Time for a Hand Hygiene Refresher?

Are you washing your hands as often as you were two years ago? Singing the birthday song twice to make sure you wash for 20 seconds? Using hand sanitizer when you can’t wash?

Many of us have let our pre-COVID handwashing habits (or lack thereof) sneak back in. But handwashing is still important.

According to the CDC, handwashing education can reduce:

  • Diarrheal illnesses
  • Respiratory illnesses
  • Absenteeism due to gastrointestinal illness in schoolchildren

Our Handwashing poster is an easy way to remind people to wash their hands frequently and thoroughly. Here are some activity ideas to go along with it:

  1. Play a handwashing video from the selection available on CDC’s website.
    • The collection includes videos in Spanish and American Sign Language, as well as special videos for kids.
  2. Post handwashing reminders on social media.
  3. Conduct a handwashing experiment:
  4. Remind your audience to pick a 20 second song they can sing while they wash:

Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

Vacation Right, Vacation Light

It seems like everyone in America is taking or planning a vacation – or at the very least, talking about how much they want to get away!

Whether it’s a road trip or a cross-country flight, vacations tend to interfere with healthy eating and exercise habits.

Our Vacation Light materials are just what you need to help people keep their vacations as healthy as possible. In a light-hearted way, they show the difference between an Eat a Lot/Sleep a Lot vacation and an Eat Smart/Exercise Your Heart vacation.

Here’s a 3-step plan to teach students, clients, or employees about taking a healthy vacation:

  1. Create a bulletin board display using our Vacation Light poster.
  2. Plan a series of social media posts with Eat Smart/Exercise Your Heart vacation tips.
    • Use these posts to promote step 3.
    • Ask your followers to leave a comment about how they keep their vacations healthy.
  3. Teach a webinar using our Vacation Light PowerPoint show.
    • Have attendees set one goal for their vacation (eat a healthy breakfast daily, track my steps, snack on raw veggies, etc).
    • Invite attendees to report back when they return from vacation.

By Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

 

Gentle Nudges to Healthy Change

The American Psychological Association recently released the 2021 Stress in America poll. No surprise – the past year has been hard on us.

The pandemic has had a negative impact on:

  1. Physical activity
  2. Weight
  3. Sleep
  4. Stress
  5. Alcohol intake
  6. Mental health

As people get vaccinated and begin to think about life after COVID-19, many will be ready to make changes to do things like lose weight and start exercising again. Some will jump right in, but others may benefit from a slower, more mindful journey back to healthy habits.

Here are three ideas for gently nudging your clients or students toward a healthy eating pattern and lifestyle:

  1. Mindfulness and mindful eating:
  2. Motivating affirmations:
    • Empower your clients through short sessions on the affirmations from our I Am Motivational Health poster:
      • Self-care (sleeping enough, forgiving a setback)
      • Healthy eating (eating mindfully when hungry, loving fruits & veggies)
      • Physical activity (moving more, exercising consistently)
      • Attitude (not giving up)
      • Intention (planning and working to success)
  3. Positive transformations:
    • Adopt the beautiful butterfly from our Change It Up theme as your mascot.
    • The butterfly can be a visual reminder to clients who are working to transform their lives by eating healthier foods and being more active every day.

Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

A Cure for COVID Cooking Fatigue

Raise your hand if you have COVID cooking fatigue!

I confess to recurring bouts with this condition. From what I see on social media and in the news, I’m not alone.

What can you do? Buy prepared foods at the supermarket…order carry-out from local restaurants…pay for a meal delivery service. But these options aren’t always the best for your budget or your health.

How about prescribing a 30-minute video that just might cure COVID cooking fatigue? Our 25 Ingredients, 15 Meals video makes food shopping and meal preparation a breeze for even the most reluctant cooks.

Your audience will learn a lot in just half an hour, including:

  • Menu planning.
  • Shopping from a list.
  • Healthy cooking methods.
  • Money-, time-, and calorie-saving strategies.
  • Cook it once and serve it 2-3 times

Beyond COVID cooking fatigue, 25 Ingredients, 15 Meals would work well for teaching:

  1. Weight loss groups
  2. Families or individuals at risk for food insecurity
  3. Home-school students who need lessons on cooking, nutrition, math, or budgeting
  4. Addiction recovery programs
  5. Boy Scout, Girl Scout, and other youth groups
  6. Students (middle school, high school, and college)

Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

Holiday Survival Tips & COVID-19

Eating healthfully during the holidays is always a challenge. This year the pandemic is making it even harder.

Help your clients get through the holiday eating season with our Holiday Survival Tips PowerPoint show. The presentation addresses the reality of holiday weight gain and helps audience members make a plan to avoid it.

