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HERE’S TO YOUR HEALTH JUST IN TIME FOR SPRING!
Publication of the Braintree School Nurses
Volume 3, Issue 3
March, 2013
March is National Nutrition Month!
Dedicate yourself to a healthy lifestyle in 2013 with these food, nutrition
and exercise tips.
Eat Breakfast There’s no better way to start your morning than with a healthy breakfast.
Include lean protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Try oatmeal cooked with low-fat milk,
sliced almonds and berries, or top a toaster waffle with low-fat yogurt and fruit. Find more quick
breakfast ideas at www.eatright.org/nutritiontipsheets.
Make Half Your Plate Fruits and Vegetables Fruits and veggies add color, flavor and
texture plus vitamins, minerals and fiber to your plate. Make 2 cups of fruit and 2 ½ cups of
vegetables your daily goal. Don’t let winter stop you from enjoying produce. It may be harder to
find fresh options, but frozen and canned are great alternatives. See “20 Ways to Enjoy More
Fruits and Vegetables” at www.eatright.org/nutritiontipsheets.
Watch Portion Sizes Do you know if you’re eating the proper portion size?
Get out the measuring cups and see how close your portions are to the
recommended serving size. Using smaller plates, bowls and glasses can help
you keep portions under control. Use half your plate for fruits and vegetables
and the other half for grains and lean meat, poultry, seafood or beans. To
complete the meal, add a glass of fat-free or low-fat milk or a serving of fatfree yogurt for dessert. Visit www.choosemyplate.gov.
Be Active Regular physical activity lowers blood pressure and helps your body control stress
and weight. Start by doing what exercise you can for at least 10 minutes at a time. Children and
teens should get 60 or more minutes of physical activity per day, and adults should get two
hours and 30 minutes per week. You don’t have to hit the gym—take a walk after dinner or play
a game of catch or basketball.
Fix Healthy Snacks Healthy snacks can sustain your energy levels between meals. Whenever
possible, make your snacks combination snacks. Choose from the MyPlate food groups: whole
grains, fruits, vegetables, low-fat or fat-free dairy, lean protein or nuts. Try low-fat yogurt with
fruit, whole-grain crackers with low-fat cheese, or a small portion of nuts with an apple or
banana. For more snack ideas, see “25 Healthy Snacks for Kids” and “Smart Snacking for Adults
and Teens” at www.eatright.org/nutritiontipsheets.
Get to Know Food Labels Ever wonder about what the numbers in the Nutrition Facts panel
really mean? Or, the difference between “reduced fat” & “low fat”? The Food and Drug
Administration has strict guidelines on how food label terms can be used. To learn more, see
“Shop Smart–Get the Facts on Food Labels” at www.eatright.org/nutritiontipsheets.
Consult an RD Whether you want to lose weight, lower your cholesterol or simply eat better,
consult the experts! Registered dietitians can help you by providing sound, easy-to-follow
personalized nutrition advice and put you on the path to losing weight, eating well and reducing
your risk of chronic disease. Learn more about RDs at www.eatright.org/RD
Follow Food Safety Guidelines The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates
that roughly one in six Americans gets sick from food borne disease each year. Reduce your
chances of getting sick by practicing proper hand washing. Separate raw meat, poultry and
seafood from ready-to-eat foods like bread and vegetables. Use a food thermometer to make
sure food is properly cooked. Refrigerate food quickly at a proper temperature to slow bacteria
growth. Learn more about home food safety at http://homefoodsafety.org.
Get Cooking Cooking at home can be healthy, rewarding and cost-effective. Resolve to learn
some cooking and kitchen basics, like how to dice an onion or how to store herbs and spices. The
collection of How do I… videos at www.eatright.org/howdoi will get you started.
Dine Out without Ditching Your Goals You can dine at a restaurant and stick to your
healthy eating plan! The key is to plan ahead, ask questions and choose foods carefully. Think
about nutritious items you can add to your plate—fruits, veggies, lean meat, poultry or fish—and
look for grilled, baked, broiled or steamed items. See “Healthy Eating on the Run” at
www.eatright.org/nutritiontipsheets.
Enact Family Meal Time Research shows that family meals promote
healthier eating. Plan to eat as a family at least a few times each week in
2013. Set a regular mealtime. Turn off the TV, phones and other electronic
devices to encourage mealtime talk. Get kids involved in meal planning and
cooking and use this time to teach them about good nutrition. For more
family mealtime tips, visit www.kidseatright.org.
