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By Cody Cutter | Sauk Valley Media

ROCK FALLS — Before she retired from being an administrative assistant, Katherine Frietas’ job description wasn’t unlike others in her field: filing paperwork, running errands, lending a hand with whatever else her coworkers needed.

These days, she’s still lending a hand, but now she’s juggling different job duties — as a mentor, role model and a friend.

Frietas is a foster grandparent, a volunteer program of the Tri-County Opportunities Council that enlists people 55 older to provide emotional and educational support to students, helping them develop the skills, confidence and strength to succeed.

Frietas has been involved in the program before, but it was at an office desk, not a school desk.

She used to work for the TCOC Foster Grandparent program and got to know several of the grandparents who made a difference in children’s lives.

Then, last year, she became one of those grandparents.

“I used to see the grandmas and do the paperwork, time sheet and all of that,” Frietas said. “Now I get to see what it entails at the schools. They work hard, but they want to.”

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Barbara Brown works with Frietas at Dillon School, helping out with kindergartners. She looked at volunteering as a way to Foster grandparents serve in a variety of educational facilihave something to do and help children. ties throughout TCOC’s nine-county area: in childcare centers, “Since I retired and was sitting at home, I just felt like I could preschools, early Head Start and Head Start programs, public help these slower children out,” Brown said. “They really like to and private secondary schools and exceptional care facilities. come and sit and read with you and talk with you. They In 2019, the last full year unaffected by the COVID-19 may just want to color a picture because they’ve been pandemic, local foster grandparents tallied 77,723 restless in class. It’s up to us to come and show them that volunteer hours. That’s more than 3,200 days’ worth of they need to listen to their teachers, because they’re the classroom time. ones that are teaching them the basics.”

The program is funded federally through AmeriCorps, After 5 years “on the job,” Brown and her fellow through the state by the Illinois Department of Aging, as grandparents continue to have many profound experiwell as cash and in-kind donations. Among the benefits: ences with the kids.

Each grandparent — who can spend anywhere from 5 to Brown “They love the one-on-one, and I like it too,” Brown 40 hours a week in class — earns a small, tax-free stipend, said.

“You get a lot of interesting feedback from them. Some gets free meals, and gets paid holiday, vacation and sick time. words they cannot pronounce and some things they don’t unBut those aren’t the program’s only benefit. derstand, and if you read them a story and they say, ‘What does Being a foster grandparents keeps volunteers active and inthat mean?’, you stop and you explain to them about what’s going volved, makes them feel needed, lets them share their wisdom, on, what they’re supposed to look for, and we help them be good and allows them to develop meaningful relationships with their listeners and pay attention.” “grandkids.”

Volunteers bring with them a lifetime of experiences that “They get a little more of a purpose because they get to go out come in handy when teaching a child. and affect the lives of children they serve,” Program Director “They see the child through different eyes, and the child sees Brandi Newell said. “The children they serve, some have special them in a different way than the teachers and the other staff needs, they may need a little more extra attention, and so the within the school,” Newell said. “Things just flow differently teachers can assign different students to work with a grandparfrom someone from a different side of the coin.” ent so that they can be a supplement to their education and help them with whatever it is they struggle with.”

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FOSTER cont’d from page 4

the children academically but also socially and emotionally.”

Tri-County Opportunities Council and the Foster GrandThe program also helps teachers, who benefit from the parent program both began in the mid-1960s. The Council help in the classroom. originally included Lee, Ogle and Whiteside counties, but has Foster grandparents take a little of the load off of teachers since expanded to also include Bureau, Carroll, La Salle, Mar— making copies, preparing students’ take-home folders and shall, Putnam and Stark counties. sanitizing areas throughout the classroom — freeing them up Public school districts with a foster grandparent include focus more on the students.

Amboy, Byron, Dixon, La Salle, Lostant, Marseilles, “It’s been wonderful,” Frietas said. “I’m with kinMilledgeville, Polo, Princeton, Prophetstown-Lyndondergartners, and you have no idea how much work the Tampico (at Tampico Elementary), Rock Falls, Sateachers do for these kids, and how much the teachers vanna, Spring Valley and Sterling. They also serve St. care for these kids and do anything for them.

Mary School in Dixon; Head Start programs in Dixon, “They work so hard. They work and do anything Sterling, Ottawa and Streator; the Open Sesame, and everything they can to help with the kids.”