Here are three of the Holiday Survival Tips along with how they may need to be tweaked this year due to COVID-19:

  1. Focus less on food and more on celebrating what the holidays are all about. This can be difficult if you’re alone or unable to get together with friends or extended family this year.
    • Schedule phone calls and virtual gatherings so you’ll have something to look forward to besides eating.
    • Keep your hands busy with knitting, crafts, adult coloring books, or puzzles – you can’t eat while doing these kinds of activities!
    • Make up for missing events like tree lightings and holiday festivals by finding things you CAN do. Walk around your neighborhood to see all the holiday lights, for example.
  2. Pay attention to exercise and sleep — two things that the holidays tend to interfere with.
    • Make a plan to take a walk or do an exercise video at the same time every day. Text a friend to stay accountable.
    • Avoid staying up later than usual or sleeping in. Stick to a consistent sleep schedule so you’ll wake up refreshed every morning.
    • Put health-promoting gifts on your wish list, like a Fitbit or a subscription to the premium version of a meal planning or food tracking app.
  3. Find ways to make traditional holiday dishes a bit healthier.
    • Use less fat or sugar in recipes. Staying home means you’ll be in control of the big holiday meals, so make this the year you try a lower fat pumpkin pie or sweet potatoes without the sugary toppings.
    • If there’s only going to be four of you for the big holiday meal, scale things down. Buy the smallest pies or cakes you can find. Bake smaller batches of things like your favorite holiday cookies. The goal is to NOT have lots of leftovers to tempt you.
    • If you’re buying a meal from a supermarket or restaurant, make sure you know what you’re getting and adjust accordingly. Keep some extra roasted vegetables or salad on hand to add to a purchased meal.

The holidays and the pandemic make it easy to gain weight and hard to lose it. Probably the best tip we can give people this time of year is to aim to maintain their weight.

Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

 

 

 

4 Lessons to Lower Blood Pressure

Are you looking for ways to teach your clients, students, or employees about high blood pressure? We have a comprehensive PowerPoint program for you: Four Lessons to Lower Blood Pressure.

No matter who’s in the audience, they’re bound to learn something new from our lessons:

  1. Introduction to High Blood Pressure
  2. Make the DASH
  3. Cut the Salt
  4. Get Moving to Lower Blood Pressure

The lessons can be used individually, or you can host a series of virtual sessions.

Here are some talking points to promote your blood pressure education efforts and motivate people to take action:

  1. The silent killer: High blood pressure usually has no symptoms. That’s why it is important to get your blood pressure measured and do what it takes to get it under control.
  2. COVID-19 point #1: The CDC says that adults of any age who have high blood pressure might be at an increased risk for severe illness if they are infected by the coronavirus. That’s a good reason to make an effort to get your blood pressure under control.
  3. COVID-19 point #2: High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease. According to the CDC, heart disease puts you at an increased risk for severe COVID-19 illness. Just one more reason to take steps now to control your blood pressure.
  4. More than salt: While cutting sodium in your diet is very important, that’s not the only thing. The DASH eating plan emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean proteins, and legumes, nuts, and seeds.
  5. More than diet: Along with the DASH eating plan, regular exercise can help lower your blood pressure. And if you smoke, get help to quit.

Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

 

Take Steps to Keep Moving During the Pandemic

Many people have changed their exercise routine due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some are streaming their favorite aerobics class instead of attending in-person. Others are purchasing home fitness equipment.

But even if we find ways to keep up our gym routine when the gym is closed, what about how much we’re moving in general?

Think about all the steps we aren’t taking because of the pandemic. If you’re working from home, you’re not walking from the car or bus stop to your office. You’re not taking the stairs instead of the elevator. If you’re doing curbside grocery pickup, you’re not walking around the supermarket.

That’s where counting steps can be useful, making it the perfect time for a 10,000 steps challenge! We have everything you need in our 10,000 Steps theme:

Here are three ways to engage your clients, students, or employees in a conversation about taking more steps throughout the day:

  1. Make a plan to increase your steps now. It could look something like this:
    • Step 1: Get a pedometer or a tracking device (like a Fitbit) or find out if your cell phone will work.
    • Step 2: Track how many steps you’re taking every day for a week.
    • Step 3: Make a goal to increase your steps per day by 1,000 (or more or less, just be realistic).
    • Step 4: Track for a week and repeat, with the goal of getting up to 10,000 steps.
  2. Brainstorm ways to keep your steps up even in cold weather. Do you need a warmer coat? New gloves or a hat? Boots?
  3. Challenge a friend – at the end of the day, text each other about how many steps you took and what your goal is for the next day.

Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

 

Picture Healthy Eating

We’re seven months into the COVID-19 pandemic. People have been stressed out since March and now face a winter warning of coronavirus and flu.

