April 2019

Definition of nudge: to touch or push (someone or something) gently: to encourage (someone) to do something. ~Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

Setting health and wellness goals are common when we start a new year. Many of us make New Year Resolutions. For several years, I’ve encouraged people to set a resolution or goal and go for it. We’ve discussed ways to achieve your goal, as well as possible barriers and opportunities. Did you set a New Years’ Resolution? If so, how are you doing with that goal?

We are over the midpoint in the year and I’d like to encourage you to consider taking a small step (or two) to improve your health. If you are like me (and most of us) you are busy and health practices may take a backseat in our lives. I’d like to “nudge” you to get back on track with your wellness goals.

Not sure where to start? Is there an easy habit that you could add or change? Sometimes if we start with a simple change, the next wellness change is easier to make. We gain momentum as we start to feel better and our confidence increases. Here are some suggestions for easy changes to help you get started:

• Enjoy water at meals – not only will you save money while eating out, this helps you get increase your daily water intake.
• Add a veggie or fruit snack to your day. Pack a bag of carrots, an apple, banana or mini cucumber to enjoy as a snack break.
• When ordering a salad, ask for your dressing on the side and dip your fork into your dressing. You will save calories and it may help you slow the pace of eating. When you are finished, look at the amount of dressing left over. Any surprises?
• Take a walk at lunch. Start with 10 minutes. See if getting a quick walk in helps you feel refocused and energized. Add more time to your walk and see those benefits.
• Set a timer (phone, watch, or computer) to get up and move every hour. See if this helps you stay energized throughout the day.
• Pack a low-fat yogurt (watch the amount of sugar in your yogurt) to enjoy as a healthy snack. This will help you get the 3-a-day recommended servings of dairy.
• Enjoy your pizza with extra veggies. If you love pepperoni on your pizza, make half veggie, half pepperoni and mix it up. We’ve transitioned to a veggie only pizza in our house.
• Take a day and declare it “soda free”. Enjoy flavored water, tea, or other beverages. A few years ago, I made the decision that I wouldn’t drink pop anymore. It was a tough habit to break but sparkling water and tea helped me make this change.
• Engage a friend for support. Tell a friend (email, text, in person, or on the phone) about your new health change and gain support. Stating the goal or change that you are making will help you stay accountable. It may even encourage them to make a change, too.

Still not sure where to start? Check out the new on-line tool on MyPlate.

In a few minutes, you will have a MyPlate Plan to help you find a Healthy Eating Style. I like that my plan told me how many cups of fruits and vegetables that I need each day.

Want a few more ideas of small changes you can make? Here are two links to help you get started:

30 MyPlate Steps to a Healthier You

Check out the ChooseMyPlate website and explore the Make Small Changes section.

You will find short video clips, comparisons, recipes and more. Just click on one of these sections:

Are you ready to enjoy a healthier lifestyle? Start with a small change, and “nudge” others to make one simple switch for better health.

Sources:

https://www.choosemyplate.gov/what-are-myplate-mywins

https://www.choosemyplate.gov/make-small-changes

https://food.unl.edu/30-myplate-steps-healthier-you

Written by: Michelle Treber, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Pickaway County, [email protected]

Reviewed by: Shannon Carter, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Fairfield County, [email protected]

As the first day of school approaches, parents often start to think about routines for the new school year.  Routines can change or need to be adjusted with a new school and sometimes reestablished after the lazy days of summer.

Routines are an important part of a child’s development.  Routines do more than just keep us organized, they help our youth learn life skills, build their self-confidence, and teach team work and much more.  According to Healthy Children, children do best when their routines are regular, predictable and consistent.

Here are a few routines to consider as you head back into a new school year:

Morning Routine: having a routine in the morning can help families get to work and school on time, remember homework, lunches and other important items and be ready to face the day.  If your children struggle to get going in the morning allow them enough time to wake up before starting their morning routine. A morning routine should include time for breakfast.

