• Apple slices with peanut butter
• Fruit with low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese
• Banana or grapes with low-fat or fat-free milk
• Smoothie with yogurt, fruit and ice cubes
• Dried fruits like raisins
• Applesauce or fruit cup
• 1 cup of vegetable or bean soup
• 1 cup of hot cereal – like oatmeal
• Small baked potato with salsa
• Hard-boiled eggs with whole grain crackers
• Nuts mixed with dried fruits
• Whole grain crackers with string cheese
• Chopped raw vegetables with low-fat dip
• Celery with peanut butter
• Whole grain cereal with low-fat milk
• Whole grain crackers with low-fat cheese or peanut butter

When should you grab a snack?

Snacking is good for everybody. Your body needs to refuel every 3-4 hours. Eat shortly after you wake up and between breakfast, lunch and dinner. Avoid late-night snacking.

The BEST thing about snacking!

When you pick low-fat, low-calorie options, you’ll boost energy and metabolism though out your entire day!

Here’s more food for thought.

For children living in poverty, we believe health should be a bridge, not a barrier to learning. HealthNet School-Based Services served more than 3,000 students last year with health care and health education services at eight public and charter schools throughout Marion County. With your help, we can do even more this coming school year to keep kids healthy!

What are your kids looking forward to this school year?

You can shop healthy with a manageable amount of expense. Here’s a dozen ways to take care of your health at the grocery store without breaking the bank, thanks to HealthNet’s Health Promotions staff:

1. Clip, save and use coupons. Stick with only the items you use.
2. Check out the store flyer for sale items as you enter.
3. Stick to the edges of the store. For the most part, this is where the healthy choices are – less processed foods and more fruits and vegetables, dairy and meat.
4. Don’t shop hungry! You’ll buy more than you need.
5. Watch the shelves. Stores put items they most want to sell on the shelves between knee and shoulder height. The highest markup items are the ones about chest level.  These are easy to grab and toss into the cart.
6. The store brand is cheaper than national brands.
7. Fruits and vegetables: Pre-cut fruits and veggies can be expensive. Buy in season. It’s cheaper to buy produce in the bag and not by the piece like apples, oranges and potatoes. Check out the freezer aisle. Frozen vegetables can be an economical way to get your veggie servings, but stay away from added creams, sauces, butter or sugar.
8. Breads, cereals and pasta: Choose the least processed foods that are made with whole grains.  Aim for 4 grams of fiber and less sugar. To help your family get used to whole grains, you can start out with a blend of whole grains and slowly go to 100%. Buy your grains and cereals in bulk like brown rice, barley and rolled oats. Oatmeal in the canister is less than the instant flavored envelopes.
9. Meat, poultry and fish: Lean can be pricey. You can choose less expensive cuts of meat, but you have to practice portion control. Buy larger packs. Use what you can eat and freeze the rest.  Tilapia and sole may be more affordable. Choose frozen fish fillets or fish steaks, but stay away from breaded or marinated fish. Canned fish and chicken are great options for sandwiches, salads, and casseroles.
10. Other sources of protein: Beans are cheap and a great source of protein. Buy in bulk. Another low cost item that is healthy is the egg. Try going meatless once a week.
11. Dairy: Non-fat or low fat milk does not cost any more than whole or 2% milk. Buy a large container of plain yogurt and add your own sweetener like honey or fruit. Buy blocks of reduced-fat cheese and grate it yourself. Shredded or sliced cheese is more expensive.
12. Ignore the checkout displays!

Here’s another bargain for you. In partnership with Garden on the Go, HealthNet’s Health Promotions team helps low-income families access affordable, fresh produce in their neighborhoods — and learn the whys and hows of eating healthier. #GiveACareAbout reducing barriers for families in need. Along with coaching from a dietitian, a $5 donation provides a small financial incentive for a family to try fresh fruits and vegetables and begin making healthy lifestyle choices. With your help, we can do even more to help families in Indy.

Want more healthy shopping tips? Stop by our booth today through Sunday at the INShape Indiana Black & Minority Health Fair at Indiana Black Expo’s Summer Celebration in the Indiana Convention Center. Learn how to stay healthy on a budget — and sign up for a prize drawing to win a grocery store gift card!

————————————————————–
What healthy grocery shopping tips work for you?
What’s your favorite farmer’s market?
Comment below.
————————————————————–

World – Meet School-Based Services!

It’s a fact. Kids are more likely to learn and do better in school when they are healthy and attend class regularly. Yet when families don’t have health insurance, their children’s health can suffer. For these kids, health should be a bridge – not a barrier – to learning. That’s why HealthNet’s School-Based Services provided health care and health education to more than 3,100 students last year, through 22,000 visits at eight public and charter schools throughout Indianapolis.

Here are four things you should know about School-Based Services:

1. For many school children in Indy, visits to the nurse’s office are the only health care they will receive.
   School-based clinics like the ones HealthNet operates bring the doctor’s office to the school, so students avoid health-related absences and get support to succeed in the classroom.

   

   photo by Elizabeth Albert

2. School-based clinics are designed to meet the health care needs of students.
   School-based clinics are considered one of the most effective strategies for delivering high quality, comprehensive, and culturally-competent primary and preventive care to children and teens — a population that can be difficult to reach. By offering health and nutrition education, school clinics often are also on the front line in battling childhood obesity.
3. Being located where students spend most of their day enables School-Based Services to see and address factors that impact children’s well-being and academic achievement.
   Health providers outside a school setting may miss these factors. Jennifer and Monique’s stories are two amazing examples.
4. With your help, School-Based Services can do even more to improve the health and safety of students at school and at home.
   There are plenty of ways to get involved.
   
