Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas Eve! I have to admit Christmas kind of sneaked up on me this year, and I can’t believe the celebration is about to begin.

The two things I look forward to the most during the holidays are spending time with family and holiday traditions. It’s always fun to ask people what their holiday traditions are. I didn’t realize so many people get a new set of pajamas!



Picture credit: aidanbrooks.blogspot.com

We do the bulk of our celebrations on Christmas Eve. My mom is from Poland where they serve seven courses of fish. This always meant my grandpa would bring home a live carp to swim around the bathtub for a few days before it ended up on the dinner table. We like to celebrate our Polish roots, but we’ve adjusted this tradition to fit our preferences and lack of desire to kill fish by hand.

Instead of the traditional fish courses, my mom cooks all of our favorite Polish food, including mushroom soup, pierogi, boiled potatoes with fresh dill and butter, Greek fish, golumpki (stuffed cabbage rolls), and kugel and makowiec (poppy seed cake) for dessert. Most of these foods are considered “peasant food,” so my mom would be so embarrassed to know that I broadcast that we eat these dishes for the holidays.

Following the Polish tradition, we also open all of our presents on Christmas Eve. After opening stockings on Christmas morning, we spend the day gorging ourselves on homemade cinnamon rolls and other sweets (very American of us) while watching some of the “classic” holiday movies, including A Christmas Story, Love Actually and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

What are your favorite holiday traditions?

~ Nicole

What to Consider When Your Company Is Ready for Social Media

So you’re thinking that it’s time to join the social networking scene, but you’re trying to wrap your mind around how updating a status on Facebook, re-tweeting a photo or joining LinkedIn can benefit your organization.

As with any communications, it is critical to understand the risks and benefits of this new technology. Regardless of which tool you use, whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, a blog, YouTube or any of the other vehicles ready and waiting for your “face time,” it’s important to understand that social communities require you to be transparent and fully engaged in two-way dialogues and respond quicker than you ever did before. Sharing your message in this environment carries far greater risks to your credibility, so it’s crucial to set guidelines within your organization. Social media is becoming an integral part of communications to both promote and protect your organization’s message or brand. It can be useful in developing a deeper relationship with influencers, allowing your audience to feel more connected to you.

So, what should you consider once you’ve decided social media should be integrated into communications plan?


1. Put your ears to the groundFind out what is being said about your organization: the good, the bad or worse. The worst would be finding that someone has already created a group or page under your name. You may be shocked at how simple it is to put together a page or create a group. After scoping out the social networking universe, test it out and engage in the conversations, but be careful to make sure you understand the context of the conversation. You want to contribute, not get caught up in unnecessary chatter.

 2. Understand the cost

We often hear about the excitement of putting up a Facebook page or signing up for a Twitter account because, well, it’s free. But is it really? As an organization, it’s important that you control your message by proactively responding to and creating new content. This means someone will have to invest the time to create, manage and maintain your account. You’ll have to think of costs not in dollars but in staff time, which could add up to more than what you bargained for. So you must be prepared to invest time and money in the person who will be responsible for this work.

 

3. Get your hands dirty

Take the time to understand what you’re getting into and test drive your platform. There’s no better teacher than experience, so get to know the technology and the people using it to get a firm grasp on your overall communications strategy that is now expanding from the traditional media.

 

~Muriel

Photo: photoshopdaily.com

Presenting Data in a Fresh Way

Thanksgiving Calorie Counter

A few weeks ago, everyone in the office watched a fascinating video about the greater role infographics, or data visualizations, are playing in how the media shares information with its audiences. Presenting data in an interesting and unexpected manner, instead of with a straightforward chart or graph, can go a long way in communicating your message. I like how a good infographic really draws a viewer in and can tell a comprehensive story with words, data and images without being too overwhelming or boring.

I’ve been keeping an eye out for these lately and came across this fun one from The Washington Post. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

~ Nicole

California's dubious ranking in a new report of taking care of children

Californians can not be proud of their ranking in a new study that measures caring for children with special health needs. We come in dead last or very close to it on a range of indicators, including whether children have adequate health insurance, receive basic preventive care, can get a referral without a problem, and receive medical care that is comprehensive, ongiong and family-oriented.

One in seven children in California have special health care needs. That is 1.4 million vulnerable children with chronic conditions ranging from mild, manageable asthma to complex conditions, such as heart disease and celebral palsy. Most of the children have multiple health conditions. One in four of them can't do what other healthy children can do, including going to school regularly.

Our state can -- and needs -- to do better.

Who says we don't need health care system reform?

