October 16, World Food Day

World Food Day was established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in November 1979. FAO celebrates World Food Day each year on October 16th, the day on which the Organization was founded in 1945.

The official World Food Day theme, announced each spring by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, gives focus to World Food Day observances and raises awareness and understanding of approaches to ending hunger.

“Agricultural cooperatives – key to feeding the world” is the formal wording of the 2012 theme. It has been chosen to highlight the role of cooperatives in improving food security and contributing to the eradication of hunger.

Interest in cooperatives and rural organizations is also reflected in the decision of the UN General Assembly to designate 2012 “International Year of Cooperatives.

World Food Day 2012 This World Food Day, you can help to change the life of a child like Molly at no cost to you. All you need to do is watch. At the end of the video, please take a few minutes to take Molly's quiz, http://www.wfp.org/molly

Hungry Planet Episode 20 - Special Report

Presented in this video are three reports on agricultural cooperatives, a key to food security.

• In Guatemala, farmers making a living from small plots of land struggle to produce bigger crops, become better connected to markets and earn more money.
• In Afghanistan, as foreign troops prepare to leave, an unexpected kind of peace building is taking place thanks to the rise in dairy cooperatives.
• In Southern Niger, agricultural cooperatives gain access to better seeds and better farming techniques to fight the region's severe droughts.

World Food Day Poster Design Competition - The Winners!

The first-ever World Food Day Poster Design Competition, for children and young people, drew some 3,621 posters from 72 countries around the world.

The winning posters were announced on World Food Day – Tuesday, 16 October 2012 – by FAO and the United Nations Women’s Guild in Rome, Italy, organizers of the international contest.

Contestants were asked to interpret the 2012 theme of World Food Day: “Agricultural cooperatives: key to feeding the world.”

Posters were drawn, painted, sketched, or created digitally. The judges selected the top 3 entries in each of 3 categories: ages 5-8, ages 9-12, and ages 13-17.

Take a look at this year’s winners!

The objectives of World Food Day are to:

*Encourage attention to agricultural food production and to stimulate national, bilateral, multilateral and non-governmental efforts to this end;

*Encourage economic and technical cooperation among developing countries;

*Encourage the participation of rural people, particularly women and the least privileged categories, in decisions and activities influencing their living conditions;

*Heighten public awareness of the problem of hunger in the world;

*Promote the transfer of technologies to the developing world; and

*Strengthen international and national solidarity in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty and draw attention to achievements in food and agricultural development.

To learn more about World Food Day, visit the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

October 15, Global Handwashing Day

Global Handwashing Day 2012 will involve millions of people in over 100 countries around the world. Global Handwashing Day (GHD) was created to:
• Foster and support a global culture of handwashing with soap.
• Shine a spotlight on the state of handwashing in every country.
• Raise awareness about the benefits of handwashing with soap.

Why Handwashing with Soap?

Handwashing with soap is the most effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrheal and acute respiratory infections, which take the lives of millions of children in developing countries every year. Together, they are responsible for the majority of all child deaths. Yet, despite its lifesaving potential, handwashing with soap is seldom practiced and difficult to promote.

Turning handwashing with soap before eating and after using the toilet into a habit could save more lives than any single vaccine or medical intervention, cutting deaths from diarrhea by almost half and deaths from acute respiratory infections by one-quarter. A vast change in handwashing behavior is critical to meeting the Millennium Development Goal of reducing deaths among children under the age of five by two-thirds by 2015.

Global Handwashing Day focuses on children because they suffer the most from diarrheal and respiratory diseases and deaths, but research shows that children can also be powerful agents for changing behaviors like handwashing with soap in their communities.

When should you wash your hands?
·         Before, during, and after preparing food
·         Before eating food
·         Before and after caring for someone who is sick
·         Before and after treating a cut or wound
·         After using the toilet
·         After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
·         After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
·         After touching an animal or animal waste
·         After touching garbage
 

For more information on handwashing with soap, including research, tools, and news visit www.globalhandwashing.org.

The Global Handwashing Day's theme video with
instructions for children on how to wash their hands properly.

