Sometimes, critical information is as simple as changing your mindset about the holiday season: Reframe your fear of holiday bulge and instead empower yourself with knowledge of how to capitalize on seasonal holiday fare. Find out which tasty food you should savor this holiday season with tips from Vilma Andari and others in the American Heart Association Holiday feature article:

Seasonal, Heart-Healthy Holiday Foods

“Do you decorate for the holidays with a lot of color? Treat your dinner plate the same way.

‘Half of a meal should comprise fruits and vegetables that consist of a variety of colors,’ said Vilma Andari, president and founder of NutraHealthFood and a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association. ‘The other two quarters should be whole grains and healthy proteins.’

Make your holiday meals festive and healthy with a variety of richly colored fruits and vegetables — and don’t forget the herbs and spices. ‘Try to work fruits and veggies into everything from soups and stews to casseroles instead of just side dishes,’ Andari said.”

Read Full Article >>

I just LOVE this video with Elmo talking about finding nutritious foods at school!

Most recently (Tuesday, May 3), the efforts to focus on the initiative of promoting and increasing physical activity among today’s youth came to life with the “Let’s Move! Flash Workout.”  Middle school students across the country were encouraged to participate in the workout at an identical time (1:42 p.m. Eastern Time) in a dance exercise routine lead by Beyoncé in hopes of giving children a new appreciation of what it feels like to be active.

Check out the full video mashup here >>

Why do I like this video and think it’s important to share?
It’s motivational and empowering for children, teens and adults alike to get their body moving and improve their fitness level while having fun. The video illustrates the power of communities coming together across the nation to support the idea that music and dance are powerful tools for promoting physical activity in a fun and easy way.

This is what I think is the most important take away from this video:
Schools do not need to have structured physical education classes to get children and teens excited about being active! Music and dancing are powerful motivators and an excellent way for children and teens to get fit and reduce instances of childhood obesity.

Here is my healthy tip for healthier living for the day:
Let’s make kids develop a taste for pure water before and after physical activity–NOT for sports drinks or any other sugary beverage. Water should be the only hydrating beverage of choice for all youth, especially for those who are overweight or obese.

Researchers have shown that all sweetened beverages provide additional empty calories and are likely to contribute to obesity. In fact, they recommend that for most children engaging in routine physical activity, plain water is best. 1

To help improve bone and muscle strength, one percent and non-fat, nutrient-loaded milk or milk-derived products should be consumed after engaging in moderate to vigorous physical activity.
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1. http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/may3011studies.htm

She will fill a vital role in the organization as being one of the few immediate voices for the American Heart Association, working directly with any number of media to address issues and answer questions related to the American Heart Association efforts and campaigns to thwarting chronic diseases.

By participating in the panel, Vilma will help shape media coverage and influence the public’s awareness of cardiovascular disease and stroke and the American Heart Association’s role in reducing the impact of these diseases on society and its individuals.

Vilma accepts this award with great honor and looks forward to future efforts and partnerships with this esteemed organization.

To learn more about the AHA Go Read for Women Campaign »

It not only raises key issues about the obesity epidemic affecting children today, but also addresses the issues related to lack of physical activity in schools and cutbacks on crucial physical education programs.  Take a quick read below for more reasons I think we should share this video with others, plus I give you a healthy tip for the day . . .

Why I like this video and think it’s important to share:
The 2011 movement is focused on prevention of obesity and chronic diseases through nutrition education and physical activity – Tuning People into what it means to Eat Preventively and Be Active!

As a leader in the area of pediatric obesity and working with under-served communities, I see the urgent need to change poor eating and sedentary behaviors that are fostered not only in schools but in homes.  Kids have developed a taste for highly-palatable processed foods (hot dogs, chicken nuggets, nachos with cheese or pizzas) and  the lack of desire or motivation to engage in consistent  physically activity, because schools are not instilling this healthy, active lifestyle as a habit.

I can see from my experience in working with the community that most children and teens who attend low-income school districts have limited or no physical education and consequently are not getting the recommended sixty minutes of moderate to vigorous activity level they need each day.   Today, most kids are out of balance—and this video helps bring awareness of this to the greater public.

