By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

This past September, my family and I had the privilege of celebrating my great-grandma’s 97^th birthday with her. That woman never ceases to amaze me, at 97, she is still living on her own, is still as healthy and mentally sharp as ever, and is the biggest card shark I know. While I still have yet to learn her secrets to living such a long and healthy life, I do know that aging healthfully does require some specific actions from us in our younger years. Here are a couple of tips for setting yourself up for success when it comes to aging!

While no one likes the thought of getting older, according to registered dietician Jill Fleming, it is entirely possible to grow old well, as long as you make sure that you are living a healthy lifestyle. She provides the following 10 tips to ensure that you age as best as you can!

1. Exercise on a regular basis
2. Eat well
3. Stay hydrated
4. Keep your brain strong
5. Sleep well
6. Stay social
7. Limit stress
8. Get some fresh air
9. Think positively
10. Stay on top of your health

These tips for aging gracefully are all relatively easy. And not only are these lifestyle habits good for aging well, but they are also very good for all stages of life. With that being said, there is no reason why we shouldn’t get a head start on keeping ourselves healthy and continue to do so as we age. While I still don’t know all of my great-grandma’s secrets, I know for sure that she does incorporate some of these lifestyle tips into her own life.

For more health-related articles, check out the Fill Your Plate blog!

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

It is said that timing is everything. It turns out that is the case when it comes to when you eat your meals too. A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences aimed to see if there was any impact of night shift workers eating overnight on their mental health.

The study compared the mental well-being of those who worked night shifts and ate during both the day and night, with those who worked during the day and ate only during the day. Those who worked night shifts and ate during the day and at night were reported as exhibiting more symptoms of depression and anxiety than those who ate only during the day.

The reasoning behind this is that the natural circadian rhythm, also known as our internal 24-hour clock, is thrown out of alignment with the body’s sleep and wake cycle when working overnight. So, for those working overnight shifts, it is important to be mindful of when meals are taken to improve mood and mental health.

For more health-related articles, check out the Fill Your Plate blog!

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Winter break is here! I’m sure every kid in school was counting down the days and breathing a sigh of relief for the much-anticipated break for the holidays! While sleeping in and relaxing at home is always nice, winter break is also the perfect opportunity for getting out and doing activities with the whole family. So, here are some ideas of activities that are not only fun for the whole family but are very educational about Arizona agriculture!

Shamrock Dairy Farm Tours

Book a tour of Shamrock dairy! Here you can ride on a bus tour of the dairy, visit an educational museum, stop by the play area, participate in hands-on activities, and get a treat at the ice cream parlor there on the dairy!

Schnepf Family Farms

Schnepf Family Farms is a great place to go over the holidays, as they have special Christmas events, with lights, train rides, and much more. They also have a year-round U-pick garden filled with the season’s fruits and vegetables.

Caywood Farm Tours

Caywood Farms in Casa Grande is the perfect place to get a lot of great education about farming in Arizona, while also having a blast while you’re there! When you book a tour, you’ll get to meet Nancy Caywood herself, and accompany her as you go for a hayride tour, pick cotton when it’s in season, hear an educational presentation about ag, and see farming equipment up close!

Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch

If you like seeing, feeding, and petting a wide variety of animals, then a trip to Rooster Cogburn’s ranch is the perfect place to go! Here you can feed and pet ostrich, donkeys, deer, goats, parakeets, stingrays, and many other animals!

Danzeisen’s Creamery Store

While the Danzeisen Creamery Store isn’t exactly educational, I couldn’t help but include it, as it is definitely a delicious and unique way to spend time with family while enjoying some ice cream made from milk produced right here in Arizona! Danzeisen’s Creamery Stores are located both in Laveen and in Payson! You can also purchase some of their bottled milk, cold brew coffee, and juices there as well!

So, while your kids are on break for the holidays, take advantage of some of their time off of school to go out and have some fun while also learning more about Arizona agriculture! After all, without agriculture and the products that these farmers, ranchers, and dairymen produce, we’d all be left without food and clothing!

For even more articles about Arizona agriculture, check out the Fill Your Plate website!

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

We all know how important getting a good night’s sleep is. From repairing your body’s cells from use during the day to energizing us for the next day’s activities, to reducing stress, good sleep does a lot for our bodies. Besides sticking to a regular sleep schedule and getting a full 8 hours of sleep, there are actually certain kinds of food that aid in making sleeping soundly at night much easier.

