Don't Fry Day

Celebrate the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention's first annual “Don’t Fry Day," co-sponsored by the American Cancer Society, by practicing sun safety on May 22, 2009.

Statitistics show that more than 1 million skin cancers are diagnosed each year in the United States. Most are caused by too much exposure to UV rays (direct sun or tanning beds).

You can protect yourself by following some very easy guidelines:

Cover up.

Use sunscreen.

Wear a hat and sunglasses.

Avoid midday sun and tanning beds and sunlamps.

Leave Yourself Reminders to be Healthy!

Trying to find time to exercise? Use some cues and reminders that will make it easy. Place your exercise gear next to your alarm clock to encourage you to work out first thing in the morning. If you pack a lunch, include a reminder to signal you to take a quick walk on your lunch break. Schedule your workout in your day planner, or set your computer to let you know when it's time to get out and exercise.

Fit City Event a Little Wet and Cold

The committee wants to thank all those hardy health conscious people that braved the soggy weather to attend the 4th Annual Fit City Event held at Bennett Park on May 5th. There were still over 100 people that checked out the information offered by various organizations and businesses.

We will be making phone calls to all the drawing winners later today.

Thanks again for supporting this event.

Swine Flu

What is swine flu? --Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses that causes regular outbreaks in pigs. People do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do happen.

Is this swine flu virus contagious? -- CDC has determined that this swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is contagious and is spreading from human to human. However, at this time, it not known how easily the virus spreads between people.

What are the signs and symptoms of swine flu in people? -- The symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. In the past, severe illness (pneumonia and respiratory failure) and deaths have been reported with swine flu infection in people. Like seasonal flu, swine flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions.

How does swine flu spread? -- Spread of this swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is thought to be happening in the same way that seasonal flu spreads. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

Lose Weight and Save the Planet

According to a recent report in HealthDay News watching your weight does more than protect your health. It also may help fight climate change.

Researchers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine say that because food production is a major contributor to greenhouse gases, a lean population, such as in Vietnam, consumes about 20 percent less food and produces fewer greenhouse gases than a population in which 40 percent of people are obese, a rate close to that of the United States.

Also, less energy is required to transport slim people, say the researchers, Phil Edwards and Ian Roberts, of the school's Department of Epidemiology and Population Health.
They calculated that a lean population of a billion people would emit 1,000 million tons less transportation-related carbon dioxide equivalents a year than an obese population would emit.

5K Cardinal Fiesta Run/Walk

Benefit both yourself and HCC. Enter the Hibbing Community College 4th Annual 5K Cardinal Fiesta Run/Walk.

Date: Saturday, May 2, 2009
Check In: 7:00 a.m.
Run/Walk Starts: 8:00 a.m.

Early Entry Fee (before April 30th): $15 per participant
Family Rate: 3 or more $40

$20 per participant on the day of the race

All finishers receive a T-Shirt, and awards will go to the top competitors in each age category.

All proceeds go to Hibbing Community College Foundation Scholarship Fund.

Contact Donna Groettum to register:
218-262-6786
donnagroettum@hibbing.edu

Balance Your Calories and Your Exercise

Make the most of your steps. Watching what you eat is important even when you're physically active. Energy balance - calories in are equal to calories expended - is essential for weight management. If you decide to indulge in dessert, extend your walk or include some hills to help balance your calorie intake. Don't have time for a walk today? Make sure to eat light and healthy meals, and get back to your exercise routine as soon as you can.

Changes to Preschool Story Time

Beginning April 14, Preschool Story Time will change to a somewhat different format. After regular stories and songs in the Children's Room, we will head downstairs to the auditorium for an interactive and creative session based on the "Letter of the Day." After that session is complete, children are then welcome to play with the toys.

This week's letter is "N." See you there!

The Weather is Great for Walking

Blaze new trails by checking out Hibbing's parks, bike paths, and scenic areas. Check out the Bennett Park Park walking paths. The Mesabi Trail bike path is great! Plan a vacation or weekend get away that will add extra steps to your day. Visit a state park or check out walking trails in other communities.

Visit http://www.nps.gov/parks/html and http://www.traillink.com/ for some new walking ideas.

Have a Snack and Don't Feel Guilty

Snack are not bad! When you make healthy choices and don't overload on calories, snacks can be a healthful part of your day. Choosing your snacks carefully help to curb cravings, regulate cholesterol and blood sugar levels and meet your nutritional needs.

Try these ideas:
Munch on an apple or enjoy a non-fat yogurt mid-morning.

Crunch on celery sticks, baby carrots or rice cakes a few hours after lunch.

Pop some low-salt, low-calorie popcorn for evening munchies.

Watch your portion sizes when preparing your snack. The idea isn't to add more meals to your day, but to space out the calories you eat and avoid strong cravings. Other great snack foods are almonds and frozen grapes.

100 Fewer Calories Per Day

A quick and easy way to take in 100 fewer calories is to watch the calorie content in the beverages you consume. You might be surprised by the number of calories in a soda, coffee drink, or alcoholic beverage. Limit the number of times you have these beverages every week, and choose sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon or lime, hot or iced herbal tea (plain or with a small amount of honey), or low-sugar beverages whenever possible.

Walk To Create a World Free of MS

Join the movement. Walk MS unites the community and keeps us all moving forward. Register today to join the Iron Range Walk MS in Chisholm on Sunday, May 3, 2009.

