You can add a degree of difficulty when you pop up by performing a jumping jack, before you drop to the crouch and repeat.  Perform 5 – 10 as a beginner and work up to 2 sets of 10, with 15 jumping jacks in between sets.

If you want to view an instructional video, you can just search for a burpee video demonstration online – there are dozens.  Remember that this is a complicated move and quite taxing, so start off with just a few until you get the hang of it

The post The Move of the Day is a Burpee appeared first on HealthCorps.

Have you ever thought about the concept of “real food deficit?”  It’s the gap between what we think a healthy community should be and the harsh reality that most communities face.  Does your neighborhood have fresh produce available and affordable?

Kashi REAL Project wants to help people learn about this issue and ways to shape a healthier community, and it’s supporting non-profit organizations, like HealthCorps, to help empower the next generation.

HealthCorps has a chance to raise as much as $125,000 with your help.  Just click on this link to watch the video, and HealthCorps will receive $2.00 from Kashi.  Send family, friends, co-workers, anyone you know, to click and watch the video, so those two dollar donations multiply and roll in.

The money we raise will continue to support our efforts to touch thousands of teens, helping to teach basic nutrition, fitness and mental strength to over 142,000 students and counting.

Get real by watching the video short and inviting others to watch as well!!  Paying it forward will help HealthCorps to reach that $125,000 goal!!

The post Kashi Partners with HealthCorps – A “Click and View” Raises Awareness and Donates! appeared first on HealthCorps.

Jeffrey Hartinger, the Web & Social Media Assistant at HealthCorps, spoke with Naomi about her motivation for joining the organization and what she is doing to enrich the mental wellness of students at her placement.

Name: Naomi Soto

Age: 27

Hometown: Prior to moving for HealthCorps I lived in Orlando, Florida, but I have lived in numerous cities along the east coast.

College Attended / Major: English and Journalism double major at The George Washington University

HealthCorps School Placement: Coachella Valley High School in Coachella, CA

Fun Fact: In high school, I started a mini fire trying to make toast. Now I relax by creating something new in the kitchen, and one of my favorite things to do with my students is to cook and have conversations about cooking, family, and recipes.

Question #1: How did you become involved with HealthCorps?

I was working in grant management for a non-profit but was interested in doing more “direct service” and “on the ground” type of work. I have since found that you can’t get any more direct that interacting with teenagers every day like I get to do with HealthCorps.

It didn’t hurt that I was able to move to a state that I had been dying to live in… with a job!

Question #2: What has been the highlight of your placement so far?

Early in my first year Dr. Oz and other key figures of HealthCorps visited CVHS for about 4 hours. They toured the school greenhouse, engaged with the Health Academy students, had lunch made by the Hospitality Academy, spoke with student reporters from a youth media organization, and then interacted with volunteers, parents, and staff. It was a huge endeavor that was only possible because so many people came together.

I was overwhelmed and astounded with the amount of support I got from students, teachers, and community partners that I literally just met. I realized then that I was in a special place and that HealthCorps could do great things on a campus like CVHS and a community like Coachella.

Question #3: Outside of the classroom, what are some of the activities that you are involved with?

Outside of the classroom, I’m responsible for a cooking class in the after school program, a Gay Straight Alliance club, and a weekly staff yoga class.

I’m also very active in the Health Happens in Schools Action Team through Building Healthy Communities, Eastern Coachella Valley. This collaborative effort has been instrumental in making the HealthCorps message in school a genuine community effort. For instance, I worked in conjunction with the school-based health center to create student clinic advocates.  I used vegetables from the local foods banks in my cooking club.

I helped establish an LGBT support group and provide professional mental health services on campus in collaboration with a crisis center. It’s vital to me that students know that they have adult allies everywhere—not just through me.

Question #4: What do you plan to pursue after your service to HealthCorps is complete?

I will be working for my school’s funder– Building Healthy Communities, Eastern Coachella Valley. BHC is the ten year investment from The California Endowment. I will continue working with young people, but also expand my reach to parents, community partners, and government agencies to improve the health inequities that affect the rural areas of Coachella, Thermal, Mecca, and North Shore, California.

Question #5: What is one thing you have learned that you will be able to carry with you as you move forward in life?

I’ve really taken to heart the quote, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

By far the most important skill I’ve developed the past two years is the power of collaboration and partnership. As a total newbie to the area and being placed in an area that did not know HealthCorps, I greatly relied on new partners. This made the potential for HealthCorps so much greater than I ever anticipated. It was a humbling experience to be welcomed so warmly in my school and community.
—
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The post May 2013 Coordinator Of The Month: Naomi Soto appeared first on HealthCorps.

One way to cut down on throwing out fruits and vegetables is to use bruised ones in smoothies or soups.  Take leftover grilled chicken and immediately make chicken salad with fat free yogurt instead of full fat mayonnaise.  Take leftover cooked pasta and mix with leftover cooked vegetables for a side dish.  Use what’s left of fruit salad to mix into muffin batter for a healthier homemade muffin.

