Healthy Holidays!

Check out the MyPlate Holiday Makeover from the USDA! Make healthier choices when celebrating the holiday season over the next couple of weeks. You don't have to sacrifice holiday traditions to make your meals healthier- swap butter for applesauce and a mashed banana when baking or drink water instead of sugary drinks!

Also stay physically active by taking family walks, playing a game outside with the children, or enter a local holiday run/walk.

MUSC's Boeing Center for Children's Wellness hopes everyone has a happy and healthy holiday season!

Lowe's Toolbox for Education Grant- due February 2014!

The Lowe's Toolbox for Education Grant is due February 14, 2014 OR as soon 1500 applications are received. Apply now for your school and receive up to $5000 towards a school garden, physical fitness area, playground, nature trail and more!

Receive points on the wellness checklist under the "Sustainability" section for applying for and receiving this grant. Many schools in the Charleston area have received this grant from Lowe's in previous years! This year projects that encourage parent involvement and build stronger community spirit will be favored.

For more information and to apply please visit: http://www.toolboxforeducation.com/index.html.

Healthy School Vending Options

This week in the Post and Courier, an article highlighting "Getting rid of the junk in school vending machines" was posted. As of July 1, 2014 the USDA's new "Smart Snacks in Schools" standards go into effect. These standards require that snacks:

• Contain more than 200 calories
• Total fat must be less than or equal to 35% of calories
• Snacks must contain less than or equal to 35% of sugar by weight
• Must contain less than or equal to 230 milligram of salt
• Contain zero trans fat

Schools in Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester 2 County School Districts are making strides to offer healthier vending options to their students and staff.  Schools receive 5 points on the wellness checklist for replacing unhealthy snacks across the entire campus, including all vending machines!

Two companies were highlighted in the article that specialize in offering these healthier options- East Coast Organic Vending and H.U.M.A.N. Healthy Vending. Charleston Charter School of Math and Science was also highlighted as using one of these companies to provide healthy options to their school. Great job!

If you are interested in receiving the contact information for either of these two companies please email the leanteam@musc.edu. For more information on the Smart Snacks in Schools standards please click here.

New Guidelines Released Addressing Obesity, Cholesterol and Heart Disease

At last week's Obesity Society meeting in Atlanta, the American Heart Association and American Cardiology released new prevention guidelines related to obesity, cholesterol and heart disease.  The text below was excerpted directly from the American Heart Association website, regarding the best dietary pattern and exercise for heart health:

"Americans shouldn’t sweat satisfying a sweet tooth with a slice of cake or ice cream every now and then. More critical to wellness is maintaining an overall heart-healthy dietary pattern than avoiding occasional indulgences, according to a new lifestyle management guideline from the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology.

Just 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise three to four times a week was also found to be sufficient for most people. Even brisk walking will do.

The new recommendations are designed for people who need to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Many Americans fit that category: About one-third of U.S. adults have elevated levels of bad cholesterol, and nearly two-thirds have high blood pressure or prehypertension.

Recommended are dietary patterns that emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, poultry, fish and nuts. Red meat and sugary foods and beverages should be limited. Many diets would work, including the DASH eating plan and plans suggested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the American Heart Association.

'Eating a healthy diet is not about good foods and bad foods in isolation from the rest of your diet – it’s about the overall diet,' said Robert Eckel, M.D., co-chair of a 19-member expert committee that wrote the guideline. Eckel is also a past American Heart Association president.

The overall dietary pattern should include less sodium, the guideline says. For people who need to lower their blood pressure, the guideline recommends an initial step-down approach to no more than 2,400 milligrams of sodium a day. Currently, the average American adult consumes about 3,600 milligrams daily.

Americans can lower blood pressure even further by getting sodium down to 1,500 mg a day. Cutting out processed foods high in sodium may be necessary to stay below that threshold.
'We all eat too much sodium, and this guideline provides further evidence that we’d all do well to eat less of it,' Eckel said."

