The holidays are in full swing here at Pathfinder Village, and our wonderful volunteers and staff at
Pathfinder Produce are ready and waiting to help you with your fresh produce
needs. We look forward to seeing you at this week’s markets, Thursday,
Dec. 8 at the Pathfinder Village Commons, from 1 to 5 p.m.; and Friday, Dec. 9,
at the Morris Market, at the UMC Church Hall, 17 Church St., Morris, from 1 to
4 p.m. We’ll have some great items to enliven your holiday meals!
We’re also very excited about Chef
Matt Grady’s cooking demonstrations at the Morris Market, which will take place
on Friday, Dec. 16. Matt will be demonstrating and sharing several savory
recipes that you’ll really want to try: Spinach Salad with apple,
beet, cheese curd and simple vinaigrette (he’ll even show you how to make
the quick and easy salad dressing); and Braised Cauliflower and Brussels
Sprouts with caramelized onion, fresh cranberry, bacon and balsamic drizzle.
My mouth is already watering thinking about these. We’ll be sure to share
the recipes too!
In our blog below, my colleague
Martha Spiegel offers even more reasons to drink water this winter!
Enjoy!
***
A few weeks back I wrote about how to flavor
water to make it more appealing without adding sweeteners. As a follow-up, here
are some helpful hints about how to make sure you are drinking enough
water. With outdoor air becoming drier as
we head into winter, and with everyone’s furnaces kicking on more, staying
hydrated is really important at this time of year.
According to multiple sources, the “eight
8-ounce glasses a day” rule is not an absolute, but more of an easy to remember
guideline. If you set this as your goal, it can seem daunting unless you
remember that 8 ounces is a pretty small glass. For reference, a typical juice
glass is 6 ounces, and a glass that you would likely have on your dinner table
is probably 12 to16 ounces.
There are other factors that influence how much
water you need to stay adequately hydrated: how much exercise you get each day,
certain health conditions and medications, and the weather, just to name a
few. Signs that you’re not getting enough liquid may include dry, rough
and cracked skin, chapped lips, and minor nosebleeds. This Mayo
Clinic article has some helpful details about varying fluid intake
needs.
I also came across this article from Spark
People about ways to work toward your water intake goals. A couple of their
suggestions are to keep a bottle of water with you in the car (take a sip at
every stop light or when you get in or out of the car), and have a glass of
water at your place at the dinner table along with any other beverage you like
with your meal. Also, if you attend any holiday parties, have a glass of water
between glasses of whatever party beverage you consume. As an added bonus, this
can also help you eat less at the party.
Another way to inspire you to drink more water
is to get a reusable bottle that you like and is convenient to carry. There are
bottles with ounce markings to help you keep track, bottles with built-in
filters (my husband likes this Brita bottle), and some
which are insulated if you like your water to stay cold. In addition, using a
refillable bottle is less expensive than buying cases of disposable bottles,
and is much friendlier to the environment.
Until next time, drink up, enjoy life and be
well!
Martha (and Lori)
