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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.

Arthritis Awareness Month

One in four adults have arthritis. In fact, arthritis is the leading cause of disability among adults in the U.S. The economic implications are staggering, especially when you consider that many people with arthritis also have other chronic conditions, such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

Of course, the personal tribulations of these 54 million people with arthritis is something that many of us deal with on a daily basis. Stiffness can lead to difficulty with daily tasks. Opening things like shampoo and those incredibly tiny caps on toothpaste that somehow weld themselves on become things that require adaptation or assistance. The inability to grip your spoon to stir you coffee…well, you can see the degree of frustration this creates, not to mention the physical pain that is sometimes constant.

If you have arthritis, the best thing to do is be an advocate for yourself and manage your care by working with your doctors. If you don’t have arthritis, that’s where Arthritis Aware Month comes into play. Educate yourself about the symptoms of arthritis and talk with family members or friends that might be suffering. (Early diagnosis and treatment is very important with arthritis.) If you know someone with arthritis, you can help support them by being knowledgeable about simple diet and exercise strategies that can help mitigate some symptoms or alleviate flares.

You might also consider taking part in a Walk to Cure Arthritis or Jingle Bell Run, both of which raise money for arthritis research through the Arthritis Foundation.

National Bike to Work Day

Tomorrow, May 17th is National Bike to Work Day. It’s a great idea! Imagine the wind in your hair, the money you’ll save on fuel, and the improvement you’ll be making to the environment. Oh, and let’s not forget about the incredible calves you’ll have after doing that a few times. It will be fabulous when…

Okay, so biking to working isn’t really practical for much of the population of DeSoto, Missouri. I’m here to add some “practical” to the idea. I read on The League of American Bicyclists website that “40% of all trips in the US are less than two miles, making bicycling a feasible and fun way to get to work”. That means everyone should be biking a lot more, but for those of us in the semi-rural portions of the country, and there are a lot of us, it just doesn’t make sense. Many of us have marathon distance commutes. I’m not saying there aren’t some of us that can’t bike that far or that shouldn’t strive to do so if it is a personal goal. I’m saying that biking isn’t always a practical option. If you have that marathon commute, it also isn’t a particularly pleasant odor for your co-workers either. (Estimated temperature tomorrow morning at 7 am…68 degrees with 77% humidity…No, you’ll smell fine, really!)

Let’s not even get started with all the tradespeople we have in our community; you know the ones who have tools, supplies, three bottles of water, and their lunch in a van that has room for…absolutely nothing else. Even minimal gear becomes a burden on a bike*. So what are we to do? How can we make this work? How do we introduce this idea of something that has a lot of health benefits but isn’t workable in our current situation?

My commute is 5.2 miles. I could probably bike that…if it was flat. Of course, this is southern Jefferson County. Nothing is flat here. I would also need to ride on a curvy two-lane county road that doesn’t have shoulders, cross the railroad tracks, and commune with the hill on Miller. See how much fun this is turning out to be. But isn’t fun what it was about when we were growing up and rode our bikes everywhere? Didn’t we see who could ride farthest up the steep hill before having to stop and walk? Biking wasn’t an environmental statement or a way to save money. It was fun. If you want to re-introduce biking into your routine, make it fun and start small. Biking to work might not be an option, but riding your bike to the neighbors or through the neighborhood after dinner is probably a good start. And repetition is wonderful. Once you make a habit out of something like that, it is amazing how other people notice. Perhaps subconsciously, they’ll start driving more carefully if there are regularly people and kids on foot or bike.

we love hillsThere are some other options too. If you’re looking for more than just a leisurely ride through your area, give the Tuesday Night Ride gang a try. They meet at Main and Mill Brewing in Festus at 6 pm on…you guessed it, Tuesdays! You can check out their Facebook page for more information.

BikeYou can also consider signing up the Bike MS. The nearest is in Godfrey, Illinois and has routes that are 25-100 miles each of the two days of the event in early September. That might require you to amp up your evening rides through the neighborhood, but it raises money for a great cause.

