Walk to School Day – Oct 5!!!

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www.walkbiketoschool.org

Oct 5, the first Wednesday of this month, celebrates the “Walk to School Day“! The event is to promote children to walk to school to bring awareness to living a active and healthy life.

Why participate? 

  • It’s a great way to be a part of a global event and to promote health, to identify safer routes for walking in my community, and to improve air quality by parking my car.
  • To create a healthy lifestyle. Physically active kids are more likely to become healthy, physically active adults, which means that the behavior of regular physical activity early needs to be fostered at an early age.
  • To connect with my community. A walk to school improves neighborhood connections and boosts a sense of community.
  • To reduce transportation cost and pollution from transportation. Walking or biking is a great alternative to this.

A Litte About the History

“Organized by the Partnership for a Walkable America, Walk to School Day in the USA began in 1997 as a one-day event aimed at building awareness for the need for walkable communities. The event became international in 2000 when the USA, UK and CA all celebrated together on the first Wednesday of October. Currently, the international celebration includes 40 countries.” – http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/

Click here for more info!

Tips for the School Year!

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Staying active, productive, and attentive in school can be a challenge. Whether you’re in high school, college, or middle school, there’s something that we all need to do to be successful in school: maintaining balanced lifestyle! Here are some tips that can help you survive your school year:

  • Set your priorities on a list. What’s important to you while you’re in school is your grades. Although it doesn’t define your intelligence or who you are as a person, it does reflect on your commitment to academic achievement. List everything that you will be busy this year/semester. Is it your homework that you need to focus on? Or being able to take better notes? Or is doing a sport/club activity also important to you? See if you can determine what will impact you the most and what you have to focus on first.
  • Balance your time on a calendar or using a reminder! Timing in school is very important; deadlines, due dates, & scheduled meetings. If you know you have a lot of things to do, make sure you set at least a week or a couple days to finish. The length of time will vary depending on how much work you need to do, whether it’s a solo or group project, and the type of project.
  • Need help on homework? Don’t fear because you aren’t alone in this. You may be struggling in math or writing or reading but there are many experts and resources out there to help you. You can rely on your family members to tutor you, if not, there are tutor programs, and you can always turn to your peers/teachers/friends for extra help. Don’t feel like you have to take everything on your own because there are resources and people around you who are willing to help.
  • Make a year end goal! What’s your goal by the end of the school year? What is it that you want to achieve or maintain? It doesn’t have to be a academic goal, it can be anything. Set a goal for yourself that you can achieve; joining a photography club, getting a internship, going to the gym/working out more during the school year, or volunteering for pet shelters. The main goal is to keep you motivated towards something positive throughout the year and to have something that you want to do.

National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month and it’s all about promoting healthier lifestyle and spreading awareness of obesity among children. It’s important to become more educated about your health so that you can better understand the benefits of leading a healthier lifestyle and the risks of making poorer health decisions. Also, the goal is to not only educate yourself, but those around you; your family, friends, peers, and more! Positive influence can make a difference in people’s perspective on living whether it is being healthier, exercising or going out more, or simply having a more positive outlook.

There are many ways to be healthier and it doesn’t mean you have to be limited in your choices. Whatever your health goal is, try some of these tips:

  • Try to include more fruits & veggies into your diet! Having a healthy diet includes a mix of all kinds of food that can offer your body nutrients. Also, a bonus is that you can eat a variety of things without getting bored of the same diet routine.
  • Cook your own food! Cooking your own food can be time consuming but have no worries, there are tons of recipe out there that is quick, healthy, and easy to make. With this, you know what you are consuming and you can better control your portions.
  • Exercise is important, but don’t stress over it! If find that you don’t like a tpye of exercise, try something else. The great thing about it is that there are many things that you can do to stay active. Daily things such as cleaning your house, going on a stroll to deliver mail, or walking up and down the stairs rigorously. It’s up to you to determine which workout is best for your schedule and body.

Other social media links listed down below!

  • Learn how one grocer in West Virginia is helping improve the health of customers by stocking toys that promote physical activity and healthy snacks in the checkout lane. http://bit.ly/2aiwILe – #NCOAM
  • Learn how you can take part in the effort to encourage more children in your community to be physically active and eat a healthy diet. http://bit.ly/1pirD0j – #NCOAM
  • Addressing obesity requires the support of communities. This National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, learn how state and local organizations can create a supportive environment to promote healthy behaviors that prevent obesity. http://bit.ly/1JS8YIE – #NCOAM

Twitter Movements!

