Author: Theresa Ferrari

Using the Nutrition Facts Label

 

Theresa Ferrari, Extension Specialist, 4-H Youth Development

National Nutrition Month® is an annual campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. In March, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics focuses attention on healthful eating through National Nutrition Month®. This year’s theme, Personalize Your Plate, promotes creating nutritious meals to meet individuals’ cultural and personal food preferences.

Making informed food choices and developing healthful eating habits is a year-round endeavor. The Nutrition Facts Label is a tool that can help you make good choices. The nutrition facts label appears not only on packaged foods, but on many fruits and vegetables in the produce section of the grocery store.

Sample Nutrition Facts Label

Size Up Servings

Pay attention to the serving size and the number of serving you eat or drink to discover the total number of calories and nutrients you are consuming.

  • Keep in mind that packages can–and often do–contain more than one serving. When you don’t know the serving size, it’s easy to consume more calories and nutrients than you intended.

 Consider the Calories

Calories from food provide the energy your body needs to function and grow. When you are active, you “burn” calories. To keep your body healthy, balance the number of calories you eat and drink with the number of calories your body uses.

When checking a food’s calories, remember this guide:

  • 100 calories per serving of an individual food is considered a moderate amount of calories.
  • 400 calories or more per serving of an individual food is considered high in calories.

 Choose Nutrients Wisely

The Daily Values are reference amounts of nutrients to consume or not to exceed each day for adults and children 4 years of age and older. % Daily Value (%DV) is the percentage of the Daily Value for each nutrient in a serving of the food. It shows how much a nutrient in a serving of the food contributes to a total daily diet. Use %DV to see if a serving of the food is high or low in an individual nutrient and to compare food products. The nutrients featured on the label were chosen because they tend to be low in Americans’ diets.

  • 5% DV or less of a nutrient per serving is considered low.
  • 20% DV or more of a nutrient per serving is considered high.
  • Nutrients to get more of: dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium.
  • Nutrients to get less of: saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, and added sugars.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration oversees food and beverage labeling. Food labeling is required for most prepared foods, such as breads, cereals, canned and frozen foods, snacks, desserts, and drinks. Nutrition labeling for raw produce (fruits and vegetables) and fish is voluntary. You can find an interactive Nutrition Facts label here.

Now that you’ve increased your label IQ, here are a few tips to capitalize on that knowledge.

Measure out single serving of snacks. Read the Nutrition Facts label on your favorite snacks and measure out single servings according to the serving size listed on the label. Keep them in resealable plastic bags or containers so you can quickly grab-and-go!

Do a label audit. Read the label on food packages in your cupboards and refrigerator. Then decide if you need to swap out items for more healthful choices, and read labels in the grocery store. Add items to your family’s shopping list that are higher in nutrients to get more of and lower in nutrients to get less of.

 Swap out one item. Check out the differences in calories and nutrients between various menu choices. Compare foods that are prepared different ways, like grilled chicken vs. fried chicken, baked potatoes vs. French fries, and compare small vs. large portions. And remember, a “super-sized” item can mean doubling (or tripling) the calories and nutrients because the serving size is larger.

You can find expanded nutrient profiles in FoodData Central of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Today’s Take-Away: Choosing healthful food and beverages is one way to take care of your physical health. The Nutrition Facts Label is a tool you can use to make healthful choices. You can download a description of the label FDA-ReadtheLabel-Infographic-English.

Adapted from:

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. (2021). National Nutrition Month ® campaign toolkit. https://www.eatright.org/food/resources/national-nutrition-month/toolkit

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2018). Nutrition facts: Read the label: Cool tips for kids. https://www.fda.gov/food/new-nutrition-facts-label/read-label-youth-outreach-materials

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2018). Nutrition facts: Read the label leader’s guide. https://www.fda.gov/food/new-nutrition-facts-label/read-label-youth-outreach-materials

Five Keys to Virtual Connection

by Tyler Kessler, 4-H Educator, Adventure Central

Our entire world is connecting virtually now more than ever, and it is safe to say that virtual platforms like Zoom and Google Meet are here to stay. This move from in-person school classrooms and offices to online video-call sessions has left many people asking if we are truly able to experience meaningful personal connections during this time of isolation and heavy ‘Zooming.’ A report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one of many produced by various sources over the last year, supports that the loss of in-person connections is linked to increases in mental health struggles and feelings of hopelessness, particularly among young people.

