March Issue - Healthy Family Home Newsletter

Click here for the March 2009 Edition of the Healthy Family Home Newsletter

Here's an excerpt:
Ask the Play Ground Guru
How much physical activity should we have each day?

There are recommendations for the amount of physical activity that both children and adults should have daily. In general, children should be physically active at least 60 minutes a day. Grown-ups need at least 150 minutes per week of aerobic activity and at least two days per week of strength training activities. Families aiming to put more play in their day may find this amount of time easier to achieve with several rounds of activity throughout the day. For example, you could take a 10-minute walk after a meal, play an active game such as tag for 15 minutes, and later, walk to a destination instead of driving. These shorter bouts of exercise can be added to a physical activity routine your kids are involved with during the school day. Be an advocate for regular physical activity in your community’s school programs and your daily “grown-up” program as well. Everyone can benefit from being physically active on a daily basis.

Upcoming Local Blood Drives

Upcoming Blood Drives - March 2009

THANKS for your past donations and we welcome you to come out and donate in the month of March 2009 at the following locations:

March 13
Emory University Hospital - Midtown (formerly Crawford Long Hospital)
8am - 6pm
Location: Glenn Building, Classrooms 1 & 2

March 13
Emory Orthopaedics - Executive Park
10am-3pm
Location: Ambulatory Surgery Center - 5th floor

March 24
Emory Law School
11am-4pm
Location: Hunter Atrium

March 24
Department of Animal Research
Location: School of Medicine Lobby
10am-3pm
*THIS DRIVE IS SPONSORED In Memory of 20 Year Emory employee, Michelle Kulasiewicz.

All donors will be entered into a drawing for a cruise. If it has been at least 56 days since your last donation, we encourage you to come out and donate and have the opportunity to save 3 lives.

Please click here to Register.

AJC: "Cutting calories and sticking with it"

And to help with weight loss, how about playing tennis at a City of Decatur tennis court, a walk or jog around one of our many city parks, playing hoops at the DRC or Ebster, etc.?


http://www.ajc.com/news/content/shared-gen/ap/Health_Medical/MED_Dueling_Diets.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab
Low-carb? Low-fat? Study finds calories count more
By ALICIA CHANG AP Science Writer, LOS ANGELES

Low-fat, low-carb or high-protein? The kind of diet doesn't matter, scientists say. All that really counts is cutting calories and sticking with it, according to a federal study that followed people for two years. However, participants had trouble staying with a single approach that long and the weight loss was modest for most.
As the world grapples with rising obesity, millions have turned to popular diets like Atkins, Zone and Ornish that tout the benefits of one nutrient over another.
Some previous studies have found that low carbohydrate diets like Atkins work better than a traditional low-fat diet. But the new research found that the key to losing weight boiled down to a basic rule — calories in, calories out.
"The hidden secret is it doesn't matter if you focus on low-fat or low-carb," said Dr. Elizabeth Nabel, director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, which funded the research.
Limiting the calories you consume and burning off more calories with exercise is key, she said.
The study, which appears in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine, was led by Harvard School of Public Health and Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana.
Researchers randomly assigned 811 overweight adults to one of four diets, each of which contained different levels of fat, protein and carbohydrates.
Though the diets were twists on commercial plans, the study did not directly compare popular diets. The four diets contained healthy fats, were high in whole grains, fruits and vegetables and were low in cholesterol.
Nearly two-thirds of the participants were women. Each dieter was encouraged to slash 750 calories a day from their diet, exercise 90 minutes a week, keep an online food diary and meet regularly with diet counselors to chart their progress.
There was no winner among the different diets; reduction in weight and waist size were similar in all groups.
People lost 13 pounds on average at six months, but all groups saw their weight creep back up after a year. At two years, the average weight loss was about 9 pounds while waistlines shrank an average of 2 inches. Only 15 percent of dieters achieved a weight-loss reduction of 10 percent or more of their starting weight.
Dieters who got regular counseling saw better results. Those who attended most meetings shed more pounds than those who did not — 22 pounds compared with the average 9 pound loss.
Lead researcher Dr. Frank Sacks of Harvard said a restricted calorie diet gives people greater food choices, making the diet less monotonous.
"They just need to focus on how much they're eating," he said.
Sacks said the trick is finding a healthy diet that is tasty and that people will stick with over time.
Before Debbie Mayer, 52, enrolled in the study, she was a "stress eater" who would snack all day and had no sense of portion control. Mayer used to run marathons in her 30s, but health problems prevented her from doing much exercise in recent years.
Mayer tinkered with different diets — Weight Watchers, Atkins, South Beach — with little success.
"I've been battling my weight all my life. I just needed more structure," said Mayer, of Brockton, Mass., who works with the elderly.
Mayer was assigned to a low-fat, high-protein diet with 1,400 calories a day. She started measuring her food and went back to the gym. The 5-foot Mayer started at 179 pounds and dropped 50 pounds to 129 pounds by the end of the study. She now weighs 132 and wants to shed a few more pounds.
Another study volunteer, Rudy Termini, a 69-year-old retiree from Cambridge, Mass., credits keeping a food diary for his 22-pound success. Termini said before participating in the study he would wolf down 2,500 calories a day. But sticking to an 1,800-calorie high-fat, average protein diet meant no longer eating an entire T-bone steak for dinner. Instead, he now eats only a 4-ounce steak.
"I was just oblivious to how many calories I was having," said the 5-foot-11-inch Termini, who dropped from 195 to 173 pounds. "I really used to just eat everything and anything in sight."
Dr. David Katz of the Yale Prevention Research Center and author of several weight control books, said the results should not be viewed as an endorsement of fad diets that promote one nutrient over another.
The study compared high quality, heart healthy diets and "not the gimmicky popular versions," said Katz, who had no role in the study. Some popular low-carb diets tend to be low in fiber and have a relatively high intake of saturated fat, he said.
Other experts were bothered that the dieters couldn't keep the weight off even with close monitoring and a support system.
"Even these highly motivated, intelligent participants who were coached by expert professionals could not achieve the weight losses needed to reverse the obesity epidemic," Martijn Katan of Amsterdam's Free University wrote in an accompanying editorial.

