Page 6: Books/Recipes

Some of my favorite dinners have been dinners that I have cooked with my family. Sometimes your parents will have really good family recipes, or you could look in a cookbook for some new tasty ones. Some of my favorite recipes come from the Rachel Ray magazines and cookbooks. I need something that I can understand and is fast to make. I also need something that has the ingredients that I will either have at home, or can easily get in the store. I think that she does a great job of coming up with good healthy recipes.

Another way that you can learn more about food and how they make it is by reading some informative books. One book that I read and absolutely loved was Chew On This by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson. Eric Schlosser has also written Fast Food Nation, a great book that has gotten many raving reviews, that is the adult version of Chew On This. Chew On This talks about fast food. It is a marvelous book, and I really suggest reading it.

“You can only improve!!”

Page 5: Calories

Did you know that 3 Oreos – a serving – is 160 calories, and 60 of those calories come from fat? YIKES! A 12 FL oz bottle of Mountain Dew is 170 calories. But you could have a 16.9 FL oz bottle of water for zero calories. While both quench your thirst, which is healthier? If you choose to eat/drink the healthier thing you will feel better. Mountain Dew might get you really energized for 10 minutes – it’s all the sugar – but then your energy will drop, whereas water is a healthier choice.

Other places where you might find more interesting facts like these are: Carsons12 Weblog or Highway To A Healthier Generation

“You can only improve!!”

Page 4: Getting Enough Physical Activity

Getting enough physical activity can be really hard, but it can also be super easy! If you can’t get outside because of bad weather, or dangerous neighborhoods, you can always do exercises inside, or go to the gym. My best advice it to try to be physically active for 30 minutes a day. You don’t have to do it all at one time, you can spread it out so you do 10 minutes, then take 10 minutes off, or whatever your schedule can accommodate.

A really easy and fun way to get active is to join a sports team. When you are playing outside with your friends, you are having fun AND getting healthy, you will also learn valuable team skills. All it takes is 30 minutes a day, and you will begin to feel healthier and happier immediately!

“You can only improve!!”

Page 3: Lunch Decisons

Lunch is usually the toughest meal of the day. You are either at work, school, or at home. Some of these thoughts might run through your head: “What if I don’t like what they are serving in the cafeteria???” “I am swamped! I’ll have to skip lunch.” I don’t want to go and cook!”. My advice is to just IGNORE those thoughts. 

Instead of eating a full on lunch, you could just eat an apple, or crackers. The problem with not eating lunch is HUGE!! If you don’t eat lunch, you will have a massive dinner, but what happens if you can’t have dinner?  You could really hurt yourself. So just have a healthy snack that will hold you over until a time that you can have a bigger meal. There are several different ways to solve the problem, you just have to find one that works for you!

“You can only improve!!”

Page 2: Making Better Choices

Healthy foods aren’t always easy to find, sometimes you are stuck with a Jack In The Box, or McDonalds. There aren’t that many healthy choices at fast food restaurants, but sometimes you have no other choice. If you do have to eat fast food, that’s okay! Fast food restaurants are coming up with healthier choices, for example, salads and yogurt parfaits, and apple slices. But some of the old foods can be somewhat healthy, like a hamburger with just ketchup is fine, but when you start adding sauces and cheese, and double patties, it can get pretty bad…… Eating healthy isn’t always easy, but if you balance your meals, you can make it easier. 

“You can only improve!!”

Who I am and why I am writing this blog!

I am Natalie, I am 12, and I am on the Youth Advisory Board for the Alliance For a Healthier Generation The Alliance is a joint effort of the Clinton Foundation, and the American Heart Association.

1 in 3 kids are obese in America – 25 million. That is WAY too many. If things don’t change, this could be the first generation of children who may not outlive their parents. The Alliance’s goal is to stop the rise in childhood obesity by 2010 – 2 years from now, and to reverse the trend by 2015 – 7 years from now. 

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation works in 4 different areas: School, Industry, Health Care, and The Kid’s Movement, which I am involved in!

In this blog, I will keep you updated on my activities and Alliance events. I will also provide tips on how to start living a healthier lifestyle one step at a time.

“You can only improve!!”