Tag Archives: community

Being Active & Involved in April

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Do you have any ideas on what you want to do in the month of April? If you don’t know and is interested, look down below of the suggestions. You possibly find something that you would enjoy.

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  • Take a hike! Now that it’s April and we are heading to a warmer season, it’s time to go outside and enjoy the warmer season. Want some tips on how to enhance your hike:
    • Plan out your trip! It’s a good to get an idea and to research about the area you’re interested in hiking in. In this way, you know if it’s good for someone like you or a friend/partner if they are a beginner, experienced, or expert at hiking!
    • Wear the right gear! That also means make sure to check your local forecast. The right pair of hiking shoes will help support your feet and clothing will protect you from potential danger.
    • Bring extra food & water! Chances are you may get hungry so pack nutritional meals/snacks and water along. Make sure to always stay hydrated!
    • Bring a map/GPS/compass! It’s probably a good idea to know where you are heading and on how you can hike back to where you’d started.
    • Recommended local hiking trails: Theodore Wirth Regional Park, Minnehaha Regional Park, Fort Snelling State Park, Hyland Lake Park Reserve, and more!

Ways to Create a Healthier Community

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There are many issues in the community that needs to be addressed and fixed. But we cannot do that alone as it requires everyone’s active participation. We should make a team effort, to not only educate those in our community, but everyone else in this world.

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“The National League of Cities (NLC) report states that one in three children in the U.S. are overweight or obese, and that children aged 2-19 from low-income families are 1.7 times more likely to be obese.” – http://preventobesity.net/

Problems like obesity, racism, health inequality, and such will continue to exist. But we can always put effort in positive changes that will help make our world better. Here are a few tips on how to:

  • Listen to one another in a respective manner. Sure, we are all different, but that doesn’t mean we should be close minded to another. That is ignorance and the will to not listen to others only results in anger and frustration. Take the time to listen to your friends, relatives, and those around you. Although you may not agree with others, it is more about broadening your perspective and understanding how or why people think the way they do.
  • Encourage your community to become healthier! Whether it is making healthier choices, buying more to organic produces, reading and researching into what you are purchasing, or anything else, it is a great start to live a healthier lifestyle. You can become motivated by others or become part of someone’s else motivation. So share the healthy lifestyle with everyone you know and on your social media platforms and please do share it @biculturalliving.
  • Be the change you want to see! If no one is fighting for your cause, you can start an organization/club/group for those who may share the same goals as you. It does not have to be a big cause and small goals are more attainable. Such as fundraising for animal causes, health awarenesses, and more!

3 New Year Resolutions For You!

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As the ending of 2015 comes nearer, it is that time again of the year where people make new resolutions! Don’t stress making big goals to achieve and instead, focus on the small things you can do. Have you got goals any yet? Here are some resolutions that you can try to achieve for 2016!

  1. Want to start a healthier lifestyle? They say that “An apple a day, keep the doctor away”, but the point is that eating healthier foods will help improve your health. So try to avoid food with hight contents of saturated fat, oil, sugar, and sodium! It cannot be stressed enough as more than 1/3 of adults are obese in the U.S. So putting that with other healthy activities like exercising, your sleeping cycle, drinking water, and other things, will improve your overall health!
  2. Feeling like you need to try new things/activities/hobbies? It’s never to late to be part of something whether it is to make new friends, raise awareness, or just to have fun. Join community clubs, events, and be part of something bigger! Sometimes it is not easy putting yourself out there but if you do, you’ll get to meet people that you wouldn’t have been able to! The best part is that you would meet people who share similar interest
  3. Help save the planet! 2015 was a huge year that raised global awareness to global warming! If you are looking for a cause to support this is a major one as every living thing rely on the Earth! If you can’t contribute much to this cause, you can always try to lessen the trash/waste you put out. A few tips are to compost your foods, recycle when you can, reduce electricity and gas usage, & such! If we can all try to a live a a minimal lifestyle, then the Earth will greatly benefit from it!

DPS Video: Only One Choice

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This holiday, make sure you are driving sober. For the safety of yourself and other people, it is recommended that you either stay sober or have a designated driver. It is important that safe driving is enforced, especially during the holidays as many people are going to different places.

Students from Chanhassen High School and Chaska High School have an important message for parents during this holiday season. The video – “Only One Choice” -shows how parents can be a part of their kids’ lives — now and for years to come. Of course, it applies to everyone so that people are less likely to be harmed while driving on the roads.

Extra Enforcement Now on Minnesota Roads

The extra DWI enforcement campaign started November 25 and runs on weekends through January 2, 2016. The statewide enforcement involves police departments, sheriff’s offices and the State Patrol. The percentage of drunk-driving related deaths compared with total traffic fatalities is significantly higher for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday periods than other major holidays (2010 – 2014). During the first two weekends of the campaign, including the Thanksgiving holiday, law enforcement took 732 drunk drivers off Minnesota roads.

To prevent drunk driving:

  • Plan for a safe ride – designate a sober driver, use a cab/public transportation or stay at the location of the celebration.
  • Offer to be a designated driver, or be available to pick up a loved one anytime, anywhere.
  • Buckle up – the best defense against a drunk driver.
  • Report drunk driving – call 911 when witnessing impaired driving behavior. Be prepared to provide location, license plate number and observed dangerous behavior.

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November is National Diabetes Month

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It’s Your Life. Treat Your Diabetes Well.

http://www.cdc.gov/

“November is National Diabetes Month, and the City of Minneapolis wants to help prevent diabetes by encouraging people to get screened for Type 2 diabetes and then take action if they’re at risk for developing it.

The Minnesota Department of Health estimates that one out of three Minnesotans have prediabetes, but most of them don’t know it. People with prediabetes are likely to develop Type 2 diabetes within five years if they don’t take action.” – http://www.minneapolismn.gov/

The Minneapolis Health Department, with funding from the Minnesota Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sponsors the prevention program for Minneapolis residents in four community clinics and one community organization.

Under the guidance of a trained coach over 16 weeks, participants learn healthy eating, physical activity, managing stress, staying motivated, and solving problems that can get in the way of making healthy changes.

New classes are forming now. For more information, people can go to www.minneapolismn.gov/health/living/diabetesor call a class provider directly:

  • Native American Community Clinic (Brian Joyce at 612-872-8086 x1041).
  • Hennepin County Medical Center (Pa Xiong at 612-873-6641).
  • Neighborhood HealthSource clinics (Julie Lor at 612-287-2447).
  • Stairstep Foundation (Sylvia Amos at 612-521-3110).

For more information about the National Diabetes Prevention Program, go to www.cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention/index.htm.  Credits belong to the rightful owner.

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!

Walk to School Day, Oct 7th!

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“International Walk to School Day is a global event that involves communities from more than 40 countries walking and biking to school on the same day. It began in 1997 as a one-day event. Over time, this event has become part of a movement for year-round safe routes to school and a celebration – with record breaking participation – each October. Today, thousands of schools across America – from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico – participate every October.” – http://walkbiketoschool.org/

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www.walkbiketoschool.org

This event occurs each year and serves to remind everyone to live a healthier life. Walking can be exercise too if you do it enough! “Walking briskly for 2 hours and 30 minutes each week— easily broken up into 5, 30-minute walks—helps you meet the Physical Activity Guidelines and gain health benefits.” (http://www.cdc.gov/). If you don’t enjoy running or intense exercise, this is another option. Encourage your community to start walking more often by:

  • Walking with friends and family! It is a great way to spend time and exercise together.
  • Walking outside allows you to be part of the community because you are interacting with environment and people around you. The more people that are outside, the more it will encourage other people to come out.
  • Try to walk to your destinations as often as possible. If it’s close enough, take your time to walk there. Not only will it help you exercise, but help you save transportation money.

MN’s Obesity Rate Rises

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“MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Obesity rates across the country are still high despite the billions of dollars being spent on programs aimed at lowering than number, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control.

Minnesota is one of only five states that saw an increase in adult obesity rates last year – just shy of 28 percent.

Despite the rise, Minnesota’s rate is the 15th lowest in the U.S.

Overall, more than two-thirds of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese.

The average American today is 24 pounds heavier than his or her counterpart in 1960.” – http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/

Obesity is a real health issue arising in Minnesota. Sometimes, it is about the choices of a unhealthy lifestyle that affects people’s. So what can we do as a community to lower the rates of obesity?

  • Encourage your family, friends, and community to exercise! Whether it’s a daily or once a week, it is much better for your health than not being physical at all.
  • Buy groceries and foods from your local farmers and markets! There are actual organic and affordable food on the market. One just have to research a little bit to get information on where to get healthier food alternatives.
  • Stray away from fast food as much as possible. Although they’re cheap, fast, and easy to get, fast foods have more fat and sodium than you need on a daily basis. You can try to reduce the amount you eat fast food as you go on.
  • Join community marathons! These opportunities are a great way to exercise, support organizations, and meet new people. You will learn that there are many people out there who share the same cause as you do.
  • Living healthy is making smart choices! Being obese is a physical struggle and a mental challenge. Anyone can be healthier just by making healthier choices. It is always hard in the beginning, but once you make it a habit to life it won’t seem as difficult as before.

The Truth About Restaurant Food‏ & Eating Out Tips

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AMA’s STEP UP Youth 2015

Eating out can be a fun and social activity thing to do. But of course, it is not always healthy and cheap to eat out. Be aware that restaurant food can be just as unhealthy as fast food. Here are some reasons why:

  • Dishes can contain up to the same or more amount of salt, fat, and calories like fast food. Think about the total intake that comes from the appetizers, main dish, and side dishes.
  • Sometimes, it’s best to skip out on appetizers. Often time, people can’t finish their main course because they’re already full from the appetizers.
  • Are the food cleaner? This can vary from restaurants to restaurants. If you’re interested where the restaurants you eat at source their foods from, you can always ask the owner or do your own research.
  • Try not to order anything to drink besides water. Water is your body’s best friend and is an essential part of your diet. It’s free and keeps you hydrated.
  • Big plates equals big servings. Psychologically, when you have a big plate you feel like you need to fill it up with food. It relates to the old saying “your eyes can eat more than your stomach”. So it’s wise to portion your food and not over eat.

National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month and Fruits & Veggies

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“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