OGDEN FARMERS MARKET-EXTENDED

The organizers of Farmers Market Ogden have extended the market into October, which means five extra weeks of shopping local. 

The extended season, which is being called Fall Market, will be located at the Ogden City Amphitheater, 343 E 25th St., and will continue to showcase local musicians, vendors and community partners each Saturday in October.

“We just felt like it was important to offer it to people for as long as we possibly could,” said Dan Musgrave, executive director of Downtown Ogden Inc., the community organization that runs the market. “It’s the second biggest market in Utah, after Salt Lake (City) and we’re growing every year.”

Ogden Mayor Mike Caldwell said he was happy with the expansion, noting the yearly market and its local flavor is “part of what makes our city unique.”

For the first week, which will be October 1st, there will be a ASDT Fall Market Costume Yoga event. Here are the details straight from their Facebook page: 

"Please Join ASDT Ambassador Charlotte Evans as we start the Fall Market Yoga series off right with our first community yoga flow with COSTUMES. We are so excited the Halloween month is here and Fall Market 's opening day is Oct 1st!! We will be meeting on the stage inside the amphitheater. Please bring your own mat, class will start promptly at 9am. We will be giving a prize to the best costume!! These community classes are free but donations are kindly accepted. This class is for all ages!! Bring the whole family and enjoy this fun filled costume yoga at the opening day of the Fall Market!"

Here is the link to the Facebook page for more information!

https://www.facebook.com/farmersmarketogden/

Ogden Utah Lester Park 

This park is located next to the Ogden City Library Main Branch and Golden Hours Senior Center. 

663 24th St Ogden Utah 84401

Members of the Utah chapter of the American Institute of Architects decided updating the city on a $30,000 park design competition that will begin this spring.

The idea for making a competition came after heated public response to Ogden City 

amending a community plan that would have allowed for a 20-stall parking lot expansion at 

the library. The expansion would have taken a chunk of the park. But after the uproar, the 

city recruited the assistance of the Utah Young Architects Forum, the AIA Utah Northern C

chapter, the Utah Committee on Urban Design and the Rotary Club to feel out the public’s 

desire for the future of the park. The group then hosted a series of public outreach meetings 

to identify community opinions and ideas for the park.

The three finalists will each receive $5,000 and have their design plan displayed at Weber County Library’s Ogden branch, 2464 Jefferson Ave., which sits adjacent to the park. The public will then vote on a final design, with the winning architect taking home the remaining $15,000. The cash prize is being donated by the Ogden Rotary Club.

The competition will begin sometime in May, with three finalists being selected by the jury in August. The public will then be asked to chose the winning design, with the winner announced sometime in October.

Sites for more information:

https://www.facebook.com/lesterparkogden

http://www.ogdencity.com/en/community/parks/lester_park.aspx

To enter the contest or find out more about it:

You can reach reporter Mitch Shaw at mishaw@standard.net or at 801-625-4233. Follow him on Twitter at @mitchshaw23 or like him on Facebook.

Childhood Obesity

One in 3 children in the United States are overweight or obese!
 Childhood obesity puts kids at risk for health problems that were once seen only in adults, like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

We can all use this month to raise awareness about the obesity epidemic and show people how they can take steps toward a solution:

• Encourage families to make small changes in their diet like keep fresh fruits and vegetables available at easy access
• Go on a family walk or hike after dinner
• Be involved to make schools healthier through healthy food options and daily physical activities for students.
• Be a leader in the community by supporting programs that prevent childhood obesity

http://www.fmi.org/family-meals-month


Here are a few examples of how to make a difference:

• Add information about obesity prevention to your newsletter.
• Tweet about National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month.
• Host a community event where families can be active while learning about local health resources.
• Become a partner of We Can!, a national movement to help children ages 8 to 13 stay at a healthy weight.

