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Sound Living is a weekly public affairs program addressing issues related to families and consumers. It is hosted by Jeff Wichman. Each episode shares the expertise of K-State specialists in fields such as child nutrition, food safety, adult development and aging, youth development, family resource management, physical fitness and more. Send comments, questions or requests for copies of past programs to [email protected]. K‑State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State Uni ...
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Sound Living is a weekly public affairs program addressing issues related to families and consumers. It is hosted by Jeff Wichman and produced by K-State Research and Extension
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The Connection Between Diet and Mental Health
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You’ve probably heard the phrase ’you are what you eat’ and according to K-State Research and Extension nutrition and wellness specialist Priscilla Brenes (bren-us) says there i’s a connection between diet and mental health. She also says there are specific nutrients that relate to mental well-being. Brenes discusses two diets, the Mediterranean di…
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According to the 2024 March of Dimes Report Card, the preterm birth rate in Kansas was 10.5% in 2023, slightly above the U.S. rate of 10.4%. The infant mortality rate was 5.8 per 1,000 live births, compared to the U.S. rate of 5.6. Both ratings put Kansas in the bottom half of U.S. states. K-State Research and Extension family and community wellnes…
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A Kansas State University publication, When Your Income Drops: Making Ends Meet, discusses five “C’s” – Control, Claim, Communicate, Confer, and Change – that can help when income decreases, or becomes uncertain, but the bills remain the same. K-State professor and Extension family resource management specialist, Elizabeth Kiss, (kish) author of th…
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How to Protect Your Skin from Harmful Rays
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While anyone can get skin cancer, some people should be extra careful. This includes those with fair skin, natural blond or red hair, freckles, those who spend a lot of time outdoors, have had multiple sunburns, and a family history of skin cancer, especially melanoma. The American Cancer Society reports more than five million skin cancers are diag…
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Reducing Food Waste and Cutting Food Costs
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According to a report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Estimating the Cost of Food Waste to American Consumers, over one-third of food in the United States is never eaten. The report also estimates the annual cost of food waste for each U.S. consumer is $728. K-State Research and Extension northeast area specialist, Sharolyn Jackson, sa…
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Picnic and barbecue season offers lot of opportunities for outdoor fun with family and friends. However, these events also present opportunities for foodborne bacteria to thrive. As food heats up in warmer temperatures, bacteria multiply rapidly. Kansas State University food scientist Karen Blakeslee says keeping food at proper temperatures – indoo…
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Health Impacts of Loneliness and Isolation
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According to a new survey by the Pew Research Center, equal shares of men and women say they’re lonely. The survey, Men, Women and Social Connections, also found women are more likely to reach out to a wider network for emotional support. Elaine Johannes, the Kansas Health Foundation’s Distinguished Professor of Community Health at Kansas State Uni…
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Extreme weather-related events often do more than damage homes and property – they also cause financial hardship for families, especially for disadvantaged households with limited resources. K-State Research and Extension family resource management specialist, Elizabeth Kiss, (kish) worked with colleagues across the country to develop “52 Ways to C…
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Kansas State University Extension adult development and aging specialist, Erin Martinez, says retirement is one of life’s most stressful events – and it’s not all tied to how much you’ve saved. Researchers have been focusing on more than just managing retirement accounts and are exploring retirees’ life experiences. What they’ve found are several d…
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The Positive Impact of Double Up Food Bucks
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The Double Up Food Bucks program in Kansas and Missouri, coordinated through the Double Up Heartland Collaborative and K-State Research and Extension, aims to reduce food insecurity and provide an opportunity for low-income Kansans to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Erin Bishop, Double Up Food Bucks program manager, says they work with local …
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A variety of factors have combined to elevate grocery prices. Data from the USDA shows that a family of four can expect to spend anywhere from $567 to $1,296 per month on groceries – or about $130 to $300 per week. The recommendation is to spend no more than 15% of your take-home pay on food and groceries. So, what can we do to stretch our food bud…