Cast iron pans are perfect for healthy cooking and can add some iron to your diet, whenever you cook.  Before using the first time, spread a thin layer of vegetable oil on the surface and bake (empty) at 375 degrees for about an hour.  Cool before using.   Make sure to wipe the surface periodically with cooking oil and never scrub when washing.  If it’s well conditioned with oil you should be able to just rinse and wipe clean after use.

The post Fun Food Facts and Tips appeared first on HealthCorps.

There are a number of changes you can make to your diet, if you are beginning to plan a family.  After all, health can affect fertility.  Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption, eating calcium rich foods, choosing healthy fats to use in salad dressings and in marinades, watching your sodium, are all good habits that support your health.

If you’re a guy, then you might think about specifically reducing consumption of saturated fats – typically found in red meat, the skin of white meat, dairy products, fried foods and yes, in pizza.  A recent study out of the University of Southern Denmark suggests that saturated fat may impact sperm production.  Subjects in the study showed as much as a 41% decrease in their sperm count, when they reported eating a diet high in saturated fat.  Observing Meatless Mondays, and substituting fish and other lean and non-meat protein sources for red meat, might be a good dietary change for men who are in the family-planning stages.

The post Slow Down Lunch and Curb Afternoon Cravings appeared first on HealthCorps.

The post De-Stress Through Diet appeared first on HealthCorps.

Runner’s knee occurs due to the constant bending and flexing of your knee joint, as you add miles to your running routine.  You typically experience a dull ache that gets worse after each run.  You can avoid it by making sure that your leg alignment is optimal, especially at the knee joint.  Work on strengthening your gluteal (butt) muscles and hip flexors, which help to keep your legs in proper alignment.  Proper alignment reduces stress on the knees, especially when you exercise.

Stress fractures can occur when you repetitively pound the ground.  It is more likely to occur when you run daily, and you don’t adequately warm up, cool down and allow recovery time between runs.  Over time, a vulnerable bone in your foot or leg can develop a very small break or crack and you will begin to experience pain when running.  Left untreated, the pain can become chronic and persistent, and the fracture can worsen.  Avoid stress fractures by slowly increasing the distance or duration of your runs, by no more than 10% each time.  Make sure to wear supportive footwear that fits well. Replace running shoes every 500 miles or every 6 months, whichever comes first.

Tendonitis, which is an inflammation of a tendon, occurs with overuse.  It usually presents as pain or tightness of the tendon.  Runners often develop tendonitis in the heel or hamstrings.  An exercise that can help you to avoid tendonitis in these areas is the dead-lift raise.  Stand with feet hip distance apart, with a weighted bar, barbell or free weights in your hands.  Slowly bend over at the waist while your legs remain straight, but not locked.  Continue to bend with the weights pulling you over, until the weight passes your knees.  Stop and slowly return to upright position.  Build up to one set of ten repetitions, and then add a second set.  Allow your head to naturally hang over, as you bend, so you don’t strain your neck.

The post Newbie Runners, Take Care appeared first on HealthCorps.

The book has beautiful color illustrations showcasing food and décor possibilities.  Daphne wants you to relish food, because food should be delicious.  Many of the recipes are lower calorie, most use healthy ingredients, and yes, some are special delectable treats, to be savored.  Love, love the Grapefruit Thyme Spritz.  Daphne also believes life should be beautiful – whether it’s home style, beauty style or wardrobe style – and she offers styling tips and tricks that are simple and affordable.

The book has a wide variety of recipes and not all of them are necessarily low calorie but they do offer wholesome ingredients and healthy fats, and the point is that some dishes are meant to be relished daily, while some might be considered treats, to be relished and enjoyed a bit less frequently.  Some favorites from the book – Oz Family Stir- Fried Rice, Vegan Cauliflower Pesto Rice, Cumin and Coriander Hummus, and Broiled Grapefruit with Candied Ginger and Basil.  Daphne also provides a pantry primer which will help readers as a shopping and organization tool.

Like most women, Daphne juggles life and decided to use her own trials and misses as a guide to practical solutions that form a template for other women to follow.  The goals that she shares involve maximizing and reaching your potential, without aiming for perfection.  As Daphne points out, ” Relish is a verb, an action, as in pull out the laundry list of things you meant to do, and (finally) do them…..If you’re waiting for the moment when  a timer will go off, and you can finally start investing in yourself the way you want to…life won’t wait around till your ready.”  She is hoping to inspire you to keep exploring and improving your life, finding a balance between your career, your relationships, family, and fun time.

Think of the book as part cookbook, part insights, sprinkled around mouth- watering recipes, beauty, lifestyle and entertaining tips and tricks, coupled with friendship and relationship insights, all delivered with the ease of someone who continues to learn and experience life with……relish!

You can purchase this book at amazon.com and at local bookstores.

The post Relish: An Adventure in Food, Style and Everyday Fun appeared first on HealthCorps.

