MICHAEL & SUSAN DELL CENTER for HEALTHY LIVING

Season's Greetings from the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living!

2015-12-23T08:52:00.000-06:00

We hope this newsletter finds you in good health. As we prepare to put a bow on 2015, I'd like to reflect on some of this year's notable milestones and accomplishments, and then tell you little about what we have in store for the coming year.

We began the year by putting the final touches on a new 5-year strategic plan for the Center, with help from our friends at Mission Capital (formerly Greenlights). After seeing substantial growth over the past nine years, it was important for us to reevaluate and refine our overall formula for creating healthy change in the community. The plan focuses on four strategies: Research, Translation, Dissemination, and Sustainability. All of these strategies were incorporated in the publication of a special issue on obesity in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity earlier this year. Among the eight articles was a new framework for childhood obesity research, the creation of which was led by Dr. Cheryl Perry. You might notice a similarity between the model and our Center logo, which will give you an idea of how long this framework has been in development!

Speaking of things years in the making, 2016 will be a banner year for our Center as we celebrate our 10th anniversary. We have many exciting activities planned to celebrate our first 10 years. Look for more on that soon...

We thank you for your continued support as we work toward our vision of "Healthy children in a healthy world."

Wishing you a happy and healthy new year,

Deanna Hoelscher, PhD, RD, LD, CNS

Next steps in the movement towards better health

2015-09-01T12:56:00.002-05:00

As a partner with Go Austin! ¡Vamos Austin!, we want to share this blog post from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. Please give it a read here or follow this link back to the original post to comment.

Next steps in the movement towards better health

BY: ALIYA HUSSAINI, M.D.

Since the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and our partners launched Go Austin! ¡Vamos Austin!(GAVA) in 2012, we’ve seen incredible changes in two communities. Our goal was to engage a cross-section of the community in coordinated childhood obesity prevention, and to find the sweet spot where local engagement meets evidence-based best practice. Well, we’re getting there.

As the work progresses in both communities, this is a pivotal time. The evaluation team will graduate from looking at measures that suggest we’re moving in the right direction to looking at whether the team has been successful in affecting downstream outcomes data in Dove Springs. Through the GAVA initiative, teams have been built; leaders have been identified, strengthened, and proliferated; changes in the access to and quality of healthy food and physical activity opportunities have occurred; and partners have been inspired to co-fund and participate in its efforts. The community’s awareness of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle has become more widespread.

Now it’s time to increase demand for healthy eating and physical activity. The expected end result when greater access meets higher demand? More healthy eating and physical activity on the part of residents, a neighborhood more supportive and promoting of healthier behaviors, and better health for communities. Everything we know about GAVA’s impact so far has been a series of leading indicators saying the team is headed in the right direction. Now we’ll start to look at whether we can reach our destination using this collaborative, resident driven approach to evidence based strategies.

How do we get there?

To accomplish these lofty goals, two community directors lead the charge. They each possess a very special combination of skills to work in partnership with community residents and align potential organizational partners.

We have also armed ourselves with great data – maps that show which barriers to healthy eating and physical activity are prevalent in any school attendance zone; where there is a critical mass of high level resident leaders and where new leaders should be recruited; information about which site based teams are taking on which types of strategies and whether that combination of strategies is likely to be successful; and where progress is being made. Or not – so we can figure out why.

What’s next?

GAVA has graduated to greater community ownership, with a 2015 application for Michael & Susan Dell Foundation funding that was written in partnership by the funded organizations and residents. The approved grant, multi-year for the first time since GAVA’s inception, outlined each entity’s role in joint goals and their accountability for the timely accomplishment of those goals. The GAVA structure has been reorganized, to put a greater emphasis and support around community organizing – to lift up, develop, and support leaders throughout the two communities, with an eye toward sustainability and capacity building. Its community directors have been given greater latitude to lead from the ground, driving the results and the methodologies most likely to garner long-term, sustained energy and leadership from neighborhood residents and organizations.

It has also graduated in responsibility – with the foundation supporting less of its budget over time, forcing the uncomfortable, but necessary diversification of funding we’d require of any other grantee partner.

It is a scary time for all of us. For those of us relinquishing control, taking control, pledging accountability, and seeking new partners and supporters. It is scary to see if the numbers will continue to bear out impact, even as we become more demanding about the impact we expect and how long it will last. And it is also an exciting time – it’s a time when we make good on our commitment to our community partners to step back and follow their lead. And when we make good on our commitment to our foundation partners to be rigorous in our approach, informed in our implementation, dogged in our pursuit of impact, and inspiring in our ability to find others who see the value of the people, the place, and the model that is GAVA.

Stay tuned for blogs from GAVA community directors who will share stories of what’s happening day to day on the ground in both communities. Their voices will bring to life the complexity of the work, how far we’ve come and where we’re headed.

Extending the conversation on sugary drinks in schools

2015-08-03T13:23:00.000-05:00

Last week, the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity published a special issue on child obesity featuring eight articles authored by our Center researchers. Our Center director Deanna Hoelscher, PhD, RD, LD wrote a blog post for the journal publisher, Bio Med Central, where she discussed the release of the special issue and some of the key findings from the articles therein.

The American Beverage Association commented on the blog to share their views on the causes and solutions to the childhood obesity problem. Below is the comment posted by the ABA and the subsequent response from Dr. Hoelscher:

American Beverage Association, ABA Communications - 30th July 2015 14:15

We agree that childhood obesity is a serious issue. However, this public health challenge is influenced by myriad factors, including genetics, overall diet, and inactivity; not a single source of calories. That said, our industry is doing its part and has taken proactive steps to encourage a healthy balance. For example, our member companies helped lead the way with the implementation of national School Beverage Guidelines, which removed full-calorie soft drinks, cut beverage calories in schools nationwide by 90 percent, and set the stage for the USDA’s new regulations currently underway in schools. We have also led the way on clear calorie labeling so that consumers of all ages can make informed choices. The overarching takeaway? Education that focuses on overall diet and physical activity can help people increasingly embrace healthier habits. This comprehensive approach is capable of changing behaviors in a meaningful and lasting way.

-American Beverage Association

And Dr. Hoelscher's reply:

Deanna Hoelscher - 31st July 2015 18:09

Thank you for your comments and for the opportunity to have a dialogue on this important issue facing our nation (and the international community). As you accurately stated in your post, obesity is influenced by a myriad of factors. This special issue in IJBNPA explores several of these factors, including peer influence and school nutrition policies, and presents an updated childhood obesity framework (Perry, et al.) that we hope will help parents, communities, policy makers, and industry work together to reverse the childhood obesity problem. While education is one important component of how we can help people embrace healthy lifestyles, this special issue makes it clear that, while necessary, a lack of nutrition information or nutrition education on the part of the consumer – and particularly children – is only one piece of a complex puzzle.

We are encouraged by some of the changes that have occurred to the beverage selection available in schools; however, much still remains to be done. While full-calorie soft drinks have been mostly removed from public schools, they have been replaced by alternatives with equal or greater amounts of sugar and/or caffeine. In this way, many states have inched their way forward in school beverage policy reform rather than take the comprehensive steps, recommended by the scientific community, necessary to significantly impact dietary behavior. In fact, as noted by Taber et al., a patchwork approach to sweetened beverage regulation in schools has actually been shown to be counterproductive by shifting rather than reducing the number of calories consumed through sugary drinks.

Parents, communities, policy makers, and industry can and should take proactive steps to encourage a “healthy balance” between diet and physical activity. However, there are certain steps that must be taken if we are to have a truly “comprehensive approach” to meaningful and lasting changes in obesity among youth. Children and adolescents continue to be bombarded by unhealthy food and beverage marketing, and often have easy access to poor dietary choices during the school day. The beverage industry has the power to take a proactive step by removing all high-sugar and caffeinated drinks and eliminating the marketing of those beverages in and around schools and school-sponsored activities. These acts would serve to reinforce and be consistent with the nutrition education and messaging students receive throughout the school day, and would be an important step toward a healthier generation of young people.

Click here to read the original blog post and add your voice to the discussion.

[image source: flickr.com/photos/payitforwardphotos/]

Step Your Way To Health

2014-02-19T11:51:00.002-06:00

Here at the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, we work tirelessly conducting research and translating scientific evidence into community programs that support healthy living for children and their families. We also know that in order to make a strong impact on the world around us, our internal worlds need to be in line with our vision. As Gandhi said, “be the change you wish to see in the world.” We value that mentality, so we put in quite a bit of time and effort to practice what we preach. For this reason, the faculty and staff at the Center have been participating in our very own Pedometer Challenge. Many of us have been tracking our daily steps since January, aiming for 10,000 steps per day, in an effort to increase and maintain our physical activity to the CDC’s recommended 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week.

In Pedometer Challenge terms, this means we are donning a FitBit or a fashionable bright green step-counter and making an intentional effort to move more throughout the entire day – at home, at the office, and all over town. We’ve found that making small changes to our normal routines can make a huge impact on our daily step counts. Whether you park far away from the grocery store, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or go on “walking meetings” at work, little efforts throughout the day can get you those vital minutes of physical activity you need to thrive. Of course it’s not just the minutia that make the difference; we also encourage folks to take on the bigger health goals, like training for a 5k, biking to work, or going on daily walks with the family.

