Celebrate National Nutrition Month and School Breakfast Week by reading the attached tips from EASD Registered Dietician, Donna Barnes and visiting http://www.eatright.org/Public/.  When you "Get Your Plate In Shape", life shapes up for you, too! 

Here are a few ways to "Get Your Plate in Shape" from the food and nutrition experts at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics:

1. •Make half of your plate fruits and vegetables. Eat a variety of vegetables, especially dark-green, red and orange varieties.  Add fresh, dried, frozen or canned fruits to meals and snacks.
   

2. •Switch to fat-ree or low-fat milk: Fat-free and low-fat mile have the same amount of calcium and other essential nutrients as whole milk.
   

3. •Be physically active your way: Adults need at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of physical activity every week. Choose activities that you enjoy and start by doing as much as you can.
   

Spring ahead! That's what your wall clock will do on Sunday, March 11, 2012. Is your body clock ready? National Sleep Foundation can help. Visit http://www.sleepfoundation.org/primary-links/how-sleep-works for sleep facts and information, including how the sleep-wake cycle affects your physical and emotional health.

So you've been kind to yourself and your heart during February Heart Health Month: You're worth that effort 12 months of the year! 

Managing stress is good for both heart and soul! Visit these web pages http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/yoga/CM00004 and http://www.stress-relief-tools.com/breathing-relaxation-techniques.html to learn more about the benefits of relaxation breathing and yoga relaxation. 

As Dr. Joan Borysenko so wisely states - "Everyday brings a choice: to practice stress or to practice peace."

Heart health is important everyday, but especially during the month that celebrates your Valentine. If you're planning that romantic dinner this February 14th, give the gift of good nutrition by checking out these web links:

The PA Department of Agriculture is committed to ensuring your safe dining experience via the year-round restaurant inspections it conducts and posts to their website. Visit https://www.pafoodsafety.state.pa.us/web/inspection/publicinspectionsearch.aspx before making that dinner reservation! Also visit http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/DiningOut/Dining-Out_UCM_304183_SubHomePage.jsp for The American Heart Association's tips when dining out.

For preparing that candle-lit, home-cooked dinner, visit http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipes/healthy/heart-healthy-meal-recipes for heart-healthy recipes that will "wow' your valentine. And, since dark chocolate IS linked to heart health, this dessert http://www.examiner.com/food-in-providence/chocolate-covered-strawberries-heart-healthy-valentine-s-day-dessert-recipes is sure to "woo" your valentine, too!

Super Bowl Sunday - when friends and family gather to watch two teams vie for a championship title, yes... but also a day that is the second only to Thanksgiving as the highest day for food consumption! 

According to ABC news, Neilsen estimates game viewers will munch about 177 million pounds of snacks. See the attached from CDC and The American Cleaning Institute for making your Super Bowl party a safe and health one:

As January 2012 winds down, be sure to "buck up" your wellness resolutions by utilizing your EASD's Employee Health Benefits!  Preventive screenings, nutritional counseling, EAP services, prescriptions coverage are just some of the ways you may take care of your physical and emotional health!

Invest in a year-round gift to yourself and your family by following healthfinder.gov's tips (attached) and by utilizing your health benefits plan. You'll find more information on healthy living at any of these following websites:

1. •http://www.everydayhealth.com/healthy-living/index.aspx?xid=nl_EverydayHealthHealthyLiving_20120121
   

2. •http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/HealthyLivingIndex/HealthyLivingIndex, 
   

3. •http://healthfinder.gov/prevention/default.aspx
   

4. •http://www.cdc.gov/healthyliving/
   

5. •http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthyliving.html
   

January is National Radon Awareness Month. During the winter, folks keep windows of their homes closed and spend more time indoors - This is the best time to for radon, a colorless, odorless gas that's one of the leading causes of lung cancer.

Visit http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/citguide.html for The Environmental Protection Agency's guide on how to protect yourself and your family.

If you're still contemplating ways to make 2012 your safest year ever, consider Mary Ann Tierney's invitation to "Resolve to Be Ready" http://blog.fema.gov/2011/12/resolution-thats-easy-to-keep-resolve.html.  Ms. Tierney is FEMA's Regional Administrator for Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia and West Virginia. (See attachment)

Visit The Readiness and Emergency Management For Schools Technical Assistance Center for free on-line courses that assist you in school preparedness http://remstacenter.org/index.php?page=online_courses, while you earn contact hours/certificates of completion towards professional development requirements.

Be safe, be well!

May 2012 be YOUR year for health and happiness. Leaving past excuses where they belong...in the past...is the best gift to give yourself! 

