Tag Archives: youth

A Chinese Way of Living

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In this day, many Asian cultures have some Chinese influences in them whether it is food, religion, holidays, lifestyles, and such. You don’t have to be a certain race or ethnicity to live a bicultural lifestyle. It is about combining cultures together in positive ways. Here are some things you can do to incorporate some Chinese ways of living:

  • A common thing found in across Asian cultures that originated in China is tea. There are many varieties of them and ways to consume tea. Teas can be enjoyed during different occasions and are versatile in what you can do with them. Also, they are easily found anywhere and can be made at home.
  • Many Chinese cuisine nowadays are Americanized so they don’t taste as well and authentic. So other ways to enjoy them is seeking out local small Chinese owned restaurants, Asian groceries, flea markets/towns, and having connections to Chinese communities/friends/families. You may be able to see how they’re made and will be more likely to taste true Chinese cuisine.
  • Chinese medicines are very popular, especially among the older generations because of its healthy benefits. Many traditional Chinese medicines are a mix of herbs, plants, roots, and such. Trying them out could be an healthier alternative and more natural process of eliminating sicknesses.
  • Tai Chi is a form of Chinese martial arts and is known to be good for the body and mind. It helps the body exercise, relax, and destress. Anyone can take part of it and it can be done with a group or solo.

Summer Countdown

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Here is a summer challenge to keep you motivated to stay healthy this summer! It can be easily done by taking small steps. The Countdown is fairly simple:

5 Days a Week of Active Play

4 New Places to Visit 

3 Fresh Fruits and Veggies Daily 

2 Summer Projects 

1 Time a day with a Good Book 

0 Soda pop – Drink more water

These points are great not only for youth and families but great to keep in mind as summer approaching –  Are your youth active? Are they eating healthy? Are they drinking enough water?

Do the Summer Countdown, even better do the DAILY countdown!!!!
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National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness

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On April 10th, it was the National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day. Social media, news, and all sorts of media posted about how it is “an opportunity to learn about HIV & AIDS and how young people are affected” (https://www.aids.gov). But it is still great to pass on knowledge about these issues and to learn more about current updates and research. Here are some links to more information about HIV & AIDS.

Blog posts:
Additional resources include:

Season Change – the things you need to watch for

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Season

Spring is quickly arriving and with the new season, there are some things to do. For every season, we all need to prepare for it. Here are some ways that you can help prep yourself for the new season:

  • More cleaning? Sadly, yes we all need to clean our yard every year. Whether it is pulling out weeds, raking leaves, picking up pine seeds, planting new garden plants, or trimming the grass, it can help prep the yard to allow new things to grow. Also, it’ll help make the yard look cleaner.
  • How to properly dispose garbage and recycle? Depending on where you live, the city will tell you how to organize your recyclables and dispose garbages based on the city rules. It will help make it easier for the waste service to handle them and prevent you from paying any fees.
  • Experiencing warmer (or colder) weather? Time to put away your clothes that are not suited to the weather. Whether it is warm or cold weather, dress accordingly so that you can fully enjoy the warm weather (or protect yourself from the cold).
  • Food is a major part of the seasonal change! Check out your local farmer’s market and groceries to get fruits and veggies that are in season. As a bonus, having a garden can help you get outside, stay active, and grow your own produces!
  • There are many activities that you can do each season. Spring and summer is great for fishing, camping, walking, running, bicycling, swimming, and more. Fall and winter is great for harvesting, skiing, sledding, walking, and more. So it really depends on what you want to do during the season.
  • New season means other holidays are coming near! Usually, people get work off as well as students. It is a great way for families to celebrate with great food, entertainment, and bonding with others.
  • Season positions? Summer is the prime time for internships, summer jobs, and youth employment programs. It is a great way for many youths to earn a few buck while having time to spare for personal fun.

There are many things to do each season so make sure you enjoy each of them while they are still here! Have fun, stay active, and experience new things.

Postcard of the Week: Bicultural Healthy Living

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Bicultural

The spread of cultural awareness, acceptance, and knowledge has continue to rise as society become more open towards different kinds of people. Today we celebrate all kinds of things; such as holidays, ethnic identities, and more. Embracing our differences is what brings people together. Here are some ways you can experience different cultures:

  • Eat ethnic food! It’s fun, fast,y and will allow you to really test your palate. Also, it’s easy to access (global markets, groceries, restaurants) or make on your own.
  • Research about or attend a museum dedicated to the group. It’ll help give you historical, cultural, and facts about the culture you’re interested in.
  • Interact with people from those cultures! Best experience for you to understand another culture on a deeper level is talk to the people from that culture. They can give you more information that you wouldn’t find by yourself.
  • Listen to their music! Most likely that another culture may speak a different language or the same, but with a bit of difference. Listening to their music can give you an understanding what they like, value, and how they celebrate.
  • Understand their native environment! It has a lot to do with how the group developed and use their environment in terms of their food, clothes, housing, hunting, traditions, and more.

