WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS: Becoming a Nutrition Detective

WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS:  Becoming a Nutrition Detective

"Evolutionarily, sugar was available to our ancestors as fruit for only a few months a year (at harvest time), or as honey, which was guarded by bees.  But in recent years, sugar has been added to nearly all processed foods, limiting consumer choice.  Nature made sugar hard to get; man made it easy."                                                             --Dr. Robert Lustig

Last fall, health literacy came into the lives of 25 young people in the form of a new afterschool program conducted by Growing Healthy Kids at the Gifford Youth Activity Center in Vero Beach, Florida. I�m not sure who had more fun � the kids or the staff who participated in the program!  The kids got to play in the kitchen every week as they learned lessons about what it means to eat good foods.  We shredded, grated, and mixed our way to some great recipes.  At the last class, each child took home copies of the recipes they had made and tasted, along with their very own "Eat Rainbows" aprons to remind them to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. 

Classroom time before playtime in the kitchen

Fresh vegetables and herbs can really make foods taste fresh AND delicious!

The Smokin' Salmon burger was a bit hit!

Having fun in the kitchen!

I recently contacted the Center�s director, the amazing Angelia Perry, about teaching a new program this summer.  Without hesitating, she said yes.  Tomorrow is the first class and I am so excited because the children are going to learn how to be a nutrition detective! 

We have an obesity epidemic in America.  Two in three adults are overweight or obese but one in three children is overweight or obese.  When I was growing up in Sacramento, California we played outside after school every day, walked to school, and had P.E. every day through high school.  We didn�t have McDonalds and Coca-Cola getting kids addicted to sugar, just like crack cocaine gets people addicted. 

Eating too much sugar is something most kids (and many adults) do every day without even knowing it.  The excess calories are stored at fat.  The fact is sugar is highly addictive and food manufacturers know it.  Sugar is added to most processed foods.  We have become complacent about knowing what we are eating.  Take something as American as a bowl of breakfast cereal and figure out how much sugar you are eating every morning.  Look at the Nutrition Facts label to determine how many grams of sugar are in a serving.  Then determine how many servings are in that big cereal bowl of yours.  So many food manufacturers create serving sizes that are teeny tiny compared with what we really pour in our bowls.  Divide the total grams of sugar by 4 to get the number of teaspoons of sugar you are eating.

Your next lesson in becoming a nutrition detective will be in next week�s Wellness Wednesdays when we will talk about what a day�s worth of sugar should be vs what people really eat a day. When you go to the grocery store, compare labels and choose the breakfast cereals that is lowest in added sugar.  

To order an "Eat Rainbows" apron and remind your kids to plan meals and snacks with plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, click here.  Happy Summer!

In gratitude,

Nancy Heinrich

Founder, Growing Healthy Kids, Inc. 

WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS...GETTING UNSTUCK

GETTING UNSTUCK

Earlier this year, I met a dear family member, Donna Jean, at Tybee Island, Georgia.  Donna Jean  escapes the cold and snow of her North Carolina home and winters on Tybee; family members know if they want to see her, they have to schedule a visit.   For several years, she and I have corresponded about meeting when my work schedule would allow me to travel north. 

Donna Jean has a degree in journalism and has been a writer all her life.   My goal was to enjoy several  �relax and recreation� days at her beach house and exploring - with her help - the pros and cons of my past year�s Wellness Wednesdays columns and her advice for this year�s column.  The thought of talking with her about effective writing and clear communication to my target audience thrilled me.

 

I dutifully packed copies of my blog books for the trip, along with writing notebooks.  After  I arrived on the island and had unpacked fresh vegetables from my favorite hydroponic farm for the meals I would prepare for the two of us, Donna Jean told me that she would read the Wellness Wednesdays columns in the evenings.  Then, the next morning after she had tea and I had coffee, she would provide her impressions and suggestions of what she had read the night before.   I took copious notes for three days and returned to Florida.  And then the unexpected happened - I was unsure what to write! 

   

After all the little girl kind of excitement about looking forward to the weekend on Tybee Island with Donna Jean, when I returned home I found I could not write.  I was not prepared to be stuck.  I had expected the flood gates to open wide and have words tumbling out on every paper I touched after being inspired by a powerful writer. 

For the last 3 months I have not written Wellness Wednesdays.  Until  today, when  I made the decision that it was time to write again.  One of the challenges Donna Jean gave me on Tybee, intertwined in our conversation about communication theory, was �to find ways to get the stories out.�  So this year I will write about the stories from the Growing Healthy Kids movement and why we are working crazy busy hours to improve health literacy of parents and improve health outcomes of America�s children. 

I have missed you and our weekly conversations more than you can imagine.  I want to honor our conversations.  Donna Jean taught me a lot on Tybee.  She taught me that by becoming a storyteller, I will be a more powerful teacher and will touch more lives.  It is time to tell stories about Growing Healthy Kids.  

Every column may not be a story, but many will be.  As I write about health matters, food, farming, fitness, love, family and friends, tell me this: What health goal has gotten you stuck to the point where you could take no action?  Looking forward to hearing from you.

Nancy Heinrich

Founder, Growing Healthy Kids, Inc.

"HUMMUS AT HUMISTON" HOME RUN FOR KIDS

WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS

"I realized you can only be as good as your health.  I let my health go because I was so focused on building my company."

                                      --Celebrity chef Art Smith, Chef Art was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2008 after complications from the disease killed his father and grandfather.  That's when he learned how to eat smarter and lost 120 pounds.

