ProActive Kids Summer Session at Good Samaritan Health & Wellness Center

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ProActive Kids teaches kids and their families fun ways to improve health through Exercise, Nutritional Lessons, and Open Discussion over 8 weeks. This life-changing experience is offered FREE to kids ages 8-14 who want to learn new exercises, lose weight, eat right and be more confident. (BMI must be in 85th percentile or above to participate).

UPCOMING SESSIONS
Summer 2014 June 9 - August 1
Fall 2014 September 15 - November 7
DAYS AND TIMES
Monday and Wednesday
Fitness and Lifestyle (Kids Only): 5:00 – 6:30 pm
Friday Family Day
Fitness, Nutrition and Lifestyle: 5:00 – 7:00 pm
WHERE
Good Samaritan Health and Wellness Center
3551 Highland Avenue
Downers Grove, IL 60515

For more information and to enroll, please go to: www.proactivekids.org.
Please submit any inquiries to [email protected] or call 630.681.1558

Take the first step toward a healthy future. Sign up today to enroll your child and family in ProActive Kids’ next session.   Read more

Celebrate Public Health Week

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National Public Health Week is April 7-11 and the DuPage County Health Department will be celebrating the work of public health professionals more than ever this year as public health continues to evolve at a rapid pace with the onset of Affordable Health Care.

 

Public Health Week is a nationally recognized event that takes place during the first full week of April every year since 1995. Communities from coast to coast will be raising awareness of issues that are important to everyone’s health.

This year’s daily themes for Public Health Week are:

  • Monday, April 7: Be Healthy from the Start: public health starts at home, take action to protect your health by better meal planning, conducting recommended safety upgrades and preparing for emergencies.
  • Tuesday. April 8: Don’t Panic: Disaster can strike at any moment and you can’t always predict when or what, but you can be prepared for it.
  • Wednesday, April 9: Get out Ahead: 7 in 10 deaths are related to preventable disease.  Get out ahead of them by taking preventative health measures like regular check-ups and living a healthy lifestyle.
  • Thursday, April 10:  Eat Well: Many people do not understand the important information listed on a food label or what precautions to take during a foodborne illness. This day will be dedicated to bringing awareness to these issues.

Friday, April 11: Be the Healthiest Nation in One Generation: For the first time in decades, the current generation isn’t as healthy as the one that came before it. Communities will band together to try and reverse this disturbing trend. Read more

Sign Up for a Great Riding Event in MI!

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On September 24, 2014, the Apple Cider Century (ACC) will host an annual one-day 15, 25, 37, 50, 62, 75 or 100 mile bicycle tour of the orchards, forests and wine country in and around Three Oaks, Michigan. The ACC is a recreational and social tour for bicyclists. It is neither a race nor a test of stamina. It is intended that all participants ride the tour in a safe and intelligent manner.

Since 1974, it has become the Midwest’s largest one-day century event with over 5,500 cyclists participating last year. The ACC is sponsored by the Three Oaks Spokes Bicycle Club. Monies raised are used to finance the Apple Cider Century Tour, the Backroads Bikeway trails, the Bicycle Museum housed at the Dewey Cannon Trading Company, the League of American Bicyclists, Rails to Trails, and to help fund community youth programs and other non-profit organization fund raising causes.

HOW TO REGISTER:
All would-be participants in the ACC must complete and return the entry form with appropriate fee and a self-addressed, stamped, business size envelope. This will assure a return of your confirmation letter, with directions and motel and campground information. Because we must limit entries, you must act promptly to assure yourself a place. Remember that more individuals wish to ride the ACC than can be accommodated. NOTE: Entries in ACC are limited to 6,000. Entry forms which are received after the tour is full will be returned with full refund. Please register early
Click Here for the form.

Looking for a great place to stay while participating or cheering on a participant?

Then check out The Inn at Union Pier.  It is a fantastic place to stay …(even if you come when there is not a bike ride scheduled!

 

5 easy steps to weight loss success (honest!)

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Shaklee, the nutritional company, posted    thoughts about weight loss in Health Wise.  She writes about  five simple principles from the people who she has seen have weight loss success:

  1. Make the Commitment:  The first step for any change in your life is to commit to that change—and it seems to work best if it is a public commitment. Permanent weight loss takes a long-term commitment (really, for the rest of your life), but it also starts with the first step. So, decide what you can bite off—maybe that is two weeks or maybe you can commit to two months. I strongly urge you to try to commit to ninety days because that is a meaningful amount of time to change some habits AND to see results! Read more

Do you use Pinterest?

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We are looking for a way to make out summer photo activity, Flat Apple, easier and more fun.

Someone suggest we use Pinterest.Would you post your photos there?

 

What other ways could be boost interest in this fun, summer activity?

Please click “Leave a Reply” below and share your thoughts with us.  TY

Ageless Grace Certification & Seminars in April

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Bridgeway of Bensenville presents
Ageless Grace® Educator Certification & Seminars

Hosted by Clara Arbiser, Senior Living Advisor
April 4 – 6. 2014

 Ageless Grace® is  a  fun Anti-Aging Fitness Program for Body & Brain based on movement and the Science of Neuroplasticity.  Practiced in a chair, it enables any population to stay “functionally youthful”.  This training is for people who work with seniors and special groups, and for caregivers who want to provide “21 tools for lifelong comfort and ease” to enhance their people’s well-being.