According to Registered dietician Kristin Kirkpatrick, consuming foods that help to calm the body and increase your serotonin levels. The Mayo Clinic notes that research shows that diets that are high in fiber and low in saturated fats and simple carbohydrates promote more sound sleep. With that being said, there are 6 key food options that can contribute to a better night’s sleep.

1. Complex carbohydrates
2. Lean proteins
3. Healthy fats
4. High magnesium foods
5. Soothing beverages, such as herbal teas.
6. Fresh herbs

Incorporating some of these into your evening meal or pre-bedtime snack can help to promote a more restful night, which in turn promotes overall health.

For more articles about sleep, check out this collection from the Fill Your Plate blog!

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

We’ve all often heard it said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it literally breaks the fast that we endured overnight while sleeping. This meal gives us that boost of energy to make sure our days are off to a great start. This is especially important for children as they head off to school every morning.

Registered dietician Katie Bradley notes that when children skip breakfast, it can negatively impact their performance at school that day. Without food in their system, they will have lower blood sugar, which means less energy, and they will be more likely to get distracted by feelings of hunger.

She suggests some quick and easy breakfast ideas to get your kids started on the right track before school each day!

• Breakfast burritos with egg and cheese
• Cereal and fresh fruit
• Peanut butter and bagel with orange juice
• Yogurt with toppings such as berries, nuts, or granola

Making sure your kids are well fed is crucial to ensuring that they have a fun, enjoyable, and successful day at school, and even after school!

For breakfast recipe ideas, take a look at the recipe database from Fill Your Plate!

Also, check out these related articles!

• Easy, Nutritious Breakfast Recipes – Fill Your Plate Blog
• Breakfast Do’s and Don’ts – Fill Your Plate Blog
• Let’s Talk about Skipping Breakfast – Fill Your Plate Blog
• Don’t have time to make breakfast? Smoothies are the answer! – Fill Your Plate Blog

 By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern 

I don’t know who your role model is, but my mom is definitely the person that I look up to the most. From keeping a house to raising kids, to managing the office for our farming operation, it seems as though she does it all. Despite her best intentions to wake up early and stay up late tackling her duties for the day all with a smile on her face, I know that she does get exhausted after a while.

HealthDay recently published an article stating that based on a poll done by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), women are 1.5 times more likely to either never, or rarely feel rested upon waking up. Dr. Seema Khosla, medical director of the North Dakota Center for Sleep and chair of the AASM public awareness advisory committee attributes the lack of restfulness to the fact that women are almost always on the go, doing housework, pursuing their careers, and raising children.

Her remedy to this problem is actually very simple, as it ultimately comes down to prioritizing sleep. She suggests that this can be done by limiting screen time before bed, taking time to relax before bed, and always aiming to get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep every night.

While moms are amazing and we appreciate all of their hard work and everything that they do, it is just as important that they take the time to relax and get some rest.

Check out this post on Arizona Farm Bureau’s Fill Your Plate blog to see more articles that pertain to improving sleep!

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Shortened days are always a sure sign of the seasons about to change. The sun begins to come up later and it goes down earlier and earlier as we near the fall and winter seasons. Often, this shortening of the days can make it seem as though we don’t get as much done during the week, and it can also make us feel depressed and unproductive. Some even notice their sleep, eating, and activity habits begin to change during these seasons, and not for the better either. According to the Mayo Clinic, these feelings and symptoms are not uncommon, and it is a condition that actually has a name, Seasonal Affective Disorder, or “SAD.” It often affects those with a family history of the disorder, those who are prone to depression or are bipolar, but it can also affect anyone during the winter months due to the shortened daylight time and reduced exposure to the sun and subsequent vitamin D.

Some ideas to help combat this seasonal depression and keep your energy and motivation up follow:

• Exercise outside to maximize sun exposure.
• Fill your space with light.
• Take vitamin D and B complex supplements.
• Make yourself wake up earlier and make the most out of the hours in the day.

  

That mopey, groggy feeling that sometimes affects us during the winter is no fun at all. But with a few small lifestyle changes, you can alleviate some of those symptoms and stay cheery and peppy throughout the season!

For more health-related articles, check out the Fill Your Plate blog!

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

The holiday season is upon us, which means that it’s time for family gatherings, extravagant decorations, and lots of yummy holiday food. But along with the holiday season also comes another season. Cold and flu season. Here are some tips from an article by VeryWellFit on how to strengthen your immunity this winter!