It’s In Your Hands

Resources and References

1. CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Handwashing:Clean Hands Save Lives

2. Global Handwashing Day

3. Kids Eat Right, Hand-washing Basics

4. Partnership for Food Safety Education, Fight BAC!

5. The Scrub Club. A fun, interactive and educational Web site that teaches children the proper way to wash their hands. The site contains interactive games, educational music, downloadable activities for kids, educational materials for teachers and program information for parents.

6. Healthy Schools, Healthy People, It’s a SNAP! (School Network for Absenteeism Prevention) program is a joint initiative of the CDC and American Cleaning Institute. This program seeks to improve hand hygiene habits to help prevent the spread of infectious disease and reduce related absenteeism. This grassroots, education-based effort can help improve health by making hand cleaning an integral part of the school day. Without proper hand cleaning, a single infection can quickly spread among students, teachers, family and friends.

October 14-20, 2012 National Food Bank Week

Resource. Feeding America
In many ways, America is the land of plenty. But for 1 in 6 people in the United States, hunger is a reality. Many people believe that the problems associated with hunger are confined to small pockets of society, certain areas of the country, or certain neighborhoods, but the reality is much different.

Right now, millions of Americans are struggling with hunger. These are often hard-working adults, children and seniors who simply cannot make ends meet and are forced to go without food for several meals, or even days.

It’s time to educate ourselves about the causes of hunger in America. 

One in Seven US Seniors Live in Poverty

Feeding America network of 200 food banks across the country are first-class organizations in the fight against hunger. They are more than just distribution centers, they are core to providing hope to the communities they serve.

The following is a summary of the information found on the Feeding America Website. 

Nearly 49 million people in America face hunger. That is 1 in 6 of the U.S. population – including more than 1 in 5 children. Don’t let their struggles go unheard. Join the Feeding America network of more than 200 food banks and Speak Out Against Hunger. http://hungeractionmonth.org/

Feeding America is the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity. Their mission is to feed America's hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks and engage our country in the fight to end hunger.

Feeding America provides emergency food assistance to an estimated 37 million low-income people annually, a 46 percent increase from 25 million since Hunger in America 2010.

Among members of Feeding America, 74 percent of pantries, 65 percent of kitchens, and 54 percent of shelters reported that there had been an increase since 2006 in the number of clients who come to their emergency food program sites.

Hunger can affect anyone. Feeding America has identified groups at risk, including young children, hunger in the suburbs, rural hunger, senior hunger, and the working poor.

Special on Childhood Hunger
Kate is a fictional character who represents the very situation in which many children find themselves when their parents lose their jobs. Find out how you can help.  http://hungeractionmonth.org/

Childhood hunger hinders a young person's ability to learn. They are more likely to suffer from poverty as an adult. Scientific evidence suggests that hungry children are less likely to become productive citizens. Insufficient nutrition puts children at risk for illness and weakens their immune system. The immature immune systems of young children, ages 0 – 5, make them especially vulnerable to nutritional deprivation and as a result, the ability to learn, grow, and fight infections is adversely affected.

Personal Note.

Sandra Frank, Ed.D, RD, LDN

Curriculum Vita
Portfolio 

Please find out how you can help during National Food Bank Week. 

Fire Prevention Week, October 7-13, 2012 Fire Prevention in the Kitchen

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

The mission of the international nonprofit NFPA, established in 1896, is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education.
 
NFPA is the world's leading advocate of fire prevention and an authoritative source on public safety. The association develops, publishes, and disseminates more than 300 consensus codes and standards intended to minimize the possibility and effects of fire and other risks.

Fire Prevention in the Kitchen
Is my kitchen safe?

Cooking Fire Prevention


Can you name at least five Fire Hazards
in the photograph? 