For more information:

CDC's Childhood Overweight and Obesity

Vital Signs—Progress on Childhood Obesity

Strategies to Prevent Obesity—Early Care and Education

CDC Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans

BMI Calculator for Children and Teens

ChooseMyPlate.gov

Adolescent and School Health

Water Access in Schools

Let's Move! Child Care

Let's Move! Salad Bars to School

2016 Weber County Walk to end Alzheimer's

The walk to end Alzheimer's is held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide. It is the world's largest event to rise awareness and funds for Alzheimer research, support, and care.

The walk will take place September 24, 2016 at 9:00 am. It will be held at the Ogden Botanical Gardens 1750 Monroe Blvd Ogden UT 844001. The route length is 2 miles long.

It is easy to sign up and get involved! You can go onto their site and register as a team captain, a team member, or as an individual. Then you simply start fund raising and raising awareness! There are prizes awarded to those who raise the most.

Where do all of the funds go? They go to support which includes online message boards, support groups, helpline services. They go to research like scientific proposals and advancements, brings the global research community together. Lastly is helps speak for the needs and rights of people affected by helping pass landmark legislation, ensures federal policy reflects Alzheimer's epidemic, and recruits and trains thousands of advocates so it can't be ignored.

There are other options to participate as well! You can help by simply donating or there are volunteer options as well. Joining the planning committee or volunteering at the event on the actual day are some options.

For more information or to get registered visit their website

 http://act.alz.org/site/TR?fr_id=9360&pg=entry

Or contact: Jana Rae Shaw | 801.265.1944 | jshaw@alz.org



Healthy Lifestyles are Part of TOP Star Approved Daycare Centers

TOP Star is a program that targets childhood obesity in childcare facilities. Participating facilities go through a five-step process which includes self-assessment, action planning, training, reevaluation, and endorsement. Each step encompasses the level of nutrition and physical activity of children in the facilities. First, childcare facility employees participate in the self-assessment which they complete on their own. Next, TOP Star coordinators set goals with the facilities so they can identify problem areas and improve the health of their kids.

Kara Eddington, the director of Children's Classic Child Care in Ogden went over the facility's goals for nutrition and physical activity with TOP Star coordinators last month. The center has been endorsed for 3 years and strives to keep their kids healthy. Eddington explains the food program resources they use so their children can learn about nutrition and then make snacks of their own. "We love [TOP Star]. It's a really great program for children to be exposed to new foods," she says.

Future chefs learn to cook healthy foods as part of thee TOP Star program.
Photo courtesy Children's Classic Child Care in Ogden. 

Children's Classic enforces a 20-minute screen time limit per week for each child. The center encourages active playtime, especially outdoors when the weather permits. Eddington explains that kids these days are more likely to stay inside and play on their electronic devices. She says, "I definitely think children aren't being as physically active as they should be."

Eddington says that they have separated the playground into zones and an adult in charge of each one creates an activity that combines both physical activity and themes children are learning about currently. She gives the example of combining art and physical activity such as when the kids got to participate in making dinosaur footprints in the sand box.

In order to be TOP Star endorsed, childcare facility managers must participate in training. There are 2 training sessions per year. The next training takes place September 17^th and 24^th from 9 AM-3 PM. Individuals who attend the training receive 10 licensing credits and 10 continuing education credits. Though the training is mostly focused on those looking to get their facility endorsed, anyone is welcome to participate.

TOP Star training in March featured fun activities 
childcare workers can implement to keep the kids moving!

The training consists of six presentations including obesity prevalence and prevention in America, nutrition, physical activity, breastfeeding, personal health of childcare workers, and working with families to promote healthy weight behaviors.

After a few months of working on the goals, TOP Star coordinators go back to the facility to reevaluate and complete a second self-assessment. Based on their improvement compared to the first self-assessment, the childcare facilities can be TOP Star endorsed by the state of Utah which means they are providing proper nutrition and physical activity to their children which in turn helps to prevent childhood obesity.

The endorsement lasts for three years, and every time it expires TOP Star coordinators visit each facility again for another self-assessment, to set new goals, and to renew their endorsement if they meet criteria for proper nutrition and physical activity. TOP Star endorsement is based on a three-star rating system and each rank has a point value attached.