AJC Shout Out to GRTC

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution mentions the March 3rd "Georgia Rides to the Capitol", departing from Decatur:

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2009/02/26/bicycle_capitol_path.html

Great Classes Available by the DeKalb Extension

DeKalb County Cooperative Extension
http://www.ugaextension.com/dekalb/
Mission: Our mission is to extend lifelong learning to DeKalb County citizens through unbiased, research-based education in horticulture, the environment, communities, youth and families. The DeKalb County Cooperative Extension is a branch of the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension.


"Gardening with Native & Drought Tolerant Plants"
Speaker: Karen Lindauer
11 am to 1 pm, Saturday, March 14th
Environmental Education Center South Extension Office
2390 Wildcat Road, Decatur, GA 30034

Karen is a volunteer at the Georgia Perimeter College Botanical Gardens and an active member of and rescue facilitator for the Georgia Native Plant Society (GNPS). Karen will discuss ways of utilizing native and drought-tolerant plants in the landscape.
Cost: $5 per person


"Low Voltage Lighting for the Landscape"
Speaker: John Kenna
7 to 8:30 pm, Thursday, March 19th
Environmental Education Center South Extension Office
2390 Wildcat Road, Decatur, GA 30034

John is the owner of Water, Color & Stone Inc. which is a landscaping design firm specializing in hardscape construction and softscape plantings. John will discuss economical ways to highlight architectural features and landscaping by installing low-voltage outdoor lights or solar lighting.
Cost: $5 per person


"Shaping a Sustainable, Organic, Thrifty, Beautiful Landscape Design"
Speaker: Tara Dillard
Saturday, 11 am to 1 pm, March 28th
Environmental Education Center South Extension Office
2390 Wildcat Road, Decatur, GA 30034

Tara is a designer, writer, speaker and a joy to listen to. If you don't know how to shape beds, choose plants, site trees and focal point, come and learn the template and how to phase your landscape by becoming your own general contractor. Isn't it time the beautiful landscape in your mind's eye is planted around your home?
Cost: $5 per person

Contact Person:
Lynwood L. Blackmon II
Horticulture & Environmental Education Agent
DeKalb County Cooperative Extension
2390 Wildcat Road, Decatur, GA 30034
404-244-4881
http://www.ugaextension.com/dekalb/

March Events Calendar for Georgia State Parks

The March Events Calendar for the Georgia State Park system is now online:

http://www.georgiastateparks.org/net/calendar/events.aspx?navid=1&monthcount=2

There are some events at Panola Mountain State Park and Sweetwater Creek State Park, both not too far from Decatur:

Introduction to Backpacking
Saturday, March 7, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Panola Mountain State Park – Stockbridge
This beginner's class will take place in an outdoor classroom. This is a great introduction on how to prepare for backcountry hiking; what is essential, how to save weight, and what to leave at home. Register in advance. $5 plus $3 parking. (770) 389-7801.