Visit Everydayhealth.com's "fit"ting tips for the New Year:

 http://www.everydayhealth.com/fitness-pictures/your-top-exercise-excuses-busted.aspx?xid=nl_EverydayHealthHealthyLiving_20120101#/slide-1

Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season. Be safe, be well, be merry with these holiday tips!

1. •http://yourlife.usatoday.com/parenting-family/story/2011-12-19/Pediatricians-offer-tips-to-avoid-holiday-hazards/52064772/1 (family tips)
   

2. •http://www.cdc.gov/Features/RoadSafety/ (teen/ driver tips)
   

3. •http://www.preventblindness.org/tips-how-purchase-safe-toys-and-gifts-kids (toy safety)
   

4. •http://butler.kfvs12.com/news/news/51660-humane-society-offers-tips-keep-your-pets-healthy-over-holidays (pet safety)
   

News you should use, whether you're Cookie Monster, a cookie chef or a christmas cookie craver: "Eat the cookies, not the dough" - Give the gift of food safety!

http://blogs.mcall.com/health/2011/12/eat-the-cookies-not-the-dough.html

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/food-poisoning/news/20111207/raw-cookie-dough-ready-to-bake-not-ready-to-eat

Ho Ho Ho. How do you stay jolly and healthy during all the business of the holidays? Here's some great suggestions from the CDC and American Heart Association!

1. •http://www.cdc.gov/family/holiday/12ways.htm
   

2. •http://www.cdc.gov/Features/HealthyTips/
   

3. •http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/StressManagement/FightStressWithHealthyHabits/Manage-Holiday-Stress-Without-Hurting-Your-Heart_UCM_433252_Article.jsp#
   

As we enter this season of giving, be sure to give yourself the gift of peace! By extending holiday cheer throughout the year with these tips from healthfinder.gov, may you enjoy each day of the year: Today is a gift - that's why it's called the present...

http://www.healthfinder.gov/news/newsstory.aspx?Docid=659172&source=govdelivery

Time to talk turkey! According to WebMD "Thanksgiving is a time to gather with family and friends, but often it becomes a time to overeat, get stuck in traffic, and can also be a difficult time if you have depression." Visit http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthy-thanksgiving-directory for WebMD's comprehensive coverage on how to celebrate a happy, healthy, safe Thanksgiving.

So you've raked leaves, sawed broken tree limbs, and now are stocking up on shop vacuums, snow shovels, rock salt (and home generators?!), in preparation for the next Snowpocalypse! Here's Healthfinder.gov's suggestions for making your garage a safe place for yourself and your stuff!

http://www.healthfinder.gov/news/newsstory.aspx?Docid=658555&source=govdelivery

Did you know that our country is facing a diabetes epidemic? According to the Center for Disease Control. 1 in 9 Americans currently suffer from diabetes, and that number could triple by 2050. Learn more about prevention, as well as about living with diabetes, during November's American Diabetes and and Diabetic Eye Disease Month, by visiting:

http://cdc.gov/Features/LivingWithDiabetes/

Happy National Farm To School Month! Read about what's happening in the Lehigh Valley to promote the health benefits of eating local fruits and vegetables

http://www.mcall.com/health/mc-bethlehem-cafeteria-man-food-20111023,0,7674655.story. Why not try this seasonal recipe with the pumpkins you'll be picking!

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/pumpkin-recipes

Trick or treat? - With Halloween preparations in full swing, the Food Allergy Network has some tips for enjoying the day, while keeping food allergies in mind:

http://www.foodallergy.org/page/halloween-with-food-allergies

September is Childhood Obesity Awareness Month - visit http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/besmartbewell/50822/?TC=50822 to view an inspiring story by a young latino student and her parents, as she celebrates her culture AND good health.

One month in to the school year means it's time for Dibels and 4sights tests. But could you pass this heart-health quiz? To check your heart-savvy aptitude, visit Everydayhealth.com's "heart-healthy home pages"  

http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-report/heart-healthy-living.aspx 

http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-report/heart-healthy-living/exercise-essentials.aspx?xid=nl_EverydayHealthHealthyLiving_20110917

A time to remember - a time to prepare...

From PADOH - National Preparedness Month's Tip Of The Day:

http://webserver.health.state.pa.us/health/PreparednessMonth/Tips.asp

Happy Labor Day Weekend to the best workers ever - EASD staff! Enjoy these worker safety tips from EASD's own Health and Safety Website, as well as today's Morning Call Health Blog Webpage:

http://www.eastonsd.org/wellness/Safety.html

http://blogs.mcall.com/health/2011/09/workplace-safety-getting-better.html

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK ARCHIVES

Easton Area School District’s Nutritional Standards for Competitive Foods

click

here