This autumn, let’s remember the impact our food choices have on optimizing the body’s immune system. By embracing the bountiful fall season and enjoying its rich harvest including a wide variety of produce with diverse nutrients, we can help our bodies and minds. Choosing local in-season produce not only supports our local farmers, it also supports our immune systems. When fresh produce is eaten closer to the time it is harvested, it tends to be higher in nutritional values including vitamins and minerals that help to protect the body and defend it against infection. As the season begins to change, our bodies may become more susceptible to colds or viruses in addition to the ongoing COVID-19 risk. FORWARD DuPage is here to support your ability to achieve good health. Our website www.forwarddupage.org has helpful evidence based resources, tools and information to assist you in obtaining your healthy lifestyle goals.
Together we can make a difference!
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Webinar Series - Join Us! |
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FORWARD DuPage’s FREE Webinar Series runs twice a month with recordings available on our website here. This comprehensive series is available to anyone regardless of race or ethnicity, sex, sexual identity, age, disability, socioeconomic status, and geographic location. Webinars focus on helping you optimize your health and improve your immune system.
Specific resources/tools are also available for students, their families and school staff. Webinar topics cover healthy nutrition, improving sleep, reducing stress, and increasing physical activity and include video/tools/printouts that help demonstrate actionable outcomes.
Register for free now:
Buying locally sourced food can be your direct link to better health. Join FORWARD DuPage and Diane Chapeta, of the Illinois Farm to School Network, as we discuss the many benefits of locally grown food and the hard-working people behind that tasty tomato and perfect pumpkin.
During this webinar, you will learn from Diane Chapeta as she shares useful resources for preserving food, seasonal recipes, and programs to build your connection to local food. Whether you work in a school setting or you're a home cook, we can help you begin your local food journey and share local food know-how with your kids and family.
If you have enjoyed our resources and programming, please consider a donation to help FORWARD DuPage continue our healthy lifestyle offerings. Every dollar goes to supporting our educational tools to prevent and treat obesity in DuPage County and ensure that our children grow up to be healthy adults.
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Is there a healthy lifestyle topic you would like to see us provide? Do you have any suggestions on how we can better support your needs? |
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Join the movement and help improve the health and wellbeing of DuPage residents. We need volunteers to help support our growing coalition. If you enjoy reaching out to people and cleaning up databases, let us know.
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Resources, Resources, Resources! |
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Go-To Sources for COVID-19 Information
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Pilot Light’s Family Resources are designed for parents and children to provide a time of learning and deeper connection through the act of sharing and making food. This library of resources will continue to grow and include Family Lessons in both English and Spanish, Family Meal Videos, recipes, and more as a way to bring food education into your homes. |
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Action for Healthy Kids has created and collected resources to help families, educators and school staff keep kids active and stay healthy while navigating a new school year amid uncertainty. Resources will be added continually. Check back often. |
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A walk audit is an assessment of the pedestrian safety, accessibility, and comfort of a particular area. Anyone can conduct and organize a walk audit. Learn how to conduct a walk audit in your community. |
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Healthy Lifestyle
Legislative & Advocacy Update
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The impact of COVID-19 has increased the need for food assistance to help Illinois families, with unemployment spiking and food pantries seeing unprecedented need across the state. The Healthy Local Food Incentives Fund calls for a $500,000 state investment to double the amount that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants have available to spend on healthy food at farmers markets and other direct producer-to-consumer venues. The bill was signed into law in 2017 and updated in 2018 (Public Act 100-0636). Despite this legislative success, and overwhelming support from the IL General Assembly, no appropriation has been made into the state budget. FORWARD is working with the Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity to support this allocation. For more information click here.
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Click here to read the latest report The State of Obesity 2020: Better Policies for a Healthier America.
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Research indicates that physical activity helps improve academic performance and maintains a student's health. DuPage County Children deserve this opportunity. FORWARD along with the Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity are advocating for all students to be given the opportunity to participate in high-quality physical education programs for 150 minutes per week in elementary schools, and 225 minutes per week in high schools. This structure ensures equity for all of our students, regardless of their ZIP code. Click here for more information.
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Healthy Lifestyles in the News |
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How healthy are Chicago parents? |
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Healthy Chicago 2025 Initiative aims to close life expectancy gap between Black and White Chicagoans |
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For many kids, distance learning makes health eating a lot harder. |
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Kids lack of summer exercise leads to problems as adults. |
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The Race to Re-Design Sugar |
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Food insecurity in the US increasingly linked to obesity. |
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DuPage Forest Preserve
Corn Harvest - Kline Creek Farm
Saturdays & Sundays
October - November
Experience life as a field hand and help harvest this year's corn crop, which will feed the farm’s livestock for the year and provide seed for next year. Learn the importance of corn and learn how to properly shuck corn. $5 per person. Click here to register.
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Forest Hike
Mondays - 8:00am to 9:30am
Fullersburg Woods (October 19 & November 16)
Waterfall Glen (October 26 & November 30)
Herrick Lake (November 2)
Blackwell (November 9)
Greene Valley (November 23)
Enjoy the wonders of the forest preserve with a naturalist, and get some healthy exercise on a brisk 90-minute walk. Ages 18 and up. $5 per person. Click here to register.
