Blog – Page 23 of 64 – Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes

Quick Tips to Tame Holiday Stress

December 18, 2020July 8, 2021 by Molly Murphy

The holiday season is often exciting and joyful, but it can also bring extra stressors into your daily life. With more, holiday cooking, gift shopping, social-distance socializing, and 2020 in general, it can become easy to get caught up in the stress and forget to take time for yourself.

Even on the busiest of days, it is important to take a step back and give yourself a little bit of time to relax and destress. Make sure you are finding ways to complete your stress cycle. Here are some quick and simple ways to relieve stress, even when time is limited:

Read a book, magazine, or blog

Reading someone else’s words can get our minds away from our own lives for a few minutes. Stimulate your brain by reading, but try not to read anything that seems like it will add to your stress.

Talk a walk

Even if it is chilly outside, grab a jacket and go for a walk or run! Breathing fresh air and getting your heart rate up will rejuvenate you and help to clear your mind. Try to not multitask with phone calls or planning while walking, just take this time for yourself. As a bonus, you can listen to your favorite music or podcast while you walk.

Meditate

Spend 5 or 10 minutes doing a guided meditation or mindful breathing exercise. Some great apps for guided meditation are reviewed in our blog on mindfulness apps. If you don’t have the time or space to listen to a guide, simply practicing mindful breathing for a few minutes in silence can do the trick for calming your mind and resetting.

Snuggle a pet

Pets are great stress relievers. Not only does their soft fur provide a sensory effect on stress levels, but the action of cuddling a pet also releases oxytocin in our brains, which is an anti-stress hormone. If you do not have a pet, spending a few minutes curled up in a soft blanket or wearing your favorite soft sweatpants can provide the same sensory stress relief.

Take a nap

A quick power nap can do wonders for our mindset. Sleep deprivation can increase feelings of stress, so if you are feeling overwhelmed and tired, set a timer for 20 minutes, lay down, and close your eyes. Napping has even been shown to reduce stress-related hormones. Just avoid napping for too long (make sure to set a timer). Keep your nap between 10-20 minutes or you will likely wake up feeling groggier than before.

Cinnamon Baked Pears

December 16, 2020July 8, 2021 by Molly Murphy

A delicious and healthy alternative to fruit pies, these baked pears can be served as dessert, or even eaten with breakfast. This is a favorite of mine at holiday meals when you want something sweet after dinner because they fulfill the sweet tooth craving without being too sugary or too filling. These pears are delicious on their own, but for additional flavors, they can also be topped with a spoonful of low-sugar strawberry jam or a small scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt.

Ingredients

Servings: 2

1 Bosc Pear
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Slice the pear in half the long way, and core out the center using a large spoon or ice cream scoop.
Lay the pears in a glass baking dish, cut side facing up.
Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon.
Sprinkle each pear with ½ of the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Bake for about 30 minutes, until sugar has caramelized on top and pears look juicy. Pears should be soft when poked with a fork if they are done.

Nutrition Information per Serving

63 kcal per pear
17g carbohydrates
3.5g dietary fiber
0g fat
0.5g protein

“I am no longer in the prediabetes range!”

December 15, 2020July 8, 2021 by Casey Collins

Below is a testimonial from a current Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes participant:

I am just about to complete Phase I of the Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes program. I have attended the Thursday evening class with Heather. She is an amazing teacher and motivator. I joined this class not just to lose weight but I do NOT want to develop type 2 diabetes. My brother currently has very bad health issues related to diabetes. I participated in the Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less program several years ago and did not really take things seriously. I even joined Weight Watchers a couple of years ago and lost weight and gained it right back. When I heard about this class via email, I took the quiz and I was shocked to see that I had risk factors for prediabetes. I had my A1C checked and the nurse said yes, you are borderline so stop bread and sweets and it will come down. Honestly, this news upset me and I knew I had to get serious. I went for a checkup with my doctor on December 1^st and my A1C is down to 5.5 and she said I am no longer in the prediabetes range! Also, I have lost close to 27 pounds since June and almost 20 of that was since starting this class in July. I am excited about starting Phase II of the program and I hope to get the next 20 pounds off by July 2021.

This program has been a real game-changer for me and I owe so much to Heather’s leadership. Thanks!

– Jane, a current Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes participant

The Holiday Movie Workout Game

December 14, 2020May 7, 2021 by Meg Sargent

Movies are a great way to soak in the holiday spirit. Unfortunately, movies require a lot of sitting…until now! Most movies, especially holiday movies, have reoccurring phrases, activities, or themes throughout the movie. I’ve taken these reoccurring events and assigned an activity to them. So for example, in Elf, every time you see an elf you have to stand up and jump up in the air. If you wanted to add some holiday spirit maybe you could jump up and yell “ELF!” and get excited like Buddy. Make it your own, be creative, and modify it to your ability level. Hope that this serves as a fun, active movie watching experience for you and your family this season!

