Commonwealth Conversations: Public Health

Helping kids move their way through winter

 

Posted by Anne Hemmer, RD, LDN, MS

Anne is the Physical Activity Coordinator at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

 

 

When you picture outdoor activities you can do with your kids, do you automatically imagine a warm, summer day? Many people don’t realize how much fun they can have as a family during a New England winter.  As long as kids are dressed warmly, there are lots of fun, age-appropriate activities that can get kids moving.

We’ve been pretty lucky this winter, with high temperatures and not a whole lot of snow. But, if and when the snow comes, the options are endless!

Making snow angels, building snow-people, shaping snow balls and creating snow-houses are great ways to be active in the snow.

Want to go sledding, but don’t have a sled? Use an old chair cushion covered with a plastic bag for a quick and easy sledding solution! A fun game I used to play with my two boys was walking across the yard and then hopping back, trying to land only on the footprints you made. It’s okay if they can’t do this perfectly, as long as they’re up and hopping around!

Many parents look puzzled when I say that children can help shovel snow – not only are they capable, they actually enjoy it! If you have a car, they can help remove snow with a soft brush or broom. These can be fun little jobs that are easy for kids to manage and get all their muscles moving.

Bundle up and take a winter stroll with your children, and make up games you can play along the way. For example, ask your children to see how many different birds you can spot in your yard or neighborhood.

If things get too chilly, you can still keep moving indoors as well: have a dance party, march up and down stairs, or play follow the leader. Remember, being active doesn’t have to be hard work.  As long as kids are moving, every little bit counts. For more fun tips on how to help children of all ages be active, visit www.mass.gov/massinmotion.

 

 

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The Year of Substitutions

Posted by:

Lani Telian, Department of Public Health

Lani is a Health Communication Specialist at the Department of Public Health

 

 

This year, I’m basing my diet completely on subs. 

Not footlong subs – I’m focusing on small substitutions. As a girl with strong family ties, and family values that are strongly tied to food, its been hard for me and my family to change recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. Yet I think I’ve reached a point where I can let go of the guilt involved with tweaking some of Nana’s recipes to make slightly healthier versions.

While some special, once-in-awhile treats are okay to leave as is, some foods that we have grown to love on a more regular basis can withstand a few healthy changes. But I love food, and I love good food. I’m looking for small substitutions that will lower the amount of fat, calories or sodium without changing the taste or consistency of the foods I love.

This week, I decided to try out my ‘substitution resolution’ with Dolma, aka stuffed peppers. With Nana’s permission, here is her recipe with just one simple, tiny change.

Scoop out green peppers, tomatoes, and zuchini or summer squashes, and chop up whatever you scooped out into tiny pieces. 

In a large bowl, add the chopped veggies and mix together with: 2 lbs of lean ground beef, 3/4 cup of rice (use ½ cup of brown rice instead!), 3 Tbsp of finely chopped onion, 1 small can tomato paste, 1 cup tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes, 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, 6 cloves of garlic minced or crushed (maybe a little less, that’s up to you and whoever you’re kissing later), 2 handfuls of chopped fresh parsley, 2 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 3 tsp of allspice, and optional 2 Tbsp of basil.

Stuff mixture into the scooped-out veggies.  Arrange stuffed vegetables in a large, tall pan, cover almost to the top with water that has a little salt, lemon juice and tomato sauce added to it.
 
Put a plate on top of the veggies to keep them in place. Then, cover the pan and bring to a boil.  Turn heat down to medium and cook until rice is soft (about 45 - 60 minutes).

And there you have it! Same great taste, but with healthy grains instead of refined grains (which is always a good switch to make!). Here’s to many more healthfully-tweaked meals this year!

Everybody Dance Now!

Posted by Alison Brill, MPH, Community Suicide Prevention Coodinator at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

The feelings I get from a night of dancing are like no other - freedom, expression, joy. That’s because dance, when combined with music, is just that powerful in promoting a sense of well-being. Whether learning a specific type of dance in a class, freestyle dancing at a club, or boggying down in your kitchen, there are many reasons to dance.

Dance is physical activity and provides lots of health benefits. Dance allows you to use more of your muscle groups for overall toning, improves balance and flexibility, which can help you avoid injuries from falling, and increases endurance, which helps keep your heart healthy.

Beyond these physical health benefits, releasing pent-up emotions through dance can pave the way for feelings of relief. You can literally dance the blues away - and there’s research to prove it. Like other forms of artistic expression, dance helps people process feelings that they might have trouble dealing with in words.                                                                                       

Brain scans show that even watching someone dance activates the same neurons as if you were the one doing the dancing. So when a dancer's movements express joy or sadness, spectators often pick up on these feelings as well. Dance is so effective at improving mental health that dance therapy is often used to help people experiencing anxiety, depression and grief, while boosting self-esteem. Dancing is also a social activity and provides opportunities for making new friends. Plus, it’s fun!

