8-5-18 My Food Life

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August 2018

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2 • Sunday, August 5, 2018

MY FOOD LIFE

Shawnee News-Star

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MY FOOD LIFE

Small Steps Lead to Big Transformation Nicole Sanchez describes the community since the implementation of the Blue Zones Project as “People coming together for a greater good,” “It‘s promoting community and people, once strangers, are now friends.”

Sanchez, the Marketing Manager at FireLake Discount Foods (FDF), grew up in the Shawnee-Tecumseh area. She said she remembers the area being more relaxed and more social as a community growing up. At some point, the community switched and became more closed off.

“I just viewed it as very distant (more recently),” Sanchez said. “There was just a lot of separation and people didn‘t seem to be coming together.”

After the Blue Zones Project, though, it changed. “The walls people have built are slowly coming down, brick by brick.”

Sanchez said she attended one of the first focus group meetings when the Project began. As the project progressed, she was tasked by FDF management to lead the charge to make FireLake a Blue Zones Project Approved grocery store. The store began hosting grocery shopping tours, cooking demos, and made shifts to make the healthy choice the easy choice for all shoppers.

That process, Sanchez said, opened the door to a healthier, more positive life. “I’ve just completely changed my mindset,” Sanchez said. “My habits, the way I eat, the way I move, the way I think, the way I interact. It’s just more meaningful.” Sanchez said

she started making little changes to her lifestyle, parking further away from the door at work to walk a little more and drinking more water. Now, Sanchez takes part in community events and has made life changes as a dedicated Blue Zones Project participant and personally coined the term for these activities as “Blue Zoning it.”

Her family also began “Blue Zoning it,” which Sanchez said has brought them closer. She and her husband are also celebrating a combined loss of 65 pounds, not from dieting but simply from making healthier daily choices.

“It‘s helped both of us, and our kids. Our kids are healthier, they’re eating better,” Sanchez said. “We’re more active. We do more things outside, which we’ve always been active, very sports-minded people, now we go pick blackberries and go on little walks.”

Sanchez said being able to create those memories with her kids and spending quality time with them makes the changes that much more meaningful, especially since she lost her mother when she was young.

“For me it’s like a whole new perspective,” Sanchez said. “I want to give my kids every opportunity and create those memories with me. That’s what I hang on to: the memories.”

Along with creating memories with her kids and family, Sanchez said one of the outcomes of Blue Zones is being able to fulfill a more purposeful life.

She attended a local purpose workshop through the project and even joined a purpose moai (pronounced “mo-eye”) where she dove into purpose with a new group of friends for 10 weeks.

Her commitment to move more, enhance family time, live with greater purpose, become more engaged in the community, and incorporate a plant slant diet have all built upon each other to transform her life.

“I’m happier,” Sanchez said.

“It’s like you have a more meaningful life perspective on things, it’s just different. I take into account all the little things and how special they are. I just enjoy life a lot more.”

Sunday, August 5, 2018 • 3

5 Power Foods to improve the “stress eaters“ mood According to dietician Jane Jakubczak at the University of Maryland, negative emotions cause 75% of overeating. If you are a “stress eater,” then try these 5 power foods to help improve your mood.

1. Spinach In addition to being a significant source of vitamins K, A and C (the greener, the better), spinach is an excellent source of folic acid (also called folate). This is a B vitamin sometimes used to treat depression. It causes a “feel-good” chemical called serotonin to be released.

2. Oatmeal Researchers at the MIT Clinical Research Center have found that when you stop eating carbohydrates, your brain stops regulating serotonin, the chemical that improves your mood and suppresses your appetite. However, highly processed carbohydrates (i.e. white bread) cause rapid changes in your blood sugar levels and can result in mood swings. High fiber carbs like oatmeal stabilize blood sugar, and take a while to move through your system, making you feel full longer.

3. Foods with Vitamin D Getting your daily dose of vitamin D is important for your attitude. You can get this from getting direct exposure to the sun for 5-20 minutes daily.

For dietary sources of Vitamin D: Almond milk, oatmeal, tofu, orange juice, wild salmon, canned fish.

4. Bananas The only fruit on this list, bananas contain an amino acid called tryptophan. Your body uses tryptophan to produce 5-HTP, the compound that makes serotonin and melatonin, two mood and sleep-regulating neurotransmitters.

