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After a long day at work, getting home and meal prepping can seem a bit tiring but with these 5 easy snacks, snack prepping will be easy!

1. Bananas and peanut butter
Banana bites are sweet and salty and have a lot of potassium and protein. These snacks may be small but they give you a big boost of energy.

2. Frozen grapes

 Fruit is good for you and the frozen version is even better in this heat! These frozen grapes are easy to prep a bunch at once and are a grown ups version of a popsicle.

3. Chia pudding

Chia seeds are tiny and have a lot of health benefits to them. Once you soak them overnight in coconut or almond milk they become a rich pudding that is packed with fiber and protein. It takes almost no time to prep these chia pudding in jars… to add some flavor top it off with fruit and coconut!

4. Hard boiled eggs

Omega-3s, protein, amino acids, and vitamins are all packed into this perfect easy snack. Hard boiled eggs are easy to prep and even easier to schedule into your meal prep.

5. Frozen yogurt covered blueberries

In honor of National Blueberry Month, this is a yummy snack! Grab a toothpick, dip the blueberries in yogurt and then freeze for at least an hour!

I hope you enjoy and get to try some of these these!

Maria Perez

Student Blogger

College of Health Science

Yes, kids get arthritis too. It is a common misconception that only older people get arthritis. Nearly 300,000 kids in America have been diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis.

The form of arthritis that these kids experience is not the same as grandma’s aches and pains. These children suffer from various autoimmune forms of arthritis. Their body’s immune system is attacking their joints, causing swelling, stiffness and permanent damage. This condition is extremely serious; if left untreated it can result in loss of mobility, blindness and even death.

Each year, the Arthritis National Research Foundation provides a grant to this particular form of arthritis research, called The Kelly Award for Juvenile Arthritis Research.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), one form of juvenile arthritis, is actually quite prevalent, affecting more than 50,000 children in the United States alone. JIA is often referred to as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) in the United States. Other specific names and forms of juvenile arthritis include: systemic onset JIA or Still’s disease, oligoarticular JIA (affecting fewer than 5 joints), polyarticular JIA (affecting five or more joints), enthesitis-related arthritis and psoriatic arthritis.

When juvenile arthritis first shows its symptoms in a child’s body, many parents write off swollen joints and fever as a flu bug, or think that a sudden rash might have occurred from an allergic reaction. The symptoms might even recede slightly before showing up again, sometimes delaying diagnosis for quite some time. After all, who expects a small child to have arthritis?

Most people don’t know that kids get arthritis. A child’s immune system is not fully formed until about age 18; so an “autoimmune” form of arthritis is especially aggressive in children, compromising their ability to fight normal diseases and leaving them open to complications that may affect their eyes, bone growth, etc.

Juvenile arthritis normally appears in children as young as 6 months and as old as 18 years. Young adults still suffer the pain of the juvenile forms of arthritis. Joint pain, reddened joints and swelling that simply refuses to dissipate are the key symptoms. Rheumatologists are finding that the number of joints affected has a parallel connection to the severity of the disease and the likelihood of achieving total remission.

Learn more about Juvenile Arthritis and spread awareness!

Source: Cure Arthritis

Maria Perez, Health Science Pre-Med

Student Blogger

College of Health Science

As the team member from the School of Nursing, I want to introduce myself and share a bit about the trip.  I am Jan Flournoy, assistant professor of Nursing, and I teach pediatrics.  Working with kids was perfect for me, and the trip was a unique opportunity to get to know and to work with Maggie and the Allied Health students.

China was an experience of amazing hospitality and a wide array of food, which included recognizable meat and vegetables, as well as unknown items that required culinary bravery.  There was always more than enough, and just when we thought the meal was complete, more dishes appeared.  Some favorites were hot pot, where you cook at your table, lotus root, numerous pork dishes, veggies with peanuts, and ice cream bars.  And we never used our forks; all mastered chop sticks.

During our time at Cedarnest, the parents and volunteers, as well as the children, were excited to play monkey in the middle, fly paper air, and blow bubbles as part of the rehab process.  Using play as part of recovery is something we take for granted, and it is so needed in China.  Also, we taught the children “Jesus Loves Me” in English, and later we learned it in Chinese. At the autism centers, Kameron and I did history and physicals, and numerous questions from parents led to health teaching opportunities.  Also, at Changchun Children’s Hospital, I was asked to speak on pain assessment and neonatal care.  Here and everywhere we went, we were so well received.  I think Maggie has achieved “celebrity status” in her work in autism .