Clearly, we need to be more intentional about connecting with others now more than ever before, and the good news is that we can use our online platforms to do just that! With a little creativity and intentional thinking, we can absolutely use technology in new ways to meaningfully connect with our own emotions and with our friends, teachers, and co-workers! Making time for fun activities, laughter, and getting to know one another before trying to learn can have a huge effect on how we feel and what we are able to remember. Not to mention that virtual and in-person activities that involve joy and laughter lead to the release of dopamine in our brains, which helps fight anxiety and depression!

Below are five keys for virtual connection that can help to jump-start your virtual connectivity during online sessions. Read through each and think about how you can use one or more keys to bring connections back to your virtual spaces with friends, family, and co-workers:

computer screen with list

  1. Connection before content – Fun, social-emotional interactions using games, and even GIFs found using your cell phone, at the opening and closing of virtual meetings can bring better connection with content through connections with peers and meeting hosts.
  2. Use time to make space – The world of virtual connection deprives us of much needed transition time. Coffee breaks with co-workers, walks with friends between school classes, and daily commutes typically provide our brains time to transition between tasks. As we travel quickly and efficiently from Zoom-to-Zoom, it is more important than ever to add time to assess our feelings so that we can create space for mindful transitions and connectivity.
  3. Hands-on learning is minds-on learning – We know STEM activities provide excellent opportunities for ‘hands-on, minds-on’ learning. Additionally, STEM-related concepts often parallel social emotional teaching. It is time to use out-of-the-box programming to form connections that reach across topic areas.
  4. Keep activities simple and adaptable – Have you ever heard the phrase, “Less is more?” Screens can make it harder for us to focus for long periods of time, and big learning can often come from simple activities. Do not be afraid to choose a 10-minute activity to teach that new lesson!
  5. Safe spaces create connection – Common video meeting platforms allow participants to mute their voices, turn off their cameras, and simply use ‘chat box’ features to communicate. These features can make it feel like connection cannot be powerful in the virtual environment, but they also provide users a unique way to make aspects of connecting with others feel less ‘risky,’ particularly for young people. We know that feeling safe is crucial for genuine trust and connection, and activities that utilize chat box features can create safe spaces for sharing that are not available in person.

This battle against social isolation is a difficult one, but do not forget that you can create healthy connections everywhere you are! Make a phone call to the person you have not talked with in a while. Send a text to a close friend or relative, reminding them about a special shared memory you have. Whether you are on a Zoom call for school or work, or you are sitting in your room at home with your cell phone in hand, remembering you are never alone and making the simple choice to connect with others are the most important keys for virtual connection. So, what are you waiting for? Get connected!

Each key has a downloadable activity that reinforces a connection concept. Check out these and other Grab & Go resources you can use during your Zoom or other virtual sessions!

COVID-19 Vaccine: Get the Fax about the Vax

by Theresa Ferrari, Extension Specialist, 4-H Youth Development

Today I got my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. I’m now part of the 55 million people in the U.S. who so far have received their first dose of the vaccine.

I’ve been waiting for this day for a while now, and I’m glad it finally arrived! It was painless and after waiting the required 15 minutes with no reaction, I was free to go. The whole process was very organized and efficient. Ten hours later, and I notice a very slight soreness when I lift my arm, similar to how I react to a flu vaccine. Ironically, my second appointment is 1 day shy of the first day I started working from home. It’s either been a long time or a short time ago, depending on how you look at it.

Just like when I have voted, I got a sticker that declares I’ve been vaccinated. In a way, getting the vaccine is like a vote – a vote of confidence in science. A vote that shows I’m doing my part, not only for myself, but for a future without this virus.

How does the COVID-19 vaccine work? It’s important to know the facts behind the vaccine.

The two COVID-19 vaccines currently approved for use as of this writing use mRNA, which stands for messenger RNA (ribonucleic acid). Who knew that high school biology class would come in so handy? mRNA is a new approach to vaccines. mRNA vaccines take advantage of the process that cells use to make proteins in order to trigger an immune response and build immunity to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

mRNA can most easily be described as instructions for the cell on how to make a piece of the “spike protein” that is unique to SARS-CoV-2. Because only part of the protein is made, it does not do any harm to the person vaccinated but it is helps to induce an immune response.

After the piece of the spike protein is made, the cell breaks down the mRNA strands and disposes of them using enzymes in the cell. It is important to note that the mRNA strand never enters the cell’s nucleus (the part of the cell that controls its activities and where your DNA is) or affects genetic material (DNA). mRNA vaccines DO NOT alter or modify someone’s genetic makeup.

Once displayed on the cell surface, the protein or antigen causes the immune system to begin producing antibodies and activating cells (called T-cells) to fight off what it thinks is an infection. These antibodies are specific to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which means the immune system is primed to protect against future infection.