WE DID IT AGAIN!  Our Third Annual Hummus at Humiston event for kids from Youth Guidance Mentoring and Activities Program in need of mentors was a success!  This event is a favorite of the staff at Youth Guidance because the weather is always perfect in November, the food is awesome, and the local farmers are at the Green Market with their fall bounties of squash, tomatoes, and kale. 

A special thank you to the local farmers who helped make this event a memory maker for all the kids (and the volunteers) at our Third Annual Hummus at Humiston.  Thanks to Sid Banack of Countryside Citrus, Louis Schacht of Schacht Groves, Kevin O�Dare of Osceola Organics, Lisa Brenneman of Florida Veggies and More, and Alex Gomez of Pure Produce.  Here are some pictures from our party in the park!

Sid Banack of Countryside Citrus 

Kevin O'Dare (right) talks with a volunteer and a youth about "why" organic.

Stopping at Florida Veggies and More

Alex Gomez of Pure Produce (hydroponically grown veggies)

The karate demonstration was great!

"We made it ourselves!"

Hummus, as the kids all learned � and tasted � is easy to make.  It makes great appetizers, sandwiches, wraps, and snacks for Growing Healthy Kids!  For this recipe and more, order a copy of Nourish and Flourish  from Growing Healthy Kids.  Click here. 

GROWING HEALTHY KIDS: Our Recipe Collection

HUMMUS AT HUMISTON

PLACE in food processor or blender:

• One 16-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed
• 2 Tablespoons tahini (sesame seed butter)
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or 5-10 black olives)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin (optional)

TO STORE:  3 days in the fridge or 1 month in the freezer.

OTHER FLAVORS to make:

1. Artichoke-lemon hummus:  Add 1 cup artichoke hearts and an extra 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
2. Sun-dried tomato hummus:  Add 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes

CHOP 2 or 3 of your favorite vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. 

SERVE hummus for lunch in a whole grain pita or wrap.  Serve it as a snack with veggies.  Choose whole grain pitas or wraps with 4 or more grams of dietary fiber per serving.

The best part of our Third Annual Hummus at Humiston event?  One child is now matched with a mentor for the next year!!  Bam!  Thank you to all the volunteers at the event.

Foods filled with fiber - like the garbanzo beans in hummus, and fruits and veggies, are the foods that help prevent diabetes.  Eat more of the good foods!  Bon apetit!

In gratitude,

Nancy Heinrich

Growing Healthy Kids, Inc. 

WHAT IS KILLING OUR KIDS?

WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS

"We can make a commitment to promote vegetables and fruits and whole grains on every part of every menu.  We can make portion sizes smaller and emphasize quality over quantity.  And we can help create a culture � imagine this � where our kids ask for healthy options instead of resisting them."

                                                                           

                              --Michelle Obama, First Lady

Jason told me that he is having problems with his eyes and his feet.  I asked him, �When was the last time you were screened for diabetes?� and he replied that it was more than 7 years ago.  Then he talked about his kids.  He said his son was �almost as big as I am.�  Then, his voice dropped and he added that his 15 year old daughter is also almost as big as he is.  He asked me how to help them.  I said, �Lead by example and help yourself first.  Act as if you are at a healthy weight yourself.  Let them know that you are changing what you eat and are going to eat 2 more cups of in season and locally grown vegetables this week.  Start changing one thing each week to get on the path to better health and a healthier life.� 

Can you guess what this is?

How do parents help their kids who are obese?  Health starts at home, in the discussions we have at the dinner table, in our attitude towards exercise and fitness.  Health starts in the kitchen, in the foods we prepare for and with our families. 

Childhood obesity is a problem because:

• Kids who are obese are more likely to be bullied
• Kids who are obese are more likely to be obese as adults
• Being obese increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, joint problems, high blood pressure and certain cancers
• Kids who are obese are more likely to suffer from poor self-image throughout their entire lives
• Kids diagnosed with type 2 diabetes can be expected to have a shorter lifespan of about 17 years than kids without diabetes

How do I help my kids get back to a healthier weight?

• Commit to making one change a week in your eating or fitness habits. 
• Write down your own health goal.  Be specific.  Use S.M.A.R.T. goal-setting (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-specific).

How do I know if I am at a healthy weight or not? 

Start by looking at yourself in the mirror.  Do you like how your body looks?  How do your clothes fit?  Are they tight?  Do you have to buy new clothes every few months because you need a bigger size?

For most of us, we know if we need to lose some weight and some inches.  A good reference point is to determine your Body Mass Index (BMI).  For adults it is simply based on the relationship between our height and our weight.  BMI for kids (ages 2-19) is based on their height, weight, plus their age and their gender (male or female).  The BMI is not a perfect tool but it is a useful tool.  Find out your BMI number by clicking here.  

Click here for some great, kid-friendly foods and ideas that kids of all ages will love!

Let�s do something meaningful about our children�s health by showing them that we can about our own health.  Children need good role models and it is up to each of us to be that role model.  The consequences of ignoring obesity in America's children are too high and too extreme to ignore.   Act as if�..

A picture from my 4th of July vacation on St. Simons Island, Georgia last weekend!

The Growing Healthy Kids movement is about inspiring, educating, and improving the health literacy of Americans so we can reverse, halt, and prevent childhood obesity and obesity-related diseases in children.  Together, we can improve the health � and lives � of America�s children, one child at a time.

In gratitude,

Nancy Heinrich

Growing Healthy Kids, Inc.