Bright Beginnings, YMCA’s Lovett Child Care Center Some children might not be around their real early education programs in Dixon; the Starved Rock Freitas grandparents — whether they live far away or have Regional Center in Ottawa; Sterling-Rock Falls YMCA’s passed on — and having an older foster friend helps fill that void. It does the same for the foster grandparents, too, Day Care program, and Exceptional Care and Training Center in Sterling. whose grandchildren may live far away.

The previous school year was a challenge for foster grandWith the Foster Grandparent program, kids are there for parents. Many schools didn’t allow volunteers in the schools the grandparents, and grandparents are there for the kids. due to concerns related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic That’s what TCOC President and CEO Jill Calkins enjoys.

— and some schools still aren’t — and that’s led to a change in “It’s two-fold, and enriches both lives,” Calkins said. “It how they can help students. Many have learned to be more enriches the grandparents’ life by being able to give the community service and having such an impact on a child and pos- tech-savvy, learning how to use video conferencing applications, such as Zoom, learning to roll with the pandemic’s sibly their academics, as well as what the child gets and what punches. the school gets. Teachers are busy throughout the day, so this allows them to have that little extra support, not only to help

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FOSTER cont’d from page 5 Still, the video screen remained somewhat of a roadblock between grandparents and students.

It’s that personal feeling that connects one another, Frietas said.

“The kids need — especially with COVID and what’s happened — they need to know a safe place,” Frietas said. “A grandma is a safe place.

They can share their concerns, or what they got for Christmas, or a lot of different things. They’ll want to hold your hand when they walk to the next class, when we take them to computer class or gym class. It’s so good for the children.”

It’s given Frietas and other foster grandparents an opportunity to see life through a child’s eyes again, and to laugh at life again, she said.

“It’s great when they say, ‘We missed you, Grandma Kathy,’ or ‘We love you,’ or if they need a hug, especially since they’ve had a rough couple of years with COVID,” Frietas said. “I love seeing the kids run into class, run into school, and being so happy that we’re there.”

Aspiring foster grandparents don’t need any formal experience in tutoring or mentoring, but they do get an orientation and training from the

site with which they serve, and participate in monthly in-service training.

Foster grandparents must be 55 or older, retired, in reasonably good health, be willing to serve a minimum of 280 hours a year, and meet certain federal income guidelines. As far as benefits provided through TCOC, they get a federal and state tax-free stipend of $3 per hour, can have transportation provided, free meals during the school day, paid holiday, vacation and sick days, among other benefits.

The stipend does not affect their Social Security payments, public housing assistance, food stamp eligibility or pensions.

Being a foster grandparent is well worth the time, Brown said. “Once they go through the program, I know they will appreciate it.”

Frietas agreed.

“Each one of our lives are different, but from what I’ve known about our grandmas, it’s good for them to get out of the house, and to have goals, and to interact with the children and with other adults, teachers and other grandparents,” Frietas said. “It’s helped them to enjoy life more, and that it’s accomplishing something in their later years.”

More info

Go to https:// tcochelps.org/ foster-grandparents/ for more information on the Foster Grandparents program.

Want to volunteer time as a foster grandparent to local schools and early childhood facilities? Contact Brandi Newell, Tri-County Opportunities Council foster grandparent program director, at 815-6257830, ext. 610, or email bnewell@ tcochelps.org.

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DIXON – Jerry Bartlett and Ron Newton are no strangers to change. They embrace it.

But if you ask them to spare some change, that can come with a price. After all, some of those coins can be worth a pretty penny.

Bartlett and Newton lead the Dixon Coin Club, a group of numismatic enthusiasts who get together once a month and swap stories about their collections, grade new finds, and auction off some coins of their realm.

Collecting coins can be like having a history lesson in the palm of By CODY CUTTER your hands. There’s Sauk Valley a lot to appreciate in Media those heads and tails: who our nation chose to honor with profiles on pocket change, the miniature works of art on the coins and the artists who created them — they’re all part of the rich tapestry of tales that coins tell, like peeking into the pockets and purses from times past and seeing what life was like.

“Some people have specific coins that they like to collect,” Bartlett said. “Some come by and may not put anything into the auction, [coins are] just interesting to them, like a social outing.”

The club, founded in 1960, has about 50 members from as far as 50 miles from Dixon, and meets on the first Tuesday of each month at the American Legion. Each collector brings something different to the table — a preference for pennies, a knowledge of nickels, a fondness for 50-cent pieces — or maybe they just like to share their two cents worth on coins.