Click here to read about more of the new heart disease and stroke prevention guidelines just released!

Thanksgiving Super Foods!

With Thanksgiving exactly one week away, we wanted to share 15 Thanksgiving Super Foods that will help save your life! These foods are not only important around Thanksgiving time but also throughout the entire year!

Chef Michael Carmel with the Culinary Institute of Charleston Trident Technical College has created these tips to incorporate these super foods into your Thanksgiving meal and their health benefits.

1. Broccoli	Use as a side dish	Helps fight cancer and supports body’s detox process
2. Beans	Side Dish	Low in fat and high in protein, fiber and iron
3. Pumpkin and Squash	Toast Seeds Roast with red onion Use in soups and desserts	High in fiber and iron; Boosts the immune system
4. Spinach, Kale, Collards	Sauté Use in Soups	Lowers cholesterol and helps blood flow
5. Onions	Stuffing and Sauces	Reduces risk of heart attacks by 20%
6. Garlic	Sauté with everything	Used to treat stroke, arthritis; Anti-inflammatory
7. Tomatoes	Use in Sauces and Soups	Cancer preventative
8. Apples	Use in Stuffing and Desserts	Helps fight cancer, heart disease, diabetes
9. Oranges	Zest in cranberry sauce or serve naked	Great source of Vitamin C
10. Turkey	Roast in the Oven	Lean protein and Low in Saturated Fat
11. Olive Oil	Salad Dressings and Cooking	Source of Vitamin E, lowers blood pressure
12. Nuts	Put in stuffing and desserts	Reduces change of heart attacks by 15%
13. Honey	Desserts and substitute for sugar	High level of antioxidants
14. Cinnamon	Use in desserts	Brain booster- encourages cognitive ability
15.  Dark Chocolate	Just to eat!	Lowers blood pressure and high level of flavones

 Happy Holidays from MUSC Boeing Center for Children's Wellness and Chef Carmel!

Grant Opportunity!: Find Your Energy Balance Challenge

Check out this grant opportunity from Together Counts- Find Your Energy Balance Challenge and encourage your school to apply today!

The Find Your Balance Challenge is open to all elementary school classrooms, grades K-5 and rewards student teams for taking steps towards achieving energy balance in your own school community! School classrooms must:

• Identify Energy Balance needs at your school from both sides of the Energy Balance Scale. (Physical Activity and Nutrition)
• Write a goal statement to help meet or address those needs. 
• Create a simple action plan to help your students meet that goal. 
• Engage your school's stakeholders (the wellness committee!) in this process. 

The winning class will be awarded $30,000! Second place will receive $10,000, and the third place classroom will receive a $5000 grant.  Click here to apply and get started!

Support the Girls!

MUSC Boeing Center for Children's Wellness, Fleet Feet of Mount Pleasant, Moving Comfort and

Charleston County School District are working together to promote physical activity among high
school girls.  A new program called "Support the Girls" provides education and sports bras for girls enrolled in JROTC. The girls also learn techniques to make exercise more comfortable and the benefits of healthy eating and regular exercise.  If your school has a JROTC program let us hear from you or if you are interested in helping donate sports bras for the program check out David Quick's Post and Courier article "Fitting the Need".

Docs Adopt Corner- Learning Following a Concussion

Dr. Helen Bertrand, pediatrician and Docs Adopt physician for Harborview Elementary, wanted to share this article from the most recent Pediatrics Journal, "Returning to Learning Following a Concussion." 

Following a concussion, it is common for children and adolescents to experience difficulties in the school setting. Cognitive difficulties, such as learning new tasks or remembering previously learned material, may pose challenges in the classroom. This report serves to provide a better understanding of possible factors that may contribute to difficulties in a school environment after a concussion and serves as a frame- work for the medical home, the educational home, and the family home to guide the student to a successful and safe return to learning.

