Sunday, January 1, 2012

Eating Healthy: FREE Mp3!! (Childhood Obesity)


HAPPPPPIEST of NEW YEARS!!!!!! and
HEALTHIEST of NEW YEARS, TOO!!!!!! 

By Debbie Clement

It's time to celebrate!! We made it!!!!! 2012! A new year!!
A new calendar. A new beginning. A new resolve. A new set of energies forward, toward improving our daily choices, our daily decisions, our daily activities. A new opportunity to begin all over again. Back to basics.
Are you willing? Let's do this together!!!!!!!

Today's Topic? Childhood Obesity. What can we do?

Childhood Obesity, Early childhood, preschool health, family health, vegetable photographs

Have you made a list of resolutions for the New Year? For yourself personally? For your professional life? Now's the time to think through possibilities for the whole New Year ahead! Did you have a chance to read Dr. Ellaine's post from yesterday? That would be a brilliant follow-up to my post or a fitting prologue. She has such awesome insight. My take-away? Baby steps. Gradual change. Choose one area and f-o-c-u-s!!!!!! (Click back here for her insight and suggested links, or just keep reading + scrolling on down.)

Graphic organizer, foldable, sequencing within story, kinesthetics for language arts


Let's choose one thing to focus on first then we can move forward to what comes 2nd, after that we can begin to consider what comes 'next, then, and after' until we get to finally! [I took this photo a couple weeks ago at a conference where I was presenting and the article I wrote with the other photo-examples of 'foldables' included has become my number one viewed blog-post of all times -- in just a few short weeks! Click here to see the other foldable, 'graphic organizer' possibilities.]

Every conference I go to these days, has speakers addressing the topic and ramifications of the 'epidemic of childhood obesity.' I have recently heard several presentations -- including a keynote on this subject. One presenter used the analogy of a tsunami..... suggesting that America is about to be hit with a mammoth tidal wave of health related issues. The speaker highlighted concerns that as the younger, ever-so-much-more-sedentary generations age, our society will feel the long term effects of the health issues wrought by obesity.  While America may be leading at these issues, I'm certain these concerns are not specific to our borders.

What can we do? Start with an examination.
"We Are What We Eat!!!!" LOOK INSIDE:


How cute is this guy? Take a closer look at the many details!

Source: google.com via Debbie on Pinterest


According to the Center for Disease Control one preschool-aged child-in-7, of low income, is obese. They go further to cite that one-in-three children are 'over-weight' by the age of five. Click here for all of the specifics about how obese children are now establishing a lifestyle that will in-all-probability unfold into an entire lifetime of confronting such concerns as high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiac issues to name a few. All of these health issues are increasing at an alarming rate, all rearing their heads earlier and earlier in life. There are now 5 and 6 year old children with heart disease, a health issue which traditionally has been a concern some 50 to 60 years later in life.

Again, I ask you: WHAT CAN WE DO?
The obvious answer? We can get up + get moving!!! It's time to jump into action!
Get up off your chair! Get your feet up off the ground!!!!! Be an example. Be a role model!!

childhood obesity, movement games in school, exercise for children


CALL TO ACTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We ourselves in our personal lives, and we as educators and parents (and even wearing our grand-parent, coach and neighbor hats, too) need to get up and get the move on! We need to practise what we preach! We need to focus on this issue and focus on it right now!! This seriously needs to be priority #1. As a two-time survivor of early cancer diagnosis + treatment, safe-guarding our health hits very close to home for me. There are all sorts of studies underway investigating links between cancer and what we eat. Let me be the proverbial canary in the coal mine. The time is at hand for grasping the links between our diets and our health. This is a call-to-action on behalf of children everywhere!!! 

By example and by lesson plan! 
We need to get the kiddos in our lives up and going: jumping, grooving, marching, climbing, swinging, hopping, running, dancing, skipping, bopping, freezing, flapping, swinging, twirling, crawling, sliding, rolling, tumbling, scooting, stepping, swooping, whirling, swooshing ......... well you get the idea: MOVING!!! 

exercise for children, childhood obesity, early childhood movement, jumping, pompoms

I am really going to put my money where my mouth is. I want to support you whether you are a teacher or a parent, a librarian, auntie, nannie, or an administrator -- whatever your role with children. I will email each and every single person who would like a copy of my original song, "Eating Healthy" as a Happy New Year encouragement to get your kiddos up and marching.

The chorus has a rousing, active march tempo. Get some pom-pom shakers!!!!!
Get those knees up high! March to the steady beat!! Get your heart pumping!!!!

          "Eating healthy, being healthy, that's the choice for me.
            Eating healthy, being healthy, yes ma'am, yes siree!
            Eating healthy, being healthy that's how I will choose.
            Eating healthy, being healthy, I'll be healthy, you be healthy, help me spread the news!"