To get started, see what types of dance might appeal to you. You can watch video demonstrations to learn various dance styles. You can also find dance lessons in your area, or if money’s tight, check your local library for instructional dance videos.

Whether it’s Salsa, Swing, Waltz, Hip Hop, African, Tap, Break Dancing, Modern, Jazz, Cha-Cha, Contra, Country Western - or whatever style piques your interest - put on your dancing shoes and give it a try!  

                                                       

ChopChop Kickoff: Watch it here!

Posted by:

Lani Telian, Department of Public Health

Lani is a Health Communication Specialist at the Department of Public Health

 

 

Much to my dismay, I missed last week's ChopChop Kickoff Event that took place with Governor Patrick at Community Services, a social services agency in Jamaica Plain. Since then, all I've been hearing from my colleagues is how awesome the event was and how much fun it was to watch the Governor prepare the first ChopChop recipe -- a delicious chunky cranberry applesauce -- with the young people who were there.

Fortunuately for me (and for you if you missed the event, too!), DPH was on site with a camera in hand, and came back with a video that perfectly captured the excitement of the day. You’ll hear from Governor Patrick, DPH Commissioner John Auerbach, and ChopChop founder Sally Sampson on why we're all excited about this new partnership and newsletter.

 

 

 

 

 

If you haven't checked out the debut ChopChop Mass in Motion e-newsletter, visit www.mass.gov/massinmotion/chopchop to view the recipe and learn fun facts about Massachusetts-grown apples and cranberries. Be sure to check in every month for a new newsletter and recipe!

 



Focus on Folic Acid!

Posted by:
Terri Mendoza, MS, RD, LDN, Department of Public Health.

Terri is a Nutrition Education Specialist with DPH.

 

Are you looking for a new New Year’s resolution that’s easy, painless and will help protect you AND your growing family?  Well, look no more!  Since January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month—and January 8th-14th is National Folic Acid Awareness Week—resolve to make sure you are getting enough of this important vitamin. 

Everyone can benefit from folic acid - it can reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers, prevent certain types of anemia, and even protect against depression.  But it’s during pregnancy that this vitamin is particularly important, since it’s been shown to prevent neural tube defects, birth defects which affect the baby’s brain and spine.

Pregnant women and women planning on becoming pregnant are advised to take folic acid to make sure they get the vitamins and minerals needed for a growing baby.  But over half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned, and neural tube defects and spina bifida occur very early in pregnancy, before most women even know they are pregnant.  That’s why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that ALL women of childbearing age take 400 micrograms (mcgs) of folic acid each day.  

The easiest way to make sure you’re getting all the folic acid you need is to take a multivitamin containing 100% of the recommended amount (400 mcgs) every day.  Most vitamins have the folic acid you need, but it’s always a good idea to check the label.  You could also take a folic acid supplement containing 400 mcgs, which can be found anywhere vitamins are sold.  As we all know, it can be difficult to remember to take multivitamins daily.  Try taking it at the same time every day, such as before brushing your teeth, with breakfast, or during an evening snack.  Setting an alarm on your cell phone or watch can also be a good reminder. 

To get the recommended amount of folic acid every day, you could also eat one serving of whole grain cereal which has been fortified with 100% of the recommended amount of the vitamin.  Interestingly, since cereals began to be fortified with folic acid in the 1990’s, the prevalence rate of spina bifida, one of the most common neural tube defects in the United States, has declined 31%.  Other foods, such as enriched wheat, flour, pasta, rice, whole grain breads, and wheat germ, are also good sources, since they, too, have folic acid added to them during processing.

You can also choose foods that are high in folate - the term for folic acid that is found naturally in foods.  Enjoy these healthy and delicious choices that are good sources of folate as well as many other nutrients*:

Lentils and beans (including black-eyed peas, pinto beans, black beans,
     navy beans, kidney beans, and white beans)
Baked beans
 Chickpeas
Liver
Spinach
Asparagus
Okra
Collard and turnip greens
Lima beans
Beets
Broccoli
Mango
Sunflower seeds
Romaine lettuce
Orange juice
Green peas
Tomato juice
Avocado
Peanuts
Strawberries
Oranges
 
So, start 2012 on the right foot, and be sure to get the folate you need, this month and every month!

*Foods are listed in approximate descending order; foods richest in folate are at the top.

Kids in the Kitchen: How your preschooler can help

 

Posted by Anne Hemmer, RD, LDN, MS

Anne is the Coordinator of the MA Children at Play Program at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

 

 

Last week we were happy to announce ChopChop, a new monthly newsletter featuring a free recipe that parents and children can make together. Having children help in the kitchen is a good way to get your child to try new foods, develop cooking skills and eating habits, and spend quality time together as a family.

