Try These Delicious Diabetic-Friendly Recipes

/

Healthy meals don’t have to be boring and bland. At a Lunch and Learn Thursday, County employees found out how cooking for people with diabetes can be really delicious! Participants of a demonstration-based cooking class at the County Administration Center tried several new flavorful recipes.

The class, put on by Employee Wellness, focused on how to integrate lower glycemic foods into your diet. Each dish included high-fiber ingredients, to slow the sugar release into the bloodstream. And they included low-glycemic index fruits, vegetables and whole grains in a way that was tasty and satisfying.

Try two of the recipes yourself. Plus, to learn more on how to manage diabetes, visit Employee Wellness on InSite.

Kale Salad Wrap with Lemon Dressing

First make the dressing and set it aside.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lemon, juiced

  • ¼ cup olive oil

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon oregano, minced

  • ½ teaspoon salt and pepper

Instructions:

  1. Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk.

Now that the dressing is done, start on the salad.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup kale, chopped

  • 1 tomato, half-moon slices

  • ¼ cucumber, half-moon slices

  • 2 tablespoons mozzarella cheese, small cubes

  • 6-8 black olives, sliced

  • 1/8 red onion, chopped

Instructions:

  1. Add all ingredients to a bowl and toss with dressing.

  2. Enjoy!

The final step is to add the salad with dressing to a wheat tortilla and roll it up.

Fruit Salad with Honey Yogurt Sauce

If you are looking for a sweet treat, try this fruit salad with honey yogurt sauce for dessert.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup plain yogurt

  • 1 tablespoon honey

  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 4 kiwis, diced

  • 2 oranges, diced

  • 2 apples, diced

  • 2 cups strawberries, diced

  • 2 oz. almonds, chopped

Instructions:

  1. Combined yogurt, honey and vanilla extract in a bowl and set aside.

  2. In a separate bowl, combine fruit and gently mix together.

  3. Spoon the fruit into individual serving bowls and top with yogurt and sprinkle of almonds.

  4. Enjoy!

In Touch - Here’s Where We’re Going

/
Helen_Official.jpg

If you want to know where you’re going, you check a map. If you want to know where the County is going, you look at our operational plan and budget.

So where are we headed? In the plan we’ve just released for the coming year, we expect to spend $6.2 billion – nearly half a billion dollars more than this year. While that amount covers countless items, we are stepping up our investments in four broad areas. Those really represent our priorities for the year ahead.

I want to give you the big picture strategies, and for each of those, just a few examples of how we’ll work at getting there. There are a lot more, and the details will lead down to specific programs many of you spend your days on. But this will just give you some idea of how your work supports our larger goals.

Off the top is ramping up resources to help the most vulnerable San Diegans: those who are homeless and those struggling with mental illness or substance abuse, which are two of the top risk factors for homelessness. We’ve been increasing the resources we direct at these issues the last few years, and now we’re pushing even further.

More than $175 million of the new spending and 120 new staff positions will be devoted to meeting the need of the vulnerable population. We’re tripling our spending on individualized treatment programs for people abusing drugs or alcohol. The personalized approach improves the person’s chance for success.

We’re putting $1 million toward domestic violence response teams and mobile family trauma services. We’ll keep building on the early success we’ve seen with Project One For All, which focuses on homeless people with severe mental illnesses.

Our public health nurses were instrumental in tackling the hepatitis A outbreak. Our budget adds 12 nurses to keep up the fight and work on other public health priorities.

Far too many people who enter the criminal justice system wind up in a cycle that’s difficult to break. We need to keep those at risk out of it in the first place, and help those already in successfully leave. People on either of those paths can face obstacles, so one of our focus areas is breaking down those barriers to success.

For young people, we are supporting mentoring programs using what are called “credible messengers.” These mentors have overcome their own involvement in the justice system, so their words carry a lot of weight with the youth they advise.

We’ve made tremendous strides in recent years in reducing the number of juveniles we have in custody, and that’s partly because of all the work we do to steer them away from trouble. We’re expanding the Alternatives to Detention program from 500 to 750 youth.  

We’ll also expand another successful diversion program: Summer Night Lights. This provides positive activities for young people on summer evenings and weekends, times they’re at greater risk.

Sheriff Gore will tell you our jails are the largest provider of mental health services in the county. We’re adding new assessments and services to reduce the number of people in jails, and to help those leaving the system successfully re-enter the community.

We’ll have more attorneys in the Public Defender’s office work on criminal record assistance for victims of sex trafficking and thousands of others trying to make a fresh start.

You can probably find a headline every day about local housing costs or how many people are priced out of the market. You may know it all too well from trying to find a place to live yourself. So we’re addressing housing affordability at all income levels.

We’re taking a couple of County-owned buildings we don’t (or soon won’t) use anymore – the family court and the current crime lab – and turning them into affordable housing. We’ll add 16 positions to support development of at least 400 to 600 affordable housing units for low-income or special needs residents.

For middle-income households, we’re going to cut permitting process time and costs make it easier for developers to get homes built. We’ll start updating 15 community plans to allow for a range of housing options.

We’re investing in neighborhoods countywide with enhancements that raise our residents’ quality of life. We’ll be opening new parks and trails, improve or build three library branches, and fund 180 miles of road repair and new sidewalks. We’re adding or upgrading new fire stations and paramedic service in the backcountry.

