Happy Earth Day! This Earth Day celebrate the outdoors from inside! Recycle food scraps to grow vegetables. All you need is vegetable scraps, water, and a little sunlight. Re-sprouting your vegetables is easy and helps stretch your grocery budget! Place them on your windowsill to instill a sense of hope and wonder to watch something grow.

Re-grow these vegetables by placing the root-side down in a small amount of water:

Bok Choy: Cut off the base. Place root-side down in water.

Celery: Cut 2 inches away from the root end of the stalk. Place in 1 inch of water.

Fennel: Cut 1 inch away from the roots before placing in water.

Garlic Chives: This is the green that grows out of garlic. Take an unpeeled garlic clove and put in a dish. Only partly cover the clove with water.

Green Onion or Scallions: Place the bottom (white part with the roots) in a tall glass. Fill with 1 inch of water.

Leeks: Cut 2 inches away from the white root end before placing in water.

Romaine Lettuce: Cut off a half inch away from the bottom of the head of lettuce before placing in water.

Tips:

• Change the vegetable’s water every day or two.
• Make sure no pieces fall off into the water.
• The size of the container should be around the same size as the food you’re growing. Try using glass jars, old yogurt containers, or coffee cans.
• You can re-grow many of the same vegetables. Just make sure you don’t crowd them.
• Avoid placing your vegetables near or on a heating or cooling unit.

By CHN Wellness Manager: Jenna Taubin

Are you having trouble falling asleep at night? Do you feel tired when you wake up? What you do before bedtime affects how well you sleep. Your bedtime habits also affect how much energy you have during the day.

Follow these tips to improve your night’s sleep:

• Go to bed and wake up around the same time each day. Plan to go to bed at a time when you feel tired, so that you don’t toss and turn.
• Be smart about napping. If you need to nap, do it during the day for no more than 20 minutes.
• Avoid bright lights before bedtime. Your body makes a hormone called melatonin. Melatonin makes you tired. Your body makes more melatonin in the dark. Try reading a book or magazine by a dim light instead of watching TV or using your phone.
• Be active during the day. Exercise helps you feel less tired during the day and helps you sleep better at night. Try to exercise at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes.
• Limit what you eat or drink before bed. Stay away from caffeine, sugar, and big meals.
• Relax and clear your head before bedtime. Try deep breathing to calm your active mind. You can also take a warm bath or listen to relaxing music.
• Keep your bedroom cool, quiet, and comfortable for a better night’s sleep.

By CHN Nutritionist: Karin Arias, RDN, CDN

Ginger is one of the healthiest and most delicious spices around. Its flavor can be described as hot and zesty yet sweet and warm. It is packed with many nutrients that are important to our bodies.

Benefits of Ginger:

• Ginger has gingerol. Gingerol is an oil found in ginger that has antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. These properties help to reduce damage in the body. They also help to lower inflammation and swelling.
• Ginger can help with inflammation from certain health problems such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. It may also help with muscle pain and soreness after exercise.
• Ginger can help with many types of nausea, such as nausea related to pregnancy, chemotherapy, or after surgery. It can also help with seasickness.
• Chronic (life-long) indigestion is a stomachache marked by a burning sensation, bloating or gassiness, nausea, or feeling full too quickly after starting to eat. Ginger can help the stomach empty faster which leaves less time for food to sit and cause problems.

How to Enjoy Ginger:

• Add to a smoothie. Add ginger to a homemade fruit/veggie smoothie. The zesty flavor of ginger pairs well with carrots, oranges, apples, and grapefruit. It also goes well with strawberries, mango, apples, oranges or kale.
• Make ginger tea. Slice or grate ginger root and add to hot water. You can also cut any leftover ginger root into thin slices no wider than ¼-inch and freeze them in small portions.
• Use it in a stir fry. Add shredded or minced fresh ginger root in an Asian-style stir-fry. Fresh ginger is usually added to the wok at the beginning of the cooking process, along with oil and garlic.

This month’s Recipe: Spiced Ginger Tea

(Makes 2 serving)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of water
• 1 inch of ginger, sliced into pieces no wider than ¼-inch
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 whole clove
• 1/2 an apple, sliced
• 1 slice of lemon

 To prepare:

1. In a large pot, add water, ginger, cinnamon, clove, apple slices, and lemon slice.
2. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Strain and enjoy.

It’s that time again! Cold and flu season is here. It’s important to do things to prevent catching a cold or even worse, the flu! The flu and colds usually spread from person to person when we sneeze, cough, or touch things that a sick person just touched.

Try these tips to keep from catching a cold or the flu this season:

1. Wash your hands often, especially before eating. If you can’t get to a sink, use hand sanitizer that has alcohol in it.
2. Limit touching your face. Cold and flu viruses enter your body through your eyes, nose, and mouth.
3. Disinfect common areas like tables, phones, door knobs, and light switches. They are touched often by other people and can carry germs.
4. Sneeze into a tissue or the inside of your elbow rather than your hands. This keeps other people around you from getting sick.
5. Exercise at least 3 times a week. It helps increase your body’s natural virus-killing cells.
6. Eat green, red, and yellow veggies and fruits. They have a lot of vitamins that help prevent a cold and the flu.
7. Take time to relax each day. When your body is at rest, your immune system makes cells that help fight off germs.
8. Avoid physical contact with people who have cold symptoms. If a family member has a cold, limit sharing things like drinking glasses and food utensils.
9. Get a flu shot. Call CHN to set up a visit. It’s easy and free! Call 246.8259 to set up a visit.

What should I do if I catch a cold or the flu?

If you catch a cold or the flu stay home! Get lots of rest, drink lots of liquids, and if you must, take medicine from a drug store to help you feel better. Most people who have the flu get better without having to see a doctor. But, if you have a high fever for more than 2 days or have trouble breathing, call your doctor right away!