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Life Lines          GAL LOGO

Get A Life Newsletter           

                                             January, 2008 - Vol 1, Issue 1

 

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In This Issue

Health Ministry Training

Community Health Council Updates

Obesity Funders Convene

Ideas & Resources

 

Join Our Mailing List!

 

Did You Know?

Did you know Vitamin A (Beta Carotene)-helps regulate the immune system.  Good sources include carrots, peppers, and green leafy vegetables such as spinach.  Try some today!!!

 

 

Dear Reader,

Welcome to our first Get a Life Newsletter where our #1 focus is on helping you find ways to get kids to eat healthy and be more active!  The newsletter will offer information, resources, and ideas to help you.

 

FAITH BASED HEALTH MINISTRY TRAINING

 

Congregations throughout the north Delta are sending teams to a workshop sponsored by GET A LIFE and hosted by the Senatobia District of the United Methodist Church in January.  Nationally recognized expert, Rosetta Swinton, will train lay people from many denominations how to set up Health Ministries within their own churches.  SPACE IS LIMITED to 50 people for this free, full day workshop on January 26th in Holly Springs.   Please contact GAL at 662.298.0027 for more information.

 

 

COMMUNITY HEALTH COUNCIL UPDATES

Together we are impacting thousands of north Delta young people!   Here's the latest!

PUTTING A SPARK IN PANOLA - .  Hundreds of elementary children are having fun and getting a lot of exercise thanks to the Panola Community Health Council (CHC) which purchased S.P.A.R.K. equipment and provided training for 22 school teachers and administrators in both North and South Panola schools. Council chairman, Rupert Howell, arranged for additional SPARK equipment for several more schools when he saw the enthusiasm of the teachers and kids for those "shiny red balls and the big parachute."

DESOTO COUNTY'S ATHLETIC KIDS - 40 youngsters are spending time in the gym with personal trainers at Desoto Athletic Club (DAC) in Southaven thanks to the DeSoto CHC partnership with DAC.  The kids are keeping journals and "training" to be ambassadors for good health among their peers!

PROJECT T.A.T.E. instituted Family Activity Nights in four local schools.  Members of the Tate CHC, which includes several school nurses, are providing lots of good nutrition education along with healthy snacks to more than 300 at these popular events. 

QUITMAN - Using the OrganWise Guys curriculum and equipment, more than 100 parents and kids in local Head Start programs are learning how eating healthy can prevent chronic disease. The gym at Youth Opportunities Unlimited is bustling with activity as hundreds of youngsters work to get their BMI down!

TALLAHATCHIE - Educators, nurses and child care providers from East and West Tallahatchie have joined forces to make a difference through "Junk Food Free Wednesdays" and special events to promote healthy eating to 800 kids in schools, Head Start and after school programs!

TUNICA - Dr. Gene Osborn and the Tunica CHC have forged a partnership with the county school district that should produce lasting results.   Beginning in January, "WE CAN" training will be offered to parents and "Catch Kids" will be permanently integrated into the curriculum at all three local elementary schools.

COAHOMA - The Coahoma County CHC recently welcomed city and county school superintendents as new members of their group.  The launch for "Coahoma County's Healthy Kids" will be early in 2008 targeting third graders in three local elementary schools.

MARSHALL - School nurses and Extension Service Health agents are conducting seminars in local elementary schools and Head Start programs throughout the county. 

 

OBESITY FUNDERS CONVENE
The Community Foundation of NW Mississippi invited leaders across the state to meet together at a "funders luncheon" designed to bring together individuals and agencies already investing resources in obesity prevention in Mississippi.  Ten funders came together in Jackson last fall, some for the first time, and talked about the unique issues in Mississippi and the programs they were supporting.  They agreed that obesity is an issue that impacts all residents where they learn, live, work, play and worship. 

When it's all said and done, what we do in schools must be reinforced at home, what we teach at home must be carried out in community environments, and how we provide care must reflect the needs of the communities across the state.

Anne Travis, CEO, The Bower Foundation

Because the funders represent decision makers from education, public health, medicine, community health, and foundations, the networking lunch set the stage for new relationships and true collaboration around healthy eating and active living for communities.   