Elf

Every time…

You see an elf: Stand up and jump into the air 5 times
Walter seems angry: Do pushups (on the ground or against a wall/couch)
Buddy eats candy or maple syrup: 10 arm circles (remember to go in both directions)
Buddy screams “Santa!”: 5 sit-ups
Anyone sings: 10 squats
Buddy seems mesmerized by something: 10-second superman*

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Every time…

Someone wears seen wearing a Christmas sweater: 5 Jumping jacks
A Christmas song is sung or played: 10-second superman
Aunt Bethany Speaks: 10 squats
Clark’s plans are ruined/changed: Pushups (on the ground or against a wall/couch)
Someone’s safety is in danger: 10 arm circles (Remember to go in both directions)
Anyone says “Sparky”: 5 sit-ups

A Christmas Story

Every time…

Someone says “Red Ryder: Pushups (on the ground or against a wall/couch)
Someone is dared to do something: 10 squats
Someone says or mentions “shooting your eye out”: 5 jumping jacks
Mrs. Parker is in the kitchen: 10-second superman
Someone says “Santa” 20 arm circles (remember to go in both direction)
Ralphie daydreams: 5 sit-ups

Any Hallmark Movie

Every time…

Someone meets someone from their past: 20 jumping jacks
It snows/is snowing: 20 arm circles (remember to go in both directions)
Someone’s Christmas plans get ruined/changed: Pushups (on the floor or against a wall/couch)
Someone is making cookies or holiday drinks: 10-second superman
People are decorating in any way for Christmas: 20 squats
You see carolers/someone goes caroling: 10 sit-ups

*How to do a Superman exercise:

Begin lying with your belly on the floor, your head in a neutral position, and your arms extended over your head to create a straight line from the tips of your fingers to your toes.
Slowly lift your arms and legs off of the ground at the same time, squeezing the muscles in your butt as you lift.

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Food Gifts in 2020

December 11, 2020July 8, 2021 by Casey Collins

Our colleagues at the NC Safe Plates team have prepared a Food Gifts Fact Sheet with tips to gift food safely this holiday season!

Homemade food gifts are common around the holidays. Many options, such as homemade spice
mixes, baking mixes and breads have minimal food safety risks. Items such as home canned or
dried foods, infused items and some baked goods should be handled carefully to prevent illness.

Baked Goods

Many baked goods, like breads and cookies, can be stored at room temperature. Keep covered to prevent contamination.
Baked goods with cream, custard, cheese, meat and/or vegetable fillings and cream frostings should be refrigerated.

Home Preserved Foods

Follow tested recipes for canned, pickled and dehydrated products exactly.
Preserved items purchased from grocery stores, farmers’ markets, etc should not be repackaged.
Canned items should be refrigerated after opening. Consider attaching these instructions to gifts.

Infused Foods

Use glass jars or bottles with tightly sealing lids or corks. Wash in warm, soapy water and submerge in boiling water for 10 minutes to sanitize.
Select high quality fresh or dried herbs, fruits or vegetables and wash before use.
Oil: Homemade garlic and/or herb infusions should include pretreating the garlic or herbs with citric acid and then adding to heated oil. Follow tested recipes.
Honey: There are no tested recipes for infused honey. Follow the guidance for oils. Honey may crystallize under refrigeration but can be warmed before use.
Vinegar: Herbs and produce for infused vinegar should be properly washed and treated and then added to heated vinegar. Follow tested recipes.
Alcohol: Infused liquor recipes have not been tested for food safety. Adding produce may introduce bacteria that alcohol content may or may not kill.
To reduce the risk of illness, refrigerate or freeze all homemade infused foods.

For more information contact ncsafeplates@ncsu.edu

If you have concerns about preparing food gifts see this information from the CDC. Currently, there is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with food. In general, because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from food products or packaging.

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Best Health Apps for Mindfulness

December 10, 2020July 8, 2021 by Molly Murphy

This is the last blog in our series reviewing health and wellness apps. Check out my previous blog on nutrition apps for more suggestions. This blog will focus on apps that will help you to live mindfully through meditation, good habits, and better sleep.

Headspace

Personally, I am a huge fan of the guided meditations on Headspace. The free version offers one set of basic meditations, plus sleep wind-down tracks, sleep sounds, and sleep podcasts. One set of meditations may not feel like a lot, but I have listened to them over and over without it feeling repetitive, and I have learned enough that I feel I could guide myself through meditation on my own now.

Happify

This meditation app not only provides guided meditations but also additional evidence-based activities and games to reinforce the skills you learn to improve happiness and decrease stress. The daily activities are quick and digestible, and there are 13 different tracks available in the free version.

SleepScore

The SleepScore app helps you to track habits that might be affecting the quality of your sleep. The app also provides you with tips to fall asleep faster, stay asleep, and have more energy during the day. There are sleep soundtracks to listen to while falling asleep, and you can set a reminder every night at a certain bedtime to keep you on schedule. This app is free with the option of premium content.