NRC Recognizes National Nutrition Month

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March is recognized as national nutrition month! This month focuses on healthy eating and living. The goal is encourage people to maintain a balance lifestyle between exercising and eating. Obesity is still a problem in the U.S. as less people are being active and consuming more than they should. Obesity affects many different kinds of people from all sort of age groups.

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If you are still keeping your new year’s resolution or looking for simple ways to be healthier, here are some quick tips onto how:

  • Avoid fast food companies, junk food, and anything that is high in calories. Although the price might be cheaper, but what you are getting in return is more calories than necessary. Look for foods with simple ingredients, low calories, and organic is always a plus!
  • Eat seasonal fruits and veggies. The best to consume fruits and veggies is when they are in their season. Most likely that fruits and veggies will be cheaper at this time so take advantage of it!
  • “Replace fats like bacon grease and butter with olive or canola oil” – http://reachcoalition.org/
  • Cook your own food. It doesn’t get any better than knowing what is and how much is in your food. Whether it’s fried chicken, a burger, or a stir fry dish, it’s a lot healthier to eat compared to eating out or ordering fast food.
  • Work out as much as you can or maintain a exercise schedule. Even a little exercise can help you lose calories and destress. If you are able to keep up your own schedule, mixing up exercise methods can help you avoid boredom and still be productive.

References and pictures are from: http://reachcoalition.org/

Follow the fight against obesity at CDCObesity and theweightofthenation.

Working Together

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There are are many ways we can collaborate together

There are many ways to work together whether it is at school, at work, or with friends. Being part of group means there will be more ideas and opinions on different projects. Here are some effective tips to work as a team:

  • Make sure everyone gets to participate. It isn’t a teamwork without everyone’s effort. Whether you are a listener, follower, or a leader, it is best that everyone had a chance to be part of the group.
  • Be open minded and respectful of others. Chances are that your group mates may not share or like the same idea that you have. That’s okay because everyone has different opinions and ideas. Just don’t take it personally. It’s not about what one person, but what the entire group wants.
  • Assign roles to your team members. If you’re a leader or just want to help make things progress a little bit smoother, giving everyone a role will help a lot. For example, roles like a recorder, a writer, a speaker, etc. This help the group to not procrastinate and instead, becoming productive.
  • Make a goal. There must be something the group want to achieve out of working together. Finalizing a goal can help the group members imagine the results they want to see.
  • Take it on step by step. Working together is about taking steps and progressing as a team together. It can be from working on the deadlines, being organize, meeting a requirement, or more. Don’t rush into anything and make sure that everyone is on the same page.

Remember that working together is doing almost everything as a team. It’s not about following one person’s lead, but a team agreeing on one thing. Although there will be moments where each member has their on individual tasks needed to be done, it is the group work that will count at the end.

Risks of Tobacco Use

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We should always help educate youth about tobacco use and its risks. One of the many reasons why is because many people die each year due to using or smoking or being exposed to tobacco. According to www.cdc.gov, more than 480,000 deaths occur annually (including deaths from secondhand smoke). Here are some risks of tobacco exposure:

  • Being second handy exposed to tobacco can cause you to develop health risks as a normal person using tobacco
  • Tobacco can increase the risk of cancer which can form in most of your organs. The highest death rates are found in patients who developed lung and heart cancer.
  • Nicotine is found in cigarettes and it is proven to be an addictive substance (http://www.drugabuse.gov). A stimulant can make the user feel adrenaline and become more alert. In this case, cigarettes can do the same and even produce a calming effect on the user.
  • Many youths are influenced to use or smoke tobacco due to their social environments such as peers, families, stress, genetics, and more.

Comparing the lungs between a non smoker to a smoker, you can see the drastic difference in their health and conditions.

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http://www.drugabuse.gov/

One of the best thing to do is avoid using or being exposed to tobacco. Don’t let anyone influence you to put yourself at risk. As a growing person, you may be influence to make decisions that you personally don’t want to. So be aware of who is a positive and negative influence in your life. Sometimes the best thing to do is just say “No”.