Reduce Your Sugar

Even with Halloween and all that extra candy looming on the landscape you should remember that added sugar in your diet can lead to obesity, high blood pressure, and a host of other problems.  There are a few simple things you can do to cut back on the added sugar in your diet. 

Read "Reducing Sugar: How Sweet It Is" on the America on the Move website.



Calculate Your Body Mass Index

Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women. Go to

Click here to go to the BMI calculator

to compute your BMI.  Also check out the links for healthy recipes, healthy weight tools, and a host of other great information.

Safe and Healthy

Today's children are growing up in an online, digital world.  They are almost always "connected".  Parents need to be aware of the dangers so they can protect and empower their kids in the digital world.

"CyberSafe" by Gwenn Shurgin O'Keeffe is a must read.  This informative book will help parents understand things like:

• Cyberbullying
• Hazzards of social networking sites
• The ins and outs of online gaming and virtual worlds
• What is available in parental control systems and what they allow you to monitor
• Digital footprints (and how your child can make a good one)

The book has been approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics and is dedicated to the health of all children.  Parents can find this title in the new book section at the Hibbing Public Library in 303.4834.

Black Bean Salad

Ingredients:


• 1 cup granulated sugar

• ½ teaspoon pepper

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ½ cup salad oil

• ¾ cup cider vinegar

• 1 #10 can black beans, drained

• 1 ¼ cup diced green pepper

• 1 ¼ cup diced red pepper

• ½ cup diced onion

• 1 ¼ cup whole kernel corn, drained

• 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic

• ¼ cup jalapeno peppers, drained (optional)

Directions:

• Combine the sugar, pepper, salt, salad oil and vinegar until blended and refrigerate.

• Combine the remaining ingredients.

• Add dressing, mix together to coat evenly.

• Cover and refrigerate.

• This salad should marinate for several hours or overnight to allow the flavors to develop.

• Serve ½ cup portions.

• Yield is 20 - ½ cup servings

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

• 380 calories

• 0 mg. Cholesterol

• 587 mg. Sodium

• 7 g. fiber

• 34 g. Carbohydrates

• 4 g. Total Fat

• 0 Trans Fats

Foods Are Not Good or Bad

A healthy eating style is like a puzzle with many parts.  Each part--or food--is different.  Some foods may have more fat, sugar or salt while others may have more vitamins or fiber.  There is a place for all these foods.  What makes a diet good or bad is how foods fit together.  Balancing your choices is important.  Fit in a higher-fat food, like pepperoni pizza, at dinner by choosing lower-fat foods at other meals.  And don't forget about MODERATION.  If two pieces of pizza fill you up, don't eat a third.



October is Children's Health Month

In addition to good nutrition and plenty of fun and exercise, all children need to breathe clean air, drink safe water, and live in healthy communities.  Children, by their very nature, deserve our focused attention and care. Their bodies are different than adults, their behaviors are different, and their interactions with the environment are different. Protecting the health of children is a compelling inducement to improving our environment, both during Children’s Health Month and throughout the year, in the United States and around the world.

To learn more go to the EPA's Children's Health Month 2010 page.



Enter Your Recipes and Win!

Let's Move! toward healthier food in school.

You could win up to $12,000 in prizes by creating nutritious

school lunch recipes that kids love to eat!

Go to "Recipes for Healthy Kids" for more information.

Ten Healthy Eating Tips for the Busy College Student

The average college student is often pressed for time, under a lot of stress and eating on the go. You may find it difficult to avoid bad habits like skipping meals or frequenting fast food restaurants. But eating a healthy diet can help you feel better, cope with stress and perform better in the class-room and on the athletic field. It really isn't that hard to get started.

1. Eat a good breakfast. Studies show that skipping breakfast detracts from scholastic achievement. When there isn't time to sit down and enjoy your morning meal, grab a bagel, piece of fruit, and some juice. Most of these items can be easily stored in your dorm room.
2. If you must eat fast foods, choose wisely. Choose pizza with half the cheese, a regular size roast beef sandwich, baked potato, or green salad with reduced calorie dressing. Limit high fat offering like french fries, fried chicken or fish sandwiches and watch out for salad dressing.
3. Keep healthful snacks on hand so if hunger strikes during a late night study session, you won't be tempted by vending machine candy, chips, or ice cream. Possibilities include fresh or dried fruit, pretzels, unbuttered popcorn, rice cakes or whole wheat cracker. If you have a refrigerator, consider raw vegetables with low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese dip.
4. Eat plenty of foods that are rich in calcium. People in their early twenties need to be build up stores of calcium in their bodies to prevent osteoporosis in later life. If you don't like milk, try to include ample amounts of low-fat yogurt, low-fat cheese, and green leafy vegetables in your diet.
5. If you need to lose weight, do it sensibly. Starvation and/or diets that offer a quick fix usually backfire and are harmful. There is not truth to the theories that suggest eating foods in any particular combination will promote weight loss. The only safe way to lose weight, feel good while doing it, and keep it off is to eat a balanced diet.
6. Sugar provides calories in your diet but few other nutrients and it contributes significantly to tooth decay. Use it sparingly and consider sweetening coffee, tea, cereal and fruit with diet sweeteners instead.
7. The dining hall salad bar can be either an asset or a detriment to you diet depending on how you choose from it. Of course, leafy greens, raw vegetable and fresh fruit are beneficial. But if you choose lot of creamy dressing, bacon bit, and mayonnaise based salads, the calories and fat may equal or even exceed those of a burger and fries.
8. If you drink alcohol, keep in mind that it supplies calories but no nutritional value. A light beer, a glass of wine, or an ounce of liquor each has about 100 calories. There are also many health problems associated with drinking alcohol.
9. Drink lots of water. Your body needs at least eight glasses a day, and if you exercise vigorously, you may need more. To remind yourself, carry a water bottle along to class and keep it handy during late night study sessions.
10. Remember, food is a lot more than nourishment for our bodies. Enjoy and savor it.