Here are some key points about the COVID-19 vaccine.

  • Like all vaccines, COVID-19 mRNA vaccines have been rigorously tested for safety before being authorized for use in the United States.
  • mRNA technology is new, but not unknown. They have been studied for more than a decade.
  • mRNA vaccines do not contain a live virus and do not carry a risk of causing disease in the vaccinated person.
  • mRNA from the vaccine never enters the nucleus of the cell and does not affect or interact with a person’s DNA.

Be Part of the Herd

Why do we need vaccines? You many have heard about the concept of herd immunity. This site shows what happens when a contagious disease enters an unvaccinated group.  Many members are infected because they lack immunity to the disease. The Mayo Clinic explains that herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a community (the herd) becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. As a result, the whole community becomes protected — not just those who are immune.

When a large proportion of the population is vaccinated the spread of disease is limited. Vaccines create immunity without causing illness or resulting complications. Herd immunity makes it possible to protect the population from a disease, including those who can’t be vaccinated, such as newborns or those who have compromised immune systems. Using the concept of herd immunity, vaccines have successfully controlled deadly contagious diseases such as smallpox, polio, diphtheria, rubella, and many others. It is estimated that for COVID-19, about 75% of the population must be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity.

Herd immunity can also be reached when a sufficient number of people in the population have recovered from a disease and have developed antibodies against future infection. A large number of people would have to become infected to reach the herd immunity threshold in this way. This amount of infection could also lead to serious complications and millions of deaths, and is therefore not the desirable way to reach herd immunity.

What next?

Both COVID-19 and the vaccine are new, so there are some things we don’t know yet. We don’t know how long protection lasts for those who get infected or those who are vaccinated. We also don’t yet know whether getting a COVID-19 vaccine will prevent you from spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 to other people, even if you don’t get sick yourself. [Update 3/29/21: According to a study reported by the CDC, the current mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are effective for preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection in real-world conditions. Those who were fully vaccinated were 90% less likely to get infected.] What we do know is that COVID-19 has caused very serious illness and death for a lot of people.

Even after receiving a vaccination, it’s important for everyone to continue using all the tools available to help stop this pandemic as we learn more about how COVID-19 vaccines work in real-world conditions.

To protect yourself and others, follow these recommendations from the CDC:

  • Wear a mask over your nose and mouth
  • Stay at least 6 feet away from others
  • Avoid crowds
  • Avoid poorly ventilated spaces
  • Wash your hands often

Two personal stories related to pandemics and vaccines:

  • A pandemic connection: My maternal grandmother had the flu during the 1918 epidemic. As I remember her stories, she was sick in bed for 3 weeks and then she recovered. Not long after that she emigrated from Italy to the U.S. I wish I had asked her more questions about her experience (I guess I didn’t know that years later I’d be living through the next global pandemic). So write down your stories and they will be there for you to share and for future generations to learn from.
  • A Pfizer connection: The vaccine I received today was the Pfizer vaccine. Pfizer’s vaccine development headquarters are located in Pearl River, New York, at what used to be Lederle Laboratories before it was acquired by Pfizer. It’s less than a mile from where I grew up. For 39 years when it was Lederle, my dad worked there as a research chemist; he worked in a lab doing tests needed before drugs were approved by the FDA. In 1963 Lederle introduced Orimune, an oral polio vaccine that built a permanent immunity to polio and eliminated the need for injections, and I remember taking this vaccine as a child. Some years later, I worked at Lederle for three summers when I was in college, packing pharmaceuticals, including Orimune, for distribution. So I know how much work goes on behind the scenes to bring these products into being. It is truly a team effort. So getting the Pfizer vaccine today was like coming full circle for me.

I think it is really interesting to learn more about the scientists behind the current vaccines’ development. Often it is the culmination of years of work before they make a breakthrough. If you are interested, you can check out these links:

I, like others, have experienced many emotions in the past year. Today was a reminder about the importance of expressing gratitude, which I wrote about on New Year’s Day. There are so many things I’m grateful for: for the scientists who worked to develop the vaccines, for the people who participated in the trials, for those who made sure it was safe, for the public health officials who have communicated the measures that we need to continue to follow. That I had a job where I could work from home. That I didn’t contract COVID-19. That every day more people are getting vaccinated – millions of people.

I think I’ll be able to add more than three slips of paper in my gratitude jar today.

Gratitude Jar

Gratitude Jar

 

Adapted from:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: mRNA Vaccine Basics and Vaccines  FAQ

College of Physicians of Philadelphia: History of Vaccines

Mayo Clinic: Herd Immunity and Coronavirus

What is Health Equity?

by Theresa Ferrari, Extension Specialist, 4-H Youth Development

This month Ohio 4-H is focusing on topics related to equity. So it seems like a perfect time to address the concept of health equity.

