June Calendar

• 4th-6th - CHEF Camp, Delhi Civic Center 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• 11th-12th - Fun Ways to Exercise, Carver McDonald Library in Monroe 10 a.m.
• 13th - Adult Cooking, Union Parish Library in Farmerville 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• 18th - KidChef, Caldwell Parish Library in Columbia 9 a.m. to Noon
• 19th - Diabetes, Union Parish Library in Farmerville 11 a.m. - Noon
• 20th - Make a Living Necklace, The Children's Museum in Monroe 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• 21st - Heart & Lung Study Recruitment Breakfast with Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Merit Building in Winnsboro 10 a.m.
• 24th-28th - CHEF Camp, West Carroll Parish Extension Office 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• 25th-26th - Smoothie Making, Carver McDonald Library in Monroe 10 a.m.
• 27th - Taste of Herb & Spice, Louise Williams Library in Swartz 1 p.m.

Kids Corner

by Cathy Agan

Learning to ride a bike with no training wheels can be exciting and scary. Not to mention the killer backache parents can get trying to hold on to the back of the bike! Fortunately, there are handy trainer handles you can attach to the back of their bikes that make it easier to follow along and stand upright at the same time. I highly recommend them! Here are some other tips.

1. Wait until they are ready to learn.
2. Make sure the bike fits.
3. Require a bike helmet.
4. Teach kids to push off hard with their pedal or grounded leg to help pick up momentum.
5. Make it fun!

Family Movement Matters

by Brittney Newsome

Finding the right time to get daily movement in together as a family may be challenging due to personal schedules throughout the week and even the weekend. The physical activity guidelines recommend “to move more and sit less”, therefore it is important for adults to get at least 150 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity in each week and 60 minutes for youth. If you plan activities that you enjoy as a family ahead of time through scheduling and setting reminders, it may not be as difficult as you think!

There are many health benefits of physical activity for both adults and children. Those benefits range from chronic disease prevention to improving overall sleep quality, and even boosting academic performance. These benefits typically start immediately after keeping a consistent exercise regimen, whether it be individually or with family and friends. Below are two different types of exercises and ways to incorporate them into your Family Movement Exercise Sessions!

Aerobic Activities: brisk walking or bicycling. Fun Fact: May is National Bike Month! Plan a family movement exercise session for bicycling to get your heart pumping while enjoying the nice spring weather and fresh air!

Muscle Strengthening Activities: Plan days to encourage muscle and bone strengthening exercises at least twice a week. Examples include: resistance bands, weights, or even your own body weight!

Keep in mind that any type and amount of activity is better than nothing at all, so get creative and stay consistent with your Family Movement Exercise Goals!

Recipe of the Month: Apple Nachos

by Markaye Russell

Ingredients

• 2-3 apples
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup nut or seed butter
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons shredded coconut

Directions

Wash the apples, core and slice the apples, drizzle lemon juice, arrange the apples evenly on a plate in a single layer, microwave the nut butter for 20 seconds or until smooth, drizzle the apples slices with nut butter, add toppings and enjoy!

Tips: add raisins for more fiber, add nuts for more crunch, and add a dash of cinnamon to enhance the flavor.