What did you have for breakfast?

The new training season has gotten off to a good start and our first training camp is right around the corner. It was nice to have some some down time this spring and a relaxed start to the season.

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In continuation of the post about Michelle Obama's Let's Move program I wanted to share an interesting article about a matter that I am increasingly interested in. Rachel Ray and New York's US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand joined forces to lobby for more nutritional school lunches as Congress prepares to reauthorize the Federal Child Nutrition Act. The government reimbursement amount for public school meals is established under this bill [according to the Times article it is currently $2.68 per child] and this monetary force is one of the factors which determine what kinds of foods ultimately end up served in the cafeteria. This morning I started the day with a hefty bowl of honey dew, grapes and grapefruit, a piece of whole wheat toast, some butter and a hard-boiled egg, (okay and coffee too because I tried to get an earlier start); I put a lot of stock into breakfast because I know it gets me through the day. I am lucky and privileged (thank you OTC) but I could not imagine starting the day without such a nutritional opportunity for my mind and body to function at its best.

The Nutritional Act is only up for revision every 5 years, and the summer of 2010 is its planned reauthorization. That's why Ray and Senator Gillibrand are working to update this bill so that it can begin to meet the nutritional demands in our current childhood obesity epidemic. Improving Childhood Nutrition is a part of Senator Gillibrand's agenda and you can hear her speak on this issue HERE. She sent me a nice email and letter after the Olympics, perhaps I will send her one back encouraging her to keep at this issue.

Efforts like Gillibrand and Ray's stoke a greater national effort to begin to seriously contend with the conditions that cause obesity, namely nutrition and physical activity. Michelle Obama's Let's Move program just released its action plan for ending childhood obesity in one generation and is worth the read.

There are numerous sites to read and learn about this current issue, and I'll be sure to post and interesting articles or links as I come across them. Hope you had a good dinner, too.