We’ve been allowing our children to develop a “nature deficit”, think back to when children were free to play — their first choice was often to flee to the nearest wild place — whether it was a big tree, brushy area in the yard, a watercourse, or woodland nearby. Enjoy this article and lets work together to get all of us back outdoors! Check out this article from the Miami Herald!
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/community-voices/article64025812.html
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The Sun Came Out for MPMC 5 Miler The forecast had planners and runners a bit worried, but the weather couldn’t have been better for the 6th Annual MPMC 5 mile run/walk on Saturday May 14th at Springfest. Lions Club Park and pavilion is a perfect setting to start and finish the race- thank you Lions Club!! Senator Eichelberger was there to thank racers for “running for Johnston Run” and supporting walkability/bikability in our communities. He noted that his work in Congress includes encouraging Penn DOT to make safe, multimodal use the goal for all roads. Apex Wellness was there to provide runners with gentle stretches and massages on their return. Many thanks to Betsy Miller’s team from Legacy Realty Mercersburg for helping the runners rehydrate and replenish electrolytes with water and fresh fruits. Additional sponsors Atlas Copco, DL Martin, Modnur Pharmacy, Fast Ink, Summit Health, Fulton County Medical Center Foundation and Summit Physicians Services were there on our T-shirts! Many Thanks – it takes a Community. Senator Eichelberger sounded the bull horn at 9AM and 39 runners and walkers were off with tags on their shoes to receive official timing by Timber Hill Timers. They made the trek from just beyond the corner of Karper and Corner Roads, then turning left to proceed on Charlestown Road, turning back before Nevins Road, turning right again onto Mt Pleasant Road, and then left onto Corner Road to make the final leg to the finish line. (This route is also a fun loop for an enjoyable, scenic family bike ride) A number of runners were over 60 – and their energy and well toned muscles made it obvious that this running habit helps keep people fit and healthy. (In fact 150 minutes per week of brisk walking or other physical activity reduces the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and Alzheimers by 50% -- and runners accrue even more benefits) Our 70 and over age group champions were Ray Michael and Delores Price (pictured below). Special entry this year were 2 huskies Coal and Embers running their owners Liz and John Martin. Race coordinator Ingrid Ashley noted, “The Race is really about people getting together to support Montgomery Peters Mercersburg Connectivity projects including the Streamside Trail and stream bank restoration.” Even our youngest volunteers noted, “I’m doing this so I can ride my bike around safely”. They helped with stuffing the “goodie bags”, directing on the course, and reminding folks to spread the word through social media (photo at beginning of blog!) Many thanks to all our volunteers who set up the course, made check-in smooth, and cheered the runners along the way with cool water and encouragement with “looking good!”
Congratulations to all participants!! Official times are posted at mpmcproject.org Age group winners: Age 15- 19 Jonah Nortarianni Stephens Age 20- 29 Ryan Barnhart, Anna Crouch Age 30 -39 Cain McFadden, Leigh Ann Irwin Age 40 – 49 Rob Harvey, Alicia Nortarianni Age 50- 59 Mike Meadows, Kim Brant Age 60- 69 Neal Hospelhorn Age 70 & Over – Ray Michael, Delores Price Men’s Overall winner – Luke Cessna Women’s Overall winner – Stephanie Pullens As runners returned triumphant and a little winded, they also commented on the magnificent views of our rolling hills, trees and fields against the back drop of our Tuscarora Range. A runner from Cumberland noted that, “this is one of the most beautiful courses I run”. A main goal of MPMC is to restore the “connectivity” of our community – with safe, scenic, seamless routes for walking and biking. Share the road signs are reminding pedestrians and cars to be mindful of each other. Long term goals with Penn DOT include improving the shoulders. The MPMC 5 mile run/walk is held each year to promote the efforts to increase connectivity of the Tuscarora area for walkability, bikeability, and sustainability of our beautiful natural resources. As you know, Mercersburg has a beautiful stream running through it. As a limestone stream, if healthy, it would be an ideal habitat for trout. Unfortunately the stream is on the impaired waterways watch list in Pennsylvania. Revitalization of this stream is possible with attention paid to restoring riparian buffers and conscious attention of storm water runoff. What is a riparian buffer you ask? Read about it on mpmcproject.org. MPMC and the Johnston Run Committees are devoted to bringing vitality and connectivity to Mercersburg in an effort to bring the community together, and make the area a destination spot for walkers, runners, bikers, and families to stay active and enjoy our rich culture, heritage and beautiful outdoors. Watch for progress and volunteer opportunities on the Johnston Run Streamside Trail – “where history and ecology meet!” mpmcproject.org Support with donations at gofundme.com/macwell MACWell has been working to reverse the trend of obesity in our community since 2009. The obesity epidemic caused by processed food, not cooking from scratch and not getting outdoors is exploding throughout the world. Obesity reflects metabolic disarray that causes diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, and some cancers. Getting back to the basics of cooking from scratch, eating our fruits and vegetables as our parents or grandparents preached, and moving is essential to reversing this life-shortening trend. This linked video shows ways we can incorporate healthy eating habits in your school and community! Check our next "What's In The Fridge?" posting tomorrow!
