vWELCOME continued from page 8 vNUTRITION continued from page 9 volunteered her time to the American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen. Now here in Yankton she has already volunteered to sit on the Yankton Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Advisory Committee. She’s looking forward to finding more organizations that interest her to assist and volunteer for. Other than volunteering, Kasi enjoys gardening, going to her children’s sporting events, fishing, spending time on the lake with family and friends, camping, and she is an avid Husker fan – especially football and volleyball. One of the greatest professional achievements of Kasi’s is facilitating the gradual transformation of Westroads Mall. Westroads saw a 28% increase in sales per square foot under her tenure. However; Kasi believes her greatest achievement overall is being a mother and wife. “There has been a lot of hard work, tears, joy, and happiness in our lives and I am so proud of all three of them in different ways. If you asked me what I couldn’t live without, it would definitely be the three of them.” Kasi hopes the community knows that she has a 100% open door policy; she will always make time to sit down and chat about new ideas or concerns. She also wants the community to know that she is seeking partnerships with organizations as well as local businesses. There are no foolish ideas and she typically finds a way to make things work, as long as it’s a family-friendly initiative. asparagus, broccoli, green beans, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cucumber, mushrooms, onions, salad greens, squash and tomato to name a few. Fresh, frozen and canned vegetables without added salt or sugar are better options. If you want to cut your sodium level back even more, drain canned vegetables and rinse with water then heat them in fresh water. •Fruit - Tomek listed a variety of fruits to choose from: apples, bananas, blueberries, grapes, mango, peaches, plums, strawberries and watermelon. How could you not want to eat more of these yummy fruits? Like vegetables, it is best to choose fresh, frozen or canned fruit without additives such as sugar. Dried fruit and juices can be nutritious, but portion sizes are small so they may not be as filling. vBy Brandi Bue How much can I eat of each? A diabetes meal plan can be helpful for those with diabetes or helping to balance their diet. For most, the plan consists of 40% to 60% of calories from carbohydrates, 20% from protein and 30% or less from fat. Incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and poultry while aiming to eat fish twice per week. Create your plate Tomek provided me with information about a strategy for better nutrition during mealtimes, called “Choose your Plate.” The website www.choosemyplate. gov shows an image, as shown below, of how to fill your plate at mealtimes so you get the most nutritional variety. The site is also filled with information about making better nutritional choices, balancing food and activity, recipes, popular topics and even an “ask the expert” section. Need some help? Tomek is available at the Yankton Hy-Vee store to give personalized store tours free of charge and can also provide a one-on-one counseling session for an hour with the store for a fee. “I really like working with people who have diabetes and even prediabetes,” Tomek states. “Diabetes is something that is highly controlled through diet and exercise, two components of my job that I am passionate about. Being able to work at Hy-Vee means that I have all of the food items at my disposal which makes educating customers much more practical.” vBy Julie Eickhoff Sources: Hy-Vee flyer “Diabetes & Your Weight” Hy-Vee flyer “Count those Carbs” Hy-Vee flyer “Nutrition Know-How – Dairy & Protein” Hy-Vee flyer “Nutrition Know-How – Nonstarchy Vegetables & Fruit” Hy-Vee flyer “What is a Diabetes Meal Plan?” Hy-Vee “Nutrition Know-How – Create Your Plate” http://www.bd.com/us/diabetes Back In The Saddle Again... Morgen Square 12vHERVOICEvJULY/AUGUST 2016 605.260.5003