- Author: Consuelo Cid
Summer is here, and Central Valley summers are hot!
To maintain health we need to eat well-balanced meals and remain active. However, you may find this warm weather poses an obstacle or extra challenge in meeting your physical activity goals.
How much physical activity do I or my children need?
- Adults need to be moderately active for 30 minutes on 5 or more days a week.
- Children need to be active for 60 minutes each day.
- Be active during the coolest time of day: morning or mid-morning.
- Wear light colored clothing.
- Stay cool with water activities! Try swimming, running through sprinklers, or waterslides. To locate a public pool click here.
- Try indoor activities during bad air days or days that are too hot.
- Yoga is a great indoor workout for the entire family, all you need is a slip-free surface or mat. Try the Standing Carrot Stick or the Super Zucchini from the Shape of Yoga. For additional yoga poses click here.
- Dance and rock out in the comfort of your own home.
- Be creative and come up with activities that includes the entire family.
- Take a cool walk at your local mall.
- Locate a community center or park near you that offers recreational activities during the summer. To find a community or park near you, visit our Nutrition and Physical Activity Resources Directory.
Summer safety is important! Stay safe during the summer by following these simple tips:
- Remember to drink water before, during, and after being active.
- Take frequent breaks.
- Wear sunscreen.
- Be active for shorter periods of time during hot days to avoid heat exhaustion.
- If you feel nausea or vomiting, dizziness, muscle cramps, or headache stop your activity and cool down.
Get moving, have fun, and stay safe with your summer activities!
- Author: Tacu Vang
Before the school year ended, Mrs. Rollf showed off her Nutrition Corner that she had created with her students. She had her students create their own MyPlate and they added their favorite food from each of the food groups. She also had students put the correct food into the five food groups and the sometimes food group. It was a pleasure teaching her students about MyPlate and healthy eating. Keep up the awesome work Mrs. Rollf!
- Author: Maira Enriquez
On June 11, 2015 UC Cooperative Extension had an opportunity to attend a C.A.T.C.H (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) training in Chico, CA, hosted by the North Coast and Cascades TRC and presented by Dr. John Krampitz. UC Cooperative Extension believes in innovative team work and expanding their knowledge base. Here they learned new skills to train preschool teachers on ways to implement physical activities in classrooms, involve all children in activities, and encourage healthy eating in the little ones ages 3-5.
“CATCH Early Childhood (CEC) is designed to nurture a love of physical activity, provide an introduction to classroom-based gardening and nutrition. Little ones are motivated to walk, run, jump, dance and move their whole bodies while playing and having fun.”
If you'd like more information regarding C.A.T.C.H and how they can provide a training to your preschools or teachers visit http://catchinfo.org. We look forward to sharing what we learned with teachers in the new school year!
Special thanks to Michele Buran, CSU Chico, NEOP North Coast and Cascades TRC for hosting such a fantastic training!
- Author: Shelby MacNab
Can you believe its been 4 years?
Wish MyPlate a Happy Birthday today, by visiting www.choosemyplate.gov.
Since its inception, MyPlate has continued to add to the tools and resources offered to help us build healthy meals and increase physical activity. MyPlate now offers materials in 20 languages and continues to provide new tip sheets and tool kits.
- Author: Shelby MacNab
As the school year comes to a close, we'd like to give a big thank you to teachers who have participated in the program. Working together, we're improving the health of thousands of students in the Central Valley.
This summer we will be busy preparing new lessons and planning new recipes for our Tasting Time food demonstrations. We will have a chance to blog some of the great images and stories we've collected over the school year. Check back soon to see if your work is featured.
Summer also gives us some time to reflect on feedback from our end of year survey. If you haven't yet submitted a survey, it's not too late! Your input is key to our success.
We wish our teachers a restful and rejuvenating summer. Stay connected over the break by following us on Facebook and Twitter.
See you again in August!
--The UC CalFresh Team
