WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS: National Diabetes Education Month

"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." 

                                      --Frederick Douglass

Diabetes is the reason why I started the Growing Healthy Kids organization.  After working with thousands of older adults in a wellness program for Medicare, I knew that something powerful needed to be done to protect the health � and lives � of America�s children.  Because obesity is the leading risk factor for type 2 diabetes, children who are overweight and obese deserve are the reason for our education programs. 

Did you know that having dinner together as a family is one of the ways proven to help kids stay at a healthy weight?  So here are a few questions for you�How many nights a week do you eat together as a family?  How often do your kids shop with you?  Do your kids know how to set a table?  What is their favorite recipe to help you prepare? 

October 16^th is the deadline for kids age 13 and younger to have their posters postmarked and on their way to us at Growing Healthy Kids.  The theme is �My Favorite Family Foods� and it presents parents with the opportunity to talk with their children about family traditions, cultures, and recipes.  For all the details, look at our September 3, 2014 posting.  Mail your 8-1/2� x 11� poster to: Growing Healthy Kids, 762 US Hwy 1, #106, Vero Beach, Fl 32962.  Winners will be notified by November 16^th. 

We cannot afford to watch our children develop diseases typically diagnosed in older adults.   Have dinner with your kids tonight and have a conversation about your favorite family foods. What is YOUR favorite family food?

In gratitude,

Nancy Heinrich, MPH

Growing Healthy Kids, Inc. 

PS - I will be speaking this Saturday on FOOD AND MOOD this Saturday, October 11th at the 2nd Annual Summit for the Parents of Teens and Tweens at 1st Presbyterian Church in Vero Beach, Florida. Only $15/person.  Go to www.BethWE.com for details!   

WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS: Nutrient Density Matters

WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS:  Nutrient Density Matters

�When are you going to stand up for your children and their future?  It�s time to warrior up!�               

        --- Tsleil-Waututh Elder Amy George from Sierra Magazine, March/April 2014

How often do you think about your children�s future and what their world will look like in five years?  In full disclosure, the above quote came from an article in Sierra Magazine.  The article was about the impact of coal trains on a sensitive area of northwest Washington State where fishing for salmon and herring support a local culture, including the Lummi Nation of native Americans.

When I work with parents who are overweight or who have children who are overweight or obese, I often have the same thought as Tsleil-Waututh Elder Amy George.  Are we willing to let the large food manufacturers dictate whether our children will be doomed to a shortened lifespan because they are overeating foods with no nutritional value?  Will the McDonald�s dollar menu be your family�s demise?  Will eating too much of the bad foods (white sugar, white flour, and too much salt) cause health problems for your family?  Will the sugar-filled cereals and Pop Tarts intentionally placed at a child�s eye level of your grocery store rob your kids of their ability to focus in school? 

A lot of my work centers around teaching families about how to become more health literate and making better choices for themselves and their children.  Our children are getting fatter, but obesity is preventable.  Focus on eating nutrient dense foods (like wild salmon, kale, lentils, spinach) to replace foods of low value.  The most nutrient dense food is watercress - in case you are wondering where to buy it, I can always find it at Publix, thanks to B&W Growers in Fellsmere, FL.  High on the list is kale.  Green is great!   For a link to some great nutrient dense recipe ideas, click here.

As parents, whether we choose to fight to prevent coal trains from coming through environmentally sensitive lands or whether we choose to educate parents with the knowledge about how to eat well and economically to prevent obesity and obesity-caused diseases, we make choices every day.  It is time to warrior up! 

Thank you,

Nancy Heinrich

Founder, Growing Healthy Kids, Inc. 

FIVE GOOD FOODS FOR KIDS

WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS

"The reluctance to put away childish things may be a requirement of genius."  

                                   --Rebecca Pepper Sinkler

Playing with kids in the kitchen is a great way to get kids interested in healthy eating.  Parents say to me all the time, �My child is a picky eater.�  My response is always, �Then let them play with their food!�  Everyone's favorite program is Growing Healthy Kids in the Kitchen, where kids get hands-on experiences in kitchen hygiene and safety, food selection and preparation, PLUS kitchen cleanup. 