Whether it’s a big lifestyle change or a simple switch to parking at the far end of the parking lot, getting more physical activity is not always easy--even for our health experts--but we’re not giving up as memories of our New Year’s Resolutions fade into the distance. We also want you to join our health movement! Challenge your friends or workplace to a fun little pedometer challenge, or just download your own printable step count log and challenge yourself! For inspiration, here are a few tips from some of our Center's Pedometer Challenge "superstars" on how to get movin’:

1. Exercise while reading or watching TV. MeLisa Creamer, MPH has been logging more than 10,000 steps every day. She likes to catch up on her emails and favorite TV shows while walking on the treadmill. MeLisa says, “I don’t have to go too fast on the treadmill to start increasing my steps.” If you’re without a treadmill, make jumping jacks and push-ups a family affair during TV commercial breaks and challenge your kids to do as many as possible before the commercial comes to an end. This also works as an energizer between homework assignments!

2. Don’t watch your dogs and children play without you. Alejandra Gonzalez says her dog, Toro, helps her log more steps. Rather than just throwing a ball for Toro to fetch, Alejandra joins in on the fun and runs with her dog or lets him chase her. You could also take your hula hoops, frisbees and footballs to your local park to get the whole family exercising together while having fun.

How about adding to a community garden with your co-workers, friends or family?

3. Start stepping early in the day. Melissa Campos-Hernandez, MPH finds satisfaction in seeing her step count increase. She says, “I’ve learned that if I can squeeze in a walk, run, or workout early - before work/school - it’s a lot easier to stay active the rest of the day.” If morning workouts don’t sound appealing to you, remember it’s never too late in the day to get on the right track; whenever you fit in some physical activity, you’re doing yourself a favor.

4. Get fresh air to boost productivity. Brooks Ballard, MPH says that “taking a 10-minute break for an afternoon walk adds about 1,500-2,000 steps and gets my brain re-energized to focus for the rest of the day.” Walking with coworkers can be a great opportunity to catch some fresh air and get your blood moving, but it can also productive meeting time, too! We suggest scheduling your next meeting a walking and talking meeting.

The Center favors "walking meetings" whenever we can!

A pedometer can help you understand how active you and it can be a very useful and rewarding tool to help you set and measure personal fitness and health goals. As we continuously challenge ourselves to be stronger and healthier researchers and educators, we challenge our friends and neighbors to bolster their physical activity, too. Consider using some of our tips above, or leave a comment with advice that has worked for you. Together, we can step our way to become a healthier, happier and more productive community.

Written by
Daphne Hackenberg, Graduate Assistant, and Amy Blum, Special Programs Coordinator
Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living

Your New Year’s Resolution Is A Journey, Not A Destination

2014-01-06T15:25:00.000-06:00

I have to laugh at myself every New Year; after 5 or 6 weeks of winter sedation, gluttony, online shopping benders, and eggnog stupors followed by headaches, heart burn, and memory loss, I have a sudden urge to turn my life around on January 1^st. Maybe it’s due to the guilt I inherited from my Catholic parents. Maybe it’s because the media suddenly becomes flooded with vibrant pictures of health food and sexy people with 6-pack abs in bikinis on some beach a million miles from where I am (or feel). I don’t know how I get so sucked into the hype of New Year’s resolutions, but I know I have to make at least one every year at this time. “I mean, what have I been doing with myself all winter?!” Does this sound familiar?

But by February, when visions of heart shaped chocolates and jewelry in champagne glasses appear in my head, I think, “What resolution?” In just a month’s time, I’ve fallen off the health-wagon, and I’ve piggy-backed on the counter-culture stance that we shouldn’t even make New Year’s resolutions because they set us up to fail.

But 2014 is going to be different. No really! Because I realized – finally – that life changes don’t happen in one day or one month. That’s why we get a year to make ourselves a little better. And really, we get a lot longer than that. There are 365 days this year in which I have the fortune to choose between things that will make me feel good, fit, healthy and happy… or not. That’s 8,760 hours filled with options and opportunities. That’s 31,536,000 seconds and chances I have to take one step closer to who I want to be. If I misstep or choose the alternative direction, it’s okay, because I still have 31,535,999 chances this year to improve myself.

Very seldom are goals made of black and white. If your New Year’s resolution is to fix the kitchen sink, you can go to Home Depot, get the parts, and get ‘er done (or you can call “the guy”). You go from wet, soggy mess to champion of your domain in minutes flat. But that’s not a very popular resolution. Usually it’s something like:

Drink less alcohol
Go back to school / get a better job
Get fit
Lose weight
Get out of debt / save money
Stop stressing
Quit smoking
Eat healthy food

These goals take several steps and systems in order to be accomplished. I don’t know many people who’ve woken up and suddenly had a new job without putting in grueling, sometimes frustrating time towards their résumé, networking, interviews, etc.

So you want to lose 20 pounds? First, ask yourself why. There’s nothing wrong with wanting the sexy beach body with six-pack abs, but if that’s your only motivation, you may end up disappointed. We encourage healthy-living, (not just healthy-looking) and that takes a very individualized plan. Consider reframing your resolution to “maintain a healthy weight” and then break down your weight-loss and fitness plan into realistic and manageable steps. Otherwise, it’s possible you could be swept up in fad diets or a shocking boot-camp regimen, which may get you 20 pounds lighter, but not for long, and what other damages could you endure in that time? To reach your healthy weight and sustain it, let the shrinking numbers on the scale be an added benefit rather than the driving factor.

Dr. Kelley Pettee-Gabriel, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Human Genetics & Environmental Sciences here at the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living and The University of Texas School of Public Health, suggests the following small lifestyle changes that will increase your chances of achieving a healthy weight for the long haul:

Create a weekly planner with short and long term goals. Use it to track your physical activities, diet, and overall progress.
Choose activities that you enjoy doing (and foods you enjoy eating), but also try new things.
Keep in mind all the positive (sometimes invisible) changes that exercise is doing for your health.
Don’t worry about seeing changes right away. Patience is a virtue in the weight loss process.
Reward yourself when you meet your short-term goals and benchmarks.
A social support system can make all the difference. Exercise is less daunting when you are doing it with a friend or family member.
Take that iPod or MP3 player with you so you stay interested in the activity you are doing.
Plan ahead for bad weather or traveling or any other possible excuse to skip physical activity.
Most importantly, don’t give up on yourself or your goal.

Whatever your New Year’s ambition is, remember there are resources and tools to help you on the journey. Chances are you are not the first person to pursue your resolution, so let yourself be helped.

Want to eat healthier? Try something like “No Meat Mondays” or “No Fried-Food Fridays” to get you started on the right track. When that becomes “No Problem,” stretch the goal to never fry food at home, and swap white flour for whole grain. When the timing is right, you can plant a vegetable garden in your yard or community, which research shows (Heim, 2009) increases vegetable consumption and enjoyment for children and adults alike. Finally, check out ChooseMyPlate.Gov for a plethora of resources on how to eat well, like these ten tips to a great plate.

Need more motivation to get fit? Take advantage of the small opportunities you have to burn calories. Walk the stairs at work or replace the 2pm coffee break with a 10 minute walk. Playing with your kids, walking the dog, and vigorously cleaning the house (while listening to classic rock ballads?) are all activities that can count toward your goal. Click here to see numerous ideas from the USDA on how to increase physical activity, then keep track of your progress with their SuperTracker tool.

Ready to give up cigarettes and other tobacco products? (Yes!) Quitting cold-turkey works well for some, but there are several steps one can take to ensure a successful end to smoking. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend the START plan:

Set a quit date.
Tell family and friends you plan to quit.
Anticipate and plan for challenges along the way.
Remove cigarettes and other tobacco products from your environment.
Talk to your doctor about your plan and what healthy aids could assist you.

Even when the day comes that you stop smoking, the CDC highlights further steps you can take to manage your long-term success here: Steps to Take on Your Quit Day.

It’s a new year; the first day of the rest of your life! If we are lucky, there will be many more days to come, and they will be a little sweeter than last year’s if we enjoy each healthy step along the way.

Written by
Amy Blum
Special Programs Coordinator
Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living

How We Walk The Talk

2013-11-04T14:37:00.000-06:00

No, I can't dance, I can't talk
The only thing about me is the way I walk
No, I can't dance, I can't sing
I'm just standing here selling everything

Peter Gabriel is a genius. Not just musically, but as the song suggests, he is a specialist in public health. Too much of a stretch? Maybe so. But he does walk the walk… he even walks the talk, selling everything by the example he sets in motion. Here at the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, we try to be as “Peter Gabriel” as possible.

One of my biggest pet-peeves is when someone tells me how to live while doing the exact opposite. When you were a loud-mouthed teen, did a parent ever yell at you to stop yelling? So annoying! Or has a frantic, workaholic boss ever told you to relax and take care of yourself? The irony is never lost in those situations. But it may be even worse when you see this incongruity on an organizational-wide scale. I get a big kick out of it when fast food companies tell me to choose their healthy options, like a salad (topped with fatty dressing and accompanied by a milk shake, right?). Check out the Huffington Post piece called "Proof That Fast Food Salads Are Anything But Healthy" to see what I mean.

Luckily I work for an organization that truly aims to walk the talk. Now, nobody is perfect; I’ve shamed myself by coming into the UT School of Public Health offices with the sniffles once or twice without meeting any resistance (I’m probably one of those frantic, workaholic types). However, in the mere 14 months that I’ve worked here, I’ve been pleasantly bombarded with health messages and encouragements. I haven’t been nagged, and no one gives me a guilt trip if I escape to satisfy an occasional cheeseburger craving. Instead, the culture I walk into every morning gives me the sense that it’s important to be well, happy, and active as an individual if the group of us are to have a positive impact on the community.

