FoodWIse: Nutrition Education

FoodWIse is federally funded by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) and serves Wisconsin residents with limited incomes.

food-wise-logo

FoodWIse provides research-based education on:
*Empower families with limited financial resources to choose healthful diets and become more food secure by spending dollars wisely.
*Expose children to new fruits and vegetables and why they are important.
*Teach parents how to plan and prepare healthy meals.
*Support communities in making the healthy choice, the easy choice where people live, learn, work and play.

Education is available for all age groups and learning abilities as well as for those who speak Spanish only.

For more information on what FoodWIse is, please click the link below:
FoodWIse – Healthy Choices, Healthy Lives



Kewaunee Public Library & Algoma Public Library  

Contact: Kewaunee: Ann Reinke/Librarian 920-388-5015 

                   Algoma: Katie Haasch/Adult Services Librarian 920-487-2295 

Kewaunee County Libraries Become a “Libraries with Heart” 

Two libraries in Kewaunee County recently became “Libraries with Heart” after receiving a Rural Health Grant from the American Heart Association (AHA).  Algoma Public Library and Kewaunee Public Library in will be the sites. 

Sue Koeppe is a HeartCorps member with American Heart Association, placed in Manitowoc with University of Wisconsin Division of Extension’s FoodWIse program.  FoodWIse serves low-income, SNAP-eligible people, helping improve access to nutritious food and physical activity.  So FoodWIse and HeartCorps are a natural fit.  As part of her HeartCorps project, Sue received funding from AHA to purchase blood pressure monitors and other materials to create a Community Heart Hub blood pressure monitoring station within the library, as well as two check-out kits.  Additionally, AHA provides training, technical assistance, and education materials to support the library’s efforts. 

High blood pressure is one of the top risk factors for heart attack and stroke. Nearly half of American adults with high blood pressure are not aware they have this condition. Initiatives like Libraries with Heart are part of AHA’s efforts to increase access to blood pressure monitoring, particularly in rural communities which frequently face even higher rates of uncontrolled hypertension. 

Ann Reinke, Librarian at Kewaunee Public Library said, “blood pressure kits are a much-needed service to the community and they will strengthen our ties in the community hub.”  

Katie Haasch, Adult Services Librarian at Algoma Public Library has a personal reason for wanting the blood pressure kits at their location. “I was excited about getting involved with Libraries with Heart in my library because of my grandfather. Seven years ago, my paternal grandfather passed away from Congestive Heart Failure. Two years prior he had a stroke/heart attack while working in his yard. With being in a small community luckily emergency services were able to get to his house quickly and my grandmother was a retired nurse.”  

Katie added, “Because of his health scare and his life after the stroke/heart attack, I often wondered what would have happened if they had lived out in the country? Didn’t have a phone nearby? Didn’t have family close by or if grandma hadn’t been a nurse? I wanted to give the Algoma Community to have a piece of mind of where they can access free blood pressure monitors and cuffs free of charge when they only need them for a short period of time.” 

 Check-out kits can be requested at the front desk and may be borrowed by an adult library card holder for up to two weeks.  

Kewaunee County Public Health will offer events on-site at the public library as well.   As Kewaunee County Health Officer Cindy Kinnard stated, “In Kewaunee County, heart disease is a leading health concern.  The better educated our residents are, the more likely we will be to improve heart health here.”  Once scheduled, the events will be announced on the library’s social media and web site. 

Only a medical professional can diagnose high blood pressure, but free and easy access to blood pressure monitors can help community members track their blood pressure. In addition to the monitors, the library’s Community Heart Hub and check-out kits include instructions and basic information on understanding a blood pressure reading and when and how to contact a doctor.  Kits include logs for tracking blood pressure and information about heart-healthy meals. 

 For more information on high blood pressure visit heart.org/HBP

Librarian Carol Petrina (Left) from Kewaunee Public Library accepts two blood pressure monitoring kits from HeartCorps member Sue Koeppe. The Kits will be available for free checkout.

In honor of Heart Month, HeartCorps member Sue Koeppe offered free blood pressure checks in February at the Kewaunee Public Library.

Adult Services Librarian Katie Haasch shares the contents of a blood pressure kit donated to the Algoma Public Library.


FoodWIse Mid-Year Impact Report


FoodWIse Impact Report


StrongBodies in Hmong Now Available

You can also access the recordings through the links below:
English recordinghttps://pbswisconsin.org/watch/university-place/strongbodies-strength-training-for-life-xhmva8/
Spanish recordinghttps://pbswisconsin.org/watch/university-place/gentefuerte-entrenamiento-de-fuerza-de-por-vida-jktmiw/
Hmoob recordinghttps://pbswisconsin.org/watch/university-place/lub-cev-muaj-zog-ua-kom-muaj-zog-mus-ib-sim-neej-wdzetw/


Extension Connection Articles

Improving Your Sleep

YOUR CHECKLIST FOR LIFELONG GOOD HEALTH

There are 8 important factors for cardiovascular health.  These are split into 2 groups: health behaviors and health factors.  Being aware of these and utilizing them in your own life will not just increase your heart health but increase your overall health and well-being.  We’ll start first with a health behavior, IMPROVING SLEEP.  Getting enough sleep has many benefits to your health.  It can lower your risk of chronic diseases and Type 2 Diabetes, strengthen your immune system, improve your mood and increase your energy.



How FoodWIse is celebrating National Nutrition Month

https://fb.watch/jf35Z1pbRg/


Updated Farmers’ Market Rules and Guidelines



STRONG BODIES FOR ALL!

The FoodWIse team has been hard at work building strong muscles! FoodWIse nutrition educators Jace Purdy and Krystina Yang earned their Strong Bodies certifications on August 11.  They are now able to lead this series of weight-bearing exercises for older adults.

Research shows that regular exercise provides many benefits to older adults. Yet only 7% of middle-aged and older people exercise daily.

Regular, weight-bearing exercise helps older adults increase their strength, muscle mass, and bone density, and decreases the risk of osteoporosis, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, depression, and obesity. Exercise has also been shown to improve self-confidence, sleep, and vitality.

Preventing osteoporosis—porous bones that break easily and heal slowly—is especially important for middle-aged and older adults. About 1 of 3 women over age 40 suffers from this condition. Exercise can help prevent and treat osteoporosis. For many people, the challenge lies in finding ways for older adults to get the essential exercise they need.

So what’s the solution? The Strong Bodies exercise program!

Strong Bodies, an eight-week exercise program for older adults, teaches participants in small groups ways to exercise more regularly and eat more healthfully. This course is held twice a week at no cost to participants.  FoodWIse aims to host these exercise classes in rural community settings where access to exercise facilities is limited.

To request classes in English, contact Laura Apfelbeck llapfelbeck@wisc.edu or 920-683-4170.  Classes are available in Hmong, Spanish, and English.


Food Preservation Newsletters

July/August 2022 Food Preservation Newsletter

March/April 2022 Food Preservation Newsletter

Jan/Feb 2022 Food Preservation Newsletter

Sept/Oct Food Preservation News 2021


FoodWIse Impact Statement 

FoodWIse Impacts 2019 Kewaunee County


Food Sense Quarterly Newsletter (pdf)

Related Links of Interest:
Information on general nutrition and physical activity

Information on Food Safety:
Fact Sheets
Keeping Food Safe From Bacteria
Charts containing proper cooking temperatures (pdf)

STAFF

If you have any questions regarding FoodWIse in Kewaunee County, please contact:

Don’t Forget to Subscribe


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