But you can bet your bottom silver dollar that they all have one thing in common: an appreciation of their hobby. Members take great pride in their collections, and take care to keep them safe under lock and key and at a distance.

Money talks, and members of the Dixon Coin Club enjoy the tales it tells about our nation’s past — a time when herds of buffalo nickels roamed the land, America produced bumper crops of wheat pennies, and bit coin was something you’d do to see whether your cold, hard cash was the real deal K a l e i d o s c o p e

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COINS cont’d from page 6 Bartlett, a retired real estate agent from s been Jerry Bartlett ha Sterling, is the club’s president and a memClub’s the Dixon Coin ber for more than two decades. He’s also e than two president for mor got some of the best eyes among the club hen it comes decades, and w when it comes to grading. As with any colhe’s the club’s to grading coins, lectible, condition counts. The higher the go-to guy. grade — proof 70 being the highest — the HAL/APASALEX T. PASC DIA.COM ME more valuable the coin.

AW SH CHAL@ Grading coins take skill and a good eye for details. Bartlett has taken classes for it and is certified by the American Numismatic Association.

Making it even more of a challenge: Beauty can be in the eye of the beholder, making grading somewhat subjective.

“There can be five people grading a coin, and they may disagree a little bit on something, but they’ll come up with a consensus,” Bartlett said. “Once the consensus has been reached then it gets slabbed and encapsulated.”

Newton, of Rock Falls, is the club’s vice president, and coins can either already be “slabbed” by a professional gradalso has a say in the grading process of each coin that comes ing company, or “raw” in an unprotected form. Those that are through after Bartlett studies them. looked at are put on a list that Bartlett and Newton put together “He’ll pass off to the next person and then to the next person for the next meeting that is mailed to club members. After a on whether they agree or disagree,” Newton said. “Most of the discussion of club business, the auction of around 40 coins that time he’s right on. If I have a question, I always go to Jerry.”

Each meeting starts with the grading of members’ coins that were prepared the month before begins. will be used for the following month’s auction. The auctioned COINS cont’d to page 9

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COINS cont’d from page 8 Coins put up for auction range from recent silver coins, dollar coins and pennies made before the “wheat era” (when Lincoln pennies’ reverse side feature two stalks of wheat, from 1909-58). Rarely does a coin go without a bid of some sort.

“Most serious collectors are looking for coins that don’t have a lot of wear,” Bartlett said. “They’re either rare or semi-key (somewhat rare) coins, instead of the run-of-the-mill coins that are silver but not highly collectible.

“If you find a proof 70, you’re going to be very fortunate.”

For generations, coin collecting has been a hobby that has been enjoyed by young and old alike.

Bartlett didn’t start collecting until adulthood, inspired by a high school friend who had been in the hobby since childhood.

About 30 years ago, he heard about the Dixon Coin Club and joined.

“If we would have known back in our younger days what the value of silver coins was going to be, we probably would have not spent them like we did,” Bartlett said. Until 1964, many U.S. coins were made of 90% silver.

Newton’s family ran a Standard Oil gas station in Sterling, and what made it into the cash register on any given day could be either cash or treasure. His grandfather got him interested in coins as a teenager.

“I started out with pennies, and would go through the rolls from the bank and look for pennies,” Newton said. “I used to find all kinds of old pennies, 1911s, and those from the teens

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Club member Ron Newton holds one of his favorite coins: a 1908 double eagle $20 gold piece, a coin considered by many collectors to be among the most beautiful America ever minted. and ’20s. It shows how old we are.”

Each collector has that “white whale” of a coin that they want to stumble upon. Pennies from the 1910s that were minted in San Francisco can fetch up to more than $100 in mint condition.

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COINS cont’d from page 9 The 1909 Lincoln penny was the first to feature the famous president’s profile, and it was released on what would have been his 100th birthday. There are two versions of the penny: one minted in PhiladelClub info phia and one in San Francisco, but it’s the 1909 S-VDB that’s the The Dixon Coin Club meets on the first Tuesday of holy grail of Lincoln pennies for collectors. The initial run had each month at American Legion Post 12, 1120 W. First St. the initials of the penny’s designer, Victor D. Brenner, on the Coin grading begins at 5:30 p.m. with the business meeting back of the of the coin, but mint engraver Charles E. Barber obat 7 p.m., followed by the coin auctions. Call club president Jerry jected to the use of three initials on the coin and the dies were Bartlett at 815-535-8427 for more information.

A remade with the initials were removed, but not before some 1965 proLearn more about coins with the “VDB” were released to the public. Those coins motional coin collecting coins can be worth upwards of $2,000 in uncirculated condition. from the Dixon Coin American Numismatic Association: money.org/ Various dollar coins have come and gone, but the Morgan Club’s annual Coin- U.S. Mint: usmint.gov/learn/collecting-basics dollar is perhaps most sought after among collectors. It, too, has A-Rama coin Fun facts about coins: www.usmint.gov/ particular years that are more scarce than others. The 1893 version show learn/kids/coins/fun-facts from San Francisco, Bartlett said, is the tops among the Morgans.

“If you get one even in so-so condition, it’s probably going to be about $3,000-$4,000,” Bartlett said. “If you got one that’s close to mint state, you’re looking at probably $80,000 to $100,000 for one coin.”

Non-members are welcome at the meetings if they come with a member, and can even bid on auctioned coins during their initial visit; after that, they will need to become a member to bid in subsequent auctions.

Whatever the reason people collect, there are plenty of coin fans throughout the area who can gather and talk change once a month.

“I’ve always been big on history,” Bartlett said. “I can look at a coin, for example, the Indian head penny, and think ‘Wow, this was minted way back during the Civil War,” and some of the coins are older than that.”

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on, ust o kH Dic

After the rockets’ red glare a world away faded, the Rockets on the homefront soared to heights that are still unmatched. Today, the lone member of that team recalls the days when he and his teammates felt like they were sitting on top of the world

1946

By Cody Cutter | Sauk Valley Media

ROCK FALLS — It’s been awhile since Dick Houston laced up his basketball sneakers and ran, pivoted and squeaked across the Rock Falls High School basketball court with his teammates.

But even after all those years, he can still remember when the ball was in their court — and boy, did they run with it Houston and his classmates were part of the first Rockets basketball teams to make shooting hoops a big deal in Rock Falls.

Their successes begat even greater accomplishments in the decades to come, but those then-young hoopsters such as Houston, Lyle Bogott, Kenny Onken, Doug Unger, Don Harrington, and Bill Ebenezer achieved some-

thing special 75 years ago this school year that no Rockets team has matched.

The 1946-47 Rockets basketball squad ran the table during the regular season with a perfect 21-for-21 showing in the win column. No other Rock Falls teams had played more than 20 games and won them all before the postseason, and none had won a regional tournament championship before.

Even though the 1946-47 Rockets lost in the sectional tournament championship game to end their season, they are among the top hoops teams to be inducted in the high school's athletic hall of fame.

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Dick Houston fondly recalls the days that he and his teammates went undefeated in the regular season.

CODY CUTTER/ CCUTTER@ SAUKVALLEY. COM

HOUSTONG cont’d from page 11 Today, Houston is a one-man team when it comes to memories of the team’s days as king of the court. After Bogott’s death in January, Houston is the last surviving player on that historic team. At 92, Houston and his wife of 67 years, Marian, split their time between their longtime house in Rock Falls and North Fort Myers, Florida, where they spend their winters. His “man cave” back home is a treasure trove of accomplishments and memories over 75plus years of being a student, and teaching and coaching — most of those years at Rock Falls High School. The team photo from 1946-47 hangs above his desk. Other mementoes aren’t far away, such as the hall of fame induction plaque.

“We were kings,” Houston said. “Everyone knew you because the town

was smaller. It was a great thing. We were riding high.”

Given the circumstances of the time, the 1946-47 roster had players who had seen a lot of the world, having gone off to fight in World War II. “They all got back and came back to school,” Houston said.

“If we had beaten Rockford to go to the [state] tournament, Unger would have been 19 and would have been too old to play.

We had a big advantage: a ‘college freshmen’ nucleus here. We played a tough schedule, too. All while doing that while the NCIC had big schools like DeKalb and Ottawa.”

When their military service ended, several players went back to high school to earn their diploma, including Bogott, Harrington and Unger. Onken, Unger’s half-brother, transferred from Morrison. Also on the team were Don Stevens, Marvin Courtright, Wayne Smith, Cal Morgan and manager Eddie Fritz.