5. Chocolate Like spinach, eating chocolate releases serotonin.

However, chocolate has an additional benefit. It promotes relaxation through the release of endorphins. Endorphins are “feel good” chemicals also produced after hard, aerobic exercise. Chocolate may improve blood flow to the heart and brain, thus improving concentration, due to the antioxidants it contains.

MY FOOD LIFE

4 • Sunday, August 5, 2018

Shawnee News-Star

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BREAKING NEWS: Kids Love Fruits and Vegetables It’s easy for us as adults to assume that if it’s green, fresh, or in any way good-for-you, it’s going to be a struggle to get our children to eat it. However, feedback from some of the Shawnee Public School students we heard from last semester proves that to be false. As Shawnee schools renews their focus on the health and well-being of their students, we’re learning that sometimes all it takes is an introduction.

“I never had tried kiwi berry before but I they gave them to us and I really liked them. Now I try almost everything they offer in the fruit and vegetable program. One time they brought really watery strawberries and I didn‘t try those. I usually like strawberries but not those.” – IJ

Schools are in a powerful position to influence the health and well-being of future generations, and as part of the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, students are being introduced to a variety of produce in the classroom, that they otherwise might not have the opportunity to sample. Here’s what some of the students had to say: “I tried carrots at school and they are good for your teeth when you crunch them. When you swallow the carrot, it goes down two ways. One goes into the food column and into the digestion track. The other is air that goes into the lungs. Carrots are healthy for your eyes.” - CB “I tried a plum and it was yummy. A plum is a reddish-purple fruit that has one seed. The inside is yellow and it is good for your body.” - AB

green zucchini?” and let them choose between the two. Being involved in the decision-making process in an important first step.

Let them Help: When preparing your meal, give them as must responsibility as is safe. If they’re old enough, have them scoop out a squash or even add seasonings to the veggies. Even if their only task is washing the produce, giving them a job not only boosts their self-esteem, but being involved in the process means they’ll be more likely to enjoy the final result.

Make it Fun: Kids love games and make-believe, and turning eating time into a mini game can work wonders for some children. Broccoli can be intimidating to a child, but if they’re a dinosaur who needs to eat five “miniature trees” to outrun a monster, suddenly those florets can seem a lot more interesting.

Block party food is usually hotdogs, chips and cookies. Community Renewal has traded the chips and cookies with fresh fruit. Party goers absolutely love it and they always run out!

“I never liked watermelon until I tried it with my class.

And then I really liked it. Watermelon is good for your body because it has healthy vitamins that make you not so tired and give you the strength to exercise.” - LC

Need help getting your kids to try new fruits and vegetables at home?

“I tried asparagus with my class and I thought it looked really gross. It looked like a pickle with little hairs on top. I tried it with my friends and I really liked it. Now I am obsessed with it. I eat it every time they serve it at school.” - DH

Let them Pick:

Here are a few tips to get started: Starting from the grocery store, let your children take the lead in choosing what produce you bring home. For younger children, you can guide them with questions like: “Do you want yellow squash or

Use the One Bite Rule: The more you expose children to a food, the more likely they are to accept it. Enforcing the “one bite rule”; the child must take at least one bite of a food every time it’s served. Never assume your child won’t like something just because you it’s new.

Be a Role Model: Parents are incredibly influential for their kids, even when they don’t mean to be. If fruits and vegetables are always an afterthought around meal time, it’s tough to expect your kids to enjoy them. Set the tone by eating a lot of healthy foods yourself, this alone will greatly influence your kids to do the same.

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MY FOOD LIFE

Sunday, August 5, 2018 • 5

The Choices Behind the Champion

By David Henry - Pastor - Calvary Baptist Church

Several years ago, a motivational speaker made the challenging statement, “Success in life does not depend on the dreams you dream but on the decisions you make.” After some careful reflection on this idea, I challenged our church, Calvary Baptist, to embark on a journey to raise up a generation of young people inspired to make great decisions.

We needed to raise up a new generation of champions.

Upon embracing this new challenge, a teenaged biblical character, Daniel, came to mind as an exemplary role-model of what happens when young people make great choices.

Teenaged Daniel demonstrated impeccable moral and spiritual standing through choices made regarding faith and food which were motivated by a relentless refusal to defile his body and soul. As a result, he proved that he was able to effortlessly overcome challenging situations with impossible odds. In essence, Daniel teaches us that training young people to display discipline and make great decisions about faith and food arms them with the ability to make great decisions in all aspects of life.

