November is American Diabetes Month and to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the American Diabetes Association, this year’s theme is, Eat Well, America! The goal is to promote the idea that while it’s important to eat healthy to help prevent Type II Diabetes, you don’t have to sacrifice the good flavors and taste.
The OrganWise Guys are all about teaching healthy behaviors to kids (and adults!) The four OrganWise club rules of low-fat, high-fiber, lots of water, and exercise are habits that, if practiced regularly, can lower the risk of getting Type II Diabetes and other chronic diseases.
Explaining diabetes to kids, and even parents, can be quite challenging, but luckily, The OrganWise Guys have some great resources (and fun incentive items) available that explain the concept in a lighthearted and easy-to-understand way.
Here are The OrganWise Guys’ diabetes awareness resources for kids:
Undercover Diabetes Health Agents Book – Children learn about preventing adult onset diabetes. Using compelling illustrations and simple language, children learn about diabetes and what lifestyle choices they can make to help minimize their chances of getting this disease.
Undercover Diabetes Health Agents Activity Book – This companion activity book incorporates important concepts taught in the corresponding hardback into core curriculum objectives making it easy for teachers to implement in the classroom.
Undercover Health Agents Assembly Kit – This speaker’s kit provides a script, a PowerPoint CD, master activity sheets, an evaluation tool, and more! This presentation can be delivered in a group setting (individual classroom or school-wide assembly) and is a great way to kick off an OrganWise initiative.
Diabetes Newsletters – These colorful newsletters contain practical information that helps both adults and children understand diabetes. Each edition has one side in English and one side in Spanish and comes in packs of 100.
Peter Pancreas Plush Beanie – Bring Peter Pancreas to life with this plush beanie. Let children use their imagination in “healthy” play with this colorful organ character!
Peter Pancreas Tattoo Set – Tattoos are a great way to keep The OrganWise Guys health messages alive for days! These temporary tattoos are applied with water and last for 5-10 days. They come in packs of 100.
Click here for more information and resources on American Diabetes Month!
**You can even get all of these resources at 20% off! Upon checkout, just use coupon code: school2015
We continue our series promoting healthy behaviors to be implemented and tracked for an entire month (and hopefully beyond). In November we are focusing on practicing gratitude. Taking the time each day to stop and think about the things in our lives that we are fortunate enough to have is so important. To help teach kids to get in the habit of being grateful, they can identify one thing each day in November with the help of this free calendar. So make sure to download and print your November Behavior Tracking Sheet and use in your home or other setting to encourage and track behavior change.
Watch as Windy, the lungs and Pepto, the stomach practice gratitude by appreciating a good friend:
October is Healthy Lung Month and nobody is more excited about this than Windy, the Lungs. We, along with our friends over at the Mesothelioma and Asbestos Awareness Center, are offering up some helpful tips for healthy lungs and to help prevent toxins from affecting your health:
Get plenty of exercise, which is good for your lungs AND the rest of your body, too. (Think of it like “working out” for your lungs.)
Do not smoke! It’s dangerous to your lungs, entire body and everyone around you.
Switch up your cleaning supplies to more natural ones. Some of them contain harmful chemicals that pollute the air you breathe.
To diminish some of the toxins in the air, use an air purifier.
Before doing any major home renovations, be sure to have your house checked for dangerous fibers, such as asbestos. They can be found in walls, ceilings, or insulation. If the fibers break apart they can be easily inhaled which can later cause serious lung illnesses or cancer likemesothelioma.
In honor of Healthy Lung Month, watch as Windy, the Lungs talks about the importance of not smoking and getting plenty of fresh air:
Halloween is always a favorite time for kids. Between the costumes and candy (sigh) that come with the spooky holiday, there is an excitement that comes out in kids this time of year. In the past, we have shared some fun ways to make Halloween more of a healthy holiday.
Here are some of our favorite healthy Halloween ideas:
Candy Donation – We are all about a good cause; especially if it means less candy for kids! Operation Gratitude sends the candy surplus to military men and women overseas. This is a favorite idea that we recommend each year!
OrganWise Pumpkin Carving Templates – Download and print images of your favorite OrganWise Guys and pin them on your pumpkin to carve. Having an OrganWise pumpkin could be a great reminder for kids to make healthier choices when it comes to their candy rations. Once you are done carving, cook up those yummy pumpkin seeds and enjoy!
OrganWise Costumes – It’s always fun to see the original and innovative costumes that come about during Halloween, but nothing makes us more giddy than seeing people dressed up as The OrganWise Guys! Over the years, we’ve received pictures from some of our fabulous educators who take creativity to the next level by dressing up as The OrganWise Guys. Check out the unique ways the organs have been brought to life and make your costume an OrganWise one!
Healthy Halloween Yogurt – Surrounded by candy this time of year? Instead of the candy overload, try making this alternative and healthier treat that includes pumpkin and Greek yogurt. Your kids will even like it, too! Yum!
If you are loving the pumpkin flavor this fall season, try having this pumpkin yogurt dip with some apple slices. It really makes for some great seasonal tastes!
What are your favorite ways to make Halloween a healthy one?
Since 1995, the third week in October has been deemed National Health Education Week (NHEW). It is sponsored each year by Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) in an effort to bring awareness to major public health issues and the importance of understanding the health educators’ roles in promoting health across the country.
Winter squash is an October Foods of the Month, and we love all of the varieties and versatility of this great food!
Here are some interesting facts about winter squash:
Have a hard shell and thus not eaten (unlike their sister “summer squash” varieties)
Come in a variety of shapes and sizes with flesh that ranges in color from golden-yellow to brilliant orange
Varieties include pumpkins, acorn, butternut, hubbard, turban and “spaghetti” squash
Most grow on a vine and are picked when fully mature.
Take longer to mature than summer squash (about 3 months or more) and are best harvested once the cool weather of fall sets in
Can be stored for months in a cool place, hence the name “winter” squash
Now that you are all informed about winter squash, watch this video featuring Peri Stolic and Pepto, the stomach, sharing how to make a spaghetti squash surprise recipe:
Here’s to getting creative with your winter squash this month!
Undercover Diabetes Health Agents Book – Children learn about preventing adult onset diabetes. Using compelling illustrations and simple language, children learn about diabetes and what lifestyle choices they can make to help minimize their chances of getting this disease.
Undercover Health Agents Assembly Kit – This speaker’s kit provides a script, a PowerPoint CD, master activity sheets, an evaluation tool, and more! This presentation can be delivered in a group setting (individual classroom or school-wide assembly) and is a great way to kick off an OrganWise initiative.
Diabetes Newsletters – These colorful newsletters contain practical information that helps both adults and children understand diabetes. Each edition has one side in English and one side in Spanish and comes in packs of 100.
Peter Pancreas Tattoo Set – Tattoos are a great way to keep The OrganWise Guys health messages alive for days! These temporary tattoos are applied with water and last for 5-10 days. They come in packs of 100.
