Category Archives: Healthy Youth Development

National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

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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.

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Postcard Highlights for August | 2016

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This month’s postcards are focused on nature and self-reflection. Remember that one’s perspective determines how they see and fell about things. It’s up to you to decide the positives and negatives in your life. Also, it’s good to be reminded that enjoying the simple things over extravagant luxuries could be more self-fulfilling. It could be spending more time with loved ones, going out to your community, or trying something new.

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Protect Yourself During Summer!

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Summer is a time of sunny days, hot temperature, and heat waves that occurs throughout the days. Make sure that you stay protected from all of these and any potential damage from the summer heat. It’s time to review what you can do to protect your health!

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  • Everytime you go out, make sure to wear sunscreen! Apply it to your body and don’t forget your face and ears. Intense sunlight on any part of your body can damage your skin and cause skin cancer.
  • Drink lots of water! If it is hot outside your body will sweat to keep it cool and that also means you’re losing water. Drink as much water as possible to stay hydrated and refreshed!
  • “The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a buyer beware on the possible health benefits of Whole Body Cryotherapy (WBC) treatments. WBC is used to cool the body for therapeutic purposes. A person stands in a semi-closed chamber with their torso, and legs exposed to frigid temperatures for two to four minutes while their head and neck are above the machine. As with any new medical device, talk to your doctor first and learn more about this consumer update.” – Rightful owner
  • Summer nights means more bugs and mosquitoes are out! Wear repellent bands or/and spray on some insect repellent! Wear proper clothes (especially during summer night times) to prevent further bug bites!

Why You Should Be Eating More Fruits!

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There are definetly easy ways in which you can improve your eating habits. Whether there’s a certain goal that you want to reach, the best mindset is to start out small. Don’t focus on the end result because it’s more about what you can do now than worrying about the future!

Eating fruits is an easy way to consume healthier food and can you in providing your daily vitamins. The best part is that you can choose fruits to your liking and incorporate them into your meals. Fruits can be eaten by itself, as a side dish/desert, or in a mixed salad. The benefits of fruits varies from each fruit. Also, if you’re craving something sweet, eating fruits is a great and healthier option!

A healthy lifestyle with a good eating habits will help maintain and keep your body healthy. Of course, it is okay to indulge yourself into your cravings every now and then. Some things to keep in mind:

  • Try to drink water on a daily basis/as much as possible. Going on a couple hours without drinking water can leave your body dehydrated and possibly affecting other parts of your body. Your skin, lips, and hair will show signs of dehydration more than any other parts of your body.
  • Daily exercise is necessary to being/becoming healthy. Whether it’s short/long and doing a easy/mediocre/intense workout is up to you. Also, try to leave time (30 min-1 hour) to work out (possibly 2-3x a week).
  • Sleep is very important for your body to rest and reenergize! So try to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night! Consistent sleepless nights can do more damage to your body than you know.

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Summer Physical Activities!

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Summer is a time for outdoor activities! So put on your work out gear and get your equipments ready if necessary. Make sure to the take opportunity of the warm weather to enjoy being outdoors and engaging in summer activities. Not sure of what you should do? Listed down below are some recommendations:

  • Walking around your community and neighborhood is a great way for you to discover new restaurants, local stores, and sites you have not seen before.
  • Go running/biking/walking around local trails! It keeps you active while sightseeing and you can control your own pacing.
  • Play a sport! Popular sports in the summer is volleyball, baseball, & swimming! Of course, feel free to participate in any sport activity. Form your own team or play for a local team!
  • Rent a paddle boat, canoe, kayak, and even rent a bike. They are commonly found in areas of Minnesota lakes.

The most important thing is to have fun and be safe! Any physical activities can be harmful when done extensively so remember to let your body rest. But no physical activity is also bad for your body. It’s all about living a balanced lifestyle in different kinds of ways.

Trauma Resources

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With recent violent events, it can impact people in different ways. If you know someone experiencing trauma, try your best to support them and let them know about their available resources. If you or a friend is in need, remember that you can always reach out to or depend on these things:

  • Close family members and friends
  • Professionals – local clinics, hotline, therapist, etc.
  • Online support communities
  • Click here for facts/info about trauma in the state of Minnesota
  • For local helplines in Minnesota click here!

“Anyone can help someone who struggles with trauma—whether they work in the medical or mental health community, or are just a caring individual.

The National Council for Behavioral Health would like to share a few resources about trauma:

  • INFOGRAPHIC: 10 Signs A Person May Be Experiencing Trauma
  • INFOGRAPHIC: 10 Tips to Help Someone Experiencing Trauma
  • TIP SHEET: Trauma in the LGBTQ Community: What Practitioners Should Know in the Wake of the Orlando Shootings.
  • FACT SHEET: LGBTQ Mental Health: How the Orlando Shootings Can Broadly Impact This Community.” – Rightful owner

 

National Park and Recreation Month!

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“National Park and Recreation Month is a time to promote the benefits of healthy, vibrant communities.” – http://www.nrpa.org/

National Park & Recreation Month encourages people to go outdoors, connect with local parks/reservations/recreations, and enjoy their time outside. It promotes people to reconnect with nature and to become more aware and supportive of our environment. “Today, the average American spends 93% of their life indoors – 87% in buildings and 6% in vehicles” (NRPA). Fun fact: Americans have celebrated National Park and Recreation Month during July since 1985 (NRPA).