As children grow, they will be able to help out with different kitchen tasks at different ages. While not every child develops at the same rate, there are certain tasks that children can typically do depending on their age.

At two years old, your child can help you do things like wipe tables, hand groceries to you to put away, place things in the trash, and rinse vegetables or fruits. They also may like getting their hands “busy” – let them tear lettuce, snap green beans, and make faces out of pieces of fruits or vegetables. 

As a three year old, your child can help you add ingredients, squeeze citrus fruits (like oranges or lemons), stir batter or sauces, or knead dough (with clean hands, of course!). When they hit this age, they can do more than help with food – they can talk about it too. Play games like asking them to name different foods, or count how many pieces of green pepper you chopped. 

Four year olds, in addition to the things two and three year olds can do, may be able to crack and peel eggs, peel fruits such as oranges and bananas. You can also ask them to help you measure dry ingredients (like flour, spices, black pepper, etc). Helping to make sandwiches and salads is a fun thing for kids to learn how to do.

Many five year olds can graduate to “utensils” and depending on the particular skills of your child, may be able to use a dull knife to cut soft fruits such as bananas or kiwis. They may also be able to measure liquids and use new utensils, like an egg beater.

While you’re working with your child in the kitchen, remember that this is a good time to teach them healthy and safe habits. Always remind them to:

• wash their hands with soap and water before working with food
• wash fruit and vegetables before eating, peeling or cooking
• sneeze into their upper arm when around food

For more fun, healthy tips for parents and kids visit www.mass.gov/massinmotion.

 

Tips adapted from Choosemyplate.gov

Happy New Year!

Posted by:

Lynn Beattie, Department of Public Health.

 

Lynn is a Nutrition Education Specialist with DPH.

 

 

New Year’s Eve is a time for reflecting on the past year. But more importantly, it’s an occasion to look forward to the coming year. Many of us plan to make positive changes in our lives for a fresh start to the year. Would you like to spend more time with family and friends, become more physically active, manage stress, or eat healthier? These are all examples of common healthful resolutions many Americans would like to make. Make your best effort to stick to one resolution at the top of your list instead of trying to tackle several at a time. While you are working on one, you may find that other healthful changes happen on their own!

After a season of way too many cookies, treats, and holiday parties, it is only natural to want to watch what you eat and get healthy for the New Year. Start with small modifications that are easy to add into your routine. For example, try drinking seltzer water instead of soda, top your usual morning breakfast cereal with some fruit, or make the switch to whole grains. Aim for one change at a time and at the end, it adds up to a milestone!

 If you plan to become more physically active, pair up with a friend and get together for a brisk walk. You’ll get a chance to spend time together and knowing others are counting on you will make it easier to stick to it! Until the weather warms up, take your walks at the mall. Luckily for us, many malls open one hour earlier than the retailers which gives you extra time to enjoy a stroll.

Get the whole family involved in fun activities, indoor and outdoor. An idea for inside the house would be to create an obstacle course for your kids with household items and time them. Take the kids sledding, go ice skating, or just trudge through the snow for some outdoor exercise. Becoming more physically active will help increase your energy levels and reduce stress. Doing it with others gives you a chance to spend more time with the ones you love.

Fun, Healthy Recipes for Families to Cook Together

 Posted by John Jacob, a health communications writer and editor at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Here at Mass in Motion, we’re all about finding new ways to help Massachusetts families to eat better and move more. This week we’re proud to announce an exciting new resource in that effort – a free monthly newsletter called ChopChop. Each month in ChopChop, we’ll feature a fun, easy-to-make and healthy recipe –- featuring locally-grown produce -– which parents and children can make together.

What’s so important about that? First off, meals cooked at home tend to be healthier (and less expensive) than takeout food. What’s more, by teaching our kids to cook we make them more nutritionally literate – and more likely to develop healthier eating habits over a lifetime. Besides, cooking together can be fun!

Governor Patrick, ChopChop founder Sally Sampson, and friends make Cranberry Applesauce

The ChopChop newsletter is the product of an innovative partnership with ChopChop Magazine, a nationwide quarterly publication that focuses on fun, healthy cooking for families. Each month’s newsletter will be posted on the Mass in Motion website at www.mass.gov/massinmotion/chopchop. We’ll also send the electronic newsletter out via email to pediatricians, school nurses, community health centers and other community partners.

The new collaboration was announced this week by Governor Deval Patrick at a fun-filled event at Community Servings, a not-for-profit food and nutrition program in Boston. Following his opening remarks, the Governor was joined by an energetic group of young people in the program’s test kitchen to prepare Cranberry Applesauce – the recipe that’s featured in the debut edition of the ChopChop newsletter.