Naturally, we can also look to the world of sports for examples of how to raise champions. Bob Bowman, coach to Michael Phelps (one of the most decorated Olympic champions of all time) was quoted saying “Champions produce normal and predictable performances in very abnormal and unpredictable environments.” This statement serves as a reminder that there will always be challenges and adversity, but our youth must practice making great choices consistently in all circumstances.

Choosing healthy food is a great example of how one can practice discipline in daily life, but these choices have implications far beyond food. If we can raise up champions who make great choices about their food, we will soon find ourselves in a community of men and women armed with effortless ability to overcome challenges.

Confucius once stated, “If your plan is for one hundred years, educate children.” The great challenge ahead of us as we raise a generation of champions is that it takes time, consistency, and daily practice. We all make many food decisions every day, so teaching our youth to see these as an opportunity to practice making healthy choices is an impactful way to utilize a process built into our daily lives. Jim Afremow, author of The Mind of a Champion, wrote “Don’t envy the champion – be the champion.”

When Rachael Schupp, a Christian raised student at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas was asked to identify her life goal as a class assignment, she submitted “To make daily decisions which are of eternal significance”. Rachael’s life was taken in a tragic auto accident her freshman year, but she understood that each great decision leads to another, then another, making every decision significant. This is a sentiment that reminds us that our next generation of champions must be armed with the tools to make great decisions today, every day, all day. Eating well is just the beginning in developing the life of all-time champions, and one of the best places to train champions is at the dinner table.

Strawberry Mango Salsa

Fresh and tropical, this salsa pairs perfectly as a dip with corn tortilla chips, quesadillas, as a garnish to tacos, or on its own!

INGREDIENTS 3/4 cup diced strawberries 3/4 cup diced mango 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced 2 tbsp diced red onion 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves 2 tsp honey, or to taste Juice of 1 limes

DIRECTIONS In a large bowl, combine strawberries, mango, jalapeño, onion, cilantro, honey, and lime juice.

Serve immediately.

Every Community Renewal Kids Club meeting has a healthy snack. Fresh fruit, vegetables and yogurt are always the kid‘s favorite!

6 • Sunday, August 5, 2018

MY FOOD LIFE

Shawnee News-Star

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Downtown Shawnee - The Healthiest Place to Eat

The Owl Shoppe opened in 2012 to provide a healthy food option to the Shawnee communi­ty.

Opening a health-minded restaurant may have seemed risky to others, but restaurant owner, Mandi Billey, had a vision.

The healthy eatery was honored as the first Blue Zones Project Approved restaurant one year ago. The Owl Shoppe already served a lot of healthy options and foods in-line with the Blue Zones food guidelines before their approval. After their approval though, Billey said she has seen a rise in customers.

“I’ve definitely noticed a lot more people coming here that are vegetarian, vegan or that have certain types of diets that they have to follow,” Billey said. “It’s definitely improved the business.”

In addition, it’s not just the veggie loaded wellness bowls or black bean burgers that catch customers’ eyes, but also the Owl Shoppe’s specials.

“I can’t really say which one is the most popular because it just seems like everything is ordered, but one of our most popular ones is our in-house smoked salmon salad.” Billey said.

“The more nutrient rich dishes are becoming a

lot more popular than some of the other things like Philly Steak and Cheese, or something like that. But we try to have something for everyone so that no one feels excluded or like they can‘t come here.”

Since opening and becoming approved, Billey said she’s noticed a lifestyle change not only from her customers, but her employees as well. “There are a few employees that didn’t like to eat vegetables or didn’t like some vegetables, and now

they’ve changed and they’re trying new things,” Billey said. “Really, a lot of people think they don’t like something just because they didn‘t have it prepared properly the first time they tried it... I try to improve that and help them to enjoy it.

We have several customers that I know have come in the past and I can tell have lost lots of weight and they look younger. I think they’re a lot happier than they used to be.”

According to the Huffington Post, who spoke with Shawn M. Talbott, PhD, nutritional biochemist, weight loss is about 75 percent what someone eats and 25 percent exercise.

Billey echoed this and said eating is the most important thing in a person‘s life.

