WOMEN'S DAY OUT - Do you love the outdoors but can't find the time to enjoy it? Are you tired of your typical Saturday... errands, laundry, kids, cleaning, chores... the same old rut? Have we got the perfect escape for you! The fifth annual Women in the Outdoors event is Saturday, June 2, at Leaverton Park in Palestine.
Women in the Outdoors uses expert instructors to teach outdoor skills using a hands-on approach. Events are held across the country and often include activities including fishing, recreational shooting, archery, basketweaving, horsemanship, scrapbooking, flower arranging, and more. By also encouraging a greater awareness of the country's natural resources, events create outdoor convictions that are important to the future success of wildlife conservation and the preservation of North America's hunting traditions.
For more information, contact Cooky Newell at (618) 584-3706 or e-mail: cknew@frtci.net, or Cindy Spillman, Women's Regional Coordinator, at cswito@hughes.net, or call (800) THE-NWTF or visit the Women in the Outdoors Web site at www.womenintheoutdoors.org http://www.womenintheoutdoors.org
Fitness and Food: Fact or Fiction?
Maintaining good health and wellness throughout life is a goal we strive to achieve. Each individual is responsible for their own sense of wellness – in essence, they "own" the ability to participate in physical activity, eat well-balanced meals that include foods from all food groups, and manage their overall health status.
The term "wellness" means many different things to different people. Wellness is taking care of your whole self: mind, body, and spirit. This includes keeping your body strong and fit, well nourished, capable of resisting disease, able to overcome injury and having a positive attitude.
When someone has a good sense of well being, it shows in their physical and psychological appearances. People can tell you feel good about yourself - it shows! When you feel good, you have more energy, greater endurance, feel calmer, get ill less often, are more confident, and get better restful sleep.
When we look better, we appear healthier and have greater stamina to do the work and play that we enjoy. The positives in our lives help us enjoy our homes, family, and friends. In other words, health and wellness with a positive attitude can directly affect how we see our world.
Taking control of our lives is fairly easy. We have to decide which factors we can and cannot control. For example, we cannot control our gender, genetics, age, and to some extent, our environment. We can control:
- Diet
- Exercise
- Rest
- Stress
- Unhealthy habits
- Attitude
Our personal habits affect all of these controllable factors. To feel better, one needs to schedule regular physical checkups, be positive about who you are, and get stress under control. We also need to practice safety by remembering to fasten seatbelts, leave in time so you do not have to speed, have regular eye exams and practice safe habits.
Staying physically active throughout life is necessary to maintain flexibility and mobility, keep weight under control, and strengthen bones and muscle. Remember that if weight is a problem for you, calories do count. For each pound you gain or lose, you have eaten 3,500 calories more or less than your body needs to maintain weight. Check the label of your favorite food to see how much of that food you would need to consume to equal 3,500 calories.
To help Americans eat better, the United States Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services publishes a set of Dietary Guidelines for Americans every five years. The most recent set of guidelines was published in 2005 and is based on scientific research of the health and wellness of Americans. Three general statements in the guidelines are:
1. Make smart choices from every food group.
2. Find your balance between food and physical activity.
3. Get the most nutrition out of your calories.
Even though you may be eating plenty of food, you may not be eating the right foods that give your body the nutrients you need to be healthy. You may not be getting the right amount of physical activity to burn off the calories. Eating right is not a "diet" or "program" for you to follow – they are the keys to a healthy lifestyle. And, having a healthy lifestyle may help you reduce your risk for certain chronic diseases.
The key recommendations from the 2005 Dietary Guidelines are:
- Maintain body weight within a healthy range; balance intake calories with calorie needs
- Engage in 30 to 90 minutes of daily physical activity and reduce sedentary activities
MyPyramid recommendations are that you make smart choices from every food group. The basic plan in MyPyramid is based on consuming 2,000 calories every day – you will need to individualize your plan according to the number of calories you need to consume for your body type, age, and level of physical activity. Based on the 2,000 calories, food groups and amounts from each group are:
Fruit – 2 cups
Vegetables – 2 1/2 cups
Grains – 6 ounces with at least 3 ounces being whole grains
Milk or milk equivalent – 3 cups
Meat and protein – 5 1/2 ounces
The recommendations still maintain that you need to go low in the amount of fats you consume. Fat consumption should be between 20 and 35 percent of daily calorie intake with less than 10% of that coming from saturated fats. Polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats are preferred. Keep trans fat consumption as low as possible to help maintain a healthy heart. Keep meats lean and prepare them using lowfat methods. Cholesterol consumption should be no more than 300 mg per day.