What is health equity? The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation defines health equity as making sure that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. That sounds simple doesn’t it – of course we would want everyone to be healthy.

However, it’s not that simple. There are many things that get in the way of realizing this lofty goal. When things get in the way of people reaching their full potential, we call these barriers inequities. These inequities may be things like uneven access to social, economic, or educational resources.

In their publication Creating the Healthiest Nation: Advancing Health Equity, the American Public Health Association notes that members of racial and ethnic minority groups, low-income populations, and members of the LGBTQ community often have difficulty obtaining the resources they need to be healthy. People in these groups are often exposed to more health risks such as poverty, violence, poor neighborhood conditions, and environmental health hazards. This is cause for concern because health inequities are reflected in differences in the quality of people’s lives; the rates at which they experience disease, disability, and death; the severity of disease; access to treatment; and in how long they live.

Here’s an example: We need look no further than the current situation of the coronavirus pandemic and vaccine distribution to have an example that illustrates the concept of health inequities. This situation was addressed earlier this week in an opinion piece in USA Today by Dr. Richard Besser and Dr. Julie Morita of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (and both formerly at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). In this article, titled “COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Needs a Shot of Equity,” Drs. Besser and Morita pose the question “Is America’s vaccination effort reaching all of those who need to be vaccinated now?” Their answer: “From what we have seen, the answer is no.”

From the start, the coronavirus pandemic has made health inequities apparent. As Drs. Besser and Morita point out, while this pandemic is affecting every community, it is not affecting every community the same way. People of color and lower income households are disproportionately impacted in both rural and urban areas. People in vulnerable groups have suffered more severe versions of the disease, as a result of underlying health conditions. Black, Latino, and Native Americans — many of whom are front-line essential workers — are being infected, hospitalized, and dying at rates that far surpass their proportions of the population. Latino, Black, and Native American households also report disproportionate impacts of the coronavirus outbreak beyond the elevated health risks they face battling COVID-19, including household finances, jobs, health care, education, and internet connectivity.

For example:

  • Can everyone easily access the appointment slots? Not when More than 20 million people in the USA lack broadband and high-speed internet access.
  • Can everyone get to the locations where the vaccine is being administered? Not if you don’t live near a site and you don’t have a car.
  • Is the vaccine available at times when people who are working are able to get it? Not if you are a front-line worker who can’t take time from work to get to a vaccine site and wait in lines.

Equity is not the same as equality. To equalize opportunities, those with worse health and fewer resources need more efforts directed toward improving their health. The image below and this short video helps to explain the difference.

One size does not fit all: Visualizing the difference between equality and equity (Image credit: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)

What can be done? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note that health equity is achieved when every person has the opportunity to “attain his or her full health potential” and no one is “disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other socially determined circumstances.” To achieve health equity, “obstacles to health must be removed such as poverty, discrimination, and their consequences, such as powerlessness and lack of access to quality education.”

No one person acting alone can eliminate health inequities. The things that need to be done involve entire systems in our society, such as health care and education. For example, one of the steps identified by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to achieve health equity is to “change and implement policies, laws, systems, environments, and practices to reduce inequities in the opportunities and resources needed to be as healthy as possible.” This means eliminating the unfair social conditions affecting individuals and institutions that give rise to the inequities.

You can’t change something if you don’t know it needs to be changed. So, as always, the first step is to be aware that health inequities exist and to look at situations through this new equity lens, as we did above with COVID-19. Another thing we need to realize is that even if it is not a problem for us doesn’t mean that other individuals or groups have the same experience as we do.

I hope this post has helped you to understand more about health equity.

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Resources:

American Public Health Association. Creating the healthiest nation: Advancing health equity. https://www.apha.org/topics-and-issues/health-equity

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health equity. https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/healthequity/index.htm

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Visualizing health equity: One size does not fit all infographic. https://www.rwjf.org/en/library/infographics/visualizing-health-equity.html

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation & Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. (2020, September). The impacts of coronavirus on households, by race/ethnicity. https://www.rwjf.org/en/library/research/2020/09/the-impact-of-coronavirus-on-households-across-america.html

Connect the Dots for Mental Health

Ohio 4-H decided to focus on mental health during the month of January 2021. Mental health has always been important, but the need to focus on mental health was never more apparent than in 2020.