The study, Children with Special Health Care Needs: A Profile of Key Issues in California was commissioned by the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health.  Here is the link for more information, http://www.lpfch.org/specialneeds/press.html

~ Paula

Team Building Important to Healthy Work Environment

I’m sure it’s evident that at Brown•Miller Communications we’re all pretty health conscious. And part of our healthy outlook includes maintaining a healthy work environment. In keeping with that philosophy, every year our office sets aside a work day for team building, a day we’ve dubbed the “BMC Play Day.” This annual event gives us all an opportunity to laugh and play together while we work on a project or share an adventure. In past years, the BMC team has kayaked on the Oakland Estuary, sailed the San Francisco Bay, gone horseback riding at Bodega Bay, milked a goat, participated in a cooking class at the now-defunct COPIA, raced one another around the track in a go kart and roamed the streets of San Francisco’s Mission District following directives from our Go Game coordinator. During the Go Game, we videotaped our group performing a creative dance routine, sat on rocks by the police station posing as the Thinker, created a living sculpture in shadow and tried to set the record for stuffing marshmallows in one’s mouth. This year we traipsed around Sonoma’s town square trying to solve a murder mystery.

Sound silly? Sure, some of our outings definitely have had their silly moments, but they’ve also been very rewarding in that they have given us all an opportunity to kick back and enjoy one another’s company, thereby allowing us to strengthen our relationships. After having had this day to laugh and play together, we return to the office reinvigorated and ready to get back to the work at hand.

If possible, I highly recommend that you take some time out from your busy work schedules to get to know your workmates better. It doesn’t have to be a full day away from the office. Get creative, and just have fun. It pays huge dividends in being able to maintain a healthy work environment.

Sharron

More proof on how the fast-food chains aggressively target our children and shame on Fox

I'm getting pretty tired of hearing the whining from parents who criticized San Francisco for banning toys in unhealthy happy meals.

The legislation doesn't ban toys as Fox-unNews claimed in a recent segment. It simply states that toys need to be offered for healthier meals.

A new study today underscores the need for the legislation and should encourage other cities and counties to follow San Francisco and Santa Clara County's lead.

According to Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity,children as young as two-years-old are seeing more fast-food ads than ever before, and that fast-food restaurants rarely offer parents healthy kids’ meal choices. Report findings show that fast-food marketers target children across a variety of media and in restaurants, and that restaurants provide largely unhealthy side dishes and drinks as the default options that come with kids’ meals. The new report is the most comprehensive study of fast-food nutrition and marketing ever undertaken.


The report, titled Fast Food F.A.C.T.S. (Food Advertising to Children and Teens Score), examined the marketing efforts of 12 of the nation’s largest fast-food chains, and analyzed the calories, fat, sugar and sodium in more than 3,000 kids’ meal combinations and 2,781 menu items. It also analyzed marketing practices of the 12 major chains. Some of the key findings include:

* The fast-food industry spent more than $4.2 billion dollars on marketing and advertising in 2009, focusing extensively on television, the Internet, social media sites and mobile applications.

* The average preschooler sees almost three ads per day for fast food; children ages 6-11 see three and a half; and teens ages 12-17 see almost five.

* Kids ages 6-11 see 264 child-targeted ads from McDonald’s, 125 from Burger King and 32 from Subway each year. In total, they see 368 McDonald’s ads, 185 Burger King ads and 127 Subway ads.

If fast-food companies want to be true partners with Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign they should stop promoting junk food and liquid sugar to children and offer healthy options rather than high-calorie, high-fat, cheap foods and beverages that they do now.

For example, in 2009 (compared to 2007) preschoolers saw 21 percent more ads for McDonald’s, 9 percent more for Burger King, and 56 percent more for Subway. Children ages 6-11 saw 26 percent more ads for McDonald’s, 10 percent more for Burger King, and 59 percent more for Subway. These increases are especially notable for McDonald’s and Burger King, which have pledged to reduce unhealthy marketing to children.

The bombardment of unhealthy food and beverage advertising and marketing is even worse for Hispanic and African-American children.

~ Paula

Corn Syrup or Sugar? I Choose Neither

A recent study produced by Dr. Michael Goran of the USC Keck school of Medicine reveals that there may be higher levels of high fructose corn syrup in sodas than previously thought. The corn syrup industry has quickly gone into defense mode and refuted some of Goran's science. While Goran's evidence appears hard to argue with, it doesn’t change my distaste for soda, and I doubt it will change the average soda drinkers consumption. It doesn’t matter to me if soda is using corn syrup or cane sugar, it's BAD for you.

