Walk Kansas Adds Online Tracking System
Sound Living
Kansas State University’s long-running health and wellness program, Walk Kansas, is gearing up for its 26th year. The eight-week program, offered by K-State Extension, begins March 22nd and runs through May 16th. As the program continues to evolve, a new online tracking system is being implemented this year, and additional virtual trails are being designed for future years. Walk Kansas State Leader, Sharolyn Jackson, discusses how the program helps participants meet the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and offers tips to promote healthy eating and overall health and wellness. ...
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Connect Through Kindness on Valentine's Day
Sound Living
Valentine’s Day is much different for adults than for children. For adults, the day typically involves flowers, candy, a sentimental greeting card and maybe a romantic dinner at a favorite restaurant. For children, Kansas State University child development specialist, Bradford Wiles, says the day is more about kindness than love. He says children don’t begin to view Valentine’s Day in terms of romantic love until later in their school years. He says parents can show kindness toward their children and themselves by spending the day together doing various activities. It doesn’t matter...
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Understanding and Managing Blood Pressure
Sound Living
High blood pressure remains a significant health concern. Nearly half of U.S. adults – 46.7% -- have hypertension. In Kansas, the number of adults diagnosed with high blood pressure is 34.7%. This troubling health trend prompted Kansas State University and K-State Extension to develop and offer a free program to help residents better understand and manage their blood pressure. The program, Hypertension Awareness and Prevention, has turned into a multi-part community health effort. The coordinator of the program, Stephanie Gutierrez, says home monitoring plays a key role in the success of the...
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New U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Sound Living
The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans are released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services every five years. The new 2025-2030 guidelines were released January 7th and focus on prioritizing “real food,” emphasizing high-quality protein, healthy fat, fruits, vegetables and whole grains, while reducing highly processed foods, added sugars, and refined carbs. Priscilla Brenes, a nutrition and wellness educator for K-State Extension, says the guidelines serve as a base for developing a healthy diet Sound Living is a weekly public affairs program addressing...
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Establishing Grandparent Boundaries
Sound Living
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 unique considerations that go along with becoming a grandparent and being aware that family relationships and dynamics are going to change is one of those. Sound Living is a weekly public affairs program addressing issues related to families and...
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Creating a Safe and Organized Kitchen
Sound Living
While cleaning the refrigerator, oven, freezer, cabinets and drawers is typically a spring project, now is actually a good time to tackle those kitchen projects. At the same time, you can take an inventory of things that might be creating clutter, are no longer being used or are now well beyond their expiration dates. K-State Extension food scientist, Karen Blakeslee, discusses how to organize, and in some cases, totally reorganize a kitchen. Sound Living is a weekly public affairs program addressing issues related to families and consumers. It is hosted by Jeff Wichman. Each episode shares...
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Helping Children Manage Transitions and Routines
Sound Living
It can be challenging for young children and their providers to transition from one activity to the next. Kansas State University Extension family and youth development agent for the Chisholm Trail District, Tristen Cope, says there are strategies that childcare providers can use to help young children better manage transitions and routines. This includes providing an advanced warning, using a visual calendar and teaching them songs that signal it’s time to move from one activity to the next. Sound Living is a weekly public affairs program addressing issues related to families and...
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Extension's Role in Community Health
Sound Living
Kansas State University Extension agents and specialists are helping residents manage chronic illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes and cancer through education, coaching and community-based support. Kansas Health Foundation’s Distinguished Professor of Community Health at K-State, Elaine Johannes, says the past year has been especially busy for Extension programming focused on community health, with hypertension, diabetes and cancer standing out because of the reach and collaboration involved with those programs. Sound Living is a weekly public affairs program addressing issues related...
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Tips for Staying Physically Active this Winter
Sound Living
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends moving more, sitting less and getting children as young as three to be active. The guidelines also stress that any amount and any type of activity improves health. As cold weather begins to settle it and days get shorter, it’s often more difficult to be physically active. According to K-State Research and Extension northeast area family and consumer sciences specialist and state coordinator of Walk Kansas, Sharolyn Jackson, that’s when we need to make a conscious decision to be physically active. Sound Living is a weekly public...
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Choosing Presence Over Pixels
Sound Living
Thanksgiving has come and gone, and if you happened to notice family and friends spending more time on their digital devices than connecting face-to-face, you’re probably not alone. According to researchers, this growing phenomenon is called “technoference” – which describes interruptions and disconnections in relationships caused by the excessive use of digital devices. K-State Extension family life and resource management agent for Sedgwick County, Liz Brunscheen-Cartegena, says these small interruptions, repeated day after day, can slowly weaken the bonds that make family time...
info_outlineValentine’s Day is much different for adults than for children. For adults, the day typically involves flowers, candy, a sentimental greeting card and maybe a romantic dinner at a favorite restaurant. For children, Kansas State University child development specialist, Bradford Wiles, says the day is more about kindness than love. He says children don’t begin to view Valentine’s Day in terms of romantic love until later in their school years. He says parents can show kindness toward their children and themselves by spending the day together doing various activities. It doesn’t matter what type of activity is done or how it turns out. He says spending time together helps build a connection and strengthens bonds.
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 ksrenews@ksu.edu.
K‑State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well‑being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K‑State campus in Manhattan.