Bringing this topic to the forefront of public discussion and policy implementation is extremely important and increasingly necessary as the entire world is faced with combating childhood obesity. Research has  shown that there are multiple health benefits from just engaging in physical activity alone, from increasing HDL levels (high density lipoproteins) to boosting endorphin levels which help build and condition the brain. Physical activity has been shown to increase concentration, mental ability and attention span, hence improving students academic performance (Symons et al., 1997).

KIDS NEED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY! It’s not just for fun, it is a physiological necessity to maintain a balanced, health and happy life.

Here are two important take aways from this video:
1) The report highlights the need for communities to join forces in changing the environment and behaviors that have led to a generation  forecasted to live a shorter lives than their parents — An obese child has a 600 times higher risk for developing cardiovascular disease than adults!
2) The video also focuses on the importance of reinstating physical education in our school system and making it the #1 solution for combating childhood obesity.

This is my health tip for the day, great for implementing in schools:
Celebrate without food! Shift the focus from food to fun by planning outdoor games and activities.  And if a celebration must include food, set a limit to the amount of junk food included in the meal to only one, while ensuring that all the other foods are focused on COLOR variety—this means including high fiber whole grains, lean proteins and an array of colorful vegetables and fruits.

If we all learn to shift our focus from food to having fun in an active way, we can create a more sustainable energy balance in our lives ensuring a healthy balance of calories in and calories burned—we all have to make an individual effort towards healthy living to combat the collective effort in the fight against childhood obesity.

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What is SPARK?

SPARK is a research-based, public health organization dedicated to creating, implementing, and evaluating programs that promote lifelong wellness.SPARK strives to improve the health of children, adolescents, and adults by disseminating evidence-based Physical Education, After School, Early Childhood, and Coordinated School Health programs to teachers and recreation leaders serving Pre-K through 12th grade students.Each SPARK program fosters environmental and behavioral change by providing a coordinated package of highly active curriculum, on-site teacher training, extensive follow-up support, and content-matched equipment.

Visit SPARK >>

I sent the below note to a principal of an elementary school in which I am currently conducting three-part Heart Healthy Nutrition Program presentations to 4th and 5th graders in the Bay Area.  Following a presentation at one of the schools, I encountered a family not unlike many others, who must daily face difficult situations in which making an effort toward healthy eating faces up against convenient, affordable, yet non-nutritious food options.

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It was a pleasure meeting you during my Heart Health Nutrition Program presentation for your 5th grade class.   I just wanted to share a little story with you based on our discussion about the importance of reading food labels and ingredients lists prior to purchasing packaged foods and the strong influence junk-food vendors have on kids outside school premises.

Just after finishing the last presentation for the 5th graders last Wednesday, I noticed the mobile junk-food truck parked next to my car; and consequently, I was able to notice how kids and their parents automatically gravitated toward the truck with their dollars rolled in their hands ready to mindlessly purchase high-calorie, sugary and hydrogenated oil snacks for less than $2.

I was able to prevent one parent and her daughter from purchasing a 560 calorie bag of Cheetos by simply explaining the amount of calories and disease-causing ingredients the product contains!  The parent stated “Oh, I did not know that it contained that many calories and harmful ingredients.  I guess I will not purchase it.”

She automatically returned it to the vendor, meanwhile her overweight daughter stood there basically speechless!    As an advocate on childhood obesity prevention I felt rewarded!   I hope this parent and child are cautious when purchasing junk-foods in the future.

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It would be great if as a community we could advocate and promote the elimination of mobile junk-food trucks from selling these types of foods near school premises.  These trucks alone are partly responsible for promoting today’s current childhood obesity epidemic, especially among minority groups.

This story is all too common—poor food options, limited funds, little time, and worse, little knowledge to make an effort toward healthy eating. But, little-by-little, I think we can make significant changes towards combating childhood obesity. Health education is just one major step we can take, but an even more decisive and effective step for the short term is the elimination of these junk-food trucks—in the least, they should be nowhere near schools where children are all too susceptible to and can easily fall prey to unhealthy foods.

In my daily battle, I found a small victory that day I helped sway one more family toward health eating:
Vilma- 1 pt,  Cheeto- 0 pts.

On May 10, 2011, Vilma will be presenting to DES employees at a “Lunch & Learn” health education session, on site, covering “Obesity and Heart Health”.

