New Designer Fashions Remind Adults that it Takes a Community to Raise a Healthy Child

Here's an idea: What if what we wear is an "infusion of the positive" messages that remind us to make good choices about food and exercise? We're working to do just that! As you know, our team of dedicated Growing Healthy Kids volunteers is preparing to hold our first annual fashion show in Vero Beach, Florida to raise awareness about how each of us can help solve the childhood obesity challenge facing our country.

Growing Healthy Kids is ready to dress you for success so you can help us reach and teach others. Designed by Ella Chabot, the new Growing Healthy Kids Get Shot by Ella design collection features the first release of designs to empower and educate with an infusion of the positive. Ella has been collaborating with me in this movement to teach adults and kids.

The basic adult T-shirt is 100% cotton in a beautiful natural color. The Growing Healthy Kids logo is on the front left side and on the back.

The fabulous "Eat Rainbows" ladies T is also being released today. This design beautifully illustrates that when you "eat the colors of the rainbow" with a variety of fruits and vegetables, your health will be on cloud 9! It features artwork Ella created from a child's project in one of our monthly GHK events for children served by Youth Guidance Mentoring and Activities Program.

To place your order, just go to http://www.growinghealthykids.me/ and click on "store".

More products will be released after A Fusion of Fashion and Fun (www.IRCulture.com/gala.cfm) featuring the designs of Ella Chabot and Barb Petrillo!

Growing Healthy Kids - improving the health - and lives - of America's kids, one child and one garden at a time.

To your perfect health,
Nancy Heinrich

Author Debbie Macomber Meets Growing Healthy Kids

Today was an awesome day! Just after finishing last minute details with the planning committee for A Fashion of Fusion and Fun (the first annual event for Growing Healthy Kids to be held at the exclusive Windsor Beach Club in Vero Beach!), I dashed to Panera's to tape a radio interview with Rhett Palmer (www.RhettPalmer.com). As Rhett concluded our interview, local resident and writer extraordinaire Debbie Macomber (www.DebbieMacomber.com) walked over to say "hi". Rhett introduced me to Debbie and shared with her about Growing Healthy Kids' work and programs educating adults and children.

Debbie immediately connected to what I told her. She said that as a child she always thought she was overweight. She said as an adult when she looked back at pictures of herself as a child, she realized that she wasn't overweight, but that her self-image was influenced by others and by the media.

Let's start by being honest with ourselves in assessing our current state of health. Do my clothes fit too snug? What do I look like in my birthday suit? Would my blood pressure come down if I lost a few of these extra pounds? (answer: yes) Do I run out of energy and stamina before everyone else? Do I think it's OK to be overweight just because everyone around me is?

If we are going to help kids get to and stay at healthier weight, we have to help ourselves. Take a look at yourself - literally! Check your Body Mass Index (BMI) at http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/index.html. If we are going to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic that threatens the health - and lives - of millions of American children, then ask yourself this question: am I one of the 2 in 3 American adults who is overweight or obese and if so, what am I willing to do about it?

Growing Healthy Kids is a movement to improve the health - and lives - of America's children, one child and one garden at a time. Will you join us?

For tickets to A Fusion of Fashion and Fun next Tuesday, February 1, go to www.IRCulture.com/gala.cfm or call 772-359-8382.

To your perfect health,
Nancy Heinrich
Founder, Growing Healthy Kids

For more resources and tips you can use:
http://www.growinghealthykids.me/
http://www.healthydiabetescoach.com/

First Lady Goes to Walmart and Lowers Prices

Yesterday's news had a great photo of First Lady Michelle Obama in front of a beautiful produce display in a Walmart store announcing the lowering of prices on fresh fruit and vegetables. This is a great step for helping American families purchase more fruits and veggies.

Solving the childhood obesity challenge requires strategic planning and the First Lady is able to get the attention of America's largest retailer. Congratulations to her!

