September will be National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

While the President's Council encourages all Americans across the lifespan to adopt a healthy lifestyle, September brings everyone increased cause to take action with National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. To do your part, set goals for you and your family this month to live a healthier lifestyle that includes regular physical activity and good nutrition.

Maintaining a Healthy Weight

The American Council on Exercise offers these suggestions to help you maintain a healthy body weight:

• Weigh yourself weekly, so weight gain doesn't creep up on you. Also measure your waistline.
• Incorporate physical activity into your day as much as possible.
• Keep healthy foods at home at eye level. Avoid being tempted by junk food.
• Practice healthy stress management techniques, such as progressive relaxation.
• Engage a buddy in your fitness program, making exercise a social affair.

See Medline Plus for more information in weight control.

Fewer Calories in Your Drink

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics mentions these beverages that avoid the empty calories:

• Enjoy sparkling water or ice cold tap water with a few slices of lemon, lime or cucumber for added flavor.
• Before you drink coconut water, read the label to make sure it's not high in sodium.
• Pour fat-free or low-fat milk over ice.
• Create your own thirst quencher by combining different kinds of 100-percent fruit juice and adding fresh fruit.

Read complete article and get more health tips:

Quench Your Thirst Without Adding Empty Calories

Monitor Your Blood Pressure

Because blood pressure monitors are available widely and without a prescription, home monitoring is an easy step you can take to improve your condition. Before you get started, it's important to know the right technique and to find a good home blood pressure monitor.

Read the full article by Mayo Clinic Staff on how to get the most out  of home blood pressure monitoring. 

Snacking

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says snacking smartly can help you get valuable nutrients and help you avoid overeating.
Here are the academy's suggestions:

• Keep a variety of healthy snacks at home, work and in your bag. Options may include: trail mix, whole-grain crackers, instant oatmeal, dried fruit, low-fat cheese and low-fat or fat-free yogurt.
• Stick to small portions, rather than eating out of a large container.
• Don't snack when you are stressed, bored or lonely. Snack only when you feel hungry.

Heat Stress Prevention

See the last four weeks of "Fire Talk" on the city's website for tips on avoiding Heat Stress by the Hibbing Fire Department.

Remember that extreme heat is a real concern that can cause serious health problems like exhaustion, heat stroke, cramps, sunburn and rashes.

This week, take precautions to avoid heat-related illnesses. Make sure to drink more fluids; avoid alcoholic and sugary drinks; wear lightweight, light colored and loosely fitting clothing; limit outdoor activity to the morning or evening and stay in an air-conditioned place during the afternoon heat.

How Much Sodium?

Reading food labels can help you slash sodium. Here's how to decipher them:

• "Sodium free" or "Salt free": Contains less than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving.
• "Unsalted" or "No salt added": No salt has been added.
• "Very low in sodium": Provides 35 milligrams of sodium (or less) per serving.
• "Low in sodium" or "Contains a small amount of sodium": Contains 140 milligrams of sodium (or less) per serving.
• "Reduced sodium" or "Less sodium": Provides at least 25 percent less sodium than the traditional product.

For more tips see the Kids Eat Right page.

Why See a Gynecologist?

Take responsibility for your body and its health.  Go to girlshealth.gov  for all the great reasons to schedule regular appointments with your gynecologist.

Healthy Living Tips

The CDC says it is never to early (or too late) to change your lifestyle.  Put your whole family on the road to a healthier, longer life with the tips on their website.

  Center for Disease Control :  http://www.cdc.gov/Features/ChildHealth/

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Spice Up Your Food

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics offers these suggestions to spice up your food without piling on the calories:

• Use techniques that employ high heat for more intense flavor, such as broiling, grilling or pan-searing.
• Use fresh herbs and seasonings, such as cumin, cilantro, basil, caraway, chives, rosemary, ginger or garlic.
• Add a sprinkle of a sharp cheese to your favorite vegetable, rice or pasta.
• Add dried ingredients, such as sundried tomatoes, dried plums, cranberries, figs, apricots or red pepper flakes.
• Use brightly colored peppers to add flavor, and a splash of hot sauce or jalapenos.
• Add a squirt of citrus juice or grated peel from lemons, limes or oranges.

