This is my last monthly article as a part of the Tennessee State University Well Connected Communities Coalition since it ends this month. I have been asked to continue writing articles and plan to do so. My experience teaching classes and conducting events has been heartwarming. I will share some of the incites I have received by working in the Denmark and East Jackson Communities.
~~ Youth were very responsive to newer tastes. When I hid vegetables in foods like brownies, one young man said, “We have zucchini bread at school. I guess it has vegetables in it. It is very good.” The only food I served where the youth asked for more were the Veggie Wraps. I was so surprised to find they loved them. The whole grain flour tortilla shell contained guacamole spread, spinach, thin sliced radish, carrot, and turkey with lemon juice.
Youth have much difficulty understanding age as it relates to good health, and they were very unclear about what a long healthy life might be. When I asked how old they wanted to live to be there was complete silence in the room and finally I got a 48 and 54 answer. I recall telling them I had 10 people in my close family live to be over 90 years old. We know many of our adult health problems are because of our behaviors.
Youth must be challenged to eat half of their plates in fruits and vegetables, limit fast foods to two times per week, be very active, limit screentime outside of school/work not to exceed 2 hours, no smoking no vaping. Enjoy these habits early in life!
~~ Aged participants in the WCC programs were enjoyable. I told them their habits were evidently pretty good for them to have succeeded in healthy living so long. I spent a lot of time helping them with ways to encourage their children and grandchildren to form habits in a world of low activity. We discussed ways to help children enjoy gardening with their senior family members, harvest the foods and enjoy the foods.
It IS a crime to be unhealthy and habits that contribute to good health are up to us in most cases. What choices are you making today? Music to an educator’s ears are such comments as I heard from young and middle-aged parents, “I have been trying hard to have everyone in my house live healthier.” or “I’m really trying to eat healthy!”
What is the Well-Connected Communities Coalition? Well-Connected Communities is an effort to cultivate wellness across the country. America's Cooperative Extension System, Tennessee State University Cooperative Extension Program, in partnership with National 4-H Council, is equipping volunteer leaders to help their neighbors be healthier at every stage of life. With the support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the nation’s largest philanthropy dedicated solely to health, these communities are cultivating wellness and fostering a Culture of Health
in America. Locally, we are a group of approximately 15 agencies and individuals interested in the betterment of health in residents of the East Jackson and Denmark Communities.