Livin' Healthy in Kirksville's Blog

    This May local farmer Steve Salt will open Near and Far Grocery Store on the square. The store, located in the former arcade, will feature locally grown produce, meats, and a variety of spices. Salt and his wife have had a spot at the Downtown Farmer’s Market for several years, but  they decided to expand their business this year.

     In addition to selling locally grown products, the store will also serve as a pick-up location for Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs). CSAs are programs in which you sign up to receive in season produce weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly. There is a flat fee based on the volume of produce you request. Larger cities have delivery services for CSAs, but here in Kirksville you will be able to pick up your reusable plastic contained Tuesdays through Thursdays at Near and Far or on Saturdays at the Farmer’s Market.

The Salts will continue to sell produce at the Farmer’s Market after Near and Far opens this May.   

Get movin’,

Annie

     A new fitness class that is sweeping the country is Zumba. Zumba is a fitness class that features ”hypnotic” latin dance moves. The Zumba organization encourages people to “Ditch the workout, and join the party”.

     Zumba can be a group fitness class offered at a gym or you can purchase Zumba dvds for home use. In Kirksville residents and students can experience Zumba at the Truman Student Recreation Center, the Adair County YMCA, and at The Crossing church.

     Zumba Fitness, the company that trains Zumba instructors nationwide, says Zumba features interval  training session and resistance training that help with burning fat and toning lean muscle.

     If a workout is not enjoyable, you are unlikely to stick to it. Classes like Zumba, Hip-Hop Cardio, and Yoga-Lates allow people creative fun workouts that keep them coming back for more.

Get movin’,

Annie

This week was unseasonably warm, which made me think about the dessert of warm weather-ice cream. This spring there are several new “low fat” ice cream treats and ice cream alternatives. Three we will compare are: Ben and Jerry’s Half Baked Fro-Yo (frozen yogurt), Skinny Cow Chocolate Fudge Brownie, and Blue Bunny Fat Free Frozen Yogurt Brownie Fudge Fantasy.

When making a comparison, certain standards are used including calories, fat, sugar, and taste. We will compare calories first:

Ben and Jerry’s Half-Baked Fro-Yo (1/2 c. serving) = 180 calories

The Skinny Cow Chocolate Fudge Brownie (5.8 fl. oz) = 150 calories

Blue Bunny Fat Free Frozen Yogurt Brownie Fudge Fantasy (1/2 c. serving) = 110 calories

Next, we will compare the fat content.

Ben and Jerry’s Half-Baked Fro-Yo (1/2 c. serving) = 3g (1.5g Sat. Fat)

The Skinny Cow Chocolate Fudge Brownie = 2g (1g Sat. Fat)

Blue Bunny Fat Free Frozen Yogurt Brownie Fudge Fantasy = 0g

All three selections have low fat content, but that often means the fat was replaced with sugar. Let’s see:

Ben and Jerry’s Half-Baked Fro-Yo (1/2 c. serving) = 23g

The Skinny Cow Chocolate Fudge Brownie = 17g

Blue Bunny Fat Free Frozen Yogurt Brownie Fudge Fantasy = 16g

It looks like Ben and Jerry’s was experimenting with calling ice cream frozen yogurt and seeing if people considered it health food. So far it has passed the tests for calories and low-fat but the sugar content in above The Skinny Cow ice cream and Blue Bunny Fat Free Frozen Yogurt.

The final comparison is the taste, and although this is relative to each person, you may find it useful.

Ben and Jerry’s Half-Baked Fro-Yo = Very good, it tastes like regular ice cream and has all the favorite components of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream- fresh taste, good ingredients, nice serving size.

The Skinny Cow Chocolate Fudge Brownie= Tastes good and chocolatey while you are eating it, but it leaves an after taste in your mouth. Not a bad taste overall as far as low-fat chocolate goes. 

Blue Bunny Fat Free Frozen Yogurt Brownie Fudge Fantasy- This frozen yogurt is pumped full of high fructose corn syrup and it tastes yummy. The other two flavors do not have high fructose corn syrup, this one does and it shows. The taste is rich, it tastes real, it doesn’t leave an after taste in your mouth. Overall, this frozen yogurt tasted the best.

Next time you are looking for a healthy alternative to your seasonal staples, compare labels and ingredient list to see which one really is the best, over which one boasts to be.

Get movin’,

Annie

    If you have traveled around Hy-Vee  lately you may have seen something new and different on the tags for food. Now on some foods there is a hexagon with a number inside. A friend pointed out to me the hexagon and it remained a mystery that intrigued me for several weeks. Initially, I believed the higher the number, the worse a food was for you. Turns out I just happened to be looking in an aisle where there were healthy processed foods. Here’s how it works.

