The theme for Earth Day 2011 on April 22nd is “A Billion Acts of Green,” to encourage personal, organizational and corporate pledges to live and act sustainably. Howard County General Hospital’s Green Team is celebrating by launching an easy-to-use single-stream recycling system with marked containers located throughout the hospital. Earth Day at HCGH will also be a work space and Hospital campus “clean-up” day when we’ll encourage employees to de-clutter their work areas and get outside for a walk, picking up trash on the way and depositing it in recycle containers that will be available.

The HCGH Green Team had a number of other achievements over the past year:

• launching a Farmers’ Market,
• virtually eliminating the use of mercury in the hospital
• replacing all lighting in the hospital with energy-efficient light bulbs
• purchasing environmentally friendly cleaning products
• reducing the hospital’s percentage of red waste (biohazardous).

There’s still a lot of work to do and, as Debra Dennis, HCGH director of Environmental Services and leader of the Green Team noted, “The greening of hospitals isn’t an extra-curricular activity and it doesn’t end with Earth Day. It is a vitally important matter that affects the health and well-being of our patients, employees and fellow residents of Planet Earth. It isn’t just the in thing to do. It’s the right thing.”

To further this goal, on June 27 from 7-8:30 p.m., Dennis is presenting a free program “Going Green: It’s a Personal Thing” at the Wellness Center (10710 Charter Drive, Suite 100, Columbia, MD). The class will explain, from A to Z, how easy it is to be sustainable at home and to emphasize the difference individuals can make by reducing their personal carbon footprints.

For more information call 410-740-7601 or visit hcgh.org. You can be counted by going to earthday.org and registering your personal or group act of green – a commitment to improving the environment on Earth Day and throughout the year.

By guest blogger, Becky Ramsing, MPH, RD   

Breakfast eaters have all the fun, according to recent research.  People who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight and are more successful at losing and maintaining weight loss.  They have fewer cravings and choose healthier foods throughout the day.  In fact, at the end of the day, breakfast eaters get more fiber, vitamins and minerals.  Not only that, they are late for work less often and perform better at work and school, especially on those memory tasks!   

Breakfast is a great opportunity to start out the day right and get some of those food groups that we typically lack:  fruits, whole grains, and low fat dairy or milk.  However, breakfast can also start your day out wrong!  A deluxe breakfast from your local fast food restaurant can cost you more than half the calories you need for the day as well as your entire limit of fat and saturated fat!   Even a quick latte and muffin from the coffee shop will give you 650 calories, 25 grams of fat, and 8 teaspoons of sugar!   

What makes a great breakfast?  Start with good ingredients.   Choose a whole grain, such as high fiber cereal, oatmeal, or a whole wheat English muffin.  Then add some protein with peanut butter, an egg, fat free milk, yogurt, or lean sausage.   Top it off with fresh, frozen or even canned fruit.  Use healthy fats when cooking, such as canola or olive oil.  A balance of carbohydrates, lean proteins, and fat causes a more gradual release of energy over the entire morning, maintains your blood sugar levels and delays hunger until it’s time for lunch.
  
In a hurry?  Grab a peanut butter sandwich in the morning or microwave an egg and sandwich it in a whole wheat English muffin.  A bowl of cereal with a banana is quick and full of great nutrients.  Or what about last night’s leftover?  Keep healthy breakfast foods at the office for those times you miss breakfast at home.  Individual oatmeal packets or cereal boxes are great, but make sure they’re the low-sugar variety.  You can also keep yogurt and granola on hand to grab when you’ve missed breakfast at home.   And when you are on the road, choose a la carte with an egg or pancake and avoid the deluxe meal!  Egg McMuffins without the cheese, yogurt parfaits and oatmeal are good choices too.

Becky Ramsing, MPH, RD

Becky joined the University of Maryland Extension in September 2009 as a Nutrition, Health and Wellness Educator.  Prior to joining UME, she worked with the Howard County Health Department Bureau of Health Promotion, the HC Nutrition and Physical Activity Coalition and Howard County Head Start.

Through her work and volunteer efforts, she has been actively involved in promoting nutrition and physical activity throughout Howard County, including schools, work sites, and community settings.  Becky is a Registered Dietitian with a Masters in Public Health.

Her experience also includes serving as an academic coordinator and instructor at the UM Medical School, public health researcher, and educator in community, academic and clinical settings.  Additionally, she spent several years working in East Africa teaching nutrition and working with children and families affected by HIV/AIDS.