I should point out that I am not a health expert or academic scholar who reads all of the literature and knows all of the latest research on healthy living. I just happen to be sitting across from these types. While I care deeply about my own and others’ health and happiness, I definitely lack some skills that would make these ambitions easier – I can’t cook to save my life, I don’t have a regular workout routine, and when it comes to stress, I find the best way to handle it is lock it all up inside myself until I get sick. Therefore, working for an organization that builds health into the work environment and helps me make concrete goals is really important and helpful to me.

One of the tools the MSD Center created and uses on a regular basis is a set of guidelines for meetings. There is a very intentional effort to make meetings over breakfast, lunch, or dinner just as healthy as they are enjoyable. Click here to learn some tips on making meals at meetings healthier. Donuts might build a little morale, but the sugar spikes and plummets don’t make for productive meetings, nor healthy participants.

Alongside nutrition, the MSD Center also promotes physical activity at every reasonable opportunity. Faculty and staff know how to build in activity breaks during meetings and events, which is proven to get peoples’ blood flowing and make their brain juices fruitful. (This is also why PE, recess, and ongoing physical activity throughout the school day are so important for kids! Read more on that here.) Furthermore, you should not be surprised if you’re at one of our community events and you’re asked to stand up every time the audience claps (called, “active applause”), or participate in a round of Simon Says during intermission, because the Center uses tips like these to boost activity during long conferences, too.

I could go on and on about the opportunities the Center offers me to live a healthy life in and out of the office. We have “Fresh Fruit Fridays” and social stair walking breaks, pedometer/walking challenges and an occasional Nerf War.

It’s not a bad way to get through the day! But more importantly, it helps me enjoy health. The more I enjoy it, the more I can spread these messages to others. And hopefully the more folks and kids can incorporate healthy strategies into their days, the more enjoyable our world will be. Too much of a stretch? Maybe not.

We’d love to hear what health strategies you or your workplace employs. What motivates you to be healthy during the work day? What doesn’t? Share how your organization walks the health talk. We’d love to learn from you, too!

Written by
Amy Blum
Special Programs Coordinator
Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living

A Challenge to Eat More to Save the World

2013-07-02T14:53:00.000-05:00

The Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living and UT School of Public Health is participating in a new USDA campaign: The Food Waste Challenge, which began on June 4, 2013.

From the sound of this campaign, those of us working in public health and obesity prevention might first assume the call to action is to see how much food you can waste instead of consume. The ornery health-nut inside me nags: “Americans eat too much! The average adult hefts down 1,996.3 pounds of food each year! That’s 85.5 pounds of fat! And 141.6 pounds of sugary-sweeteners![i] Surely we should throw some of that straight into the trash!”

In fact, we Americans do throw a large portion of our food straight into landfills, which is a colossal problem for our environment, pocket books, and health too. And that’s what drives this challenge.

When I was little, for whatever reason, I could never finish everything on my plate. I always left one bite of everything – one bite of burger, one piece of broccoli, one noodle. It was purely subconscious; I just wasn’t hungry anymore. And my mother would harp, “think of all the starving children in Africa!”

Let’s imagine my mother fed me a burger and broccoli every night of my childhood. How many bites are in an average hamburger? 10? How many stems of broccoli are in a bushel? 30? By throwing away one bite of that home-cooked goodness every night, within one year I’d unapologetically waste over 36 burgers and 12 bushels of broccoli, all on my own. In just five years, we’re talking 182 burgers and 60 perfectly good bushels of my favorite vegetable. That’s a lot of waste for a little bitty kid.

Even now as an educated adult, working for the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living and saturated with more nutrition information than I can hold, I can’t seem to stop wasting the good stuff; I have to admit my fault, and it’s extremely embarrassing, but I know the problem is real for many of us. Even after I knew my organization would be participating in this challenge and that I’d be writing this piece, I went home to my refrigerator (on bad days, that’s synonymous with my “best friend”) and threw away a pile of spoiled chick peas, orange juice, taco meat, left over stir-fry, and an entire zucchini. “Bye-bye, food. I wish things could have worked out between us! I wish I paid more attention to you when you were good to me!”

I have my excuses… a friend invited me to happy hour, I had a big lunch, it’s hard cooking for one person - maybe if I had a family to feed things would be different? But inevitably I’d have a picky child throwing away TWO bites with every meal, making the waste problem all the worse.

A 2008 study conducted by the USDA found that each year, each American consumer throws away over $390 in perfectly edible food.[ii] Further findings by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) show the amount wasted per average American family climbs up to $2,000 annually.[iii] Put in those terms, I can’t afford to be throwing away even a morsel! The NRDC also reports that Americans chuck up to 40% of all food grown and produced. Crops go unharvested because of America’s perfectionistic standards for what fruit should look like, and even some of the food that does make it to the market sits there to spoil, too.[iv]

So what’s a girl to do?

For starters, I can be more aware and mindful of the problem. Knowledge is power, and with it, I can make healthier and more cost-effective choices.

In an effort to improve my understanding of food waste, I watched this TedTalk: Address the Excess – A Recipe for Cutting Food Waste, by Peter Lehner from the Natural Resources Defense Council. Lehner mentions some simple tips, taken from the UK program, “Love Food, Hate Waste” to help reduce food waste, such as:

Make a list. Buy only what you need.
Freeze your leftovers.
Don’t invest too much in expiration dates – trust your nose.
Take your restaurant leftovers home in a doggy bag to eat the next day.
Keep most fruits in a bag in the fridge (not in the fruit bowl on the counter), and conceal potatoes and onions in a cool/dark place like the pantry.
Maintain a fridge temperature below 5°C (41°F).

Lehner also points out that if Americans can learn to consume what they buy, think outside the box to manage food waste through technology and sustainable farming, and fight to change policies that can limit what ends up in landfills (mandatory compost programs like the ones started in New York school districts or the City of San Francisco), then food waste could easily be cut by 30%.

With that much saved, 50 million hungry Americans could be fed a complete and healthy diet.

After all, there are children starving in Africa, but there are children next door struggling as well.

My personal goal is to eat all of my leftovers before I purchase additional meals from restaurants or my favorite local food cart. I also want to do more to limit waste in general, so I’ll try to reuse my plastic bags and use glass jars to store bulk food, rather than one-use snack packaging. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Compost! And live healthy and happily.

View our tips for
reducing food waste

The Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living is making the effort. We encourage our friends and neighbors to rise to this challenge as well in order to improve your health and the environment. For more information on the 2013 Food Waste Challenge and for tips from the Center, check out or helpful handout here (PDF) and click the reference links below.

Written by
Amy Blum
Special Programs Coordinator
Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living

[i] Inspiration Green, http://www.inspirationgreen.com/food-consumption-in-america.html

[ii] Dr. Elise Golan (USDA), 2013, "Reducing Food Waste is Money in the Pocket and Food on the Table for Families," http://blogs.usda.gov/2013/05/23/reducing-food-waste-is-money-in-the-pocket-and-food-on-the-table-for-families/

[iii] Jonathan Bloom, American Wasteland, 2010.

[iv] Dana Gunders (Natural Resources Defense Council), "Wasted: How America is Losing up to 40 Percent of its Food from Farm to Fork to Landfill," 2012, http://www.nrdc.org/food/files/wasted-food-ip.pdf

Video for "change"

2012-06-20T15:51:00.000-05:00

Many videos on YouTube today are used for humor but we're "changing" things up.

Unlimited Production Group (UPG) is a video marketing agency in Austin that collaborates with companies and nonprofits to help them tell their story. UPG is hosting a video contest for local nonprofits in Dallas and Austin. The contest called for a 90 second, edit-free video about a nonprofit and the change it's creating in the community. The grand prize, you ask? $5,000 worth of production from UPG, which only made cents for us to enter this video about the Center! What's with the quotations and incorrect usage of cents? Watch our video entry below and you'll understand...

We're giving you the chance to make a change and support healthy living by voting for our video and sharing this with your friends. You can submit daily votes here through July 3rd. The top five most popular videos will move onto the next round to be judged by a panel. The winner will be announced July 10th.

Still need more convincing? Check out the critical acclaim for MSD Center video for "change" below:

Jud Janak's performance is "..breathgiving; or whatever the opposite of 'breathtaking' would be." -Entertainment Weekly

The New York Times lauds the video as, "online."

"Brooks Ballard's portrayal of Brooks Ballard is dead on." -Roger Ebert

Written by
Amber Adams
Advertising Undergraduate Student, University of Illinois

[Images courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons user: nicholasjon]

Obesity prevention beyond the lunchroom

2012-05-31T14:37:00.002-05:00

The school and home food environments have long been targets for obesity intervention efforts for the obvious reason that these two places are the sources of the majority of kids' meals. But with kids consuming 25% of their daily calories between lunch and dinner, the after school environment is quickly becoming a new focus for obesity researchers.

Researchers explored "obesity prevention outside the lunchroom" during a symposium at the 2012 ISBNPA annual meeting.

"Even if we do a great job with school policies and school environments, we can undo that pretty quickly if it's not reinforced within the home and within out of school time activities," said Christina Economos, PhD (pictured right).

In fact, many healthy after-school programs for children, like organized sports, undermine their impact on child fitness and obesity by providing snacks of poor nutritional value.

Economos's research team at Tufts University conducted a nation-wide survey with 1,178 children ages 8-18. The survey consisted of six questions about access to fresh fruit, vegetables, chips, cookies, and candy in the home, at school, and out of school.

Economos found that as children grow older, they see a decrease in access to healthy foods and an increase in access to unhealthy foods. Tweens (ages 8-12) perceive after school environments to have less availability of healthy food options, while adolescents perceive the after school environment to have the lowest availability of healthy foods.

The development of healthy programs and policies in the after school environment is the focus of Child Obesity 180, a multi-sector team of senior-level leaders in obesity prevention, including Economos.