Ageless Grace® Events for Personal Practice and
CertificationAgeless Grace® Personal Practice Seminar

Introduction & Overview of the 21 Tools for Personal Use
Friday, April 4  from 4-8:00 p.m.
Cost: $55 ($30 with Certification)

Registration  www.AgelessGrace.com

Bridgeway of Bensenville, 303 E. Washington Street, Bensenville, Il  60106
Contact information: Clara Arbiser at 630-787-7036

For information, please contact: Peggy Kinst, Educator/Trainer at  630-916-9677  or  email Pegg[email protected]

 

 

Being Healthy is as easy as 5-4-3-2-1 Go! ®

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March is National Nutrition Month and the DuPage County Health Department s encouraging residents to live the 5-4-3-2-1 Go!® lifestyle in order to be healthy and reduce the risk for obesity. Nationally, nearly 1 in 3 children are overweight or obese. Kids who are overweight are more likely to suffer from chronic diseases, like high blood pressure and Type 2 Diabetes. Children who are overweight are also more likely to suffer psychological effects such as bullying and depression.  Fortunately, everyone can take steps toward leading a healthier lifestyle. The 5-4-3-2-1 Go!® message  was created for children ages 3-5 as an easy way to remember the goals to try and meet every day in order to be healthy, but this message also applies to anyone who is striving to live a healthy lifestyle.  The components of the health education message are: eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, drinking 4 glasses of water per day, eating 3 servings of low-fat dairy per day, getting 2 hours or less of screen time per day, and getting 1 hour or more of exercise every day. The 5-4-3-2-1 Go!® message was created by the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children (CLOCC) and adopted by FORWARD, the Health Department’s obesity prevention initiative. Since adopting this message, FORWARD has distributed 5-4-3-2-1 Go!® posters, stickers, flyers, and magnets across DuPage County to raise awareness and  free 5-4-3-2-1 Go!® health education programs have been offered in daycares and schools across the county. For ideas and resources on how to use the 5-4-3-2-1 Go!® message in your organizationor classroom, please visit [ http://www.forwarddupage.org ]www.forwarddupage.org. 5-4-3-2-1 Go!® is a registered trademark and Copyright © 2004 Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. All rights reserved. [ http://www.clocc.net ]www.clocc.net

Lead By Example

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Scott427The  “A Year of Being Well” e-newsletter shared that leaders come in all shapes and sizes, ages, and races. Someone in your home must assume the role as leader and start the process of getting healthy or continue being an example for others. People learn best through the examples of others, so it’s important that as parents and role models we demonstrate good habits for our children.

 Kids will do what they see adults do.  If we simply preach about instilling healthy habits but we don’t practice good habits ourselves, we’ll never succeed in helping kids eat better, get more sleep, or get more physical activity.

 Being a positive role model means you have to break the unhealthy mold and make better choices for yourself, then teach your kids to do the same.  Just by drinking more water, eating a healthy diet filled with fruits and vegetables, and staying active you can be someone’s hero!

February is Hearth Healthy Month

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scaleThe Shaklee Corporation in its Health and Wellness Update has published several great article about how to keep your heath healthy.  The one below caught my eye and I thought it would a good article to share.

Weight Is a Heart Issue - What is being overweight?
Overweight and obesity are both defined by Body Mass Index or BMI (which is a ratio of weight to height). A BMI between 25 and 30 places someone in an overweight category and 30 or higher is considered obese.

 

Why control your weight?

The classifications of overweight and obese are not simply labels; there is a dramatic increase in the likelihood of disease as people increase their BMI, such as:

  • Coronary artery disease (CAD)
  • Certain cancers
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol and triglycerides
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Sleep apnea
  • Stroke
  • Type 2 diabetes

Even having a few extra pounds greatly increases the risk of heart disease.  In a 14 year study, it was shown that moderately overweight (not obese) individuals have an increased risk of heart disease. 50 percent for womeni and over 70 percent for menii

 

The cost of being overweight
Obesity itself is not what causes the harm; it is the diseases that are associated with obesity that cause the harm. The costs of these diseases and syndromes are enormous, and that doesn’t even begin to calculate the personal, physical, and emotional problems associated with increased BMI.

  • Obese people are expected to live 2-4 years less than someone with a healthy weight; the extremely obese (BMI over 40) have 8-10 years taken off their life expectancy. ii
  • More than one-third of adults in the U.S. are considered overweight and another one-third are obese.
  • The medical costs associated with obesity are estimated at over $150 billion dollars.
  • Obese people cost an average of $1,429 more in medical services per year than someone who is normal weight.

Read more

Take Precaution When Shoveling

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Shoveling Snow #2The looming winter storm projected for our area on Tuesday Feb. 4-Wednesday Feb. 5, could potentially leave behind many inches of the white stuff that is causing many of us to scream s-NOOOO-w! The DuPage County Health Department is reminding residents to take certain precautions when shoveling snow in order to stay safe and healthy.

When shoveling:

  •  Warm up your muscles. Shoveling can be a vigorous activity. Before you begin, warm up your muscles for 10 minutes with light exercise.
  •  Pace yourself. Take frequent breaks and replenish fluids to prevent dehydration. If you experience chest pain, shortness of breath or other signs of a heart attack, seek emergency care.
  •  Use a shovel that is comfortable for your height and strength. Do not use a shovel that is too heavy or too long for you. Consider buying a shovel that is specially designed to prevent too much stooping. Space your hands on the tool grip to increase your leverage.
  •  When possible, push the snow instead of lifting it. If you must lift, take small amounts of snow, and lift it with your legs: Squat with your legs apart, knees bent and back straight. Lift by straightening your legs, without bending at the waist. Then walk to where you want to dump the snow; holding a shovelful of snow with your arms outstretched puts too much weight on your spine.

Do not throw the snow over your shoulder or to the side. This requires a twisting motion that stresses your back.