Reference:  National Fire Protection Association

1. Stay alert. If you've consumed alcohol or taken medication that makes you drowsy - Do not cook. 
2. Leading cause of fire in the kitchen is unattended cooking. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove. Use a timer to remind you that you’re cooking. 
3. Keep items that can catch fire away from heat sources, such as oven gloves, towels, wood, plastic, etc... Wear short, close-fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking. Loose clothing can catch on fire if it comes in contact with a flame or an electric burner. 
4. Keep the stovetop, burners, and oven clean. 
5. Grease Fire: Always keep a lid nearby when you’re cooking. If a small grease fire starts in a pan, smother the flames by sliding a lid over the pan. Turn off the burner. Do not move the pan or lid until the pan is completely cool. Never pour water on a grease fire. Never discharge a fire extinguisher onto a pan fire; it can spray or shoot burning grease around the kitchen and spread the fire. 
6. Oven Fire. Turn off the heat and keep the door closed until it is cool. The oven should be checked and/or serviced before using it again. 
7. When in doubt, just get out! Make sure you close the door behind you to help contain the fire. After you leave, call 911 and meet in your designated meeting place. 
8. Only use a fire extinguisher if you are trained. 
9. Create a safety area for children and pets. At least 3 feet from the stove and areas where hot food or drink is prepared or served. Never hold a child while you are cooking, eating or drinking hot foods or liquids. 
10. Plug cooking appliances directly into an outlet. Never use an extension cord for a cooking appliance. It can overload the circuit and cause a fire. Check electrical cords for cracks, breaks, damage, or overheating. Call a professional repair person and replace the appliance, if necessary. 
11. Place or install a microwave oven at a safe height within easy reach of all users. Always supervise children when they are using the microwave oven. Use only microwave-safe cookware. Never use aluminum foil or metal objects in a microwave oven. Open microwaved food slowly and away from the face. Hot steam can escape from a microwaved container of food and can cause burns. Never heat a baby bottle in a microwave oven. 
12. Propane, charcoal, and wood pellet barbecue grills must only be used outdoors. Indoor use can be deadly due to either a fire or carbon monoxide poisoning. Place a grill away from siding and deck railings and out from under eaves and overhanging branches. Do not store or use a grill on a porch or balcony, including any porch or balcony on an upper level of the building. Place the grill a safe distance from lawn furniture, games, and play areas. Use long-handled grilling tools. Never leave a barbecue grill unattended.

    _____________________________________________________

The week is fire prevention week, October 7-13. My son and I wanted to thank the Coral Springs EMT for going above and beyond to help us. The CS Medical Center turned us away when Jake's wheelchair ran out of power. The CS Fire Dept assisted Jake and offered to recharge his wheelchair and provide him with food. This was during Hurricane Wilma, when we were out of power for over a week. Thank you. We will forever remember your kindness.

Columbus Day and a Look at Scurvy

This year Columbus Day is celebrated in the United States on October 8, 2012.

On the evening of August 3, 1492, Columbus departed from Palos de la Frontera, Spain with three ships: the Niña, Pinta and Santa María. Land was sighted on October 12, 1492. Columbus called the island San Salvador (today it is known as the Bahamas).

Scurvy was a major health problem onboard Christopher Columbus ships. Fresh fruits and vegetables were not taken on these long voyages due to spoilage. This resulted in a high incidence of scurvy among the sailors. The relationship between scurvy and Vitamin C had not been discovered yet.

The typical foods brought on these long journeys consisted of water, vinegar, wine, olive oil, molasses, honey, cheese, rice, almonds, salted flour, sea biscuits, dry legumes, salted and barreled sardines, anchovies, dry salt cod and pickled or salted meats (beef and pork). Fresh livestock included pigs and chickens were part of the ships provisions. Fish was readily available.

Foods were commonly salted and pickled as a method of preserving the food. The crew was served two meals a day. Foods were mostly boiled and served in a large wooden bowl. The sailors ate with their fingers because they had no forks or spoons. There was a lack of proper sanitation. Hand washing before meals was not required.

There is a legend that during one of Christopher Columbus's voyages some sailors had scurvy and wanted to be dropped off at one of the nearby islands and die there rather then dying on board. While the men were on the island they ate some of the island's fresh fruits and vegetables and to their amazement began to recover. When Columbus's ships passed by several months later, the captain saw the men were alive and healthy. The island was named Curacao, meaning Cure.

Foods Rich in Vitamin C

Pirates For Sail talks about Scurvy Awareness and Prevention

Filmed at Piratz Tavern, Silver Spring, MD 

October 5, World Teacher's Day

World Teachers’ Day is held annually on October 5 to celebrate the vital role teachers provide in quality education at all levels. World Teacher’s Day also commemorates the anniversary of the 1966 signature of the UNESCO/ILO Recommendation Concerning the Status of Teachers with guidelines concerning educational policies, curricula, training, employment, work conditions and teachers participation in decision-making. 
 