The minds that have to change are those of parents. As a kid, I certainly went through at least 3 or 4 sodas a day, because that is what was in the refrigerator. I also remember a handful of trips to the dentist’s office to get cavity’s filled. I have not had a cavity since I stopped drinking soda around 8 years ago. Coincidence? A few trips to the dentist office pales in comparison to diabetes and other health problems that can occur from such an unhealthy lifestyle. It is your job as a parent to fill the fridge with healthy beverages. Most responsible parents won’t smoke in front of their children. It’s time to not have sodas around them either.

Five Minutes vs. Five days. Can you Afford to Be Sick?

Flu season is here, and it won’t be long before coughs and sneezes become the common background sound for offices, schools and workplaces. The most fool-proof and easiest way of bringing the flu to a screeching halt is for everyone to spend five minutes to get vaccinated.

Contra Costa County is making a concerted effort to make that the rule rather than the exception. The health department launched a full-scale campaign to stop the spread of the flu by working in partnership with local clinics and child care providers – two professions that have the greatest contact with traditional flu carriers: children and the sick.

 

The “Five Minutes vs. Five Days” campaign makes the point that it is easier to take a short break to get vaccinated than risk being sick with the flu for five or more days. You can see all the material that was developed for child and health care workers to educate themselves and the people they care for, including a lively performance of “Bad Case of Havin’ the Flu” by local doctor Alan Siegel and his band.

Why the push for flu vaccinations? There’s a host of good reasons, but for anyone worried about protecting themselves, their families, friends and coworkers, a quick flu shot is the best protection out there. Getting vaccinated reduces your chance of catching the flu by 70-90 percent.

You may think that getting the flu isn’t that big of a deal, but don’t forget how it can keep you in bed for days on end. Aches and pains aside, you also have to consider the lost time away from work – unscheduled, unplanned and always inconvenient. This can take a major bite out of your income, vacation time and the enjoyable things you had planned.

This isn’t the year to accept excuses. Get vaccinated and stop the spread of the flu before it has a chance to start.

~ Nicole

Learning How to Eat

I clearly remember in junior high school eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches* practically every day for lunch, mixed in with a slice of pizza on special occasions. This was partly due to the fact that lunch meat grossed me out (and after eating deli sandwiches from on-campus eateries my freshman year of college, this is still the case) and partly because I didn’t know any better. I’d eat an apple or an orange if my mom sliced it up for me (chomping on a whole apple with braces is a highly dangerous affair), but I wasn’t one to actually ask for produce. My eating habits have turned around, but not before I spent many years eating a rather unhealthy diet and suffering the consequences of being reluctant to step on a scale, much less go swimsuit shopping.

My little sister just started her sophomore year of college and is in her very own apartment with her very own kitchen. I sat down with her before she left and talked to her about food. She’s blessed with good genes (tall and willowy, minus my gigantic sweet tooth), but I wanted to talk to her about how to cook and eat. I explained to her the reason I was having this conversation with her was because I wish someone had talked to me before I was left to my own devices in the cooking and eating department. We talked about how a balanced diet incorporating a variety of whole foods, minus highly processed foods, would give her the foundation for a healthy life.

Wouldn’t it be better if this discussion happened much earlier?

Thankfully, it’s starting to. I recently read about the success of Berkeley Unified School District’s School Lunch Initiative. According to the San Francisco Chronicle article, the five-year old experiment aims to teach “a generation raised on junk food about good nutrition, where their food comes from and the environment.” A study released last week shows that these students have significantly better eating habits than children who don’t get fed a steady curriculum of gardening, cooking and nutrition.

This integrated approach to food education is working. The students increased their fruit and vegetable consumption by 1.5 servings a day, requested more produce with their meals and preferred in-season produce. Sixty percent of the parents of these kids said the curriculum changed their child’s knowledge about healthful food choices.

Changing eating behaviors of the entire country is going to be a long battle, but with skyrocketing obesity rates we can’t afford not to. Learning about healthy food choices in school, and having those healthy choices supported at home, is a step in the right direction. Hopefully Congress agrees and will pass the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. The legislation would include a six-cent increase in the federal reimbursement rate for school lunches, mandatory funding for Farm to School programs and national nutrition standards for food sold on campus.

Ideally all schools will adopt an integrated approach to food education and the next generation will start with a good foundation for healthy eating.

~ Nicole

Picture credit: http://www.amihealth.com/healthy-balanced-diet.html

*On peanut butter and jelly sandwiches: I don't think peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are "bad for you," but now I subscribe to the "everything in moderation" approach to a balanced diet.