Carbohydrate-rich foods should also be nutrient dense. Choose foods that are high in fiber – these include whole grain breads and cereals, fresh fruits and vegetables. Choose foods with little added sweeteners or calorie sweeteners such as high fructose corn syrup, honey, and other added sugars.
Sodium consumption should be less than 2,300 milligrams per day (which is about 1 teaspoon of salt). Prepare foods by adding little or no salt. Remember to eat potassium-rich foods from the vegetable and fruit groups daily.
If you choose to drink alcohol, the recommendation is to do so in moderation. Moderation means up to 1 drink a day for women and up to 2 drinks for men. Twelve ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1 1/2 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits count as one drink.
Food safety is also a part of MyPyramid. The key terms are clean, separate, cook and chill – remember these terms when you are in the kitchen.
For more information about MyPyramid and how you can use it to balance physical activity and food intake, go to www.MyPyramid.gov. This website has a place for you to personalize your pyramid and find out the amounts of foods you should be eating to achieve your activity and food goals.
Source: Finding Your Way to a Healthier You: Based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines
Test your Food and Fitness IQ with the following questions!
Fact Fiction 1. High-protein/low-carbohydrate diets are a healthy way to lose weight.
Fact Fiction 2. Starchy foods such as bread, rice, pasta, and cereals should be avoided when trying to lose weight.
Fact Fiction 3. Certain foods, like grapefruit, celery, or cabbage soup, can burn fat and make you lose weight.
Fact Fiction 4. Natural or herbal weight-loss products are safe and effective.
Fact Fiction 5. Low-fat or nonfat means no calories.
Fact Fiction 6. Foods with no cholesterol also have no fat.
Fact Fiction 7. Fast foods are always an unhealthy choice.
Fact Fiction 8. Skipping meals is a good way to lose weight.
Fact Fiction 9. Eating after 8 p.m. causes weight gain.
Fact Fiction 10. Lifting weights is not good to do because it will make you "bulk up".
Fact Fiction 11. Nuts are fattening.
Fact Fiction 12. Eating red meat is bad for your health.
Fact Fiction 13. Dairy products are fattening and unhealthy.
Fact Fiction 14. Frozen vegetables are less nutritious than fresh ones.
Fact Fiction 15. You must drink eight glasses of water a day.
CELERY CASSEROLE
3-4 c. diced celery
1 can sliced water chestnuts (drained)
1 can cream of chicken/mushroom soup
1 tube Ritz crackers, crushed to ¾ to 1 cup
1/2 c. margarine, melted
Slivered almonds (optional but good)
Using an 8x8 baking dish, layer items as listed above. DO NOT STIR! Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Yummy!
CHOP SUEY
1 to 1-1/2 lb. stew meat, diced (beef and/or pork)
Sprinkle with garlic and brown in oil. After meat is brown, cover with water and simmer until tender.
Drain: 1 can of water chestnuts
1 can of bean spouts
Dice: 6 stalks of celery
1 onion
Add to meat and cover with water. Add soy sauce to taste and a little browning sauce for color. Thicken slightly with a mixture of cold water and cornstarch. Serve with rice and/or Chinese noodles. Serves 7-8.
PEACH COBBLER
2 sticks oleo
2 c. sugar
1-1/2 c. flour
1-1/2 c. milk
4 tsp. baking powder
4 c. canned or frozen peaches (thawed)
Melt oleo in a 9x13 baking dish. Mix all ingredients together except peaches. Pour batter on melted oleo. DO NOT STIR! Add peaches evenly over batter. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. This is delicious with ice cream!
RHUBARB COBBLER
Mix together:
2/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2-1/2 c. fresh, cut up rhubarb
Pour into buttered baking dish.
Crumbs:
1 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. oleo
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 c. oats (quick)
Pour over rhubarb mixture. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of water. Bake at 350° until done.
COCONUT CREAM PIE
This is so easy!
1/2 c. sugar
3 T. cornstarch
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 c. milk
Dash of salt
1 tsp. vanilla
Yellow food coloring (optional)
3/4 c. shredded coconut (divided)
1 (9-inch) pastry shell (baked)
In a microwavable dish combine first five ingredients. Cook on high 3-4 minutes; stir, cook 2-3 minutes longer. Add vanilla and one drop of coloring (if desired). Sprinkle 1/4-1/2 c. coconut into pie shell, THEN pour pudding into the shell with coconut.
Meringue:
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. cornstarch
Dash of salt
1 tsp. vanilla
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and vanilla. Add to egg whites and beat until stiff peaks form. Spread over hot filling. Seal to edges. Sprinkle the rest of coconut on top and bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes.
