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Every February is American Heart Month, raising awareness about preventing heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Approximately 90 percent of middle-aged people and more than 74 percent of young adults have one or more risk factors for heart disease. These risk factors include diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol or being a smoker or overweight. For those individuals with multiple risk factors, they have an increased risk for heart disease. All these risk factors...
Free Annual Credit Reports There is one official site to get a free annual credit report. It is AnnualCreditReport.com and they can also be reached at (877)322-8228. It is Federal law that you are able to get a free credit report every twelve months from each of the three major consumer reporting companies (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion). Do not be fooled by the advertising of look-alike sites. In the end, the look-alike sites that claim to be free will end up charging you. Why should you check your credit report often? Monitoring your...
Did the holiday season treat you well with many delicious treats that have you feeling like you overindulged? Or, feeling a bit sedentary and wanting to get some activity into your day? Physical activity during the winter months is challenging. It is cold, windy, slick and requires a lot of additional effort to go outside. Do not let these reasons decrease your physical activity, or, worse, eliminate it all together. While there are many outdoor winter sports to take part in, not everyone has the ability to enjoy these activities. Here are...
With the new year upon us, resolutions may be on your mind. Have you found how easy they are to make them but not as easy to keep? People who make new year’s resolutions are 10 times more likely to accomplish the changes than those who do not formally make resolutions. You have taken the first step by making the resolution. Here are some pointers in keeping it. 1. Plan the resolution out in steps, small increments. Rather than say you are going to save money, review your budget and designate a realistic amount of how much you can dedicate to p...
This time of year can bring additional stress of high expectations, overcommitments, a lot to get done, etc. Perhaps misunderstandings and miscommunication add to the craziness. Under these circumstances, strong communication is key to maintaining positive relationships and interactions with others. We hear this this over and over but what does strong communication really mean? Communication is how we send and receive messages in ways which create understanding between individuals. It is what we say and how we say it. A majority of our...
PASSWORDS Using strong passwords, not using the same password for everything and changing passwords often are some of the most important ways to keep your online accounts from being hacked. Most of these points you have heard before but check them out to see if there are any new ones or need a reminder. - Create passwords with at least 8 characters (at least 1 number, 1 letter and 1 special character) which are easy to remember but not easy to guess. A phrase or sentence is a good way to help remember it. The more characters, the more secure....
Do not let the busyness of the holiday season overshadow the safety of your house. Increased cooking and baking, decorating and entertaining can mean increased risk of fire and accidents. The following list is courtesy of the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors website. • Choose holiday decorations which are flame-resistant, flame-retardant and non-combustible, whenever possible. • Check lights for frayed wires, broken sockets or bulbs and loose connections. Mount lights by stringing through hooks or use insulated sta...
Are you looking for ideas to liven up the large gathering dinner conversations? Or perhaps you need to steer the conversation in a different direction. If so, here are some conversation starter questions for all age—do not forget to involve the kids. • If you could have named yourself, what name would you have picked? • What do you think is the hardest thing about being a kid? • If you could eat only one food on this table for an entire year, which one would it be? • If you were an animal, what would you be? • Would you rather not shower for...
It is the time of the year where many holidays and events will be celebrated with gatherings of family, friends and food. With all the hecticness, do not forget about keeping your food safe. The last thing you want is to have friends and family sick, unable to enjoy the festivities. Reminders for preparing and keeping food safe: • Clean hands – wash with warm water and soap for 20 seconds before and after handling any food. This is important because viruses are not killed by heating food. The key to not spreading viruses is by washing your han...
Mindful Eating How many times have you done something and cannot remember what happened or what was said? Have you even found that you cannot remember what you had to eat a few hours ago? Our minds wander due to deadlines, upcoming events and other pressures, which can lead to us doing things without paying attention. This even happens with eating. More and more research has found practicing mindfulness while eating to have a positive psychological well-being for individuals and their eating behaviors. Mindful eating is being aware of your...
Food allergies, intolerances, sensitivities…..is there a difference? These terms are often confused to mean the same thing. It comes down to the immune system versus digestive system. Food allergies are a reaction by the immune system and can be as severe as life threatening. Food intolerances and sensitivities take place in the digestive system and are typically accompanied with discomfort which may cause interruptions in daily life making them very annoying and frustrating but also may lead to medical issues. With food allergies, the i...
Winter Squash – Quick and Easy Prep is possible Wondering what you are going to do with all the winter squash you grew? Or, maybe you love to eat winter squash but have a difficult time peeling and cutting it raw? This is another great reason to let your pressure cooker do the work for you. Whether you have a stove top or an electric pressure cooker, you will get the same great results. Directions are written using the electric pressure cooker. If you need assistance applying this to a stove top pressure cooker, please contact me at the E...
Having trouble falling asleep? Has someone suggested taking a bath before going to bed to help you fall asleep? Have you found it to work? Here is a brief explanation of why it is believed to work. Studies have found taking a bath approximately 90 minutes before going to bed triggers the body into the sleep cycle. Our body temperature is lowest when we sleep. By lowing our body temperature, it increases our chances of a better night’s sleep. Taking a bath in approximately 104-109 degree water may seem contradictory to getting the body c...