Houston had the tough task of being a starter on the previous year’s team, but when the veteran trio returned, he moved into a sixth-man role, typically the first off of the bench.

Houston didn’t mind, though, knowing that year’s Rockets were going to be extra special.

“I accepted what it was, and I was happy to get in,” Houston said. “I remember one time they put me in a game and Harry Kidd, the sportswriter, wrote in the paper, ‘Houston came in the game, he was calm and cool and collected.’ I underlined that back when I was a kid. You didn’t have any other publicity.

If you got your picture anywhere, you were something.”

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HOUSTON cont’d from page 12 The annual alumni game opened the season, and the older players went down in defeat, 38-11, and the victories just kept coming.

The Rockets won the Geneseo Holiday Tournament to open 1947. In between that feat, they beat their arch rivals, Sterling High, twice: 60-26 in Sterling and 76-28 in Rock Falls. They also defeated Dixon three times that season.

One of the Rockets’ biggest wins came Feb. 28 in a surprise victory. Coach Lloyd Hinders arranged for a scrimmage against Clinton High School in Iowa in a non-game situation. However, when the Rockets arrived, they found that the Riverkings intended for their meeting to be a full-fledged game. It was a bit of a shock, but the Rockets took on this sudden challenge and came away successful against a tough Riverkings squad.

In the regional tournament held at the Coliseum in Sterling, Rock Falls opened postseason play with a 72-21 win over Amboy, a 59-48 win over Community Catholic (now Newman), and endured another tough game with the Dukes before winning 53-46 to take the championship March 7.

Rock Falls moved on to the sectional tournament at West High School in Rockford. They opened play with a 57-33 win over Rochelle before taking on Rockford’s East High, a regional power that was in the middle of a 4-year run as state qualifiers.

Midnight struck on the Rockets’ season in the sectional championship. The Rockets opened that game with a 7-0 lead, but with Harrington dogged with foul trouble early on, it hurt the team’s chances against a much larger E-Rabs squad. They

played catch-up the rest of the way, but ultimately, East ended the Rockets’ run and advanced to the state finals.

After attending college, a 2-year stint in the Army, and teaching and coaching in Marseilles and Lexington, Houston returned to Rock Falls in 1958 where he taught and coached.

Among his memorable coaching moments, in Houston’s second year back at Rock Falls, he was an assistant coach for the 8-0 undefeated freshman-sophomore football team — which became the unbeaten 9-0 varsity conference champions the following year — and coached NCIC cross country conference champion Addly White.

Houston taught at Rock Falls High until 1988, and his basketball skills lasted just as long. During a special school event in March 1986, when reigning Super Bowl champions, the Chicago Bears, came to town for a “Bears vs. faculty” game, Houston sank a shot from halfway across the Tabor Gymnasium court.

Houston remains proud of the accomplishments he and his teammates achieved to make their years at Rock Falls High School a memorable ones for both their team and their hometown. They made high school hoops a local attraction for not just adults, but also for young kids who may have looked on thinking they wanted to be the next Lyle Bogott, Doug Unger or Dick Houston. Some of those kids grew up to be stars on the 1957-58 second-place team — including Gary Kolb and Ken Siebel — who, in turn, inspired another generation of Rockets to excel in athletics.

For now, Houston has his place in Rocket athletic lore, and he’s proud to carry on the legacy and memories he and his teammates created.

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The thryoid: Small but important

Research: Cancer treatment can cause sleeping problems

A small, butterfly-shaped gland located in the front of the neck may not seem According to the American Cancer Society, recent like a significant part of the body, but it performs many critical functions. The research has found that sleeping problems assothyroid is a part of the endocrine system and it’s responsible for controlling ciated with cancer treatment persist in various hormones throughout the body, notably almost 40 percent of cancer survivors T4 (thyroxine) and T3 (triiodothyronine). The for up to five years after diagnosis. The pituitary gland tells the thyroid how much of these 2019 study, published in the journal hormones the body needs. Here’s a look at some Sleep Medicine, also found that functions of the thyroid, courtesy of University of one-fifth of cancer survivors reMichigan Health. ported poor sleep quality at nine Metabolism: The thyroid is estimated to be years after diagnosis. In fact, responsible for up to 60 percent of one’s metabolism high sleep disturbance was reRVICE