“DES created our ‘Fitness Factor’ program over six years ago and it has really taken on a life of it’s own. Our program is defined by (5) areas of wellness: Physical, Emotional, Financial, Sustainable and Community. The 50 activities we sponsor each year are focused on these areas. We emphasize weight maintenance and heart healthy activities in an attempt to counteract costs and loss of productivity related to obesity. Our mantra for the program is ‘Something for Everyone’ and ‘Make it Fun’,” says Melanie Rogers, HR Director/Principal at DES.

This corporate health education presentation comes in stride with Vilma’s growing passion and effort toward not only educating children but adults, particularly ones in corporate environments which lend themselves to high-stress, sedentary and unhealthy eating environments.

“It is a great privilege to be able to participate in the health fair organized by DES.  Not only is it an opportunity to use all available resources available to help the community improve their health status, but also, it is our obligation to contribute at any level as part of our effort to fight the epidemic of chronic diseases and reduce our out-of-control healthcare costs,” says Vilma Andari president of NHF.

On May 20, 2011, NutraHealthFood will be among the more than 15 vendors in attendance of the 5^th Bi-Annual Health & Fitness Fair hosted by DES Architects + Engineers.  The fair is held on site, but is open to the public—more than 150 attendees came in 2009, according to DES.  In addition to presence from other key health organizations such as the American Heart Association, Kaiser Permanente and Sequoia Hospital, there will be healthy food vendors, an on-site blood drive and blood pressure measurements.

“We’re very fortunate to have the opportunity to be part of this exciting event.  Our mission is to help educate families, adults and children, on how to eat and stay healthy, and as part of achieving these goals, we take advantage of the latest and greatest technologies available to us in order to improve our effort in the fight against chronic diseases.  At the event, we will showcase ePHITS, the electronic Patient Health Information Tracking System, that we use to track, analyze and report on the progress of the individual patients we serve and the groups and programs we manage.  ePHITS is an ideal tool that provides operational and analytical support to all healthcare professionals and health organizations which are currently implementing or in the process of deploying health education and preventative care programs,” says Antoine Andari, CTO of NHF and ePHITS.

For more event details, see the flyer >>

DES Architects + Engineers

Friday, May 20^th: 11-1:30 pm
399 Bradford Street/ Redwood City California, 94063

If you are interested in having NutraHealthFood speak at your company or attend your health fair, please Contact Us >>

Boasting to be the “nation’s largest, most influential collaboration of professionals dedicated to combating pediatric obesity”, this event is hosted by The California Department of Public Health, the University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Center for Weight and Health, The California Endowment, and Kaiser Permanente and will showcase the latest research, evidence-based best practices, and policy/environmental change strategies. Topics will incorporate Health in All Policies through the built environment, transportation, and agriculture.

For more information about the Childhood Obesity Conference, click here >>

To view all exhibitors, click here >>

Tax soft drinks to promote health and raise revenues: A New STATE WIDE SODA TAX (AB 669) AIMS TO RAISE $1.4 BILLION TO FUND THREATENED CHILDHOOD OBESITY PREVENTION PROGRAMS.

The new proposed state-wide soda tax (AB 669) would levy a penny tax per fluid ounce on soda and other sugary beverages.  Revenue from AB 669 could generate $1.4 billion – $233 per student – to local schools and communities for important child obesity prevention programs that would focus on teaching children healthful eating and lifestyle habits through education and sports programs. 1,9   According to Dr. Harold Goldstein of the California Center for Public Health Advocacy (CCPHA), a shocking 56 % of California Adults and 28 percent of children are overweight or obese. As a result, the state has seen a dramatic rise in chronic diseases, such as diabetes, which cost the state an estimated $41 billion a year. 1

Why is this important?