After School: Routines after school can organize extracurricular and evening activities and still work in other necessary activities like homework and chores. Children that old enough to be home alone after school benefit from a routine and knowing what is expected of them.  Posting routines for all to see and follow may be helpful.  This also encourages autonomy as our children and teens start to move through the routines on their own.

Bedtime: An evening routine can help our children get their recommended amount of sleep.  Bedtimes may be different for our children based upon their needs and ages. A routine before bed can help children be ready. Build quiet time in and avoid screen time, close to bed to help your child be ready for restful sleep.   A nighttime routine could include reading time, singing together or just some time with each individual child to talk about their day.

Other routines that are important and beneficial to children include meal, weekend and clean up or chore routines.  Routines look different in every family.  It’s important to be flexible when building a new routine for your family.  It may take time for family members to adjust and the new routine may need a few changes,  be patient and willing to adapt as needed and soon you will be seeing all the benefits of routines in your home.

Written by: Alisha Barton, Extension Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Miami County.

Reviewed by: Lisa Barlage, Extension Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Ross County.

Sources:

https://sleepfoundation.org/excessivesleepiness/content/how-much-sleep-do-babies-and-kids-need

https://www.healthychildren.org/english/family-life/family-dynamics/pages/the-importance-of-family-routines.aspx

https://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/families/enewsletter/screen-time-and-sleep

Peaceful Parenting, OSU Extension

Are you thinking of making some changes to your home to make it easier to live in as you age, but just don’t know where to start? Many changes associated with implementing Universal Design features are fairly minor, inexpensive, and require little effort (i.e., changing round door knobs to lever door handles). Other changes, however, are more significant, more expensive, and may require a professional contractor. For example, a colleague of mine shared a story about her sister converting a closet on the main floor into a bathroom with a walk in shower and a laundry room in her 100 year old home in order to be able to remain in her home due to a chronic illness. Regardless of the type of change your home requires, once you make a decision to make modifications to your home, the next two steps are to decide on the extent of change you will make and to identify specific ways in which to implement these changes.

DECIDING ON WHAT HOME MODIFICATIONS TO MAKE

Once you recognize that your home or the home of a loved one is in need of modifications, whether for safety concerns or to enable them to age in place, it is important to carefully consider both the personal abilities and limitations of the person who lives in this home as well as which features in the home require attention.

An “assessment” is a comprehensive review of an individual’s mobility, sensory, environmental, and financial condition. This type of tool can assist in identifying what areas need the most attention and what home modifications might improve someone’s quality of life or make their environment more accessible and comfortable.

An assessment conducted by a professional can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days to conduct and usually involves a fee. Individuals can also conduct their own assessments using free downloadable worksheets from the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) web site.

LOCATING HOME MODIFICATION OR ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT PRODUCTS

Because working with adaptive equipment and universal design features may not be an area of expertise for the contractor you hire, you may have to find some of the products yourself. When shopping for supplies and equipment, make sure to ask for Universal Design products. They may require placing a special order, so be certain to give yourself and your contractor time for delivery. If you can’t find what you want at your local retail store, you can also look online for Universal Design catalogs.

PLAN AND CARRY OUT THE INSTALLATION

• When you have decided exactly what you want to do, and the size of the job required, assess your own or a family member’s skill to accomplish the job. If you have a modest income, you may be eligible for a home assessment/home modification program in your community or county.
• Check with your local Area Office on Aging, senior center, independent living center, or Community Action Agency for information on home modification programs available in your community.
• Contact your Local Community Development Department. Many cities and towns use Community Development Block Grants to assist individuals in maintaining and upgrading their homes.
• Ask local Lenders and Banks about loan options. Some lenders offer Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM’s) that allow homeowners to turn the value of their home into cash, without having to move or make regular loan payments.

Are there things that you can do to make your home more accessible? Remember to start by assessing your home, exploring your needs and developing a plan that will allow you to age in place.

SOURCES

Livable Lingo: Our Livability Glossary. Retrieved from: https://www.aarp.org/livable-communities/tool-kits-resources/info-2015/planning-and-policies.html, July 16, 2018.