To read the entire article, follow the link below:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/132/5/948.full.pdf+html

 

Walkin' and Rollin' to School

On October 9th, MEDcare Urgent Care was proud to participate in the National Walk to School Day at Fort Dorchester Elementary School (FDES). Walking to school is an effective way to combat the childhood obesity epidemic. Through our partnership with the school and the Doc-Adopt program, MEDcare will continue to work toward preventing obesity. 

Thanks for having us FDES!

Halloween Safety Tips for Tonight!

Dr. Michael Finch, a South Carolina Medical Association Board Member and Pediatrician has developed some Halloween safety tips! As your students and children prepare to trick-or-treat tonight remember to stay safe and follow these suggestions:

1) Try to have reflective stripes, clothes, or at least a hat on your child.

2) Have them carry a flashlight

3) Only trick or treat in areas that you know and are comfortable with.

4) Parents should still try to look through the child's bag at the end of the night.

5) The child shouldn't enter someone's home (i.e. like for a haunted house inside) unless a parent is with them

6) Parents should avoid driving through crowded, often dark neighborhood streets while the kids are out and about. Try just to walk along the curb, and they can run down to the doors, etc., or go down with them if younger

7) Consider a meeting spot or particular house in case you get separated.

8) Despite all the excitement, be sure children look carefully and not be allowed to dash into a dark street in their haste to get to the next house.

9) Residents should try to be tolerant of groups of YOUNGER children with their parents who are not from the neighborhood in which they are trick or treating (as long as good manners prevail). While there was a time this frustrated me, I realized later that the parents likely feel unsafe in their own neighborhood and sought out a better place.

10) Lastly, expect and encourage good manners in the children, avoid littering, and respect the homeowners property and privacy if lights are out and they are done for the night.

Click here to view the Voice of Healthcare Blog.

Healthy Treats for Halloween

With Halloween exactly one week away, check out this article in the Post and Courier on healthy Halloween ideas for your students and families! Local parents, physicians, and Coleen Martin with the MUSC Boeing Center for Children's Wellness were featured in the article, "Obesity and diabetes epidemics call for a check on Halloween candy."    

Dr. Bowlby with MUSC stated, “For Halloween, make more focus on costumes, games, fun with your friends, and for the other holidays make it fun with family and not be so food-focused or, at least when you’re focusing on food, make smart, healthy choices."

Some of the healthy tips and tricks for Halloween listed in the article include:

• Celebrate Halloween at school with 'Pumpkin Dashes' and costume parades instead of candy
• Hand out temporary tattoos, stickers, and vampire teeth!
• Before trick-or-treating have a healthy family dinner so children's stomachs are full 
• Weigh your children's candy when they bring it home
• Sort out the candy and store some in the freezer to eat later in the year
• Have the 'Halloween candy fairy' come visit and exchange some candy with books or toys

Remember, candy on Halloween is okay as long as it is in moderation! Teach your students and families about balance and that the holidays are about more than just sweet treats!

We hope everyone has a healthy and safe Halloween!

Boosterthon Fun Run- A Healthy Fundraiser for your School

Last week James B. Edwards Elementary held a healthy fundraiser at their school called Boosterthon Fun Run! Boosterthon is a nine day fundraising campaign that begins with a school wide pep rally and ends with a Fun Run. Students receive pledges for the number of laps they plan to run, walk, and skip. All students participate in the Fun Run even if they do not receive any pledges, and each grade participates for one hour on the day of the event. Check out the video below of students during the Fun Run at JBE in Charleston County!

For more information about how to have a Boosterthon Fun Run fundraiser at your school, visit http://www.boosterthon.com. 

Bring Yoga to your school!

Check out the video below with Dave Spurlock from CCSD and Kids Yogaverse! Yoga is a great way to bring wellness into the classroom and teach students about their bodies and relaxation techniques. Kids Yogaverse (formerly knows as Kids Yoga Journey) provides trainings for teachers to learn more about how to incorporate yoga into the school day. Many schools across the Charleston area have already been trained and have yoga during the morning announcements and take yoga breaks during the day.

