Blogs

To Your Health
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5 ways to reduce your risk of stroke
In honor of Stroke Awareness Month, we reviewed the signs and symptoms of strokes in our last blog from April 26 (...
Image of people with arthritis. Person with arthritis in knee, fingers, lower back, upper back and shoulders, ankle, hip, wrist and knee
Follow these tips: Reduce the risk of arthritis
Arthritis is a condition in which one or more of your joints become inflamed, often leading to stiffness, soreness, swelling, and in some cases, pain...
learn the signs of stroke. Act FAST and call 9-1-1
Act F.A.S.T. in response to stroke
Did you know that May is National Stroke Awareness Month? While we may not think about strokes often, they are one of the leading causes of death and...
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Celebrate love and prevent heart disease
February is not only the shortest month of the year but is also considered the month of love by many. Whether you express that love by fostering...
Prevent falls, eat less salt image, person salting driveway, person shoveling snow, people walking in snow boots on ice, citrus fruit and apple cider, healthy holiday meal with asparagus
Prevent falls this winter
Winter signals the changing of yet another season. As the temperatures drop and snow blankets the landscape, snow and cold weather lovers embrace all...
Image of chalkboard with the word Diabetes. Surrounding the chalkboard are the items: dumbbell, stethoscope, scale, medication, fruit, oatmeal, diabetic measuring device
November is Diabetes Awareness Month: reducing your risk
More than...
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Help! My muscles are shrinking!
For those who have reached middle adulthood, you may have noticed a few changes that you weren’t expecting. For example, you may have noticed you do...
Image of family eating together and image of heart healthy foods, fruit, whole grain foods, oatmeal, waffles. Image of building wooden blocks with wellness images of blood, stethoscope, first aid, bandage. University of Illinois Extension branding and logo
Three surefire ways to reduce your risk of heart disease
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women....
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Live Well. Eat Well.
Pour jam into jar
Why is open kettle canning unsafe?
Canning food at home has been around since the early 1800s, with the first mason jar designed for canning distributed in 1884. Canning, freezing, and...
Cleaning kitchen, pumpkin season
Add food safety to your fall recipes!
The celebration of Labor Day quickly moves us into the fall season. It's a welcome transition to cooler weather - some even say "sweater weather."...
baby and mommy
Should I breastfeed?
Breastfeeding…it can be tough, but oh so worth it!  August is National Breastfeeding month and a wonderful time to raise awareness of the benefits of...
Five diverse youth eating large pieces of watermelon. Illinois Extension wordmark and block I on lower part of image
I can bake with cantaloupe?
Summer means lot of choices for fresh fruits and vegetables, including melons. Today I want to share some recipes with melon I developed for a...
Glass top stove built into counter top, with plant near by and water facet for sink
Should I use my ceramic cooktop when canning?
Canning season is in full swing, and a common question I get asked each year is, "Can I use my glass or ceramic cooktop when canning?” To answer this...
Hands on an African American family raising glasses in a toast over a table of summer foods
3 reasons to add summer color to your recipes
Gardens, farmers markets, and stores are benefiting from the wide variety of fruits and vegetables available during summer months. And summertime...
Four images. Image one - three varieties of asparagus: white, purple, and green. Image two a basket of green asparagus, image three washing green asparagus under running water, and image four, a plate with asparagus, salmon, and cherry tomatoes.
Asparagus: A tasty spring favorite
One vegetable that is notably present in grocery stores across the nation each spring is asparagus. Although asparagus can be found year-round, the...
Margarine - fat
Functions of fats in the kitchen
Butter, margarine, and oil are all types of fat used in the kitchen. Whether it's baking, stir-frying, cooking, or using as a spread, fat plays a...
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Community Health
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Let’s work together to end the overdose crisis!
International Overdose Awareness Day is August 31, and this year’s theme is “Recognizing those people who...
pile of donuts
Reset your palate to lower your added sugar intake
One simple (yet not so simple) thing we can do to improve our health is to lower our added sugar consumption! Many of us consume more added sugars...
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Connecting with others is beneficial to our health
It is commonly known that food and water are vital for human survival. While someone can go a day or two, or even a few without either, the body will...
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Less is more when it comes to your mental health
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This year, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) chose the slogan More Than Enough to...
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We all have a part to play in supporting youth mental health
Adolescence is an exciting time of notable milestones, growing independence, and responsibilities relished by both caregivers and youth. Despite that...
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¡Tu bienestar comienza contigo!
El dicho en ingles traducido a "Si no haces tiempo para tu bienestar, te verás obligado a hacer tiempo para tu enfermedad" ha resonado con muchas...
Red sneakers going up the stairs
Wellness begins with you!
The saying “If you don’t make time for your wellness, you will be forced to make time for your illness.”  has resonated with many people recently. It...
Five tips for creating powerful affirmations
Often when I talk to adults about self-care the conversation leads to changes people want to make in their life. These changes may be physical,...
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Refill Your Cup with Self-Care
Finding freedom in the every day
There are as many different types of freedom as there are ways to experience freedom. Many can relate to the feeling of freedom a day off work brings...
Seeing beyond duality
How often do you find yourself caught up in “either/or” thinking? You might notice yourself thinking everything in life is either a success or...
Five ways to speak your truth
Truth be told, how often do you honestly respond to the question “How are you?” For many of us, the response “fine” or “good” might simply come out...
Four ways to treat yourself compassionately
It is not uncommon to treat your friends and loved ones gentler than you treat yourself. In fact, research demonstrates 84% of people are kinder to...
Light your fire of transformation
As we experience warmer temperatures, the sounds of birds singing, and the first spring blooms, we may also feel the desire for our own inner and/or...
Nourishing yourself
The oxford dictionary defines nourishment as “the food or other substances necessary for growth, health, and good condition.” Have you given much...
Finding your base of support
When it comes to support, everyone experiences it in different ways. You may feel professionally supported by your supervisor or colleagues,...
Taking care of your energy body
On a daily basis, you are probably pretty aware of your levels of energy. We often comment on having a lot of energy, or feeling like we could use...
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