Written by: Kathy Goins, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Clark County, [email protected]

Reviewed by: Michelle Treber, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Pickaway County, [email protected]

Feeling stressed? What are you eating? Most of us reach for comfort foods when we are stressed, such as cookies, cake, candy and other high sugar, low fiber foods. These foods are not good choices to prevent chronic inflammation from developing and affecting our body. High levels of chronic inflammation are believed to cause rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, asthma and inflammatory bowel disease. Even low amounts of inflammation can increase your risk of obesity and the effects of aging. Prolonged chronic inflammation increases our risk of cancer, heart disease and other diseases. One study on postmenopausal women found that those eating a healthier diet reduced their risk of death from any cause by 60% and had an 88% reduced risk of death from breast cancer.

What should we eat to avoid inflammation building up in our body? Three eating patterns provide reliable assistance along with allowing individual choices of food. Those three eating patterns are the USDA Dietary Guidelines, the Mediterranean Diet and DASH Diet. Each of these has some differences but all three emphasize certain patterns.

All three eating patterns encourage us to eat: • Plenty of vegetables and fruit. • whole grains • Low-fat or Fat-free Dairy

• Seafood and plant proteins

They also encourage us to reduce eating: • Empty calories including foods with added sugar, or drinking excess alcohol • Refined grains • Saturated fat foods

• High sodium food

What would a daily eating plan include? • Vegetables – 2 to 4 cups • Fruits – at least 2 cups a day • Whole grains – 3 to 4 ounces a day • Fish/Seafood – 8-16 ounces a week for Omega-3 • Nuts and soy – 4-6 ounces a week • Olive oil – 1 -2 Tablespoons a day. • Dairy (1% or skim) – 1-3 cups a day

• Alcohol – 0-1 drink a day

Limit the amount of red and processed meats you eat to less than 12 ounces a week and keep added sugars to less than 6 teaspoons for women and 9 teaspoons for men a day.

Make it a goal to eat lots of fiber by eating vegetables, fruits, whole grains and nuts. This will increase the anti-inflammatory properties from these foods. Add some garlic, onion, pepper and other herbs for additional anti-inflammatory properties.

Author: Pat Brinkman, Extension Educator Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension

Reviewer: Cheryl Barber Spires, R.D., L.D., West Region Program Specialist, SNAP-Ed
OSU Extension

References:
Orchard, T. [2015]. Eating healthy under stress: improving diet quality to lower chronic inflammation. webinar for Your Plan for Health, Ohio State University

Sometimes I don’t take showers on weekends, and when I backpack, I may not shower all week. I played in mud puddles, creeks, and bogs, and ponds growing up in Michigan. In Butler County, my lab and I kicked off the mud obstacle course every month. It was great fun!

I worry that some kids and adults don’t get these experiences. A 2012 study found that only 51% of children go outside at least once a day. As it turns out, research suggests that getting dirty and muddy actually has many health benefits. The hygiene hypothesis holds that when infants, and young children are exposed to bacteria, parasites, and viruses, they actually have less of a  risk of developing autoimmune disease, allergies and asthma as adults. The theory is that just as the brain needs stimulation early in life, so does the immune system. One study found that children exposed to other siblings, day care centers, or lived on farms, had less incidence of allergies.

In addition to autoimmune problems, some studies suggest that exposure to a variety of germs early in life also decreases the chance of inflammation in adulthood. Inflammation is linked with heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. One particular study found that children exposed to feces and had diarrhea actually had less inflammation as adults.

Are we staying too clean, overusing antibiotics and getting rid of those germs that can help our immune systems? We certainly need to wash our hands prior to handling food and after using the restrooms to avoid dangerous pathogens. However,  experts recommend carefully considering whether antibiotics are needed for various ailments, and not cleaning and sanitizing everything. Kids and adults should also get outside- camp, hike, kayak, and swim in lakes and creeks. There are many other benefits to playing outside besides building up the immune system such as improving moods, concentration, and increasing physical activity.

Get outside! get dirty!

