Kelly

The Live Well! presentation began with each parent receiving a folder entitled "Eat, Play, Live Well" with blog and gmail information.  Before the presentation began, Kelly went over informed consent with the participants and explained that this was part of research study...

Approval by the University of Alabama Institutional Review Board was included.  Then everyone was asked to fill out the Family Connections Baseline Home Environment Survey (article of interest related to this type of survey: http://www.ijbnpa.org/content/5/1/3).  The follow up survey is to be taken in 8 weeks. This introduction took about 15 minutes of the presentation.

Kelly then began to teach about two main concerns from a healthcare practitioner's point of view:  high blood pressure and diabetes.  She explained how time-crunched practitioners are to get in vital nutrition and exercise information in a standard appointment.  She is hoping that by focusing on living healthy through diet and physical fitness through a free accessible setting (the health fair), clients will have a greater understanding of the subject.

The teaching session used visual posters and food products and followed the Live Well! guidelines (http://www.nutrientrichfoods.org/documents/toolkit.pdf).  The information was catered to Kelly's knowledge and experience with the client population.  The main focus was the Whys and Hows of eating moderately and healthily from each of the main food groups: Grains, Vegetables, Fruits, Milk, Meat & Bean, and Oils.  Portion sizes were stressed using actual familiar items for frame of reference:

Grains per serving/protion: 

pancake--the size of a CD

cereal--a baseball

rice or pasta--a computer mouse

tortilla--salad plate size

bagel--hockey puck

Vegetable portion

baked potato--computer mouse

greens--large handful

Fruit portion

apple or orange--baseball size

dried fruit--egg size

Dairy portion (choose low fat)

hard cheese--3 playing dice

milk, yogurt--1 cup

Meat & Beans

meat--deck of playing cards

Kelly also included fun foods.  Providing you are staying within your "calorie budget" (according to your height, weight, age, and activity level) fun foods are allowed.  Life is about fun within a healthy balance.  The session ended with questions and answers.  Fun, friendly, and educational!  Good luck everyone.