  • @letsmove – The First Lady’s initiative dedicated to solving the challenge of childhood obesity.
  • @CDCObesity – CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity
  • @ACSMNews – The American College of Sports Medicine. Official sponsor of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month.

Info provided above belong to rightful owner.

Upcoming Events in August!

August may be the last official month of summer but that doesn’t mean that you still can’t enjoy this summer to the end. Check out the events below:

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Want to attend a local event?

WOW Event: Wednesday, August 24 at 6 PM – 8 PM
Wakefield Park
1532 Frost Ave, Maplewood, Minnesota 55109

Carnival Fun & Movie Night (Planes, Fire & Rescue starting at 8pm) Arts & Crafts – Dunk Tank – Inflatables – Kid City Booth – Nature Center Activities – Crazy Hair Station

Free Admission, Free Hot Dogs, Chips and Pop

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www.teamsideline.com

The school year is approaching in the state of Minnesota. For those who need school supplies, make sure to check your local area for freebies! The 2016 School Supplies Bash is being held in multiple counties; Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey and Washington Counties. For more details & dates on where it may happen near you, click here!

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Twin Cities Mobile Jazz Project utilizes Jazz music, its derivatives, history, art, media and technology as a means to promote learning, communication and self-expression. This summer, the youth participants hosted free concerts all over the Twin Cities and have been hard at work learning from professional teaching artists and creating original songs and productions.

The Summer Concert Series will be hosting 4 more concerts in August from 3 pm to 6 pm:

August 17 – Powderhorn Park
August 24 – Folwell Park
August 31 – Harrison Park

Learn more about the project here – TwinCitiesMobileJazzProject.org!

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Join Argent Blue is a young Hmong American band that plays a variety of genres, including funk, rock, jazz, alternative, and Hmong classics. They will host a FREE concert for the community at:

Saturday, August 27 at 6 PM – 12 AM

Rosemount Community Center
13885 S Robert Trl, Rosemount, Minnesota 55068

A free concert and dance party! Invite your friends and dance through the evening! Dress to impress!

Alcohol will NOT BE PERMITTED. Anyone who brings alcohol will be asked to leave.

Spread the Awareness of Obesity!

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AMA STEP UP Youth

“Physical education programs are being cut from schools due to competing priorities. And unfortunately, this not only hurts kids’ health, but it hinders their ability to learn as well. In order to help #ProtectPE, we all need to be informed about the state of physical education across the country and in our own communities.” – Rightful owner

Nowadays, kids are less active compared to the past due to the recent technology advancement and less funding for physical ed programs. More kids are staying inside at their school and home without getting much opportunity to be active outside and during school hours.

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http://www.ncsl.org/

“Obesity rates have soared over the past four decades. Today, more than 23 million kids and teenagers — nearly a third — are overweight or obese.” – http://www.preventobesity.net/

It’s important to remember that physical activity is very important for not only your health, but also to your well being. This is the true goal of help kids stay active! What are the positive benefits of being physical active:

  • Burning off energy = stress level decrease, burn calories
  • At schools, it helps students concentrate during class and in their studies when they are able to have breaks in between.
  •  Test your knowledge of physical activity in schools linked here!

Postcard Highlights for March | 2016

Check out the postcards created for the Month of March by AMA Youths and staffs! We encourage healthy youth messages and want to share our knowledge with the community!

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Blog link to this postcard here!

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Blog link to this postcard here!

Korea: Metal & Flat Chopsticks

Take on glance at Korean chopsticks and you will notice the difference right away. Compared to other Asian countries that uses round chopsticks, Korean chopsticks are flat. And if you were to hold a pair of Korean chopsticks you would feel that it is more heavily weighed. That is because unlike most chopsticks which are made out of wood and bamboo, they are usually made out of metal or stainless steel.

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Belongs to rightful owner.

One theory suggested that silver chopsticks were used because it could detect poison and change color if there was any. This detection would’ve been very important in the royal palace where the king’s food was always inspected. Another theory of the origins of metal chopsticks was the availability of metal in Korea where it was much easier to obtain than wood and bamboo. Deforestation could’ve been another reason why the people turned to using metals. In the end, one can tell that Korea has distinctive chopsticks which they’re known for.

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Belongs to rightful owner.