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March is National Nutrition Month. This year’s theme – Food Connects Us – focuses on the role food plays in bringing people together, helping to establish family traditions and the emotional connection certain foods can provide. K-State Research and Extension nutrition and wellness educator, Priscilla Brenes, discusses the connection we have to foo…
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Now in its 25th year, K-State Research and Extension’s Walk Kansas program continues to help thousands of participants meet or exceed the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommendations. This year’s event runs from March 30th to May 24th. Registration starts on March 4th. Walk Kansas state leader and northeast area family and consumer sc…
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A Kansas State University child development specialist says children benefit both physically and mentally from spending time outdoors with parents and other children. Bradford Wiles says children learn through play and that being outdoors, in nature, offers children the opportunity to play and learn in a variety of fun and creative ways. Sound Livi…
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February is National Heart Month. This year’s theme is “Know Your Numbers, Own Your Heart” which emphasizes the importance of understanding and managing key cardiovascular risk factors, such as blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels. Cardiovascular disease, or heart disease, is the leading cause of death in the United States and around…
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Kansas Health Foundation Teams with Extension
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Kansas State University and the Kansas Health Foundation are combining efforts to drive meaningful change in Kansas through anti-hunger and other initiatives to promote health, well-being and economic prosperity for Kansans. A key piece of the partnership involves collaborative efforts to ignite innovative and experimental projects at the local lev…
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Focusing Care Close to Home in Southeast Kansas
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Community members in Southwind Extension District in southeast Kansas are working to improve access to rural health care. Tara Solomon-Smith, a family and community wellness agent in the Southwind Extension District – which includes Allen, Bourbon, Neosho and Woodson counties – applied for and received support to establish a rural community health …
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Walk Kansas, an eight-week health and wellness program from K-State Research and Extension, celebrates its 25th year as a statewide program this spring. It begins March 30th and continues through May 24th. Walk Kansas State Leader and Northeast Area Family and Consumer Sciences specialist, Sharolyn Jackson, says each year, Walk Kansas brings a rene…
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Kansas State University is actively supporting efforts to cultivate awareness and resilience against AGS – Alpha-Gal Syndrome – a potentially life-changing allergy to red meat and other mammal-derived products, triggered by a bite from the Lone Star tick. K-State professor in the department of entomology, Yoonseong Park, associate professor in anim…
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Climate-proofing our finances, saving money on groceries, and thinking about our habits and attitudes toward money, highlight K-State Research and Extension’s Living Well Wednesday spring webinar series. The series, which begins February 12th, is hosted by Extension specialists and agents. Sharolyn Jackson, the family and consumer sciences speciali…
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Surveys continue to show that the top benefits employees want from employers are health insurance, paid time off, retirement, vision, dental and life insurance, parental leave and health savings accounts. The three primary employee benefits are vacation or paid time off, health insurance and retirement. K-State Research and Extension family resourc…
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Wyandotte County residents and K-State Research and Extension staff are working to secure funding for improvements that benefit the community. This includes cleaning up rundown neighborhoods, building walking trails and establishing community gardens. Denise Dias (die-us), director of the Extension office in Wyandotte County, and Elaine Johannes, t…
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Sharing Holiday Memories and Family Traditions
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Getting together for the holidays can be more than exchanging gifts and eating a lot of food. K-State Research and Extension aging specialist Erin Martinez says it can be a time for building memories, strengthening relationships, learning about family traditions and setting the foundation for new traditions. She says a successful multi-generational…
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Double Up Food Bucks Help Reduce Food Insecurity
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A program that helps reduce food insecurity and encourage low-income Kansans to purchase and consume more fresh fruits and vegetables from farmer’s markets and local grocery stores topped 1-point-1 million dollars last year. Erin Bishop, manager of the Double Up Food Bucks program coordinated through K-State Research and Extension, and Extension nu…