Weber-Morgan Health Department teams up with Davis County Health Department for the training sessions and to create a monthly newsletter for childcare providers. Topics in the newsletter include indoor play time during hot weather to get kids' hearts pumping, healthy kid-friendly recipes, and other ideas for physical activity and nutrition. Childcare providers can use these ideas to improve the health of the kids at their facilities. The newsletters are not only sent to facilities that are already endorsed, but also other facilities who are working on endorsement.

Sheri Winn, the TOP Star consultant at Weber-Morgan Health Department, works to keep up endorsements. She approaches childcare facilities and asks them if they would like to get involved. “A lot of people don’t know about TOP Star so I usually have to do the cold calls to help them learn about it,” she says.

Winn has worked with seven childcare facilities since she became the TOP Star consultant for the area and of those she has endorsed three so far and one is in the process. Overall, Sheri says this program is showing great success.

For more information visit:

TOP Star: http://choosehealth.utah.gov/prek-12/childcare/top-star-program.php

Children's Classic: http://www.childrensclassic.net/ &

https://www.facebook.com/Childrens-Classic-Child-Care-1590561017829405/

Fun & Easy Exercise at your local Big-D Sports Park

Big-D Sports Park, located at 1376 Park Blvd. in downtown Ogden, has a new exciting addition -- physical activity stations! If your family is looking for an inexpensive way to get some fun exercise, look no further. The 9 stations offer a full body workout on safe and easy-to-use equipment. The design allows for people of all ages to participate.

The GOAL Foundations and other partners worked to create the stations last fall and they are still a work-in-progress. Carla Taylor, who has been an employee at GOAL Foundation for 3 ½ years knows all about the process of creating the stations.

Taylor, a former Weber State women’s basketball coach, was hired at GOAL Foundation because they wanted a full-time employee to be in charge of the youth program and community outreach. “It was a perfect way to stay involved and give back and be a part of the Ogden community.”

The idea for the Big-D Park stations came from Jeff Furton, a past youth committee chair, who always dreamed of having an exercise course from GOAL along the Ogden Marathon course. “More than anything [he wanted to] provide a means for kids to have fun, take their parents, and make it a family atmosphere down on the trail and combine that with physical activity.”

Taylor says that individuals from several organizations wanted to participate in creating the stations. “It was different community partners that came together and said, ‘Let’s put our heads together and make this happen.'”

The GOAL Foundation was ultimately able to make the stations happen with a grant from Intermountain Healthcare and the Weber County RAMP (Recreation, Arts, Museums, Parks) grant which provided the funds to make the stations. Ogden City was also instrumental because it is on city land, and officials wanted GOAL to keep the grass area open since it’s a popular area to fly kites since there are no power lines overhead. Sponsors helped pay for each station. Taylor says a few are still open.

There are no plans to replicate these physical activity stations in the Ogden area. “It’s hard to find a place that you have space that you’re able to use and the community would have access to, but we do have [Big-D Sports Park].”

Officials plan to introduce the station to the public with a community breakfast and activity later this summer.

Taylor says, “My hopes, and I think the GOAL Foundation’s hopes, are that people use it, we see it full all the time, and instead of going to the gym to do Crossfit now, maybe go down to the park once a week as your workout and do the exercise course.”

For more information visit:

http://www.getoutandlive.org/

http://www.ogdencity.com/community/parks/big_dee_sports_park.aspx

Local Utah Farmers Markets Pave the Way to a Healthier Diet

Are you anxiously awaiting farmers market season? Good news, if you live in Weber County, the options to shop at a farmers market are growing.

Susan Crosthwait and her family advocate for healthy lifestyles. They decided to start a year-round farmers market after their oldest daughter fell ill. They tried different ways to improve her health and found eating organic foods helped the most. However, they soon discovered it can get extremely expensive. “This is why we’re here, is to bring down the cost of eating well,” Crosthwait says.

Willard Peak Organic Market opened last October when the market received approval in Marriott-Slaterville. Since then, the market moved to its Farr West location at 2687 N. 2000 W. It is open Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The market has one additional seasonal location at the Harrisville City Park at 1350 N. Hwy 89 on Thursdays from 5:30 - 8 p.m. (June 23 - October 13).