     NuVal was developed by a group of individual doctors and nutritionists. The NuVal score rates the nutrition value of a food on a scale of 1-100. The higher the score, the healthier the food is for you. It may come as no surprise that the healthiest foods are located on the outside perimeter of the store and foods with less nutritional value are in the processed food aisles. According to the NuVal scores website, the first score for a food in the aisles is a 59 for DelMonte canned whole cut green beans. Foods with a score between 60 and 100 were found in the produce aisle, the dairy department, and the meat department in the form of fish and shrimp.

     It is not possible for all families to eliminate processed foods and begin to eat organic foods. So when you buy processed foods it is important to see which foods are better than others. In the cookie aisle there are many choices to choose from. Two examples are Chips Ahoy Real Chocolate Chip cookies and Nabisco Teddy Grahams Honey snacks. Although your family may enjoy both cookies and you buy them interchangeably, one has a significantly higher nutritional value than the other. The Nabisco Teddy Grahams Honey have a NuVal score of 24, whereas the Chips Ahoy Real Chocolate Chip cookies have a NuVal score of 2. The difference in the scores is significant enough to consider purchasing the Teddy Grahams more often than not. NuVal scores for many family food favorites are available on the NuVal website and more are being added daily.

     This system is helpful for busy families who are unable to read labels and make nutritional decisions during their weekly trip to the grocery store. Making a few swaps from foods with a low NuVal score to foods with higher NuVal scores could you get you on the road to a healthier life today.

Get movin’,

Annie

     Many Americans struggle with losing weight on their own and turn to weight loss programs to help them in their journey. While each program has it strengths, not every programs is suitable for everyone. Let’s examine three popular programs and their pros and cons.

    The first program is the good ole Weight Watchers. Weight Watchers has come a long way in thirty years. Today there is an online program for dieters, they have developed the points system, and they have Weight Watchers brand foods that are available in grocery stores nationwide. With all this change, they have maintained their original format of the weight loss support meetings. The pros to this system are that it promotes community, even online you are connected to other people with similiar weight loss goals to your own. The points system is a system that most Americans can live with as it does not limit what you can and cannot eat, only the portions of the meals. They do this by assigning points to foods and giving you a target point range to stay in each day. How you achieve that point value is up to you. The cons are this system cost money. The first three months are $65 and each month after is $17.95 plus the cost of food. If you are looking for a way to get started and you don’t mind investing in the information Weight Watchers has to offer, this may be the plan for you.

     The second system is Jenny Craig. Several copycot systems have copied the pre-made meals system that Jenny Craig started. The unique thing Jenny Craig offers over Medifast and Nutrisystem is you meet with a counselor every week to weigh in and discuss your strengths and weaknesses. If the food you chose the previous week did not work for you, you can change it at this time. The pros of this system is it provides a face that cares, rather than a delivery  driver who simply drops off your pre-prepared meals and leaves. The cons are it is more expensive than Weight Watchers because you buy the Jenny Craig food. If you want a dietician to assist you in your journey and do better with pre-prepared dinners Jenny Criag may be the diet system for you.

    The last system we will look at is Sparkpeople.com. This is an entirely online program and it is unique because all of its features are offered to members for free. (This is made possible by advertising on the site). This site has a community of members and offers teams that unite on similar features, such as teenagers, Missourians, women over 50, etc… The site offers several diet plans, recipes, fitness trackers, and a personalized home page for members. There are points given for losing weight, eating your vegetables, drinking 8 glasses of water a day, and various other activities related to improving your health. The pros to this system are you can try it for free and see if it works for you without risking financial loss. The cons are it is something you have to log-in and think about. You may start really motivated and get burned out on all the different aspects this one site has to offer.

Choosing a diet plan that works for you is key to success.

Get movin’,

Annie

     Summer is just a few months away and that means summer athletics are almost here. If you have never tried an outdoor sport (recreational or league) this is the year to do it. Kirksville offers sports leagues for residents and their children through the parks and recreation department and the aquatic center.

     Maybe you aren’t really athletic and you want to try something slow paced and not very competitive. Then, swim classes offered through the aquatic center may be right for you. Classes range from Friends (Water) Aerobic Class to Water Pilates. Swimming is a nice low impact way to start getting cardio without causing stress on your body. For more information about the benefits of swimming visit the Swimming for Your Heart website.

