Staying Healthy

The Great Swapathon voucher books are bursting with over £50 of fantastic offers to help make healthy swaps extra tempting. 4 million voucher booklets will be distributed free with the News of the World and at selected ASDA stores.

Sign up to Change for Life to receive the booklet.

The offers include:

• money off many low-fat or sugar-free foods, as well as fruit and vegetables at ASDA

• £10 off a Nintendo Wii Fit bundle – redeemable at ASDA

• up to 50% off a UK family Haven holiday

• up to 50% off children’s play sessions from the Play Providers Association

• many health clubs and leisure centres will be discounting the cost of family swim sessions and 4 week trials of exercise and activities

• JJB Sports are discounting some of their active sport footwear

• Weight Watchers are waiving their joining fee on both their online and meeting groups

The Change4Life movement is about making small changes for a healthier future

Join the Movement!

You can join the Change4Life movement either as:

• an individual who wants to make changes for themselves and their family,

• someone who runs a club, activity or society or

• a health related professional.

How can members of the public get involved?

If you are a member of the public who has an interest in making lifestyle changes, or you run a club or activity which you think fits in with the Change4Life movement, then register here and create your own account.  By doing so, you will become part of a nation-wide movement.  When you register you will receive lots of tips and advice on how to eat well, move more and have a great time doing it!

We would like to showcase examples of how people in North Yorkshire and York are making a Change 4 Life.  If you run a club or activity which fits with the C4L movement and your activity is based within the boundaries of NHS North Yorkshire and York area, we would be interested in featuring your activity.  Please contact 01423 859 616 or forward information to enquiries@nyypct.nhs.uk.

The campaign website also gives practical steps on how to achieve the main campaign messages.  There are 8 easy ways to Change4Life, pick one which you think you and your family will be able to do quickly and have some fun doing – get the family involved in choosing which will be your first step to changing to a healthier lifestyle:

1. Sugar Swaps – Swapping sugary snacks and drinks for ones that are lower in sugar can make a huge difference to kids’ calorie intake.

2. Meal Time – It’s important for kids to have regular, proper meals as growing bodies respond better to routine.

3. Snack Check – Many snacks are full of the things that are bad for us – sugar, salt, fat and calories.  So try and keep a careful eye on how many the kids are having.

4. Me Size Meals – Even though they are growing, it’s important to make sure kids get just the right amount for their age – not too much and not too little.

5. 5 A Day – It’s easier than you think to give your kids 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day.  For some healthy recipes which you can download look on our healthy eating WebPages.

6. Cut Back Fat – We all know too much fat is bad for us.  But it’s not always easy to tell where it’s lurking. 

7. 60 Active Minutes – Kids need to do at least 60 minutes of activity a day to help them stay happy and healthy.

8. Up and About – The way life is today means that most of us spend too long sitting down.

For physical activity contacts within NHS North Yorkshire and York area, check the physical activity section on our website.

One of the best things you can do to improve your health and those around you is to give up smoking.  You don’t have to do this alone the North Yorkshire Stop Smoking Service is here to help you.  Further information is available by contacting the local team on 0300 303 1603 or the free NHS Smoking Helpline 0800 022 4332.

2010 is the 26th year that No Smoking Day has been campaigning for people to give up.  If this is your year why not visit www.nosmokingday.org.uk  for more tips and advice on how to plan to give up smoking so that you are ready.

In the 2006 ‘Our Health, Our Care, Our Say’ White paper, a commitment was made to initially develop three NHS LifeChecks for early years, adolescent and mid-life. NHS LifeCheck is for everyone - through a straightforward questionnaire it provides personalised information and practical advice, supporting people in making small changes that make a big difference to future health and well-being. The Baby LifeCheck is for parents and carers of babies 5-8 months old, the Teen LifeCheck for young people aged between 12 and 15 years and the Mid LifeCheck  for those aged 45-60 years.

Start4Life

Start4Life supports pregnant women and parents of babies to give their baby a healthier start in life by providing the most up-to-date advice on breastfeeding, introducing solid food and active play, with tips on how to use them to give your baby a better start in life.

Over three hundred of the 1,500 babies likely to be born this New Year’s day could be overweight or obese by the time they start school unless action is taken.

Start4Life centres around six ‘building blocks’, based on the latest infant health research, to help parents know what’s right for their baby.

They are:

1. Mum's milk - why breast milk is better for both mum and baby

2. Everyday counts – information about how each day of breastfeeding makes a difference to babies’ health 

3. No rush to mush - the 3 signs that your baby is ready to start on solid foods

4. Taste for life – advice on how giving babies a variety of food now, can stop them turning into a fussy eater later;

5. Sweet as they are – tips on how to avoid giving babies a sweet tooth 

6. Baby moves – guidance on why it's important for all little ones to be lively and active.

For further information, click here.

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