National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month and Fruits & Veggies

Posted on September 16, 2015 by Patricia Thao

“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/

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

Sample content for blogs, Facebook posts, and Tweet and resources for websites and social media sites – see attached Word files
Healthfinder.gov toolkit with a sample newsletter announcement, tweets, e-cards, web badge, and more – http://healthfinder.gov/NHO/Septembertoolkit.aspx
CDC social media badges – http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/resources/multimedia.html

Fruits and Veggies – More Matters Month

Healthfinder.gov toolkit with a sample newsletter announcement, tweets, e-cards, web badge, and more – http://www.healthfinder.gov/nho/SeptemberToolkit2.aspx
CDC social media badges – http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/resources/multimedia.html
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Team Nutrition – http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/features-month/september/national-fruit-veggies-more-matters-month

Language Learning at Home

Posted on September 11, 2015 by Patricia Thao

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.

Stay Motivated in School

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Patricia Thao

www.annarborfamily.com

Many students return to school with new motivation, but it is quite hard to maintain it! Sometimes, you just want to give up because many things can affect you. But don’t worry, you’re not alone as many other students are going through the same problems. These tips will help you get through the year!

To feel good and energized, you need at least 8 hours of sleep! If your body is on a stable sleeping cycle, you will fall asleep much quicker. You’ll find that you will feel better the next morning as you won’t wake up exhausted.
Eat a balance meal with healthy snacks. It’s normal for students of all ages to feel constantly feel hunger throughout the day. Chances are you may be tired, didn’t get to eat a proper meal, or too busy to worry about eating right. But you can try to avoid unhealthy snacks and meals. Try to bring healthy alternatives to satisfy your cravings!
Along with eating well, try to live a balance life. That means make time for your education, family, friends, exercising, and free time. It will assure you more freedom to do what you need and want. So having a planner and being organized helps out a lot!
Ask questions in class! You probably don’t want to stand out or feel less smart than other students in class, but chances are other students are wondering the same. It’s all about trying to educate yourself without worrying what others may think of you.
Build positive relationships with peers and teachers! The closer you are with the people around you, you all can help and educate each other. Also, they provide new perspectives and knowledge that you may not know or have.
Take effective notes! Everyone has their own styles when it comes to note taking. But don’t relentlessly write down notes without proper organization . You won’t be able to find things easily when you need them to study. A popular note taking style is Cornell notes.

Picture credit linked here.

STEP UP Youth 2015 Postcards

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Patricia Thao

STEP UP youth made an amazing collection of postcards this summer. Topics range from anti-tobacco to domestic abuse and more. We hope to promote bi-culturalism and positive messages to the community. Please check them out down below. Share this post with your friends and family!

Go Back to School Tobacco-free!‏

Posted on August 18, 2015 by Patricia Thao

Let’s go back to school with a positive mindset on living healthy! One thing to encourage your peers and friends is to be tobacco-free. Although statistics shows that tobacco use is gradually decreasing, many are still at risk.

Use some of these tips to support this cause:

Set yourself or others to be a good role model. It can help change people’s perspective that tobacco usage is not cool or good for your body.
Say no to tobacco! Don’t let peer pressure get to you or to your friends! Only do what you want to and not what others say to you.
Quitting it sooner is better than never! If you are currently using tobacco or know someone who is, try to convince yourself/them to stop. Extensive research has show that by using tobacco it can cause diseases like lung cancer, breathing problems, stroke, and more.

Here are some quick facts to help you learn more about being tobacco:

From 2011 to 2014, current cigarette smoking declined among middle and high school students.^4,5
Nearly 3 of every 100 middle school students (2.5%) reported in 2014 that they smoked cigarettes in the past 30 days—a decrease from 4.3% in 2011.
In 2014, more than 12 of every 100 high school students (12.7%) and approximately 3 of every 100 middle school students (3.1%) reported use of two or more tobacco products in the past 30 days.⁴
In 2014, nearly 25 of every 100 high school students (24.6%) and nearly 8 of every 100 middle school students (7.7%) used some type of tobacco product.⁴

Credits to www.cdc.gov

Honoring Cultural Exercises

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Patricia Thao

Join us for the 1st ever Hmong Dance Drama – Longing for Qeej

Minneapolis, Minnesota – In kicking off the Bicultural Active Living Lifestyle (BALL) Campaign, Asian Media Access and Iny Asian Dance Theater join hands to showcase the first ever Hmong Dance Drama – Longing for Qeej at both Cities – Minneapolis and St. Paul, to help the communities to recognize the beauty of the cultural exercises.

