Newsletter Submissions

One strategy for reaching out to students and their families is to submit “Health and Wellness
Tips” to the publications that each school sends. These can be school newspapers, daily school
bulletins, and PTSA publications. Included are some sample submissions that could be entitled
“From Your Health Center,” and sent in for inclusion in these publications. Feel free to edit or
adjust as necessary – this is simply a place to get started!

7-5-2-1-0
The incidence of overweight and obesity is still on the rise in the United States, and youth in
Seattle are no exception. In 2008, 21.3% of students grades 8-12 in King County were
considered overweight, and 8.9% were considered obese (King County Community Health
Indicators, 2011). Children and teens who are overweight or obese are more likely to become
overweight or obese adults, and are at risk for significant health problems.

The staff at your school based health center is committed to addressing healthy weight and
nutrition in the school. One way to focus on good health is to remember the 7-5-2-1-0 message:

7: Start the day with breakfast 7 days a week

5: Eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day
2: Keep screen time to 2 hours a day or less
1: Be active for at least 1 hour a day
0: Cut down on soda and sugar-sweetened beverages

Setting a goal to work on any of these can help to improve your overall health, and even small
changes can make a big difference. This message is recommended by Seattle Children’s
Hospital, and is a good way for students and families to focus on improving their health and
nutrition. The student health center often uses this message to begin speaking with students
about their health, and has many resources for students or families who are interested in learning
more about any of these topics.
Breakfast
Does your family eat breakfast in the morning?

For many of us, we might be rushed in the morning, and run out of time. Or maybe we just
aren’t hungry that early in the morning. But the old saying is true: “Breakfast is the most
important meal of the day.”

Breakfast is important for everyone, but especially for teens and adolescents heading off to
school. Students who eat a healthy breakfast are more likely to have a healthy body weight –
breakfast “kick starts” your body’s metabolism for the day. In addition, students who start their
day with breakfast are more likely to have a better mood throughout the day, are able to get more
of the nutrients they need, and tend to have less visits to the school nurse and fewer absences
from school.

Don’t think you and your family have time to have a delicious, quick bite to eat in the morning?
Try something as simple as a cup of low-fat yogurt and a piece of fruit. Apples, oranges, and
bananas don’t need any preparation or utensils. Or cut up a hardboiled egg and some sliced
peppers or spinach, and put it in a pita pocket. Even if you are running out the door, you can
have some trail mix ready to take with you with granola, nuts, and dried fruit.

Try some of these tips, or find others that work for you. Just a small change – starting each
morning with a healthy breakfast – can help your family be healthier.

Fruits and Vegetables

Did you know that students should be eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day? Many
of us struggle with getting enough fruits and vegetables in our diets, but eating more fruits and
vegetables can reduce the risk of diabetes, cancers, and cardiovascular disease. They are a good
source of nutrients that our bodies need, and are naturally low in fat, calories, and cholesterol.
So how do you fit in a few more servings of fruits and vegetables? Here are some easy tips:
 Stir some fruit into yogurt, oatmeal or cereal for a delicious breakfast or snack
 Fruits such as apples, oranges, and bananas make great portable snacks. And don’t forget
about dried fruits, such as raisins.
 Keep washed, cut up vegetables in a container in the refrigerator for a quick and easy
snack.
 Add a few vegetable toppings to your favorite pizza or sandwich.
 Add beans or chopped fruit to a salad to make it more nutritious and delicious.

Trying to make a few small changes and thinking ahead can make it easy and tasty to get the
fruits and vegetables that we all need in our diets.

Sugar-sweetened Beverages
Most popular drinks have more sugar than you might expect, and cutting back on these can have
great benefits for your health. Sugar-sweetened beverages include more than just soda – many
juices and bottled teas are also high in sugar. They can have as much sugar, or more, than a can
of soda. Besides being high in sugar, many of these drinks are high in calories. A can of soda
can contain 100-200 calories. That is as much as 10% of the calories you should have for the
day.

Many studies have shown a link between sugar-sweetened beverages, and higher body weight.
So what can we drink instead? First of all, make sure you are getting enough water. It is
healthy, and has no fat, calories, or sugar. Some other good replacements are low-fat plain milk,
or juices labeled “100% fruit juice,” although you should still limit your juice to 8oz each day. If
you get tired of plain water, you can also add slices of fruit to give it more flavor – lemon, lime,
and orange are great options. Or try mixing seltzer water with a little bit of juice. You’ll still get
great taste, but cut back on sugar.

Being careful of the extra sugar we consume in drinks is an important step we can all take
towards being healthier.
Fast Food – How to choose healthier when you’re in a hurry
As long as you are making healthy choices most of the time, the occasional fast food stop is not
so bad. There are some tricks to making healthier picks at fast food restaurants. Follow these
tips:

If you’re at a burger chain, stick with the single patty burgers, and ask for no mayonnaise or no
cheese. Look for grilled options, instead of things labeled “crispy,” “crunchy,” or “fried.”

Italian chains may seem healthy, but some choices are better than others. Pasta with tomato
sauce and vegetables are good choices, while creamy or butter based sauces are usually higher in
fat. Stick with plain rolls or breadsticks, instead of ones covered in butter and garlic. Finally, if
you are going for pizza, look for thin instead of thick crusts, with less cheese and extra vegetable
toppings.

At Asian food chains, start your meal with a miso, hot and sour, or wonton soup. Stir fried or
steamed entrees are a better choice than battered or deep fried dishes (such as sweet and sour or
General Tso’s chicken). Try steamed brown rice instead of fried rice, and add steamed
vegetables to your order.

At sub sandwich places, stick with lean meats, such as chicken breast, lean ham, or veggies.
Avoid the higher fat meats, such as bacon, meatballs, or tuna salad (which is mixed with
mayonnaise). Limit the amount of cheese you get, try low fat dressings or mustard instead of
mayonnaise, and order your sandwich on whole wheat bread instead of white bread.

You can still have convenient but healthy fast food options if you choose carefully.