For more information on trainings and to download yoga videos for your school please visit: http://www.kidsyogajourney.com

National Child Health Day this week!

Dr. Michael Bowman with MUSC presented at Jennie Moore Elementary this week for National Child Health Day. This is another great opportunity for physicians who have adopted schools to get involved!  Please read this recap from Dr. Bowman about his experience:

                              

It appears to be a very well-kept secret that the first Monday of October is recognized nationally as “Child Health Day”.  It apparently started in the 1930s in May each year and was then moved to October in the 60’s.  I was asked to give a talk to a group of students at Jennie Moore School in Mount Pleasant this week, on October 7^th, as a part of their recognition of that day.  I went after school to see kids involved in “Kaleidoscope”, the Charleston school district’s after-school program for students at over 50 schools.  (How many of you know that the Title 1 schools in CHS now serve “dinner” to the kids in the after-school program?  Students can now get three meals a day at their school, so it’s another place to work to improve menus and teaching about healthy choices for food consumption as well as promoting physical activity.  Consider trying to get someone from food services to be involved in your school’s wellness committee.) 

I have given many talks to providers and caregivers, but only a few to students.  I strongly encourage our team members to offer to talk to students about health.  My talk was to be a half-hour or so.  I talked about health in general, growth/development/learning, safety, exercise/activity, health conditions and taking care of yourself, and making good choices.  The kids had way many more questions and comments (“my mom was in a car accident and went through the windshield—now she has a scar beside her nose”) than I had minutes.  After the talk, one girl quietly came up to say “I have dyslexia”.  Already I had asked who has asthma and found that 10-15% of them do.  A boy came up to ask what made me decide to do Pediatrics as my career.  They were enthusiastic and seemed interested.  At 4 p.m., they all stayed awake, too.  I found it really rewarding and encourage you to consider finding a time when you can not only participate in health fairs, but also find a venue and topic to talk to the kids directly.  One of the nurses I work with did a wonderful job of steering me to a MUCH more kid-friendly slide format than what I am used to using!  Last May I gave a talk at another school about tobacco risks.  They, too, were excited and respectful (about 50 5^th graders).  It’s a bit intimidating at first, but go for it.  The nurses and teachers REALLY appreciate our involvement, as do the students. 

Oakbrook Middle's Walk to School Day Morning News Show Video with Dr. Moore

Check out the morning news show video below Oakbrook Middle School in Dorchester 2 County School District made to promote their International Walk to School Day event on October 9! Their Docs Adopt physician, Dr. Joe Moore, was also interviewed on the morning news show to speak about the benefits of physical activity. Great job Oakbrook Middle and Dr. Moore!

We hope everyone who is participating has a safe and healthy Walk to School Day tomorrow morning!

Oakbrook Middle School Walk to School Promotion from Joseph Moore on Vimeo.

Let's Go Walk! the Bridge with MUSC and ESMM

Let’s Go WALK!

Saturday, October 5th

  

 Join MUSC Boeing Center for Children’s Wellness and Eat Smart Move More Charleston Tri-County for a kick-off event for the new Let’s Go! Campaign to promote physical activity. This event coincides with and serves as our Monthly Bridge Walk.

Where: Meet in gravel parking lot at corner of East Bay and Cooper Street –across from the Julian Divine Community Center on Charleston side of the Arthur Ravenel Bridge- free

When: 9AM Saturday, October 5^th (arrive a few minutes early to sign-in and stretch)

What: A self-paced 2.5 to 5.0 mile walk/run on the Arthur Ravenel Bridge

Why: if 3 people from your school participate you can earn points on our Wellness Checklist Contest for Employee Connections.

Contact: no pre-registration required.  Show up and look for Dave Spurlock and Mike Campbell wearing Let’s Go shirts. 

Check us out!:

www.esmmsc.org

www.musc.edu/leanteam