A Life Worth Living: Teenagers, The Family, and Health
St. Paul, Minnesota, USA - 31 May 1997
Young Women's Health Expo
 Workshop speakers M. Kathryn Schultz, neuro muscular massage therapist and Maura Zenk, YWCA nutritionist at the Young Women's Health Expo, May 31, 1997 in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. |
When the planners for a workshop to be held in the United States began their work, it was decided to focus the workshop toward adolescent women. This group receives good health care if their parents have adequate health insurance or receive public assistance, but have little access if their families are split or parents are under employed. This age group receives health care information in schools ranging from excellent to non-existent levels. In areas where schools house health clinics, young women have easy access to care and education. Members of PPSEAWA-Minnesota asked young women in a leadership group sponsored through the YWCA to organize the event. On their recommendation, the content of the workshop had two themes: stress relief / healing self care and nutrition / exercise. These topics are valuable for women of all ages.
Several other factors were taken into consideration in planning the workshop: free daycare at the site and free transportation was provided from each High School in the city. A mini-fair of 8 exhibitors from companies with alternative health care services or product lines was held after the presentations and a healthy snack was served.
Maura Zenk, nutritionist at the YWCA of St. Paul talked about food choices and the newly devised activity pyramid. She asked how many people eat breakfast? Most adult women responded, "yes" while many adolescent women responded, "no." Maura said that it is the quality of the food, but not the amount that is important. A small but nutritious breakfast, even a glass of milk, will "jump start" a person's metabolism for the day. A learner in school or a worker on the job who waits for mid-morning or lunch will be far less productive than breakfast eaters.
Another myth about eating Ms. Zenk talked about was snacks. While eating "junk food"(food devoid of nutrition and loaded with refined sugar, fat and salt) is not good, mid-day breaks to eat small amounts of carbohydrates and fruit are of benefit. Many schools and business have drink and food vending machines. Companies tend to fill these with soda and low food value snack foods like chips. Many companies also carry a healthier line of foods. The St. Paul YWCA has replaced many food machine items with mineral water, fruit juices, granola bars, raisins and carrots. She urged women to press for better alternatives.
Young women in the audience were invited to pick out meals for themselves. Some chose "fast food" and other more whole food. There were models of servings and the goal was to get as close to 2,200 calories for an average sized, active young woman as possible. If the person chose two meals from "fast food" they quickly exceeded the calorie allotment and had not eaten the 5 fruits and vegetables recommended. If the person chose healthier foods, prepared with little fat and including the fruits and vegetables, their pile of food was more than twice as big. This showed visually how much food you could eat in a day. We also compared the fat and salt contents of the food served in the six major fast food chains. According to our information the Burger King Whopper with cheese had the highest sodium and fat by far and Wendy's grilled chicken sandwich the least. In the United States, the fast food industry has added salads, tacos, pitas and other, more health conscious items in the last few years. The old idea of eliminating carbohydrates and increasing protein has been discarded. Ms Zenk emphasized that we actually need the opposite.
Food alone will not make a person fit. Ms. Zenk introduced an "activity pyramid" which compliments the "food pyramid". At the bottom are normal, daily activities of walking about, light housework, preparing meals, working at a desk. The next level is 3 - 5 times a week of one half hour of aerobic exercise; walking and swimming, for example. The top of the pyramid is strengthening, either by specific exercises or weights or machines twice a week. New recommendations for fitness are discouraging running and jogging as impacting joints negatively. Instead, aqua aerobics and low impact exercise are encouraged. Students from one High School said that they liked having elective jazzercise and dance in the curriculum so they could exercise during their school day.
Compare whether you are fit or fat?
Fit people sink in water... fat people float
Fit people burn fat...fat people burn sugar
Fit people can eat more...fat people diet and fast, lowering their metabolism
Exercise decreases hunger in fit people...exercise triggers hunger in fat people
When fit people exercise it is usually aerobic... when fat people exercise it is often anaerobic
Fit people can be overweight without being overfat... fat people can be overfat without being overweight
In the second presentation of the workshop, Kate Schultz of Katavita Health Center in St. Paul presented "A Precious Minute - Just for Me". Ms. Schultz led in a four step relaxation and healthy self healing exercise consisting of: acupressure, massage, visualization and active isolated stretching. The participants were led through a series of exercises which need no special equipment and no other person to assist. Theses exercises, while doing deep breathing, are designed to relieve sinus and tension headache, increase circulation, break tension build up and increase total body energy. Two of the isolated active stretching exercises (stretching a muscle which is relaxed rather than contracted) were designed for people who sit for long hours at computers or typewriters to release certain muscle groups.
 Students at Young Women's Health Expo work with Maura Zenk, YWCA nutritionist, in choosing healthy food. (l. to r.) Diane Isaac, Student Workshop Co-Chair; Mehit Gebraith; Delicicia Young; Eleanor Fuchs; Joyce Brown; and Ms. Zenk. |
Ms. Schultz also led participants through a visualization where they saw themselves in a stressful situation, then led participants into themselves and away to a favorite imaginary place where we were free from those stressors. Ms. Schultz told participants of her own life change from the hustle and bustle of corporate work to a more relaxing and satisfactory career as a professional massage therapist. In corporate life she had rarely taken time for herself, but now devotes 1 to 2 hours per day to these activities. Ms. Schultz advocates a minumum of 15 minutes out of every day to allow mind, body and spirit to renew. Each participant received a card with the relaxation protocol written in easy to remember terms for her use.
Twenty four secondary school women attended along with many adult women. Participants took away practical ideas they could use in their daily lives as well as issues to explore further. The YWCA exhibit table demonstrated a doll with a computer chip which simulates the sounds a baby makes and a key to use for different responses. The idea is to try out being a parent before becoming one. Other tables represented aromatherapy, quit smoking aids and chemical addiction programs.
As reported by Ann Aurelius
Last Modified: November 29, 2002