Now, when Walmart (www.walmart.com) is ready to get to work improving the health of its own employees, just give me a call. My number is 772.453.3413. Every time I shop at Walmart for things for my healthy cooking classes to show people how to eat healthy AND economically, I engage in conversation with employees there and I always hear the same thing: "I sure wish I could go to your classes. I have diabetes and I could really use some help."

Solving the childhood obesity challenge requires that adults lead by example. Walmart, are you listening?

Growing Healthy Kids, Inc. is a movement to improve the health - and lives - of America's children, one child and one garden at a time.

To your perfect health,
Nancy Heinrich
Founder, Growing Healthy Kids

For tickets to our first annual event - A FUSION OF FASHION AND FUN - in Vero Beach, Florida, go to www.IRCulture.com/gala.cfm.

Worldguy.org gets my vote

Yesterday's Vero Beach Press Journal had an article about Erik Bendl, his dog, Nice, and the 6 foot world globe he is pushing on his walk from Florida to Louisville (www.worldguy.org). Why, you ask, is he doing this? To raise awareness about diabetes, from a guy who describes himself as a little "fluffy". Because his mother was a state legislator in Kentucky who died at age 54 from diabetes. Because Erik knows that 54 is too young to die.

I admire this man. He knows that diabetes is preventable and controllable. He also knows diabetes is reversible.

Anyone who undertakes a journey on foot with his dog (especially a dog named "Nice") pushing a globe of the earth 1000 times larger than the one I had in my house growing up in Sacramento, California deserves my attention and admiration.

Congratulations, Erik! With regular physical exercise (as simple as walking) and healthy eating (like what I teach in every Growing Healthy Kids and Healthy Diabetes Coach workshop), diabetes can be controlled - and reversed - without medicines.

I will be looking for you and Nice on U.S. 1 in Vero Beach tomorrow!

Growing Healthy Kids - a movement to prevent diabetes by teaching and empowering kids and adults to eat better and move more.

To your perfect health.
Nancy Heinrich
Founder, Growing Healthy Kids

Growing Healthy Kids teaches people how to prevent diabetes with education about reversing obesity. You can help: For tickets to our first BIG EVENT on February 1 at the Windsor Beach Club, go to www.IRCulture.com/gala.cfm. See you at A Fusion of Fashion and Fun!

A New Year, New Commitments, New Results: Tip Three

My dear friends,

Today is a new day in the new year. What are you going to do differently? "The diets that have enabled the world's longest-living peoples to live such healthy lives are very high in whole grains and other healthful carbohydrates." --John Robbins. This is one of the quotes I used in my book, "Healthy Living with Diabetes: One Small Step at a Time" (http://www.economicwellnessworks.com/). The fact is that due to unprecedented numbers of children at unhealthy weights, for the first time in history, American children born today will lives shorter lives than our generation. We must act to change this. NO MATTER WHAT. So, here's TIP THREE for your new year, new commitments and new results: Use "The Nancy Rule" for buying breads and pastas: 1) 4 or more grams of dietary fiber per serving or per slice and 2) the first ingredient includes the word "WHOLE".

You can help Growing Healthy Kids increase the impact of its educational programs by joining us at A FUSION OF FASHION AND FUN February 1st at Vero Beach's exclusive Windsor Beach Club. With the collaboration of two amazing designers, Ella Chabot and Barbara Petrillo, and sponsors including Disney's Vero Beach Resort, Tom Nelson at Merrill Lynch, Staples, Blue Ribbon Pet Grooming, Publix Supermarkets, Jetson's, Senegence, and Don's Import Auto Service, we have a great afternoon planned for you! You will be able to purchase affordable and stunning new collections, including the new Growing Healthy Kids Get Shot by Ella designs! Purchase tickets at www.irculture.com/gala.cfm. Hurry, because there are only a limited number of seats available for this first annual event. Become part of our movement to prevent obesity-related diseases in children. Help us halt and reverse childhood obesity, because failure is not an option. STAY TUNED for Tip Four...

