Building a Healthier

Independence (BHI) is an

initiative funded by the

Social Innovation for

Missouri and the

Community Transformation

Grants. This initiative aims

to make it easier and safer

for our citizens to be

physically active, make

healthy food choices, and

reduce tobacco use. This is

being accomplished

through partnerships with

multiple City departments and local

community groups. The expected

outcomes include increased use of the

community recreational facilities,

increased safety

on sidewalks and

trails, increased

consumption of

healthful foods,

decreased

tobacco usage,

and increased

awareness of the

harms of tobacco.

The 3rd annual Independence Park Trot 5K Run/Walk is coming up! Lace up

your running shoes and come on out to Waterfall Park near Bass Pro on May 3,

2014. This is a free, family-friendly event open to participants of all ages and

fitness levels. Despite unseasonably cold temperatures, the 2nd annual Park Trot

5K was a great success and we’re hoping the 3rd

will be even bigger and better! No registration fee

encourages entire families to run or walk

together.

This year’s race will be on the same certified

course as the 2013 Park Trot, and chip-timing will

again be offered to all participants. Find more

information about the race and register today at

www.independenceparktrot.com. T-shirts are also

available through the Park Trot website, in both

adult and child sizes, starting at just $5.00.

What is Building a Healthier

Independence?

3rd Annual Park Trot 5K Run/Walk

Building a Healthier

Independence Independence Health Department ● 816-325-7185 ● Jan 2014

What We Do...

Community Gardens!

Smoke-free Parks!

Farmers’ Markets!

Fitness Activities!

Healthy Choices!

A special thank you to our 2013 Park Trot 5K sponsors: Bass Pro, Nature’s Pantry Market, the Independence Examiner, GEHA,

Centerpoint Medical Center, Cosentino’s Sun Fresh, Garry Gribbles, Stand Up Blue Springs, Independence Parks and Recreation,

Independence Tourism, Dick’s Sporting Goods, New Signs, Studio on Main, and Hy-Vee.

P A G E 2

Sermon Center Facility Hours:

Cool Ways to Torch Calories

Roger T. Sermon Community Center

Do these moves during

commercials rather than

fast-forwarding and

repeat the circuit until

your show starts up

again. Any version of

the activity that you can

handle is great to get

you up and moving.

15 squats

15 push-ups

15 crunches

15 seconds of jogging in place

15 jumping jacks

15 seconds of high knees

Building a fire: 80 calories

Building a snowman: 140 calories

Having a snowball fight: 96 calories

Ice-skating: 176 calories

Shoveling snow: 192 calories

Skiing (cross-country): 256 calories

Skiing (downhill): 192 calories

ledding: 224 calories

Snowboarding: 192 calories

Housework: 100 calories

Mall Walking: 125 calories

Virtual Video Game Sports (Wii, Xbox

Kinect, etc.): 90-200 calories

*calories burned based on 140 lb person

Try these winter activities for a half hour of sizzling power.*

Building a Healthier Independence

The Sermon Center, located at 201 N. Dodgion

Avenue, is a great resource for Independence

residents and non-residents to be physically active.

A weight room, cardio area, and gymnasium are

available for different classes, programs and open

play.

Memberships are available for persons 13 and

over, and allow access to the weight room, cardio

area, and gymnasium. Members are also allowed

one guest per visit so you can even bring a

workout buddy to make working out more fun.

Easy TV

Commercial Break

Workout

Membership Prices:

Independence Residents

Age 13 through 59 $30 / person

Age 60 and over $20 / person

Family (immediate only) $90 / family

Non-resident

Age 13 through 59 $55 / person

Age 60 and over $35 / person

Family (immediate only) $125 / family

Mon-Thurs 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Saturday Noon - 6 p.m.

Sunday Closed

White Oak Garden Open to Public

P A G E 3

Coming this spring, the

community garden behind

the Community Services

League at Noland Road and

White Oak will be open to

individuals and groups.

There will be 30+ beds for

those who are interested in

growing their own produce

for a small fee. The gardens

are great for growing spring or summer

vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, green beans,

cucumbers and other warm-

weather plants. In addition to

the delicious foods that can

come from a garden, it can

serve as a learning experience

for people of all ages to see

what works and what doesn’t. If

you are interested in renting a

bed at this location, contact

Joanie Shover with the

Independence Health

Department at 325-7185.

affordable foods. These foods

can include anything from fresh

fruits and vegetables, to whole

grain cereal and pasta, to

skim milk. If you live in or

frequent an area that does

not have easy accessibility to

healthy foods and would like

to nominate a corner store,

please contact Megan

Cooper with the

Independence Health

Department at 816-325-7185.

One of BHI’s goals is to

encourage residents to

make healthy eating

choices. For residents that

do not live close to a full

service grocery store, this

can be difficult to do. BHI is

urging local “corner stores”

to help out their neighbors

by offering more healthful,

Healthy Corner Stores in Your Neighborhood

Two Healthy Corner Stores to check out in your area: Square Market:

104 E. Lexington Ave.

7-Eleven: 201 E. Highway 24

Keep checking the Kansas City Community Gardens website (www.kccg.org/) for an updated list of free gardening classes and workshops!

P A G E 4

Recipe Corner:

Banana Oatmeal

Muffins

Get Healthy Independence

The Building a Healthier Independence initiative has a new tool: the Get Healthy

Independence mobile app. This app currently has five core features: Parks,

Trails, Community Gardens, Farmer’s

Markets, and Walking Programs.

All the features can be viewed by map,

making it easier to find locations near you.

Once you find the perfect location the app

can also provide you with instant directions

to all five of the features.

To download the app on your phone, just

search “Get Healthy Independence” in the

Google play store or Apple app store.

Parks: search by features or

location to find the perfect park

for you or your family

Community Gardens: get

locations and timely information

about each of the community

gardens

Farmers’ Markets: get

locations and timely information

about each Farmers’ Market

Trails: search trail by type

(length, loop or nature trail)

Walking Programs: stay

up-to-date with the locations of

The Mile Starts Here walking

program

In a large mixing bowl, combine oats and buttermilk

and set aside for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Drop foil liners into a muffin tin with 3-inch cups or

spray muffin tin without using liners.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon,

baking powder, baking soda and salt. Break egg into

the bowl with soaked oats and beat it lightly with fork,

then mix it in. Add applesauce, banana, and sugar, and

whisk until wet ingredients are

well blended. Add dry

ingredients, whisking just until

they are combined.

Spoon batter into prepared

muffin tin. Sprinkle walnuts over

top of muffins. Bake 20

minutes, or until toothpick

inserted into center of muffin

comes out clean. Let sit for 3

minutes, then turn the muffins

out onto wire rack and cool for

15 minutes. Serve warm.

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1 cup 1% or fat-free buttermilk

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 large egg

1/2 cup applesauce

1 cup mashed ripe banana, 2 or 3

bananas

1/2 cup lightly packed light brown

sugar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Per muffin: 180 calories, 4.5 g total

fat (0.5 g saturated fat), 30 g

carbohydrate, 5 g protein, 4 g

dietary fiber, 180 mg sodium

Recipe from: http://www.aicr.org/