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Christmas, while officially just a one day holiday, often becomes much longer, especially if you have travel to be with friends and relatives. Christmas is an exciting time for children as well as an opportunity for adults to help them learn about family traditions, understand the importance of giving and receiving gifts, and reassure them that thi…
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Family gatherings sometimes take the joy out of the holidays. Elaine Johannes, the Kansas Health Foundation’s Distinguished Professor of Health Kansas State University, says that family get-togethers often become exercises in patience, particularly when family members have differing opinions on various topics. However, at this time of the year, she…
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For many, the holidays aren’t the holidays without homemade fudge and peanut brittle. However, making those holiday treats can be challenging. A Kansas State University food scientist says that’s because making candy is a science. Karen Blakeslee says the ingredients, temperature and even humidity can impact how well fudge and peanut brittle turn o…
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As we get deeper into fall and winter, the foods we eat and crave are often comfort foods, such as soups, stews and casseroles. While a little comfort food is known to improve or sustain our mood in the short term, eating too many foods that are high in sugar, fat and salt can increase the risk for health problems over time. It’s also the holiday s…
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Dining With Diabetes Course Promotes Good Health
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November is National Diabetes Month and K-State Research and Extension has a program designed to help those with prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, caregivers and family members manage diabetes through nutrition and physical activity. Christina Holmes, coordinator of the Dining with Diabetes program and the family and consumer sciences specialist in the…
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Connecting Communities with Community Health Workers
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Improving access to health care information and services is the driving force behind the Rural Ag Health Community Worker project being piloted by the state’s Extension system in more than a dozen counties in northeast and southeast Kansas. Financial support from K-State 105, which was established to support economic growth and workforce advancemen…
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Improving Access to Health Care Information and Services
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K-State Research and Extension is involved in a K-State 105 project to improve agriculture-connected health access the state. Elaine Johannes, the Kansas Health Foundation’s Distinguished Professor of Community Health and a state specialist with K-State Research and Extension, and Susie Latta, family and consumer sciences agent for Marshall County …
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The K-State Research and Extension family and consumer sciences specialist for the northeast region, Sharolyn Jackson, says Halloween marks the beginning of what some refer to as a food and party marathon that won’t end until after the Super Bowl. While many may gain just a pound or two, some will gain five pounds or more. According to Jackson, for…
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Kansas State University Extension adult development and aging specialist, Erin Martinez, says retirement is one of life’s most stressful events – and it’s not all tied to how much you’ve saved. Researchers have been focusing on more than just managing retirement accounts and are exploring retiree’s life experiences and they’ve found several distinc…
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Living Well Wednesday: Making Our Lives better
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The fall K-State Research and Extension Family and Consumer Sciences Living Well Wednesday webinar series will cover how to distribute personal possessions without harming relationships, reducing the risk of falls, and ways to declutter and downsize. Sharolyn Jackson, the family and consumer sciences specialist for the northeast region, has an over…
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Regardless of the price of an item or product, there’s nothing more frustrating than being a disappointed consumer. This is especially true if it’s difficult to get any kind of satisfaction from the retailer or seller. However, consumers have rights, and K-State Research and Extension family resource specialist Elizabeth Kiss (kish) says she’s on a…
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A national report on the state of mental health in the United States indicates that Kansas has made significant progress – moving from 51st in the 2022 rankings – essentially last among all 50 states and the District of Columbia – to 22nd in the 2024 rankings. Elaine Johannes, the Kansas Health Foundation’s Distinguished Professor of Community Heal…
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Bonding with Children Through Daily Activities
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Like any relationship, the bond between a parent and child can be made stronger. K-State Research and Extension child development specialist, Bradford Wiles, says it starts with being intentional about spending quality time together. He says that can include eating together, talking about your day, working on projects or playing together. Sound Liv…
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The Seriousness of Falls for Older Adults