Crosthwait says they have educated their community to help them understand not everyone has a garden or access to the things they need to grow one. They have given out seeds to farmers, and, in return, the farmers have brought produce to their farmers market. So far they have received crops such as lettuce, dill, parsley and rhubarb.

The bulk of produce in the farmers market comes from Mexico and California during the wintertime. Some of the produce comes from suppliers in Salt Lake City and southern Utah. Starting in June, Crosthwait says they will have more local produce such as strawberries, cherries and lettuce.

“We are a food desert,” she says. “We have low access to food here.” To help address this, the Crosthwaits participate in the Double Up Food Bucks program. Residents on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly Food Stamps) can receive an additional $1 in produce for every $1 spent on local produce, seeds or food-bearing plants up to a total of $10 per week. They can use this benefit every week they go to the markets in Harrisville by using their SNAP (also food stamp, Horizon or EBT) card and receiving green tokens to purchase produce. Farmers Market Ogden also offers the same benefits for those closer to Downtown Ogden, which will run Saturdays from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. during June 25 - September 17.

Crosthwait found the program on a Google search one day when researching food stamps and wanted to participate in Double Up Food Bucks because she saw the need in her community. She says the majority of students at a nearby school are on free lunches. “We’ve had those people in our hearts for a long, long time,” she says. "This will directly benefit children and families.”

Crosthwait says they are still working on bringing down the cost of food because it isn’t quite where they would like it to be. “The cost of organic is actually cheaper than conventional, but they have the mentality that they need to charge more for it because people will pay for it, but that’s not our mentality.”

According to the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, there is a certification process that farmers must go through to be certified as an organic producer, including a three-year period during which the land cannot be treated with prohibited fertilizers and pesticides.

The hope of Willard Peak Organic Market is to educate the community more on healthy living. Since there is low access to affordable healthy food for many individuals in the community, Crosthwait believes their farmers market’s mission to bring down costs of organic foods and allow individuals on food stamps to have the opportunity to get fresh, local produce will help.

“The access to grocery stores is one to ten miles, so what you’ll see is clusters of fast food restaurants in between the food desert and the grocery store,” Crosthwait says. Instead of making dinner, individuals may choose the fast food because it’s closer. Crosthwait feels that since their location is directly before the fast-food restaurant that they are “strategically located.”

She says, “You can heal yourself through food. Our food is so polluted, and eating healthy can make you feel better.”

Visit these websites more information:

http://www.willardpeakorganics.com/

https://www.facebook.com/willardpeakorganicmarket/

http://www.uah.org/projects-initiatives/fms/

Get Out and Live! Volunteer for a Community Event

May 20, 2015: Runners and volunteers gathered at 

Weber County Sports Complex to prepare for the big day.

Were you inspired by camaraderie and excitement of the Ogden Marathon but maybe a 26.2 mile run isn't for you? It's possible to catch that feeling by signing up to be a volunteer at one of the many events sponsored by GOAL (Get Out and LIVE!) in our community.

Kevin Burns has been a volunteer at GOAL Foundation for 11 years and claims it happened by accident. Burns was working for the Sheriff’s Office at the Ogden Marathon in 2004 and he says, “I just thought things could run a little smoother between the event organizer and public safety.”

When he offered to help out with event communication, he landed a spot on the GOAL Foundation Board. Burns used to compete in running events, but he decided that this was another great way to get involved.

As a part of his public safety liaison position, Burns’ role in the marathon this year was to help coordinate with public safety services at the event such as the fire department, EMS, police departments, and Utah Highway Patrol. His responsibility is to make the event as safe as possible. He says, “I just make sure we get all the right players for the table.”

Other volunteer duties included preparing water bottles for water stations and forming packets containing a runner’s guide, clothing bag, bib, and t-shirt. There were also volunteers who worked at every aid station, set up the course on Friday, put together the start and finish areas, and cleaned up after the event concluded.