Maintaining good lifestyle habits is a great, easy way to help keep yourself healthy this winter. Prioritize washing hands well, getting good sleep and nutrition, staying well hydrated and active, and keeping stress levels low. In addition, you can take certain vitamin and mineral supplements to help keep yourself from becoming ill, specifically vitamin C, D, and zinc. Vitamin D is actually a really good vitamin to take to boost your immunity.

But remember, supplements are not magic pills that will ensure that you don’t get sick. So, before you go and buy a stockpile of these supplements, registered dietician Alanna Cabrero suggests stepping back and looking over the big picture first. Make sure that your lifestyle habits are in check, such as your sleep quality, stress levels, and hand hygiene. Also, see if your diet is lacking in any of these vitamins and minerals. If so, then supplementation would be a great option.

Getting sick is never enjoyable, especially during the most wonderful time of the year. So, take some preventative actions this year to help yourself stay healthy!

For more health-related articles, check out the Fill Your Plate blog!

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

If you are anything like me, coffee is an absolute necessity for being able to function properly during the day. And if we are honest with ourselves, we all have those mornings every now and then when we sleep through our alarms and find ourselves running short on time before work, which can mean that brewing our morning cup of coffee might be out of the question. But what if I told you that there are a few tricks that can speed up the coffee-making process, making it to where we can still enjoy our coffee in the morning and make it to work on time?

Livestrong published an article that highlights a few different methods of brewing coffee that can all be done in only a few minutes.

The Methods

First: The first method is a well-known way of making coffee and is a no-brainer for making coffee when short on time. This method is using instant coffee powder. Instant coffee is actually dehydrated coffee, which is why you can simply mix it with water and voila! You have a cup of coffee that is strong and not gritty.

Second: But what if you don’t have instant coffee powder? The article also talks about how you can simply stir in 1-2 tablespoons of ground coffee into 1 cup of boiling water and then let it sit for a minute so the grounds steep and settle to the bottom. One drawback of this method is the presence of some coffee grind, but it can easily be removed by straining.

Third: The third method that they mention is using cold brew concentrate. Cold brew coffee is a much cleaner tasting coffee that is made by letting 2 tablespoons of very coarse coffee grounds soak in 5 ounces of cold water for 8-16 hours, either on the kitchen counter or in the fridge. The longer it sits, the stronger it gets. After the desired steeping time is up, just filter out the grind. Cold brew concentrate can then be diluted with more water, ice, or cream and sugar.

In my opinion, cold brew is by far the best choice of coffee when in a time crunch, as it has the cleanest, crispest taste out of the three methods mentioned. Plus, it can be made the night before so that you can just grab and go.

Want to learn more about coffee? Check out this list of all the Fill Your Plate articles on coffee!

By Sarah Hunt, AZFB Communications Intern

Are you only using your essential oils for your diffuser and aren’t quite sure what else to do with them? Well then you’re in the right place! Learn how to use essential oils as a rub, in a drink of water, as a swallowable capsule, even in your cooking and cleaning, and so much more! doTERRA goes over the benefits of essential oils and how to use them in a way that’s easy to understand and execute. Learn more about using essential oils to improve your health below.

If you need to apply essential oil to the skin, make sure to mix the essential oil with a carrier oil first to dilute it. If you apply pure essential oil directly onto your skin, it can get itchy, dry, and irritated. You can use fractionated coconut oil or doTERRA’s body oil blend as a carrier oil.

How to use essential oils for your health:

Circulatory System

Digestive System

Endocrine System

Immune System

Integumentary System

Musculoskeletal System

Nervous System

Reproductive System

Respiratory System

To learn more about how you can use essential oils for the topics listed below, click here.

• Beauty and Personal Care
• Kids
• Reduce Toxic Load
• Eat Right
• Lifestyle
• Informed Self-care
• Exercise
• Mood Management
• Sleep

Find more health tips on Fill Your Plate’s blog!

By Kennadee Riggs, AZFB Communications Intern

Are you wanting to develop a healthier lifestyle this year? Whether it be physically or mentally, here are five resolutions and goals you can adopt that will aid you in your journey of bettering yourself!

1. Get more quality sleep

A good night’s rest reaps many health benefits. It improves productivity and concentration, diminishes excessive appetites, lowers risk of heart disease, and helps dull the effects of depression. Set a measurable goal, like a certain amount of hours you will sleep each night. As soon as you commit to a good nightly snooze, you will start to see the benefits unfold. 

1. Spend more time outside

Soaking up some sunshine not only boosts your Vitamin D levels, but also your emotions! Being outdoors also improves eyesight. Increasing outside time also helps regulate body temperature, and according to Stanford Medicine, improves sleep too!