I would really appreciate it if you would officially follow our collaborative blog here -- to keep you in the loop of hearing from all of our authors. When you let me know that you're 'following' I'll happily email you a copy of the Mp3 file. You may either leave your email address here in our comment section at the end of this post -- or you are welcome to send me an email with your request. My email address is in the contact tab located across the very top of the blog.

Debbie Clement's Pinterest pin-board collection: "EATING HEALTHY" (primarily vegetable related)

To further support your efforts at a healthier lifestyle, I have a Pinterest pin-board labeled, "Eating Healthy" with a couple hundred 'pins' of all sorts of delightful vegetable ideas like the little skeletal fellow above. The vast majority of pins are veggie ideas, but you'll find some glorious fruit concoctions as well.

Here's to making good choices, to determining what to do FIRST and then??????
Those three imortal marketing words, "JUST DO IT!"

                                      -- Debbie --
      Next month I'll tackle the issues of Children's Art:
                            Process vs. Product
   ****Editor's Note: It's ready! Here's that link, click here!



Debbie Clement is a sing/song-writer "music lady" having written over 100 original songs for children onto nine albums, known as 'Debbie's Ditties' by her fans of educators + libraians. She has a nationally DOVE award winning DVD entitled "Kweezletown" suitable for families with children of differing ages.

She is also the author/illustrator of three picture books based on her songs -- where the lyrics of the song become the text of the book and yes!!! The CD is included in the traditional hard cover picture book format, along with charts for the sign language and music notation to support the performance of the song/book! Look here for her RainbowsWithinReach family of products.

****I've added this post to the linky party at Thrifty Thursdays designed by a speech + language expert. Click here for other thrify blog posts at Playing with Words 365.  

****Thanks Beth, for your personal invitation to get this linked up over at Intentional Living. I've added it to your Linky #12.

43 comments:

  1. I would love to have a copy of your mp3. I am a preschool teacher in MI. It saddens me that many of my preschoolers are totally winded after a minute or two of active play. Last year I collaborated with a co-teacher to write and receive a small grant for large motor equipment. We have both made physical activity a priority in our lessons.

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    1. antiquemom..... I need an email address to send you the mp3. I'm very eager to get it into your hands!! I share your saddness over young children being 'winded' easily. We've got to get them up and moving!

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  2. I would love to hear more from you. I am the academic advisor for a private Christian Pk-12th grade school. Thanks also for the pictures of foldables.
    Tina B
    scacrusaders@yahoo.com

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    1. Tina, you're welcome. Those foldables have made that post my all time number one. Obviously that's a tool teachers are appreciating. So simple. So easy. So helpful.

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  3. OK, that happy healthy veggie-guy has now been pinned - HOW cool. LOVE the meaningful movement suggestions! I may have to repost my playlist at the Corner this week, too. Happy 2012.

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    1. Yup. LUV the veggie guy!!!! Happy 2012 to you, too!! So glad to have you aboard!

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  4. I would really like your MP3 thank you! aaparsons@hotmail.com

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    1. You're quite welcome, Andrea. Hope that you put it to good use!

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  5. Hi Debbie! I didn't know realize you had another blog. I don't know how you keep up with it all. I agree that pre-k students and really all children need to have time every school day to be active to help find obesity. In FL there is a requirement that children must have so many minutes of health and fitness every day. I love to use music and would love the copy of the mp3! tigermagic@bellsouth.net

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    1. Thanks for coming over, Brian. It is a fun challenge to have my hands involved in several blogs -- all in the support of teachers!!! I'm glad that you can use my songs!

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  6. Debbie,

    I'd love a copy of the MP3! I doubt my second graders are too old for it... they tend to have an ear for music. (Maybe that's why they got placed with the teacher who LOVES music!) By the way, I love your pom pom picture!
    elementarymatters@gmail.com

    Sally from ElementaryMatters

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    1. Sally!!! LUV me some second graders. I had so much fun with Denise's kiddos this week. Yup!! I'm still all that and a bag of chips with second grade! POM POMS ahoy!!!

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  7. I am officially following :) I'm hoping my son will like the song but also I'd like it in case I ever return to teaching. I may start a preschool book club at my house once a month with activities, books, and music, so having that song would make a great lesson to go along with Eating the Alphabet or something.

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    1. Can't wait to see what you come up with. Be sure to let me know!

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  8. Pinned and followed! Love the veggie man! Thanks for the song, Debbie!
    Marilyn
    mks129 (at) aol (dot) com

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    1. Special thanks for pinning, Marilyn. That's such a HUGE help for us to get the word out!

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  9. I am a new follower! We will be teaching about healthy eating, so this is perfect!
    Cheryl
    cener@sbcglobal.net
    Crayons and Curls

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    1. So glad that you found us, Cheryl!!! Here's to healthy eating!!

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  10. Thanks Debbie, sounds fun and healthy...I love living healthy...I would love a copy of the "EATING HEALTHY" song...
    Ms. Dawn, The Singing Nurse

    TheSingingNurse@gmail.com

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    1. I LUV the sound of 'The Singing Nurse' -- how cool is that?

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  11. Excellent post, Debbie! This is such an important topic, and a perfect way to kick off the new year!

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    1. Here's to new starts, Erin. So glad to have you aboard!!

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  12. I am so excited to get the Mp3s emailed to you folks. I know you're gonna really like it! I do indeed think it will be a helpful resource on so many levels. I'm going to wait and send them tomorrow morning -- in an effort to attempt to be 'efficient' with the process. I can't wait for you to hear it!

    Debbie

    Debbie

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  13. Your healthy pins are so great!! THANKS for sharing them for the benefit of healthy brains Debbie!!

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    1. Deborah, we really are on the same channel, aren't we?

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  14. WHOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!!!

    I just got all of the Mp3's sent to everyone that has responded so far. I can't wait to hear what you think of the song -- after you receive it!

    Deborah, I LUV pinterest and it has been especially fun to search out 'Veggie/healthy' pins to support the use of this particular song and wise choices in general.

    ANTIQUEMOM!!!!!!!!!! I am so very, very eager to get you your copy of my song, but I haven't been able to locate an email address for you. I will keep looking. I hope that you'll come back thru to leave your email address here, or you can send it to me directly at my email address, which is the tab at the top.

    Everybody else, please be on the lookout this morning. Check your spam box and filtering nets.

    Debbie

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  15. This is such an amazing catchy song! I think the kiddos will be singing along to it at the very first play! It is that catchy!

    One way to use the song would be to play it and then have the children list fruits and vegetables and the teacher could put it on a T-Chart. Then maybe send a calendar home and have the parents help the child by writing down all fruits and vegetables eaten at home. That may get them to eat healthier!

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    1. Brian, thanks so much for your insight. I'm so glad that you like the song and can put it to good use!!!

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  16. Thanks so much for the immediate feedback, Brian! I'm so glad to know that the email-system works!!! (I'm in the car. This is one of those times when I'm in LUV with technology: because it worked!!!)

    Debbie

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  17. Hello Debbie,
    LOVE that healthy veggie guy you have there! Can't wait to hear your MP3 song too. You are changing the world and I am really loving all that you are doing. Thank you hugs
    Deborah

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    1. Veggie guy is da bomb! Can only take credit for pinning him. I still need your email address to send you the Mp3 of the song. I hope you'll find this again and give me your email so that I can get it to you!

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  18. Oh... I would love the healthy eating songs. This would be a great addition to our nutrition unit. I am also going to share it with a friend of mine that is a Chef at a public school. I love the veggie men pics. Those are so cute too.
    Bobbi
    bcapwell@ccisd.net

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    1. YEAH Veggie-men! A chef!!! Brilliant way to share. Thanks for your support Bobbi!

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  19. Happy morning folks. I have just sent another batch of Mp3s this morning. Ye gads I can't find an email address for you "ImaginationPlay" Deborah! Please leave your specific email in the comments section -- or you are welcome to email me personally and I'll send you a copy.

    Just a head's up. We are leaving tomorrow morning on a mini-cruise for the rest of the week and I'll be away from the internet. I'll send everyone an Mp3 when we return.

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  20. SUPER cute edible human body - LOVE it! And I l am totally using the 1st, 2nd, etc. thing!! I wanted to invite you to link up at TGIF LInky Party - http://livinglifeintentionally.blogspot.com/search/label/Linkey%20Parties - I know my readers would love to see this too!!
    Have a GREAT weekend,
    Beth =-)

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    1. I'll pop right over to share this link on your linkie!!! Thanks for the invitation, Beth.

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  21. Wow! So many awesome ideas in one post, Debbie! And your song looks great ... truly an important topic! I pinned your post to my Kids' Food Fun Pinterest board at http://pinterest.com/debchitwood/kids-food-fun/

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    1. Deb. You are THE best when it comes to social media. I need to track down YOUR email to send you the Mp3. I can find it in the authors section. Will go there next!

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  22. Oh my goodness that veggie guy is BEYOND AWESOME!!! You have such creative ideas! I'd love the song also, whenever you have time! katie@playinwithwords365.com. Thanks for linking this up at Thrifty Thursday!

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    1. BEYOND AWESOME, INDEED!! Thanks for your kind words. I'll go send you your Mp3 right now. I'm grateful for your linkie -- and especially for your reminder!!

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  23. This is great! Would you please share this with our readers for Fun Stuff Fridays? http://www.toysinthedryer.com/2012/01/fun-stuff-fridays-6.html

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  24. LOVE IT!!! so creative... would really love it if you could share this here -
    http://www.mamamiasheart2heart.com/2012/01/sharing-saturday.html

    thanks so much and have a great weekend.

    ~MiaB

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  25. Hi, this blog is really amazing and provide me answers to all my questions. This is really informative and I will for sure refer my friends the same. I got the freebies with the ComLuv premium and adding this now makes it all even juicier than ever.
    being healthy

    ReplyDelete

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