Our second city to visit was Qinhuangdao,  a beautiful seaside city and vacation spot.  We attended a church, where we participated in making dumplings (at half speed, next to the experienced ladies), and we worshipped with the believers.  What a privilege to be in a land of numerous zealous, often first generation, believers. Also, our group taught on growth and development and autism to university students, and then we spent time visiting with the students and learning about each other.

We couldn’t leave China without climbing the giant steps of the Great Wall and visiting Beijing, including the Forbidden City and the Olympic sites from 2008.  Beijing train station was the China I had imagined- a sea of hurried people going somewhere and doing something, just like us.

Traveling backwards in time, we arrived home all too quickly. I literally keep dreaming of China.  Hopefully, we will renew relationships and work on old and new projects next year.

 Sometimes it can be hard to eat healthy on a budget when you see the prices of fresh fruits, vegetables and meats. It becomes easier to justify buying the boxed mac n cheese that only cost 99 cents. Eating healthy can break the bank if you don’t know what kind of foods to buy and what to look for. Here are a few tips I have gathered along the way.

First, when trying to eat healthy but also trying to stay within your budget, it is important to plan out what you’re going to eat. Make a list of meals you want to eat that week and figure out what you already have a what you need. When you stay organized you avoid buying foods you already have around and buying too much of a certain food. Impulse buying is a real thing and when you have a grocery list it will help to keep you focused on what you know you need, instead of strolling through the store and picking up whatever looks good at the time.

Second, you need a mixture of carbs, fats and proteins in your diet. When you’re at the store buy the cheaper items that fit into those categories. For example, instead of buying shrimp or steak, buy canned tuna or frozen chicken breasts. Buy whole wheat pasta or frozen broccoli for carbs. And for fats, buy peanut butter or seeds.

This next tip is one of my favorites because its easy and cheap. Instead of buying fresh fruits and vegetables, just buy them frozen! You can get a bag of of frozen vegetables for a couple dollars compared to buying fresh vegetables in that same amount for about 5 or 6 dollars. And its easy when preparing. Most frozen vegetables you can just throw in the microwave for a couple minutes and they’re ready.

Now if you’re the kind of person that wants the fresh fruits and vegetables just make sure to buy the stuff that is in season. Bananas, for example, are almost always about 2 dollars for a bunch that will have about 6 or 7 bananas. When walking through your produce section, compare prices. Research fruits and veggies that are in season before you go grocery shopping so you know which ones to look out for.

This next thing most people don’t do; cutting coupons. Most of us get tons of these in our mail daily and just throw them away. But if you actually take the time to look at them, a lot of them have some great deals of the exact foods that you normally buy. This has saved people hundreds of dollars when going grocery shopping. Its time consuming but it works!

The next tip I have is buying in bulk. Look for sales and when you see them buy double what you would normally buy! Most of the time the sales are on things that can sit in our pantry for months and not go bad. So take advantage of the sale and stock up! And if meats are on sale, buy it and freeze it if you know you wont use it in time.

Rice and beans are so cheap! You can buy them in bulk and they will last you for a long time and not go bad! And the great thing about rice and beans is that there are endless options of how to make them. It doesn’t need to be plain and boring. Look up recipes on how to spice up rice and beans.

The final tip is to buy generic brands. When it comes to things like milk, eggs, oats, peanut butter, pastas and more, you really can’t taste a difference whether its the fancy brand or the store brand. And most of the time it can be a few dollars cheaper. Those few dollars add up when you buy the generic brand for most items.

Don’t let the excuse that eating healthy is too expensive prevent you from taking care of your body. There are plenty of ways to eat healthy and stay within your budget. You just have to stay organized, make a plan, and keep your eyes open for the things on sale.

Makayla Crowley

Student Worker

College of Health Science

Our team headed off to the local market on beautiful and “cooler” Sunday afternoon. Sunday grocery shopping has become a weekend tradition for us. The quiet conversations spoken in the native tongue of the Philippines, Tagalog have become a familiar background noise in busy places such as the market.  After 3 weeks abroad unfamiliar sounds are ingrained in our day-to-day life.  You could imagine my surprise when the soft-spoken words of a Carrie Underwood song “Jesus Take the Wheel” radiated across the produce aisle. I inhaled with a deep sense of comfort as the lyrics sounded like a piece of home.

