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Heart Health Month
Happy Valentine's Day
It's February and time to evaluate your New Year's resolutions to eat healthier and exercise more. Plus, February is American Heart Month and many of the same guidelines apply.
Hopefully you made great progress in January, so let's get a plan for February since the month is filled with food (mostly unhealthy) related events. Did you make it through the Super Bowl without adding too many extra calories? Next we have Valentine's Day, noted for chocolates and special dinners and then the beginning of Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras.
Yes, you can be successful during the shortest month of the year, you need to plan. Here are four easy ideas.
1. Write down your plan for the month. If you fall off for one day- just jump back on your plan the next day.
2. When you don't have time for the full workout- instead of skipping entirely, do a short version so you maintain the habit. 15- 20 minutes is better than nothing at all. Pus it keeps your heart healthy.
3. As always, drink plenty of water each day, at your events and meals.
4. Fill up on fresh fruit, vegetables and 1-2 cups of leafy greens.
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Upcoming Events
Healthy Choices Grants
Rolling Deadlines April 15, July 15, October 15
Action for Healthy Kids Grants
Between now and April 3, parents and school staff can apply for a Game On or Parents for Healthy Kids school grant to improve kids' health and well-being, which helps them learn, succeed, and thrive.
March 2020 National Nutrition Month
School Breakfast Week, March 4 - 8, 2020
Contact your Child Nutrition Department for events planned at your school.
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| Woodview Elementary, Spring Branch ISD, was recently awarded a 2-year $5000 Grant for their Healthy Body and Mind program. |
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Meet the Oliver Teen Advisory Board
The Oliver Foundation Teen Advisory Board is a 12-18 member
organization represented by students across the Houston area. Each month you'll meet a different member who will share their perspective on living a healthy life.
Aarthi Annamalai, Board Member
Cypress Woods High School - Cypress, Texas
Teen Board Member 2019 - Present
Aarthi is a junior at Cypress Woods High School. She is involved involved in many extracurricular activities including Key Club and SNHS. Aarthi enjoys dancing, traveling and hanging out with her friends and family.
Food for your Mood
The food we eat and how we eat it are closely associated with our emotions and mental health. A growing body of research is revealing not only the power of particular nutrients to increase well-being, but also the multifaceted ways in which our attitude and choices regarding food impact our state of mind. As teens, it is crucial to consider every factor in our lives as our bodies are constantly changing. Hence, it's important that we closely monitor our diets as it has such a profound effect on our lives.
Science is increasingly validating the amazing impact of food on our emotions. A 2013 study found that the risk of depression is 25 to 35 percent lower in those who eat a diet high in vegetables, fruits, grains and fish, while avoiding processed foods and sugar. In another study, the percentage was even higher. In fact, teens in the study who ate a low-quality diet had an 80 percent higher risk of depression in comparison to those who ate a higher-quality, whole-foods diet.
We've all been there, finishing a whole bag of chips out of boredom or downing cookie after cookie while cramming for a big test. But when done a lot - especially without realizing it - emotional eating can affect weight, health, and overall well-being.
One of the biggest myths about emotional eating is that it's prompted by negative feelings. Yes, people often turn to food when they're stressed out, lonely, sad, anxious, or bored. But emotional eating can be linked to positive feelings too, like the romance of sharing dessert on Valentine's Day or the celebration of a holiday feast. Sometimes emotional eating is tied to major life events, like a death or a divorce. More often, though, it's the countless little daily stresses.
Managing emotional eating means finding other ways to deal with the situations and feelings that make someone turn to food. For example, do you come home from school each day and automatically head to the kitchen? Stop and ask yourself, "Am I really hungry?" Is your stomach growling? Are you having difficulty concentrating or feeling irritable? If these signs point to hunger, choose something light and healthy to take the edge off until dinner. Not really hungry? If looking for food after school has just become part of your routine, think about why. Then try to change the routine. Instead of eating when you get in the door, take a few minutes to transition from one part of your day to another. Go over the things that happened that day. Acknowledge how they made you feel: Happy? Grateful? Excited? Angry? Worried? Jealous? Left out? These feelings can cause someone to seek comfort or distraction in food.
Aarthi Annamalai
February 2020
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Green Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients:
Directions:
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Put the greens and the apple juice in the blender and blend until it is smooth and has no bits of greens.
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Add in the banana, pineapple, and peach/mango.
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Blend until it is a smooth consistency with no chunks.
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Oliver Foundation
5535 Memorial Drive, Suite F, #256
Houston,exas 77007
Info@olivefoundation.org
www.oliverfoundation.org
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