Banish Brown Bag Boredom Whether it’s a brown bag lunch for work or school, make it a
healthy lunch packed with nutrition. Prevent brown bag boredom with these healthy lunch
ideas. They’re easy to fix the night before and ready to go in the morning. Try whole-wheat
couscous with chick peas or black beans; whole-wheat tortilla filled with chicken, mushrooms,
onions and tomatoes; baked potato topped with broccoli, low-fat cheddar cheese and salsa; or
spinach salad with sliced pear, red onion and low-fat feta cheese. Keep lunches safe with tips
from http://homefoodsafety.org.
Drink More Water Our bodies depend on water to regulate temperature,
transport nutrients and oxygen to cells, carry away waste products and
more. For generally healthy people who live in temperate climates, the
Dietary Reference Intakes from the Institute of Medicine recommend a total
daily beverage intake of 13 cups for men and 9 cups for women.
This tip sheet is provided by: Adapted from the article “13 Health Tips for
2013” (www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442474069) by
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics staff registered dietitians. © 2013 Academy of Nutrition
and Dietetics. Reproduction of this tip sheet is permitted for educational purposes.
Submitted by Melonie Bennett, MS, Dir. of Physical Education & Health
What can I do as a parent/guardian to help prevent childhood obesity?
To help your child maintain a healthy weight, balance the calories your child
consumes from foods and beverages with the calories your child uses through
physical activity and normal growth.
Remember that the goal for overweight and obese children and teens is to reduce
the rate of weight gain while allowing normal growth and development. Children
and teens should NOT be placed on a weight reduction diet without the consultation
of a health care provider.
Balancing Calories - Help Kids Develop Healthy Eating Habits! One part of balancing
calories is to eat foods that provide adequate nutrition and an appropriate number
of calories. You can help children learn to be aware of what they eat by developing
healthy eating habits, looking for ways to make favorite dishes healthier, and
reducing calorie-rich temptations.
Look for ways to make favorite dishes healthier! The recipes that you may prepare
regularly, and that your family enjoys, with just a few changes can be healthier and
just as satisfying.
Remove calorie-rich temptations! Although everything can be
enjoyed in moderation, reducing the calorie-rich temptations of
high-fat and high-sugar, or salty snacks can also help your
children develop healthy eating habits. Instead only allow your
children to eat them sometimes, so that they truly will be treats!
Help Kids Stay Active! - Another part of balancing calories is to engage in an
appropriate amount of physical activity and avoid too much sedentary time. In
addition to being fun for children and teens, regular physical activity has many
health benefits, including:
**Strengthening bones
**Decreasing blood pressure
**Reducing stress and anxiety
Increasing self-esteem
**Helping with weight management
Reduce sedentary time! In addition to encouraging physical
activity, help children avoid too much sedentary time.
Although quiet time for reading and homework is fine, limit
the time your children watch television, play video games, or
surf the web to no more than 2 hours per day. Additionally,
the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not
recommend television viewing for children age 2 or younger.12
Instead, encourage your children to find fun activities to do
with family members or on their own that simply involve more
activity.
Submitted by Heidi Olsen, RN, BSN, Ross
FOOD ALLERGIES
A food allergy is an abnormal immune response to a certain food that the body reacts to as
harmful. An estimated 4% to 6% of U.S. children of children under age 18 have food
allergies. Although reasons for this are poorly understood, the prevalence of food allergies
and associated anaphylaxis appears to be on the rise.
Although any child can be at risk for food allergies, children are at greater risk if they are
younger than age 3 or have a family history of asthma and allergies, or a genetic
predisposition to allergic disease. Eight types of foods account for 90% of all food-allergy
reactions: cow’s milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (such as walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds,
cashews, pistachios, and macadamia nuts), fish, shellfish, soybeans, and wheat.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction to food can range from mild to sudden and severe and
commonly include one or more of the following:

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Hives
Tingling in the mouth
Swelling in the tongue and throat
Difficulty breathing
Abdominal cramps
Vomiting or diarrhea
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Eczema or rash
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Coughing or wheezing
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Loss of consciousness
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Dizziness
Anaphylaxis is a sudden, severe allergic reaction that involves various areas of the body
simultaneously or causes difficulty breathing and swelling of the throat and tongue.
Anaphylaxis can result in death. Some types of mild food allergies are treatable with an
antihistamine or bronchodilator. Severe, or anaphylactic reactions, require epinephrine. At
present, there is no cure for food allergies. The best method for managing food allergies is
prevention by way of strict avoidance of any food that triggers a reaction.

