Newspaper Page Text
10 - The Savannah Tribune • Wednesday, June 17, 2009
HEALTH AND COMMUNITY NEWS
Family Time is Bonding Time
Carolyn Guilford
Enjoying meals together is a
special time for families, but
is especially beneficial for
the kids. Experts say a spe
cial bonding takes place as
kids gain improved nutrition
and better health. They
become better educated and
are psychologically better
grounded. Since social rela
tionships and family values
are also nourished during
family meals experts say
these kids are less likely to
adopt risky behaviors like
drug and alcohol abuse, and
are stronger emotionally.
A Harvard study pub
lished in Family Medicine
showed that eating meals
with the family on most days
of the week is associated
with a healthier lifestyle,
especially when eating more
nutrient dense foods. Those
families who eat together
have better overall health
habits, and the kids do better
in school. They are less like
ly to have weight issues, self
esteem issues or become the
subject of discipline prob
lems.
Kids perceive that good
eating habits are important
when they see their parents
making good food choices
and displaying a healthy atti
tude about food. As a nutri
tionist, I suggest offering a
variety of healthy foods, and
sensible portion sizes at
meals. Let everyone partici
pate (especially the kids) in
the tasks at mealtime.
Preparing some foods, set
ting the table, serving, and
the clean up should be
encouraged. These chores go
more quickly and easily
while exchanging ideas and
feelings, and talking over
hopes and future plans.
Making mealtimes
together a priority can
enhance home life and health
for every member of the
family. It goes beyond just
catching up on the kids’day,
to building family close
ness,and understanding.
And, it can also be fun.
Families who linger at meal
times together tend to benefit
in so many ways physically
and socially.
Here are some tips you
can use to create or enhance
this tradition in your home:
Have a set time for din
ner, but be flexible when
needed.
Turn off the TV and let
phone calls go to voice mail.
Spend time at the table
talking, focusing on family
topics and keeping it posi
tive.
Allow everyone
have the opportunity to talk
and to listen.
Serve more vegetables,
fruits, water, whole-grains
and lean proteins. Serve
fewer sweet drinks, and only
serve dessert on the weekend
as a treat.
Having kids participate
in the preparation of meals
will make it likelier that they
will try new foods.
Try to have breakfast and
dinner together most days of
the week, and more often on
weekends.
Remember, Health is
Wealth.
If you are ready to start a
healthy diet and lifestyle pro
gram, or want to comment on
any health issue we’ve cov
ered in this column please
call or write:
Carolyn Guilford
Health Restoration 101
www.Healthrestoration 101.
com
PO. Box 2814,
Savannah , GA 31402
Visit us online at:
www.savannahtribune.com
Now Is The Time To Choose
AMERIGROUP Community Care
Your enrollment anniversary for Medicaid or Peach Care for
Kids may bo coming up soon! Your enrollment anniversary
is \2 months after you last enrolled in a Georgia Families
Health Plan. If you are in AMERIGROUP Community Care
and want to keep il r do not do anything. li you are noi in
amCRIGROL'P, you will have 30 days to switch. By choosing
A,vu■KiGKtJUR you gel your regular benefits, plus:
• A routine vision exam and glasses each year for members
age 21 and over
• A dental exam and cleaning every six months and X-rays
each year for members age 21 and over
* A free sports physical a year for each child age 18 and under
* A free membership in Boys & Girls Clulls for children ages
6 to 18 (not including camp; excluded in BUjjoch arid
Clarke counties)
* A gift card for completing our Taking Care Of Baby Anri
Me" program
• Answers to your medical questions 24 hours a day with
our Nurse Helpline
To choose AMERlGROUP, call 1-888 CA ENROLL
(1-888-423-6765) (TTY 1-877-889-4424) Monday to
Friday 7 aim; to 7 p,m. r Saturdays 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
You can also visit online at www.gcorgia-famities.com.
Georgia LIVE WELL • VIVA BIEN
/Families
www.myamerigroup.com
Big Brothers Big Sisters Kicks Off 100
Men in 100 Days Volunteer Campaign
Big Brothers Big
Sisters of the Coastal
Empire (BBBSCE), the
area's premier mentoring
organization, announced
recently the kick-off of its
‘TOO Men in 100 Days”
campaign which is
designed to recruit 100
African-American male
volunteers over the next
100 days.
“Finding African-
American men to serve as
Big Brothers is critical to
the success of our organi
zation and will have a rip
ple effect far into the
future,” stated Dr. Malik
Watkins, BBBSCE's Board
Chair.
Executive Director John
Kendricks stated, “we are a
very diverse organization
with volunteers of all races
and nationalities; however,
the need for African-
American men far exceed
those of any other group
because of the large num
ber of African-American
boys who are waiting to be
matched.”
Kendricks related
members from the Delta
Eta Chapter of Alpha Phi
Alpha, Alpha Gamma
Chapter of Omega Psi Phi,
Gamma Zeta Chapter of
Phi Beta Sigma, and Iota
Phi Theta Fraternities have
answered the call and
become “Bigs”, but more
men are needed!