Throughout the month, members of the 4-H Healthy Living Design Team wrote about different dimensions of wellness. Even though our focus was on mental health, we touched on many other aspects of health– physical, emotional, social, intellectual, environmental, financial, and creative. We presented some background information, suggested strategies to address each area, and shared our own experiences.

If you look back over the month, I think you can see how all the different dimensions of wellness are related to each other. For example, one way to make mindfulness part of our day is to listen when someone is talking to us. In turn, this will lead to better social connections, which will enhance our social health. Social connection creates a positive feedback loop of social, emotional, and physical well-being. In fact, research suggest that the quality of our social ties might be the single biggest predictor of our well-being. We can reach out to friends when we’re feeling stressed; in turn, we can check in with our family and friends to be the person that they turn to when they need support.

Of course, physical activity helps keep our body healthy. But that’s not all it does. Engaging in physical activity is recommended as a way to manage stress, which addresses our mental health. And even better when we can take that activity outdoors. Then we can practice mindfulness when we take in the sights, sounds, and smells when we’re walking outdoors.

Self-care strategies keep us healthy in many ways: in addition to physical activity, getting enough sleep; eating healthful foods; and making time for fun, learning, and creative activities are things we can do. Some of these strategies may require us to establish better habits to make them a regular part of our lifestyle.

The coronavirus pandemic has been challenging for everyone. It’s easy to think of what we didn’t get to do. However, I think you can probably think of some good things that happened last year. Among my family and friends there were high school and college graduations, weddings, new babies, new homes, new jobs, and other milestones. They may have looked different, but life kept on going. It’s important to pause and recognize the good things that happen every day, no matter how small.  Another way to see the connections is in the COPE with COVID suggestions put forth by Dr. Bern Melnyk, Chief Wellness Officer at The Ohio State University and Dean of the College of Nursing. You can see how these suggestions incorporate aspects of physical, mental, emotional, and social health, as well as gratitude and mindfulness.

Today’s Take-Away: Look for ways to pledge your health to better living. The resources developed for Ohio 4-H Mental Health Month are posted on our webpage. But even though the month is over, we will continue to share information, ideas, and inspiration about healthy living topics throughout the year.

Yours in Health,

Signature

Theresa Ferrari, Extension Specialist, 4-H Youth Development

Get Your Zs

Ahh – Saturday…The day many of us can face the day at a slower pace and lay in bed a little longer. I know I look forward to not getting out of bed quite as early that day! And, if my teenage children don’t have a sports, school, or 4-H activity that morning, they will sleep for as long as I let them.

The question is how long should I let them sleep? Is it really okay for teens (or adults for that matter) to sleep in past noon? I cannot remember when I last slept that late into the day, but I do remember how I felt. I did not end up feeling refreshed and ready to go. Instead, I recall feeling groggy and having a headache.

Research on the importance of sleep tell us exactly why sleeping in had an adverse effect on how I felt. The reality is our bodies prefer consistency and routine. And developing good sleep hygiene is important to our physical and mental health. Good sleep hygiene means we create an environment beneficial to sleep, and we practice daily routines that foster consistent sleep. The following information from the Sleep Foundation can help.

To create a good environment for sleeping, take a look around your bedroom.

  • Is your mattress and pillow of good quality and provide proper support?
  • Does your bedding keep you too cold or too warm?
  • Do you have too much light in the room from the windows or a nightlight?
  • What temperature is the room? Ideally a cool room is best.
  • Is it a quiet place with minimum noise? Can you reduce noise with the use of a fan or a white noise machine?

Think about your daily sleep routines. Are you following these recommended strategies?

  • Set a fixed time to wake up and stick to it, even on weekends.
  • Budget time for enough sleep. Recommended guidelines vary by age. Aim for the following based on your age:
    • 9-11 hours for school-age children
    • 8-10 hours for teens
    • 7-9 hours for adults
  • Only take naps when needed. If you take a nap, the best time of day is early afternoon, and the best nap length is 20 minutes.
  • If you need to alter to your sleep routine due to a change in school or work schedule, do it gradually. Adjust a little at a time to get your body used to the new schedule.

Tips for self-care and stress management all recommend getting enough sleep, so it’s about time we devoted a post to this topic. For more information on sleep hygiene and healthy sleep tips, visit What is Sleep Hygiene?

So, how do I prevent sleeping in on Saturdays? I’ve found that scheduling something on my calendar helps. Appointments for haircuts, meeting someone for a walk in the park, attending a fitness class at the gym, or attending one of my kids’ sports events all help to keep me and my teens from hitting snooze one more time.