Here are five great foods we have been playing with recently in our GHK kitchens (AND changing kids� opinions about what tastes better than honeybuns and white pasta):

1. Haas avocados
2. Black beans
3. Quinoa (a grain, pronounced �keen-wa�)
4. Wild salmon
5. Greek yogurt

Staying at a healthy weight is easy when you know what to do.  All of these foods can be considered �superfoods� for several reasons because they are:

• Super healthy for your body and your brain
• Super easy to prepare
• Super fun to eat
• Super filled with the good fats, the good carbs, and the good proteins

Kids at a recent GHK in the Kitchen class at Gifford Youth Activity Center, Vero Beach, Florida 

Can you say "fresh parsley"?

Kids intent on using the lemon squeezer while making the JamSam Salmon Burgers (see recipe below).

Speaking of good foods for great kids, here is the recipe for GHK�s JamSam Salmon Burgers.  Just ask any of the kids at Gifford Youth Activity Center how delicious and easy these are!

JamSam Salmon Burgers

4 servings

Prepare Dill Mayonnaise:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise*
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill 
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

For Burgers:

• 2 teaspoons freshly chopped parsley
• � Vidalia onion, finely diced
• 2 eggs
• � cup panko bread crumbs
• � teaspoon cracked black pepper
• � teaspoon sea salt
• 1 lemon, zested
• 2-4 Tablespoons Dill Mayonnaise
• 2 (6-1/2 ounce) cans Alaska skinless and boneless pink salmon, drained well
• Additional panko for coating the burgers (optional)
• 2 Tablespoons grapeseed oil

In medium bowl, combine, parsley, onions, eggs, panko, black pepper, salt, lemon zest and the Dill Mayonnaise together. Add drained salmon and mix well together. Make 4 patties, rolling them in additional panko, if desired, and set aside.

In a large skillet on medium, heat oil. Place burgers in skillet. Cook over medium heat until browned. Turn and brown other side.

Serve on potato buns with Dill Mayonnaise, fresh spinach or local greens, and sliced tomatoes.

*For demonstration purposes, Hellmann�s Olive Oil mayonnaise was used in the preparation of this recipe.

Parents, it�s easy to get your kids to eat healthy foods when they learn by playing.  Come play in the kitchen with us on November 16th in Vero Beach, Florida when Growing Healthy Kids partners with Chef Chris Bireley of Osceola Bistro for a special Growing Healthy Kids in the Kitchen Cooking Class for kids ages 5-12.  If you�d like to attend, just shoot me an email: growinghealthykidsnow@gmail.com. 

For information about why a healthy weight is so important for your children, click here.

In gratitude,

Nancy Heinrich

Growing Healthy Kids

5 REASONS TO DRINK WATER

WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS

"Water is involved in all body processes.  You need the proper amount for all those processes to work correctly."  

                    -- Dr. Jack M Guralnik

                        National Institutes of Health

WATER.  Most people don�t drink enough of it.  

Vero Beach, Florida 

Here are 5 reasons why you need to drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses a day:

GREAT SKIN.  Drinking water helps keep your skin moisturized.

TRANSPORTATION.  Water carries nutrients to where your body needs them.  It carries toxins out through sweat or urine. 

LUBRICATING.  All your muscles and joints need moisture and cushioning to work properly and avoid creating too much friction within the body. 

BOOST YOUR BRAINPOWER AND MOOD.   A hydrated brain is sharp and happy.

LOSE WEIGHT.  Drink water first when you think you are hungry.  Drink a glass half an hour before a meal. 

What's YOUR favorite reason to drink enough water?

The 4th of July weekend is all about enjoying picnics with family and friends, a dip in the pool or a trip to the beach (see my beach above), and the �oohs� and �aahs� of the fireworks.  Happy birthday, America!  Here is a delicious dip to make with your kids for your family:

SMOKY EGGPLANT AND CHICKPEA DIP

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pounds eggplant, peeled and roasted (TO ROAST:  preheat oven to 350.  Peel eggplant and cut into halves lengthwise.  Place cut side down on an oiled baking sheet.  Roast 45 minutes or until tender.)
• 1 16-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• � cup tahini
• � cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons water
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 handful fresh parsley
• � teaspoon sea salt
• Fresh ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Cut roasted eggplant into chunks, place in food processor with all ingredients.  Process until smooth.  Serve with your favorite chips and veggies. 