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Mayslake by Moonlight
Various Days in October
7:00pm to 8:30pm
After the sun sets, enjoy an outdoor walking tour as you discover the urban legends, tales of hauntings, and stories of mischief while learning about the property's history and ownership. $15 per person. Click here to register.
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Fresh Air Friday - St. James Farm
Friday, November 6 & December 4
12:00pm to 1:00pm
Breathe deep on a guided walk through the forest preserve. Ages 18 and up. $5 per person. Click here to register.
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Thanksgiving Gratitude Walk
Various Days/Times in November
Mayslake Peabody Estate (November 16 & 20)
Danada (November 19)
McDowell Grove (November 21)
Wood Dale Grove (November 21)
Celebrate Thanksgiving on a 1-mile stroll with five guided gratitude meditation pauses with time for personal reflection. Between meditations, learn about nature in the surrounding preserve. Ages 12 and up. $15 per person. Click here to register.
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The Resiliency Institute
Wild Family Circle
Sunday, October 18
11:00am to 12:30pm
This shared experience will incorporate meditation, intention setting, ritual and ceremony. Click here for more info.
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The Conservation Foundation
Forest Therapy Walk - Oak Brook
Wednesday, October 21
5:30pm to 6:30pm
Immerse yourself in nature and experience the healing effects of Shinrin-Yoki. Click here to register.
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Partnership for a Healthier America
Food Systems Summit Pre-Event: Emerging Leaders on the Future of Food Systems
Thursday, October 22
11:00am
In this first youth-focused prelude to the 2021 Food Systems Summit, young changemakers will share their vision for how we can meet these challenges head-on. Whatever your age, you’re invited to listen, learn and engage. Click here to register.
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The Conservation Foundation
O'Hara Woods Workday
Saturday from 8:00am to 11:00am
O’Hara Woods welcome you to join in for their monthly workday. They will provide the snacks and tools, you provide the smiles! No experience needed! Dress for the weather and bring work gloves if you can. Click on the date above for more info.
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Glenbard Parent Series
Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Tools
Thursday, November 5
7:00pm to 8:30pm
Dr. Maslar will help cultivate new patterns of thought to enhance resilience and self-worth. Click here to register for free.
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America Walks
Annual Grant Series
Applications Due
Monday, November 9 @ 12am PST
This provides support to programs to create tangible change at the community level. Click here for more info or to apply.
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Meetup of Downers Grove
Health Optimization in a Toxic World: Learn and Share Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Tuesdays at 6:45pm
The research is clear. The first alternative, that we owe ourselves, is to use natural means to maintain and restore our health. No one else is responsible for this - not even our doctors or nutritionists or anyone else. Click on the date above to register.
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The Resiliency Institute
Wild Woman Project Circle
Sunday, November 15
2:00pm to 4:30pm
Each themed circle is time for meditation, intention setting, healing and connection with community. Click here to register.
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IL Critical Access Hospital Network
Virtual Annual Conference
Tuesday, November 17
9:00am to 2:30pm
Speakers will share innovative ideas and practices that will work in your hospital. Click here to register.
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Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity (IAPO)
Annual Meeting
Ten Years of IAPO: A Look Back at the Successes and Lessons Learned
Looking to the Future
Click on the date above to register.
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Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Evidence of Action (E4A) Call for Proposals
Applications Due on Rolling Basis
E4A funds research that expands the evidence needed to build a Culture of Health. A Culture of Health is broadly defined as one in which good health and well-being flourish across geographic, demographic, and social sectors. Click here to apply.
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The challenges facing children and families to support healthy lifestyles will take the combined passions, expertise and influence of many. If you're reading this message, you are one of those influencers. Join us in our mission:
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Donate - Too many families don't have access to the services and resources they need to stay healthy. In honor of our 10th anniversary, we've set our sights on raising $200,000 for change. Every dollar will support FORWARD DuPage's work to build capacity in communities where the need is great and the resources are too few.
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Sign-Up - Join our coalition of thousands of partners so we can drive change for children and families and improve healthy lifestyle outcomes together.
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Share Our Message - Spread the word about our 10th Anniversary and the impact we have had on our website or on the social media links at the bottom of the page.
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Do you subscribe to the IMPACT DuPage Newsletter? |
Impact DuPage is a county-wide initiative of partner organizations working to influence change in the areas of affordable housing, access to health treatment, behavioral health treatment, substance abuse and healthy lifestyles. FORWARD is Impact DuPage’s vehicle to help influence residents and partners to make positive choices regarding nutrition, physical activity, and the built environment
to improve health status improvement.
For more details and to stay up to date on local progress, click here and subscribe to their twice a month newsletter.
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Help Us Get the Word Out! |
Do you know of an upcoming event or health fair in DuPage County?
5-4-3-2-1 Go!® is a public education message with recommendations for children and families to promote a healthy lifestyle.
- 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day
- 4 servings of water a day
- 3 servings of low-fat dairy a day
- 2 or less hours of screen time a day
- 1 or more hours of physical activity a day
For helpful resources and ideas on how to incorporate this message in your DuPage County organization click here.
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We would like to thank our funders! |
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