Are You at Risk for Vitamin D Deficiency?

Recently when I was attending a continuing education nursing workshop, I was informed about the need for increased amounts of Vitamin D  in the aging population. Vitamin D is called the "sunshine vitamin" because the body can make it when exposed to enough sunlight. It is considered to be an essential nutrient needed by every cell in the body and works with calcium to build strong,healthy bones. Deficiency of vitamin D affects all age groups. Only three out of ten individuals (>1 year old) consume the recommended daily intake of vitamin D--and most individuals over 50 years do not achieve adequate intakes.(http://www.thedairyreport.com/)

Pasteurized milk has been fortified with vitamin D in the United States since the 1930's virtually eliminating the bone crippling disease of rickets in children. Ongoing research from the Institue of Medicine is suggesting that vitamin D may help support a healthy immune system, improve brain function, and may protect against diabetes,heart disease,hypertension, and certain cancers.

You may be at higher risk for Vitamin D deficiency if:

• You have limited exposure to sunlight
• Your diet is deficient in dairy or other sources such as cod liver oil,sardines, or salmon
• You are aging
• You are a woman
• You have dark skin color

Milk is the leading source of Vitamin D in the American diet. Three 8-ounce glasses of low-fat or fat-free milk provide seventy-five percent of the current recommended daily value.  More information about Vitamin D and ways to increase your intake can be found at http://www.dairyspot.com/ or http://www.getyourd.com/.

                       As a member of the "aging" population, I think I'll have another glass of milk!!

Fixing Fence and Picking Flowers

When the neighbor calls to tell us that  a Holstein heifer is looking in his  bedroom window, we respond as quickly as possible. Oldest son Cody received the call this afternoon and I was quickly voted to be the assistant for this cattle round-up.  Fortunately for Cody, it was only  one heifer that happened to be loose and  I didn't get a real chance to show off all my cattle skills! My main job was to help head her in the direction of the gate.  While Cody mended the fence, I walked down the fence row checking for other broken wires.

One by one, the heifers came to watch Cody fixing the fence. I wonder if they sensed that they would no longer be able to visit the neighbor's yard?

Not finding any other gaps in the fence, I began to notice daffodils blooming around a few trees.  When I got back to the truck, Cody was ready to leave and noticing the bouquet in my hand, his smile said it all as he shook his head and said, "I'm fixing fence and you're picking flowers!"

                         I wouldn't take anything for these moments on the dairy farm with my family!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Delivering a check from Benton County Farm Bureau Women's Committee to the Northwest Arkansas Foodbank was a great way to celebrate Food Check-Out Week. I'm thankful for  America's farmers and ranchers who work hard everyday to  provide the safest,most affordable and healthy food supply in the world and for those who work to feed people in our communities.

Dairy Delivers Bang for Your Buck

Even in these tough economic times, Americans are still enjoying the safest, most affordable and healthy food supply in the world due to the dedication and hard work of farmers and ranchers across our great nation. Food Check-Out Week, February 19-25, is being celebrated and observed this week in recognition of this very fact in communities across the nation.  Dairy farm families are working everyday to produce safe,high quality milk that provides nutritional and economical value for you and your family. In these tough economic times, dairy delivers a bang for your buck!

Dairy foods deliver a powerhouse of nutrients that include calcium,vitamin D,riboflavin, phosphorus,
protein,potassium, vitamin A, vitamin B12, and niacin. At just about twenty five cents a glass, milk is a nutritional bargain. You can stretch your dairy dollar and get a nutritional bang for your buck  by:

• buying milk by the gallon and make it your family's mealtime beverage
• use milk instead of water when preparing eggs,oatmeal,soups, side dishes,and baked goods
• buy cheese in block form and shred it yourself to use in recipes
• cut block cheese into individual portions for a fun snack
• buy low-fat, plain yogurt by the quart and flavor it with fresh fruit,granola or nuts
• use yogurt as an ingredient for healthier dips and sauces

                You can find more information about dairy's nutritional value and great  dairy recipes at

                    http://www.dairymakessense.com/ and http://www.midwestdairy.com/.  

Nut Pleasing Recipe

Trying to please everyone in the family gets a little tricky when you want to experiment with a new dessert recipe that includes nuts of any kind. Nuts should not cause a dilemma so I decided to put nuts on half the cake for the nut lovers in the family and none on the other half.   I found this interesting Pumpkin Cake recipe shared by Joe Riddle in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette  newspaper a couple of weeks ago  and decided this afternoon to give it a try.    It turned out to be a very easy delicious recipe and loved by all the nuts in my family---with or without nuts! 

Pumpkin Cake
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
3 eggs
2 heaping tablespoons all purpose flour
1 (18.5 ounce) package yellow cake mix
3/4 cup melted butter
1 cup pecans,chopped

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
In mixing bowl combine pumpkin,milk,sugar,spice,eggs and flour and beat with electric mixer until thoroughly blended. Pour into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle dry cake mix over pumpkin mixture. Pour melted butter over top and scatter chopped pecan pieces on top. Bake until center is set, at least 35 minutes.
Makes 12 servings.

                                                     Hope you have a dairy good week!

When Do You ACT FAST?

You never know when you may find yourself assisting a friend or loved one who may be experiencing symptoms of a stroke. We found ourselves in this very situation last weekend when our relative called and asked us to come to his aid. Thankfully, he did not have a stroke but it did make me realize how just knowing a few ways to detect stroke can make a difference in the outcome for the person.

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted or severly reduced, depriving brain tissue of oxygen and food. It is a medical emergency and prompt treatment is crucial. Early action can minimize brain damage and complication. Know these  signs and ACT FAST:

• Face       Facial droop or uneven smile
• Arm        Arm numbness or arm weakness
• Speech    Slurred speech, difficulty speaking or understanding
• Time        Call 911  and get to the hospital immediately

Arkansas ranks third in the incidence of stroke. To improve the health care outcome for stroke patients across our rural state, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Center for Distance Health as designed the Arkansas Saves program to ensure treatment of stroke patients. Arkansas Saves (http://www.uams.edu/saves ) is a new telemedicine program that liks emergency room doctors at participating medical center to specially trained neurologists via live, two-way video that is available 24 hours per day. ACT FAST and get the life-saving treatment your friend or loved one may need!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

This week we began our Benton County Farm Bureau membership drive with a lively discussion about agriculture and the benefits of Farm Bureau membership on  KURM's  Partyline radio show.

I'm thankful to be a member and a volunteer for an organization that has the mission to advocate the interests of agriculture in the public arena,share information about the value and importance of agriculture and provide products and services which improve the quality of life for our members and citizens of our state.