     Children ages 6-18 can join the AquaDogs swim team and compete in swim meets with other area local youth swim teams. Sign-ups are year round, but late spring and early summer are the most popular meet seasons. For more information or to enroll go to the AquaDogs website.

     If you are looking for more of a challenge and a team sport, then you should consider joining an adult softball team. Softball is a sport that is fast paced, competitive, and rewarding. Some of the benefits include cardio exercise, strengthening, and building speed. To learn more about the benefits of softball visit this Thinking of Trying Softball? website.  

     Kirksville adult leagues are organized by the Kirksville Parks and Recreation Department and vary from competitive to recreational. Teams can compete in all male or co-ed teams. Sign-ups for Summer 2010 leagues are going on now until May 13, 2010. You can sign-up by returning this form and your team’s deposit (usually $250-$350 depending on the league) to the Kirksville Parks and Recreation department at 201 S. Franklin St. Kirksville, MO 63501.

     Youth baseball and softball leagues are organized by the Kirksville Baseball/Softball Association. Baseball leagues are split by age level: ages 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-15. Softball leagues are also divided into age groups: 6-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-16. Sign-ups for the youth leagues are from now until April 1, 2010. First time players must sign up at the Parks and Recreation office at 801 Mill St. in Kirksville, MO and they must bring a birth certificate to verify their age.

     Girls aged 14 and under can compete in a one day fast pitch tournament Saturday April 17, 2010. To sign-up for Spring Softball Slam visit the Kirksville Parks and Recreation homepage or download the .pdf form here.

     The city of Kirksville offers several team and individual athletic opportunities to its residents. Take advantage of one today.

Get movin’,

Annie

     For several years Truman faculty and staff envied the students and faculty of A.T. Still University and members of the Adair County YMCA because of their access to spinning bikes at their facilities. There was a noticeable absence of spinning bikes at the Student Recreation Center on campus, but with the poor economy the likelihood of the bikes being added was doubtful. Alas, there they are- two brand new Star-Trac e-Spinner bikes in the window of the Student Recreation Center, like two mannequins on display in a window at the mall.

     Prior to this week I did not know the difference in health benefits between the recumbent bikes and the spinning bikes. I always heard spinning bikes were like stationary bikes on crack. Does that description really help someone decide if they should take up spinning or not? I didn’t think so. I did some looking around and found a reliable resource online, the Livestrong Foundation (aka Lance Armstrong’s philanthropy). To read the full benefits of spinning, click here.

     Here’s what I have learned through various product websites, reviews, and other blog entries: 

• Spinning is a safe alternative to stationary biking if you have a knee or lower leg injury because it is a low impact exercise.
• Recumbent bikes focus on a set of muscles such as the calves and quads or the hamstrings and the glutes, but spinning bikes work all of these muscles plus your abs for a full lower body workout.
• Spinning burns calories at quick rate. In one 60 minute spin class you can burn up to 500 calories. That is a feat usually reserved for jogging or running.
• The e-Spinner has a 38 lb fly wheel and a fixed gear. This means unlike mountain biking you can’t catch a break with a downhill or a flat riding surface, because the flywheel keeps moving and will only stop when the break is applied.
• When combined with regular diet and exercise, spinning can increase your cardio endurance, your muscle strength, your energy levels and help you lose weight.

     Don’t expect these machines to be sitting there waiting for you though, word has got out about their health benefits and the two new ones at the Student Recreation Center have plenty of riders waiting to try them out.

Get movin’,
Annie

     Millions of American families are turning a new leaf and starting to live healthier lives. In rural towns like Kirksville, Missouri healthy living can have its limits. Several resources that are readily available in larger towns and cities are not present in Northeast Missouri. Does this mean it is impractical to try and live a healthy life in these towns? No. Although small towns do not have the same resources as larger cities there are hundreds of ways to get fit, lose weight, and eat right in Kirksville.  I will examine the resources Kirksville does have to offer its nearly 17,000 residents.

     There are plenty of excuses of why to not strive to be healthy.  Common ones around here include, “It’s expensive for a gym membership”, “Healthy foods cost more”, and “It’s too cold to exercise in Kirksville”.  However, there are just as many solutions as there are complaints. If you are looking for a reason to make a change in your life, and you didn’t know where to start, this is the place for you.

     Take a look at the links on the side. I have put together the websites of several local businesses and departments that offer healthy services such as adult sports teams, swim lessons, and healthy eating plans.

     Check back each week as I uncover all that Kirksville, Missouri has to offer in the way of leading a healthy lifestyle for you and your family.

Get movin’

Annie