Always a personal favorite is the 2019 Bottleneck Bridge Ride. This cycling event in Jefferson County will be Sunday, August 18, 2019. The distances range from 10 (family ride), 21, 32, and 63 miles. The farmers’ market is usually a pit stop on the long route, and we love hearing all the flat-landers talk about how steep the terrain is and how they’ve heard about something called “Pratt Hill”.

Even though biking to work might not be in your near future, there are options for incorporating some cycling into your life. Whether you decide to bike to Flour de Lis Bakery for a pastry before the library opens one morning, spin your wheels to the farmers’ market, or decide to sign up for a longer ride, remember to start small and make it fun. It will always be worth it if you’re enjoying yourself.

*A fishing rod and tackle box has never been a burden for me on a bike. You might give it a try.

Grocery Shopping

The next time you go to the grocery store, try adding a few staples that will help you prepare a fast and healthy last-minute meal. Eating healthy all the time is not easy. However, with a little bit of planning you can make it easier. A bag of frozen, skinless chicken breasts can be used in numerous healthy recipes and prepared in a short amount of time. A bag of frozen shrimp is low in calories and fat and high in protein. If you add a bag of frozen veggies to your cart, a quickie stir-fry or pasta dish could be served in no time. Don’t forget to pick up canned tomatoes, canned beans, olive oil and a package or frozen blueberries to keep on hand. Perhaps if you keep healthy cooking items on hand you won’t be tempted to satisfy your hunger by eating those high fat, high calorie foods.

April 20th is a big day

There is a lot going on in the small town of DeSoto on Saturday, April 20th. Here’s your preview:

  • The farmers’ market opens! It will just be a soft opening, and because it is so early in the year, scant vegetables will be available. However, we hope to have some cold crops, like lettuce, winter onions, spinach, etc. We’ll also have bedding plants, some baked goods, and a few artisans to round out the date. The market will open that day at the normal time: 8 AM. You might check out information about our new Loyalty Club too.
  • Our Annual Tractor Parade will begin at 10 AM. If you haven’t submitted your form to bring your tractor, please get that to Pat. We are so very fortunate to have her coordinate our parade, and there will be some volunteers walking the route handing out seed packets too. The Little League will follow us, so be ready for kids.
  • Cornhole Tournament? Well, we’re glad you asked! That begins at 2 PM with set up starting as soon as the market closes at noon. Main & Mill Brewing Company will be hanging out selling beverages, and we’ll have a food vendor with hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, and other treats. In fact, we are very excited about this event. Don’t wait though. Registration forms need to be submitted by April 12th so that the bracket can be set up.

DeSoto Dash for Dystrophy

This local race is now entering its 11th year, and we are happy to share the information about this race that was started locally and raises money for a good cause. They have great door prizes too!

The DeSoto Dash for Dystrophy 5K run & fun-walk raises money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), helping to fund research and provide camps and services for people with muscular dystrophy. You can register online here or get the printable form to mail here.

When: Saturday, April 13th, 2019 at 8:00 a.m.
Check-in and registration for runners/walkers will be from 7:00-7:45 a.m.

Where: The course of the 5K run/walk is on the sidewalks of DeSoto, while the fun walk will be on the high school track.

Cost: $20 if received prior to the event. $25 day of the event. Donations are also accepted. Those who register by March 28th are guaranteed a “DeSoto Dash” t-shirt in the size of their choice. You will be required to sign a waiver of liability/consent form.

Awards: Your age on April 13th, 2019, will determine what age group you qualify for. Medals will be awarded to the top two runners in each age group for men and women. The age groups are: 14 and under, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60 and up. Trophies will be presented to the top overall male and female runner. Only participants of the 5K are eligible for medals and trophies. Attendance prizes will also be given out – must be present to win.

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Contact

[email protected]

Mailing Address

520 N. Main Rd.
DeSoto, MO 63020