DECEMBER 2013 NEWSLETTER

ISSUE 34

Wishing you all a Happy and Healthy Holiday! While the weather has been quite cold and uninviting, we are lucky to have so many assets at our feet to get outside and still be active during the Minnesota winter. For many, part of their holiday tradition is being outside and enjoying the peacefulness of a Minnesota winter. Being outside is good for our inside - no matter the temperature! The Wright County Parks Department offers a wide array of options for our residents to keep active in the winter. People can find groomed cross county skiing at 5 locations, winter walking trails at 3 county parks, dog sledding and snowshoe rental on the weekends at Robert Ney Regional Park. If you are unable to enjoy one of these local resources this winter, all the snow shoveling is certainly a wonderful exercise as well! We are now 7 weeks into SHIP 3 and here is a brief overview of what our SHIP staff has been up to: Sue: In the childcare setting, I have been gathering information on the number of childcare sites,
number of children in childcare, and what, if any, curriculums are being used in the areas of nutrition, physical activity and breastfeeding at these sites in Wright County.

Joel: Met with Rockford Middle Schools Agriculture Teacher to discuss their opportunity for building a
garden in an adjacent vacant lot to school and have been asked to present at the 2014 Schoolyard Gardens Conference. A meeting will be scheduled soon to talk with regional partners (Counties, MDH and MN DOT) to discuss our Active Living work.

Alison: Contacted principals of our targeted elementary schools to discuss individual Active School
Day assessments and wellness committees. Additionally, she has had preliminary conversations with the Association for Nonsmokers Minnesota regarding our work on smoke-free multi-unit housing.

Other:
- Attended the SHIP 3 Kickoff on December 10th and the BCBS MN Camp Engagement on December 11th. - Plan on attending a number of required SHIP related trainings in January & February 2014. - After some debate, Stearns County has decided to accept their SHIP grant dollars, which is great news for their residents! It also means we can forge ahead with our regional projects.

Are you or someone you know looking for a new hobby to help you get through the winter? If so, I would strongly encourage you to look into fat bikes; often a beefier bike frame, with nice wide tires. Makes riding in the snow, probably easier than traversing it with a front wheel drive car. Here is an article if you want to learn more about fat bikes Why Fat Bikes Could Be For You Are you interested in learning more about what is happening with the MN Food Charter? They have recently posted an update and we encourage you all to check it out! Food Charter Input: You Talked, We Listened

December Video Spotlight We all have a stake in A to B

Resources: - MnDOT seeks applicants for $4.7 million in SRTS grants - CDC Health Disparities and Inequities Report US, 2013 - Model Statute Limiting Food Marketing in Schools

News & Stories on Health, Obesity and Obesity Prevention

Can sugary drinks increase cancer, dementia risk? (Pioneer Press, 11/20/2013) Staying active all day linked to longer, healthier life (NBC News, 11/29/2013) Why Biking is Good For the Soul (Outside Online, 12/4/2013) What Separates A Healthy Diet and Unhealthy Diet? Just $1.50 Per Day (MPRNEWS, 12/6/2013) Minnesotas health care spending brakes sharply (Star Tribune, 12/12/2013)