World Teachers’ Day

UNESCO’s principal field of activities is education. Since its creation in 1945, the Organization has worked to improve education worldwide believing it is the key to social and economic development. The Organization aims to help build a sustainable world with just societies that value knowledge, promote peace, celebrate diversity and defend human rights, achieved by providing Education for All (EFA).

Teachers Make a Difference

October 2, World Farm Animal Day and Vegetarian Awareness Month

World Farm Animals Day takes place on October 2nd, which honors the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, an advocate of non-violence towards animals.

World Farm Animals Day (WFAD), founded in 1983, is dedicated to exposing and memorializing the needless suffering and death of cows, pigs, turkeys, chickens, and other innocent, sentient animals raised and slaughtered for food. World Farm Animals Day will continue until animals are no longer seen as commodities are raised for their flesh and by-products.

Resources

The Vegetarian Resource Group

Note from Author.  Education materials are designed to be "Family Friendly;" therefore, I chose not to portray the slaughter of animals.

October Food, Nutrition, and Health Events

Current News, Resources and Events in Nutrition, Food, Health, Environment, Safety and Disability Rights. Encourages awareness and inspires ideas for Journalists, Educators, Consumers and Health Professionals. Wellness News is up-dated daily and includes weekly and daily events. To view the entire Newsletter online click here or subscribe to Wellness News by adding your email address to the link on the left.

October Monthly Events

October Health, Nutrition, and Food Events

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

National Disability Employment Awareness Month

  Celiac Disease Awareness Month 

Dyslexia Awareness Month 

Global Diversity Awareness Month

Health Literacy Month

Learning Disability Awareness Month

Long Term Care Planning Month

National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month

National Chiropractic Month

National Dental Hygiene Month 

National Depression Education and Awareness Month

National Down Syndrome Awareness Month

National Liver Awareness Month

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

National Crime Prevention Month 

National Cyber Security Awareness Month

National Orthodontic Health Month

National Physical Therapy Month  

National Protect Your Hearing Month

National Reading Group Month 

National Spina Bifida Awareness Month

World Menopause Month

Food Events

Food Day

UNICEF

Tackling Hunger Month 

Halloween Safety Month

National Farm to School Month

Vegetarian Month
American Cheese Month 

National Apple Month

  

National Bake and Decorate Month

Caffeine Addiction Recovery Month 

Cookbook Month 

National Caramel Month 

National Chili Month 

National Cookie Month

National Country Ham Month

National Dessert Month

National Pasta Month

National Pickled Peppers Month

National Pizza Month 

National Popcorn Poppin' Month 

National Pork Month 

National Pretzel Month

Sausage Month

National Seafood Month

National Spinach-Lovers Month

Co-op Awareness Month 

National Eat Better, Eat Together Month

Fair Trade Month

Gourmet Adventures Month

National Go on a Field Trip Month 

National Health Care Food Service Month

National Kitchen and Bath Month 

National Restaurant Hospitality Month

Adopt a Shelter Dog Month 

National Animal Safety Protection Month

September 29 World Heart Day

"One World, One Home, One Heart"

World Heart Day was created to inform people around the globe that heart disease and stroke are the world’s leading cause of death, claiming 17.1 million lives each year, 80% in the developing world.

The World Heart Federation exists to prevent and control these diseases through awareness campaigns and action, promoting the exchange of information, ideas and science among those involved in cardiovascular care, advocating for disease prevention and control by promoting healthy diets, physical activity and tobacco free living at an individual, community and policy maker level. There work is organized in four programme areas.

     Awareness

     Advocacy

     Applied Research
     Sharing Science and  Building Capacity

Over 70 per cent of all cardiac and breathing emergencies occur in the home when a family member is present and available to help a victim.

Learn the signs and symptoms of a heart attack or stroke 

Warning Signs of a Heart Attack include:
* Chest discomfort, including squeezing or pain in the centre of the chest between the breasts or behind the breastbone
*  Discomfort and/or pain spreading to other areas of the upper body such as one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach
*  Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort
Other signs include: unexplained weakness or fatigue, anxiety or unusual nervousness, indigestion or gas-like pain, breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, vomiting, light-headedness and collapse.