Tree Top Excursion: Introduction Climb
Saturday, March 7, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Panola Mountain State Park – Stockbridge
Join us "on rope" for an adventure exploring the canopy above. This is an introductory climb to Canopy-Adventure-Research-Educational Technical Tree Climbing (CARE TTC). Participants will use rope and harness for this moderately strenuous activity. $10 plus $3 parking. (770) 389-7801.

Panola Mountain Fly Tyers Roundtable
Tuesday, March 10, 6:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Panola Mountain State Park – Stockbridge
This is a social gathering of fly fishermen, fly tiers and outdoor enthusiasts who wish to provide resources and education opportunities to Georgia's visitors and citizens. The roundtable donates flies monthly to "Casting for Recover," a national non-profit support and educational program for breast cancer survivors. Bring a dish for the potluck dinner that begins at 6:30 p.m. in the nature center. $3 parking. (770) 389-7801.

Basic Fly Fishing Clinic
Saturday, March 14, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Panola Mountain State Park – Stockbridge
The two-hour clinic covers equipment, knot tying, casting, safety issues and other tricks of the trade. If time permits participants may stay to catch the “Fish of Fish.” Instructors C. H. Brown and Michael Reilley suggest wearing long pants/shorts and hiking shoes, and bringing snacks, water and sun lotion. Georgia fishing license required. Register in advance. $7 - $10 $3 parking. (770) 389-7801.

Basic Fly Tying Clinic
Saturday, March 14, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Panola Mountain State Park- Stockbridge
Learn the art of fly tying as instructors introduce you to tools, techniques and tricks of the trade to create realistic flies. Participants will make one fly and possibly more if time permits. Ages 10 and older. Register in advance. $25 plus $3 parking. (770) 389-7801.

Saturday Mountain Hike
Saturday, March 21, 10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Panola Mountain State Park- Stockbridge
These ranger-led hikes depart from the nature center and are for participants in good physical condition. Register and pay in advance. This program must have at least five hikers or it will be cancelled. Register in advance. $5 plus $3 parking. (770) 389-7801.

“Ruins to Rapids” Full Moon Hike
Thursday, March 26, 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Sweetwater Creek State Park – Lithia Springs
This 1.5-mile guided hike is moderately difficult and visits the Civil War-era textile mill ruins of New Manchester and follows the lovely rapids (up to class IV) of Sweetwater Creek. The hike will continue if it is overcast but will be cancelled if raining. Bring a flashlight and sturdy shoes. No children under 6 or dogs please. $1-$2 plus $3 parking. (770) 732-5876.

Advanced Fly Fishing Clinic
Saturday, March 28, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Panola Mountain State Park – Stockbridge
This clinic is for graduates of our Basic Fly Fishing Clinic and will focus on “On the Water Techniques.” Begin at the Rockdale River Trail parking and head to the lake for advanced casting techniques (Steeple Caste, Roll Cast, and Double-haul Casting), line mending, reading the water and entomology. Register in advance. $12-$15 $3 parking. (770) 389-7801.

ZZZ’s in the Trees
Saturday, March 28 through Sunday, March 29, 6 p.m.
Panola Mountain State Park – Stockbridge
Join us aloft for a tranquil night in the canopy as you lay in your “tree-boat,” viewing stars glimmering like diamonds in the sky. A treetop bivouac camp will be established in our secluded climbing tree for an overnight experience. Participants are required to provide their own dinner and breakfast, as well as a sleeping bag. $80 plus $3 parking. (770) 389-7801.

Research Article: Use of Health Impact Assessment in the U.S.

This research article on Health Impact Assessments mentions the City of Decatur at the top of page 10 of the article:

http://www.cqgrd.gatech.edu/PDFs/AJPM_HIAcasestudies_March2008.pdf

Decatur was the first city in Georgia to include a Health Impact Assessment (Click Here) as part of a city Community Transportation Plan (Click Here). Go Decatur!