“Jesus take the wheel, take it from my hands cause I can’t do this on my own.” The words “I can’t do this on my own” echo with truth, mirroring a consistent theme of emotions felt each day.  For an entire semester Global Health Engagement was an alluring calling that we all felt destined to answer. Despite the variations of reasoning that brought us all to take part in Global Health Engagement, in less than 24 hours from departing LAX we were together in the Philippines. No longer in the comfort of routine, no longer surrounded by proverbial luxuries, no longer in control.

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand,” Isaiah 41:10.  Every day, we have the opportunity to decide who’s going to be in control of our lives — it will either be God or us.

That choice is a battle. There will always be things in life that we want to control.  Chop it up to human nature, but control and order seem to be priority over necessity pertaining to routine. The reality of being in a third world country makes one almost fight to find that sense of comfort, small feelings of normalcy in a place of so much unfamiliarity.

Regardless of the discomforts we knew we might face by leaving home behind, we did just that. Our team as a whole has embraced flexibility and sought purpose each day to exist in the moment with purpose.

When we relinquish our control, God reveals to us His purpose for our lives.

I am thankful for that quiet hum of a country song that reminded me of the powerful reality, God is IN control.

The Philippine Team

The China Team has quickly learned that what we had scheduled for the day was not what God had planned.  We took the attitude that God was “was taking us somewhere; to do something; someone was going to pick us up and lunch and dinner were included.”  Everyday God had a new plan for the team.

Part of our first week and the second week were spent at Angel House and Noah Star School for Autism.  The student were able to plan activities, observe and work with children with Autism.  Professor Appenzeller held seminars for the parents, teachers, students, workers, doctors and psychologists in the Changchun area.  Melissa and Nicole demonstrated for the group oral motor activities and talked about the importance of play with the parents at Angel House. Sami and Caroline demonstrated gross and fine motor skills, which the parents, teachers and worker could use with their student with Autism and presented a Power Point presentation along with Kameron about growth and development of children. The students had the audience participate in the activities and everyone had a great time.  We were told that people in China do not like to participate but God had other plans!

On Friday, the students and Professor Appenzeller demonstrated a model preschool class for 3-5 year olds with Autism and a model classroom for 6 to 11 year olds with Autism.  The children and students had so much fun playing and learning.  We were told that children in China don’t play and have fun.  God had other plans!  The workers, parents, students and teachers at Noah Star and Angel House will always be in our hearts and in our prayers.

Well, it’s off to a new city and we know that “we are going somewhere; to do something; someone will pick us up and lunch and dinner will be included…..”

The China Team

We all want to be healthy and fit and have a six pack. We all want to drink a gallon of water every day and only eat fruit for snacks. We all want to plan our meals for the week so we don’t end up buying fast food. We all have great ideas and goals and plans. How come we always end up failing or not reaching our goal?

It’s hard to stay motivated. Trust me, I get that. So here are a few tips to keep you motivated!

• Start the day with a quick devotional. When you choose a reading plan on the Bible app, it gives you the option to have pop up notifications at a certain time. Pick a daily devo that is quick but meaningful. It is the best way to start your day and sets a great tone for the rest of the day.
• Set a reminder on your phone that goes off before you wake up, so when you check your phone it will greet you with a friendly reminder to do some squats and sit ups before getting ready.
• Choose a positive, motivating background for your phone and computer. We spend so much time on these devices and they could have a really positive impact on your attitude.
• Create a SMART goal.
  • Specific – Instead of saying “get exercise”, say “go on a run”.
  • Measurable – Instead of saying “go on a run”, say “run for 20 minutes” or “run one mile”.
  • Achievable – Create a goal that gives you something to work for, like running an 8 minute mile instead of a 9 minute mile.
  • Realistic – Don’t set a goal unless you actually can do it. If you are just starting to get fit, you most likely will not be able to run a 5 minute mile or bench press 200 pounds. Choose something that fits you better.
  • Timely – Set an end date to when you want this goal to be accomplished. If your goal is to be able to run an 8 minute mile, pick a date to achieve that by!
• Tell someone about your goals! Create a SMART goal and then tell a close friend about it. Ask them to hold you accountable and push you to reach your goal. Maybe they will even join in with you! It is much easier to let yourself down than to let others down.

Good luck with your goals!

Amber Leigh Sands

Student Worker

College of Health Science

Today we are talking about the oh so popular topic of juicing. Juicing is a great way to get in your daily dose of fruits and vegetables that we often time lack in. There are so many different recipes that we can make depending on what we like. Here are a few of the most beneficial fruits and vegetables to use when juicing.