Not All Diets Burn the Same Calories

Dieters have long been told that to lose weight, you simply need to cut calories. But new research suggests that some combinations of foods may burn more calories than others.

See the complete article at Medline Plus.

People Who Walk Have Lower Risk of Diabetes

 Among people with low physical activity and a high risk of diabetes, those who walk more throughout the day are less likely to actually get the blood sugar disorder, according to new research.

See this Medline Plus article for the facts.

Have Your Body Mass Index Calculated

In a bold move, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is now recommending that primary care doctors screen each and every adult patient for obesity. This means using height and weight to come up with a body mass index, or BMI.

See the complete transcipt at Medline Plus.

Health of Americans a Mixed Bag: CDC Report

Highlights of the report include:

• The percentage of adults who drink five or more alcoholic drinks a day has dropped after increasing between 2004 and 2010, to just over 22 percent in 2011.
• Self-reported obesity in Americans over age 20 has climbed from 19.4 percent in 1997 to 28.7 percent in 2011.
• One in five adults aged 65 and older has diabetes versus one in 10 among those aged 45 to 54.
• Only 2.4 percent of Americans rate their personal health as poor.
• Among black children under 15 years of age, 16.6 percent have asthma; that figure is 10 percent for Hispanic children and 7.5 percent for white kids.
• Fifty percent of adults aged 25 to 44 say they have been tested for HIV.
• In 2011, 48.4 percent of adults aged 18 and older said they did aerobic exercise -- the highest percentage ever reported.
• For 6.5 percent of Americans, cost kept them from seeking needed medical care.
• Among those aged 65 and older, 7.3 percent needed assistance with personal care in 2011, compared with 6.4 percent in 2000.
• More adults (3.4 percent) had serious psychological distress during 2011 than in 1999 (2.4 percent).
• The number of U.S. adults who smoke dropped from 24.7 percent in 1997 to 18.9 percent in 2011.
• Most Americans (87 percent) had a usual place to go for medical care in 2011, a little more than the 2010 estimate of 85.4 percent.
• In 2011, almost 67 percent of those aged 65 and older had received a vaccine against pneumonia, a significant increase from 43 percent in 1997.

See complete news article at HealthDay.

Long-Term Salty Diets Tied Again to High Blood Pressure

Indulging in a bag of chips or munching a handful of nuts now and then isn't likely to hurt you in the short run, but regularly chowing down on salty foods over several years may damage your blood vessels and lead to high blood pressure, a new study finds.

See more about this study at Medline Plus.

Don't Over Train

The American College of Sports Medicine offers these suggestions to avoid overtraining:

• Include at least one recovery day each week.
• Alternate your exercises.
• Don't increase both frequency and intensity of exercises at the same time, and make sure that you don't increase either too quickly.
• Don't repeat exercises for long periods without any variation.

Hibbing's Downtown Market Day

Hibbing's Downtown Market Day is back!  The venders are located along side of City Hall on 4th Avenue East and 21st Street every Thursday from 2:30 until 6:00 p.m.  Find home grown produce, fruits, honey, jams, flowers vegetables, all natural food, meats and local specialties.

The Market is also in the old Ogles parking lot behind Kentucky Fried Chicken on 9th Avenue West on Tuesdays and Fridays from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

If you would like more information on the market, Contact the Hibbing Area Chamber of Commerce at 218-262-3895 or email hibbcofc@hibbing.org.

Don't Fight With Kids Over Food

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says. Pressure won't work.
But the academy says there are things you can do to help achieve the same goal. Here are its suggestions:

• Adhere to structured, scheduled family meals and snacks with your child where you sit down together to eat.
• Be a good role model by eating healthy foods and practicing healthy eating habits.
• Eat plenty of vegetables, serve them in different ways and tell your child how much you enjoy them.
• Turn off the TV and put away cell phones while you eat.
• Set clear expectations for manners and behaviors at the table, but be realistic about what children can manage.

Stay Flexible!

Flexibility exercises stretch your muscles and can help your body stay limber. Being flexible gives you more freedom of movement for other exercises as well as for your everyday activities.

• Shoulder and upper arm stretch
• Calf stretch
• Yoga

For exercises go to NIH Medline Plus.