Walk To School On October 6TH!

Join families and kids from across the globe and walk to school with your children on October 6th.

 In 1997, the Partnership for a Walkable America sponsored the first National Walk Our Children to School Day in Chicago, modeled after the United Kingdom’s lead. Back then, it was simply a day to bring community leaders and children together to create awareness of the need for communities to be walkable.

By the year 2002, children, parents, teachers and community leaders in all 50 states joined nearly 3 million walkers around the world to celebrate the second annual International Walk to School Day. The reasons for walking grew just as quickly as the event itself.

• Walk to enhance the health of your kids.  Increased physical activity can combat a host of health problems facing kids today.
• Walk to draw attention to the need to provide safer routes for kids to walk and bike.  We need good sidewalks and safety education programs (for walkers and for drivers).
• Walk to school to recuce the use of your car and improve the air quality.

Work Up A Sweat!

Vigorous work-outs (you should be breathing hard and sweating!) help your heart pump better, give you more energy and help you look and feel your best.  Start with a warm-up that stretches your muscles.  Include 20 minutes of aerobic activity, such as running, jogging or dancing.  Follow-up with activities that help make you stronger such as lifting light weights.  Then cool-down with more stretching and deep breathing.

Try to work out a minimum of 3 times a week.

Rediscover How To Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals

Jamie Oliver started cooking at the age of eight.  He has nine cookbooks in print.  His latest, "Jamie's Food Revolution" is about cooking good food from scratch.  Being able to do this is a skill that can save you money, keep you healthy, and make you and your family happy.

This cookbook includes recipes for meals everyone loves to eat and it breaks them down to make them as simple as possible.  Even if you have never cooked before you will achieve amazing results in the kitchen.

Jamie also believes that every single person should be able to cook.  His "Food Revolution" is also about learning how to make a recipe, then handing that recipe on to family and friends.

Find this book on the new nonfiction shelf in the library in 641.5.  Cook something today and pass it on.

Lose Weight! Gain Energy! Get Healthy!

If a little incentive will help you get started on an exercise, weight loss program, you may want to check out the following:

Weight Loss Challenge!

Thursdays, Beginning September 23, 2010

6:00 - 7:00 p.m.

The Wellness Club

2534 East Beltline (Next to Slumberland)

Hibbing, MN  55746

$20.00 per person

7 weeks

Topics of learning will include protein, heart health, healthy menus, digestion, carbs & ssugars, and eating out.

Contact Dave or Mitzie Calgaro

218-929-9411

calgaros@frontiernet.net

Sign up now, and make the rest of your life the best of your life!

Most Americans Still Not Eating Enough Fruits, Veggies

Dieticians, doctors, and a wide range of other medical professionals continue to push the idea that everyone needs to eat more fruits and vegetables.  The CDC has yet another study that shows that even the very modest goals set by the government for fruits and vegetables comsumption are not being met.

When you shop and plan meals and snacks remember:

• Fruits and vegetables protect your health.
• Fruits and vegetables are easy to take and eat on the go.  It won't interfere with your active lifestyle.
• Fruits and vegatables come in great colors and flavors.  It should not be hard to find something that you like.
• Fruits and vegatables are key components of any weight maintenance or loss program if used in place of higher calorie foods.

September is Healthy Aging Month

Unless you're looking forward to turning 21, getting older is almost always seen as a negative thing. But it doesn't have to be. September is Healthy Aging Month, and with these tips from the Federal Citizen Information Center, you can learn to stay safe and healthy regardless of your age.


Get smart about food safety. Now it's the egg recall, last year it was peanuts. You don't know what the next bacteria outbreak in the food supply will be, but you can make smart decisions when it comes to safely handling and eating food. Use a food thermometer to cook your food to the right temperature. Keep raw meats away from other ingredients to prevent the spread of germs. And make sure you thoroughly wash your hands and anything else that might have touched raw meat.

Know your medicines and what they interact with. Whether you take an allergy medicine or something for high blood pressure, it's up to you to know the name and dose of the medications you take. It's also important to know how those medicines could interact with food, alcohol or other medicines that your doctor might prescribe. To make it simple, check out this breakdown of medicines by category. It includes questions to ask your doctor and what to avoid when on certain medicines.

Stay on top of your screenings. Depending on your age and gender, there are different screenings that are recommended for early detection of common diseases. For men, common screenings include high blood pressure, diabetes and colon cancer. Common screenings for women include breast and cervical cancers and osteoporosis. Use these charts from the Department of Health and Human Services for men and women to track the results of your last screening, when your next appointment is scheduled and any questions you have for your doctor.

Get Moving. Exercise doesn't have to be something you dread. Pick an activity you enjoy, whether it's tennis with friends or swimming at the local pool. Be Active Your Way has lots of great suggestions for sneaking exercise into your daily life. Maybe you can fit in a 10-minute walk during your lunch break or spend some extra time in the garden pulling weeds. If you already exercise regularly, learn ways to step up your activity level. You'll keep your heart, bones and muscles strong if you make time for daily movement.

Set the stage for a healthy life no matter your age with these tips from the Federal Citizen Information Center.

Pack Variety and Nutrition in Your Child's Lunch

When planning school day lunches there are some key facts to remember.  Go to Medline Plus "Health Day" for five easy to follow tips.

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.

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".

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.

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.

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.