Alzheimer’s Disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Eighty-two percent of seniors indicate they believe it is important to have their thinking and memory check but only sixteen percent received regular cognitive assessments. This is important because every 65 seconds, someone in the United States develops the disease. 5.8 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s. By 2050, this number is projected to rise to nearly 14 million. Between 2000 and 2017, deaths from Alzheimer’s increased 145%. To break this as...
Solid Finance$ The basics of money management – you make money to spend money. However, eventually, we figure out there is more to money management than making and spending. Whether it be stretching the dollar further, saving, investing, borrowing and/or protecting our earnings, we are faced with making financial decisions daily. Some decisions are easier than others and we may not always make the right decisions. To help with the decision making, there are some trusted, unbiased resources you may want to be aware of. These include mymoney.gov,...
As we age, our life circumstances and bodies change, and it becomes necessary to adapt our food intake accordingly. Many factors such as income, mobility and health issues and accessibility to food can have a profound effect on the level of nutrition. The negative effect of the above-mentioned factors may lead to malnutrition. It is astounding to hear the high rates of malnutrition in seniors. Some symptoms include fatigue, increased illness or infection, irritability or depression, and unplanned weight loss. Additional contributing factors...
Do you knit, crochet, spin, weave, sew or quilt? Have you ever thought about entering the Make It With Wool (MIWW) contest? The MIWW promote the beauty and versatility of wool fabrics and yarns, encourages personal creativity, recognition of creative skills and development of life skills. The 2019 Make It With Wool (MIWW) contest is quickly approaching so here are the details. The District 3 (Blaine, Broadwater, Cascade, Chouteau, Glacier, Hill, Judith Basin, Lewis & Clark, Liberty, Meagher, Pondera, Teton and Toole counties) contest is schedul...
High sodium consumption raises blood pressure which is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Blood pressure begins decreasing within weeks on average when salt/sodium intake is reduced. Although we all need a small amount of sodium for our bodies to work properly, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests less than 2300 milligrams (mg) per day. People 51 and older, African Americans and people with high blood pressure, diabetes and/or with chronic kidney disease should limit sodium intake to 1500 mg per day. Recognizing that...
Chouteau County Chosen for Exciting New Strength Training Study Chouteau County has been selected as one of six locations in Montana to participate in an exciting collaborative research study, ‘Strong People Strength Training Program: A Community Based Randomized Trial’. In this study, we will be examining the effects of a twice-weekly strength training program on the health, including heart disease and diabetes, as well as the functional fitness of midlife and older adults. We are very pleased to be able to be part of this important res...
With the recent temperatures exceeding 90 degrees, it reminds us of the dangers heat can have on our bodies and health. The same holds true for our pets as well. Here are some safety tips to keep in mind for pet safety during the heat. - Provide ample shade to protect them from the sun and heat. Tree shade and tarps are great because they allow air flow where a doghouse holds the heat and does not provide relief from the heat. Pets with white or light-colored ears are more prone to burning and/or developing skin cancer. - Provide lots of fresh...
The vegetables in the gardens have been looking abundant. With these observations, doing something with the produce is likely the thought swarming your head. If canning comes to mind, this is a good time to make sure you have all of your canning supplies ready. That produce will be ready before you know it. Particularly, if you are planning to can low-acid foods, how long has it been since you had your pressure canner dial-gauge tested? Why should you have your pressure canner dial-gauge tested? A dial-gauge should be tested for accuracy....
Pie Crust Classes – July 23 at the Big Sandy Library, 2 workshops – 1:30 – 3:30 pm or 4:00 – 6:00 pm. The class will be hands-on giving the participants the chance to assemble the pie dough ingredients and rolling and placing the dough in the pie pan to take home to finish. There will be no cost for the class. All ages and all levels of experience making pies are welcome. We would love for those who have been successful in making pies to join us to share your experience and insight on what works for you. Summer Activities for the kids Looking...
One of the hardest things to think about having to do is making the decision of what to do when a loved one has a terminal condition. Or perhaps you have been in the position of having made the decision in the past. You know the reality of how difficult the decision is to make but also wonder if it was the right decision and was it was your loved one would have wanted. Under the Montana Rights of the Terminally Ill Act, Montanans have the right to complete a declaration, another name for advanced directives or living will. This allows an indivi...
In 2016, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) reported one in six Montanan adults provided unpaid care or assistance to a friend or family member with a health problem or disability within the past 30 days. You may be a caregiver yourself or know others who have been, are currently or will end up becoming a caregiver at some point in their life. People who provide unpaid care for an elderly, ill or a disabled family member or friend in their home are called informal caregivers. Nearly half of informal caregivers...
Food Nutrition Facts Label Reading food labels is essential to making healthy food choices. It is common to think we know what the nutritional content and ingredients are but when you take a look at the label, you may be shocked at what you discover. At the top of the nutrition facts label, you will find the serving size. Many times, it is surprising to find out the serving size is less than we typically end up eating or drinking. Thus, we end up consuming more than one serving and also increasing the amount of calories and other less...
