Posts Tagged ‘Fruits And Veggies’

March is “National Nutrition month” which was developed in 1973 as a way to increase the public’s awareness of good nutrition.

This years theme is “Enjoying the Taste of Eating Right” which encourages you to make healthy choices that also taste good so that you will enjoy what you eat.  The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics directed me to a tip sheet about 20 ways to enjoy more fruits and veggies and I thought it had some great ideas.  Here are a few ways to add more fruits and vegetables to your families diet. Find more tips at:

http://www.kiddoscatering.com

1.         Wake up to fruit. Make a habit of adding fruit to your morning oatmeal, ready-to-eat cereal, yogurt or toaster waffle.

2.         Variety abounds when using vegetables as pizza topping. Try broccoli, spinach, green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and zucchini.

3.         Mix up a breakfast smoothie made with low-fat milk, frozen strawberries and a banana

4.         Make a veggie wrap with roasted vegetables and low-fat cheese rolled in a whole-wheat tortilla

G3 is committed to motivating youth to “Get Moving, Get Knowledge, Get Healthy and Strong”. Join us for fun fitness classes that include tasteful Nutrition lessons. Contact us at g3healthandfitness@gmail.com to learn more about ongoing classes for kids 8-13.

Yours in Health and Fitness,

Cynthia Carpenter

G3 Health and Fitness, Inc. spent a part of Earth Day – April 22^nd – with an energetic Girl Scouts troop from the Burlington-Camden County area.  The Girl Scouts, some of their moms and leaders participated in a lively, fun, and educational, free fitness Jamboree held at the Kennedy Center in Willingboro, NJ.
 
G3 volunteers, dedicated to the fight against childhood obesity and to helping families, led all of the sessions.
 
Vikki, a skilled trainer and G3 leader, got the group fired up with Zumba, a Latin-inspired fitness dance party.  By the end of the session, group members had boosted their metabolism …. doing it to hip-hop and Cumbia music.
 
Nicole, a spunky, registered dietitian, brought a fresh, interactive learning approach, which encouraged the girls to look for ways to eat healthier.
 
Sue, another G3 leader and expert trainer, directed the group with gentle Yoga poses, designed to relax their muscles and decreased their heart rate.
 
After such an impactful fitness workshop on Earth Day, I thought about the parallels between the “Earth Day” and “Let’s Move” initiatives. Just as the environmental movement was mobilized in Congress by a bi-partisan effort to establish Earth Day, so has First Lady Michelle Obama started a national movement to take better care of our bodies with healthier diets and more physical activity.   Evidence of Earth Day’s success can be seen in widespread recycling, creation of the EPA, toxic substance controls and other environmental actions. Mrs. Obama’s initiative is starting a movement that crosses generations.  “Let’s Move” has been successful in passing the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which provides that all children have access to healthier foods at school.  With this act, the amount of fruits and veggies has doubled in school lunches.
 
The Healthy US School program has been rolled into “Let’s Move” challenges schools to meet the highest national standards for nutrition and physical activity.  Several large chain grocers have committed to reduce prices of fresh produce and to reformulate many of their private-label processed foods by 2015 to reduce sodium, sugar and trans fats.
 
G3’s mission is to fight childhood obesity, by helping families:  Get Moving, Get Knowledge, Get Healthy and Strong. Local programs like the one G3 held for the Girl Scouts, help families spend quality time together, while learning about good food choices so they can get healthy and strong.  Why don’t you join our Movement during Fitness Month? Get the G-facto! We need volunteers to help to change people’s lives.