Let the mashing begin!

Also appearing at the event were Health and Human Services Secretary JudyAnn Bigby, MD; Department of Public Health Commissioner John Auerbach; Department of Agricultural Resources Commissioner Scott Soares; Department of Transitional Assistance Commissioner Daniel Curley, and ChopChop Magazine Founder Sally Sampson. 

EOHHS Secretary Bigby, Governor Patrick, and DPH Commissioner Auerbach at the event.

A big thanks to Community Servings for hosting this exciting event and helping to make it such a success!

Family, Fun and Food: Making meals enjoyable!

 

Posted by Anne Hemmer, RD, LDN, MS

Anne is the Coordinator of the MA Children at Play Program at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

 

 

 

When you have kids, pulling together a family meal can get stressful. Yet starting good eating habits while kids are still young can lead to a lifetime of healthy eating. That’s why its important to set the stage early for kids to enjoy mealtimes and have a good relationship with food. As a parent, you have the ability to make meals less stressful for you and more fun for the whole family!

Allow enough time: There’s nothing fun about a rushed meal. Set aside at least 20 minutes for the family meal. That will give you and your family plenty of time to relax, try different foods, and talk about things that matter to you.

Let the kids help: Asking your kids to get involved not only will help you, but it helps them become more interested in their food and the meal. Let kids make some choice about foods to be served, or allow them to help you shop for food and help with some simple preparation. Having kids help set the table is another easy way to get them involved. Take it a step further by helping them make a placemat with their own decorations and art work!

Turn off the TV and computer: Watching TV during a meal makes it harder to talk as a family. Turning it off allows you to have pleasant discussions about the days events. Distractions like TV, phones or computer games also make it harder to pay attention to what and how much you’re eating. If you like to have some background noise, turn on quiet music during the meal.

Sit Down: Something I know all too well is that Mom is almost always the last one to get her food and sit down. Time things as best as you can so that you sit at the table with everyone else – it makes for a better experience for everyone.

Be a Role Model: Most important to remember is that you’re teaching your children habits that will most likely stay with them for the rest of their lives. Be a role model by eating some healthy food choices at the meal, putting your phone away, and being fully present at the meal.

So sit down, relax, and enjoy family meal time. You'll not only be spending quality time with your family, you'll also be shaping their long-lasting relationship with food.

14 Weeks to a Healthier You: The Halfway Point

 

Posted by Rachel Tanenhaus, MPH

Rachel is a Program Coordinator for the Healthy Aging and Disability Unit at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

 

 

It’s been two months since I blogged about starting the 14 Weeks to a Healthier You program at the National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD), and I’m more than halfway through! Have I magically developed the body of a swimsuit model? Absolutely not, and I’m fine with that. Am I making progress and learning a lot? Definitely!

Every week I log on to the site and watch a short video explaining the new resources, activities and lessons for that week. The folks at NCPAD really have thought of everything; there are tips and resources on just about every possible barrier and situation, including pregnancy. For example, they feature tips on keeping physical activity fun and switching things up, and using herbs and spices so I can cook using less salt.  I’m not a big salt fanatic anyway, but I don’t know enough about herbs and spices to be able to use them to their full potential, so the guide is incredibly helpful. There are also pointers on how to reward yourself, exercise safely, reach a healthy weight, and how to create an environment where it’s easier to make healthy choices.

This week I learned that all kinds of physical activity – cardio, strength, flexibility and mind/body exercises – can happen in a swimming pool.  You don’t even have to know how to swim properly, as long as you stay safe. I’d never thought of going to a pool to work out, because frankly my best stroke is the doggy paddle (which doesn’t exactly lend itself to a lap lane). But it turns out that even Tai Chi or jogging can work in water!

I only have two complaints about the site. First, adding someone as a “friend” doesn’t actually do anything (there’s no way to send messages or mail, and you don’t get updates on what your friends are doing). Secondly, while the site has videos demonstrating exercises that are tailored to my individual needs, I just don’t exercise at my computer so it’s hard to refer to the instructions when I need them. I could log in using the web browser on my phone, but a Smartphone app would be a lot easier since I almost always have my phone on me.

Other than that, I love the pace and tone of the site. 14 Weeks is not a race to drop a hundred pounds or work out compulsively, despite my glee at having earned 22 “badges”.  It’s a supportive, educational site that helps people with and without disabilities practice making healthy choices and set realistic goals that work for them as individuals.  Nutrition, activity and lifestyle sites rarely acknowledge people with disabilities as a group, much less give us individual guidance, so it’s refreshing and empowering to find a well-done site that does both.