Wishing you pleasant dreams and peaceful sleep,

Laryssa Hook, Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development, Delaware County

Keep Calm and Puzzle On

Puzzles have been around for a long time. But who knew that January 29 is National Puzzle Day! And why not have a day devoted to puzzles – they’re fun. And because they involve focus and concentration, they also serve as stress relievers, which may explain their increased popularity during the pandemic. Even Bill Gates is said to be a fan.

Let’s puzzle on and focus on two favorites of mine: word puzzles and jigsaw puzzles.

Word Puzzles

To say that I like words would be an understatement. I remember doing all sorts of vocabulary builders in elementary school, and I would read books past my bedtime with a flashlight under the covers. Even now I subscribe to Merriam Webster’s Word of the Day. In 5th grade I placed second in a spelling bee and in a fire prevention essay contest. I didn’t really discover I was a good writer until I was in graduate school the second time around. So maybe there’s a theme there….hmmm.

Probably the most well-known type of word puzzle is the crossword puzzle. I found out that Arthur Wynn, a journalist from Liverpool, is credited as being the inventor of the first crossword puzzle, which was published in the New York World newspaper in 1913. Other word puzzles appeared more recently. Mad Libs was created in the 1950s. Word searches appeared in the U.S. in 1968, and now there are many variations.

Jigsaw Puzzles

The precursor to the modern-day jigsaw puzzle dates back to the 1760s in England. Called “dissections,” they were maps mounted on wood and cut apart, as a way to teach children geography. It’s interesting to note that researchers recently completed the first study of the process children use to do jigsaw puzzles. The study revealed that 3-year-olds use trial and error to put them together, but 4-year-olds are able to use information in the picture to complete the puzzle, indicating changes in how their brains process information.

Puzzles and Health – Besides being fun, puzzles have several other health-related benefits.

Intellectual Health: Puzzles demand a level of thought and focus. Spending time regularly working on puzzles improves memory and problem-solving skills. It’s great when fun and learning can be combined!

Studies have found that when we work on a jigsaw puzzle, we use both sides of our brain. Your left brain is logical and works in a linear fashion; it sees all the separate pieces and attempts to sort them out logically. You find the corners and all the straight-edge puzzle pieces first, right? Your right brain is the creative side – it sees the “big picture” and works intuitively. As you study the image and its details, your brain taps into visual-spatial patterns. I would argue the same is true for word puzzles. Although they may not appear so on the surface, word puzzles are about patterns, too – words, after all, are letters arranged in a meaningful way. In exercising both sides of the brain at the same time, we create connections between both sides, as well as connections between individual brain cells. These connections increase our ability to learn, to comprehend, and to remember.

Social Health: Puzzles also offer social benefits. When we work together with someone on a task, we strengthen our social connections. Those interactions keep us socially active, which is important for our mental health. Because jigsaw puzzles are pictures, they can bridge language barriers.

Mental Health: As we connect two puzzle pieces together (you know that feeling!), our brains release dopamine, which has a positive effect on our mood. When you concentrate while sorting pieces by color and shape or you scan back and forth to find the words in a word search, you tune out other distractions, so puzzling helps us keep calm. There’s something to be said for actually touching jigsaw puzzle pieces and using paper and pencil to complete a crossword. It also gives us a break from screen time.

What’s the deal with screen time? Screen time could be the topic of an entire post, but I’ll summarize here. Research has shown an association between time spent using screen media and psychological well-being.  For example, in one study, high users of screens were significantly more likely to display poor emotion regulation (not staying calm, arguing too much, being difficult to get along with), an inability to finish tasks, lower curiosity, and more difficulty making friends. Researchers have yet to establish a causal relationship – it’s a ‘chicken and egg’ thing: Which came first? Did screen use lead to these things, or were people with those characteristics more likely to use screens? And does the type of screen use matter? What else might be involved? We won’t solve that puzzle today, but suffice it to say that too much screen use and certain types of it might be problematic.

Screens and COVID – With remote schooling and socializing, screen time has likely increased during the coronavirus pandemic. It seems like a contradiction: We should connect to people (even if virtually), and yet we are cautioned against spending too much time on screens. Keep up those connections, but it’s still recommended that we take a break from screens when we can.

Today’s Take-Away: I hope that learning about the health benefits didn’t take the fun out of puzzles for you, but instead it gives you an appreciation of how fun, health, and learning are connected.

a page with letters and words

Mental Health Month Word Search

As we are getting close to the end of January and wrapping up our Ohio 4-H Mental Health Month, I created a word search (using the search generator below), using words that have appeared in our posts this month. You can download it here.

