from Psychology Today that make it easier.

  1. Ask a question you’ve been putting off, because you thought you didn’t have time to talk about it. Confiding in each other is important. Taking the time to ask questions and respond to questions and concerns is a big part of being a good friend.
  2. Think of a memory that makes you laugh, and text or email it to your friend. A bit cheesy, I’ll admit. It allows you to connect based on a past shared experience though. Healthy reflection is…healthy.
  3. Reveal something about yourself that you need to talk through but feel vulnerable about. This requires trust and time. You might think that you don’t have the time for this sort of vulnerability, but you might re-evaluate that. It could be that you need to do more to strengthen that bond of trust.
  4. Figure out a date that’s important to your friend — their birthday, their anniversary, or even a difficult milestone in their lives, like a parent’s death — and write it in your calendar so that you will know to do something personal when the time comes. This doesn’t mean adding “Happy Birthday” to their Facebook wall either. A written note goes a long way.
  5. Plan the next time you can see each other in person — and if that’s not possible, plan a time to catch up, for real. Anticipation is great. We frequently have large gatherings at our house, but if you get invited more than a few days in advance, that is really something. The “fly by the seat of my pants” saying fits me too well, and deliberately planning something weeks in advance only happens a few times a year for me. Intentionally seeking moments to spend with a friend are something that needs improvement.
  6. Write a thank-you note to your friend about something they’ve done that means a lot to you. It is particularly meaningful if the friend did something and is totally unaware of their impact too.
  7. Take 15 minutes to send a funny postcard or a small package of your friend’s favorite candy in the actual mail. No, this isn’t an advertisement for the US Postal Service, but it is nice to receive something that isn’t junk mail. (Two notes on this from experience: Be mindful of weather because chocolate melts! and Wrap items well***ants!)
  8. Let your friend in on a personal goal that you’ve been working on — and see if you can be accountability partners for each other. Celebrating successes further strengths your bond.
  9. Tell your friend about something new in your life that they may not know about. If it is important to you, it can be important to your friend too.
  10. Try to recall your last conversation, and vow to follow up on something specific from it the next time you communicate. This takes me a bit; usually about 20 minutes after a conversation, I remember that I should have asked about… It is difficult for me to keep those things in mind, but I’ve found that even the next day, I can always connect with the person again simply to ask the question that I forgot to ask.

You can learn more about strengthening friendships by reviewing the article in Psychology Today, written by Andrea Bonior Ph.D.

Cornhole Tournament

CANCELED

Sorry for any inconveniences.

Get Healthy DeSoto is hosting a cornhole tournament on October 19, 2019 to close out the farmers’ market season. The tournament will include two-person teams and will be double elimination. That morning, the farmers’ market pavilion will be used for our last regular market of the 2019 season. Be sure to stop by and see all your favorite vendors one last time and place any holiday orders for goods. After the market shuts down at noon, we’ll begin setting up for the cornhole tournament. You are welcome to bring your own refreshments and snacks too!

The first tournament had such a good response and everything was so positive; we’re very excited about this second installment to give people a chance to play outside and visit with their neighbors. The cost is $20 per team through October 13th. Online registration is available, and paper forms are available at the library and the farmers’ market. Don’t wait though! The price goes up to $25 on the 14th.

Paper forms can be turned in at the library until Friday, October 18th or at the farmers’ market on Saturday, October 19th!

September is Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month

On average, one person dies by suicide every eight hours in Missouri. It is the 10th leading cause of death in the state, and if you break it out by age, it is the 2nd leading cause of death for ages 15-24. Wait! Did you just skim that: suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for young people, ages 15-24. That just begs the question: how is your mental health? Even better…how’s the mental health of your teenager?

HealthyChildren.org, which is the parent outreach portion of the American Academy of Pediatrics, suggests that there are some red flags that parents should be alert for:

  • Excessive sleeping, beyond usual teenage fatigue, which could indicate depression or substance​ abuse; difficulty in sleeping, insomnia, and other sleep disorders
  • Loss of self-esteem
  • Abandonment or loss of interest in favorite pastimes
  • Unexpected and dramatic decline in academic performance
  • Weight loss and loss of appetite, which could indicate an eating disorder
  • Personality shifts and changes, such as aggressiveness and excess anger that are sharply out of character and could indicate psychological, drug, or sexual problems

These can be key indicators of larger mental health issues such as depression, substance abuse, and eating disorders. Teens with a history of such issues are at greater risk for suicide, and parents, friends, and family who identify an increased risk should provide extra supervision, support, and chances to talk.

To increase awareness, a local community leader has organized an Out of the Darkness Walk in October. The event raises money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, but it also brings community members together to raise awareness and show support for survivors of suicide. The walk is scheduled for Sunday, October 13th at Walther Park. You can learn more and join the walk by clicking here.

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DeSoto, MO 63020