Most days a salad is the best option for a quick and healthy meal. See our first video on how simple throwing a salad together can be. Whether the ingredients are prepared ahead or prepared when you eat, a salad is a quick and healthy way to get in the recommended fruits and vegetables. Enjoy! Check out our next blog on what we can do encourage our communities to eat healthier from youth!
Ages ago Hippocrates said "let food be thy medicine". A major portion of chronic illnesses are "food born". This doc is prescribing "real food". Diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and even cancer -- often have their roots in the inadequate nutrition of todays processed foods, fast foods, sugary drinks, salty/fatty snacks. And on top of that, folks aren't getting the recommended 5-7 fruits plus veggies. Time to plant our gardens and looking forward to the farmers stands. See this post about Dr. Richard Bryce and his program providing Fresh Presciptions by Annamarie Sysling. http://seedstock.com/2016/03/24/patients-with-diet-related-disease-prescribed-fresh-food-in-detroit-farmacy-program/ Follow us for easy ways for you and your family to enjoy healthy food, and other healthy lifestyle tips. Check our next blog post with a video on making a simple lunch time salad with leftovers!
A well stocked pantry will allow you to get home at 7:30pm with no ideas of what to make for dinner, and have a deliciously nutritious meal on the table by 8:00pm. Grains: Brown rice, Quinoa, Barley, Oats or any Beans: Black beans, Kidney beans, Butter beans, Chick peas and any other of the huge variety - choose low sodium canned, or using dried beans is easy to learn and can cook quickly with a pressure cooker. Dried lentils cook quickly and easily. Other Canned/jarred items: applesauce, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce (look for low sodium), and tomato paste. Freezer: Frozen veggies - peppers, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans. Frozen fruit - blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, mango, and bananas Comment ~ I buy these in season and freeze. Also, store bought frozen veggies and fruits are economic and harvested at peak ripeness for flavor and nutritional value. Serving size portions of chicken and fish can also be frozen in freezer baggies; freeze them in a single layer for easy use. Fresh items that keep fairly long at room temperature: White, yellow, red, fingerling and sweet potatoes, onions, whole garlic, butternut squash, apples, oranges, and lemons. Keep well in refrigerator: Carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, head of romaine lettuce, red/green cabbage, boc choy, collard greens, kale, and grapes. Things to buy more often and that can be frozen for smoothies if they get over ripe before you get to use them: bananas, berries, peaches, and cantaloupe. Comment: Buy fruits and veggies in season, buy local, check out your local CSA(Community Supported Agriculture)! Spices: Cinnamon, Turmeric, Curry, Chili Powder, Garlic Powder, Ginger Powder, Oregano, Thyme, Dried Parsley, and Cardemon. Check out our next blog on how Pharmacists, Doctors, and other healthcare professionals around the world are focusing on the nutrition we put into our bodies vs. treating with pharmaceuticals!
Often I have a large green leafy salad for lunch with a limitless variety of combinations of fruits, veggies, beans and grains. And over the months I’ll share many of those with you, and talk about all those wonderful greens and combining salad “fixings”. Today however, it’s cold and damp and I felt like cooking something. And the purple fingerling potatoes my husband boiled last night were calling my name. If you haven’t tried fingerling potatoes, I should let you know that they are delicious cooked and eaten with nothing added (and nothing taken away!). Gently wash, leave skins on, no need to cut fingerlings, place in a pot, cover with water, cover the pot, and boil until slightly soft; pour off the water, let them cool a bit and enjoy!.. Of course you can have them as part of a meal, but I walked in the door hungry and enjoyed them as an hors d’eovres. Today I got the extra fingerlings out of the fridge and looked to see what else caught my eye (and my taste bud fancy). Hmm – lovely organic cherry tomatoes, zucchini and mushrooms. And, oh yes there was some home garden made gespacho soup that we thawed a few days ago. The mushrooms were starting to dry out a bit, but that’s just fine. To get ready to stir fry without oil, I put my nonstick pan (I use a ceramic one) on the stove and set it on high (yes high, things stick less if the empty pan is heated to high.) Then I chopped the veggies and added the veggies that give off the most liquid to the pan first; so in went the tomatoes and zucchini and I turned the heat down to medium. Then as things started to brown, I stirred with a soft spatula (better than rigid utensils for a nonstick pan) and then added a splash of the soup for a little more liquid. Cooked a little longer until the tomatoes and zucchinni started to soften and then in went the mushrooms and potatoes and ½ cup more of the soup. Heat it through, and ready to enjoy as a vegetable stew. Cook until heated through and I could have been done here. But, the 3 bean and corn salsa in the fridge had caught my eye, and I knew that would add a dash of spicey heat, so in went a cup of that. The dish was delicious and spicey. I think I would also have enjoyed it even without the salsa – the taste of the potatoes, mushroom and zucchini would have popped through a little more. And, I’ve put the rest in the refrigerator in a tupperware container that I’ll grab in the morning to take for my lunch. An apple and kiwi will go in my bag also and some frozen home grown raspberries. Yum!! Next Blog... a Well Stocked Pantry will share what to have on hand to be creative with meals any day, any time!
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