“Food is critical, you’ve just got to have food to live, you have to eat,” Billey said. “Most people don’t really realize our body needs certain types of nutrients to work properly, and it takes eating certain kinds of foods to get those nutrients into your body. This doesn’t just affect your weight, food affects your mood: if you’re happy, if you‘re depressed; if you have energy, if you don’t; if you have a positive outlook on life or not — food is that important.”

Healthy is the Level Playing Field

“It‘s not just a social change, it‘s a culture change - right here in the office.. We‘re changing the cultureat Gateway to Prevention & Recovery one little bit at a time,” said Holly Gordon, Healthy Living Consultant with the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) at Gateway. “Each individual is helping to change the overall culture positively.”

Gateway to Prevention & Recovery became a Blue Zones Project approved worksite in July, and is just beginning their path to crea­ting a healthier environment. After reviewing the Blue Zones Project Worksite Pledge Gateway staff knew they were heading in the right direction. “So, we thought, ‘oh my gosh, we can step up our game and get it going on” Gordon said. And so our decisions began slowly changing, bit by bit.

“We decided to grow outward instead of up very quickly,” Gordon said. “We’re looking at sustainability and changing the entire culture in our organization.

We don’t want a fast and furious quick change — we want slow, methodical, purposeful change over time, which is sustainable. Lots of times people are really afraid of change, whether it’s a good or bad change, and can be really resistant to it, but we are very in-

tentionally, and very mindfully, implementing changes over time.”

Strong support for a well-being focused culture, shown by Gateway’s Board of Director’s, doesn’t just extend to their staff but is intended to impact their patients as well. “It is believed that this transition is a good thing for all people,” Gordon said. “One of the most interesting things is the patients and some staff have formed a softball team, that comradery of just we’re all in this together, we do life with one another. I think that’s something we gained from this experience that is really awesome.”

The organization has also started monthly, wellbeing focused challenges. One month it was how many steps someone can take, another was how much water people can drink. For July, it’s been daily meditation. “It’s completely voluntary,” Gordon said.

“But it’s really stretching us as people.”

Gateway’s renewed focus on well-being hasn’t just been about making time to do more, it’s also been about allowing time to do less. The worksite has implemented time for both employees and patients

to make self-care during the work day a priority by encouraging wellness breaks. Staff are allowed time during the day to walk, meditate or do any activity that supports personal well-being.

The change has been going well, but Gordon said the work isn’t done quite yet.

“We are creating sustainable change,” Gordon said. “We have the people on board to help make decisions, and they’ll support that because they helped create it. I don’t think the work is done, now it’s time to just continue and grow.”

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MY FOOD LIFE

Sunday, August 5, 2018 • 7

YMCA: Where Employees Genuinely Care The Troy and Dollie Smith Shawnee Family judgment or telling them they need to stop, it YMCA leadership has been working to create comes off as ‘Hey, How can we help you drink a healthier worksite culture. Driven by Branmore water through the day?’ ” Bell said. “You don Bell, CEO, and Tara Andrews, Director of can tell it’s genuine care. Employees are trying Human Services, the YMCA officially earned to support each other on this well-being jourdesignation as a Blue Zones Project Approved ney.”

Worksite in August 2017.

Now when staff gathers, instead of pizza “We focus so much on the health and wellor popcorn, they’re choosing to bring or cabeing of our community, we wanted to make ter sandwiches and fruit – making the healthy sure our staff felt that as well,” Andrews said. choice in the food line an easy one. Andrews “This was a very unique opportunity for us to said staff has also embraced Blue Zones parking really delve into what spots.

These are that meant for us as designated parking humans, in a worksite, spots furthest away together.” from the front doors Before the approthat have a painted val, the YMCA had taemblem in them. ken steps to make heThe brightly colored althy choices easier for reminder encoutheir members, such rages us to park at as updating vending the back of the parmachine offerings to king lot. “Everyone be healthier, but the changes didn’t focus

- Brandon Bell on impacting the wellCEO, Shawnee Family YMCA being of their staff.

“There are people coming through our doors that legitimately might be struggling in their relationship with food,” Bell said. “Food addiction is a real thing, and we’re not doing our members any good if staff walks through our lobby with a pizza box. A renewed focus on a culture of well-being brought the realization of how important our staff’s well-being is as well. If we’re going to portray ourselves as a healthy place, we need to start by setting the right example.”

Bell and Andrews said they didn’t receive any push back from the staff. In fact, everyone has embraced the idea of a healthier workplace, it’s even resulted in a change of employee’s thinking and language to each other.

