The Canyon Ranch Institute (CRI) is a non-profit that works to bring health and wellness to the world. Home to Tucson, Arizona (30.3% Latino), the organization helps their community in various ways. Bringing a Healthy Community program pilot to the area back in 2014, the CRI Healthy Community program is now offered in partnership with Apollo Middle School and the Grow 2B Fit Foundation to bring wellness and health to the families in Apollo Middle School (98.1% Latino) . The start date for the CRI Healthy Community is set for this fall, October 24th, 2015. Participants can learn from cooking and nutrition classes, destress with physical activity and join together for healthy eating with the on site garden. The program focuses on participants with low income, high stress and high ...
How can American Latino's combat obesity (77%) when the majority of food consumed is high in fat, sodium and sugar? One way to help improve diet, is for consumers to have a higher demand for healthier options in restaurants. Some restaurants are already stepping up on changing menus, and notifying consumers of healthier options, as well as offering kids menus with a healthy variety. Seven restaurants in Omaha, Nebraska are being recognized in a recent article, for offering healthier menu options. The University of Nebraska, will recognize the restaurants that participated in the Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition survey that measured the use of “best practices” for a healthy dining environment. Some of the highlights of these restaurants were their use of healthier options in ...
Amy's a organic chain of frozen foods and canned soups is now trying out the fast food scene. Working on captivating the demand for organic and natural convenient foods, the company has opened up a local fast food chain with a garden rooftop and hopes to expand the chain to other areas in the sunny state. Serving organic and vegetarian options like margarita pizza, and veggie burgers, the chain hopes to give consumers healthier options. Many Latinos in California live in food desserts, where fast food is usually the only option. Having restaurants or fast food options that offer healthier options may help Latino families who have limited options make healthier choices. Increasing demand of healthier foods is changing the way large food companies market to consumers. To ...
What so great about beans? Grad student Kelly Atterberry and mentor Carol Miles have the answer in their new bean-based garden and nutrition curriculum for K-12 students in Washington. By encouraging kids to learn to garden and try nutritious pulse crops (beans, lentils, peas, etc.), they hope the curriculum can help combat obesity and diet-related health problems among children.
Why Beans?
Kelly Atterberry originally wanted to go nursing school. Then she learned about agriculture and growing healthy food while working on a farm and again later while working in the Agriculture Research Station at Washington State University (WSU) in Mount Vernon, Wash. (33.7 % Latino). So she switched her career course. As a grad student at WSU, she studied agriculture, which united her ...
Every year San Antonio's Siclovia, put on by the YMCA helps turn major city streets into safe spaces for active exercise and play for the community. This years event on September 27th, 2015, will again encourage families to run, ride bikes, and enjoy free exercise classes in the streets, but one thing will be different, families will enjoy free water too. San Antonio Water System (SAWS) will be providing a healthy alternative to sugary beverages, with a 5,000-gallon water truck, encouraging families in attendance to drink up and stay fit. Also attending will be San Antonio's Healthy Beverage coalition, encouraging people to drink more water, and educate them with their Sugar-Packed campaign. Combining fitness, water consumption and education on sugary-drinks, is a healthy ...
A new study by NOURISH (Nutrition Opportunities to Understand Reforms Involving Student Health) studied bans for junk food in schools, reporting that Massachusetts schools are able to implement standards with “very little technical assistance”, according to Jessica Hoffman, a Northeastern associate professor, and the study’s lead author. Reporting that only 13 percent of middle schools foods met the state’s standards for federal health standards before bans, and now the studied schools have risen to 69 percent of healthier food and beverage options. Also, 28 percent of beverages in high schools met standards before, and one year later (2013-2014) has reportedly risen to 80 percent. Before, vending machines across schools may have been filled with sodas, candy bars, chips ...
Farms, gardens, and schools are connecting in northeastern Pennsylvania. Working to incorporate more fresh vegetables and healthy food access to the area, schools are partnering with local farms and applying for Farm-to-School Grants. Lehigh Valley Chapter of Buy Fresh Buy Local (BFBFLGLV) works with schools and farmers to improve children's diets. Many free summer lunch programs were not able to offer more than a slice of tomato and lettuce for a sandwich. Knowing this, the organization started making connections with school administrators, farmers, and local activists. Bringing in samples of fresh vegetables to classes, farmers invited kids to try new vegetables and informed the kids about the life of a farmer. Show and tell didn't stop there, as farmers and teachers then worked ...
“If Iowa can do it, I believe that other states can as well,” said Teresa Wiemerslage in a recent article. Wiemerslage is the Program Coordinator with Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach. For over 7 years the Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness initiative has helped local school systems focus on wellness, activity and local food. However, with new federal government nutritional requirements and funding from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at (ISU), the initiative has come up with a local menu for six school districts. The grant has allowed the initiative to create and implement seasonal menus to help schools incorporate various locally grown fruits and vegetables including, watermelon, cabbage, summer and winter squashes, just to name a few. Foods like ...
Yoga in math class? Pilates and nutrition facts in science class? Energizing and helping teachers refocus, Fit to Learn is a professional development program from the Healthy Schools Campaign that helps teachers make health and wellness a common part of the classroom. How does it encourage healthy living for students and teachers? Incorporating nutrition education and fitness in the class lessons, all while meeting standards in all subjects, Fit to Learn gives teachers resources to help change the way wellness is looked at in classrooms. Studies have proven how physical activity helps students become better learners with better test scores, task completion, and engagement. In a recent article, teachers like Gila Hernandez, were trained on how to bring Fit to Learn into her ...