The consumption of sweetened beverages has been linked as the leading factor in the childhood obesity crisis. 1, 2, 3, 4, 8 Obesity today rivals smoking as the largest cause of preventable death and disease. 1  Obesity has become an epidemic, and it is the main catalyst for raising future trends of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer among today’s children and adolescents.2  According to the American Heart Association (AHA), high intake of added sugars (sugars and syrups that are added to foods during processing or preparation, including sugars and syrups added at the table) have been implicated in numerous poor health conditions, including obesity, high blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease and stroke, as well as short fall of essential nutrients. 3

Added sugars are common source of empty calories in an individual’s diet and should be consumed sparingly, because they have little or no nutritional value.  In fact, empty calories from sugar sweetened beverages displace nutrient dense foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains) and beverages such as calcium-rich milk.   One of the reasons sugar sweetened beverages are a major contributor to childhood obesity is that the consumption of liquid calories does not trigger the same satiety level in the body as those from solid foods and leads to a calorie imbalance.  Individuals often neglect to account for liquid calories as part of their total daily energy consumption.  They often think “those calories do not count” but in fact these empty calories lead to an increase in body weight.

In addition, water has become an occasional beverage choice, while sodas and other sugary beverages have become a routine snack and standard component of meals instead of being a sporadic treat. I would attribute this in large part to powerful advertising, universal availability, low price, the use of a mildly addictive ingredient (caffeine) and most importantly its sugary taste.10  Sugar sweetened beverages add excess calories that, if not burned through physical activity, are stored as fat, which leads to overweight or obesity.

To put things into perspective, over the course of a year, the daily consumption of one 250 calorie – 20 ounce soda containing 16.25 teaspoons of sugar can lead to approximately 27 pounds in weight gain.  To burn this energy and extra calories, an average adult would need to walk 45 to 60 minutes (at a moderate pace or 3.5 mph) to burn-off the 250 calories in the 20-ounce bottle of soda.5

A daily serving of soda increases a child’s risk for obesity by 60 percent. 4 And, soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages are the primary source of added sugars in American’s diets. 3 It is estimated that soft drink consumption alone currently accounts for one-third of added sugar intake in the United States. 6 A study conducted in 2009 in California by CCPHA and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research found that two-out-of-five children ages 2-11 and three out five adolescents ages 12-17 consume at least one soda or other sugar-sweetened beverages per day.1

Excess empty calories and limited physical activity has contributed to the alarming obesity rates among children and adults. 1 According to the AHA, almost one in four children do not participate in any free-time physical activity, and the average American child spends four to five hours engaged with some type of media every day.  Research suggests that one-third of students in grades 9-12 do not get the recommended sixty minutes of daily physical activity, and participation in physical activity declines as children get older, especially in girls. 7,8  Physical education has declined across many schools districts since 2002  and many school-based physical activity programs have been completely eliminated. 11

With the present obesity epidemic, I strongly believe educating communities on how to engage in healthy behaviors that include healthy diet, physical activity and healthy BMI that does not exceed 24 will assist in curbing the epidemic of overweight and obesity as well as the early onset of chronic disease – cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.

It is critical to target minority populations and communities where obesity rates are growing at alarming rates and who face greater challenges and environmental conditions that influence their eating pattern and ability to be physically active.  It has been demonstrated that dietary patterns and levels of physical activity are established during childhood and may worsen during adolescence without early intervention .8  This is why it is SO crucial to take action, from both a social and policy perspective, that will save our children from facing the burdens of obesity—and we have to reach them now, at an early age. Limiting their access to soda is just one minuscule way we can help chip away at the massively “bloated” and widespread problem.

Is the new proposed Soda Tax (AB 669) a good idea? It will generate revenues that could fund a wide range of obesity-prevention measures that have been impacted by the current state budget crisis such as physical education classes and will improve access to water on school campuses, enhance parks, recreation centers, afterschool programs and more—all of which could contribute to a more healthy environment for our children. 1 At the local level, revenue from this proposed controversial Soda Tax (AB 669) could deliver San Mateo County $22. 2 million, from which 55% would be distributed directly to classrooms, 25% for local children’s programs, like youth sports and afterschool programs, and 20% for school physical education and healthy lunch programs. 9

The raw numbers alone prove that this tax has the potential to impact communities in a very striking way, not including the soft impacts too. Remember the outrage of increased taxes on cigarettes? Those who want to consume, will consume, but in the case of a soda tax, the funds are redistributed for the very cause it is attempting to combat–it’s for the great good of the community and society in general. And if you think the potential implications of soda in a person’s diet can’t be compared to cigarettes, well, think again . . . I could save that comparison for another post.

What are your thoughts?

