Now in its second season, Yoga Rocks the Park – Omaha, the gathering has blossomed into a full-blown wellness festival attracting hundreds each week complete with massage, integrative therapy exhibitions, vendor booths, organic food and drink vendors, and even more live music, along with national and local yoga teacher-lead classes for adults and children. For more information, visit www.yogarocksthepark.com.

Established in 1970, OneWorld Community Health Centers, in partnership with the community, provides culturally respectful, quality health care with special attention to the underserved. OneWorld is a federally qualified community health center (FQHC) and provides comprehensive primary healthcare, dental, mental health/substance abuse, and pharmacy services to persons in all stages of the life cycle. For more information visit our web site at www.oneworldomaha.org or call (402) 734-4110 to set up an appointment. 

Stop! Breathe in deeply. Exhale slowly. Let’s restart. Only this time sit quietly at a table and smell the food before you. Turn off your phone, your TV, the handheld game and all social media. Lift the fork of food to your lips and take the first bite… here comes the important part… Chew slowly and put the fork down on the table; don’t speak. I know your stomach is making noises because your are so hungry and you have to be back to work in an hour, but take this time to decompress from the hustle of the morning and rejuvenate yourself for the afternoon. 

What you will find as a result of eating more slowly is that you taste foods better because you are holding it in your mouth longer and can appreciate all aspects of what you are eating such as saltiness, crunch, tenderness, sweetness, spiciness. You will be surprised that you will eat less, yet feel fuller. Why, because it takes about 20-minutes for your first bite of food to get to your small intestine where the CCK hormone (cholecystokinin) is released to begin reducing your appetite. If you eat too fast your stomach will be past its fullness sooner, before your brain knows that you are full. So without becoming a monk or nun here are some ideas to help you begin eating mindfully:

• Try it weekly for 3 weeks. Sometimes there’s no way to avoid wolfing down something in your car or cubicle. Set aside one sit-down meal a week as an experiment in mindfulness, pick a day and the meal.
• When you eat, just eat. Unplug from everything electronic and just, for now, at least, focus on the food.
• Be quiet, find a quiet place. Avoiding chatter for 30 minutes might be impossible in some families, especially with young children, but you might want to start with short periods of quiet.
• Chew patiently. It’s not easy, but try to slow down, aiming for 25 to 30 chews for each mouthful.
• Create a small routine or ritual. Put a flower or light a candle on the table before dinner and reduce the harsh lighting. Rituals that create a serene environment help foster what one advocate calls “that moment of gratitude.”

Dawn Ballosingh, RD, LMNT

OneWorld Community Health Center WIC Manager

OneWorld Community Relations Specialist Haley Armstrong and Friends of OneWorld Board Member Megan Longo appeared on KMTV’s The Morning Blend on Wed. April 25th to promote OneWorld’s Countdown to Cinco de Mayo event! Also pictured are Megan Gehrke, OneWorld Development Administrative Associate with Mike & Mary, the shows hosts.

The event will take place on Thursday, May 3rd from 5:30 to 7:30pm in OneWorld’s north parking lot. Tickets are $25.00 and can be purchased by calling Megan Gehrke at (402) 619-5301.

March 24th from 9:00am-12:00pm
Plaza Pontiac • 119th and I St.
402-898-7356

April 21st from 9:00am-12:00pm
Boystown National Research Hospital
14000 Boystown Hospital Rd. (139th & Pacific)
402-898-7356

Join OneWorld Community Health Center and the Friends of OneWorld Board as we celebrate “Countdown to Cinco de Mayo” on Thursday, May 3^rd from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at the Historic Livestock Exchange Building, 4920 S. 30^th Street (30^th and L Streets) north parking lot.

Enjoy an evening of festive music, drinks and appetizers. Individual tickets are $25.00 per person and sponsorship opportunities are available. Call (402) 619-5301 to reserve your spot today! Proceeds from the event benefit OneWorld’s prenatal program.

OneWorld would like to thank our generous Mariachi level partners: American Title, Aureus Group, Baird Holm, Children’s Dental Specialists,  Creighton University, Drew & Meredith Weitz, Lund Ross, Mutual of Omaha Bank and Weitz Funds.

OneWorld Community Health Centers, Inc. is proud to welcome our new Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Sirenia Ruelas to the team. Ruelas holds a Bachelors of Nursing from Nebraska Wesleyan University and her Masters in Pediatrics from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She is a licensed nurse and is a member of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. OneWorld eagerly welcomes Sirenia to the staff and feels she will make a strong contribution to both our patients and the community.