“All it takes is two to three
meetings a month to make
a real difference in a young
man's life,” stated
Kendricks. BBBSCE chal
lenges “100 African-
American men to stand up
for our children today and
make a difference!
Interested individuals
should call (912) 233-7669
or go to the agency's web
site, www.bbbscoastalem-
pire.org, to volunteer.
“While people think
of Big Brothers Big Sisters
as a volunteer organization,
it's also a non-profit charity
that depends on donations
to make more matches,”
said James Sessler,
Regional Manager, Arby's
Restaurant Group, Inc.
Funding is used for
recruiting, careful match
ing, background checks,
screening and maintaining
ongoing professional sup
port for the volunteers,
youth and their families -
the key to ensuring long
term positive outcomes that
change lives and communi
ties.”
Arby's customers who
come into local Arby's
restaurants from June 15
through July 26, 2009, may
donate a dollar and sing a
“Help Us Help Kids” pin
up to hang on the walls of
the restaurant.
Customers who
donate will receive a
coupon redeemable for
$1.00 off selected Arby's
menu items during their
next purchase.
The donated money
will support Big Brothers
Big Sisters of the Coastal
Empire's 100 Men in 100
Days campaign. Last year,
Arby's raised over $2 mil
lion nationwide through its
pin-up campaign.
“We've always
believed in the power of
giving back to the commu
nities that we serve,”
Sessler said. “Mentoring
makes a powerful differ
ence and I'm proud to be
part of an effort that gives
the entire community an
opportunity to contribute.”
Savannah 100 Sponsors Organ
Donation Awareness
Each year 19,000
Americans die while await
ing organ transplants.
African-Americans
constitute 35% of those
awaiting kidney transplants.
In the SE of the United
States, more than 70 percent
of all dialysis patients are
African-American.
These grim facts
explain why the 100 Black
Men of Savannah, in partner
ship with Life Link of
Georgia and St.
Joseph's/Candler Health
Systems will sponsor a pro
gram on Organ Donor
Awareness among African-
Americans on Saturday, June
20th at 10:00 a.m. at the
Jepson Center of the Arts,
207 West York St., Savannah.
This innovative and
informative session aims to
educate the Savannah com
munity in general and
African-Americans in partic
ular about the significant
shortage of organ donors
despite the high numbers of
African-Americans in need
of transplantation.
Presenters, including
Bobby Howard of Life Link
of GA and Lloyd A.
Johnson of the Savannah
100, will share the facts
about organ and tissue
donation, inspire individu
als to designate their dona
tion decision by signing up
on the Georgia Donor
Registry, and share the
importance of family dis
cussion on this topic.
The 100 Black Men of
Savannah aim to "think
globally and act locally" by
improving the quality of
life in the
Savannah/Chatham County
community and to enhance
educational and economic
opportunities for all African
Americans.
LifeLink of Georgia is an
independent, non-profit
organ and tissue recovery
organization dedicated to
serving patients in need of
transplant therapy and their
families.
The Savannah 100 has
a more than passing interest
in organ donation.
In February, Johnson
received a kidney transplant
at the Mayo Clinic Hospital,
Jacksonville, FL.
Another member of the
Savannah 100, Gary Young,
is scheduled to receive a kid
ney transplant at Piedmont
Hospital in Atlanta the day
before this program.
What greater impetus
can there be to attend this
program - with a friend or
relative.
Update on
the Go
Healthy
Challenge
After one week of
healthy eating and exercis
ing, the participants of the
Go Healthy Challenge gath
ered at West Broad Street
YMCA for the first weigh-in.
Collectively the ladies
lost fifty (50) pounds.
AKAs lost .068% of
“start” weight. Deltas lost
.029% of start weight.
Biggest losers for the
AKAs were Patricia Mincey
and Carol Bell, both losing
5.6 pounds. Leading the los
ers for the Deltas was Joyce
Davis, losing 3.2 pounds.
After weigh-ins, the
ladies listened to presenta
tions by Carmelia Lomen on
Hydration and Ziggy Kent on
Importance of Exercise.
Finally, the ladies participat
ed in a line dance demonstra
tion by Margaret Ann
Pearson.
The public is invited to
attend all wellness presenta
tions presented as a part of
the “Go Healthy Challenge”.
Presentations are held
on Mondays at 5:30 p.m. in
the Aerobics Room.
Scheduled for June 15, 2009
is a presentation by a medical
doctor on healthy lifestyles.
Enter the Central Missionary Baptist Church (Thunderbolt)
Building Fend Cook-Off
S100.00 for a Team of 4
additional' members wilt be 525 per person Max. 6
Willi limitad Spntu mrdUdbiu unlry fgttflfO due by July 7,
Saturday, July nth?AM-6PNI
Central Missionary Baptist Church
3119Shell Road-On The Yard
There will be three
Categories:
Best Chicken
Best Ribs
Best Hamburgers
1 11 & 2 nd Plow
Winners for each.
Each Team is respon
sible for their own
supplies.
Flaw jKtiii, Ed, ftUltmi Sk Wumhhi Plarlwc fMl J
In gal itgi-i.fr ied «ixi pi rules inFurmuCiou. M«hng will bi IrtK Mon, July 4 ® & PW