Of course, you can take advantage of existing puzzles and word games. You can take it a step further by creating your own. Creating word puzzles used to be a time-consuming task…until the internet arrived. Now there are countless programs and online tools that help you create your own puzzles in no time. These are just a few:

Snow is predicted this weekend; time to keep calm and puzzle on and have a little fun in honor of National Puzzle Day!

Yours in Health,

Signature

 

Theresa Ferrari, Extension Specialist, 4-H Youth Development

Continuing to Cope with COVID

It’s no surprise that COVID-19 has increased concerns about mental health. One reason we feel stress is because of the uncertainty of the situation. Is school going to be in-person, virtual, or hybrid? How many times will it change? Will high school graduation be in person or virtual? When will I be able to see my grandparents? Now that we are coming up to nearly a year of wearing masks; changes to home, school, and work; and experiencing restrictions on in-person gatherings, we’re wondering when it’s going to end.

It’s normal to feel stress and worry during a crisis. However, the particulars of the pandemic have taken this stress to another level. In addition to uncertainty, there are several other things that contribute to it. Stay-at-home orders, school closures, and restrictions on activities and gatherings have limited social interactions. Young people have experienced disruption by missing out on life events that are part of a final year of high school and milestones such as graduations. In the process they also missed out on many opportunities important for social development. There is a large body of research that links social isolation and loneliness to poor mental and physical health. What can we do?

Healthy Ways to Cope with Stress

Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations, and it is normal to experience a wide range of emotions. We can’t wave a magic wand and make everything return to ‘normal.’ However, there are a number of healthy ways to cope with stress. These recommendations seem so simple, maybe too simple, right? Yet, they are offered over and over again by mental health experts, from well-respected organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Mayo Clinic.

I have categorized the recommendations for coping with stress into Four Cs.

  •  CARE – Take care of your body (and mind).
  • Relax and recharge. Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate.
    • Eat healthy, well-balanced meals.
    • Exercise regularly.
    • Get plenty of sleep.
    • Avoid alcohol, tobacco, and substance use.
    • Continue with routine preventive measures (such as vaccinations, health check-ups, etc.) as recommended by your healthcare provider.
    • Get vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine when available.
  • CREATE – Make time to unwind to do some activities you enjoy. Creative activities like art are especially engaging. Maybe you will discover a new interest. Some people like to keep their thoughts in a journal. Expressive writing helps people process difficult emotions and find meaning.
  • CONNECT – There are actually three ways to Connect.
    • (Dis)connect – Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including those on social media. It’s good to be informed, but hearing about the pandemic constantly can be upsetting. A recent study found that one major contributor to anxiety for people of all ages was increased engagement with media. Especially problematic is exposure to conflicting information. Consider limiting news to just a couple times a day and make a conscious effort to spend less time in front of a screen disconnecting from phone, TV, and computer screens for a while. This is challenging when so many aspects of our life are being conducted virtually.
    • Connect – with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling. Social connections are important for your overall health.
    • Connect – with your community- or faith-based organizations. While social distancing measures are in place, maintain your connections with organizations through online meetings.
  • CONTRIBUTE – Find purpose in helping the people around you.
    • Support a family member or friend.  Reach out to others to stay in contact, especially if they live alone. If you know someone who can’t get out, ask if there’s something they need. Don’t rely only on social media; make a phone call or write a note.
    • Do something for others. Find ways to contribute to your community. Be sure to follow recommendations on social distancing and group meetings.

Today’s Take-Away: There are many healthy ways to cope with stress. Sometimes even when you practice self-care and coping strategies, stress can overwhelm you. Some mental health situations may call for professional help. You may find this resource My Mental Health: Do I Need Help? from the National Institute of Mental Health helpful.

 

 

 

 

 

If you or someone you know needs to be connected to professional resources, Ohio State University’s Center for Public Health Practice has compiled Mental Health Resource Guides. Go to u.osu.edu/cphp/ohio-mental-health-resource-guides/, find the county you need, and select it to bring up local resources.

Yours in Heath,

Signature

Theresa Ferrari, Extension Specialist, 4-H Youth Development

Make Mindfulness Part of Your Day

Mindfulness is the ongoing process of paying attention to your thoughts, emotions, and experiences in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and without judging. Earlier this month I wrote about getting started in mindfulness – what it is and why it’s important. Today’s post offers some ideas for make mindfulness part of your day.

Mindfulness can help us do two things throughout our day:

  • Be focused – you are able to concentrate on what you’re doing
  • Be aware – you recognize distractions as they arise and return to focus

Let’s break down two types of mindfulness practices:

Formal mindfulness can be practiced through things like breathing exercises, guided relaxation, and meditation.

