“If you don’t invest in your health, no one else will.” If you’ve been following me for any amount of time, you’ve read that quote. It’s true though! No one is going to wave a magic wand and make you healthy. Health is something we invest in. We invest our time in exercise, sleep, and scheduling healthy activities. We invest our energy into mindfulness and centering exercises. We also invest our financial resources- which sometimes feels like the biggest sacrifice of all… However, with these dual purpose decorating tips, you won’t have to exchange a beautifully decorated home for the sake of your healthy lifestyle. 
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Go Grocery Shopping
Find items that double as both food and decor. A lovely fall squash or some pie pumpkins are a great addition to a fireplace mantle, table centerpiece, or an entryway. Then, around Thanksgiving, you can make a homemade pumpkin pie or pumpkin bars with your pumpkin. Don’t forget to roast the seeds, they’re high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Your squash can be seasoned and roasted or pureed into a creamy soup, yum. Decorating never tasted so good.

Go On A Nature Walk
Here’s another dual purpose decorating tip. Use a nature walk to get your steps in for the day and find free Fall accents. Pinecones, cattails, and ornamental grasses work well. (beware of allergens).  Who needs the gym anyways? 

Clean Out The Basement… Or Someone Else's
Shopping your own house seems too simple doesn’t it, but sometimes we forget what we actually have tucked away in the back of the cupboard or down in the basement. I especially like pairing antique Mason jars, art work, and antique photos together for a Fall inspired look. Sometimes, I also “shop” at my parent's house. Shhh!

I can almost smell the apple cider and pumpkin spice lattes now, just thinking of fall decorations, the weather changing, and leaves turning color. This year, with the help of these tips, you’ll be able to enjoy a beautifully decorated home on a dime. So, save your money to invest in your health! Keep taking your supplements, eating a healthy diet, and receiving necessary healthcare services. Fortunately, Integrative Family Medicine has transparent pricing, listed right on our website, so you’ll always know what you’re expected to pay. 

Happy Fall!

Sara Lynn, RN BSN

“If you don’t invest in your health, no one else will.”

Well it’s officially Fall, and as we say goodbye to Summer and look ahead to colder days, here are a few fall themed sensory play activities to start the season off right. 

Get Outside & Play in the Leaves

Just because the temps are cooler doesn't mean the outside play has to end. I find the Fall time to be the perfect time to get out and play. Take a nature walk, let your child lead the way, don’t worry about getting lost, just breathe in the fresh crisp air and embrace the calmness that this time of year brings. The sights, sounds, and smells all make for an excellent sensory experience. Try planting Fall bulbs with your child, tulips or daffodils are a great choice. Talk about each step and what the bulbs will eventually grow into. Or my personal favorite, rake up a big (BIG) pile of leaves and jump right in! 

Bake a Delicious Fall Treat

Cooking in the kitchen with your child is not only a great way to provide a sensory experience, but it is a great way to build your bond and create a long lasting memory. Here’s a recipe for my favorite (healthy-ish) fall treat to make with my little one. Combine 2.5 cups rolled or quick oats, 1 cup pure pumpkin puree, 3 Tbsp maple syrup, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, and ½ cup chocolate chips. Then form into cookie shapes, place on a parchment lined baking sheet, and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. All that’s left is to enjoy. 
Apple Stamping with Taste Safe Paint

A classic and one of my favorite sensory activities to do in the fall with my little one, is apple stamping. Simply cut the apple in half, remove the seeds, dip in paint and stamp away. Elevate this by removing the apple’s skin and using cookie cutters to cut out fun shapes. Then create taste safe paint by mixing ½ cup flour, 1 cup hot water (to kill any possible bacteria in the flour), and food coloring of choice. By removing the skin of the apple and using a taste safe paint you have now made this a safe activity for crawling babies as well as older children. 

However you choose to embrace the cooler weather is up to you. I hope these tips inspire you to create some fun this season, and make amazing memories with your little ones! Extend the fun by attending one of our Free Sensory Development Classes offered on Friday’s at our Ankeny location. Reserve your spot at www.integrativemediowa.com and find out what makes playing with a purpose so great! 