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Here are some ways in which you can participant in this month’s event:

  • Go outside to your local parks!
  • Visit/volunteer a reservation site!
  • Go walking/biking at your local trails!
  • Share the message on your social media and with people around you!
  • Remember to ask other people to join you outdoors!

Are Instant Noodles Bad For Your Health?

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“According to the World Instant Noodles Association (WINA), 52 countries consumed 97.7 billion servings last year alone. Among its highest consumers are China and Hong Kong, which together consumed 40.43 billion servings, followed by Indonesia, with 13.20 billion servings consumed. Unsurprisingly, the U.S. is not too far behind with 4 billion instant noodles consumed in 2015.” – http://nextshark.com/

So what are instant noodles? They are noodles that have been deep fried and packaged along with other seasoning packets. With just boiling water, you make a quick meal. It’s delicious of course and very cheap.

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Instant noodles have the reputation of being convenient, affordable, delicious, and unhealthy. Although it is loved by people throughout the world, it can be bad for your health if consume daily. Here are some reasons why:

  • The amount of sodium in a instant noodle pack is a lot more than what you should consume in a meal. Ingesting too much salt can lead one to experience dehydration, damaging the kidneys, and other parts of your body.
  • Instant noodles does not offer nutritional value to your body. Most of it is carbs, sodium, and saturated fat.

Like any other junk and fast food, you should consume instant noodles in moderation. You can always add more water to the broth and other veggies to make it a more balance meal. But don’t try to replace your diet with instant noodles and remember to cook your own meals as much as possible.

This Month in Japan | July

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“Fumizuki, a traditional name for July, refers to “book/origin month. The true meaning of the kanji is difficult to decipher. One theory is that fumizuki is a shortened form of hofumizuki, referring to a time when rice becomes ready for harvest. Another possible explanation is that the name is short forfumihirakizuki, meaning to hope for an improvement in one’s calligraphy skills.

July 7 is Tanabata or the Star Festival, that celebrates the meeting of the deities named Orihime and Hikoboshi. The third Monday of the month is Marine Day, commemorating the return of Emperor Meiji to Yokohama port from a boat trip to Hokkaido in 1876.” – Rightful owner

In July, parts of Japan is experiencing the rainy season while other areas will have very hot and sunny weather. Places in higher elevation like Hokkaido will probably have better weather conditions. There are plenty of things to do and lots of festivals to attend throughout Japan. If you are visiting Japan during this month, prepare an umbrella, sunglasses, and light clothing. Here are some things that are happening in July in Japan:

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Geishas during the Gion Matsuri Festival.

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  • Summer in Japan means that there will be tons of festivals being hosted through out the entire month and country.
    • Gion Matsuri is a festival celebration that occurs in Kyoto for the entire month of July! Hosted in Kyoto, this festivals displays 10 to 20 amazing decorative floats. People come to enjoy the sights and foods, but also to buy good luck charms to ward off evil. For more in depth info on the event, location, time, and its history, click here!
      • Tenjin Festival is big festival held in Osaka that showcases fireworks, parades, geishas, river boats, and so much more. It attracts people from all over Japan to attend this event for For more in depth info on the event, location, time, and its history, click here!
    • For a calendar overview of all the official events happening in Japan during July, click here!
  • Beach season is on full fledge and it’s time to enjoy the coastal regions of Japan. There are a lot of beaches to go to depending on where you want to visit. It is probably best to avoid the most popular beach destinations so you wouldn’t have to compete with so many people on the same beach.
  • For other events/festivals occurring in July, click here!

Who are the Healthiest Americans?

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“Of the population — which includes the Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Japanese, Vietnamese and Korean subgroups — Chinese adults scored the best on five measures of health, including health status, multiple chronic conditions, serious psychological distress in the last month and limitations in work or social participation.

The data was collected between 2010 and 2014 as part of the National Health Interview Survey, surveying about 166,000 people over the age of 18.” – Emma Court, marketwatch

Asian Americans was reported to be the healthiest Americans among other groups of people. But datas have not detailed the reasons why or possible factors that separates Asian Americans from other groups. There could be potential factors that may have helped Asian Americans to remain healthy. So, listed down below are some reasons why:

  • Asian Americans have more options in terms of what they eat growing up, going out, etc. The food/cuisine of Asian cultures is very vast and uses a lot of different ingredients. Also, they tend to be healthy and include fresh ingredients. Some cultures have a more extensive veggie variety such as the Indian cuisine. Whiles other cultures focus on eating a balance meal such as Korean cuisine that have lots of veggie side dishes.
  • Asian medicine is a big influence in the beliefs and practices among all Asians. Although they are practiced differently throughout Asia and in the U.S., they all teach important health lessons and influence the lifestyle of others. For example, Chinese philosophies teaches people to live in harmony with their physical body and spiritual being. Want to acquire good life habits according to the Chinese medicine? Click here!
  • Although Asian Americans are reported to be the healthiest Americans, they still face health issues that are not reported. Therefore, it is important to spread awareness onto others through sharing info with friends, families, and on social media. For more info on health disparities of Asian Americans, click here!