Stitched bookmarks a project on show

Information on how music heals the brain, making bookmarks for literacy, and an in-school nutrition and physical activity program for children will be the featured topics on “Creative Living” on Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. and on Thursday at noon. (All times are Mountain.)

Author and businesswoman Casey Jones is going to talk about how music heals the brain on a neurological level. She’ll explain how the human brain rewires or restores damaged neural circuits. Brain functioning can be at its highest level despite traumatic injury. Her book is titled “And the Angel Rocked Me” and she lives in Clovis.

Catherine Jordan represents the Embroiderers’ Guild of America in Louisville, Kentucky. Jordan is going to show examples of stitched bookmarks and discuss adult and youth literacy outreach programs the Guild participates in. She’ll explain the process of painting on felt and stitching a variety of designs on bookmarks.

Sara Robbins is the director of Dairy Confidence with DairyMax, and she’s going to tell about a fun program called Fuel Up to Play 60, which is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program in conjunction with the National Football League and the USDA. Robbins is from Albuquerque.

Information on organizing your home, working with polyester fiber, and preparing giant cupcakes will be the featured topics on “Creative Living” on Tuesday at noon and on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Laura Dellutri will share tips on how to change your life from chaos to calm and make your home an oasis to come home to. Her company is The Healthy Housekeeper, Inc., and she lives in Overland Park, Kansas.

Judy Novella is with Fairfield Processing Corp. in Danbury, Connecticut, and she will explain how their polyester fiber is made in part from recycled plastic bottles, which are cleaned, sanitized and converted into flakes and then reprocessed into second generation polyester fiber.

Talk about a giant cupcake — Nancy Siler is going to demonstrate using a giant cupcake pan on the market, and she’ll show several different ways to decorate it for different occasions. Siler is with Wilton Brands in Woodridge, Illinois.

Fuel Up to Play 60

What is it?

Many organizations are making legitimate efforts to improve youth wellness, beginning in schools, because the classroom, the cafeteria and the gymnasium are an ideal setting for learning healthy lifelong habits. What makes Fuel Up to Play 60 different from the others? How is this program positioned to positively impact the childhood obesity crisis?

For youth, by youth

As Fuel Up to Play 60 was developed, youth were actively placed in the driver seat to encourage shared ownership and responsibility. Youth tested and approved all program components, ensuring that the program remained authentic and would be embraced by a national youth audience. The brand name itself focused heavily on a balance of healthy eating and physical activity to provide youth and adults with a clear indication of the program’s intent.

A comprehensive approach

Fuel Up to Play 60 is also unique in that it teams nutrition and physical activity, teaching youth the whole story of healthy living. The program is grounded in decades of nutrition and physical activity experience and research from National Dairy Council (NDC), the National Football League (NFL), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other partner organizations. While the program has the backing of NDC, Fuel Up to Play 60 follows a comprehensive nutrition approach. The program encourages the consumption of food groups to encourage low-fat and fat-free dairy, fruits, vegetables and whole grains and 60 minutes of physical activity daily as outlined in the 2005 Dietary Guidelines. Healthy eating and physical activity messages shared in the program are both simple and compelling to youth.

Powerful partners

Fuel Up to Play 60 offers bold leadership through powerful partnerships, involving many organizations and industry leaders. The program utilizes the ‘star power’ of the NFL clubs, players, and physical activity programming to add recognition and value to the initiative and entice students to participate. Fuel Up to Play 60 also capitalizes on NDC’s trusted relationships with schools through decades of supplying science-based nutrition information and education materials.

Customization

This ongoing, social marketing program goes beyond promotions to influence actual behavior change –advancing the youth desire for a healthier future. Integrated components developed with youth (e.g., program curriculum, in-school signage, web site, youth social media partnerships, etc.) are customizable and non-prescriptive–allowing youth and schools to determine which tools and resources will best meet youth wellness goals and each school’s wellness policies.

“Creative Living" is produced and hosted by Sheryl Borden. The show is carried by more than 118 PBS stations in the United States, Canada, Guam and Puerto Rico and is distributed by Westlink, Albuquerque.