5210: Easy guidelines for a healthier family!

MARCH 2015 EAT SMART | GET OUT | BE ACTIVE

Make healthy living a habit with one hour of exercise every day!

Cut screen time to 2 hours—OR LESS

—each day!

Get active for at least one hour

every day!

Eliminate sugar-sweetened

drinks!

Eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables

every day!

5 March is a great time to think about growing your own vegetables. Involve your kids in planning what to grow and start some seeds indoors.

2 For many children, school and homework involve more and more screen time. Make free play and exercise your first priority when school work is finished.

0 Make drinking water easy for kids to reach. Place a pitcher of water or reusable water bottles at eye level, such as on a counter or refrigerator shelf.

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Don’t just send the kids outside, go with them and do something active.

Find yoga exercises and stories for younger children that build strength and balance at www.youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga.

America’s Move to Raise a Healthier Generation of Kids

Let’s move! Family activities

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let’s Play! tumble in the leaves, build a snowman, splash in a puddle, or dance to favorite music.

What’s your family doing? tell us on Facebook and your family’s activity may be featured on the site.

let’s clean! involve the whole family in household chores, cleaning, vacuuming, and yard work.

let’s Go! select activities that are easy to do any-where, such as walking, jogging, jumping rope, or aerobics. your community parks and recreation programs offer low cost programs for the whole family.

Bike to the library together Dance or move during commercial breaks – that’s usually 15 minutes in an one hour television show.

Go up hills instead of around them.

take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator.

let’s celebrate! celebrate special occasions—birthdays, an-

niversaries—with something active, such as a hike, a volleyball game, or a Frisbee match.

5 let’s Walk! train together for a charity walk or run.

Park further away. count the steps with your children it takes from the car to the destina-tion. Write it down. see if you can park even further away on your next stop.

Walk instead of drive, whenever you can. if you have to drive, find a spot at the far end of the parking lot – the most distant from you are going.

Walk your children to school.

Walk or bike to your children’s sports events to cheer for them. you can pace the sidelines while they play.

take a family walk after dinner.

Replace a sunday drive with a sunday walk.

Go for a half-hour walk instead of watching tv.

Get off the bus a stop early, and walk.

make a saturday morning walk a family habit.

Walk briskly in the mall.

take the dog on longer walks.

www.Letsmove.gov

Make a list of 30 fun family fitness activities. Plan them out with the Let’s Move Families Activities Guide: http://goo.gl/rHqOB9

Train together for a local running, walking or biking event. You can also create your own course and plan a special day to complete it as a family.

Upper Valley Healthy Eating Active Living Partnership:Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth, Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital, Hartford Schools, Lebanon Schools, Mascoma Schools, Upper Valley Trails Alliance, Lebanon Recreation and Parks, Mascoma Valley Health Initiative, Vital Communities/Valley Food & Farm, Willing Hands Enterprises, Health Connections of the Upper Valley.

UV HEAL is housed at CHaD, the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth. www.uvheal.org (603) 653-3455

EAT SMART | GET OUT | BE ACTIVE

Lunchbox Yummies

Healthy Again: Tobacco Free Tips

The effects of quitting are immediate! After 48 hours carbon monoxide and nicotine will be eliminated from the body. Taste and smell improve. After 72 hours breathing becomes easier and your energy levels increase.

Check out more long-term effects at http://goo.gl/h7ey7h

Easy Vegetable PizzaTwo out of ten children eat pizza on any given day according to a recent study. Loaded with vegetables this easy version can be a healthy, quick lunch or dinner.

Ingredients for 1 Person: ■ 1 whole wheat English muffin

(or 1- 2 slices whole wheat bread)■ Pizza sauce (homemade or canned)■ ¼ cup shredded part-skim

Mozzarella cheese■ 1 cup chopped vegetables of

choice (broccoli florets, tomatoes, bell peppers, spinach, or onions work well)

PreparationPreheat oven to 375 degree F.Cut muffin in half and place on a baking sheet. Spoon some pizza sauce onto each half and top with vegetables and cheese. Bake for 10 minutes in the oven until the cheese is melted and just starts to brown.

● To keep baby teeth healthy and avoid early childhood cavities (dental caries) never put juice, sugar water or soda in baby bottles or sippy cups.

● Place only breast milk or formula in a baby’s bottle. ● Finish the bedtime or naptime bottle before putting

children to bed. ● Water should be the first choice for older children.

Source: American Dental Association

Upper Valley SMILES!

Aerobic activity: This should make up most of your child’s activities. Running, walking, bicycling, swimming, soccer, and basketball are all examples of aerobic activity. At least some of the time these activities should be done with vigorous intensity to increase your child’s heartbeat and breathing.

Muscle strengthening activity: Playing on playground equipment, climbing trees, and gymnastics are good examples of activities that promote healthy muscles. Muscle strengthening should be part of your child’s activities three days a week.

Bone strengthening activity: Everything that involves running and jumping, like hop-scotch, jumping rope, or playing basketball, is a great way to help children grow healthy bones. Make these activities part of your child’s routine three days a week.

Source: CDC: How much physical activity do children need?

Mix up your activities!