Here are some benefits to using Korean chopsticks:

  • Much more sanitary as they are easier to clean and maintain
  • Reusable and last longer compared to other materials
  • You don’t have to invest in high quality chopsticks as cheap ones are usually good quality
  • Chopsticks are paired with a spoon so it is cost effective

 

Nov 19: the Great American Smokeout

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AMA STEPUP 2015

One problem that the U.S. and in other parts of the world still face today is the usage of tobacco. Tremendous research and data has proven that it can ruin your health. If you’re a smoker, take the steps now to live a healthier life. It is easier said than done as many smokers are addicted. But there is always help available for those who wants quit smoking.

“That’s where the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout can help. This event takes place on November 19 and encourages smokers to quit or to use the day to make a quit plan. Free help is available at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) and at 1-855-DÉJELO-YA (1-855-335-3569) (for Spanish speakers).

When you quit smoking during the Great American Smokeout, you have the support of many other people across the nation. And you’re taking an important step towards a healthier life.” – http://www.cdc.gov/

Five Ways to Get Ready to Quit Smoking

Quitting smoking can be hard, so a good plan can help you get past symptoms of withdrawal. Five steps can help.

  1. Set a quit date. Choose the Great American Smokeout or another quit day within the next 2 weeks.
  2. Tell your family and friends about your quit plan. Share your quit date with the important people in your life and ask for support. A daily phone call, e-mail, or text message can help you stay on course and provide moral support. Try SmokefreeTEXT for 24/7 help on your mobile phone.
  3. Be prepared for challenges. The urge to smoke is short—usually only 3 to 5 minutes. Surprised? Those moments can feel intense. Even one puff can feed a craving and make it stronger. Before your quit day, write down healthy ways to cope.
    • Drink water.
    • Take a walk or ride your bike.
    • Listen to a favorite song or play a game.
    • Call or text a friend.
  4. Remove cigarettes and other tobacco from your home, car, and workplace. Throw away your cigarettes, matches, lighters, and ashtrays. Clean and freshen your car, home, and workplace. Old cigarette odors can cause cravings.
  5. Talk to your pharmacist, doctor, or quitline coach about quit options. Nicotine patches, gum, or other approved quit medication can help with cravings.

Other benefits include:

  1. Financial savings! As you slowly quit, you’ll realized that all the side cashes that you usually spend on cigarettes can be spent on better things or put into your savings for future use.
  2. Health recovery and improvement! The sooner you quite smoking, the better condition your body will be in. Within 3 days, the nicotine in cigarettes are completely flushed out of your system. Within 1-9 months, your lungs, and other parts of your body will start to repair itself from the damage of smoking tobacco. Within 10 years, your chances of getting cancer decreases by 30%-50%!
  3. Having an environment with clear air! By being a non-smoker, you can help lessen the pollution that goes into the air. Also, you would be lessening the amount of trash that comes from leftover cigarette parts.

Credits and for more information is link here!

National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month and Fruits & Veggies

“One in 3 children in the United States is overweight or obese. Childhood obesity puts kids at risk for health problems that were once seen only in adults, like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.” – http://healthfinder.gov/
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Children obesity is a real problem and still exist. There are reasons why obesity is still common in the U.S. Such as organic and healthy food tend to be more expensive so lower income families tend to buy lower quality food. Fast food and high calorie snacks are very cheap to buy and widely available everywhere. And many people are still not informed or knowledgeable on how food can affect their health. As much as it is a financial and informative issue, it is also a mental struggle. People have to change the way they think about food within themselves, their family, their friends, and so on.
But no worries, obesity can be prevented! September is the National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month and organizations hope to spread the word of helping others! Here are so helpful resources that you can use and please share with others on social media:
National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
Fruits and Veggies – More Matters Month

Language Learning at Home

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http://mplswtg.org/

Many people today are born and raised in a bilingual home. It not only enhances the communication within the family, but help build the concept of diversity and acceptances towards different people. Also, it helps English language learners in their education when they have something to reference to and therefore, can build a better understanding of English. By being to recognize that learning at home is a resource, children and adults can use it more often

“Research suggests children educated initially in their home language learn a second language more proficiently and achieve more academic success than those who have not had such a solid foundation. Once students have built basic literacy skills in their home language, they will be able to apply those skills to the new language.” http://mplswtg.org/

Here are some tips on how to learn your language at home:

  • Have daily conversations with your family members that speak to you in your native language. Try to have meaningful and deep conversations that can actually help you become better.
  • Listen/watch TVs, dramas, and music! By listening to your native language, you’ll learn how to speak it better. It naturally enhances your speaking skills without you trying.
  • Reading articles/books in your own language can help you with grammar and writing. One problem with being bilingual is not being able to to read and write in both languages. So only by practicing can it help the technical components in a language.