Read More Healthy Families & Schools Articles



New Dietary Guidelines Released


healthy food

Updated federal dietary guidelines suggest Americans should consume less sugar, fat and salt and more vegetables and whole grains, The Wall Street Journal reports. The guidelines, which are updated every five years recommend a “healthy eating pattern” with conscious decisions about what we drink and eat. “By focusing on small shifts in what we eat and drink, eating healthy becomes more manageable,” Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia M. Burwell said. The guidelines suggest Americans should consume: A variety of vegetables, including dark green, red and orange, legumes (beans and peas), starchy and other vegetables Fruits, especially whole fruits Grains, at least half of which are whole grains Fat-free or low-fat dairy, including milk, yogurt, ...

Read More

The Lunch Box: An Online Resource for Healthy School Meals


The Lunch Box

Chef Ann Cooper founder of the Chef Ann Foundation (CAF) has created an online resource called The Lunch Box, to help support schools who want to change their school food situation. In a recent interview Emily Miller, from CAF told Food Tank that they want to help create healthier food for kids in today's world, where kids can learn the importance of nourishing their bodies and where their food comes from. Miller explains that the best way to teach kids about healthier foods is through school, where kids are already in a learning environment. The Lunch Box resource is an in-depth school food resource, where school food professionals can use free tools to help move from processed foods to scratch-made plates that are sustainable. Including over 200 recipes that are kid-tested, ...

Read More

Join our #SaludTues Tweetchat 1p ET 1/5/16: Connecting People to Coverage Before the End of Open Enrollment


health insurance coverage family

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was designed to increase access to quality health care for everyone in the country. The ACA’s open enrollment phase is currently underway through January 31, 2016. Health coverage under the new enrollment period began as early as January 1, 2016. To date, nearly 17 million individuals have gained coverage through the ACA and it has seen the largest reduction of uninsured Americans in four decades. Many now have access to vital preventive services such as mammograms, cervical cancer screenings, and flu shots. On Jan. 5, 2016, use #SaludTues to tweet with us as we discuss all the need-to-know facts about healthcare coverage. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Connecting People to Coverage Before the End of Open Enrollment” DATE: Tuesday, Jan. ...

Read More

Study: E-Cigs Linked to Dangerous Lung Disease


vape e-cigarettes teens youth e-cigs

Over 75 percent of flavored electronic cigarettes contain diacetyl, a chemical linked to severe lung disease. Diacetyl along with two other compounds was found in most sweet tasting flavors, such as cupcake, cotton candy and fruit squirts, CBS News reports. Researchers at Harvard University looked for the presence of dyacetyl, a chemical additive that’s often added to foods such as popcorn to give them a buttery flavor. Diacetyl has been associated with a severe lung disease condition known as bronchioles obliterans more commonly known as “popcorn lung,” named after many workers at microwave popcorn factories were diagnosed with the disease. "One of three flavoring chemicals was found in 92 percent of the e-cigarettes we sampled and these chemicals are of interest because of ...

Read More

Learn Your Family Medical History This Holiday Season


autoimmune christmas

Christmas is the perfect holiday to learn more about your family history and listen to the stories of your abuelo and abuela; catch up with la typical tia who wants to know everything about your romantic life and los primos you haven’t seen the whole year. Christmas can also be the perfect opportunity to learn about your family medical history and how likely you are to develop one of the 100-plus autoimmune diseases. The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) has the following advice to help you get started: 1. Get educated. There are more than 100 known autoimmune diseases (ADs) and an additional 51 diseases that are suspected to be autoimmune-related. Autoimmunity is the underlying cause of these diseases. It is the process whereby the immune system ...

Read More

Oreo Company Stops Ads To Kids Under 12


Oreo Company

The company behind Oreos, Ritz Crackers, and Cadbury chocolate, Modelēz, have announced to join the Council of Better Business Bureau (CFBAI). Joining CFBAI commits Modelēz to not advertise products directly to children under age 12, and to apply nutrition standards to all products marketed toward kids. The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility has helped drive the change for Modelēz, dialoguing with the company to set stricter policies for kids ages 6-11 years old for nutritional reasons. According to recent studies, some kids see more unhealthy ads compared to their peers, and nearly 40 percent of Latino youths in the U.S. ages 2-19 are overweight or obese. Only 1 percent of food ads on Spanish television show water, fruits, or vegetables and 70% show unhealthy sugary ...

Read More

Salud America! Wins More Web Health Awards for Raising Awareness of Health


mobile social media tablet communication web health awards

Spreading the word about how to improve health is a dire need. That’s why we created the Salud America! program. We recently won a trio of Web Health Awards for our digital efforts to raise awareness for health from the Health Information Resource Center, which gives awards twice annually for online health information. We earned a “gold” award for our @SaludAmerica Twitter/X feed, a "silver" award for our Growing Healthy Change Platform and a "bronze" award for the Salud Heroes story "Wild About Health." Please help us continue to raise awareness of health issues and solutions by following us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and ...

Read More

Infographic: Tiendas/Bodegas & Kids


tiendas bodegas corner stores tiendas or bodegas healthy food

Many people, including Latinos, live in areas with poor access to supermarkets and easy access to corner stores, also called tiendas or bodegas. Research indicates that when corner stores offer a wider selection of healthy foods and promote them, people are more likely to buy them and eat healthier, according to our new infographic on tiendas/bodegas, which is part of the new Salud America! Better Food in the Neighborhood research package on the latest science and recommendations on healthy food options. Share this infographic ...

Read More

#SaludTues Tweetchat 1p ET 12/15/15: Redefining Physical Activity for Health: Evidence & Anecdote


Walking Physical Activity and Exercise

Research over the past two decades has shown numerous health benefits associated with moderate intensity physical activity. This is why the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) developed the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (PAG), recommending 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week for adults and 60 minutes of moderate physical activity per day for kids, to include muscle-strengthening activities, for important health benefits and even more physical activity for greater health benefits. Join #SaludTues on December 15, 2015, to tweet about how we can use evidence and anecdote to redefine physical activity for lifelong health, and how we can stay motivated to move more and sit less throughout the day. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: ...

Read More