After reviewing the results of this study, Child Obesity 180 decided to lead an initiative called, Healthy Kids Out of School. They paired with 9 national organizations who have contact with a large number of adolescents and came up with three guiding principles for children involved in these organizations:

1. Drink right
2. Move more
3. Snack smart

The program strives to give children an opportunity to learn more about healthy eating and physical activity that is consistent across all nine organizations. They understand that obesity prevention goes beyond the lunchroom in order to make a change.

Written by
Amber Adams
Advertising Undergraduate Student, University of Illinois

The latest in research on promoting healthy diets and physical activity was presented and discussed in Austin, Texas at the Annual Meeting of the International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA), which attracted over 600 researchers and professionals in research, policy and practice. The 2012 Annual Meeting, May 23-26, saw the presentation of ground-breaking studies, as well as updates on related applications of research, policy trends and legislation, via workshops, keynote speakers, panel discussions, research posters and oral presentations.

Diet vs. Dieting

2011-08-16T09:43:00.006-05:00

Atkins, NutriSystem, SlimFast… What do all of these have in common? Well, if you have ever attempted to lose a few extra pounds you are probably familiar with at least one diet that has been popular among your friends or celebrities. I mean we all know about Bob’s nephew’s friend’s sister who lost fifty pounds eating grapefruit, right? Fortunately, the road to a healthier life doesn’t always have to be so acidic and can actually start with a few basic nutrition concepts.

The first thing you must understand is that the term diet refers to what a person eats and was never meant to be a short lived goal. So the idea that you are “going on a diet” should be the first red flag. The second concept worth mentioning is that there is really no such thing as a good or bad food. There are simply foods that have high calories and low nutrients or low calories and high nutrients, which can both be beneficial under certain conditions. Lastly, the concept of moderation has been, and always will be, the foundation of a healthy diet.

This then brings us to the most important question asked by dieters “should I avoid carbohydrates, proteins or fats when trying to lose weight?” The short answer is that you should avoid none of these. This is because when it comes to weight loss the amount of calories consumed is usually more important than the actual nutrient content--which goes back to the basic concept that excess calories equals excess weight.

So where do these myths come from?

Unfortunately, most of the scientific research presented through media is often communicated using only a few short sentences, which then encourages the promotion of misleading information. To put it simply, the story becomes larger than the science.

When addressing dieting myths it should first be noted that our primary source of energy comes from sugar found in our bloodstream and muscles. Although some believe that only carbohydrates can provide this energy, the reality is that most of what we eat eventually gets converted into sugar. The weight loss confusion then stems from the biological reactions that follow. Put in simple terms, an overconsumption of food leads to an increased level of sugar in the blood, which is then stored as fat. The only way to get rid of the fat is to then convert it back into sugar, which happens during times of energy deficiencies (e.g. exercising, sleeping, etc.).

In addition to overconsumption, the type of food consumed can also contribute to fat storage because of its ability to raise blood sugar levels quickly. Foods lower in fiber, whole grains, and protein tend to cause blood sugar to spike. This spike in blood sugar gives you that "sugar rush" feeling. This is basically your body saying it's ready to be active RIGHT NOW. If that spike comes at a time when you're not being active, say sitting at your desk, your body quickly switches gears and goes into energy storage mode and starts turning that sugar into fat--this is the "sugar crash" feeling.

To prevent the blood sugar spike and subsequent fat storage you should consume foods high in fiber, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and lean protein. Foods with these components take longer to break down, resulting in more even blood sugar levels. You'll feel full longer, you'll have lasting energy, and you might even see a difference in your waistline. So if you feel that drag in the mid-afternoon, try grabbing an apple with peanut butter or carrots with hummus instead of that bag of chips or soda.

The take home message here is that no macronutrient (carbs, protein, fat) should be avoided entirely. A healthy diet is all about the quality of the food components and quantity of food you consume.

Written by
Zachary Fair, B.S. in culinary nutrition
MPH candidate
UT School of Public Health

Reviewed by Samantha Weiss, RD

Is breakfast really the most important meal of the day?

2011-08-01T08:41:00.000-05:00

How many of you have heard a friend, coworker or family member give excuses about why their child doesn’t eat breakfast? The all too common, “they’re not hungry in the morning”, “we don’t have time for breakfast”, or “sleep is more important in the morning than eating” excuses aren’t going to cut it anymore. Believe it or not, enough sleep is NOT the only thing needed to have a great day. Breakfast is just as important for those little ones. So what should your children be eating and why?

Eating breakfast consisting of a variety of nutrient dense foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole-grain cereals, lean protein, and dairy is necessary for everybody to function healthily throughout the day. For those of you who have picky eaters that don’t like breakfast food, have no fear; breakfast doesn’t have to consist of the traditional oatmeal and fruit. There have been many times that I have eaten last night’s leftovers of lean baked chicken, greens beans or vegetable pizza! Breaking the fast before lunchtime is the key.

So what are the benefits of eating breakfast you might ask? There are so many reasons to wake your children up a little earlier to grab that fruit and yogurt parfait. First of all, eating breakfast increases cognitive abilities in children. Research has shown that children who eat breakfast every morning score higher on standardized tests and perform better in the classroom than those children who forgo the whole-grain English muffin with peanut butter.

Secondly, what if I told you that eating breakfast could help keep your child’s weight down, while also helping them get the nutrients they need during the day. With the prevalence of childhood obesity looming, current research in academic journals is showing associations that those who eat breakfast have a lower body mass index (BMI), than those who do not. BMI is a height to weight ratio that is used by most medical professionals to determine your healthy weight compared to your height. One study conducted showed that children who skipped breakfast had a higher BMI than those who regularly consumed breakfast. This shows, although counter intuitive, eating fewer calories in a day by skipping breakfast doesn’t result in a smaller waist size.

Finally, eating breakfast has shown to increase the nutrient profile of children compared to those not eating breakfast. Breakfast eaters tend to consume more macronutrients, fruits and vegetables than those opting not to. Research conducted in adolescent children contributed the high macronutrient profile to the consumption of ready to eat cereals in the morning. Another study stated that children who miss breakfast were less likely to meet their recommendations for fruits and vegetables, which could also contribute, to the higher nutrient profile in breakfast eaters. Whatever the reason, breakfast eater’s nutrient profiles are more favorable making them healthier than their counterparts.

So tomorrow morning wake your kids up a little earlier to jump start their day with breakfast, and watch their health and academics skyrocket!

Written by:

Catherine Loftis

Catherine is a dietetic intern at UT School of Public Health, hoping to reach more people one day about the importance of breakfast as a registered dietitian.

Choosing Organic. What does that little green USDA seal get you?

2011-07-25T09:46:00.001-05:00

The organic market is booming. New products touting organic processing are springing up everywhere. And it’s now far beyond just fruit and vegetables… from cookies to toothpaste, manufactures are jumping on the organic bandwagon. It won’t be long until we are drinking Organic Water. Wait, What?!

As the organic trend appears to be here to stay, it’s worth taking a closer look at exactly what you are guaranteed when you pop that next organic item in your basket…

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the governing body that sets the gold standard and certifies our products organic. You probably recognize the familiar USDA Organic Stamp of approval.

To get the green stamp, 95% or more of the ingredients must be organic. But do you know exactly what this really means for your food?

For our fruits, vegetables and grains this means healthy and eco-friendly farming practices that remain as close to “traditional” farming as possible. This means no pesticides, no synthetic fertilizers and no sewage sludge (that’s right, conventional farmers can use sewage sludge!). Organic crops can absolutely not be bioengineered, so it is a safeguard against genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Additionally, USDA approved organic farmers cannot use any ionic radiation.

Meat and poultry restrictions are structured not only for the handling of the animals but also in the restrictions on the diet of the animals too - because let’s face it, what is good for the goose is good for the gander! (Why would you go to the trouble to eat organic produce only to eat meat that lived on a diet of conventional grains??) All organic meat and poultry must be sustained on a 100% organic diet. Absolutely no growth hormones or antibiotics can be used with the animals. You can also be assured that animals raised organically have not been routinely confined or inhumanely treated.

Don’t get confused with local

Traditionally, organic foods were mostly a product of smaller, local farms. With organic products growing drastically high in demand, many of our old corporate friends have jumped on the bandwagon (check out this illustration – you may be surprised at how many Coke, Nestle, and Hershey products you actually consume!). Many believe this is an unfortunate turn of events for the organic industry, whereas other view this expansion and economic growth as a victory in the shifting demands of consumers for healthier practices. Regardless, the downside is that you can no longer assume that organic is likely local, so don’t forget to make an effort to support local farmers and meat suppliers as well.

Organics and the enviroment

Organic farming is good for the environment because it employs methods to minimize soil erosion, such as traditional crop rotations, and prevents chemical contamination of the soil and water, and consequently the living organism ecosystems. However, one should bear in mind that as it is a less “productive” system, it does require more land to yield the same output as conventional practices. Additionally, as there is more corporate money in organic operations, more and more products are flown in from around the world and the concept of seasonal has literally flown out the window. Unfortunately, the effects of the voluminous air transportation also take a toll on the environment.

Choosing organic, or not, is an individual choice. While the cost and convenience is a little higher, most agree that the health benefits are lofty. When you see that little green seal, you can at least confidently know that you are getting what you are paying for.

Written by:

Lydia Lowe, MPH Candidate in Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, UT School of Public Health. Interested in nutrition in every possible way and looking at the policies that shape our health.

It's that time of year

2011-07-06T12:17:00.002-05:00

Now that summer has begun, so has BBQ season. Instead of providing you with food safety tips that require you to pull out your meat thermometer in the middle of your next party, I thought I would provide you with some practical scenarios.