Our clients, students, and employees are probably tired of being told what to do and what not to do. Do they have the capacity to follow a new diet or make big dietary changes? Maybe not.

That means we need to be creative and sneak in our message where we can. Instead of ramming diet restrictions down their throats, think about being more subtle.

How about using beautiful photographs of real food to convey the healthy eating message? Check out these items:

  • What’s on Your Fork? According to this poster, it’s mouth-watering bites of fresh, nutrient-dense foods.
  • Fork Photo Walloons. These wall decals shaped like balloons feature eye-catching photos of asparagus, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, whole wheat pasta, salmon, and a strawberry. When a picture says it all, no words are necessary!
  • Fork Stickers. Let people take home a little reminder of what healthy food looks like. Again, no words needed.
  • Choose Wisely Poster. More beautiful color photos of fruits and veggies, with the message: “You need fuel. Choose wisely.”

Everyday, people see pictures of fake food on billboards, online, and on TV. Let’s fight back by posting beautiful photos of healthy food on the walls of our offices, hallways, and cafeterias, on our social media pages, and in our classrooms.

These positive, subliminal messages might be the gentle reminder everyone needs to get back on track with healthy eating.

Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

Change it Up, Little by Little

This phrase recently caught my attention: Little by little, a little becomes a lot. I even wrote it on a sticky note and put it on my refrigerator. It reminds me that small things count. They add up.

Meditating for just one minute; adding a baby spinach salad to a meal; walking around the block; cleaning one kitchen counter. Doing small things may not seem important at the moment, but over time they mean a lot. A healthier diet, more exercise, a cleaner house.

You probably have clients or patients who are all-or-nothing thinkers – they really need to hear this message! Especially now, when the pandemic disrupts our routines, and sometimes even the tiniest change feels overwhelming.

Our Change It Up theme goes well with this concept. Little by little, diet and exercise changes will add up to transform your life. It’s how you go from being the worn out fast-food caterpillar to the vibrant, beautiful butterfly.

Use the Change It Up concept to teach your clients, patients, or students that …

  • The transformation isn’t instant, but the good feeling you get from one small change takes you one baby step closer.
    • Get the good feeling by celebrating (yay, me!) when you make the choice to have an apple instead of chips.
  • Change can be overwhelming, so start small by concentrating on doing something different for just one meal.
    • Once a healthy breakfast becomes a daily habit, move on to lunch, dinner, or snacks.
  • You can’t go from the couch to a 5K overnight.
    • Going to the end of your driveway counts. Remember, small is good!
  • Nobody is perfect. You’ll mess up and that’s okay.
    • It’s easier to get back on track one small change at a time.

Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

Fight COVID Fatigue

COVID fatigue – we all have it to some degree. But with flu season approaching and kids going back to school, this is no time to let up.

We can fight COVID fatigue by reminding our students, employees, clients (and ourselves) to take basic precautions, just like we did at the beginning of this crisis.

Here are some reminders and resources that can help you do a “COVID-19 refresh.”

1. Social distancing:

  • Use our Social Distancing Poster to cover the basics:
    • It’s keeping a safe distance between yourself and people who don’t live with you.
    • It applies whether you’re indoors or outdoors.
    • It means wearing a mask or face covering.
    • It involves staying six feet apart.
  • Provide visuals of what six feet looks like:
    • Check out this fun video that gets the message across.
    • CNN has some good visuals for six feet, like the width of a sedan, two golden retrievers, a three-person sofa, or the length of a twin mattress.
    • Here are a few more, like an adult bike or a yoga mat.
  • Social distancing also means staying home as much as possible – something a lot of us forget!

2. Handwashing:

  • Use our Handwashing Poster as a reminder to:
    • Lather well.
    • Wash long enough (20 seconds) to be effective.
    • Rinse well under running water.
    • Dry hands on clean towels or air dryers.
  • Pick a new 20-second tune:
    • Here’s a list of songs with a chorus at least 20 seconds long.
    • Have more fun with Wash Your Lyrics. Put in your favorite song and get an infographic showing hand-washing steps with 20 seconds worth of lyrics to go along.

3. Face coverings/masks:

  • Wear it correctly:
    • It goes on your face, covering your nose and mouth.
    • It doesn’t go around your neck or up on your forehead.
    • Don’t touch the mask (if you do, wash your hands).
  • Wash it: you need a clean mask every day!
  • Show how to safely put a mask on, take it off, and other tips:

Of course, it can’t hurt to give people a refresher on the coronavirus in general, which is what our Coronavirus Poster does.

These friendly reminders can help slow the spread of the virus and keep us safe until a vaccine is developed (and everyone gets it).

Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD