National Nutrition Month®
The American Dietetic Association (ADA) has declared March “National Nutrition Month.” The theme for 2010 is “Nutrition from the Ground Up.”  The ADA offers some tips to help children develop a taste for healthy foods. 

• Offer children as many new foods as possible, from an early age.  If it is available, they will try it.
• Involve children in grocery shopping and meal preparation, focusing on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy
• Help children have a healthy relationship with food, by enjoying healthy foods and talking about them
• Offer healthy foods and eat them yourself: parents have the most potential to influence their children’s eating habits.
• Plant a garden with your children, even if it’s just in one pot
• Help kids find new recipe ideas on line

The ADA has created easy to read documents that provide ideas and activities to do with children while focusing on nutrition.

• 20 Ways to Enjoy More Fruits, Vegetables, Whole Grains and Dairy
• 25 Health Snacks for Kids
• Healthy Eating on the Run
• Healthy Recipes

Visit the Web site for Event Ideas with a Family Focus and celebrate National Nutrition Month.

Heart Health and Tobacco
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Smoking causes coronary heart disease, narrowing of the blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. Cigarette smokers are 2-4 times more likely to develop coronary heart disease than non-smokers and the risk for stroke is doubled. Because of the narrowing arteries, the circulation to the heart is reduced. This affects the way the heart works and the things you do in your everyday life. Breathing secondhand smoke has immediate harmful effects on the cardiovascular system that can increase the risk for heart attack.

For more information on the effects of smoking on the heart visit the CDC Web site.

For help with quitting smoking contact the Utah Tobacco Quit Line at
1-888-567-TRUTH (English)
1-877-629-1585 (Spanish)
1-877-777-6534 (TTY)
Or visit the Utah Quitnet