Healthy Halloween

Last week 20 third and fourth graders came to the School of Pharmacy for a Healthy Halloween celebration.
The event combined health education with fun activities and a haunted house. The number of children affected by obesity and diabetes continues to increase each year. It is important to educate children and their caregivers at a young age to make healthy lifestyle choices.

One of the stations was a guess the calories game. Did you know that there are about 100 calories in an apple, 300 calories in a sandwich, and 400 calories in a hamburger?

 



One of the stations was about healthy hand washing. Did you know that frequent hand-washing is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick and spreading illness? When you wash your hands you should rub them vigorously for at least 20 seconds with soap and water.

 

  



Other stations included Healthy Hydration, How Sweet are these Treats, Healthy Exercise and more.





Move Your Body!

Last year, a pharmacy student brought the message from Michelle Obama's Let's Move! Campaign to Baltimore.
He taught middle and elementary school students the dance from Beyoncé's music video "Move Your Body".

Today, nearly 1 in 3 children in America are overweight or obese. If we don't solve this problem, 1/3 of children born in 2000 or later will suffer from diabetes or chronic obesity-related health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and asthma at some point in their lives. "Let's Move! is a comprehensive initiative, launched by the First Lady, dedicated to solving the challenge of childhood obesity within a generation, so that children born today will grow up healthier and able to pursue their dreams."  It gives parents information and fosters an environment that supports healthy choices. (Information above retrieved from the Let's Move! website).
Here are pictures from our Move Your Body class.



 The dance leader taught 34 middle and elementary school students how much fun exercise can be. Everyone laughed, learned some new dance moves, and got their heart pumping.

Teaching about Healthy Snacking at Middle Schools

Last month, some pharmacy students partnered up with 'The Challenge Program' and helped out at the Green Street Academy Health Fair to teach the students about healthy snacking.

 

We made delicious fruit and yogurt parfaits and trail mix. We also showed students how to read a nutrition label. It is healthier to limit the amount of fat and sodium. If you have diabetes you want to monitor the amount of carbohydrates in each meal. Check the fiber and vitamins section of the label to see if the item is healthy for you.To maintain a healthy diet it is a good idea to look at the nutrition label of all the foods you eat. Below is an image from the National Kidney Foundation providing more information about nutrition labels.