“Staff has become more encouraging to one another. If we see a staff member who is drinking a lot of soda, or something like that, it doesn’t come off as

“You can tell it’s genuine care. Employees are trying to support each other on this well-being journey.”

jumped on board, seriously everyone parked out there, and that’s exciting to see because that’s a huge difference,” Andrews said. “Usually they’d just park at the closest spot to the door, but to see our staff jump wholeheartedly on board is so encouraging.” It is simple, yet effective change for the good.

“Since the Blue Zones Project came to Pottawatomie County, wellness has just become a regular part of the conversation, which I think has just opened us up to healthier conversations within our team. We encourage each other a lot more, to eat healthier, to move more, we’ve even formed workout partners.” Bell said Blue Zones has inspired long-lasting change in his, and the YMCA’s overall thinking.

Bell said, “Whether it be stuff we’re doing for the community, members, staff or kids in the facility, we legitimately look at each other and ask, ‘How does this improve well-being?’

We didn’t achieve Blue Zones approval for recognition, we did it to impact what we do.”

8 • Sunday, August 5, 2018

MY FOOD LIFE

Shawnee News-Star

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Pleasant Grove and Shawnee Public Schools Impact Wellness Through Policy Researchers predict that for the first time ever, the youngest generation will live shorter lives than their parents. This is a staggering statistic for our population. But, one that can shift if the right ideas are put in to motion.

One place in our everyday environment that can set in place the shift of these statistics is the place children spend most of their day- at school.

Students’ wellbeing is forcing local school districts to update their Wellness Policies to address this disturbing data.

Shawnee Public Schools, the largest district within Pottawatomie County includes Shawnee Early Childhood Center, Horace Mann Elementary, Jefferson Elementary, Sequoyah Elementary, Will Rogers Elementary, Shawnee Middle School, Shawnee High School and Jim Thorpe Academy. They along with Pleasant Grove are leading the charge to better the wellbeing environment for their students. Both Districts have recently written or revised their Wellness Policies to include educational components in classroom settings and food service, guidelines around snacks, concession and vending, and school fundraiser rules to promote the wellbeing of students, teachers, staff and visitors.

Pleasant Grove completed a revision of their Wellness Policy in April of 2017.

While working with Blue Zones Project to become a Blue Zones Project Approved School in October of 2018, they completed further revisions to their Wellness Policy to become an exemplary school for the State.

Shawnee Public Schools completed a comprehensive revision of their Wellness Policy in April 2018. With assistance from Gateway to Prevention, SPS has been working on their policy as an ongoing process in recent years.

As educational institutions, both Shawnee Public Schools and Pleasant Grove are aware that nutrition education programming is a significant component to the wellbeing of their students. Re-

search validates that behavioral change correlates positively with the amount of nutrition instruction received.

In the upcoming school year, both districts will provide nutrition education outside of health education classes. Working with area resources, such as OSU Extension, to facilitate nutrition education in their classrooms, they will integrate instruction through subjects such as math, science, language arts, social studies and elective subjects to provide students the knowledge and skills necessary for lifelong healthy living behaviors. Establishing a school garden is one way to en-

hance almost any subject curriculum for any age.

Pleasant Grove has established an impressive community garden on their campus and encourages all grade levels to incorporate it into both their spring and fall curriculum. Shawnee Public Schools has adopted new policy which allow school gardens on District property. The policy also states: The District will dedicate resources (e.g., tools, materials, volunteer hours, etc.) to build a school garden on District property and/or actively participate in community gardens by dedicating the same resources as would be required for gardens on District property.

The District will incorporate local and/or regional products into the school meal program.

Schools will take field trips to local farms.

As part of their education, students will learn about agriculture and nutrition.

In addition to in-class nutrition education, Shawnee Public Schools’s update of their Wellness Policy formalized the practice that food service personnel receive training on basic nutrition annually that support healthy meals and snack and eating behaviors. They recognize that adults’ knowledge and active participation in making good choices is integral to the success of their students. And who better to lead than the people who feed over 90% of the students in the District free breakfast and lunch daily.

One research study found that a schools’ food practices outside of breakfasts and lunches served were associated with impacting student BMI. For every additional food practice permitted at school, students’ BMI increased by .10 BMI units. Understanding this, Shawnee Public Schools and Pleasant Grove extended their enforcement of USDA Smart Snack requirements to include in-school snacks, after-school activities, workplace gatherings, and concession stand and fundraiser sales.