In gratitude,

Nancy Heinrich

Growing Healthy Kids, Inc.

NATIONAL CHILDHOOD OBESITY AWARENESS MONTH: GROWING HEALTHY KIDS ANNOUNCES NEW BOOK FOR PARENTS

The President of the United States has issued a proclamation declaring September National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month.  

Here are facts every parent should know: 

• �         obesity rates have soared among all age groups, increasing more than fourfold among children ages 6 to 11;  
• �         31.8 percent or 23 million children and teenagers ages 2 to 19 are obese or overweight, a statistic that health and medical experts consider an epidemic; 
• �         the financial implications of childhood obesity pose a financial threat to our economy and health care system, carrying up to $14 billion per year in direct health care costs, with people in the United States spending about 9 percent of their total medical costs on obesity-related illnesses; 
•           obese young people have an 80-percent chance of being obese adults and are more likely than children of normal weight to become overweight or obese adults, and therefore more at risk for associated adult health problems including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis; 
• �         due in part to the childhood obesity epidemic, 1 in 3 children (and nearly 1 in 2 minority children) born in the year 2000 will develop type 2 diabetes at some point in their lifetime if current trends continue;   
• �         some consequences of childhood and adolescent obesity are psychosocial and can hinder academic and social functioning and persist into adulthood; 
• �         participating in physical activity is important for children and teens as it can have beneficial effects not only on body weight, but also on blood pressure and bone strength; 
• �         proper nutrition is important for children before birth and through their lifespan as nutrition has beneficial effects for health and body weight, and is important in the prevention of chronic diseases; 
• �         childhood obesity is preventable, yet does not appear to be declining; and
• �         public, community-based, and private sector organizations and individuals throughout the United States are working to decrease childhood obesity rates in the United States through a range of efforts including educational presentations, media campaigns, websites, policies, healthier food options,  and greater opportunities for physical activity.

Growing Healthy Kids, Inc. has been working for the past four years to halt, reverse, and prevent childhood obesity.  We have taught thousands of children and adults in educational programs and healthy cooking workshops.  We have documented success stories as we have watched kids learn to make choices that put them on the path to a healthier life instead of one filled with the painful consequences of obesity-related diseases. 

THEREFORE, in support of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, Growing Healthy Kids proudly  announces the release of Nourish and Flourish: Kid-Tested Tips and Recipes to Prevent Diabetes featuring the ideas that get kids screaming for more vegetables and whole grains on their plates. 

Written by Nancy Heinrich, an epidemiologist who founded the Growing Healthy Kids movement to prevent obesity-related diseases like diabetes in America�s children, this book teaches parents how to make simple changes that move kids away from the bad foods high in sugar, salt, and fat.  According to Ms. Heinrich, �When you engage kids in the garden or the produce market and then �play� with them in the kitchen to create a fun recipe together, they make better choices.�  Nourish and Flourish is filled with the same tips Ms. Heinrich uses in the "Growing Healthy Kids in the Kitchen" educational programs.  Included in the book are shopping lists for busy parents to make it easy for the whole family to eat healthy.  Best of all, many of the recipes make delicious, healthy, and economical school lunches for the kids AND  work lunches for moms and dads. 

If you are concerned that your kids are eating too much sugar, then you�ll get answers in a brand new book called Nourish and Flourish.  Reading this book will give you a clear and concise approach to put your kids on a path to healthier eating. 

Nourish and Flourish is available at www.amazon. com and at the Growing Healthy Kids Variety Store, 3300 43^rd Avenue, #4, Vero Beach, Florida, 32960.

To order bulk copies for your school or parent group or to book the author to speak to your organization, please send an email to growinghealthykidsnow@gmail.com.