A highly regarded food and nutrition expert, he has written a new book, Slim by Design: Mindless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life (William-Morrow 2013). In a recent interview (Nutrition Action Health Letter, April 2013) he talked about over-eating and its correlation to mindless eating.  Specifically, he credits certain situations with nudging us to eat more:

• Wider bowls, as opposed to taller, thinner containers nudge us to eat more.
• Larger utensils like forks, spoons and serving spoons, nudge us to take more food.
• Wider, shorter glasses will encourage us to drink more, while tall, thin glasses suggest larger portion visually
• We seem to gravitate to “medium size” portions when ordering, so fast food makers could help by making medium size, a smaller size portion.
• Seeing fewer food samples on a box label will typically encourage you to take a smaller portion.  So a box of crackers with 4 or 5 crackers on the front of the box will nudge you to take a smaller portion, compared to a box with 10 to 12 crackers in the front-of-the-box picture.
• Seeing the term “organic” on a food product lures consumers into evaluating the item as a lower calorie food, and eating more.
• Soft music and candlelight “tricks” you into eating slower and eating less.
• Shopping when you are hungry will lead to more food purchases.
• More variety often nudges more eating

You can use these tips to evaluate your own eating habits and make some changes that encourage more attention to mindful eating and especially portion control.

The post Trick Yourself into Eating Less appeared first on HealthCorps.

Arthritis Foundation
P.O. Box 7669
Atlanta, GA 30357-0669
(800) 283-7800
(404) 872-0457 Fax
help@arthritis.org
www.arthritis.org/arthritis-awareness-month.php

Better Hearing and Speech Month

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
2200 Research Boulevard, Mailstop 215
Rockville, MD 20850
(800) 498-2071
(301) 296-5700
(301) 296-8580 Fax
bhsm@asha.org
www.asha.org/bhsm/

Global Employee Health and Fitness Month

National Association for Health and Fitness
65 Niagara Square, Room 607
Buffalo, NY 14202
(716) 583-0521
(716) 851-4052
(716) 851-4309 Fax
wellness@city-buffalo.org
www.physicalfitness.org

Healthy Vision Month

National Eye Institute
National Institutes of Health
Building 31, Room 6A32
31 Center Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892
(301) 496-5248
(301) 402-1065 Fax
www.nei.nih.gov/healthyvisionmonth

Hepatitis Awareness Month

Division of Viral Hepatitis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road, G-37
Atlanta, , GA 30033
(404) 718-8596 Voice
dvhwi@cdc.gov
www.cdc.gov/hepatitis

Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month^®

American Academy of Dermatology
930 East Woodfield Road
Schaumburg, IL 60173
(888) 462-DERM (462-3376)
(847) 330-0230
(847) 330-8907 Fax
mediarelations@aad.org
www.spotskincancer.org

Mental Health Month

Mental Health America
2000 North Beauregard Street, 6th Floor
Alexandria, VA 22311
(800) 969-6642
(703) 684-7722
(703) 684-5968 Fax
rbridge@mentalhealthamerica.net
www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/may

National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month

Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
8201 Corporate Drive, Suite 1000
Landover, MD 20785
(800) 7-ASTHMA (727-8462)
(202) 466-7643
(202) 466-8940 Fax
info@aafa.org

National Celiac Disease Awareness Month

American Celiac Disease Alliance
2504 Duxbury Place
Alexandria, VA 22308
(703) 622-3331
info@americanceliac.org
www.americanceliac.org

National High Blood Pressure Education Month

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Health Information Center
P.O. Box 30105
Bethesda, MD 20824-0105
(301) 592-8573
(301) 592-8563 Fax
nhlbiinfo@nhlbi.nih.gov
www.nhlbi.nih.gov

National Mediterranean Diet Month

Oldways and the Mediterranean Foods Alliance
266 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 421-5500
(617) 421-5511 Fax
www.oldwayspt.org

National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month

National Osteoporosis Foundation
1150 17th Street NW, Suite 850
Washington, DC 20036
(800) 231-4222
(202) 223-2226
(202) 223-2237 Fax
communications@nof.org
www.nof.org

National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
1101 Wootton Parkway, #560
Rockville, MD 20852
(240) 276-9567
(240) 276-9860 Fax
fitness@hhs.gov

National Youth Traffic Safety Month

National Organizations for Youth Safety
7371 Atlas Walk Way #109
Gainesville, VA 20155
(828) FOR-NOYS (367-6697)
www.noys.org/traffic_safety.aspx

UV Safety Month

Prevent Blindness America
211 West Wacker Drive, Suite 1700
Chicago, IL 60606
(800) 331-2020
(312) 363-6001
(312) 363-6052 Fax
info@preventblindness.org

Bike to School Day – May 8th

National Center for Safe Routes to School
730 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd, Suite 300 / Campus Box 3430
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3430
866-610-SRTS (610-7787)
walk@walktoschool.org
www.walkbiketoschool.org

The post May 2013 Health Calendar appeared first on HealthCorps.