{"id":10965,"date":"2017-07-10T11:35:53","date_gmt":"2017-07-10T17:35:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=10965"},"modified":"2021-08-03T08:54:17","modified_gmt":"2021-08-03T14:54:17","slug":"free-hands-on-camp-supports-healthy-lifestyles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/free-hands-on-camp-supports-healthy-lifestyles\/","title":{"rendered":"Free hands-on camp supports healthy lifestyles"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Healthy living, eating right and proper hygiene \u2014 teaching these skills to young people can\u2019t just be left up to our schools, said pediatrician Dr. Katie McMurray.<\/p>\n

In an effort to expand knowledge and support of healthy lifestyles for young people, McMurray is hosting Healthy Learning Families Camp, which opens July 17.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best people to help children are their doctors, and it shouldn\u2019t just be at their wellness exams,\u201d she said. \u201cI feel as doctors, we need to do more to get this information out.\u201d<\/p>\n

The camp, from noon to 12:45 p.m. Monday through Thursday for two weeks starting July 17, is open to kindergarten and preschool-aged children and their parents who are interested in learning preventive care and healthy habits in a fun and entertaining 45-minute, hands-on class.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we can impact just one child\u2019s life by improving their overall health, then this is one less adult who may have complications from obesity and one less adult utilizing the health care system for chronic illnesses that could have been prevented early on in their lives,\u201d McMurray said. \u201cAlso, one child at the school lunch table eating vegetables can lead to another child wanting vegetables and so on, and this is the power of positive peer pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n

McMurray recently joined UCHealth Pediatrics \u2013 Carbon Valley<\/a>, in Firestone, and has been trained to teach the Healthy Learning Paths curriculum, which the camp follows.<\/p>\n

\"Children
Participants in the UCHealth’s Dr. Katie McMurray’s Healthy Learning Families program at UCHealth Carbon Valley Health Center learn how to make a “healthy fats” snack from scratch. Photo by Kati Blocker, UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe never teach what not to do, as this is a negative approach, but more about what we should do for our bodies to stay healthy because being healthy means you are happy, and this is the overall theme of these Healthy Learning Path lessons,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also enjoy during my lessons to talk more about the human body and the medicine behind what we recommend, such as why we need to drink water, why we eat healthy fats and why our bodies need sleep. It\u2019s amazing what even young children can remember and take away. And the parents walk away with new ways to approach healthy habits with their children, and we give parents activities to do with their kids at home to reinforce the topics discussed.\u201d<\/p>\n

The camp is held in the conference room off the UCHealth Carbon Valley Health Center<\/a> waiting area. It is free, and the schedule is as follows:<\/p>\n