Scenario 1: The infamous potato salad…. Let’s say you arrive two hours late to your friend Susan’s BBQ. Your daughter’s softball game went into extra innings and you’re famished. Susan is famous in the neighborhood for her potato salad. All you want to do is grab a huge plate and dig into the creamy, tasty goodness. When you finally get to the food area, you spot the potato salad immediately. The potato salad is sitting on a red table cloth in a nice white serving piece. Do you eat the potato salad?

Response: In this case, even though it’s the “famous” potato salad you don’t know how long it has been sitting out. You arrived 2 hours late to the BBQ. If the potato salad was sitting out for the entire two hours in the heat, I guarantee you there are some unwanted bacteria growing on the salad. At a party with a large number of guests, you may have no idea how often the food is being replaced. Or worse, maybe Susan is just adding more potato salad each time the dish is near empty. In this scenario it’s wise to steer clear of the potato salad.

Now, what happens if we keep the same scenario simply change a few details, would you eat the potato salad?

Scenario 1 revised: When you get to the food area, you notice the big bucket of ice underneath the potato salad to keep it cold. When you reach for the spoon and scoop yourself a huge plate you notice the salad is cold to touch. Now do you eat the potato salad?

Response: Susan has taken good food safety measures to ensure her food stays cold, even in the heat. If when you arrive and the food is on ice (not melted ice) and cold (not cool) to touch, you can safely dig in.

Scenario 2: The decadent desserts…. Michelle loves getting into the holiday spirit and has found the perfect festive 4th of July dessert. While scanning through recipe websites, Michelle spots a red velvet cupcake recipe with blue and white cream cheese frosting. She even stays up late perfecting her cream cheese frosting decorations. Michelle makes sure to arrive on time to her friend’s house the next day to find the perfect place for her cupcakes to be seen by everyone. After scoping out the food scene, Michelle decides to put her cupcakes next to the entrees in hopes that people will eat them throughout the event. After appetizers, socializing, and dinner, it’s finally time for dessert. Do you eat one of Michelle’s festive cupcakes?

Response: If you eat those patriotic-looking cupcakes, you might be celebrating your 4th of July with some gastric fireworks. I’ll leave that analogy there… Cream cheese, the main component in the frosting, must be refrigerated. In the July heat, those cupcakes should not be out for more than an hour.

And now in a new light…

Scenario 2 revised: Michelle arrives on time, but immediately puts the cupcakes in the refrigerator. Although she wanted everyone to smile at her creation throughout the event, she thought it would be best to take them out after appetizers, socializing, and dinner. Do you eat the cupcakes?

Response: Dig right in. Michelle must have scrolled through some food safety tips while searching for recipes!

Remember, you do not want to eat anything that’s been in the temperature danger zone (not properly cooled or cooked) for more than an hour. Consider leaving half of the cupcakes in the refrigerator until the ones outside run out. This way you prevent the unwanted bacteria guest and you can enjoy the dessert throughout the night! Just make sure to throw out the old cupcakes when you put out the new ones.

Scenario 3: The perfect burger… It’s Sunday Fun-day and that means burgers and brats! Bill is king of the grill and looks forward to Sunday all week. He makes his own patties with a new secret ingredient each week. Bill likes his meat rare and leaves his burgers pink in the middle so they can finish cooking on the plate. Bill is really impressed with his patties this week, but wants to get the burgers done quickly, so he can play football with his children and buddies. He cooks the burgers quickly, covers them, and leaves them next to the grill in case anyone gets hungry while playing ball. After the game everyone’s sweaty and hungry, do you eat the burger?

Response: If you eat this burger, you might feel a “blitz” in your tight end before too long. Again, I’ll leave that analogy there… The burgers were still pink, which means bacteria may have never been cooked out of the burger. The burger was then left outside while you played football. The burger was in the temperature danger zone for longer than an hour.

Scenario 3 revised: Bill decides it’s best to hold off on cooking the burgers and put the uncooked patties in the refrigerator until after the game. He tells his wife to get appetizers ready because dinner’s going to be later today. After the long game, Bill finally cooks the burgers. Should you enjoy the burger?

Response: It was very smart for Bill to put the meat back in the refrigerator until after the football game. The burger is safe, IF he cooks it all the way through. Pink color is dangerous when it comes to ground beef. You can read what the American Meat Institute (no, I didn’t just make that up) has to say about ground beef food safety here.

We hope that your summer BBQ’s are a hit and that you enjoy your time spent with family and friends, but remember that these kinds of scenarios happen all the time; I’m sure we can all relate to one of these. It’s easy to forget proper food safety measures. So here are two key take home messages:
· When in doubt, throw it out
· Do not leave food out in the temperature danger zone for more than 1 hour (when in the heat, make sure cold foods are on ice)

Samantha Weiss, RD
Graduate Assistant, MPH Candidate
Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living

Samantha is currently an MPH student at the University of Texas School of Public Health Austin Regional Campus. Her primary research interests include: child and adolescent obesity prevention, school-based health promotion programs, diet effects on chronic disease prevention, and international nutrition deficiencies.

Wait!...Why are you drinking that?

2011-06-08T12:36:00.001-05:00

A recent post on NPR’s blog made me realize that I was not 100% clear of the differences between sports drinks and energy drinks (and it turns out I’m not alone), so I thought I would share what I found out. Both of these types of drinks are wildly popular with children and adults. Sports drinks are quickly becoming the third-largest beverage category in the United States, and the consumption of energy drinks has been increasing every year since they were first launched. Unfortunately, the lines between the two types of beverages are blurred; the term ‘energy’ drink is commonly used interchangeably. Since these beverages were created with different purposes in mind, parents and children should be aware of the differences. A new report out by the American Academy of Pediatrics makes clear the potential dangers of both types of drinks to children and the fact that they are inappropriately marketed to youth.

How are sports drinks and energy drinks being marketed?

Gatorade and other sports drinks have been around for a long time and marketers have primarily targeted young athletes. Their latest marketing ploy is to promote not just one Gatorade beverage per work out, but three. That’s right. Three specific beverages designed for before, during, and after your workout. These beverages are designed for athletes to avert fatigue, meet performance standards, and replenish nutrients after performing vigorous sports activities. Marketing strategies have successfully convinced children to drink these beverages at all times of the day. Sports drinks have made it from the locker room to the dining room. Both adults and children have been targeted in these marketing campaigns resulting in parents frequently buying these beverages for their children.

In contrast, the energy drink industry has primarily targeted adolescents, almost completely avoiding parents. Energy drinks are beverages that are consumed to stimulate our bodies through high, and often dangerous, levels of caffeine and other stimulants. Their main purpose, according to the manufacturers, is to increase energy, decrease fatigue, and increase concentration and alertness. Adolescents may find this message particularly attractive because these beverages make it sound as though they provide an academic edge as well as a physical edge. Kids flood their bodies with stimulants and expect to be able to sit still and concentrate in class.

What are the health implications?

Sports drinks are beneficial in certain circumstances, generally, when a high-level athlete has an intense workout that lasts more than one hour. Look around; most of us are not high-level athletes. The best way to stay hydrated is to drink water before, during and after physical activities. We don’t need the extra boost of minerals and calories because our diets provide those necessary to maintain our exercise or daily routines. In fact, sports beverages can end up doing more harm than good by providing excessive amounts of sugar, carbohydrates and empty calories that we do not need—all of which contribute to overweight and obesity in children. The Gatorade “G Series” of three beverages packs a whopping 430 calories*—that means you would have to run about 3 miles just to burn off the Gatorade. Not to mention the fact that most sports beverages are fruit based, meaning they contain citric acid, which increases tooth decay (even if the beverage contains zero calories and has no added sugars).

Energy drinks contain such high levels of caffeine and other stimulants that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against their consumption by children or adolescents. In fact, there are documented cases of caffeine poisoning and even death caused by these beverages. Caffeine has the potential to increase anxiety, heart rates, and dehydration as well as disturb sleep patterns in youth. Furthermore, since the effects of caffeine on an adolescents’ development are largely unknown there is additional concern regarding its effects on budding neurological and cardiovascular systems.

What our expert says:

I turned to one of our Center’s experts on this subject, Dr. Nalini Ranjit, to get her opinion. Dr. Ranjit is an Assistant Professor at the UT School of Public Health, Austin Regional Campus. Dr. Ranjit recently published an article in Pediatrics on teen soda consumption in which she showed evidence suggesting that sports drinks have successfully been portrayed as a “healthy” beverage, consistent with an active lifestyle. In other words, kids feel that if they drink these beverages, they will get health benefits. Or even worse, that they need these drinks to be healthy. Dr. Ranjit stressed the fact that it is important for parents to be aware of the marketing ploys that these companies are directing at their children and themselves. Especially when it comes to energy drinks, where parents have been somewhat out of the loop; it’s important that parents become educated to fully understand the dangerous impacts these drinks may have on their children. Dr. Ranjit recommends parents consistently promote the use of water as the beverage of first choice to reduce thirst. She also encourages parents to ensure that their children’s schools are providing adequate sources of water as a free beverage. Indeed, she adds, providing ready access to tap water has an added environmental benefit by reducing plastic pollution from bottles.

As always, we encourage your comments and questions. Also, if you have an idea or would like to learn more about a topic please let us know so we can possibly use it as one of our weekly blog sessions. We look forward to hearing from you.

Written by Michael Raymor
MPH candidate
UT School of Public Health, Austin Regional Campus

*If you drink the whole bottle for steps 2 and 3—who doesn’t?

