Happy Halloween!

Hope everyone was able to stay safe during the storm. Many families are getting back to their normal schedules now and with that comes the tradition or Trick- or- Treating tonight! Whether or not your family participates in Halloween festivities, there are likely to be alot of "treats" and candy floating around this time of year. So how should you deal with the "treats"? Let your child eat all they want (and risk cavities and picky eating)? Limit them to one piece of candy a day (that's torture to a kid!)? There is another way....

Check out this previous post about handling the treats that hang around this time of year:

How to Handle the Treats

- Allison Leonard RD

Saturday Clinics Are Back!

We will be offering Saturday clinics once again! These clinics will be held once a month rotating between  3 sites: Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania and Stafford.

• Our next Saturday clinic will be on November 3rd at the Spotsylvania Health Department.
• The following Saturday clinic will be on December 1st at the Stafford Health Department.
• If you would like to schedule an appointment for one of these dates please call your local health department.

Check in later for the list of the 2013 dates!

-Megan Mauer, Nutritionist

Million Hearts™ Virginia

What is Million Hearts™?
Million Hearts™ is a national initiative launched in September 2011 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  Its goal is to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes over 5 years.

Why?
Heart disease and stroke are the first and fourth leading causes of death in the United States.  Americans suffer more than 2 million heart attacks and strokes each year, and every day 2,200 people die from heart disease.

What are the risk factors of heart disease?

• Age
• Race
• Gender
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Smoking
• Obesity

High Blood Pressure
One in three Americans has high blood pressure, and many of them do not know it.  Hypertension (high blood pressure) is often called the "silent killer" because there are usually no symptoms.  Blood pressure is something that you can control.  Simple changes in your life, like diet and exercise, can help lower your blood pressure and decrease your risk of heart disease and stroke.

What can you do?
You can't fix a problem if you don't know it is there.  That is why the Million Hearts™ campaign is urging you to check your blood pressure.  After you have your blood pressure checked, go to this site and report that you checked your blood pressure.

The Rappahannock WIC Program supported the Million Hearts™ campaign on September 28, 2012 when we all tested our blood pressures at our staff meeting.

If we can do it, so can you!  This is your chance to be one in a million hearts!

Sarah Whitson, Nutritionist Sr.

WIC grocery store labels

There will be a new change coming to the local grocery stores near you! Traditionally, the labels in the grocery stores you shop in have looked like the ones pictures below:

Coming soon you will gradually start to see this label on the shelves. At first there will be a period of time where you will see both varieties of labels as the old labels start to phase out. However, it is not mandatory for the stores to switch to the new labels, so many of you will not notice a change if your store opts to stay with the old label. Additionally, please keep in mind, stores are not required to label all of the WIC items listed on your vouchers- only milk, cheese, cereal, peanut butter, frozen and liquid juices are required to remain labeled. Every store will be labeled differently meaning some stores choose to label all foods and varieties listed on your voucher other stores will only label what they are required to label. If you are not happy with the specific type of food a store offers, don't be afraid to shop around and use your checks at multiple stores. As far as your vouchers and your shopping routine is concerned, nothing will change, just start looking for the new label below as it makes its debut in the next few weeks.

As always, call your local WIC office with any questions or concerns.

Happy shopping!

Christy Redmond
      Nutritionist Sr.