Farmers Market Time!

5 Great Reasons to support Farmers Markets in Nebraska:

1. Fresh Food! Everything is picked the day before. It will be the highest quality food you will find anywhere.

2. Tastes Great! When you get food that is grown sustainably, often times organically, the taste is exceptional.

3. Nutritious! When food is grown with care and picked fresh, it is always more nutritious. You will be getting more of those important phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes when you consume food from the markets.

4. Supports Nebraska growers and farmers! This is a wonderful way to support your local state economy.

5. Atmosphere! Farmers markets bring out all kinds of people who are looking to enjoy the day and have a good time. It really is fun to walk around and enjoy everything going on.



Here are some locations and times for Farmers Markets near you:

Lincoln Haymarket Farmers Market
335 N. 8th St. in the Haymarket
Saturdays 8 am-12 pm

Lincoln Community Crops Farmers Market
Pentzer Park (2 blocks North of 27th and Holdredge)
Thursdays 4:30-7:30 pm

Lincoln Old Cheney Road Farmers Market
55th and Old Cheney (behind the Racquet Club)
Sundays 10 am-2 pm

Omaha Village Pointe Farmers Market
168th and West Dodge Road
Saturdays 8 am-1 pm

Omaha Old Market Farmers Market
11th and Jackson St.
Saturdays 8 am-12:30 pm

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Superfood #5 - Eggs

Forget the negative rumors you've heard about eggs. Eggs are in fact a wonderful food. They are packed with protein, phytonutrients called carotenes, and choline. In addition to these nutrients, there are about 15 other essential vitamins, minerals, and fats that make up the incredible, edible egg.

Most of the nutrients in an egg are found in the yolk. The darker the yolk, the more nutritious the egg is. Darker yolks indicate a higher amount of carotenes. Eggs are especially high in carotenes zeaxanthin and lutein. Both of these nutrients are outstanding at protecting the eyes and skin. They are potent antioxidants.

Protein in the eggs is vital for muscle repair, immune system function, energy, and metabolism. In fact, if you eat protein at breakfast, you will have better energy throughout the day, better mood, stable blood sugar, and reduced inappropriate food cravings. Each egg provides over 6 grams of protein!

Choline is an awesome nutrient for the brain and cardiovascular system. Your brain cells require choline to function well and stay energized. You will have better thinking skills and memory with added choline in your diet - another reason to have eggs before school! Choline works in the blood vessels by stopping fat from sticking together. It prevents plaque from building up in the arteries and organs! It also gets rid of something called homocysteine, which can harden the blood vessels.

Hands down, the best eggs are from pasture-raised chickens. These are chickens that are allowed to freely roam the farm. They are not kept in restrictive cages. Ask your local farmers if any of them "pasture-raise" their chickens and buy from them! Remember, fresher is usually always better, and it certainly is with eggs. Fresh pastured eggs are more nutritious and they taste the best!

Reaction Time

This Rocket Workout featured the students using "reaction balls" to work on their reaction time. Reaction balls are rubber balls that have bumps all over them. When they land, they will bounce in any direction, thus making the students quickly react to scoop or catch the ball. The goal is to catch the ball before it bounces away from you and comes to a stop.

Golf Highlights

Check out some pictures and videos from the Golf unit. We worked on swing mechanics for several weeks. Students enjoyed a variety of challenges swinging 7 irons and putters.

Walk/Jog/Sprint Intervals

In April we spent several weeks walking, jogging, and sprinting outside. Interval training was used often. The students mixed walking and jogging or walking and sprinting intervals into their outdoor training. An example would be walking for 30 seconds, then jogging for 30 seconds, and then repeating. Some students pushed themselves to do nothing but jog and sprint, making for a very intense aerobic + anaerobic workout.

Caveman Workout

Check out this awesome "Caveman" Rocket Workout where the students are carrying logs and throwing boulders! Ok, so our logs are weighted bars and our boulders are medicine balls, but we like to use our imagination in elementary school!

Superfood #4 - Avocados

In the past couple years, the avocado has become one of my favorite superfoods. It is an amazing fruit that provides a plethora of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Avocados will provide you with:
* potassium for muscle contraction and healthy blood pressure
* vitamins A, D, E, and K for a powerful immune system
* monounsaturated fats including oleic acid which are great for the heart - oleic acid may prove to be a key nutrient in battling cancer cells
* fiber to clear toxins and promote a healthy GI system

Interestingly, there have been studies proving that avocados help the body absorb fat-soluble nutrients like carotenes, lycopene, and lutein better. In March 2005, the Journal of Nutrition found that adding an avocado to your salad can increase the absorption of those nutrients 5-15 times!

An avocado that is ready to eat should be slightly soft, but not have any cracks or sunken dents. If it has a slight neck (instead of being rounded on top), there is a good chance it was tree ripened and may have better flavor. If your avocado is ripe, it will last about a week in the fridge. Expect a creamy, buttery type consistency, and a nutty flavor from your avocados. They are awesome on salads and sandwiches. They are a great substitute for mayo. And of course, they are the key ingredient in guacamole, which can be put on just about anything to make it taste better.

As for preparing, take a knife and simply slice the avocado in half lengthwise. Twist open, remove the pit, and scoop out the flesh. If you don't want your avocado to brown up from oxidation, you can sprinkle a little lemon juice or vinegar on it.

Putting Lesson - Miniature Golf Course

Recently, our teacher assistant Mike delivered an awesome putting lesson to 3rd grade students. He discussed and demonstrated proper putting technique, and then described the miniature golf course that he created in the gym. The students had an awesome time and improved their putting skills. Check out the lesson in the pictures and videos below!

#6 Exercise is great because...

it makes you happy! Exercise IMPROVES YOUR MOOD by releasing neurotransmitters and endorphins in your body that help you relax, make you feel happy, relieve pain, and energize you. That's one reason healthier people are happier people. They also sleep better too!