Burns says that in a typical year there are 1,100 volunteers for the Ogden Marathon and that number remained about the same this year. The number of runners also remained about the same as previous years including roughly 2,500 running the full marathon, 4,500 running the half marathon, and 1,000 running the 5k. Other events individuals can get involved in are the 10k, a relay race, the Kid’s K and the Mayor's Walk. Burns says they maxed out capabilities for marathon this year. Bussing 10,000 runners to the start line at 5:00 a.m. Saturday was a significant task. “Logistically it’s about as many people as we can move,” Burns says, “We have about every bus we can find to get everyone up there.”

   

A big attraction to the marathon is the opportunity to run through Ogden Canyon. Runners have the entire west lane to run in so they don’t have to worry about being hit by a car. Burns says, “If you have not had a chance to be out of your vehicle in Ogden Canyon and look up or hear the river, it’s just cool to run down that canyon.”

The goal of the marathon is to draw the community together. The “GOAL” in GOAL Foundation stands for “Get Out and Live.” Burns feels that this phrase does not just apply to runners in the marathon as some might believe. There are other opportunities to get involved like volunteering, or simply being outdoors with people while being active.

To learn more information about GOAL and how to be a part of the team, visit http://www.getoutandlive.org/

Give Gardening a Try at Oasis Community Garden

Fresh, locally grown produce can be hard to come by, but the Oasis Community Garden in downtown Ogden aims to change that perception by offering an outlet to residents who want to try their hand at raising their own healthy food.

Prospective gardeners can reserve one of the 38 plots to create their own garden for $25. Or, if you don’t like weeding, you can pick from the small orchard, two herb gardens, and berry patches that are also open to the public. Interested individuals should visit the garden to get pamphlets on the bulletin board there or visit:  

http://juniorleagueogden.org/

https://www.facebook.com/jlo.oasis/

Oasis Community Garden was started about 10 years ago by the Junior League of Ogden. Though the garden is still considered a work in progress, dedicated volunteers strive to improve it. The Junior League of Ogden is also responsible for other health-minded events such as Dental Days, a way for underprivileged individuals to receive teeth cleaning.

Joanisa Tenreiro is the garden manager of Oasis Community Garden. She is originally from Florida and moved to Utah three years ago for the mountains and snow. She currently works at Waterfall Canyon Academy, an organization dedicated to serving the community’s youth population. She typically works in the garden for ten hours a week and is very passionate about it.

The purpose of the garden is to provide to community members access to healthy and affordable food. Irrigation drips are used so that gardeners don’t have to water their plot every day. People of all ages are encouraged to get involved, especially families looking for fun ways to involve their children in learning about and choosing healthy food.

“You can grow whatever you want, as long as it’s legal,” Joanisa says, listing squash, tomatoes, corn, radishes, carrots, and kale among the wide variety of vegetables commonly grown there.

Oasis Community Garden has some rules. First of all, chemicals and pesticides are not allowed as they are trying to keep the garden as organic as possible. She said these contaminate the soil and groundwater that supply the food. Gardeners must also keep their plot well maintained and weed free. Dogs and other pets should be kept on leashes.

Other events also take place at the garden. There are workshops on the second Monday of each month at 6 p.m.. Individuals can learn about such topics as permaculture, which Joanisa describes as “how to garden in sync with the earth.” In August, the Oasis Summer Nights concert series takes place each Thursday at 6 p.m., and also features a mini farmer’s market and live music. There are volunteer days for individuals to help work at the garden.

In order to better serve the community, Oasis Community Garden members are working to create raised beds for elderly and disabled individuals. The project has been started by installing black poles (pictured) on the property and they hope to complete it as soon as possible.

Joanisa says the biggest benefit of the garden is for people who might not have access to land can get it at Oasis to grow healthy food. She truly believes gardening is not only good for health in a nutrition sense, but it is good for the soul.

“It is a great way to have a connection with the earth, get your hands in the soil, and get dirty,” she says.

Joanisa herself was once afraid to garden as she didn’t want to kill a plant. Over time and a lot of hands-on practice, she overcame her fear and realized that killing a plant is just part of the cycle and it can become compost for other plants to grow.