It's not enough to do good work.  The importance of our community efforts is in the legacy of healthy communities that we're creating for future Delta residents.

Marshall Bouldin, M.D., Delta Health Alliance Medical Director

 

Jump into the NEW YEAR with a NEW ATTITUDE!

 GAL LOGOSo the Holidays are over and you lost track of calories!  That's o.k. It's a NEW YEAR- to get back on track.  To get started why don't you, your friends, and family....

 

Start your own Healthy Cooking Club - Cooking experiences help young people learn about ingredients and making healthier choices in food preparation. Food skills may increase options for youth who rely heavily on fast-food choices and the knowledge gained from food preparation may be transferable to other food choice settings. The following link provides step by step instructions on starting a healthy cooking club.http://www.cookingupfun.cornell.edu/index.html

 

 

 

IDEAS & RESOURCES

OR TRY THIS......

 

Family Fun Night-Cooking with the Kids

Here's a recipe created with kids! 

For added fun, you can also serve with apple sauce or low-fat ranch dressing.  This is an opportunity, by sampling each dipping sauce, to give your food critic more sampling opportunities.

 

MEAL ON A STICK-Serves 4

 

Marinade

1/2 cup orange-pineapple juice

1 T. snipped fresh parsley

1 T.  low-sodium Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp.  firmly packed light brown sugar

1 medium garlic clove, minced

1/4 tsp. salt

___________________________________________________________________

12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, all visible fat discarded, cut into 16 cubes

 

1 sm zucchini, cut crosswise into 8 pieces

8 pineapple chunks, fresh or canned in their own juice, drained

1 medium red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, cut into 16 squares

8 grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes

 

Orange Dipping Sauce

3 T. fat-free or low-fat plain yogurt

2 T. all-fruit orange marmalade

1 T. orange-pineapple juice

 

If using metal skewers. lightly spray four 12-inch skewers with vegetable oil spray.  If using bamboo skewers. soak them for at least 10 minutes in cold water to keep them from charring. (No need to spray.)

 

In a large airtight plastic bag or glass bowl, combine the marinade ingredients.  Add the chicken, zucchini, and pineapple and turn to coat.  Seal the bag or cover the dish and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, turning at least once.  Set aside the  bell pepper and tomatoes. 

 

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients. Set aside.

 

Preheat the broiler.  Lightly spray a broiler pan and rack with vegetable oil spray.

 

Remove the chicken, zucchini, and pineapple from the marinade, discarding the marinade.  Thread the ingredients on each skewer in the following order: Chicken, bell pepper, zucchini, pineapple, bell pepper, chicken, and tomato.  Repeat.

 

Broil the kebabs 4 to 6 inches from the heat for 5 minutes.  Turn the kebabs.  Broil for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center.

 

Serve the kebabs with the *dipping sauce on the side.

 

*This recipe is from the American Heart Association-Healthy Recipes Kids Love

Helpful hint:  Kids are more likely to try new foods when they are involved in meal planning and preparation.  When you go to the grocery store, let your kids pick out a new vegetable that they would like to try.

 

 

SEND YOUR FAVORITE HEALTHY RECIPE OR FUN WAYS TO EXERCISE TO ME AT  JANAYE@KIDSGETALIFE.ORG

 

Comments or Suggestions?

 

We welcome your comments and suggestions for our newsletter.  We'll try to include as many of them as we can for future editions.  Please send comments and suggestions by email to:

janaye@kidsgetalife.org with the subject line-Get A Life Newsletter Suggestions.

 

Sincerely,


Janaye R. Anderson

Assistant to the Regional Health Director

 

 

Get A Life | 321 Losher Street | Hernando | MS | 38632

 

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Fruits and Veggies

Do you know the benefits?

Exercise
Did you know that children who exercise have stronger muscles and bones? They are less likely to be overweight, and reduce the risk for many health related issues.
Learn more..

Food Fun
Have you seen the food pyramid at school? Well, here's a fun game you can play so you can learn more about food choices.
Learn more..

 

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