Shawnee Public Schools and Pleasant Grove concessions policies are both chal-

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lenging the notion that concession stands are full of junk. Both districts have stepped up to say that all food served must meet USDA Smart Snack Guidelines. To qualify as a Smart Snack, a snack or entrée must first meet the general nutrition standards (reference box for more information).

Marketing of foods and beverages of minimal nutritional value on campus was also tackled in Shawnee Public Schools and Pleasant Grove policy updates. Research provides strong evidence that marketing influences the preferences and purchase requests of children at least in the short-term.

Industry statistics show that of the $492 million spent on marketing carbonated beverages, 24 percent of those dollars are spent on in-school marketing, and 96 percent of spending specifically targets adolescents. These marketing campaigns contradict the messages students receive at school about healthy eating. Understanding this, Pleasant Grove will not allow vending access to students and Shawnee Public Schools will only allow marketing of foods and beverages that meet the USDA’s Smart Snacks standards. After this policy was enacted, vendors were required by the district to change signage on beverage machines to promote water.

Considering marketing tactics is also important when fundraising at schools. Pleasant Grove’s district-wide policy states: Fundraisers during and outside the school day will be supportive of healthy eating and will not endorse any particular food brands. Pleasant Grove will sell only non-food items or foods and beverages that meet or exceed the Smart Snack nutri-

MY FOOD LIFE tion standards. The District will encourage fundraisers that do not sell food and/or that promote physical activity. The District will make available to parents and teachers a list of healthy fundraising ideas. Foods of minimal nutritional value will not be allowed to be sold.

Both Districts will encourage fundraisers activities such as car washes, book fairs, “bakeless” bake sales, and bowl-a-thons, which are all healthy fundraising alternatives to candy bar, cookie dough, and pizza kit fundraisers. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, fruit and branded water bottles are some of the most profitable healthy fundraising items, and plants and cookbooks also sell well.

Fundraisers of these types not only support the wellbeing of the students but of their families as well. Both Shawnee Public Schools and Pleasant Grove will encourage wellbeing of the entire community. Pleasant Grove will encourage students, parents, and other community members to participate in physical activity outside of the school day. They will offer access to, and be encouraged to use, the schools indoor and outdoor physical activity facilities outside the normal school day. SPS will promote nutrition education to families and the community through workshops, screening services, and health-related exhibitions and fairs while encouraging them to teach their children about nutrition and healthy eating behaviors.

You can find a copy of Pleasant Grove‘s wellness policies here: http://s3.amazonaws.com/ scschoolfiles/313/pg_school_wellness_policy_ without_red.pdf

Sunday, August 5, 2018 • 9

Smart Snacks Standards are a Federal requirement for all foods sold outside the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. However, federal guidelines only require that these standards be met during the school day. USDA Smart Snack guidelines are important to note because more than a quarter of kids’ daily calories may come from snacks. Kids who have healthy eating patterns are more likely to perform better academically. When they are Smart Snacks, the healthy choice is the easy choice. (For more information on Smart Snacks visit www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/tools-schools-focusing-smart-snacks)

To qualify as a Smart Snack, a snack or entrée must first meet the general nutrition standards: • be a grain product that contains 50 percent or more whole grains by weight (have a whole grain as the first ingredient); • or have as the first ingredient a fruit, a vegetable, a dairy product, or a protein food; • or be a combination food that contains at least ¼ cup of fruit and/or vegetable; • and the food must meet the nutrient standards for calories, sodium, sugar, and fats.

Reader Contest Questions Which worksite is improving their staff‘s well-being by doing less in addition to doing more?

What was the fruit a Shawnee student described as “yellow „ inside and good for your body?

What type of articles would you like to see more of in next month‘s My Life edition?

For a chance to win one of two prizes: A Blue Zones of Happiness book or an “Access Eats & Entertainment” booklet that contains a total of 15 $20 gift certificates to the top restaurants and venues across Pottawatomie County.

Submit your answers in person to the Shawnee News-Star at 215 N. Bell or email them to kent.bush@news-star.com before August 17th to be entered to win. A winner will be selected on the 18th.

MY FOOD LIFE

10 • Sunday, August 5, 2018

Shawnee News-Star

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Feed a Family for Under 20 Bucks!!!

This month’s recipe is a good, clean dish that you will want to serve on repeat!

