Healthy Central Sierra

Primary Image
gift packages with dried lemon, greenery and twine
Healthy Central Sierra: Article

Good Gifts: Finding Joy in Giving

December 1, 2025
By Kitty Oppliger
The winter holidays are filled with traditions — cozy gatherings, comforting foods, and the joy of giving. But from a mental wellbeing perspective, the way we give gifts can either nurture connection or add unnecessary stress.The Capitalist Crunch Every year, “Black Friday creep” starts earlier,…
View Article
Primary Image
Plate filled with plant-sourced foods
Healthy Central Sierra: Article

Celebrate Plant-based eating in November!

November 1, 2025
By Kitty Oppliger
You may be thinking about Thanksgiving Turkey this month, but November is also World Vegan Month. More Plants, Less Meat“Vegan” refers to a lifestyle that does not use any animal products, which includes following a plant-based diet. Plant-based diets have been associated with numerous benefits, both…
View Article
Primary Image
a variety of scientific instruments surround the words "research and discovery"
Healthy Central Sierra: Article

What is Community Engaged Research?

August 28, 2025
By Kitty Oppliger
“The word itself ‘research’ is probably one of the dirtiest words… it stirs up silence, it conjures up bad memories, it raises a smile that is knowing and distrustful.”-Decolonizing Methodologies, Linda Tuhiwai SmithA problematic pastAs Dr. Linda Tuhiwai Smith, an Indigenous scholar and activist,…
View Article
Primary Image
Variety of fruits, vegetables and grains displayed on a table
Healthy Central Sierra: Article

Nutrition in the News

June 18, 2025
By Kitty Oppliger
Measles and Vitamin ANews headlines have followed the alarming rise in cases of the highly contagious Measles virus across the US. Measles was nearly eradicated in the US in the early 1990s thanks to the childhood Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine, but surges in 2014, 2019 and now 2025 indicate a…
View Article
Primary Image
yellow sky with blazing sun and thermometer in the foreground
Healthy Central Sierra: Article

Staying Healthy in the Heat

April 24, 2025
By Kitty Oppliger
Healthy in the Heat Summer is on the way and experts anticipate that we will continue to see rising temperatures and more extreme heat events. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports that 2024 was the hottest year on record and that this year is likely to be even hotter. While…
View Article