It chagrins me that I missed several of January’s colorful holidays, including those celebrating stellar foods: January 6 is Bean Day; January 19, National Popcorn Day; January 22, National Blonde Brownie Day; and – especially close to my Iowa heart – January 24, Eskimo Pie Patent Day, in honor of schoolteacher/candy store owner Christian Kent Nelson, who invented that tasty chocolate-and-ice-cream concoction in 1920 in Onawa, Iowa. Today, incidentally, is Punch the Clock Day and Thomas Crapper Day, the latter in honor of the man who invented the flush toilet.

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One of the ways Des Moines area residents kick off Black History Month is with the hugely popular African-American festival I’ll Make Me a World in Iowa. The first year for this event was 1999 with 1,000 people in attendance. The popularity has grown over the years and numbers have soared with this year’s totals expected to be between 15,000 and 20,000 attendees.

This FREE, family-friendly event takes place this Saturday, January 28, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Polk County Convention Center. Many local acts and groups will be performing. This is a great way to get to know some of them.

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Truth be told, we’ve actually had a rather mild winter here in Iowa this year, but within the last week it has started to look a little more familiar. With more snow in the forecast and lower temps ahead, some of you may start to feel the effects of the winter blues, also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Here are some ways to keep the dark days of winter from dragging you down:

Let there be light! Getting exposure to sunlight can be a powerful way to boost your mood.

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One day as my focus faded from studying, I thought about how much I had been sitting that day, and how many hours I spend sitting every day. After logging in eight hours of sleep (if I am lucky), I am left with 16 waking-hours. On average, I can tally nine of these hours in a chair, whether sitting in class, studying or eating. Even when you size-up my 30-minute workouts and lighter daily activities, the majority of my days are spent motionless. We all experience this excessive sitting, and I challenge you to think about it as more than a necessary act – or lack thereof. As I’ll share below, excessive sitting is now being considered a major risk factor for the development of chronic conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

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Winter is a great time for comfort food. But that doesn’t have to mean the heavy, fat-filled stuff you’ll regret eating when it’s time to put your swimsuit on. Think of comfort dishes instead as body-and-soul-nourishing recipes full of flavor, nutrition and tastebud delights. I especially like these recipes, provided by DMU Wellness Director Joy Schiller, M.S., CHES: The soup provides multiple servings as a great treat on cold winter days, and the biscotti are a guilt-free indulgence with my morning coffee.

Southwestern chicken soup

Soup is an ideal winter comfort food.

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

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