1. Cut down on screen time

It has been scientifically proven that not only taking time away from your phone, but taking time away from social media, reduces stress, anxiety and depression levels. Putting your phone down also increases concentration levels. A recent study proved that taking a break from a difficult task to look at the phone actually tires out the brain more. On top of all of this, social skills are much more highly functioning when screentime is cut to a minimum. Take some time to unplug, it will help you unwind too!

1. Include more produce in your diet

Not only are fruits and vegetables low in sugar and saturated fat, but they are rich in essential vitamins. They are also very fibrous which creates the feeling of being ‘full’. They encourage healthy digestion and overall help you feel energized throughout the day. Aside from all of this, there are so many delicious options that are enjoyable to eat anyway.

1. Develop a new hobby

Research has gone on to prove that people are far less likely to develop stress, depression or anxiety when they have hobbies. Learning a new skill stimulates the brain to keep progressing. This also helps improve productivity and concentration. All the while, finding a new hobby can be fun! Pick a skill to learn and watch yourself blossom. 

Everything starts with a first step! So get out there and move towards a new and improved ‘you’ by applying one of these resolutions, and let us know how you do by tagging us on social media at @Fill_Your_Plate_ . For more articles like this, check out our blog at https://fillyourplate.org/ .

By Sarah Hunt, AZFB Communications Intern

Watching Christmas movies is one of my favorite ways to spend time with my family and celebrate the holiday season, as it is for many people I’m sure! And what goes together better than movies and snacks? Here are some of my top Christmas movies, as well as my favorite snacks to make to munch on during the show.

Christmas Movies:

Modern Day Classics (for kids and families)

• How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
• The Grinch (2018)
• Elf
• Home Alone
• Home Alone 2: Alone in New York
• Christmas With The Kranks
• While You Were Sleeping
• The Santa Clause
• Jingle All The Way
• Disney’s A Christmas Carol
• The Polar Express
• The Muppet Christmas Carol
• Eloise At Christmas
• Little Women
• The Nutcracker (there are several variations, including The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, The Nutcracker (1993) with the New York City Ballet and Macaulay Culkin, and the one I watched as a kid, Barbie in the Nutcracker)

Older Films

• It’s a Wonderful Life
• Holiday Inn (1942)
• White Christmas
• A Christmas Story
• Miracle on 34^th Street (1947)
• Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (1964)
• Frosty the Snowman
• How The Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)

Other

• The Great British Baking Show Holiday episodes

Snack Recipes:

How to Make an Easy, Fancy, and Delicious Hot Chocolate Bar

Ooey Gooey Chex Mix

Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies

Peppermint Bark Popcorn

Dark Chocolate Caramel Popcorn (Moose Munch copycat)

Christmas Sugar Cookies

Old Fashioned Homemade Eggnog

Chocolate Peppermint Bark

Find more holiday activities and recipes on Fill Your Plate’s blog!

By Sarah Hunt, AZFB Communications Intern

The first time I had lavender lemonade was at one of my local favorite restaurants: The Bistro in Queen Creek, Arizona. They have TONS of delicious dishes and drinks, I highly recommend them!

Lavender is not my favorite scent but I don’t hate it either; I use it in the form of essential oil to help me go to sleep. But this lemonade… WOW. It’s delicious and definitely a crowd favorite, even if you don’t like the smell of lavender. The taste is totally different than the scent (especially when combined with sugar and lemonade). 😉 If you want to try your hand at making this delicious lemonade for yourself, here’s a great recipe to use!

Lavender Lemonade

By Becky Hardin – The Cookie Rookie Blog

(original recipe on website here)

Prep: 5 minutes | Cook: 2 hours | Total: 2 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 cups water divided
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 Tbsp dried lavender
• 2 cups lemon juice
• Lemon slices and lavender petals for garnish
• Blue or purple food coloring optional

Instructions (From the Cookie Rookie website)

1. Over medium heat, combine two cups of water and sugar, bringing to a boil until sugar is dissolved. Turn off of the heat and stir in honey and lavender.
2. Allow mixture to steep for 2 hours (less if you want less of a lavender taste). Strain the liquid, pressing the lavender down to make sure you get all of those juices into your mixture!
3. In a large pitcher, combine freshly squeezed lemon juice, lavender mixture and water.
4. Feel free to add a couple drops of blue or purple food coloring if you want more color than the lavender provides. Makes the lemonade especially cute for those brunches!
5. Serve over ice. Enjoy!

Find more delicious recipes on Fill Your Plate’s blog and recipe database!