   • Make your child’s school healthier. Try some of these ideas!
   • Ask about the school nurse-to-student ratio at your child’s school. Start the conversation, and help Indy’s great schools become even better!
   • Consider a small gift to School-Based Services. A little bit can go a long way!
   • Raise awareness and tell your friends that you donated to this great program!  Together, we can help all school children in Indianapolis get a GREAT start to LIFE.

————————————————
Interested in School-Based Services and want to learn more?
Have ideas on how to make Indy schools healthier?
Comment below!
————————————————-

Image from UWPHI Website. Click to learn more!

The County Health Rankings report was just released by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This report ranks each county in each state in overall health calculated by factors such as individual health behaviors, education

and jobs, quality of health care, and environment.  This report is a great call to action to take a step back and try to understand HOW we can get healthier and what factors may contribute to the lack of health in Marion County.

Marion County – 77th out of 92 Indiana counties.

Only ahead of 15 counties in the entire state for overall health, Marion County is ranked 15th in the state for clinical care, a category that factors in the percentage of uninsured adults, ratio of population to primary care providers, number of preventable hospital stays, and percentage of diabetic and mammography screenings for Medicare enrollees.  How does a county ranked so high in clinical care, rank so low in overall health?

Access to AFFORDABLE health care.

Marion County is 89th out of 92 in the Social & Economic Factors category:

• 60% high school graduation rate; state average = 70%
• 24% of children live in poverty; state average = 18%
• 44% of households are single-parent; state average = 31%

All of these factors can point to financial stress.  Out of all of Marion County’s adult population, 16% are uninsured, leaving a barrier to health care access.  Federally Qualified Health Centers, such as HealthNet, aim to provide affordable, quality primary care to those who are uninsured or underinsured.  According to UWPHI, “While having health insurance is a crucial step toward accessing the different aspects of the health care system, health insurance by itself does not ensure access. It is also necessary to have comprehensive coverage, providers that accept the individual’s health insurance, relatively close proximity of providers to patients, and primary care providers in the community.[1]”

Marion County is NOT very healthy in terms of overall care, but a major factor may be the affordability and access to health care.  What are your thoughts on why Marion County (and the state’s capital) rank so low?

To learn more about HealthNet and what it does to increase access to care, click here.  Indiana also has two initiatives aimed at bettering the health of our populations. Learn more about INShape Indiana and the Indiana Healthy Weight Initiative.

It is not a secret that the economy in the United States has been struggling over the last couple years. As Americans, we have been facing one the worst recessions in history. Thousands of people have lost their jobs, homes, and health insurance. In fact, the Census Bureau’s annual report on poverty shows just how tough 2009 was. The increase in the number of Americans living below the poverty level and those without health insurance painted a bleak picture. According to a post on ABC News Online, the uninsured population topped 50 million for the first time – rising to 16.7 percent.  And, the percentage of Americans living in poverty increased to 14.3 percent.

HealthNet has seen a rise in uninsured patients and our providers have struggled to keep up with the demand for quality and accessible health care for those living in poverty. But health care does not just encompass medical care. The need for mental health and counseling services has also increased and HealthNet’s social workers have been working hard to help families simply meet their basic needs. We have witnessed more and more families struggling to keep up in a weak economy and most are seeking guidance and help to provide the basic necessities, such as a roof over their heads, heat in their homes and food on their tables.

Often times, when our families come to our health centers needing medical care, our providers are able to identify other areas of need that, in some cases, is leading to health concerns. For example, a family who has recently lost a job is concerned about making their mortgage payments. They are unable to afford their heating bills, their children are in need of new shoes and uniforms for school, and they are struggling to put food on the table. This added stress can lead to elevated blood pressures, gastrointestinal problems and even increase the risk for abuse and neglect for young children. HealthNet’s social workers engage these families in case management support and are able to direct them to area services such as housing and utility assistance programs, legal aid, and other area organizations who can help them with basic necessities.

We believe that health care goes beyond the medical services we provide. HealthNet’s social workers provide a key element in the wrap around care that we believe treats the whole person, not just their medical conditions.

Join us in the fight to build a healthier Indianapolis community. By contributing $25 to our social services program, you are enabling our social workers to continue providing outreach and case management support to those that need it most. A gift of $25 towards our patient emergency fund helps our social workers provide immediate needs such as food, diapers, school uniforms and utility support while they seek other long-term assistance.  You can help those that have to make the unfortunate decision between heat in there home and medicine for their child.

A nonprofit organization called Share our Strength helps with the fight against childhood hunger.  According to their studies, about 50.1 million Americans struggle to put food on the table on a regular basis.  This fact also affects Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) because when children are hungry, it increases their chances of becoming sick.  And,  without regular meals, recovery from illness is much slower.

Children who don’t have regular meals are more likely to have headaches, stomachaches, ear infections, colds, and fatigue.

Hunger and health work hand in hand.  So, what would you do if you had to choose between the two?  You can help make the decision easier by supporting your local FQHC.  HealthNet‘s network of FQHCs provides wrap-around care for the medically uninsured and underinsured.  Providing affordable health care and support services for those who have to make a decision between feeding their children or taking them to the doctor is key, not only to improving the health of our community, but also the economy.

You can help HealthNet continue to provide affordable services and give an Indianapolis family the peace of mind about affording food AND health care.  Raising awareness or a small gift can go a long way for a family living in poverty.  Learn more about HealthNet or give directly by clicking here.