Streaks ($)

The Streaks app helps you form habits by encouraging you to build up streaks of good behaviors, in other words accomplishing a behavior for multiple days in a row. You can set up to 12 behaviors that you want to create streaks for, and if you log that behavior each time you say you will, you build up the days in your streak. It’s a simple strategy but really helps you to hold yourself accountable for those actions, and we all know that the more regularly you do something the more it becomes a habit. This app is $4.99 on the App Store or Google Play store and does not offer a free version.

Search your smartphone app store to download these apps. Do you use any exercise, nutrition, or mindfulness apps?

Share your thoughts below in the comments.

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Mindful Breathing for Stress Relief

December 9, 2020July 8, 2021 by Molly Murphy

Following a mindful breathing technique is one of the simplest ways to calm the mind and body and refocus in times of stress. If you are feeling overwhelmed, take a moment to focus on your breath by following these steps:

Become aware of your posture. Sit or stand up straight so you are alert, but not tense. You may wish to close your eyes.
Breathe in through your nose. Pay attention to where you feel your breath. Do you feel it in your nose? Your chest? Your abdomen?
Exhale out of your mouth, and imagine that you are exhaling out everything that is causing you stress.
As you continue to breathe, let your awareness remain on your breath. You do not need to try to control the depth or pace of your breath, just notice it.
Maintain this mindful breath for a few minutes, focusing on the in and out, and how it feels in your body. If your mind wanders, gently return your focus to your breath. You can set a timer, or simply enjoy doing this until you feel ready to return to your normal breathing.

Mindful breathing is as simple as this, and hopefully practicing this technique will provide you with a quick way to calm down and reset your mind when you are feeling stressed.

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Best Health Apps for Nutrition Tracking

December 8, 2020July 8, 2021 by Molly Murphy

We are highlighting some of the best smartphone apps for health and wellness. Below are top nutrition apps to help you keep track and make good food choices.

Shopwell: Better Food Choices

Shopwell is a food label reading guide that you can carry right in your pocket. The app asks you what your diet and health concerns are, what ingredients you may want to avoid in your food, and any dietary elements that you are hoping to get more of (for me: avoiding lactose, getting more fiber). You can then scan any barcode, and Shopwell links you to a full nutrition profile of the product, including the ingredients list with any of your unwanted ingredients highlighted. This app is completely free and super easy to use if you’re looking for some extra guidance while grocery shopping.

MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal is one of the oldest fitness tracking apps there is, and in 2020 it is still ranked as one of the best. With the app, you can track weight, water, steps, workouts, and food. The MyFitnessPal blog and community forums are available to all users and provide recipes and fitness content right on the homepage of the app.

Fooducate

Fooducate is a food tracker app that combines individual tracking with the support of a community forum. In addition to tracking your own food, exercise, water, mood, and hunger, you can also view content that other users of fooducate have posted, including recipes, discussion questions, and challenges. Most of the features of this app are free, and it allows you to keep yourself on track while also being part of a health-conscious community.

Waterlogged

If you are anything like me and drinking enough water during the day is a challenge, Waterlogged makes it so easy to track your water intake and make personalized water goals. It even lets you choose what type and size bottle or glass you usually drink out of, so you can log your favorite reusable bottle or tumbler full of water in one click. The app is completely free and will even send you reminders to keep up with your water intake throughout the day.

Search your smartphone app store to download these apps. In my next blog, I will wrap up our series on Health and Wellness Apps by highlighting some of the best mindfulness apps.

Share your thoughts below in the comments.

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Join Chef Cheetie Kumar on Webinar

December 2, 2020July 8, 2021 by Carolyn Dunn, PhD, RD, LDN

The Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences is pleased to present our 2020 Eloise S. Cofer Lecture. This year we are fortunate to have Chef Cheetie Kumar. Chef Kumar is a James Beard Best Chef Southeast Finalist and owner of Garland restaurant in Raleigh. She will share with us two dishes that showcase southern ingredients with bold Asian flavors. You don’t want to miss this opportunity to learn from Cheetie new techniques to introduce new flavors into your healthy diet. I hope you will be our guest for this special event.

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Pumpkin Mousse

November 24, 2020July 12, 2021 by Kelly Nordby, RD, LDN

This is a quick, easy, healthy, and delicious pumpkin dessert that can be eaten as a snack or dessert around the holidays or really anytime you are craving the flavor of pumpkin. If you need the crunch of the crust, feel free to layer the bottom of your bowl or sprinkle the top with graham cracker crumbs. The recipe makes 5 ½-cup servings.

Ingredients

1 cup canned pumpkin (about ½ 15.oz can)
1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
½ cup Truwhip (can also use with cool whip)
2 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. salt

Directions

Combine all ingredients with an electric mixer.
Mix until creamy and fully blended.
Divide out the mixture into 5 small bowls. Optional: layer bottom of each bowl with graham cracker crumbs or as a topping.
Top with a dollop of Truwhip, cool whip, or whipped cream.
Sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice.

Nutrition Information per Serving

Serving Size: 4 ounces
Calories: 120 calories
Carbohydrates: 20 grams
Fiber: 0 grams
Protein: 4 grams
Fat: 2.5 grams
Sugar: 16g (Includes 7g Added Sugars)
Sodium: 150 mg