1. Apples: Apples are a great base for any juice. Aside from being packed with antioxidants and helping to boost your digestive system and immunity, apples are also a great base for any juice. Their sweet taste helps to tame any other strong or bitter ingredient you might add.

2. Tomatoes: “What, tomatoes in my juice?” Yes! They will taste completely different when raw and mixed with other juices than compared to cooked. Tomatoes help to lower your risk of cancer, as well as, they are great for your heart.

3. Carrots: Aside from their deliciously sweet taste that they will add to any juice, carrots are filled with vitamins and nutrients. Carrots will help to fight infections and boost immunity and mix well with just about any other juice out there.

4. Kale: I know, no one really likes the taste of kale, but it is good for you and when juiced you can barely even taste it. It has tons of Vitamin A and C, as well as just enough protein that, if enough is used, can help give you a good start to your day.

Those are just four of the endless options that are provided when it comes to juicing. Use whatever fruits and vegetables that you desire to create your own flavors that make you excited to get in your vegetables for the day. Here is one of my favorite recipes when I juice.

Ingredients:

-Green Apples: About 4 or 5 depending on size.

-Cucumbers: 1-3

-Carrots: 3-5 Medium sized.

-Lemon: 1 whole lemon.

-Kale or Spinach: A couple heaping handfuls.

-Oranges (If I have them): 1-2

I’ll normally add a lower number of all of my ingredients into a juicer and then taste it to see what I want to add more of. I love this juice because it is sweet but a little sour from the lemon and apples to help cut through the carrots. Its refreshing and will definitely help to wake you up. It is even more delicious when poured over ice, especially as it is getting hotter this summer. I hope this inspired you to go experiment with your juicer. The possibilities are endless and the flavors are just absolutely amazing! Have fun!

Makayla Crowley

Student Worker

College of Health Science

Sources:

http://www.all-about-juicing.com/best-fruits-and-vegetables.html

https://juicerecipes.com/health/benefits/juicing-for-immune-system/

This weekend we took little boats to an island where we hiked a volcano. Although it was extremely hot (from the sun and the lava flowing under the ground) we agree that the view and the ability to say “we hiked a volcano” was well worth the copious amount of sweat! We have experienced Filipino culture by riding on tricycles (think motorcycle with side car), buying mangos from a street market, and attending a dinner and show with traditional Filipino food and bamboo dancing (tinikling.)

We continue to be surrounded by Filipino hospitality, new sights and tastes, and the complexities of Filipino weather. It is much wetter here and we have gotten to witness several thunder and lightning storms. It has been a great week and we have had some great conversations about poverty, hope, and our role as believers.

The Philippine Team

We have officially finished our first full week in the Philippines! Each team had a great time at their respective clinic sites and are both sad and excited to move on.

Team Morgan (Junior, Jonah, Isela) spent the first rotation at the rural health clinic (RHC), three hours outside of Manilain Abucay, Bataan. RHC is a community-based organization that focuses on physical therapy, speech and language pathology, and occupational therapy for all age ranges. Patients are charged less than $1 for an hour of therapy and rehabilitation. The health center is overseen by a small staff of professionals, but all therapies are administered by UST (University of Santo Tomas) interns. Our students were paired up with the UST interns in their area of interest and were given the opportunity to practice some of the rehabilitation activities. Team Morgan also got to attend a bio mechanical taping practicum with the UST interns on Friday morning.

The Friesen Four (Emily, Erica, Ashley) have been at a community-based rehab clinic for children with disabilities in Mandaluyong, a poor city just outside of Manila. TEACH (therapy, education, and assimilation of children with handicap) is multidisciplinary center and we have been able to observe and help with physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, and special education. It has been a joy to see these children being loved and cared for well, yet also heart breaking to hear about the unmet need in the area. The week was rich with unique experiences-working in special education with children who had developmental delays, visiting the homes of patients for home health care, engaging with interns (PT, OT, and SLP) and staff at the center, and hearing the stories of the mama’s who’s lives have been touched and enriched by the center. Our team has embraced the experience and are working through what it looks like to share Christ in professional settings.

The Miller Mob (Jenna, Kaycee, Laney) took the first rotation at the Philippine Heart Center. We got to see all forms of hospital-based rehab (in-patient and out-patient physical therapy, cardiac and neural physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, cardiac stress testing, exercise prescription, wellness exercise programs, health education, and pulmonary rehabilitation), meet wonderful staff and interns, try new foods, and even help with some exercises! We got to ask a ton of questions and see the similarities and differences between the Filipino and U.S. Health care systems.

The Philippine Team