Author: Dan Remley, Field Specialist, Food, Nutrition, and Wellness, OSU Extension

Reviewer: Susan Zies, Extension Educator, OSU Extension, Wood County

Sources:

Is Dirt Good For Our Kids? WebMD. Accessed on https://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/kids-and-dirt-germs#2

Getting back to the great outdoors. American Psychological Association. Accessed on http://www.apa.org/monitor/2008/03/outdoors.aspx

Adopting our dog, Wes, was one of the best things my husband and I could have done, both for us and for him. We saved Wes’ life, and he has made ours better and healthier. Research has shown that owning a dog can benefit the owner’s health. Wes is an Australian cattle dog, and he needs a lot of activity. As with most dogs, a daily walk is a must. This extra incentive to get walking every day can have a positive impact on your heart health. Your furry buddy will thank you for making the extra time and effort for him or her as well!

Owning and caring for a dog can also have beneficial effects on your mental health by gaining a sense of meaning and companionship from your dog. The bond you can build with your dog is such a special one. I remember when we first brought Wes home, he was very timid and shy. As a result, he was not much for being pet or cuddling with his new parents. We all took our time, and he came to trust us. He is now the most loyal pet either myself or my husband have ever known. He loves to be spoiled, and he cuddles up with us on the couch or in bed regularly now. Blood pressure measurements have been shown to decrease while petting a dog, which can be a nice stress reliever. There’s nothing better than coming home to a furry “smile” and a quickly wagging tail at the door at the end of a long day.

If you can afford to care for one, I highly recommend rescuing your next best friend. There are many sweet and loyal dogs in shelters all across the state just waiting to be adopted into a loving “fur-ever” home. They can help you develop some healthy habits along the way, and you will gain an unconditionally loving best buddy!

Written By: Amy Meehan, MPH, Healthy People Program Specialist

Reviewed By: Misty Harmon, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, OSU Extension, Perry County

Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3351901/

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/having-a-dog-can-help-your-heart–literally

https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/health-benefits/index.html

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/a-dog-could-be-your-hearts-best-friend-201305226291

When the lights go out do Not open your refrigerator or freezer. Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible.  Plan ahead; keep an appliance thermometer in the refrigerator and freezer which can help you determine the safe zones! Make sure to look in at the zones of being safe for the freezer which is 0 °F or below and the refrigerator is at 40 °F or below before the power goes off. Freeze containers of water ahead of time for ice to help keep food cold in the freezer, refrigerator, or coolers after the power is out. Place refrigerated items such a leftovers, milk and meats immediately into the freezer when the power goes out. Have coolers on hand to keep refrigerated food cold if the power will be out for more than 4 hours.

Steps to follow after to keep you SAFE!

• The refrigerator will keep food safe for about 4 hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) and the door remains closed.
• Discard refrigerated perishable food such as meat, poultry, fish, soft cheeses, milk, eggs, leftovers, and deli items after 4 hours without power.
• Food may be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is at 40 °F or below  when checked with a food thermometer. Partial thawing and refreezing may affect the quality of some food, but the food will be safe to eat.
• If the power has been out for several days, check the temperature of the freezer with an appliance thermometer. If the appliance thermometer reads 40 °F or below, the food is safe to refreeze. If a thermometer has not been kept in the      freezer, check each package of food to determine its safety. If the food still contains ice crystals, the food is safe.
• If you want an easy way to track if your freezer has been off long enough for food to thaw, place a couple ice cubes in a  plastic bag in the freezer. If you open the freezer and the ice cubes are melted or frozen together, then foods need to be checked for safety.
• Never taste a food to determine its safety!

Resources:

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Services http://www.fsis.usda.gov/fact_sheets/Preparing_for_Weather_Emergency/index.asp

USDA Food Safety.gov –http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/frozen_food.html

Ohioline: Attention Freezer Owners: In case of power outage Do Not Open! http://ohioline.osu.edu/home/freezer.html

Author: Marie Economos, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension Trumbull County.

Reviewed by: Lisa Barlage, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Ross & Vinton Counties.