 “It’s okay to fail sometimes, just pick yourself up and learn,” she says. 

Diabetes Prevention Program Comes to Weber County

The path to diabetes is marked with increased blood sugars,  cholesterol and high blood pressure. If you've seen these warning signs, a new program coming to the Ogden area can help you start a plan to turn your health around.

Utah will soon be one of many states to deliver the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program, thanks to Stephanie Norton-Bredt. Stephanie is originally from Seattle, where she spent six years working in diabetes prevention education.

Over 86 million Americans are prediabetic, 9 out of 10 people who are prediabetic don’t know it. The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program was created to help those adults that are at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. It reduces their risk for developing diabetes by taking the steps needed in order to improve their overall health and well-being. 

YMCA's Diabetes Prevention Program is a year long program; beginning with 16 weekly sessions and then moving into one session a month for the remainder of the year. The goals of the program are: 

• To reduce body weight by 7% 
• To increase physical activity to 150 minutes per week 

In order to be eligible for the program, the individual must: 

• Be 18 years or older 
• Be overweight (BMI ≥ 25) 
• At risk for or have been diagnosed with prediabetes 
• Be ready for change! 

The YMCA received a support grant from the Weber-Morgan Health Department in order to help off-set initial start-up costs and provide the program free of charge to the first 13-15 participants. The first class is a set to begin May 27, 2016. In the future, the program will be based off of an individual’s income. 

Stephanie hopes to incorporate her experience into developing a strong Diabetes Prevention Program that will thrive within our community. Weber County has a large Latino population and she hopes to recruit Spanish speaking individuals to be trained as a lifestyle coach so that YMCA can offer the program in both English and Spanish.  

Overall, Stephanie hopes to reduce rates of diabetes here in the Weber-Morgan area. By doing so, she also hopes to allow individuals to live a healthier and better quality of life; as well as, to allow the community to build a stronger connection with the YMCA’s mission. If the program is successful enough, Stephanie hopes to implement the Diabetes Prevention Program statewide.  

If you are interested in more information for you or a loved one and would like to sign up for the upcoming program, please call Stephanie Norton-Bredl at 801-839-3380. The first Diabetes Prevention Program is beginning in April for Salt Lake City and May for Weber-Morgan residents. 

Weber-Morgan Nutritionists

March is National Nutrition Month! In order to highlight this event, we would like to share with our community information about our own local nutritionists. Weber-Morgan Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program employs multiple nutritionists who serve our community’s low-income families about nutrition and healthy lifestyles.

WIC is surrounded with networks of support for individuals and families in need. WIC focuses on providing nutrition counseling to pregnant/postpartum moms and children under the age of five, breast feeding support, vouchers for healthy foods, and nutrition training to those individuals that live within Weber or Morgan County.

A few of the nutritionists’ favorite parts about their jobs are: following up with participants to see if they are using the tools from their initial visits; educating the public; helping new moms develop the confidence needed in order to breast feed, and hearing stories how even the children are using the knowledge they gained in the program to remind their parents about what they should be eating.

Here is some advice the nutritionists have provided for how a family can develop a healthy diet:

•          Use myplate (www.choosemyplate.gov)
•          Develop proper meal planning
•          Develop a budget and stick to it
•          Focus on the basics  
•          Take one step at a time - Small changes everyday ends up to be a big reward.

In order to be eligible for the Weber-Morgan WIC program, you need to meet all of the following requirements:

     1. Live within Weber or Morgan County

     2. Fit into one of these categories

• Pregnant woman 
• Woman who has had a baby in the past 6 months 
• Woman who has had a miscarriage in the past 6 months 
• Breastfeeding woman of an infant one year old or younger 
• Infants and Children less than 5 years old 

     3. Need WIC foods to be healthy 

     4. Have a family income (before taxes) not more than the restricted guidelines

Weber County’s WIC Office is located in the Weber-Morgan Health Annex at 455 23^rd St Ogden, UT 84401