Adapted from www.cdc.gov
Submitted by Joanne Kelly, RN, BSN, NSNC, Liberty
The Braintree Public Schools Life Threatening Food Allergy Policies & Procedures and Action Plan
can be found at http://www.braintreeschools.org/health/index.htm.
We May Love Rock ‘n Roll…But Our Ears Don’t!
How to Prevent Hearing Loss in a Noisy World
Did you know that one song at a rock concert can permanently
your hearing? Everyday sounds – like the whir of a blender, the
sound of a snow blower or lawn mower, and the bells and
whistles of children’s toys – can result in permanent hearing
or tinnitus (a ringing or buzzing in the ears).
damage
loss
Hearing plays an essential role in communication, speech and language
development, and learning. Even a small amount of hearing loss can have
profound, negative effects on speech, language comprehension, communication,
classroom learning, social development and work performance.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) 5.2 million children aged 6 to
19 and 26 million adults aged 20 to 69 have suffered permanent damage to their
hearing from excessive exposure to noise.
Hearing loss can result from damage to structures and/or nerve fibers in the inner
ear that respond to sound. This type of hearing loss, termed “noise-induced
hearing loss”, is usually caused by exposure to excessively loud sounds and cannot
be medically or surgically corrected. Noise-induced hearing loss can result from a
one-time exposure to a very loud sound, blast, or impulse, or from listening to
loud sounds over an extended period of time.
How loud is too loud? If while in a noisy environment you have to shout
in order for someone near you to hear what you are saying, the
noise level is dangerously loud.
It is not only the sound level, but also the length of time you are
exposed to noise that determines the extent of resulting hearing damage. The
louder the sound, the less time it takes to damage your hearing. For example you
could sit in heavy traffic noise for up to eight hours, but you can only safely use a
snow blower or mow your lawn for seven minutes without ear protection.
How will you know if noise is damaging your hearing?
Noise-induced hearing loss is progressive and painless, so it can sneak up on you.
If after being exposed to loud noise, sounds seem muffled or you hear ringing in
your ears, you have likely been exposed to noise at a dangerous level.
How can you protect your hearing?
Cover Up: Foam earplugs (available at pharmacies), earmuffs (available at sporting
goods or safety equipment stores), and custom earplugs all provide protection.
For musicians or music enthusiasts, custom earplugs with special filters will
reduce overall sound level while providing high fidelity sound. These kinds of
earplugs are also helpful for hearing speech in noisy work environments.
Turn Down the Volume: Move away from the source of loud sounds when
possible. You can also buy quieter products (compare dB ratings and ask
for low-noise products). If you listen to music through headphone for
extended periods of time, turn down the volume to 50 %. If you
find that you turn the headset volume up to drown out
background noise, you should consider custom ear buds.
Custom ear buds can significantly lower the background noise
so that you can listen to music without having to crank up the
volume.
Watch the Time: Limit exposure to noisy activities at home and at work. Monitor
your listening level and how long you are listening to devices like MP3
players/iPods. Encourage your children to use their headphones conservatively.
An Ounce of Prevention: While you may not be able to control the noise around you,
you can take protective measures into your own hands. One-third of permanent
hearing loss is preventable with proper hearing loss prevention strategies.
Submitted by Ginny Palmieri, RN, M.SN, East & Mary Ann O’Rourke, RN, BS, East
April 2nd is National Autism Day
Physical Fitness and Health Benefits
May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month and will be here before we
know it. Being physically active increases your chances of living longer and can
reduce the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and some types of cancer.
Regular exercise helps to build and maintain healthy bones and muscles. Physical
activity also affects the brain. Research has shown that physical movement can
affect the brain by increasing blood flow, oxygenation, development of nerve
connections, and growth of nerve cells in the hippocampus, which is the center of
learning and memory. These changes may be associated with improved attention,
enhanced coping, and improved processing, storage and
retrieval of information. Exercise gives you more energy
during the day and can help you sleep better at night.
Consistent physical activity can reduce the feelings of
depression and anxiety.
Tips to help you get active:
Find an activity that is fun, and something you enjoy.
Start slow and warm up by stretching your muscles first.
Aim for 20 to 30 minutes each day of moderate activity, such as walking, running,
dancing, raking leaves, and bike riding.
Do muscle strengthening exercises at least two times a week. Exercises such as
sit-ups and push-ups help to strengthen the stomach, chest, back,
shoulders and arms.
Some physical activity is better than none.
Submitted by Rosemary Donoghue R.N., BSN, M.Ed.