The Pyramid was in ruins, welcome MyPlate!

2011-06-06T10:51:00.000-05:00

Deciphering the old MyPyramid used to require a PhD and the Rosetta stone—no more! The USDA, with support from the Obama administration, was excited to reveal the new and simple MyPlate at a press conference Thursday morning. MyPlate is a significant departure from the antiquated and confusing MyPyramid in that it takes the abstract and makes it tangible. I mean, who thinks of pyramids when they’re hungry? MyPlate ditches the conceptual and shows you how your meal should look when you sit down to eat.

The plate recommends half your meal consist of fruit and vegetables, with vegetables starring in the lead role. Next are grains, half of which should be whole grains, followed by protein and a small side-dish for dairy.

Why the need for the plate?

Today many Americans want to be healthier, but struggle to understand what constitutes a healthy diet. The Obama administration was eager to recreate a tool that explains the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for all Americans to compliment the First Lady’s “Let’s Move” initiative. The USDA is hoping MyPlate will stick in people’s minds a little better than their previous efforts. It sure did for Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack who, at the press conference, recounted a recent dinner he attended in Washington where a steak made up 3/4ths of his plate. “With MyPlate it’s about portion control,” said Vilsack, highlighting another element missing from MyPyramid. Reigning in “portion distortion” was a key recommendation of the new Dietary Guidelines.

Interesting things to note about MyPlate

The new plate makes a point to note that protein is not necessarily beef or chicken, but includes eggs, beans, legumes, nuts, and fish, as well as vegetarian protein sources like soy and quinoa.

Lastly, there is a section for a small dairy serving which should be low fat, or fat-free. While dairy is separate from the main plate, it’s important to highlight the fact that we tend to ignore a lot of the dairy that goes into, or on, our food. The cheese on a hamburger, the sour cream on a potato—these count as a dairy serving, so pay attention!

Tips

Fruits and vegetables: Fruits and vegetables make up half of MyPlate, so let’s take a look at a few ways to incorporate more of these on your plate!

Be colorful! The more variety in color, the more variety in nutrients and minerals. Try making a whole-wheat pizza with bell peppers, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, and onions.

Add veggies to dishes like lasagna, pasta, and meatloaf. I always add mushrooms, spinach, onions, and zucchini to my lasagna—it’s delicious!

Add frozen or fresh veggies to stews and soup to add some zest!

Pre-cut fruit and veggies for easy-access snacks in the refrigerator.

Try buying a new fruit and/or vegetable at your local farmers market. I recently discovered Opo, an Asian squash, that’s extremely tasty. You can find a farmers market in your area here.

Experiment with new vegetable recipes. The USDA published a few easy to follow recipes that are definitely worth trying.

Samantha Weiss, RD

Graduate Assistant, MPH Candidate
Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living

Samantha is currently an MPH student at the University of Texas School of Public Health Austin Regional Campus. Her primary research interests include: child and adolescent obesity prevention, school-based health promotion programs, diet effects on chronic disease prevention, and international nutrition deficiencies.

Avoid those unwanted guests in your guts

2011-06-01T13:50:00.001-05:00

Summer is around the corner, and already I feel the heat. That means BBQ and picnic season has kicked off! As summer approaches, it’s important to practice food safety to avoid those “unwanted guests” at your next family gathering. This summer we’re going to cover a series of food safety techniques. Today’s edition: The Backyard BBQ.

Wash Your Hands
Did you know hand washing is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of disease? As your family plays football, Frisbee, or fetch with the dog, it’s important to remember to wash your hands before you handle any food. This includes your own food and food you’re preparing for others.

When to wash your hands:

Before touching any food (to prepare or eat)
After handling food
After using the restroom
After changing a diaper
After blowing your nose, sneezing, coughing
After playing/touching pets
After playing outside
When in doubt wash your hands!

The proper hand washing technique is to rinse your hands, apply soap and scrub for 20 seconds—just sing the happy birthday or alphabet song (in your head!). Then rinse your hands and dry them with a clean towel. Wiping your hands on your pants or a dirty dishtowel is a big no-no. Now you’re ready to eat or prepare food!

Clean Your Produce
All fruits and vegetables must be washed before they’re eaten or cooked, and not just a quick rinse under the faucet. You want to make sure all dirt and pesticides are removed. Dirt carries germs, and pesticides are poison. Some produce, like greens and berries, require more attention to remove debris.

Clean Your Cooking Surfaces
Before you begin preparing foods, be sure your utensils, cutting boards, surfaces, and sink are clean. It’s important to clean cooking surfaces often to avoid buildup of harmful bacteria. It might be helpful to use paper towels to clean surfaces to avoid spreading bacteria between surfaces or “cross-contamination” (we’ll talk about it below). A great inexpensive cleaning product is diluted chlorine bleach; you only need 1 teaspoon for every quart of water.

Separate Raw and Ready-To-Eat Foods
This is important to follow while shopping, preparing and storing food to avoid cross-contamination.

Cross-contamination is when bacteria spread from one surface to another. For example, say I was to use a cutting board to trim and cut my chicken before putting it on the grill to cook. Then, without washing my hands, I grab the same cutting board and beginning preparing a salad. The salad now contains any bacteria that were on the chicken. The fully cooked chicken is safe to eat (as long as I didn’t put it back on the unwashed cutting board), but the salad must be thrown away immediately. This example highlights three common mistakes:

Wash your hands thoroughly and often when you handle raw meat, poultry, fish, or eggs.
Use two separate cutting boards: one for raw meat, poultry, fish, and eggs and one for produce and prepared foods.
Sanitize and clean surfaces each time you prepare raw meat, poultry, fish, or eggs.

Cooking
Cook meat, poultry, fish, and eggs fully to kill any and all bacteria. This means no bloody burger or pink chicken. It is important for the juice of the meat to run clear. I will devote an entire blog post to the proper cooking temperature of meat, poultry, fish, and reheated items.

Storing Your Food
While shopping, try to separate raw meats from fruits, vegetables, and ready-to-eat food in your cart. For instance, place raw chicken breasts and produce (like apples or salad greens) in different areas of your grocery cart. I always store my produce on the top seat of my grocery cart.

When you get home, you should place ready-to-eat foods on the top shelves of your refrigerator, and raw meats, poultry, fish on the bottom shelf. Place a plate or dish below the packaged meat to collect any juice. If you notice juice from raw meat, poultry, or fish, it’s important to sanitize the surface immediately. Any food that has touched the juice should be considered contaminated and needs to be thrown out. When in doubt, throw it out!

Perishable products, such as hummus, cheese, yogurt, egg salad, or raw meat products, should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer as quickly as possible. A perishable food is considered in the Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ) when it’s sitting out on the counter or on the buffet. No single food should be in the TDZ longer than 2 hours (in an air-conditioned house) or 1 hour (if outdoors). It’s important to take precautions to keep foods out of the TDZ whenever possible. This can be accomplished by portioning out the amount you need or keeping hot foods hot (on a warmer) and cold foods cold (on ice).

Keep these tips in mind at your next backyard BBQ, and you’ll keep those unwanted guests out of your guts!

Samantha Weiss, RD

Graduate Assistant, MPH Candidate
Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living

Make better use of your breaks at work….Exercise.

2011-05-27T13:29:00.000-05:00

There was a recent article in the New York Times highlighting the fact that at work Americans are moving less than ever. Estimates are that we are burning far fewer calories, in some cases 120 to 140, per day while at our jobs. Since the information age began, computers, smart phones, tablets, apps and the Internet have improved our lives dramatically, however, at the same time they are also encouraging us move less and less. Their inception has given us the ability to communicate quickly and literally right at our fingertips allowing us to send information at lightning quick speed and at any time. Also, computers have shifted the ways in which Americans work we have moved from a manufacturing and farming society to one where sedentary behaviors, automation, and computers dominate the landscape. We can simply email, text, IM, tweet, or use Facebook to contact a friend or colleague instead of meeting at the water cooler to socialize and catch up with them. This not only makes us stand and walk less, but it is encouraging us to stay in our cubicles or at our desks for longer periods of time without taking a break.

We all need breaks. I am notorious for not taking them, but the simple fact is that taking breaks helps to clear our minds, refocus on tasks and actually allows us to break the chains that have locked us to our desks. While trying to come up with some ideas to help me ensure that I take a break regularly I actually came across this site from the Mayo Clinic and also some great ideas on how to start a walking group at work. Starting a walking group at work sounds like a holistic approach to our physical and mental wellbeing. It allows us to catch-up with our friends, blow off some steam (if your having a bad day), get light physical exercise and it encourages camaraderie between fellow employees. Some of the other benefits of creating a walking group are that they foster friendship, hold us accountable to each other, provide safety in numbers, and allow us spread the message amongst colleagues that physical health is key to maintaining a fully functioning workforce.

Of course there are some simple things to keep in mind such as:

· Have a back up plan in case of poor weather. Create an indoor backup route or find a covered space where you and your group can walk.

· Practice sun safety. Ensure that you drink plenty of water and use and wear proper clothing especially a broad brimmed hat to provide relief from the sun.

· Take it easy the first couple of times that your group goes out (ensure that you wear proper shoes!), and it is never a bad idea to stretch prior to and after returning from your walk.

Think about this: if you walk for your two 15-minute breaks and 15 minutes at your lunch, that adds up to 45 minutes of exercise that you may not have had that day and the best part is that you did it at work!

Walking at work is not the silver bullet that will cure all that ails us, but, it may help you feel more energized and might give you a reason to catch up with co-workers and friends while sharing a great experience each day.