Office Hours are:

·         Monday 8 am to 5 pm

·         Tuesday 8 am to 6:30 pm

·         Wednesday 8 am to 6:30 pm

·         Thursday 8 am to 5 pm

·         Friday 7:30 am to 3:30 pm

For more information, questions, or to apply for the WIC program call (801) 399-7200 or visit http://www1.co.weber.ut.us/health/wic.php

We would like to thank Jaylynn Skidmore, Jennifer Weight, Janet Jarnagin, Norma Patino, Laura Jaruis, Kelsie Maw, and Jarelyn Cox for all that they do within our community to help improve the health and well being of others.

Be a Blood Donor Today!

Being a blood donor provides you with the ability to save lives. Volunteers for blood donations are in need throughout your community. The American Red Cross, as well as the people in need, are counting on your generosity to donate your blood. Every two seconds, someone is in need of a blood transfusion; and every pint donated, can assist up to three in need individuals. 

There are several types of blood donations that are available: 

• Whole Blood 
• Platelets
• Plasma
• Double Red Cells

How do you get involved?

• You must be at least 16 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds 
• If you are 23 and younger, a minimum requirement of blood volume must be met
• Register to be a donor 
• Schedule an appointment 
• Have plenty to drink and a light meal 
• Bring a photo ID, donor card, and a list of medications that you are currently taking
• DONATE! 

Thirty-eight percent of the U.S. population has the eligibility to donate at any give time; however, less than ten percent donate annually. Be the difference our community needs. You have the opportunity to donate blood multiple times a year depending on the type of blood you would like to donate. Don't let your blood go to waste, sign up to donate today! 

For more questions or to schedule an appointment visit American Red Cross or call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE.

Fiber Focus

Are you aware that fiber is an essential part of our diets? Fiber is not something the body can make on its own; therefore, you must consume the fiber throughout your diet in order to obtain fiber within the body. There are two types of fiber available: soluble and insoluble.

Soluble fiber can be found in food sources such as dried beans, oats, barley, fruits, and vegetables. Soluble fiber assists in removing cholesterol from the blood; therefore, lowering your chances of heart disease.

Insoluble fiber food sources include whole grains, what bran, fruits, and vegetables. Insoluble fiber helps prevent constipation by keeping your intestinal tract healthy.

It is recommended that other children, adolescents, and adults eat 20 to 35 grams of fiber each day. For younger children, this suggested amount is too high; however, it is wise to implement foods high in fiber at a young age. By implementing fiber into your diet you are regulating your digestive tract, lowering your risk of disease such as high blood pressure, and benefiting from all of the vitamins and minerals that come inside the high fiber foods that you are consuming.

10 Ways to Add Fiber to Your Diet

1. Eat berries. 
2. Eat more legumes, such as dried beans. 
3. Choose romaine lettuce or spinach. 
4. Enjoy 100% whole-wheat or whole-grain bread. 
5. Eat high-fiber breakfast cereals. 
6. Choose brown rice instead of white. 
7. Eat the skins on fruits and vegetables, such as apples and potatoes. 
8. Eat corn, including popcorn. 
9. Snack on dried fruit. 
10. Eat whole fruits and vegetables instead of drinking 100% juice. 

Successful Tips for Adding Fiber 

• Add fiber gradually. 
• Drink fluids. Drink at least 8 cups of water, juice, or other decaffeinated, non-alcoholic beverages every day. 

To find more information about fiber please visit WebMD.

Happy New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR from the Weber-Morgan Health Department.  We are so excited for what this year has to offer.  We have some thrilling and fun events coming up this year so stay tuned to this site for weekly articles and updates on what is happening in our community.

Here are a few of the topics we will discuss this year:

Introduction to YMCA's Diabetes Prevention Program in our Community

Winter Trails Day (January 9 from 9am-1pm)

Child Safety and SafeKids Day

The Ogden Mayor's Walk

Stress Awareness

Fireworks Safety

National Diabetes Awareness

Healthy Eating

Suicide Prevention

Join us each week to find out what is happening in our community!