  • Set aside time for mindfulness practices. Although the beginning and/or the end of the day make sense, there is no “right” time. Just figure out what makes the most sense to you. You can start out slowly and gradually increase the amount to time you devote to these practices. Setting aside a regular time may make it easier to establish mindfulness as a habit. However, short mindfulness breaks throughout the day can help us to make a transition from one activity to the next and can aid in focusing on the task at hand.
  • Find an app that can aid your practice of mindfulness, with body scan, guided relaxation, or calming sounds. Read these reviews of five mindfulness apps to decide if one of them might work for you.
  • Record yourself or a friend or family member reading a guided relaxation script. If apps aren’t your thing, you could make your own recording. Make sure to speak slowly and pause as you read.

Informal mindfulness means going about your daily activities in a more mindful frame of mind.

  • Pay attention while you go about your everyday activities such as eating, doing chores, or taking a walk. We are often rushing through our day on autopilot. Instead, shift your focus to the sights, physical feelings, sounds, smells, and tastes of these activities instead.
  • Spend some time without the distractions of technology and social media. To stay connected, we need to disconnect! Put your phone aside when interacting with others. Listening is an important skill to learn, and it will help you cultivate social connections. But it’s hard to pay attention when someone is speaking is notifications from your phone keep distracting you.
  • Get outside. Research continues to show that there are many mental and physical benefits of practicing mindfulness in nature.

Resources for Mindfulness

1. Here are some resources for audio recordings of guided relaxations:

2. A brief mindfulness activity that you can do involves your five senses.

Focus on your five senses, one at a time. Try to mindfully experience each sense as you focus on it.

    • Look: 5 things you can see
    • Feel: 4 things you can touch
    • Listen: 3 things you can hear
    • Smell: 2 things you can smell
    • Taste: 1 thing you can taste

Today’s Take-Away: The point of practicing mindfulness is to make it a habit or routine as part of a healthy lifestyle. Use the ideas and resources shared here to make mindfulness part of your day. Take it a step further and get others to join you – build in mindfulness practices as a regular part of your 4-H club meetings or other gatherings.

Yours in Health,

Signature

Theresa Ferrari, Extension Specialist, 4-H Youth Development

Resource: Banks, B., & Bercaw, S. (2018). Get Experience in Mindfulness: An Awareness and Acceptance Stress Management Program for Ages 10 & Up. University of Delaware.

Take a Virtual Museum Tour

Today’s post for “Social Sunday” on the Ohio 4-H Facebook page encourages you to tour a museum virtually with friends and gives several suggestions of museums to visit. I thought this topic fit well with Friday’s post about planning an imaginary road trip. In the case of a virtual tour, you can take the trip, it’s just virtual. Whether you tour with friends or by yourself, it’s a great way to have fun and learn at the same time.

Virtual tours can consist of a collection of videos, still images, 3D walk-throughs, and written descriptions that help you feel as though you’re visiting the museum. Although it will not be everything in the museum’s collection, you will still get to see some amazing things.

The Google Arts & Culture site is a gold mine of virtual museum tours. This online platform will connect you with over 2,000 museums from 80 countries. Art, culture, history, and science will be at your fingertips. I think you will be amazed at the diversity of offerings. You can sort them alphabetically and also view a map that shows geographic locations. I found at least 15 that I had already visited., but you could visit a different one every day for a year and still have more to see!

Some of these museums are close to us in Ohio – the Toledo Art Museum, the Cincinnati Art Museum, and the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont. Others are worlds away – from Australia to Uzbekistan and everywhere in between. I found several that I know I will go back to visit virtually – including the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky, and the Textile Museum of Canada in Toronto. So many others piqued my curiosity – whether it was the topic or the location: the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, Netherlands; the Art Museum of Estonia; and the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum, just to name a few. I’m looking forward to more exploration, and like the imaginary road trip, maybe someday I will get to visit more of these museums in person.

Virtual museum tours are a way to exercise your creative wellness, one of many wellness dimensions. Creative wellness has been called the missing link in boosting well-being. Research shows that engagement with artistic activities, either as an observer or a creator, can enhance a person’s mood and thus they play a role in reducing stress. Taking time to appreciate others’ creative efforts help us to appreciate the world around us, connect with others, and may inspire our own creative spirit. Expressing your emotions and views through the arts can be a great way to practice self-care and to cultivate social connections.

Today’s Take-Away: Visit the Google Arts & Culture website, find a least one museum that interests you, and invite a friend or family member to take a virtual tour with you.

Visit the Ohio 4-H Mental Health Month page for more resources, and come back here for more information and ideas.

Yours in Health,

Signature

Theresa Ferrari, Extension Specialist, 4-H Youth Development