We'd also love to hear your ideas and ways that you have encouraged a healthy behavior in your workplace, so please, feel free to comment and share this page with your friends.

Written by Michael Raymor

MPH candidate

UT School of Public Health, Austin Regional Campus

Recess on the Curb: Why Taking Away Recess May Not Be Good for Your Child’s Health…Or Learning

2010-11-30T09:52:00.001-06:00

When I was in elementary school (and that was a very long time ago), I remember the dreaded punishment of having to sit out during recess. I was a pretty good kid and recall only having to do this once or twice, but some of the more “naughty” kids in class were on the curb almost every day. Many schools and school districts throughout Texas and the United States continue to use the removal of recess time as a way to manage behavior. Recent evidence, however, suggests that promoting children’s participation in recess might be a solution to behavior problems in the classroom, while also providing many other health, education, and social benefits for kids.

Children should engage in 60 minutes of daily physical activity, and recent statements on recess from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education and several physical activity experts recommend that children receive between 20 and 30 minutes of daily recess time per day. There is a lot of research to support the recommendation for children’s recess time, and I have added some references below if you are interested in checking them out.

First of all, recess is one of the best ways to help children reach the 60 minutes of recommended daily physical activity since many schools provide recess every day. Children who engage in more physical activity have better physical and mental health, and an active lifestyle in childhood has been shown to lead to a more active lifestyle in adulthood.

But if we provide more time for recess and physical activity, won’t children have less time for academic learning during the school day? Several studies have shown that children who attend schools with more time for physical activity do not perform any worse on standardized tests or academic performance in general compared to schools that have less time for physical activity. On the contrary, evidence shows that children’s physical fitness and participation in physical activity are associated with greater academic achievement and also help children think better.

Ok, but children sometimes behave badly in class, and teachers need to be able to use the removal of recess time as a way to manage their students’ behavior. What’s the harm in using recess as a behavior management tool? Research has found that elementary school children who have more minutes of recess time have better classroom behavior. By taking recess time away, we may be removing the activity that children need to stay focused during class time. The Peaceful Playgrounds website provides a variety of alternative behavior management techniques that teachers and parents may consider exploring (http://www.peacefulplaygrounds.com/recess-alt.htm). Lastly, recess is important for children’s socialization, school adjustment, creative play, and overall positive social development. Children need time to play, socialize, and explore their worlds.

Given the wide-ranging evidence on the benefits of recess, including improvement in classroom behavior as well as health and educational benefits of physical activity, it’s time for parents, schools, and community leaders to come together to promote and protect recess time for children. I hope there comes the day when the only children sitting on the curb during recess are those who have chosen to do so to talk, laugh, and explore their creative imaginations with their peers.

For a list of references to support these statements and web resources from Clearinghouse On Early Education and Parenting, please see below.

Written by Stephanie Stroever
Graduate Research Assistant

and

Dr. Andrew Springer, DrPH
Assistant Professor of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences
UTSPH Austin Regional Campus
Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living

Web resources from Clearing House On Early Education and Parenting

http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/poptopics/recess.html
Recess in Elementary School: What Does the Research Say? http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/eecearchive/digests/2002/jarrett02.html
Michigan State Board of Education policy that supports daily recess. http://www.michigan.gov/documents/bdpolicy001214_16470_7.pdf
Elementary School Recess: Then and Now http://www.endeavor.ocps.net/Handbook/handouts/elementary_school_recess.pdf [Editor's note (2006-08-10): this url is no longer active.]
Recess: Necessity or Nicety? http://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/issues/issues180.shtml
All Work, No Play at School http://www.csmonitor.com/1998/0311/031198.feat.feat.2.html
The Developmental and Educational Significance of Recess in Schools http://www.cehd.umn.edu/ceed/publications/earlyreport/spring02.htm
IPA/USA Newsletter On-line http://www.ipausa.org/newsletters.html
National Center for Education Statistics. Spring Teacher Questionnaire A (pp. 39-40 includes recess statistics) http://nces.ed.gov/ecls/pdf/kindergarten/springteachersABC.pdf
No-fun zones: schools take a recess timeout: As many as four schools out of ten no longer have time for recess. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0HKV/is_4_10/ai_82880556
The Case for Elementary School Recess: Recess addresses several childhood needs. http://www.ipausa.org/caseforrecess.html
On the Elimination of Recess http://www.edweek.org/login.html?source=http%3A%2F%2Fceep.crc.uiuc.edu%2Fpoptopics%2Fmiddle.htmlRegistration required.
Should Schools Take a Break from Recess?http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin088.shtml
The Value of School Recess and Outdoor Play http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Value_School_Recess
http://www.movingandlearning.com/Resources/Articles30.htm

References

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California Department of Education (CDE). (2001). California physical fitness test: Report to the governor and legislature. Sacramento, CA: California Department of Education Standards and Assessment Division.
Castelli DM, Hillman CH, Buck SM, Erwin HE. Physical Fitness and Academic Achievement inThird- and Fifth-Grade Students. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 2007, 29, 239-252
Caterino, M. C., and E. D. Polak. Effects of two types of activity on the performance of second-, third-, and fourth-grade students on a test of concentration. Percept. Mot. Skills 89:245–248, 1999.
Chomitz VR, Slining MM, McGowan RJ, Mitchell SE, Dawson GF, Hacker KA. Is there a relationship between physical fitness and academic achievement? Positive results from public school children in the northeastern United States. J of School Health 2009; 79(1): 30-37.
Coe, D.P., Pivarnik, J.M., Womack, C.J., Reeves, M.J., & Malina, R.M. (2006). Effect of physical education and activity levels on academic achievement in children. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 38, 1515-1519.
Crosnoe R. Gender, obesity and education. Sociology of Education 2007 (July).
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Miller KE, Barnes GM, Melnick MJ, Sabo DF, Farrell MP. Gender and Racial/Ethnic Differences in Predicting Adolescent Sexual Risk: Athletic Participation versus Exercise. Journal of Health and Social Behavior 2002; 43: 436-450.
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National Association for Sport and Physical Education. Recess for elementary school students [position paper]. Reston, VA: National Association for Sport and Physical Education; 2006.
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Delicious Substitutions For a Healthier Thanksgiving Meal and More!

2010-11-23T11:02:00.000-06:00

Delicious pumpkin pie, green bean casserole, garlic mashed potatoes, is your mouth watering yet? Have you tried to avoid cooking these foods because of their unhealthy ingredients? Now is your time to pull out those recipes and make some minor adjustments to recreate a healthier version of your old favorite recipes. I am always looking for options to make a recipe healthier without compromising on flavor. I came up with some easy recipe modifications to enhance any dish.

Healthy cooking substitutes:

• Use reduced-fat cheese for salads and casseroles (note: reduced-fat cheese doesn’t melt as well as regular).

• Use two egg whites or ¼ cup egg substitute for one whole egg. I like to use the omega-3- enriched eggs and the yolk is healthier.

• Substitute half of the requested amount of butter/margarine in a recipe for applesauce. Another option is to add ground flax seed to baked goods and casseroles for increased fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.

• Substitute low sodium broth in place of added butter in recipes like rice and potato dishes. I always buy the low sodium vegetable or chicken broth without MSG.

• Substitute fresh herbs in salads, stews, or vegetable dishes in place of salt.

• Cut the amount of sugar in a recipe by 1/3.

• If making dips, substitute the regular ingredients with non-fat or fat-free options for the following: yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese, or cottage cheese.

• Use smaller plates to help with portion control.

• Choose low-sodium options for canned soups, broths, and canned vegetables.

• Make your portions smaller (i.e. cut your pie into 16 slices instead of 8 slices).

• For casseroles (i.e. sweet potato) that call for cream, use evaporated milk. You can also use this for other dishes like pumpkin pie.

• Have a vegetable plate for you appetizer and fruit tray for dessert. This provides an additional lighter alternative.

Kids love to help out, especially in the kitchen.

• Have children help pick out colorful fruit and vegetables at the grocery store.

• Let children help measure and mix ingredients.

• Provide children with Thanksgiving decorations to color and be used as centerpieces.

• Buy the placemat-sized colored paper and have your children make placements to put at each spot for the Thanksgiving meal.

Please be sure to check out the new recipe makeover of Green Beans Almandine in honor of Thanksgiving.

Samantha Weiss, RD
Graduate Research Assistant

Recipe Makeover: Green Bean Almandine

2010-11-22T10:57:00.001-06:00

Here at the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, we strive to not only lead the field in our research dedicated to promoting healthy children in a healthy world, but also set the example of healthy living. One of the ways we do this is by providing recipe “makeovers” for our faculty, staff, and online visitors through our bimonthly newsletter. Michael & Susan Dell Center registered dietitians tweak our favorite recipes to make them even healthier, therefore encouraging a healthy lifestyle, while giving us the opportunity to still enjoy our favorite meals.

We’d like to share that with you today. Please read on for a delicious Green Bean Almandine recipe and give it a try this Thanksgiving!

This is a healthy recipe my family makes every year during the holidays. It’s a great alternative recipe to use instead of a green bean casserole. The best part about this recipe is that it is super easy and delicious. I fill up my plate with this dish every year!

Green Bean Almandine

1 lbs onions peeled and chopped. (This can be done in a food processor or by hand)
3 T of Canola Oil
½ cup Sliced almonds
¾ lb Portabella mushrooms, ½ inch diced
2 lbs Green beans, trimmed
Salt to taste

1. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan to medium heat. Once the oil heats up, sauté the onions.
2. When the onions are partially browned reduce the heat, stir in the almonds and continue sauté until the almonds are browned.
3. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes.
4. Set mixture aside
5. Steam green beans for 7-10 minutes until slightly tender.
6. Mix the green beans with the onion mixture.
7. Add salt to taste.
8. If desired, garnish with a spring of fresh parsley.
9. Enjoy!

