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THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2023 VOL. 20 NO. 6 www.readthecitizen.com $1.00
WEDDING SHOW: Dresses, vendors, and more PAGE 3
How to eat smart during National Nutrition Month BY JACKIE BUSSJAEGER INTERIM EDITOR
In a culture that’s always on the go, it can be difficult to make time to focus on nutrition. Occasional indulgent choices sometimes become consistent bad habits, but once in a while, it helps to reevaluate and make an intentional effort to choose healthier food. National Nutrition Month, which takes place in March, was created in 1973 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to encourage the public to make informed food choices and develop healthy lifestyle habits. Kelly Kunkel, a health education specialist with the University of Minnesota Extension, gave a few tips on how to focus more on nutrition this month. To start, increasing fruits, vegetables and whole grains are all beneficial ways to improve diet. “Another thing you often forget about is that with sugar-sweetened beverages, those calories really add up over time. You get an endless amount of pop at restaurant, and the beverage you drink is sometimes higher in sugar and calories than the meal you eat,” Kunkel said. She also recommended eating at home. “When you know what’s going into the food, it can be a lot healthier,” she said. “We used to really focus on the meat being the centerpiece, but you can have whole grains or plant-based products as a focus instead, and have meat more as an accompaniment.” Many Minnesotans grew up learning that the food pyramid was the best way to balance your daily foods and nutrients. These days, recommendations look a little different. MyPlate is the name of the new model recommended by the U.S. Department of
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The sweetest season: Local nature centers invite public to learn about maple syrup BY JACKIE BUSSJAEGER INTERIM EDITOR
At the beginning of March, the days get warmer and the sap starts flowing. If weather conditions are just right, Minnesotans across the state will soon be hard at work producing pure maple
syrup. This March, several local nature centers will give locals the opportunity to get (sticky) hands-on with maple syrup. Maple trees have always been popular plantings anywhere there are people. The trees are tough and grow quickly, and have showy
star-shaped leaves that turn a wonderful kaleidoscope of colors during the fall months. But perhaps their greatest treasure is the sweet, sugar-infused sap that flows below the bark, bringing nutrients to the trees as they grow. In Minnesota, sugar camps have long been
an important tradition for Dakota and Ojibwe communities to celebrate the return of the spring and work side by side at the long task of cooking the sap down into maple syrup and sugar. One story shared by writer and scientist SEE MAPLE SYRUP, PAGE 2
Shake Your Shamrock 5K brings out March greenery Runners have the option of completing a 5K or a 7K. The 5K route takes runners out and back from St. Genevieve’s Church and along the natural scenery of Centerville Lake. The 7K route follows all the way around the lake and through the Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Park Preserve in a full loop back to Main Street. It’s a flat, paved course that is beginner-friendly, said race
organizer Judi Fluger. “It doesn’t require you to be able to climb huge hills and be exhausted when you’re done with it,” she said. Fluger is the owner of Midwest Multisport Races, based in White Bear Lake. The Shake Your Shamrock race had already been part of the Centerville community for years
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SEE SHAKE YOUR SHAMROCK, PAGE 16
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CENTERVILLE — There’s a tidal wave of green coming to Centerville March 18. No, it’s not spring growth quite yet, but it’s still a celebration: the annual Shake Your Shamrock race. Racers young and old will dress in their finest greens to celebrate the spirit of Shake Your Shamrock the day after St. Patrick’s Day.
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