Summer Season Pasta Salad Pasta Salad with Vinaigrette Dressing 1 Pint Baby tomatoes; halved..................................................................................... $1.69 2 Small Zucchini; or one large, thinly cut into half-moon shapes............................... $.99

Prepare the salad dressing. Set aside until ready to mix with pasta and vegetables.

1 Small Bell pepper; your favorite color, seeds removed and cut into thin slices...... $1.19

Cook the pasta according to package directions.

2 Ear Fresh corn; sliced of the cob............................................................................. $1.00

Prepare the vegetables. Place all prepared vegetables into a bowl large enough for adding the pasta and tossing in the dressing when time.

1 9 oz bag Baby spinach............................................................................................. $1.99 1 16 oz bag Whole grain pasta................................................................................... $2.39 To taste Salt................................................................................................................ $.10 To taste Pepper........................................................................................................... $.10 Total $9.45

After the pasta has been cooked and drained, add it to the bowl of prepared vegetables. Pour the dressing over the cooked pasta and vegetables while the pasta is still warm. Toss to combine.

Serves 8.

Basil-Cilantro Vinaigrette dressing 1⁄2 cup olive oil..................................................... $1.41 2 teaspoons lemon zest......................................... $1.00 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar............................... $.30 2 garlic cloves........................................................ $.06

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper.............. $.10 1⁄2 teaspoon table salt.......................................... $.10 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh basil .................................. $1.98 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh cilantro.............................. $.98 Total $5.93

Place all ingredients in the blender and mix until smooth.

Stay up to date with local Farmers Market info at

Shawnee Neighborhood Farmers Market

Total price of the recipe: $15.38 Per person price: $1.93 Pricing according to FireLake Discount Foods and WalMart

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MY FOOD LIFE

Sunday, August 5, 2018 • 11

EXPERIENCE

from the people who have lived longest!

BLUE ZONES PROJECT

®

4–14 years to your lifespan.

START CREATING A HEALTHIER, HAPPIER LIFE, TODAY.

Be a part of transforming well-being so the healthy choices become easy choices for you and your community.

FEEL THE DIFFERENCE WHERE YOU LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT!

Blue Zones Project supports well-being improvement in each of these 7 areas.FAMILY FIRST PLANT SLANT Put less meat & more plants on your plate.

Invest time with family & add up to 6 years to your life.

80% RULE Eat mindfully & stop MOVE NATURALLY when 80% full.

Find ways to move more! You’ll burn calories without thinking about it.

CITIZENS Take the personal pledge and make small changes that can have a big impact PURPOSE Wake on yourup welwithl-beipurpose ng for years to come. each day to add up to 7

E FIVE Schedule social time with friends while enjoying healthy drinks and snacks.

years to your life.

WORKSITES DOWN SHIFT Improve the physical, emotional, and social well-being where you spend most of your time—work.

Reverse disease by finding a stress relieving strategy POWER 9 that works for you.

SCHOOLS Live longer by applying these principles Teach kids healthier habits they can carry wifrom th them the for a lifepeople time. who have lived longest! ®

FEEL THE DIFFERENCE WHERE YOU LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY.

RESTAURANTS Experience a better dining environment with healthier menu choices.

RIGHT TRIBE Surround yourself with people who support positive behaviors.

®

BELONG Belong to a faithbased community, & attend services 4 times a month to add 4–14 years to your lifespan.

bluezonesproject.com

JOIN THE MOVEMENT!

Blue Zones Project supports well-being improvement in each of these 7 areas.

CITIZENS Take the personal pledge and make small changes that can have a big impact on your well-being for years to come.

WORKSITES Improve the physical, emotional, and social well-being where you spend most of your time—work.

GROCERY STORES Shop where healthy foods are easy to find.

SCHOOLS Teach kids healthier habits they can carry with them for a lifetime.

® bluezonesproject.com

RESTAURANTS Experience a better dining environment with healthier menu choices.

COMMUNITY POLICY Use city design, policies, and social networks to create an environment to support healthy choices.

GROCERY STORES Shop where healthy foods are easy to find.

COMMUNITY POLICY Use city design, policies, and social networks to create an environment to support healthy choices.

FAITH-BASED COMMUNITIES Nurture your faith and your well-being.

Brought to Pottawatomie County by Avedis Foundation.

Brought to Pottawatomie County by Avedis Foundation.

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