Access the SODA Tax Revenue distribution by County here >>
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1.Goldstein, Harold.  Available at   http://www.publichealthadvocacy.org/_PDFs/press_releases/PressRelease_SodaTax_2.17.11.pdf
soda tax Q & A
2. Maziak, W, Ward, K. D., and. Stockton M.B. Childhood obesity: are we missing the big picture? Obesity Reviews 2008;9,35-42.
3. Dietary Sugars Intake and Cardiovascular Health. Circulation. 2009;120:1011-1020.
4. Ludwig DS, et al. Relationship between consumption o sugar-sweetened drinks and childhood obesity: a prospective, observational analysis.  Lancet. 2001;357:505-508.
5. US Department of Health and Human Services. Aim for a Healthy Weight. NIH Publication No. 05-5213. August 2005. Available at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/aim_hwt.pdf.
6. Guthrie JF, Morton JF, Food source of added sweeteners in the diets of Americans.  J Am Diet Assoc 2000;100:43-52.
7. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.  Physical Activity and The Health of Young People 2008.  Available at : wwwcdc.gov/healthyyouth/physicalactivity.
8. Goh, Y-Y, Bogart, L. M., et al. Using community-based participatory research to identify potential interventions to overcome barriers to adolescents healthy eating and physical activity.  J Behav Med. 2009 October ; 32(5): 491–502. doi:10.1007/s10865-009-9220-9. Available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2863037/pdf/nihms190694.pdf
9. Helping Cash-Strapped Communities Protect Children’s Health.  Available at:   http://www.publichealthadvocacy.org/revenuestudy.html
10. Michael F. J.  Liquid Candy.  Available at: .http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/liquid_candy_final_w_new_supplement.pdf
11. McMurrer, J. Instructional Time in Elementary Schools: A closer Look at Changes for Specific Subjects.  Washington, D.C.: Center of Education Policy, 2008.

This is a three-part, in-classroom program which educates children about the heart and the benefits of healthy eating and exercise. In addition, the program will provide an interactive Nutrition Assembly for the entire student body, including faculty and staff.

The program is being conducted at five schools in Redwood City and Menlo Park and will primarily focus on outreach to students in the 4th and 5th grades specifically through classroom sessions and general assemblies—classes are conducted over the course of either three days or three weeks (once per week).

The presentation focused on Healthy Eating with Color, as well as on the  importance of making informed food choices plus developing sound eating and physical activity habits by taking simple, attainable steps to achieve long-term health benefits.

Presentation: Eating Healthy with Color
Date: March 10, 2011
Location: Half Moon Bay, CA
Hatch Elementary School
Participants: 60 parents and their children

Vilma notes her reasons for focusing on “eating right with color” for this presentation:

“I chose to focus on “color” mainly because March is National Nutrition Month! And this year’s theme is “Eat Right with Color!”   I want individuals to take a simple approach:  instead of focusing on counting calories and grams of fat, I want them to focus on building healthy meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner and two healthy snacks) with three or more colors, not only from My Pyramid colors, but also from integrating an array of color from vegetables and fruits.   A rainbow of colors provides nutrients and phytochemicals essential to support good health!

My recommendation is not limited to March, but I actually always encourage families to think of color for two reasons:

1) To ensure families have balanced meals by combining at least three different colors from the food pyramid

2) Color provides a powerful weapon against CANCER and so many other chronic diseases, including obesity, due to low energy density and powerful vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals.”

The HEAL Project >>

Migrant Education Program >>

Eat Right with Color >>

About the Heal Project

The HEAL Project–Health Environment Agriculture Learning

The HEAL Project is dedicated to developing, implementing and supporting a comprehensive, California science standards-based program with a hands-on curriculum focused on Health, the Environment, Agriculture, and Learning for the school children and youth of the San Mateo County Coastside.

Health – Empowering students with knowledge and experience to make healthy choices about food & fitness; creating a environment that supports children in developing lifelong healthy habits

Environment – Monitoring & understanding cycles, ecosystems; how people affect/are affected by these systems; developing community awareness & stewardship practices

Agriculture – Bringing to life the process of growing, harvesting, transporting, selling and preparing produce; promoting the importance of local agriculture and the food system

Learning – By doing, through personal discovery, connecting classroom instruction with experiential activity to build comprehensive understanding & practice