We’ll work on two new County Live Well Centers: one in San Diego’s southeastern community and the other at the current Health Services Complex on Rosecrans. Both will give residents one-stop access to a variety of services.

There’s an old proverb that says society grows great when we plant trees whose shade we’ll never enjoy ourselves. We’re putting 3,500 trees on public land in the County’s unincorporated area. We’ll also add another 500 acres of open space to the nearly 50,000 acres already preserved.

We’ll invest millions to reduce the urban runoff that leads to polluted beaches. And we will remain committed to constructing zero-net-energy buildings and reaching LEED standards.

Even though we are investing a lot more dollars in these key areas this year, we are doing so with a balanced budget. We’ll continue to use the fiscal discipline that’s gotten us to this position of financial strength, where we have the resources to step up our efforts to meet  pressing needs.

There’s much, much more in the full operational plan. I don’t expect anyone to plow through the whole thing, but I encourage everyone to give it a look. You can read it or use the interactive budget tool. Either way, it helps connect the dots between the numerous things we do each day and our ultimate goal: creating a region that’s healthy, safe and thriving.

The video has details of our budget and stories of individual residents and the County staff who serve them.

Celebrate Asian-Pacific Islander Heritage All Month Long

/

The Asian Pacific Alliance of County Employees kicked off Asian-Pacific Islander Heritage Month at the County Operations Center May 2. The employee resource group had guest speaker Cathlyn Choi, from Cathlyn’s Korean Kitchen on PBS Food, food samples, resource booths and several performances.

See a photo gallery from the kickoff.

The event was the first of many planned for this month:

Learn more about APACE on InSite.

PerkSpot Alert: Canvas Prints for Mother’s Day

/

Turn your photos into a memorable Mother’s Day gift while saving money. Easy Canvas Prints is offering up to 85 percent off canvas prints when you shop through PerkSpot. The discount is automatically applied at checkout.

Order now so mom can proudly display a family photo printed on canvas on her big day—May 13.

PerkSpot offers benefits and discounts through more than 400 service providers and retailers, from movie theaters to florists and jewelers. Go to SDCounty.PerkSpot.com and shop. If you are new, click on “Create an Account” to register.

Each month, one of the most popular PerkSpot deals will be highlighted on InSite.

TED Talks: Lead Well to Live Well

/

Nick Macchione, Director for Health & Human Services Agency, showed two TED Talk videos on improving lives through purpose and passion at the County Operations Center Tuesday.

“Every individual has gifts and talents that can make a lasting impact,” said Macchione. “However, only a minority of people utilize those gifts and talents to live up to their full potential. Tying your gifts and talents with your personal purpose not only leads to a more successful career, but a significant one.”

Watch the videos, review Macchione's notes, and join in on the conversation:

With help from some surprising footage, Derek Sivers explains how movements really get started. (Hint: it takes two.)

Simon Sinek has a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership starting with a golden circle and the question "why?"

What do you think makes a good leader? Tell us in the comment section below.

Employees Encouraged to Wear Green…Ribbons

/

The County would like for you to go green. Wear a green ribbon that is.

Lime green is the national color for mental health awareness and more than 17,000 green ribbons will be made available to County employees for Mental Health Awareness Month, which is celebrated every May.

Furthermore, Each Mind Matters—the California Mental Health Movement—is donating 100 kits that will be sent, along with the green ribbons, to County human resources offices, family resource centers and some community partners. The kits include a wall display, posters, green wrist bands, key chains and other education materials.

“Whether you wear a green ribbon for a day, a week or during the entire month, you’ll be helping to raise awareness about mental illness,” said Alfredo Aguirre, director of the County’s Behavioral Health Services for the Health and Human Services Agency. “When people feel more comfortable with their mental illness diagnosis, they are more likely to seek the help they need.”

The goal is to help people feel comfortable having open conversations about mental health challenges and to encourage them to get help, either for themselves or a loved one.

Here’s how you can get involved and show your support:

  • Create awareness by wearing your lime green ribbon and talk to your family and friends about why Each Mind Matters to you.

  • Add your name to the lime green ribbon wall if there’s one in your office.

  • Visit It’s Up to Us to learn more about how mental health stigma affects some of us and what you can do to help change the perception of those struggling with a mental illness.

If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis and need immediate help, call the County’s Access and Crisis Line at (888) 724-7240. Non-crisis resources for staff are also available through the County’s Employee Assistance Program at (888) 777-6665 or by visiting its website.

Register for (and Save $ On) the Live Well San Diego 5K

/

As County employees, we all play a part in advancing the Live Well San Diego vision through our work. You can promote that vision and have fun with friends and family by joining Live Well San Diego’s signature event.

Now in its 5th year, the 2018 Live Well San Diego 5K and Kids 1-Mile Fun Run will bring thousands of San Diegans together on Sunday, July 29 in support of a healthy, safe and thriving region.

In partnership with the San Diego Blood Bank, this year’s event will celebrate the hero in all of us with a superhero-themed race and activities throughout the morning.

Registration is now open! County employees, family and friends receive a $5 discount on registration. Please use the code “CNTY5.”

Save more by registering now. The early-bird rate runs through May 14.

Get all the event details and register at LiveWellSD5K.com.