by Marie Arick | Apr 20, 2021
According to the American Diabetes Association, “the national cost of diabetes in the U.S. in 2017 was more than $327 billion, up from $245 billion in 2012.” Additionally, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates 7.3 million adults ages 18 and up are undiagnosed diabetics.
Metabolic syndrome is a group of medical conditions that include high triglycerides (a fat in the blood stream), low HDL cholesterol (high density lipoprotein) also known as good cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and abdominal obesity defined as a waist circumference of 35 inches of more for women and 40 inches or more for men. A person with three or more of these conditions constitutes metabolic syndrome and increases one’s chances for developing cardiovascular disease.
By being proactive with one’s health and knowing your numbers, one can better maintain a higher quality of life. Managing just one of the above in a healthy manner can aid greatly with improving one’s overall health.
Join us for the upcoming Exploring Your Health Indicators Webinar Series to gain knowledge of your blood test results. April 27 will cover diabetes and metabolic syndrome; May 11 will explore cholesterol; May 25 dives into inflammation and diseases; and June 8 will wrap up the series with kidney and thyroid. Register once for all the sessions and if you miss a session, a recording of the program will be emailed to you. Invest an hour to gain knowledge that can greatly benefit your health.
by Marie Arick | Jan 21, 2021
Marie Arick, UF/IFAS Extension Liberty County
Marie Arick is in her second year as the UF/IFAS Liberty County Extension Director and 4-Agent. She also is the Family and Consumer Sciences Agent for both Liberty and Calhoun Counties. Marie has been with University of Florida IFAS since 2015, originally serving as the Family and Consumer Sciences Agent in Jackson County. She received her B.S. in Exercise Science and M.S. in Health Promotion from Mississippi State University. Her Extension specialty areas are health, wellness, food and nutrition, and 4-H youth development.
Marie Arick, Liberty County 4-H
Marie has provided many nutrition, food safety, and health and wellness educational programs/events including A Healthy Table Cooking School, Artisanal Cheese Making, Prevent T2: The National Diabetes Prevention Program, First-time Homebuyer, and the Annual Heart and Sole 5K. Her programming efforts in 4-H have included Food Challenge, Culinary Arts, Leadership, Community Service, and a variety of day camps and residential camps. Before joining UF/IFAS, Marie was employed with Texas A & M AgriLife Extension Service, where she was the Eastland County Extension Director and Family and Consumer Sciences Agent while also supporting 4-H programming.
Marie Arick, UF/IFAS Extension Liberty County
Marie shares what she enjoys most about her career: “Being an Extension Agent is such a rewarding career, not only do I provide research-based education in my community, but I also reap the reward of watching participants gain knowledge, learn new skills, and apply those skills. I love having people share how they have improved their lives or used what they have learned. Some examples are a positive health outcome, achieving home ownership, successfully competing in a judging competition, or learning to prepare a new recipe.”
Contact Marie at 850-643-2229, jmarick@ufl.edu, or at her office located in the Liberty County Civic Center at 10405 NW Theo Jacobs Way, Bristol.
by Marie Arick | Mar 28, 2020
Monitoring during COVID-19 to flatten the curve; let’s focus on what we can do.
Flatten the Curve
by Marie Arick | Mar 28, 2020
Preventing the spread of illness is a high priority. It’s easy to overlook some high traffic areas.
Help prevent the virus and bacteria spread with this nightly cleaning ritual.
Tips to help prevent virus and bacteria from spreading
by Marie Arick | Aug 23, 2018
Photo credit: Marie Arick
Many Americans are more aware of whole grain food consumption as part of a healthy meal plan. In fact, the International Food Information Council’s 2015 survey found that 67% of those surveyed reported reading product labels for whole grains when shopping for packaged foods.
So, what is a whole grain? A whole grain must contain the germ, the bran, and the endosperm in the same state as it was in the field prior to harvest. Generally, most associate fiber with whole grains. In contrast, a refined grain lacks the germ and the bran that contain the fiber, B vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. Take whole wheat, for example – it contains the trace minerals iron, zinc, copper, and magnesium, antioxidants, folate, and the following B vitamins – niacin, thiamine, and riboflavin.
Why choose whole grains? The fiber content can help to maintain a healthy weight, as it bulks once consumed, and can make one feel fuller, hence consuming fewer calories. Additionally, the fiber can aid with constipation. Other benefits of eating a diet rich in whole grains include decreasing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some forms of cancer due to the nutritional content, namely the antioxidant properties.
How much is enough? Children ideally should consume two servings minimum and adults three servings minimum each day. It is ideal for at least half of the grains you consume to be whole grains. Look for the 100% Whole Grain stamp on labels while shopping. It is a now on over 12,000 products, including cereals, breads, chips, flour, pasta, and so much more, in 58 countries.
Understanding what whole grains are and why choosing them can aid with health and well-being is important. Challenge yourself to look for the whole grain stamp and increase your daily intake, for your health.
Resources
According to the American Diabetes Association, “the national cost of diabetes in the U.S. in 2017 was more than $327 billion, up from $245 billion in 2012.” Additionally, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates 7.3 million adults ages 18 and up are undiagnosed diabetics.