BY METRO NEWS SE ported by 51 percent of long-term or basal metabolic rate. Basal metabolic rate relates cancer survivors. The researchers studied more to how many calories a person burns at baseline while performing normal functhan 1,900 long-term cancer survivors nine years tions to survive. after diagnosis, and participants had one of 10 Hair: The thyroid affects hair texture and growth. common cancers, including cancers of the breast, Energy level: The thyroid can ensure that a person has enough energy to get prostate, bladder, kidney, and lung. It’s especially through the day. important for cancer survivors to recognize the Controls other hormones: Testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol potential for sleep problems after successful are regulated by the hormones of the thyroid. treatment, as the Mayo Clinic notes that sufficient Ability to focus: People who have issues with their thyroids may experience rest is a vital component of patients’ recovery. difficulty focusing and may feel as though they have “brain fog.”

Survivors experiencing difficulty sleeping after Regulates heart rate: Thyroid hormones help to regulate heart rate by influsuccessful cancer treatments can discuss their encing how fast or slowly the heart pumps. issues with their physicians, who may recommend certain sleep aides or strategies to increase Digestion: The thyroid influences the rate at which food moves through the patients’ chances of getting more restful sleep. digestive tract.

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Need a boost? It’s in your diet Metro News Service

A little extra energy during the day could benefit just about anyone. Late morning mental fatigue and the postlunch yawns may seem unavoidable, but there are plenty of ways to improve energy levels throughout the day. One such means to getting an extra hop in your step involves utilizing food.

The health care experts at Kaiser Permanente, a managed care and health insurance company, say that every part of the body, including the brain and heart, require energy to work. The body gets that energy from food. According to the National Health Service, the publicly funded health care system of the United Kingdom, a healthy, balanced diet is the best way to maintain sufficient energy levels throughout the day. A dietary approach rooted in eating to energize can change the way people eat, potentially helping them avoid unhealthy foods that won’t give them the boost they need.

The American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics echoes the sentiments of the NHS, noting that eating better is an effective way to improve energy levels. The AAND also recommends additional strategies for people looking to foods to provide an energy boost.

Eat every three to four hours. The AAND notes that

eating every three to four hours helps to fuel a healthy metabolism. This approach

also can prevent the between-meal hunger pangs that compel many people to reach for whatever food is readily available, even if it’s unhealthy. When eating every three to four hours, remember to prepare smaller portions than you would if you were eating three meals per day. The AAND points out that feeling comfortably full but not stuffed is a good indicator that you’ve eaten enough.

Aim for balance. A balanced plate should include foods from multiple food groups. The AAND notes that even a small amount of fat can find its way onto your plate, which should include a combination of whole grains, lean protein, fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, and fat-free or low-fat dairy. If that’s too much for a single sitting, ensure these food groups are represented on your plate at some point during the day.

Avoid added sugars. Added sugars can adversely affect energy levels. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that consuming too many added sugars, which are found in sugar-sweetened beverages like soda and iced tea and sweet snacks like candy, increases a person’s risk for obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

The AAND notes that the energy provided by foods with added sugars is typically misleading, as it wears off quickly and ultimately leads to an energy crash. If you’re looking to eat and drink for energy, then choose water or low-fat milk instead of coffee and soda and replace sweet snacks with fruit.

Choose the right snacks. The AAND recommends snacks have lean protein and fiber-rich carbohydrates.

Low-fat Greek yogurt, apples, a handful of unsalted nuts, and carrots are some examples of healthy snacks that will provide an energy boost between meals.

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Why Join AmeriCorps Seniors?

Put your VALUABLE skills to good use AmeriCorps Seniors allows you to contribute your valuable skills to those in need.

Members volunteer when and where they want. Volunteer stations include: local conservation districts, food pantries, family service organizations, senior service organizations, and more!

Receive recognition AWARDS and PRIZES Volunteers who join Lifescape AmeriCorps Seniors of Lee and Whiteside Counties receive recognition awards and prizes! We realize that most members volunteer solely because they want to give back with nothing in return, but we like to award our members with prizes, awards, and yearly recognition events!

DISCOVER new volunteer opportunities Unique to our program, volunteers are continually exposed to the latest local volunteer opportunities. Lifescape AmeriCorps Seniors staff members dedicate themselves to staying connected and continually providing new opportunities to members.

aortiz@lifescapeservices.org - 815-490-1124 Rock Falls Office: 206 Dixon Ave. Ste 1 Rock Falls, Illinois 61071 16

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