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Statistics show that nearly 30% of older adults in Kansas experience at least one fall every single year – often resulting in serious injuries. Kansas State University Extension aging specialist, Erin Martinez, says Extension invests a great deal of its resources on programs to help older adults increase their confidence in maintaining their balanc…
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Routines Help Youth Manage Stress and Anxiety
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With fall classes getting underway, the Kansas Health Foundation’s Distinguished Professor of Community Health at Kansas State University, says there are a lot of things that can create anxiety and stress for students. Elaine Johannes says the way middle school and high school students do school today is different from what she did many years ago w…
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The Changing Dynamics of Becoming a Grandparent
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When it comes to being a grandparent, Kansas State University aging and adult development specialist, Erin Martinez, suggests trying not to take the grandparent “fun card” too far. Instead, stay within the boundaries and expectations of the parent and spend time with grandchildren in a meaningful and purposeful way. Martinez says there are some uni…
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The first-ever Kansas Local Food Summit, an event highlighting the state’s challenges in accessing nutritious foods, is being held August 27th and 28th in Wichita. According to K-State Research and Extension Local Food System program coordinator, Amanda Lindahl, this summit is designed to help Kansas communities fill gaps in local food systems by e…
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Back-to-School Budgeting: Ways to Avoid Overspending
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Summer has nearly come-and-gone and for students of all ages it’s time to start purchasing the required school supplies. While not required, new clothes, backpacks, lunch bags, and technology are often part of the back-to-school expenses. The National Retail Federation reports that families of kindergarten through 12th grade students are expected t…
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Time, Money and Talent: Teaching Children About Finances
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Teaching children about earning, spending, sharing, borrowing, and saving helps them learn about the ways their time, money and talents are valued. K-State Research and Extension child development specialist Bradford Wiles and family resource management specialist Elizabeth Kiss (kish) have co-authored the publication, Through a Child’s Eyes: Helpi…
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey shows the American diet – once given a grade of ‘F’ – has improved to a ‘D’ but there is still a lot of work to do to improve our diet. K-State Research and Extension nutrition and wellness educator, Priscilla Brenes, says we need to increase our consu…
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Extreme Heat and its Impact on Mental health
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The American Psychological Association has done quite a bit of research on what extreme heat does to us and how we respond to extreme heat. Elaine Johannes, the Kansas Health Foundation’s Distinguished Professor of Community Health at Kansas State University, says the findings show that extreme heat puts mental health at risk. She says prolonged ex…
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An abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables make summer the perfect time to add something we rarely get enough of in our daily diet. We can also fight the summer heat by using alternative ways to prepare meals that reduce the heat in the kitchen. And, we can combat the boredom that’s setting in for kids by getting them involved in preparing healthy…
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When summer boredom starts to set in and kids are getting restless, it’s time to find something new for them to do – but what? K-State Research and Extension has some ideas. In a series of publications called, Suddenly in Charge, Extension family and consumer science agents created a resource that parents and caregivers can turn to for quick recipe…
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Estate planning is defined as the process of arranging your affairs to meet your objectives regarding the use, conservation, and disposal of your property. However, a K-State Research and Extension family resource management and wellness agent says it’s also a gift that you can give your family. Renae Riedy is working on new Extension publications …
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According to a 2023 annual report by the March of Dimes, Kansas received a low grade in care before, during and after birth. The report found that 45.7% of Kansas counties are defined as maternity care deserts – indicating a lack of obstetric providers, and lack of hospitals and birth centers with obstetric care. Elaine Johannes, Kansas Health Foun…
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Walk Kansas Participants Logged the Miles
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The goal of Walk Kansas is to keep moving – and that’s what the coordinator of the K-State Research and Extension health initiative is doing. Walk Kansas 2024 wrapped up May 25th and Sharolyn Jackson is already looking ahead to programs for 2025 – the program’s 25th year. During this year’s eight-week program, participants logged enough minutes to …
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