‘You are what you eat’

By Mary-Justine Lanyon
Editor

Every Girl Counts is a program offered to girls at Mary Putnam Henck Intermediate School by Soroptimist International of Rim of the World (SIROW).

The program focuses on empowering girls to achieve their full potential. During the after-school program, the girls first enjoy a snack, then usually hear from a guest speaker and often conclude with creating a craft.

At the first program of this school year on Sept. 17, 41 girls in sixth, seventh and eighth grade assembled in the MPH multi-purpose room. They were joined by nine Rim High girls who are members of the Rotary Interact Club or the National Honor Society.

Lupe McDonald, the program’s coordinator, began by telling the girls that “Soroptimists is about uplifting women. We need to support each other. Make new friends. Be kind. Try new things.”

The guest speaker was Jaime Stiansen, who told the girls that, as a health and life coach, she helps people make changes.

“My children were always sick,” she said. “I wondered why and so did some research. I found that doctors only get four hours of nutrition training.

The Soroptimists were hard at work, whipping up smoothies from ingredients the MPH girls chose.

“You need to give your body a break,” she said. “There’s a psychology to making changes in your life. We need people around us to help and encourage us.”

Stiansen then explained what “traffic light eating” is: Green light foods – fruits and vegetables – can be eaten freely. Yellow light foods – lean meats, whole grains – should be eaten in moderation. And red light foods – processed meats, sugary desserts – should be eaten rarely or avoided.

She had volunteers read lists of ingredients and then asked the other girls to guess what they are and where they fall on the traffic light.

Stiansen urged the girls to read labels. Ideally food you purchase should have 10 ingredients or fewer. “Did you know,” she asked, “that the first ingredient is the most in the product?

“If a label has words you don’t know or can’t pronounce, you will be doing a chemistry experiment in your body.”

The ideal diet includes high fiber, high protein, low fat and low sugar,” Stiansen told the girls.

“Food can heal you; it can also harm you.

As Stiansen concluded her program, McDonald reminded the girls that “you are what you eat.”

The students then chose the ingredients they would like included in a smoothie, made by Soroptimist volunteers. McDonald assured them that, should they add zucchini, spinach or cucumber, they won’t taste them.

The smoothies also included oat milk, protein powder, frozen banana and chia seeds.

They decorated cups for their smoothies with stickers and other materials.

The girls then broke up into groups headed by the high school girls and played a “getting to know you” game.

The next Every Girl Counts meeting will be on Oct. 22 when the girls will go to the Mountain Skies Astronomical Society for a program presented by Dr. Lorann Parker.

It is not too late for MPH girls to join Every Girl Counts. Forms that need to be signed by their parent or guardian are available in the school office.