Growing Healthy Kids - improving the health - and lives - of America's children, one child and one garden at a time.

To your perfect health,
Nancy Heinrich
Founder, Growing Healthy Kids

Growing Healthy Kids: A New Year, New Commitments, New Results: Tip Two

Growing Healthy Kids: A New Year, New Commitments, New Results: Tip Two: "My dear friends, I love a good piece of cake once in a while, don't you? There's nothing wrong with a little sugar. The problem is too muc..."

A New Year, New Commitments, New Results: Tip Two

My dear friends,

I love a good piece of cake once in a while, don't you? There's nothing wrong with a little sugar. The problem is too much sugar.

While it used to be simple to figure out which foods have a lot of sugar, there are a lot more names for sugar than there used to be. We just have to be smarter about what we eat. Here's the bottom line: whatever you call sugar, it has 4 calories a gram and zero nutritional value ("empty calories"). Do you (and your kids?) need to get to a healthier weight?? Do you have diabetes in your family?? Then this tip is for you. Tip Two: EAT LESS SUGAR.

Here's a few names for sugar:
molasses
honey
lactose (the sugar found in milk)
fructose (the sugar found in fruit and some veggies)
agave nectar
corn syrup
high fructose corn syrup
maple syrup
table sugar

You can help Growing Healthy Kids reach more adults and kids expand the reach of our education programs to halt and reverse childhood obesity. Our first event - A Fusion of Fashion and Fun - will be held on Tuesday, February 1, 2011 in Vero Beach, Florida. Who do you know who would love to purchase a ticket to this great event and support our movement to prevent obesity-related diseases (such as diabetes and high blood pressure) in children? Go to http://www.irculture.com/gala.cfm. Simply scroll down to the bottom to buy tickets. And stay tuned for Tip Three...

For more information about Growing Healthy Kids, go to httt://http://www.growinghealthykids.me/. Together, we can halt and prevent childhood obesity!

To your perfect health.
Nancy Heinrich
Founder, Growing Healthy Kids

PS -- Instead of having cookies in the house for an afterschool snack, leave a dish of grape tomatoes (that's what's in the photo at the top next to your tip!). They taste good and they're good for you! Remember, with small changes like this, you can ensure that your kids will develop good eating habits for the rest of their life.

A New Year, New Commitments, New Results: Tip One

My dear friends,

Growing Healthy Kids is a movement to educate Americans about reversing and preventing childhood obesity. Act boldly and BE the solution. Since today IS the first day of your life as well as the first day of 2011, make the new commitment to get new results. So here is Tip One for _______'s (fill in your name) A New Year, New Commitments, New Results: Make one SMART health goal every week in 2011. What is a SMART health goal, you ask? It is a goal that is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Specific. As an example, I'll share my own SMART health goal for Week 1: I will weigh myself on Monday 1/3/2011 and Thursday 1/6/2011 at 6 AM and record my weights in my logbook. If I gained any weight while I was on my family vacation last week, then I will commit to eat smaller portions at dinner on Monday through Friday this week. Now, make your first SMART health goal for 2011, write it down, and tell someone what it is so you have an accountability partner!

You can help Growing Healthy Kids, Inc. reach more adults and children with our education programs to halt and reverse childhood obesity. Our first annual event - A Fusion of Fashion and Fun - will be held on Tuesday, February 1, 2011 in Vero Beach, Florida. Who do you know who will purchase a ticket to this great event and become part of our movement to prevent obesity-related diseases (like diabetes and high blood pressure) in children? Go to http://www.irculture.com/gala.cfm and scroll to the bottom to purchase tickets.

For more information about Growing Healthy Kids, Inc., click on http://www.growinghealthykids.me/.

To your perfect health.
Nancy Heinrich
Founder, Growing Healthy Kids

PS - The first ten people to share their 2011 week one SMART health goal in the "Comment" section below will receive a copy of the new Growing Healthy Kids e-book, "Tips for Growing Healthy Kids - and Families."