For more information and to register:

www.walkMS.org

800-582-5296

Help Your Children To Be Mentally Healthy

Explore the nine basic traits of human temperament and how these traits can be appreciated and nutured to help each child reach their full potential. Because temperament is a set of inborn traits, understanding each child's unique temperament will help adults understand how he or she learns best and provide learning tools to last a lifetime.

Pediatric Speaker Information Night
Who is My Child? Understanding Children's Temperaments

Pediatric Speaker Information Nights are free and open to the public.

Presenter: Terry Gilberston, PBS eight Ready to Learn Coordinator

Tuesday, April 7th, 2009 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Greenhaven Elementary School Cafeteria 3rd Avenue East and 37th Street Hibbing Minnesota

Remind Yourself To Exercise

Trying to find time to exercise? Use some cues and reminders that will make it easy. Place your exercise gear next to your alarm clock to encourage you to work out first thing in the morning. If you pack a lunch, include a reminder to signal you to take a quick walk on your lunch break. Schedule your workout in your day planner, or set your computer to let you know when it's time to get out and exercise.

Eating Out Safely

Staying healthy and avoiding foodborne illness involves more than just tossing out all of your peanut butter products. It also involves methods of food preparation and storage. With the free Eating Out Safely package of publications from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Citizen Information Center, you’ll learn how to keep your family’s food safe, whether you’re picking up sandwiches from the corner deli, sitting down for a fancy meal or reheating leftovers in the microwave.

Ready-to-eat foods are often a quick and easy way to get a meal on the table at the end of a busy day, but if not properly cooked or refrigerated, they may be prone to carrying bacteria, like Listeria. Find out which commonly eaten foods easily grow Listeria, learn the symptoms of a Listeria infection and who’s most at risk and get tips for making sure your food is bacteria-free.

Eating Out Safely also offers a guide that answers questions about how long doggie bags can be kept and how to safely reheat meals. It suggests storing cold foods at 40 degrees F or lower and warming hot foods to 145 degrees F before eating them. The package also offers tips for ordering food in restaurants, such as avoiding uncooked selections and making sure meats are cooked thoroughly.

Help keep foodborne illnesses off your table by learning more with the free Eating Out Safely package.

There are three easy ways to order:

Send your name and address to Eating Out Safely, Pueblo, Colorado 81009.

Visit www.pueblo.gsa.gov/rc/n87eatingoutsafely.htm to place your order online or to read or print these and hundreds of other federal publications for free.

Or call toll-free 1 (888) 8 PUEBLO. That's 1 (888) 878-3256, weekdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time, and ask for the Eating Out Safely package.

Get Moving to support a Cause!

Many local races and walks are held as fundraisers for various charities and organizations. Participating as a walker or runner is a great way to spread awareness, help fund research, and do something good for your mind and body.
One example is the West St. Louis County Relay for Life. The 2009 campaign has begun. Area cancer survivors and their supporters are already recruiting relay teams for the August walk. Most of the funds raised through the Relay go to cancer research, but some stays in the community to support local cancer patients.
Anyone interested in forming a team for the Relay may sign up online at www.relayforlife.org. They may also contact Cheri Burdick, team recruitment chairwoman, at 254-4692; Mark Demillo, event chairman, at demillomark@yahoo.com; or Renee Tomatz at Renee.Tomatz@mchi.com.

Remember to Pat Yourself on the Back

Celebrate your progress!

If you're having trouble staying active and eating smart, step back and look at how far you have come. Treat yourself to a new pair of walking shoes, a pass to a yoga studio, or lessons to learn an exciting new sport such as golf or tennis. Low-fat or vegetarian cooking classes are other great ways to get inspired, have fun, and stay healthy!

Also remember the little calorie savers really add up!

• Substitute a no-calorie sweetener for sugar
• Season your vegetables with lemon instead of butter
• Use nonfat milk in your coffee instead of creamer
  
  

Train for Future Fun!

Be a goal setter! Setting additional goals can help you have more fun and stay motivated. Consider training for a 5K or 10K walk or run. Decide that you want to do your normal routine, but faster or with more hills. Is there a hiking or camping trip that you have always wanted to do? Plan a weekend a few months from now and start training today.

Give the Gift of Health

Show your loved ones how much they mean to you. Give them the gift of health! Walking shoes, tennis supplies, gardening gear, and golf equipment are great ways to encourage your friends and family to get out and move more. Join them on a neighborhood walk, on the 9th hole, or at your local tennis court.

Give them a library card. Take a family walk to the library and check out the books, dvds, and magazines on fitness and healthy diet.

Participate in Fit City

Calling all participants! Do you engage in or does your organization offer a way to fit be that you would like to share with others? Maybe get them interested in your activity of choice? Then volunteer to participate in the fourth annual Fit City Event, the fun-filled community celebration that will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 5, at Bennett Park in Hibbing. Participants can set up a booth, give a demonstration or both. The event, organized by the Hibbing Healthy Lifestyles Coalition (HHLC), is aimed at showcasing ways to be active, stay fit and lead a healthy lifestyle. HHLC members are committed to creating and maintaining a city environment supportive of active living and providing opportunities for physical activity to people who live, work and play within the city. If interested in participating in Fit City, contact Nancy at the Hibbing Public Library at 362-5959 or Kelly at the Hibbing Daily Tribune at 262-1011.