ST PAUL:

July 19 (Sunday), 5:30pm at

Central Park Frank Rog Amphitheater

2540 Lexington Ave. N
Roseville, MN 55113

MINNEAPOLIS:

July 23 (Thurs), 5:30pm at

Outside of Asian Media Access, on the Plymouth Ave

2418 Plymouth Ave. N.,

Minneapolis, MN 55411

Both events are part of Asian Media Access’ BALL strategy to emphasis on bicultural healthy living by utilizing cultural pride and parent involvement as motivations for youth to be proud of themselves, and exercise more through cultural exercises. By wearing beautiful costume,  listening to traditional music, stepping into ancient footsteps, it gives youth a sense of self-esteem, and cultural identity other sports may not offer, along with strong parents’  support in preserving the cultural traditions. Therefore, both AMA and IADT have supported youth learning/performing Asian dances as a way to live healthier in a bicultural environment.

Longing for Qeej will be performed by Iny Asian Dance Theater’s 109 dancers, which is a dance drama adapted from Hmong folktale portraying the origin of Qeej – a traditional Hmong music instrument, a mouth organ with six bamboo pipes of different lengths attached to a wooden air chamber. Hmong believes that Qeej can communicate between the heaven and the earth, the living and the dead. One of the opening mysterious dance – the Dragon Dance will be performed by Iny Asian Dance Theater’s most advanced group – MN Sun Shine. The team has long history of winning titles of Hmong New Year Dance Competition. Not only the dance includes a beautiful dragon head with matching gold/red masks, MN Sun Shine dancers has also performed this powerful dance with explosive physical capacities along with beautiful costume, and refreshing Asian music.

This is not the first time Iny Asian Dance Theater brought the Hmong dances/folklore to the broader audience. Led and Choreographed by Acclaimed Hmong Artist, Iny Xiong, Iny Asian Dance Theater has successfully served more than 200 students annually.   Its mission is to broaden students’ ability and general public’s appreciation of Asian Dances through teaching and performance, and their major projects include: 1) Bringing the Asian Traditional Dances to Life, with a special focus on Asian Indian, Chinese, Hmong, Laotian and Thai dances through weekly dance classes and community engagement performances; 2) Sharing Asian cultures and talents with mainstream audience to build a better community of appreciation of diverse arts with Annual Recital and newly created Dance Drama Performance series. Currently, Iny Asian Dance Theater has 13 different levels and ages groups.

Both performances are outdoor, please bring your lawn chairs to enjoy a 2-hours Asian dances you have never seen before. This unique project is sponsored by the MN State Arts Board (which that was created by a vote of the people of Minnesota on Nov., 2008); Minnesota Department of Education; Roseville Parks and Recreation; and Minneapolis Roseville Parks and Recreation. For more information, please check the website at www.inyasiandancetheater.org, or call at 612-376-7715 or e-mail info@inyasiandancetheater.org

Anorexia & Bulimia

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Patricia Thao

Photo credit: www.deardoctor.com

Anorexia and bulimia are among some of the most common type of eating disorder. Factors are often associated with or can cause eating disorders are low-self esteem, bullying, distorted body images, food phobias, social or/and peer pressure, and more. Eating disorders are treated in combinations of doctors, therapists, consultants, and nutritionists. Also, the support of family and friends are crucial to helping someone overcome their eating disorder.

What is anorexia? It is a eating disorder where the individual does not want to eat food or not enough to keep their body weight. They often think of themselves as overweight and see themselves to not be thin enough. This can be accompanied by excessive exercising or starvation. People with anorexia are usually very underweight.

What is bulimia? It is a eating disorder where people binge eat and then either throw up the food or do extreme amount of exercises to burn the large amount of calories. People will binge eat and purge on a regular basis, which can cause serious health issues. Bulimia can cause people to develop compulsive behaviors and damage their teeth and esophagus along the way due to stomach acid. People with bulimia are usually at their body weight or overweight.

So what can you to help yourself if you are experiencing a eating disorder or someone with it?

Always seek out professional help who can help diagnosed the eating disorder, prescribed medications, provide consultations, and if needed, get more help from other professionals.
Get support from family and friends. They can help provide comfort and additional advices.
The road to recovery is changing your perspective towards a more positive outlook. Learn to accept yourself for who and what you are. It is not as easily done as said, but time will heal any insecurities that you may have.

The Benefits of Walking

Posted on June 22, 2015 by Patricia Thao

One of the easiest and effective way to stay active is to walk. Going on daily walks or walking more often can help your body stay healthy. Oppose to not walking at all, even a little exercise can help you maintain an active lifestyle. Here are some health benefits to walking and ways you can walk more:

Incorporate stretches, warm ups, and different exercise activities. It can help you walk longer and better. As a bonus, it’ll help you burn more calories. It would effectively help you out even more if you can have a routine.
During your breaks at work or free time, instead of sitting down take a stroll. It is a good change for your mind and body as you are required to move. It can help improve your mood, blood circulation, maintain blood pressures, and more. Many jobs require people to sit 8 hours all day and it doesn’t do the body any good. Humans weren’t made to sit all day so it’s good to do little exercise there and here.
Walking can help maintain your weight and even help you lose weight. Although walking is not intensive, you can lose weight by walking longer. The faster you walk or run, the more calories you lose. Also, since it helps your body become more active you will decrease the chance of developing obesity, osteoporosis, and lower the risk of plausible diseases, and diabetes.
“Among 44,452 male health professionals, walking at least 30 minutes a day was linked to an 18% lower risk of coronary artery disease.” – http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/Walking-Your-steps-to-health
If you can walk there, do it! If you are going somewhere nearby, instead of taking a vechicle there it would be better for you to walk there. Although it can be boring, bring your music or whatever it is to entertain you along the way. Just make sure to pay attention to where you’re heading.
Wear comfortable shoes! If you know you are going to walk for a long period of time or you need special shoes to help you walk then be prepared! The chance of you walking in an uncomfortable shoes all day isn’t the best situation to be in. It can cause your feet to develop rashes, sores, and more.
Do it with a friend or a pet! It is more fun to walk with a partner so if you have someone to do it with, that’s even better. They can serve to motivate you to walk more often and longer.

Ways to Help Cope With Social Anxiety

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Patricia Thao

http://www.hendersoncounselingservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/s.a.-pic.jpg

Being in a social environment can be daunting and very uncomfortable to many people. It is a problem that many of us face when being put an socially awkward position. Or even the thoughts of having to socialize or being in a social place can make people anxious. Some people may have social anxiety worse than others or experience it in different ways, locations, and situations.

According to http://www.webmd.com/, social anxiety or social phobia is an “anxiety disorder in which a person has an excessive and unreasonable fear of social situations. Anxiety (intense nervousness) and self-consciousness arise from a fear of being closely watched, judged, and criticized by others.” Some symptoms include:

Experiencing intense anxiety
Sweating
Increase in heart rate
Avoidance of social situations
More at -> http://www.webmd.com/

Here are some ways to help people cope with social anxiety:

Make sure to go to your doctor or local clinic to help you if you think you are experiencing social anxiety in unusual or extreme ways. If it is heavily impacting you, it would be very helpful for you to receive help and be aware of your medical condition. Ask your doctor if there is a possibility that it could be linked to another illness or a result of medications that you may be currently on.
Practice your social skills with close family, friends, and relative members. The more comfortable you are with yourself, you can start to relax and worry less. They will help you slowly communicate and adjust to social situations. Try different conversation starters, questions, and follow-up responses. Put yourself in social settings so that you can become more used to social settings.
Try to avoid thinking about what other people think about you. Whether they may or may not be judging you, you are in charge of how you feel about yourself. Concerning yourself over how you appear to others is not worth your time. Other’s judgements does not evaluate you as an individual.
Understand that you are not the only one who experience or goes through this. As part of growing up and developing, expect to be placed in weird situations, expect to be given endless criticisms, expect to have unwanted judgements, and above the all. You can’t stop it or avoid it, but you can learn and grow from it. You will eventually develop your own resilience, have thicker skin, and understand that not everyone wants to be your friend or perceive you in positive ways.
Your mental health is very important because it determines how you perceive and respond to stressful situations. Invest in some time for yourself to reorganize your thoughts, worries, goals, and such. Do little things that help make your life easier, simpler, or healthier.

Living is a State of Mind

Posted on June 8, 2015 by Patricia Thao

Your perspective on life is a very important part of how you may think about the world, society, people, and more. It is up to you to decide whether you want to go through life negatively or positively. Although you can’t control everything that happens to you, you can control how you feel about them. It is all about perspective and what you are going to do that can make your life better.

Take the time to appreciate all the things you already have and don’t worry about what you don’t have. Whether it is your bed, your pets, your books, your family, or anything. It is the little things in life that can make you happy.
Don’t compare yourself to others. You are always going to be you and you can’t change that. Trying to be like others or comparing your social status (in real life, on social media, academics, sports, etc.) won’t make you feel better. Everyone goes through their own journey and challenges to find themselves. So be who you are as an individual and focus on yourself.
Change is inevitable and unavoidable. Some things may stay the same, but remember that many things will change. You’ll experience changes within yourself and the people surrounding you. It’s about embracing the changes and not avoiding it.
Surround yourself with positive people. Being with negative people are going to make you feel negative. They will do you more harm than good. It is best to leave those people behind and move on. Sometimes, you need to evaluate who are the right people for you. They are the people that can help better improve yourself and are going to support you along your way.
Having more responsibility means you are growing as a person. Don’t think of it as a hassle or a burden. Everyone will eventually grow up, but not everyone will be able to mature. Also, if you feel stressed out about it, then break things down step by step. See what you need to do and what you want to do.

Bicultural Healthy Living

A Balanced Approach to a Bicultural Healthy Life

Tag Archives: youth