Monday, August 30, 2010

This Week Talk About Safety

This week take time to review the rules for buses, bicycles, and pedestrian crossings. Teach your children how to stay calm in an emergency.

There are many traffic safety tips to share with your children to keep them safe when you can’t be with them. These tips may seem a bit trite, but they bear repeating (and repeating and repeating and repeating for kids).


First and foremost, set a good example by always following the traffic safety rules yourself. Children learn by example.

  • Choose the safest route to school and walk it with your child prior to allowing them to travel it on their own.

  • Always look both ways before crossing the street.

  • Cross in the crosswalks at the corner, not in the middle of the block. Never cross from between parked cars. Never cross an intersection diagonally.

  • Cross the street with the Crossing Guard whenever possible.

  • Children should look to see that drivers are aware of them. Making eye contact with a driver is a good way to know whether a driver is aware that someone is about to cross the road.

  • Cross quickly – do not linger or play in the street.

  • Always wear a helmet when riding a bicycle, skateboard, or scooter.

  • Remember the same rules (look both ways, use crosswalks, etc) apply when riding a bike.

  • Walk bicycles, skateboards, and scooters across the crosswalk.

  • Be careful in parking lots – look out for the cars as they may not be able to see you. Never walk or run in front of cars.

  • Teach children the meaning of traffic signs. Stop at all stop signs, red lights, and obey traffic signals. When the intersection has crossing signals, only cross when the walk signal is lit.

  • When walking on sidewalks, be aware of driveways and alleys from which cars may emerge.

  • When walking down a street with no sidewalks, walk as near to the edge of the road as possible, facing traffic. Bright colored clothing increases visibility, but when walking/biking near dusk reflective tape should be used on jackets, backpacks, bikes, etc.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Take Charge of Your Health and Your Life

The following database sources are available free of charge on the Arrowhead Library System database page:

Consumer Health Complete (CHC) is designed for the everyday consumer of health care information.  CHC provides convenient access to easily understandable health and medical information.  Consumers can search and browse within medical encyclopedias, popular reference books, and magazine articles.

Health Source: Consumer Edition is a rich collection of consumer health information.  This resource provides access to nearly 80 full text, consumer health magazines, including American Fitness, Better Nutrition, Fit Pregnancy, Harvard Health Letter, HealthFacts, Men's Health, Muscle & Fitness, Prevention, Vegetarian Times and many others.  This database also includes searchable full text for more than 1,000 health-related pamphlets and more than 130 health reference books, including books published by the "People's Medical Society".

Monday, August 23, 2010

Snack Smart

Snacks are a great way to refuel.  Choose snacks from different food groups -- a glass of low-fat milk and a few graham crackers, an apple or celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins, or some dry cereal.  If you eat smart at other meals the occasional cookie or piece of candy or ok for snacking too.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Healthy Family Meals

"Given today's hectic lifestyle, it's more important than ever to build a healthy food culture right in your own home - without driving yourself crazy.  In "Healthy Family Meals" the American Heart Association showcases 150 recipes everyone will love.  Full color pictures make each selection look delicious and the easy to follow instructions ensure that your final product will be the same.  There is even a great Kids' Recipes section divided into foods that 7 to 9 year olds will like and things for the 10 to 12 year old crowd.

Look on the new book shelf in 641.56311 or check the library catalog and place a hold.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Wanted: Active Role Models for Today's Kids

Obesity is a growing problem for kids today. The Harlem Globetrotters have a program to help parents with this problem. 

In 2008, the Globetrotters launched a program called S.P.I.N.—Some Playtime Is Necessary—a program designed to make fitness fun for kids, while promoting and encouraging an active lifestyle. To date, they have worked with thousands of children and adults to make exercise and healthy eating a lifetime goal.

For more information on S.P.I.N. and finding active roll models for your children check out the article in a recent NIH Medline Plus publication.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Get the Nutrients You Need

Your body needs a variety of nutrients to function properly and stay healthy.  For a list of nutrients and where they are found look at look at this Medline Plus Health Day tip.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

HealthCare.gov is Improving

Take your health care into your own hands.  Go to HealthCare.gov for information and tips on

  • Finding insurance options
  • Learning about prevention
  • Comparing care quality
  • Understanding the new law

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Amelia's is Your August Light Night Out

During the month of August The Hibbing Healthy Lifestyles Coalition recommends trying the new "healthier" menu items being featured at Amelia's in Hibbing.

Since February, seven Hibbing restaurants collaborated with Hibbing Healthy Lifestyles to offer two or three new menu items that would be considered healthy.  Everyone likes get out every once in a while and having some healthier menu items makes it easier to do.  So this month take at least one night to treat yourself and try Amelia's Family Cuisine.

Friday, August 06, 2010

Hibbing Great Outdoors Walking & Biking Guide

Pick up the new Walking and Biking brochure at the library.  It features suggested walking routes within the city and soon to be designated bike routes.  The map inclues mileage for each loop and some cautions on the walking routes.

Explore the community on foot or on bike.  The brochure also has links to other great activities such as Cycle Mesabi, Hibbing Disc Golf, and Maple Hill Park.

The new brochure was made possible by Hibbing We're Ore and More and a grant by Minnesota's Vision / Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP).