Wellbody Blog

Fifty years after leaving Burma and 25 years after launching a teaching career in physical education, Bellevue College faculty instructor Stella Orechia is celebrating life milestones with a cycling sabbatical, pedaling 1,000 miles in the Northwest and 1,000 miles in Burma to increase support for refugees from Burma in the Northwest and on the Thailand/Burma border. 

Stella Orechia training on San Juan Island

The first leg of Stella's Northwest journey is on Saturday June 1, from Lake City to Kent, a 50-mile route with a total ascent of 682 feet. She invites you to ride along and/or join the picnic at the end of the ride. The unsupported ride is free, but you must register and sign the waivers. Learn more on Stella's blog, Riding for Refugees.

A former Olympic-level athlete, Stella recently shared thoughts about goals, milestones, her remarkable mother and the community that helped her family settle in America after fleeing Burma. 

Wellbody Blog: Who and what inspired this epic cycling sabbatical?

Stella Orechia: After 25 years of teaching, 15 at Bellevue College, I wanted to create a sabbatical project that would enrich my classes and expose the work of our Health/Physical Education department. I also wanted to document an active humanitarian effort that would benefit Burmese refugees. As the elements of this project developed, I realized that it's been 50 years since I was in Burma and wanted to make a trip there. (Cycling 1,000 miles in the Northwest and 1,000 miles in Myanmar) came to me as a way to support refugees both here and there. I would cycle the Northwest to benefit a local organization, Northwest Communities of Burma, and then I would cycle a loop in Burma to fundraise for a medical refugee clinic at the border, the Mae Tao Clinic.

My parents fled Burma with nine of us in the 60's. Their story of sacrifice and hardship is similar to other refugees and immigrants coming to the 'land of opportunity'. We resettled with help from the Catholic Church, other charity groups and very generous neighbors. I will never forget the kindness of so many as we resettled and will be forever grateful to this amazing country. I hope to give back in some way with this effort.

WB: Why did you decide to use fitness to mark a milestone and reconnect with your roots?

SO: As a health and fitness educator, I expect to walk the talk, or in this case, 'cycle the chat', to model what I profess. Fitness is also a way to honor my Burmese mother who was a multi-sport athlete and PE teacher in Burma. She danced, swam and played competitive field hockey. My sport favorites are volleyball, track and now cycling. I was fortunate enough in 1984 to compete at the Olympic Trials as a track athlete in the 400 meter hurdles. Now in my late 50's, fitness is all about a love for movement and play.Stella at 6, passport photo

WB: What do you hope to gain (physically, emotionally) from the rides?

SO: I expect this endeavor to improve my overall wellness, in all dimensions:

• Physical –Increase cardio-respiratory fitness, muscular strength and endurance, improved sleep and immune function, just to mention a few of the physical benefits.
•  Social – Communicating and exchanging ideas with diverse groups of people- refugees, website supporters, picnic volunteers, relatives in Burma, medical and healthcare employees. This is where I gain a sense of 'community' as it relates to wellness.
• Intellectual – I am learning Burmese, I have developed a website, I can now fix more than a flat tire, and I can discuss Burmese culture and history. All these have stimulated mental function and improved self-efficacy. Gains here provide additional life experiences that I can share.
• Environmental- My pedal powered travel not only reduces emissions by not driving, I am gaining a better appreciation for our amazing NW environment and nature.
• Emotional – Distress is reduced and my ability to express emotions appropriately improve.
• Spirituality – I can identify a purpose in life. I seek to help others and practice prayer with gratitude, just as my mother did. I feel her presence as a guardian angel on my handlebars. The Christian community where I live also provides support and identity.
• Occupational – I am appreciating the balance and integration of professional and personal work. "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." ― Confucius

WB: What has your work in health and physical education taught you about setting fitness/wellness goals?

SO: Wellness pioneers Travis and Ryan say that wellness is a process that begins with awareness. I have learned that success in reaching goals begins with assessment and awareness. Understanding the stages in behavior change also assists in the process. When a person is ready to set goals, using a tool like SMART is helpful. Here is an online SMART worksheet by sparkpeople.com.

I have also learned that goal setting is not for everyone. Sometimes it places unnecessary pressure and distress. We can practice behaviors that reduce the risks of disease and disability without setting goals. Let's appreciate our individual differences with awareness and strive to engage in attitudes and beliefs that promote positive living.

WB: What are the most meaningful lessons you teach your students about fitness/wellness?

SO: Along with the above, I think the most meaningful lessons are the ones students personalize and share with each other.

WB: What have been or will be your biggest hurdles?

SO: I haven't had or expected any real hurdles, maybe just a few puddles to ride through. The greatest challenge so far has come from creating a website from scratch. My task now is to:
1. Get the word out to support the cause
2. Encourage cyclist to sign up for a ride-along (any distance in any segment throughout any of the northwest rides).
3. Recruit volunteers for the picnics and for the NWCB summer youth program
4. Enjoy my training and to savor each ride.

For a schedule of Stella's summer rides in the Northwest, see Riding for Refugees or http://stellasbiking.wordpress.com/ Viewers can subscribe to follow her weekly blog from the home page.

Visit A Lifetime of Milestones and the Journey Gallery in The Loft (on the second floor of Wellbody Academy), to explore how others in our community are using life milestones to focus their efforts and make healthy behavior changes.

Want to share your RealLife story about wellness and healthy behavior change? Doesn't have to be a monumental thousand-mile bike ride! Tell us about your efforts to walk instead of drive,  or order herbal tea instead of sugary soda, or get more sleep, or meditate while you floss! It's all good and will help inspire others. Write to professorwellbody@pacsci.org.

Healthy habits can be hard to maintain when we are bombarded with invitations to get off track. This catchy two-minute video shares some eye-opening facts--the answers to the quiz--about how the food industry targets children.

How much does the food industry spend every year to market to children younger than 11?

a. $700,000

b. $7 million

c. $70 million

d. $700 million

How much does the food industry spend annually to market to adolescents?

a. $10 million

b. $100 million

c. $1 billion

d. $10 billion

What are the top three producted marketed to kids?

a. Carbonated beverages

b. Breakfast cereals

c. Fast-food restaurants

d. baby carrots

Check out the Influence Decoder in Wellbody Academy's Wellbody Hall to explore how advertising influences your food decisions. Did you know every year the food industry spends more than $1.7 billion marketing to adolescents and children?

It's been three years since Birke Baehr, then 11 years old, gave a talk called "What's Wrong With Our Food System" at the TEDx conference in Asheville, North Carolina. It became one of TED's most-watched talks, an Internet sensation with close to 2 million views.

In five jam-packed minutes, Birke combines the passion of a child with the authority of a grown-up food activist to talk about how:

• flashy advertising and cheap plastic toys lure kids to beg their parents to buy food that isn't good for their health or the environment.
• genetically modified tomatoes—injected with the DNA of fish—cause cancer.
• runoff from pesticides and herbicides is poisoning the earth.
• he decided to trade in his dream of becoming an NFL football player to pursue organic farming – so he could have  greater impact on the world.
• he and his brother and sister actually like to eat baked kale chips.

Birke became interested in organic food after a newspaper story about mercury in high fructose corn syrup inspired him to learn more about industrialized agriculture. At the time, his parents thought organic food was too expensive. The family ate conventional foods, packaged foods, fast foods. No soda at home, but they did drink it at restaurants. Birke told them, "It seems to me, we can either pay the farmer or we can pay the hospital..."

Now 14, Birke has convinced his parents to buy local, sustainable organic foods whenever possible. He's written a book, Birke on the Farm – A Boy's Quest for Real Food; appeared in two documentaries, Choice Point and Bite Size, exploring issues of childhood obesity. Birke speaks frequently about agriculture and food safety at conferences, including one in Rome, where they nicknamed him, in Italian, "the little organic farmer."

Birke's message to other kids: "You shouldn't wait to speak your mind. I wanted to be an organic farmer when I grow up, but I'm learning I can be one right now."

Check out the Influence Decoder in Wellbody Academy's Wellbody Hall to explore how advertising influences your food decisions. Did you know every year the food industry spends more than $1.7 billion marketing to adolescents and children? Most food industry advertising is used to promote carbonated beverages, breakfast cereals and fast food restaurants.

Raves for Else's mom's Almost Paleo Pancakes from the 'tween sleepover crowd!Paleo Pancakes©Paula Bock

"Almost" because Else's mom subs in whole wheat flour for some of the almond meal, but if you're going all Paleo, you can use all almond meal or mix with coconut flour. 

The almonds in the recipe add protein, the blueberries and grated apple bring soluble fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. No sugar or refined flour! Read how the DNA in ancient tooth tarter gives clues about modern diseases linked to processed sugar and flour. 

Else's Mom's Almost Paleo Pancakes

1 C almond meal
1 C whole wheat or oat flour (To go gluten-free, use 2 C almond meal and no flour or 1 C coconut flour)
1/2 c. unsweetened coconut flakes
3 eggs
1 C coconut milk
2 T coconut oil (melted)
1 apple, grated
1 C fresh or frozen blueberries (can substitute any fruit in season).

Mix all ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased skillet. Turn when small bubbles appear. Serve with more berries and a drizzle of thick coconut milk. 

Congratulations to Ria Chhabra, whose middle-school science fair project on organic food and fruit flies led to top honors in a national science competition, research in a university lab and publication in a prestigious, peer-reviewed scientific journal.

Ria started out by comparing levels of vitamin C in organic produce v. conventionally farmed food. Her experiments showed that organic produce had more vitamin C. Then, she tested whether fruit flies raised on organic produce had better health than those raised on conventional produce.

"The flies raised on diets from organically grown produce had greater fertility and longevity," she wrote in her scientific paper. "On certain food sources, greater activity and greater stress resistance was additionally observed, suggesting that organic food bestows positive effects on fly health."

Now 16, Ria continues her research on fruit flies and diet. She's studying the effect of cinnamon and curcumin (turmeric) on diabetes in fruit flies for her 10th-grade science fair project. Read more about Ria in the New York Times.

At Professor Wellbody's Academy of Health & Wellness, everybody is their own science project!Stop by to see how healthy changes in your diet, exercise, sleep and hygiene can improve your health and how you feel.

The tartar preserved on the teeth of ancient skeletons provides yet another reason to cut back on sugar-sweetened drinks and overall sugar.Ancient teeth/NSF

In a study recently published in Nature, British and Australian researchers extracted DNA from dental plaque on 34 prehistoric northern European human skeletons to examine oral bacteria. Then they looked at oral bacteria in the last hunter-gatherers, the first farmers, people from the later Bronze Age, Medieval Times, the Industrial Age and today.

Genetic history encapsulated in the dental plaque reflects two major shifts in human diet – the adoption of a carbohydrate-rich Neolithic farming diet about 10,000 years ago and the uptake in industrially processed flour and sugar during the Industrial Revolution about 150 years ago.

As processed sugar and flour increased in the diet, diversity of oral bacteria plunged, letting caries-causing bacteria dominate. The dietary change spurred tooth decay, diabetes and heart disease—health problems we continue to grapple with today.

"The modern mouth basically exists in a permanently diseased state. Ironically, the introduction of sugar and carbohydrates contributed to the increase in dental plaque that now holds the vital information scientists are studying," one researcher noted in University World News.

"Until now, scientists have had to rely mainly on indirect evidence or historical documents to tell what people ate and what kind of illnesses they suffered from in the past. But now they can directly extract genetic information on diet and health from the tartar on teeth – which is very abundant and well preserved in the archaeological record – giving them a totally new source of unique information stretching back thousands of years."

Interested in genetics? Visit The Studio in Professor Wellbody's Academy of Health and Wellness to build DNA patterns, learn about cutting-edge genetic research in the Northwest and hear local scientists talk about their favorite genes. "Next Generation Genetics" will rotate out of The Studio at the end of May to make way for a new exhibit on neuroscience, so make sure to stop by before then.

And while you're here, check out the Odor Decoder in Wellbody Academy's Germnasium. Sniff different types of bad breath and try to trace the various causes!

Pink Grapefruit - Pomegranate Pop. Cranberry Lime Spritzer. Watermelon Lime Spritzer.

Cranberry lime spritzer/Sugarfreemom.comEnjoy these refreshing, no-sugar recipes for cool, fizzy beverages – much better for your health than sugar-sweetened sodas, sports drinks and fruit juices.

By now, you've probably heard the bad news about sugar-sweetened villains. Slurping just one 12-ounce glass a day increases your risk of diabetes by 18 to 25 percent and the risk goes up the more you drink. Sugary beverages are also linked to heart disease, cancer, and of course, obesity; one study attributes 180,000 deaths a year to sugar-sweetened sodas around the world. 

So skip the sugary beverages and instead, muddle berries in the bottom of a glass, add ice and sparkling seltzer or mineral water. More recipes below for no-sugar liquid inspiration. Cheers! 

Pink Grapefruit - Pomegranate Pop

 Cranberry Lime Spritzer: No Sugar Added (from Sugarfreemom.com)

Ingredients
• 2 cups natural cranberry juice, no sugar added
• 2 cups lime seltzer water
• 2 limes
• garnish: fresh cranberries, lime wedges
Directions
In a large pitcher pour the cranberry juice and seltzer water. Squeeze the juice of two limes into the pitcher. Add ice cubes, fresh cranberries and sliced lime to garnish to each glass. Serves 4.

Watermelon Lime Spritzer: No Sugar Added (from Sugarfreemom.com)
Ingredients
• 4 cups diced watermelon, seedless
• 12 ounces sparkling lime seltzer water, unsweetened
• 2 limes
• Optional: 2 droppers full of Watermelon Stevia liquid or sweetener of choice
Directions
Place your diced watermelon in the freezer for about 2 hours. Blend frozen, diced watermelon in your blender until smooth. (Strain the juice if you want to.) Add the juice of 1 lime and stevia and blend until mixed well. Slice the other lime into wedges to garnish glasses. Pour blended watermelon into 4 glasses Fill 3/4 of the glass with watermelon mixture. (if you want more carbonation, fill only 1/2 of the glass with the watermelon mixture). Carefully top off each glass by pouring sparkling lime seltzer into each to create foam, stir and enjoy!

Servings: 4* Calories per serving: 56* Fat: 0g* Cholesterol: 0g* Sodium: 2g* Carbs: 15g* Fiber: 2g* Sugars: 10g* Protein: 1g* Points+: 2*

If these warm spring afternoons are making you crave a sweet, cool, thirst quencher, think twice—especially when it comes to sugar-sweetened sodas, sports drinks and fruit juices.Huffington Post

A new study of 27,000 people in eight European countries found that those who drank a 12-ounce sugar-sweetened soda daily were 18 percent more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes over a 16-year span compared with those who didn't. The research controlled for diabetes risk factors including age, exercise, body mass index (BMI) and total calorie intake. The findings validate earlier studies in the U.S. that found daily soda consumption upped the risk for Type 2 diabetes by 25 percent.

The research stopped short of proving that drinking soda causes Type 2 diabetes, instead showing an association. Researchers say other factors, such as the blood-sugar spike people experience when they drink soda, may play a role. (Read excellent summaries of the European soda study on Huffington Post and in TIME.)

Diabetes isn't the only dangerous disease linked to sugar-sweetened beverages. Several recent studies have also connected sugary drinks to heart disease, cancer, and, of course, obesity. In March, new research presented at an American Heart Association scientific session linked an alarming 180,000 deaths to sugar-sweetened drinks including 133,000 diabetes deaths, 44,000 heart disease deaths and 6,000 cancer deaths.

In the U.S., 25,000 deaths each year are associated with sugar-sweetened drinks. Low- and middle-income countries were hit hardest with deaths linked to overconsumption of sugary beverages.

Globally, here's how the deaths were distributed.
• The most diabetes deaths, 38,000, related to sugary beverages occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean
• East and Central Eurasia recorded the most heart disease-related deaths at 11,000.
• Mexico, which had the highest per-capita consumption of sugary drinks, also had the highest death rate due to sugared beverages at 318 deaths per million adults.
• Japan, had the lowest per-capita consumption of sugary drinks, and also enjoyed the lowest death rate due to the drinks at 10 deaths per million adults.

The American Heart Association recommends adults consume no more than 450 calories per week from sugar-sweetened beverages. Overall, the American Heart Association recommends women have no more than six added teaspoons of sugar a day and men no more than nine teaspoons a day. The Heart Association offers tips to help you make better lifestyle choices and eat healthier.

Visit Wellbody Academy's Cafedium to ride the Sugarburners exercise bike and turn the hand-powered crank to experience for yourself just how long it takes to burn off the 136 calories in a 12-ounce soft drink.

And stay tuned to the Wellbody Blog for refreshing recipe alternatives to sugar-laden beverages.

Free: Walk and Talk for Stronger Communities!Photo/Sponsorship Connections

Meet up Saturday, May 4, and Sunday, May 5, with Feet First and Neighborhood Walking Ambassadors for free, guided walks through Fremont, Queen Anne, Pioneer Square, Bradner Gardens, Beacon Hill, West Seattle, Central District, Ballard, Fauntleroy, Rainier Beach, the International District, the Arboretum, Interaken and Volunteer Park, and Edmonds. Click here for details.

Think of this as a neighborhood brainstorm a la pied; the idea is for walkers to talk with each other about what's meaningful to them in the places they live and work.

Conversation topics are as varied as the people taking part,  from art and architecture to potholes and shortcuts and from video surveillance to the urban forest, organizers say. Anything goes--especially if it helps you and others better understand our cities and neighborhoods as places and spaces.

The local walks were inspired by Jane's Walks, created in 2007 in Toronto by friends of the urban thinker Jane Jacobs. The annual series of free, volunteer-led urban walks has grown from 27 to over 600, from Calgary to Canberra and Sao Paulo to Ljubljana.

Learn more at feetfirst.org/events.

In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, try these healthy Mexican-inspired recipes: cabbage enchiladas with red sauce, baked chicken flautas, and broccomole guacamole! Cabbage enchiladas ©Katelyn Del Buco

By baking instead of frying and substituting cabbage for tortillas, tomatoes and chili powder for sour cream, and broccoli for avocados, you'll cut down on calories and saturated fat while adding fiber, vitamins and protein and lots of flavor.

Buen provecho!

Cabbage Enchiladas

Ingredients

For the Enchiladas:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Peel the cabbage leaves – make sure to peel them gently so they don't tear. Sometimes it helps to run warm water over the cabbage as you're peeling. Throw the cabbage leaves into the pot of boiling water for a couple of minutes. Remove and set on a towel to dry. Mix the shredded chicken with chopped fresh cilantro and (optional) shredded cheese. Seaon with salt & pepper.

Spread the enchilada sauce in the bottom of an 8×8 baking dish. Then take the cabbage leaves and place the chicken mixture inside of them and roll up. Place each cabbage roll in the baking dish. Once done, pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over them. Topped with (optional) shredded cheese.

Bake at 350° for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce (from Shrinking Kitchen)

Indredients

In a large sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add chili powder and flour, whisking constantly to combine. Mixture will be a thick paste (roux).

Slowly add in a small amount of tomato sauce, whisking until the roux has dissolved. If you don't whisk, it will end up a lumpy mess! Once the roux is combined, add the rest of the tomato sauce and chicken broth. Whisk to combine.

Add in the rest of the spices, stir to combine.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and use in your enchilada recipe, or cool and divide into containers for storage.

Can be refrigerated for up to a week, or frozen for 3 months.

Broccomole (from Domestic Fits)©Katelyn Del Buco

Hard to knock avocados since they're packed with vitamins (including B6 and folic acid), fiber, protein and potassium. But the "alligator pears" are also high in fat and calories. Creamy  green broccomole is about 1/3 the calories of traditional guacamole with twice the protein and less fat. Plus, one cup of broccoli has the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C, an antioxidant key in fighting cancer-causing free radicals; high levels of calcium and vitamin K for bone health; and potassium, magnesium and calcium that help regulate blood pressure.

 Ingredients

3 cups chopped broccoli
1 jalapeno, chopped, seeds removed
2 tbs green onions
1 tsp olive oil
2 ounces fat free cream cheese (or silken tofu, goat cheese, sour cream, cashew cream, something creamy)
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 tbs cilantro
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Cook the broccoli in lightly salted water until very soft. Overcook the broccoli in comparison to the al dente cooking that most recipes recommend.
Drain broccoli very well.
Transfer to a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth, add additional olive oil for a smoother texture.
Serve warm.

Baked Chicken Flautas (from Lauren Keating on Healthy Delicious)

Baked flautas stuffed with seasoned, shredded chicken, spinach, and cheese are crispy, but don't have the greasiness of fried versions. To shred poached chicken easily, put it into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium for 45 seconds. Store-bought rotisserie chicken can be substituted for the poached chicken to save time.

Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 450*F.
Put the chicken thighs in a deep sided saute pan and cover with the beer and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the liquid and shred it. Mix together the chicken and seasonings.

Pour out all but ¼ cup of the cooking liquid. Add the jalapeno and spinach and cook over low heat until for 2-3 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted.

Cut the tortillas in half. Spoon 1/10th of the chicken (about 1 tablespoon) along the long edge of a tortilla. Repeat with the spinach and cheese. Roll the tortilla up, starting with the straight edge. Place seam-side down on an oiled baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Brush the flautas with olive oil or spray with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn them over and bake for until 10 minutes, or until crispy. Serve with salsa.

Warm and satisfying, creamy yet light, these fritters are so yummy, it's hard to believe they're also so healthy.

Packed with fiber-rich chickpeas and succulent Swiss chard (a low-calorie source of antioxidant vitamins and minerals), the recipe takes less than 15 minutes to make. Kids love these melt-in-your-mouth patties. Whip up a double batch and pack leftovers for lunch the next day! They'd also make a substantial appetizer.

Swiss Chard and Chickpea Fritters

(from Real Simple with some Wellbody suggestions)

Ingredients
• 8 cups stemmed and torn Swiss chard (about 1 bunch) or spinach
• 1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 ounces Feta, crumbled (about 1/2 cup) or ½ cup Swiss and gruyere cheeses, grated
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• hot sauce, for serving (Apple sauce is terrific for dipping, too!)

Directions
1. In a food processor, combine the Swiss chard, chickpeas, garlic, cumin, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and pulse until finely chopped, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Transfer to a large bowl, add the cheese and flour, and mix until combined. Form the mixture into eight 2½-inch patties.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, cook the patties until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side, adding the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet for the second batch. Serve with the yogurt, applesauce and/or hot sauce.

Talk about terrific community energy!

Come to a free sport, health and wellness event in Seattle's Central District on Sunday, April 28, from 1 - 4 p.m. at Garfield Community Center, 23rd & Cherry. Indoor/outdoor games, open swim (1:30 - 3 p.m.), cooking demos, healthy treats, health screenings, fitness and nutrition workshops and entertainment. We'll be there with a Neighborhood Discovery Cart full of fun science activities. Hope to see you on Sunday!

Have a pair of new or gently used athletic shoes to donate? Bring them to the event to support fitness for foster families through Treehouse for Kids.

Questions? Contact urbangamesevent@yahoo.com

Does wellness get any better than this?

Seattle yogis will "Flow in the Glow" as SHAKTI Vinyasa Yoga Founder Lisa Black teaches a 75-minute class to the music of the 60-70's in the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum at the base of the Seattle Space Needle at 8:30pm, on April 20, 2013.

All levels are welcome to this complimentary event. Please come with an open spirit and friendly nature, as you'll will be mat to mat with fellow Seattle yogis who are all very excited to share this unique event with each other.

Space is limited to the first 300 in attendance, no rsvp required, but please arrive early. Don't forget your mat and water. Hosted by Chihuly Garden and Glass, SHAKTI Vinyasa Yoga Studios of Seattle and lululemon athletica. Learn more

Visit Wellbody Academy's Playdium to play ExerGames, reconnect with the joy of play and learn about the importance of movement to wellness.

Last week's post about the fat-, sugar-, sodium- and additive-laden offerings on kids' menus  at most chain restaurants prompted several readers to share advice about how to eat healthy when you're away from home.

In appreciation, we'll randomly select one of the tipsters to receive two free passes to Wellbody Academy and Pacific Science Center's other exhibits. While you're here, check out the Wellbody Cafedium for fun games and facts about nutrition.

Many thanks to the Wellbody community for the great ideas; several posted below. Please keep 'em coming!

We try to bring our own meals/snacks wherever we go to save money, and to support us in our weight loss maintenance (going on 1.5 yrs of losing 75 lbs myself, 90 for my husband). We think it's important to have these traits down before having children, so we'll be able to pass healthy habits along to our children. If we do go out to eat, we plan ahead by looking at the menu to make smart choices and split meals to not overeat and to save money! – Lindsay Larsen

We bring our own child beverages, always share and say no to fries! - Karmen Kreul Furer

Our modus operandi for eating out with our almost 3-year old is to not order off the kids' menu. Generally, we simply share our food with him. We figure, if he eats what we eat at home, why do we order him special things when we go out? - Wellbody Reader

Mexican with a family of 7: 2 orders whole black beans, 2 orders Mexican rice, 2 sides guac, 1 side each tomatoes and lettuce and 3 sides flour tortillas. We make our own all for around 30 bucks depending on the establishment! Yum! - Heidi Beard

When we eat out, we choose places that offer veggies as a side option. We avoid the kids' menu and prefer to order our kids' meals from the regular menu and have them split a healthier entrée with us or with each other. It makes for more sensible portions and better options like veggie sides instead of fries or chips. On the rare occasion we opt for fast food, we go to Subway or Taco del Mar. If we're going to spend the day out, we pack our own meals & snacks. Our favorite crunchy snacks include mini bell peppers, raw red cabbage, and Kim's Magic Pop (from Fred Meyer).
- Nan

Dear Pacific Science Center: Please interview parents that raise slender children and share with us or at your Wellbody blog about their staples, their food, their snacks, and how much they eat, regarding desserts,etc...Thank you a lot. – Best Care

Calling parents who are raising slender children—and anyone else who wants to share success stories and lessons learned--please contact us to be interviewed. Comment on the Wellbody blog, post to our Facebook page or email professorwellbody@pacsci.org

Thanks!

Why do people who have warm relationships and frequently experience positive emotions live longer, healthier lives and suffer fewer heart attacks and colds? Wellcome Library,London/The Economist

Recent research by psychology professors Barbara L. Frederickson and Bethany Kok points to the vagus nerve, a literal mind-body connection that starts in the brain and winds through the neck, branching into the chest and abdominal cavities. (See illustration on right.)

The vagus nerve sends signals to the heart, telling it to slow down during calm moments. People with healthy vagal tone have a subtle increase in heart rate while inhaling and a slightly decreased heart rate while exhaling. Higher vagal tone helps your body regulate your cardiovascular, glucose and immune response.

Dr. Frederickson and Dr. Kok found that people with high vagal tone not only have better physical health, but they're better at stopping bad feelings from getting overblown. So feeling good can help you from feeling bad.

Here's the fascinating part: You can increase your vagal tone by practicing compassion toward others. This is not fringe science! Read about it in The Economist and the New York Times!

In one study, half the participants, randomly chosen, attended a six-week workshop to learn how to cultivate warmer interpersonal connections using an ancient meditation technique known as metta, or, lovingkindness. After six weeks, the meditators felt more upbeat and socially connected—and they had increased their vagal tone.

"In short, the more attuned to others you become, the healthier you become, and vice versa," Frederickson writes in the New York Times. "This mutual influence also explains how a lack of positive social contact diminishes people. Your heart's capacity for friendship also obeys the biological law of 'use it or lose it.' If you don't regularly exercise your ability to connect face to face, you'll eventually find yourself lacking some of the basic biological capacity to do so.

"When you share a smile or laugh with someone face to face, a discernible synchrony emerges between you, as your gestures and biochemistries, even your respective neural firings, come to mirror each other. It's micro-moments like these, in which a wave of good feeling rolls through two brains and bodies at once, that build your capacity to empathize as well as to improve your health.

"If you don't regularly exercise this capacity, it withers. Lucky for us, connecting with others does good and feels good. . . . So the next time you see a friend, or a child, spending too much of their day facing a screen, extend a hand and invite him back to the world of real social encounters. You'll not only build up his health and empathic skills, but yours as well. Friends don't let friends lose their capacity for humanity."

Visit The Loft at Wellbody Academy and be sure to check out Who Do You Turn To... a cool way to reflect on your social network by creating a personalized collage about your friends and family with a computer interactive that asks you thought-provoking questions about your relationships: Who could you talk to if you're upset? Who could you call if you needed a ride? Who confides their hopes, dreams and fears in you?

Popcorn! If there's any snack food that has a split personality, this is it.

Healthy, low-fat, low-calorie source of dietary fiber? Or artery clogging, sodium slathered tub o' fat? 

All depends on how you pop and top it.Sprinkle home-popped popcorn with nutritional yeast for deep umami flavor and a protein kick.      Copyright©Paula Bock

If you use an air popper or microwave naked kernels in a brown paper lunch bag with minimal or no oil, two cups of white popcorn have about 65 calories and 3.5 grams of fiber. If you pop popcorn in a pot on the stove with a olive, grapeseed or coconut oil, a two-cup serving is 110 calories.

Consumer watchdogs have long lambasted the buttery salted tubs of popcorn served in many movie theaters citing excessive sodium, saturated fat and trans fat (which can lead to clogged arteries) and monster portion sizes. Large movie popcorn vats can hold up to 1,030 calories – not including the ladleful of extra butter flavor that pours on 130 to 500 additional calories.

Commercial pouches of microwave popcorn often contain trans fat and dozens of added chemicals, including some that leach from the packaging when it's heated. One of the additives, diacetyl, can cause severe respiratory disease if you breath in the vapors when the bag is first opened. So definitely don't inhale!

When it comes to popcorn, the healthiest choice is to make your own at home. Bonus: It's quick and only pennies a serving!

For a boost of flavor and protein, sprinkle with nutritional yeast  a deactivated yeast, often a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, sold as yellow flakes or powder. It's a source of complete protein, low in fat and sodium and free of sugar, dairy and gluten. Filled with B-complex vitamins, some brands of nutritional yeast are fortified with vitamin B12.

Also known as "nooch," nutritional yeast does not sound yummy, but it is—adding a musky, umami, cheese-like flavor to popcorn or whatever else you put it in.

Other terrific popcorn toppings: soy sauce, miso, smoked paprika and parsley, cumin, hot sauce, furikake (with seaweed and shaved bonito flakes), lemongrass, chili, lime zest. Check out this popcorn topping slideshow on Serious Eats and go wild! 

And when you visit Wellbody Academy's Cafedium, be sure to stop by Professor Rosemary Baker's desk to peek at her recipes and cookbook.

Well, we've almost made it to Friday, but not quite. How's your stress level?

Learning to manage stress may be just as important to overall health as diet, exercise, sleep and hygiene. At a recent Stress Management Forum hosted by Harvard School of Public Health & Huffington Post, clinicians, psychologists and mindfulness experts cited research showing chronic stress may contribute to heart disease, hypertension, anxiety and depression.©Paula Bock

That's alarming since a recent Health in America survey found 72 percent of Americans believe their stress has increased or remained the same over the past five years, and the average American experiences more stress than they believe to be healthy.

Here's the good news: We can learn to manage stress.

When you feel anxious, nervous, strained or stressed, try this breathing exercise from Lilian Cheung, Doctor of Science, registered dietician and mindfulness expert with the Harvard School of Public Health.

Breathing in, silently repeat to yourself: I'm fully aware of my in-breath.
Breathing out, silently repeat to yourself: I'm fully aware of my out-breath.

Repeat in- and out-breaths five times.

In just moments, you will feel greater freedom accompanied by increased stability.

"Each time we choose to take mindful breaths instead of traveling through a self-perpetuating cycle of stress, we enforce new, healthy habits," she says. "We are creatures of routine, and whether or not we're aware of them, we create and reinforce patterns each moment. Better to choose habits of stress reduction than be led blind by coping mechanisms like sugar cravings and television addictions."

Check out more tips from Cheung to alleviate stress on Huffington Post.

And if the breathing doesn't work (or even if it does), stay tuned to Wellbody Blog for a healthy homemade popcorn recipe. Popcorn! A sure way to inspire your inner smile!

What helps you relieve stress? Share your de-stress tips by commenting on Wellbody Blog, Facebook, or by emailing professorwellbody@pacsci.org. You'll be entered for a giveaway of two free passes to Wellbody Academy and Pacific Science Center's other exhibits.

Children's menus are stuck in a time warp, dominated by unhealthy fried chicken fingers, burgers, excessive cheese and sugary drinks, according to a recent study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.Photo/Food Safety News

"One out of every three American children is overweight or obese," says CSPI nutrition policy director Margo Wootan, but the chain restaurant industry just doesn't get it. "They seem stuck in a time warp, serving up the same old meals based on chicken nuggets, burgers, macaroni and cheese, fries, and soda." 

Of 3,500 meal options for kids, 97 percent flunk nutrition guidelines calling for ½ serving of fruit or vegetable and an item that's at least half whole grain. The chains also violate health guidelines that say meals should not exceed 430 calories, 770 milligrams sodium, 35 percent of calories from fat, 35 percent of calories from added sugar, or 10 percent of calories from saturated and trans fats.

Subway is the healthy exception, including low-fat milk or bottled water (instead of soda) along with apple slices with kid-sized subs in all eight of its Fresh Fit for Kids meal combos.

On Seattle Times blog All You Can Eat, food writer Rebekah Denn explores healthy, local, reasonably priced eating-out options for families with kids: pho, scaled-down menus, veggie sushi.

Share your healthy, reasonably priced, family friendly eating-out tips—and you may win two free passes to Wellbody Academy. What do you do and where do you go when you're out with kids and need a quick, convenient bite? Do you carry your own fixings for avoid-meltdown-meals in the car? (If so, what foods do you bring? And what containers do you pack in?) Do you stop by a favorite local eatery near the park, school, playing fields or mall? Where do you go for family "destination" meals? Comment on Facebook or the Wellbody Blog, or email ProfessorWellbody@pacsci.org.

We'll share your tips with the Wellbody community in a future post and (did we mention this GIVEAWAY?) throw your name in the hat to receive two complimentary passes to visit Wellbody Academy and Pacific Science Center's other exhibits.

While you're here, check out Burger Planet’s drive-through in Wellbody Academy’s Cafedium and use the Customized Calorie Budgetizer to create a plan tailored to your gender, age and activity level.

Polluted with petroleum, PCBs and dioxins, the Duwamish River also serves as traditional fishing grounds for three Northwest tribes and provides seafood for low-income and recent immigrants who live in neighboring Georgetown and South Park.

 Copyright ©Tom Reese

How is the cleanliness and health of the Duwamish Superfund site intertwined with the health and wellness of residents in Seattle and the Puget Sound-region? What will it take to recover? Find out at a public "Speed Dating" forum held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Five-minute "lightning talks" by a diverse panel will make for a high-energy, fast-paced event. After the speed-dating session, there will be time for informal chats and Q & A with presenters. 

Presenters include:
• Steve Curwood, Host of NPR's Living on Earth Environmental Magazine
• Robert Duff, Environmental Assessment Program, Washington Dept of Ecology
• BJ Cummings, Community Health Projects Manager, Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition
• Valerie Segrest, IATP Food & Community Fellow & Muckleshoot Tribal member
• Becky Chu, Remedial Project Manager, Environmental Protection Agency
• David Eaton, Director, Center for Ecogenetics & Environmental Health
• Brian Anderson, Environmental Remediation, The Boeing Company

Mark your calendars: Thursday, April 18, 5:30 – 7:30p.m. at the Portage Bay Cafe, 391 Terry Ave N, South Lake Union. Free and open to the public, light refreshments, space limited. Sign up to reserve a spot.Copyright ©Tom Reese

Tom Reese is a Seattle photographer whose documentary photo essay about the Duwamish has been exhibited at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture at the University of Washington.

To celebrate spring, the Peeps at Public Health/Seattle & King County created a series of marshmallow dioramas that graphically illustrate common public health issues.

Peeps-on-Potty art and photo courtesy of the Communicable Disease Epidemiology & Immunization Section at Public Health - Seattle & King County

In the BEFORE scene depicted above, Blue Bunny eats from a platter of contaminated food. Note the red juices of meat not cooked to safe temperature!

The AFTER sequence shows our poor friend upchucking in the potty, one of 48 million victims of foodborne illness in the U.S. each year. (The others are human.)

As grilling and potato-salad season approaches, our friends at Public Health - Seattle & King County offer several food safety tips for the home kitchen:

#1 - Wash hands often! (Link above details the most important times to wash your hands during food preparation.)

#2 - Try to prevent cross-contamination by keeping raw meats, poultry, & fish separate from other foods that will not be cooked before serving.

#3 - Keep foods at safe temperatures, either below 41F or above 140F. This handy page also describes safe cook temperatures for different types of meats/poultry/seafood.

Not sure if your hand hygiene technique meets World Health Organization standards? Visit Wellbody Academy's Surewash training station to learn proper technique using fun video-gaming technology!

And for peeps itching to get their sticky paws on more information about foodborne illness, here's the health department's surveillance page about foodborne illness, a fun page about myths and misunderstandings related to food safety and a page where you can check out the food-safety track record of your favorite restaurant.

As promised, here's the video of SureWash CEO Sean Bay demonstrating four smooth moves—recommended by the World Health Organization—to properly wash your hands.

The trouble with traditional handwashing methods, where the fingers of one hand wrap and orbit the fingers of the other, is that germs nestled between your fingers stay there. Traditional handwashing techniques also overlook your hardworking opposable thumbs, and just think of how many doorknobs they've touched!

If you want to master handwashing techniques that may help you avoid nasty viruses and bacteria, visit Wellbody Academy's Germnasium, which has the only public-use SureWash station in the world. SureWash uses a Microsoft Kinect camera and video gaming technology developed in Ireland to train medical personnel to correctly wash their hands.

There's no extra charge for SureWash or any Wellbody Academy activities: It's all included in your admission to Pacific Science Center and always free for members. We want to help you stay well!

Speaking of cravings and junk food, this simple recipe for kale chips is so delicious, so addictive, it elevates the bliss point of this nutritional superstar to the level of Cheetos.

First, there's a satisfying crunch and tingle of salt. Then, the delicate green web of crisped chlorophyll melts in your mouth, spreading a warm glow across the tongue. Excellent with drinks; apple cider for the kids. Even children who won't touch other green vegetables will scarf down a bowl of kale chips.

Kale, in the Brassica family along with cabbage, collards and broccoli, is packed with antioxidant vitamins A, C and K – and sulphur-containing phytonutrients. One cup of kale contains 36 calories, five grams of fiber, 15 percent of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), 40 percent of magnesium, 180 percent of vitamin A, 200 percent of vitamin C, and 1,020 percent of vitamin K. It is also a good source of copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.

(The other primary ingredient, olive oil, is a vital component of the heart healthy Mediterranean Diet. Stay tuned for more about olive oil in upcoming posts.)

Yes, you can purchase a modest-sized bag of kale chips at the store for $5.79. Or, you can buy (or harvest) a bunch of the greens and make double the amount of kale chips for half the price. Bonus: just-out-of-the-oven aroma and warmth. Tip: Watch the kale chips carefully in the oven because they progress slowly from limp and wet to perfectly crisp and green (a short sweet spot) before quickly blackening.

Kale comes in curly, ornamental, green, purple and dinosaur varieties and can be grown all year round in the Seattle area.

Visit Wellbody Academy's Cafedium to play Apple A Day, an interactive, razzle-dazzle game that uses a Vegas-style slot machine to teach what foods have which nutrients and how those nutrients help your body.

Call for recipes! Share your favorite healthy recipes and wellness tips with the Wellbody Blog by emailing professorwellbody@pacsci.org. Thanks!

Cheetos, Dr. Pepper, potato chips . . . Ever wonder why we crave junk foods that add excessive sodium, sugar and fat to our bodies but little nutritional value?

This extensive report by Michael Moss on The Extraordinary Science of Junk Food in the New York Times Sunday Magazine delves into the laboratories and masterminds behind our guilty food pleasures to reveal the "bliss point" that helps food companies create the greatest amount of crave; the sociology underlying skipped meals and high-sodium Lunchables; and the whopping two teaspoons of sugar in a mere half-cup of Prego spaghetti sauce.

In an era when one in three adults is considered clinically obese, along with one in five kids, and 24 million Americans are afflicted by type 2 diabetes, often caused by poor diet, with another 79 million people having pre-diabetes . . . this is definitely worth a read.

Visit Wellbody Academy's Cafedium to play with hands-on gadgets that teach about nutrition and while you're here, check out the Influence Decoder in Wellbody Hall to learn more about how food industry marketing can impact our dietary choices. For example: Did you know that every year, the food industry spends more than $700 million marketing to children younger than 11 (mostly carbonated beverages, breakfast cereals and fast food restaurants) and that children ages 8 – 12 are exposed to an average 83 product advertisements a day?

Meet Bish Paul, a University of Washington graduate student who is using viruses to fight HIV in experiments at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

In this fascinating three-minute clip, Paul deftly explains how he and his colleagues remove the "bad parts" from certain viruses and then use those viruses to "block the door" so HIV can't enter cells. (And yes, in the video the young scientist wears jeans as he explains gene therapy and demonstrates laboratory technique.)

To learn more about our region's remarkable current research in genetics, visit The Studio in Wellbody Academy, now featuring Next Generation Genetics. Extract DNA from strawberries and build DNA models with your own hands, daily from 12:10 – 12:50 p.m. with additional afternoon sessions from 2:10 – 2:50 p.m. on weekends. The Studio will feature Next Generation Genetics through the end of May 2013. On deck for June 2013 – Nov 2013: Neuroscience.

Ireland's Prime Minister, Enda Kenny (second from left), tests out the only public-use SureWash training station in the world at Wellbody Academy, here flanked by Pacific Science Center's CFOO Michal Anderson (left), Exhibit Development Manager Felicia Maffia and Sean Bay, SureWash CEO. Photo credit: Shelley Oberman

We were honored this morning by a visit from Ireland's Prime Minister, Enda Kenny, on a swing through America to talk trade and celebrate St. Patrick's Day with President Obama. Enda, who is currently president of the European Union, stopped by Seattle to visit the region's high-tech headliners--including Wellbody Academy's Germnasium--which has the only public-use SureWash training station in the world. SureWash uses a Microsoft Kinect camera and video gaming technology developed in Ireland to train medical personnel to correctly wash their hands.

The arches glowed green Thursday night to celebrate the arrival of Ireland's Prime Minister. Earlier this week, European low-cost carrier Ryanair, headquartered in Dublin, purchased 175 Boeing 737s, the airplane manufacturer's biggest order of the year.

Handshakes all around! But first, make sure you've washed your hands properly. Learn how by training on Wellbody Academy's SureWash stations.

Turns out most of us have been washing our hands wrong all our lives. Improper handwashing technique can lead to increased risk of colds, flu, bacterial infections and icky intestinal bouts. It's especially scary in hospitals, where 50,000 people die every year from infections related to poor hand hygiene.

But there's hand-hygiene help! A high-tech training gadget called SureWash uses a Microsoft Kinect camera and video gaming technology developed in Ireland to train medical personnel to correctly wash their hands. Wellbody Academy’s Germnasium has the only public-use SureWash machine in the world. Come check it out. And listen to an interview on KOMO News Radio with SureWash CEO, Sean Bay. (Enjoy the handwashing guru's charming Irish brogue.) 

Coming soon on the Wellbody Blog: A video demo of SureWash. Enjoy! But please visit Wellbody Academy in person to use the SureWash training stations to properly learn the World Health Organization’s recommended handwashing techniques. There’s no extra charge for SureWash or any Wellbody Academy activities: It’s all included in your admission to Pacific Science Center and always free for members. We want to help you stay well!

"Toothless", left, was born without teeth so can't chew tubers. She licks the rice-cereal "dough" here to get her nutrition.Our 63 naked mole rats love pizza--but only if made from tubers similar to those found in their native East African habitat. Lead Animal Caretaker Lauren Bloomenthal handcrafted this lunch for our furless friends by slicing a sweet potato for the crust, shredding carrots and parsnips for topping and mixing powdered rice cereal and rat chow (ground grains) with a little water.

Unlike humans, naked mole rats are adapted to extremely arid conditions and get all the liquid they need from their food. Also unlike humans, they're really good about self-regulating portion control! Lauren feeds the colony once a day, 350 grams of food, and our hairless friends seem to eat what they need to stay healthy and no more, so there's enough to go around.

Humans, unlike naked mole rats, sometimes struggle with portion control. Visit Wellbody Academy's Cafédium for a fun way to explore portion control through the interactive Burger Planet (pretend you're working behind a fast-food counter!), Portion Distortion and Portion Practice.

And if watching naked mole rats eat pizza is making you hungry, check out this recipe for pizza made with cauliflower crust on Eat. Drink. Smile. It's kid-approved, delicious and healthy!

Lower Back Exercise from www.fitsugar.com

Wellbody reader Hong Nguyen wrote to share a terrific little exercise that takes no equipment and minimal space. For travelers, it's a great way to stretch, strengthen and unwind in a hotel room after a long bus ride, cramped plane flight or all night on the train. (Lay a towel on the floor.) Also convenient as part of a regular workout in cozy quarters. Pairs perfectly with abdominal crunches. 

Hong learned the exercise in Vietnam and has taught it to her nieces and nephews here in the States. "We would lie face down, keeping our arms and legs very straight," Hong writes. "Then we try to lift up our legs and arms as far from the floor as we could. I named this exercise Doing Shark. A bonus: it does not take lots of room space to do it!"

Doing Shark, or Superman, strengthens and stretches muscles in the abdomen, legs, arms and lower back. Also popular with yoga practitioners, it's described in detail on the PopSugar website.

Visit Wellbody Academy's Playdium to play Exergames and try out the Whirligigerator, a contraption that links your kinetic movements to huge dancing, spinning, flipping humanoids. 

Here at Pacific Science Center, our staff is making full use of the  Optimizer, Planner and Barrier Feud in Wellbody Hall to create personal goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely.

Peek at a few of our S.M.A.R.T. goals:

• Healthier Happy Hour choices
• More tea, fewer sugary coffee drinks
• Avoid office "free" foods
• Walk dog every other day
• Meditate 10 minutes before going to bed, 5 times a week
• Get in bed by 10 p.m. 
• Taper screen time an hour before bed

What do you want to change about your life? More energy? Less muffin-top? Enough wind to to walk up the stairs without huffing? Calm radiance amidst it all? 

Set a S.M.A.R.T. goal--and share it with us! Email: ProfessorWellbody@pacsci.org With your permission, we'll feature your goal--and perhaps occasional progress updates--on the new Wellbody Blog. 

And be sure to visit Wellbody Academy in person for information and inspiration about making personal choices to improve your health. 

LA Times PhotoGreasy steak fries, cigarettes and wide-screen HDTV's didn't tempt our ancient ancestors back in the day, but recent CT scans of 137 antique mummies found they had coronary artery disease anyway.

So much for the Paleo Diet!

One in three of the mummies from Egypt, Peru, the American Southwest and Alaska had heart disease, according to research published in the Lancet by a team of physicians, biologists and anthropologists. Even hunter-gatherers from the Aleutian Islands, who subsisted on berries and a heart-healthy marine diet, were not immune.

This might suggest a healthy lifestyle and healthy environment can't prevent heart disease; clogged arteries are just a natural part of the aging process.

But don't reach for the donuts just yet! Doctors urge us to maintain good nutrition and exercise habits and, if you're on blood-pressure and cholesterol meds, keep taking them. If you don't, atherosclerosis could set in that much sooner! Read more in the Los Angeles Times and listen to NPR interview with cardiologist Randall Thompson.

Visit Wellbody Academy's Cafedium to explore how nutrition and exercise can impact how you feel day-to-day.

Smooth, dark chocolate. Luscious, creamy banana. 

No processed sugars or fats. Two ingredients. One minute prep time. Sound good? Whip up a bowl of this delicious heart-healthy mousse and savor, spoonful by spoonful, while you read about the health benefits (below).

1 banana (if you crave sweetness, choose a ripe, speckled banana)

1 T – ¼ C unsweetened, minimally processed cocoa powder (healthier if the cocoa has NOT been alkalized or roasted)

Optional: Sliced almonds, dried unsweetened coconut flakes, unsweetened cocoa nibs, sea salt, vanilla, fresh or frozen berries

Peel and mash the banana. Add cocoa powder to taste (and vanilla if you're using it) and mix thoroughly. For a smoother, mousse-like consistency, whip the banana-cocoa mixture in a food processor. 

Optional: Top with optional goodies. Eat immediately or refrigerate for a cool treat.

Health Benefits
Bananas are loaded with fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin C, manganese and potassium. An average banana has a whopping 467 mg of potassium, an essential mineral for maintaining healthy blood pressure and helping prevent atherosclerosis. Bananas are also known to help protect against stomach ulcers by activating cells in the stomach lining to produce a thicker mucus barrier. Also, protease inhibitors in bananas help eliminate bacteria that are the culprits behind stomach ulcers. And the soluble fiber in bananas can help ease constipation by normalizing movement through the digestive tract.

Chocolate, made from ground cacao beans, contains flavonoids that help lower blood pressure and make blood platelets less sticky and liable to clot. They appear to have an antioxidant effect, helping the body's cells resist damage caused by free radicals formed by environmental contaminants like cigarette smoke and even normal body processes including breathing! Chocolate also contains theobromine, a mild stimulant related to caffeine, that acts as a vasodilator.

Heavily processed chocolate contains very little cacao (thus fewer health benefits), so it's best to choose a minimally processed chocolate with a high percentage of cacao. 

"Just pick a time and stick with it," declares a growing movement of sleep-disrupted activists who are leading a petition drive to end the biannual time changes altogether. They say the twice yearly ritual is no longer economically relevant, has no scientific basis and spurs an increase in car accidents (due to to sleepy drivers), heart attacks, suicides and cranky people.

Hawaii, Arizona and the east side of Indiana have opted out of Daylight Savings Time. Russia stopped messing with their clocks in 2011. "Every fall and every spring we are swearing at this system," said Dmitry Medvedev, who was then Russia's president and is now prime minister. "Our biorhythms are damaged. We are all angry. We either oversleep and turn up late for work or wake up too early and don't know what to do with this free time. Let alone poor cows and other animals that can't understand why they should have their meals or be milked earlier or later." Learn more. 

And visit the Slumbertorium at Professor's Wellbody's Academy of Health & Fitness to learn how to get your REM on!

Teachers! Download the handsome, blue leather Wellbody Academy Educator's Handbook to help your students get the most out of their field trip to the new, hands-on Wellbody Academy exhibit. The Handbook's step-by-step lesson plans, curriculum connections and games are all designed to help you share the latest research (and fun facts) about healthy nutrition, exercise, sleep and hygiene with your students. The Handbook also details how the exhibit and complementary classroom activities align with Washington State Essential Learning Standards in Health and Fitness and Science. As the Wellbody motto goes: Imagine - Plan - Grow! (Downloadable in pdf format in English or Spanish for grades K-3 and 4-6.) Learn More

Wellbody Maestro Manuales
Maestros! Descargue Wellbody Academia Maestro Manual para ayudar a los estudiantes a sacar el máximo provecho de su viaje de estudios a la nueva exposición sobre Wellbody. Paso a paso el manual de planes de estudio, las conexiones curriculares y los juegos están diseñados para ayudarle a compartir las últimas investigaciones (y datos curiosos) sobre la alimentación sana, el ejercicio, el sueño y la higiene con sus estudiantes. El manual también detalla cómo la exposición y actividades complementarias en el aula se alinean con Washington State Essential Estándares de Aprendizaje en Salud y Actividad Física y Ciencia. (Descargable en formato pdf en Inglés o Español para los grados K-3 y 4-6.) Aprenda Más

Insomnia. For those who suffer from it, it can be a most annoying malady. Up all, night, can't sleep, can't get 'sleepy' and the next day you're tired and worn out. As bad as that seems, and it is, a new study indicates that insomnia may also lead to an increased risk of heart failure. Learn more about this research and the next time you visit Wellbody Academy, be sure to check out our Slumbertorium for useful information about sleep. It's important for everyone, regardless of age.

If springing forward into daylight saving time has left you yawning and yearning for another hour of sleep, you're not alone. For millions of people, fast-forwarding the clocks triggers days or even weeks of sleep problems. Lingering light in evenings makes it hard for many kids to settle down and get to sleep. Car accidents, heart attacks, suicides and cyberloafing spike after the spring forward, some studies show. Here are some tips from Rodale to help you adjust your inner clock, also useful for anyone who'd like to get a better night's sleep. One in five Americans report they get fewer than six hours of sleep a night. Visit the Slumbertorium in Professor Wellbody's Academy of Health & Wellness to learn more about sleep hygiene. And if you're still lying awake in bed, peruse this study in Current Biology about circadian rhythms and daylight savings time.