Warning Signs of a Stroke include:

*  Sudden weakness of the face, arm, or leg, most often on one side of the body
*  Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
*  Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
*  Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination

*  Sudden, severe headache with no known cause
If experiencing any of these signs, which could come and go, call your emergency services/ambulance immediately.  If there is no emergency response number, seek medical attention as soon as possible.

CVD risk factors include:

*  Being overweight
*  High blood cholesterol
*  Tobacco use
*  Lack of physical activity*  High blood pressure
*  Presence of diabetes

Visit the World Heart Foundation for more information.

    

National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

On September 1, 2010 President Obama declared September
"National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month".

President Obama stated, "One of the greatest responsibilities we have as a Nation is to safeguard the health and well-being of our children. We now face a national childhood obesity crisis, with nearly one in every three of America's children being overweight or obese. There are concrete steps we can take right away as concerned parents, caregivers, educators, loved ones, and a Nation to ensure that our children are able to live full and active lives. During National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, I urge all Americans to take action to meet our national goal of solving the problem of childhood obesity within a generation."

Obesity has a profound effect on a child's life. Health problems related to childhood obesity include:

Asthma

Diabetes, type 2
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Heart failure
Bone and joint problems in the lower body
Growth abnormalities
Emotional and social problems
Poor self-esteem
Victims of Bullying
Breathing problems
Rashes or fungal infections of the skin

Children who are overweight or obese are more likely to become an obese adult with health problems in adulthood, such as: 
Heart disease
Stroke 
Certain types of cancer 
Osteoarthritis 
Gout 
Gallbladder disease

Children are our future. As adults, parents, educators and health professionals it is our responsibility to teach children about healthy food choices, benefits of physical activities and building self-esteem.

Resources

Child Health and Nutrition Resources Visit the Childhood Obesity Awareness Month website for a toolkit including tips and resources.
	Kids Eat Right your source for scientifically-based health and nutrition information you can trust to help your child grow healthy. As a parent or caretaker you need reliable resources and you can find them here, backed by the expertise of nutrition professionals.
	Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is your source for trustworthy, science-based food and nutrition information. The worlds largest organization of food and nutrition professionals, AND is committed to improving the nation's health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy.
	Let’s Move  is about putting children on the path to a healthy future during their earliest months and years. Giving parents helpful information and fostering environments that support healthy choices. Providing healthier foods in our schools. Ensuring that every family has access to healthy, affordable food. And, helping children become more physically active.
	Choose MyPlate.  The website features practical information and tips to help Americans build healthier diets.
	Action for Healthy Kids,  believe there are ways to reduce and prevent childhood obesity and undernourishment. Learn how Action for Healthy Kids is working with schools, families and communities to help our kids learn to be healthier and be ready to learn.
	Healthy Children  The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and its member pediatricians dedicate their efforts and resources to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. Healthy Children - Nutrition; Food Allergies in Children
	Team Nutrition; 10 Tips Nutrition Education Series; Menu Planner for Healthy School Meals; Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ Materials. Campaign launched by USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to encourage and teach children, parents, and caregivers to eat healthy and be physically active every day. Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ is about making America's children healthier. It's about practical suggestions that will help you motivate children and their caregivers to eat healthy and be active. Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ Campaign messages and materials are fun for children and informative for caregivers. Building Blocks for Fun and Healthy Meals; Fact Sheets For Healthier School Meals
	We Can. The We Can! GO, SLOW, and WHOA Foods fact sheet (pdf) can be posted on the refrigerator or used when grocery shopping. The We Can! Parent Tips - Snack (pdf) 100 Calories or Less tip sheet can help consumers choose vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat (1 percent) milk for healthier snacks.
	The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day. The program was established under the National School Lunch Act, signed by President Harry Truman in 1946.
	The School Breakfast Program (SBP) provides cash assistance to States to operate nonprofit breakfast programs in schools and residential childcare institutions. The program is administered at the Federal level by FNS. State education agencies administer the SBP at the State level, and local school food authorities operate it in schools.

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