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This summer flew by! Kids are back to school, Labor Day Weekend has come and gone, and the hours of sunlight are shortening by the day. Anyone else feel a sense of urgency to soak up the last warm sunny days? As we look ahead on our calendars, let’s plan ahead for winter!

Many people suffer from the winter blues (or Seasonal Affective Disorder) and can become fatigued, depressed, and unmotivated in the winter months. As with any medical condition, it is best to prevent it from becoming severe, and begin treatment early. 

Treatments include:
Daily walks outside—even on cloudy days
Exercise that gets your heart rate up
Light therapy
Good sleep hygiene
Antidepressants (if indicated)
Vitamin Supplementation

I generally recommend making sure that your vitamin D level is in a therapeutic range—50-80 seems to be best. Living in a northern climate, it is very common to have a low or inadequate vitamin D level. This vitamin is not only important for mood, but is vital to the immune system, hormones, metabolism, and overall energy and feeling of wellness. B12 is another vitamin that can boost energy and mood. Nutritional deficiencies such as vitamin D, B12 and iron need to be well managed as they are big contributors to mood, energy, and metabolism.

Good sleep is vital. Limiting blue light before bed is something that we all should be doing! Put down the cell phone, shut off the TV and do a puzzle, read, or listen to music or your favorite podcast! For indoor lights the rest of the day, it should be bright until the late evening when you are close to being ready to go to bed. 

Have trouble waking up and crawling out of bed in the winter? One thing that I personally find VERY helpful is an alarm clock that simulates a sunrise, and having the lights on a timer and dimmer so that they all slowly become brighter and gently bring me out of my sleep cycle. Try to get up around the same time every day, and go to bed the same time every night to help your body maintain its natural rhythm.

Addressing nutritional deficiencies, working on good sleep habits, making sure that there is lots of activity and light during the day can all help alleviate the winter blues. Medication can also be very helpful if the lifestyle changes are not effective enough, but studies show that light therapy etc., can offer around 65% improvement in depressive symptoms. This combined with medication can allow an individual to feel great all year round!

If you are interested in vitamin D injections, B12 injections, health coaching, or our other “alternative” therapies, hop onto our website and book that appointment today! If you would like to learn more about Alpha Stim or make an appointment to see one of our providers, please schedule online or give us a call.

—----Sarah Lee, ARNP

Fall, Leaves, Fall
By Emily Brontë
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Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;
Lengthen night and shorten day;
Every leaf speaks bliss to me
Fluttering from the autumn tree.
I shall smile when wreaths of snow
Blossom where the rose should grow;
I shall sing when night’s decay
Ushers in a drearier day.

​Here’s a great easy peasy recipe to help use up end of the season herbs. It just so happens that my herbs are always at their best right before the first frost of the season. Darn. So, I like to whip up a few batches of this recipe when I can, and throw the extras in the freezer to enjoy all winter long. I tend to make this recipe with basil being the headliner, but when I’m drowning in fresh cilantro, I use that too. It’s absolutely fabulous and oh so easy! It only takes a handful of ingredients, a blender, and a rubber spatula. You’re 5 minutes away from healthy (antioxidant rich), creamy pesto made to order, plus it’s vegan and dairy free.
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Ingredients:
⅔ Cup Whole Plain Almonds
2 Cups Fresh Basil Leaves or Cilantro
2 Garlic Cloves
½ Cup Olive Oil
1 ½ Tablespoons Lemon Juice
¼-½ Teaspoon Salt, To Taste
¼ Teaspoon Ground Pepper
Water, As Needed

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. The pesto sauce can be thinned by adding additional water (about a Tablespoon at a time) or additional Olive Oil. 

This pesto sauce is great on pasta, spread on a BLT sandwich, topped on baked chicken, or turned into a vinaigrette dressing by adding a touch of white wine vinegar and drizzling on a salad.

Let your creativity run wild with this easy peasy recipe, and don't let any of this year's herb garden go to waste.

Sara Lynn, RN BSN

“If you don’t invest in your health, no one else will.”

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