Connecting With Parents Enhances Physical and Health Education Initiatives

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It's easier than you think to extend your influence outside of the classroom. Imagine being able to give parents and students a weekly Sunday night homework assignment to log their steps using their pedometer (one with 7-day memory would be best—like the NL-1000 accelerometer or AT-82 pedometer) and either a home version CHALLENGE™ Chart (a great size for the fridge!) or online at EveryStepCounts.com. It's easy to make your physical activity program a family affair with pedometers that have 7-day memory and fun ways to track their steps.

Give weekly wellness assignments like one of NEW-LIFESTYLES’ Health and Fitness Fact Sheets as a bite-sized lesson for the family to go over together.  Everyone in the family is bound to learn something! In this way, you can further promote healthy lifestyle habits and help families take small steps to positive change.  It's as simple as asking the family to trade in one hour of screen time for one hour of physical activity as a family.

You know that you’re doing your job inside of PE class, now, here’s an opportunity to make an impact outside of PE class as well.  There’s no doubting that parents are a major part of the equation—here’s a way for you to make them an ACTIVE part of the process to increase physical activity and improve nutrition habits. EveryBODY will benefit!

2007-2008 Steps To A Healthier You™ Calendar

What is our Steps To A Healthier You™ Program Calendar? It's a calendar and program rolled into one. You, of course, can simply use it as a calendar, or you can accept its monthly challenges and work to improve your health by achieving one new health-related goal each month. They're simple goals that, when achieved and maintained, can make a big difference in your overall health and well-being.

Here's how it works. Each month we provide you with a goal such as a nutrient or food group, a list of sources (if applicable to the goal) and some simple strategies to help you achieve that goal. You use your calendar as a recordkeeping system and simply write in your steps each day and cross-off your monthly health-related accomplishments. There's a new goal each month, but you'll need to continue practicing your previous months' goals as well. By the end of the year, if you have worked hard, you will have transformed your lifestyle by achieving a total of twelve simple, but very healthful goals.

Use it yourself to improve your lifestyle or implement the calendar as a program to promote staff, classroom, or entire school wellness. Friendly competition can help encourage motivation and make "getting with the program" that much more fun!

Vending Machine Makeovers: How to Optimize Yours for Good Nutrition While Teaching Kids to Make Good Choices

Many school districts across the country are choosing to get rid of vending machines and the sodas, candy and high fat/low nutrient snacks they promote. Getting schools on board to market a unified message of healthy eating is a great start to fighting the obesity epidemic. At the same time, simply taking away the temptation at school doesn't necessarily mean students will make healthy choices outside of school. As with parenting, teaching methods should strive to encourage students to be independent and to empower them to make healthy lifestyle choices. Abolishing vending machines and consequently, the lure of junk food, is only the tip of the iceberg!

Some schools are making it their mission to not only give students healthy food options, but to also help them practice healthy behaviors on a daily basis. They are hoping over time to create some healthy habits! As one can imagine, kids that are in the habit of choosing healthy foods at school are more likely to make good nutritious choices at home.

For those schools in which the vending machine is staying put, here are some strategies to select and market healthier choices. Most dietitians would say nothing in a vending machine is going to be your best choice. Some items, however, are better than others. Bypass those chips and candy bars and get to the good (well, BETTER) stuff!

Trail Mix: high in protein, no cholesterol and low in sodium
Light Popcorn: low in fat (only if light!), low-calorie, high in fiber, makes you feel full
Pretzels: a good low-fat option. Scrape off the salt if you want them to be
low-sodium.
Baked Potato Chips: lower in fat than traditional potato chips
Peanuts: high in protein and high in monounsaturated fats, which can lower cholesterol levels.
Beef Jerky: high in protein, low in fat and low in calories. Not a good choice for those watching sodium-content.
Crackers with Peanut Butter: higher in fat but better than a candy bar because of protein-content

Gain some marketing savvy and re-configure your school's vending machines to market healthier choices like the pros do. Take a look at the display in the vending machine. Which products catch your eye first? Your answer should be: "the items at eye-level." Take control of the machine and rearrange the products. Are the items in the top and bottom row often overlooked? If you can't get rid of them altogether, put high sugar/high saturated fat foods in these slots to discourage consumers. Move the "improved options" mentioned above to the primo front-and-center spots. There you go! Now that you have become a marketing expert, when someone asks why students seem to be buying more pretzels, you can simply answer, "Location, location, location!"

Take Advantage of This Special OFFer!

Calendars and pedometers make great holiday stocking stuffers!! Be sure to check out our online holiday specials at www.new-lifestyles.com.