{"id":11630,"date":"2023-03-29T10:34:40","date_gmt":"2023-03-29T14:34:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/?p=11630"},"modified":"2023-03-29T19:15:29","modified_gmt":"2023-03-29T23:15:29","slug":"take-a-walk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/2023\/03\/29\/take-a-walk\/","title":{"rendered":"Take a Walk!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-4930\" src=\"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/o-nature-walk-facebook.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"881\" height=\"441\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/o-nature-walk-facebook.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/o-nature-walk-facebook-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/o-nature-walk-facebook-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/o-nature-walk-facebook-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/o-nature-walk-facebook-1536x768.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 881px) 100vw, 881px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Did you know that March 30th is <a href=\"https:\/\/nationaltoday.com\/take-walk-park-day\/#:~:text=Take%20a%20Walk%20in%20the%20Park%20Day%20is%20celebrated%20annually,some%20quiet%20time%20in%20nature%3F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Take a Walk in the Park Day<\/em><\/a>? Sounds like a lovely idea, particularly if you live in an area where the flowers are beginning to bloom and the birds are chirping. Making the time to walk through a park certainly hadn&#8217;t been something on my list of \u201cmust-do\u201d for today. But maybe it should be!<\/p>\n<p>Walking in the park for just 30 minutes has many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prevention.com\/fitness\/a20485587\/benefits-from-walking-every-day\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">health benefits<\/a> such as burning calories, lowering blood pressure, reducing stress, and improving mood. Walking, especially in a pretty park or on a nature trail,<a href=\"https:\/\/e360.yale.edu\/features\/ecopsychology-how-immersion-in-nature-benefits-your-health#:~:text=These%20studies%20have%20shown%20that,reduce%20anxiety%2C%20and%20improve%20mood.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> leads to<\/a> an overall feeling of happiness, mental clarity and energy. When I feel better about myself I make better choices in every aspect of my life.<\/p>\n<p>Feeling happy and energetic should be a daily goal. Now that spring has arrived, I&#8217;m going to make getting outdoors a priority. When that&#8217;s not\u00a0feasible, I want to do something that achieves some of the same benefits as a walk outside.<\/p>\n<h2>Six ways to find renewal this spring:<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"color: #008080;\"><strong>Take a break from all screens:<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0Our minds are overcrowded with information, and we need to allow ourselves time to appreciate what is going on around us in the moment. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cureus.com\/articles\/112862-increased-screen-time-as-a-cause-of-declining-physical-psychological-health-and-sleep-patterns-a-literary-review#!\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Studies show<\/a> that too much screen time is detrimental to our physical and mental health, increasing anxiety and unhappiness. Some folks find an hour break is beneficial; others will take a 24-hour break.\u00a0<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright wp-image-4931\" src=\"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/walking-park-604-604-337-f7432c33.rendition.598.336.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"527\" height=\"296\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/walking-park-604-604-337-f7432c33.rendition.598.336.jpg 598w, https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/walking-park-604-604-337-f7432c33.rendition.598.336-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 527px) 100vw, 527px\" \/><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #008080;\"><strong>Take any kind of walk:<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0Walk around the house, up the stairs, around the office or down the block. Walking in any form allows better oxygen flow, and improves mental clarity.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #008080;\"><strong>Meditate:<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0There are numerous meditation apps to help you feel more energetic, centered and happy.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #008080;\"><strong>Engage in a hobby:<\/strong><\/span> Knitting, gardening, sudoko, etc., can help you reconnect with yourself as you do something you truly enjoy, (as in, <em>not<\/em> the laundry!)<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-4933\" src=\"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/women-laughing-together-350.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"350\" height=\"210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/women-laughing-together-350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/women-laughing-together-350-300x180.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #008080;\"><strong>Have a good laugh:<\/strong><\/span> Laughing releases \u201cfeel-good&#8221; endorphins. It reduces stress, reduces blood pressure, protects the heart, and even burns calories. So catch a funny movie, check out a comic, or call your friend who always makes you laugh.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #008080;\"><strong>Make a healthy dinner:<\/strong><\/span> Eating more fruits and vegetables can make you happier even faster than it makes you healthier. Conversely, diets high in saturated fats, refined carbohydrates, and processed foods are associated with a greater risk of depression. And &#8230; I appreciate that planning my meals with DinnerTime gives me more time to take my walk in the park! \ud83d\ude09<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">Check out these recipes loaded with fruits and veggies!<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Search in your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dinnertime.com\/plan\/recipe-box\/vegetables\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DinnerTime Recipe Box<\/a>\u00a0for more healthy recipes.<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-sm-4\">\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dinnertime.com\/recipes\/3742\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chicken with Apple-Vegetable Slaw Stir-Fry<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-sm-4\">\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dinnertime.com\/recipes\/1119\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hearty Vegetable Lasagna<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-sm-4\">\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dinnertime.com\/recipes\/3668\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Korean Barbecued Pork<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-sm-4\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dinnertime.com\/recipes\/3742\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4940 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/turkey-apple-slaw.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"256\" height=\"256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/turkey-apple-slaw.jpg 256w, https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/turkey-apple-slaw-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 256px) 100vw, 256px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Wow! One-pot wonder.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-sm-4\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dinnertime.com\/recipes\/1119\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4939 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/heartyveglasagna77419000.thumb_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"256\" height=\"256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/heartyveglasagna77419000.thumb_.jpg 256w, https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/heartyveglasagna77419000.thumb_-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 256px) 100vw, 256px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">A family favorite!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><div class=\"col-sm-4\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dinnertime.com\/recipes\/3668\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4938 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/korean-b-b-que.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"256\" height=\"256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/korean-b-b-que.jpg 256w, https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/korean-b-b-que-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 256px) 100vw, 256px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">A delicious stir-fry with sriracha sauce and pears.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Did you know that March 30th is Take a Walk in the Park Day? Sounds like a lovely idea, particularly if you live in an area where the flowers are beginning to bloom and the birds are chirping. Making the&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/2023\/03\/29\/take-a-walk\/\" class=\"read-more\">Read&nbsp;More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4930,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11630"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11630"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11630\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11644,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11630\/revisions\/11644"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4930"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}