Samantha Weiss, RD
Graduate Research Assistant

Healthy Thanksgiving Tips: How to Avoid That “I’ve Over-Eaten; Need to Loosen My Belt” Feeling

2010-11-18T10:12:00.000-06:00

I know it is fall when the leaves start to change, there is nice breeze, and warm sweaters make their way into my closet. Fall is also a time to enjoy pumpkins, squash, cranberries, and spices. Every year, I look forward to eating these foods at Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is the one holiday where the main focus is enjoying the company of others. It is a celebration of the Pilgrims and the Native Americans rejoicing together. In today’s culture, a large celebration usually means a lot of delicious and often times unhealthy foods. So, I came up with a list of suggestions to help make your holiday festive fun and healthy!

• Treat eating today like any other day. Make sure you eat a good breakfast before the holiday meal. I know it might seem logical to wait to enjoy the food at the celebration, but this may lead to irrational overeating. If you have had a small healthy meal earlier, you can relax and think about trying small amounts of everything, eating slowly and enjoying the moment.

• Drink your H20. We often think we are hungry, when we are really dehydrated. It is important to drink water throughout the day, as well as during the meal. Think about it this way, if you are always holding a glass of water that is one less hand to grab something from the buffet.

• Practice the one plate rule. Only make one plate of food for your meal. This will help you avoid over-indulging on foods when you really aren’t hungry. This is a great rule for every day of the year too!

•Take a walk through. You should walk through the buffet line and glance through all the food choices, before you decide what to put on your plate. Only put the foods you really love, or want to try, on your plate.

• Color is always better. You should choose colorful options to add to your plate. This includes a variety of fruit and vegetables. Play a game to see who has the most colorful plate.

• Bite size desserts. Limit the amount of dessert consumed by playing games, talking, or taking a walk after dinner.

• Family fun time. Before and after dinner play a board game, football outside, or go for a walk. It is important to engage the whole family in a setting away from the food. It is also a great time for family bonding.

• Make something healthy. If you are having Thanksgiving at your house or going somewhere else, bring a healthy dish to the meal. This way you know that one item is nutritious and delicious.

• Have everyone go around the table and state what they are thankful for, and acknowledge accomplishments others have made. After all, this is a special time of year and a special season for being thankful. Maybe someone ran their first 5k or did really well on a test. No accomplishment is too small to celebrate.

I hope these healthy suggestions will help you and your family during the holiday season!

Samantha Weiss, RD
Graduate Research Assistant

Stuck in the Middle

2010-11-16T11:07:00.001-06:00

In the summer of 2010, RGK Foundation commissioned Steven H. Kelder, PhD, MPH, Co-Director, Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living to review: (1) the demographic profile of middle school children in Texas; (2) middle school physical education programs with demonstrated efficacy in raising levels of physical activity; (3) middle school physical education professional guidelines, recommendations and best practices; and (4) physical education policies intended to increase levels of physical activity among middle school children.

Dr. Kelder produced a report, Stuck in the Middle: The False Choice Between Health and Education in Texas Middle Schools, which was published in October of 2010 and includes recommendations for programs and policies. The report is intended to provide practical advice to schools and elected officials on how to increase physical activity at school. The Report is available here and RGK Foundation encourages interested parties to review and share the report without requesting permission.

Busy Moms’ Secrets Revealed: Cooking Healthy Meals While Away from Home

2010-11-16T10:06:00.000-06:00

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation created a book called Be Well. Messages from Moms on Living Healthier Lives narrated by Susan Dell. This book consists of several short stories about moms who made a conscious decision to start living healthier lives at home. The book provides many tips about what women around the country are doing to keep their families healthy.

While going through the book, one of the stories that caught my eye was from a woman named Andrea, a mom with limited time who wanted to start cooking healthier meals for her children. So she turned to (my best friend) a slow cooker.

I personally love the slow cooker! I can throw in a few ingredients before work or class and then come home to a warm and delicious meal. The meat is tender, the veggies are flavorful, and the sauce is out of this world!

Many people, like Andrea, work and find it difficult to come home after a long day and try to get a healthy meal on the table for their family.

The slow cooker has several advantages for people with busy schedules. First off, it is really easy to use. You can throw in a wide variety of meats and vegetables and leave it to simmer all day while you are away. Preparation can be done in the morning, and since your meal is all in one pot this makes clean up easy too! In addition, you can use cheap cuts of meat (like bone-in chicken breasts) and inexpensive vegetables (such as sweet potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes). Finally, you can come back from work to a great smelling and delicious meal ready to eat.

Using a slow cooker is just one of the many tips given in the book. For more information on this book and to see video testimonials from Andrea and other women, check out the website http://www.bewellbook.org/ and the Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/bewellbook.

Written by Christa Potratz
Graduate Research Assistant

Sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, not couch potatoes!

2010-11-11T09:43:00.001-06:00

The holidays. A time for feasting, a time for celebrating, a time for – staying indoors? Maybe.

I grew up in New England. By Thanksgiving it was cold out – not necessarily freezing, but enough to discourage outside play. There was no snow yet to lure us outside, it was just … gray. I’ve discovered that even here in Texas, people are discouraged by our cool-to-chilly weather. The sun is still strong (to my northern eyes), but the nip in the air has us bundling up and all-too-frequently staying inside.

Unfortunately, this weather coincides with a season of splurging – eating too much, doing too little. Chocolate, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, an extra slice of pecan pie, resting on the sofa to watch football or the Macy’s parade – they catch up with us. It definitely does with me. I have historically gained some weight over the holidays and struggled for the next year to get it off.

Last year, however, I started making some changes – changes I plan to expand upon this year.

My in-laws traditionally go for a walk before and after Thanksgiving dinner, and I hope that this year I can turn that into a hike. We will also be scaling back the dinner. I’m planning to bring a healthy side dish – something the kids will like, but will be low-fat and low-sugar. Bringing healthy options to the holiday table will continue my family’s efforts to eat healthy and teach my children that holidays are fun and some splurges are ok – but you can eat yummy-healthy food, too.

On the day after Thanksgiving last year, instead of what we usually do – hide from the shopping crowds –we went to a farm open house and watched a barn-raising and sheepdog demonstrations, among other things. This got us outdoors and moving – not quickly, but moving. This year, I hope to get out of the house again and add to our new tradition of doing something active on the holiday. We may go to the same farm, but also play a ball game or go for a bike ride.

In Austin – currently my hometown – we have the Turkey Trot, an annual five mile run/one mile walk on Thanksgiving Day that benefits Caritas of Austin, a local nonprofit organization. In Johnson City, Texas, there is Lights Spectacular, a 5k run, on Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend.

What is going on in your area? Please share – and please share how you plan to be active and eat healthy this Thanksgiving! It will help all of us.

Written by Elie Camp, MPH
Senior Research Assistant

Soups for the Season: Healthy Recipes to Help Stay Warm this Winter

2010-11-09T09:32:00.000-06:00

When my husband got laid off from his job, we had to start getting creative with ways to save money. One of the easiest ways to cut back on spending is to eat more meals at home instead of getting takeout or eating at a restaurant. A bonus is that it is almost always healthier, too! Our favorite thing to do was to make a big pot of soup and have it for several meals during the week. He would make the soup on Monday (a welcome break from the never-ending job search!) and we would have it for dinner that night, and then I could take it to work for lunch a couple of times that week. I loved coming home from work on winter days to smell the soup simmering on the stove! We always chose low-fat soups with some kind of lean protein (usually chicken or ground turkey) to keep us full.

Now that he is working again, we still make the soups, and now we get to make them together! To get ready for the winter months, I’d like to share two of my favorite and easiest soup recipes. These are great meals when paired with a fresh green salad. They make about eight servings each and are very filling, so you get a lot out of them. Let us know what you think about these recipes, or if you have any ideas or ways to improve them!

TORTILLA SOUP
Hint: for a healthier soup, use “lower sodium” varieties of beans, taco seasoning, corn and ranch seasoning

One onion
2 jalapenos, seeds removed
5 or 6 chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
2 cans chicken broth
2 cans beef consommé
3 cans whole Mexican stewed tomatoes
1 can Rotel
1 can tomato soup
1 cup water
minced garlic
1 can corn, drained
Garlic salt

1. Boil chicken in water seasoned with pieces of onion, a few cloves of garlic, and garlic salt
2. Chop or pull apart chicken
3. Puree tomatoes, jalapenos, and the onions and garlic from cooking the chicken in a blender or food processor
4. Add puree and chicken to large stock pot
5. Whisk in tomato soup (straight from the can, condensed)
6. Add corn, chicken broth, consommé, water, Rotel and 1 tsp minced garlic
7. Simmer at least 30 minutes, stir often to prevent burning

Optional: Serve topped with sliced avocado or strips of corn tortillas

TACO SOUP
Hint: for a healthier soup, use “lower sodium” varieties of beans, taco seasoning, corn and ranch seasoning

1 onion
3 cans Mexican stewed tomatoes
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can navy beans, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 small packet of taco seasoning
1 small packet of ranch dip/dressing mix (the powder)
1 can of Rotel
1 cup of water
1 lb lean ground turkey breast
1 tsp season salt

1. Brown meat
2. Puree onion, tomatoes, and Rotel
3. Put everything in a large pot
4. Simmer over low for about an hour, stirring occasionally

Optional: Serve topped with a small amount of grated cheese and/or low fat sour cream

Written by Emily Hines, MPH
Senior Research Assistant