- Hello and welcome to Living in the Lehigh Valley, a health and wellness show for everyone.

I'm your host, Brittany Sweeney.

Coming up on this episode, packing a healthy lunch for your kids, filling those bellies and sneaking nutritional value into the lunch box.

Reporter Genesis Ortega gets some tasty ideas from a nutritionist.

Plus, putting the pedals on the metal on the train tracks.

We hit the rails on a new type of bike designed for exercise and fun.

Our Grover Silcox takes us on a scenic tour with all of us getting in on the action.

And mask mandates and social distancing are adding to the stress of getting assignments completed and studying for exams.

We'll meet a local yogi showing us how to help the kids de-stress during the school year.

First up, school is back in session and many of us are packing lunches for the first time in well over a year.

Our Genesis Ortega joins us now with some healthy food options for the kids.

Genesis, parents everywhere are just going to love this.

I know as a parent packing kids' lunches, I'm always looking for ways to sneak something healthy in there and new ideas at that, so what do you have for us?

- I think parents are going to love this too, Brittany.

And here's actually something that I didn't know, which is that September is National Family Meals Month.

- I didn't know that either.

So what is it?

What does it entail?

- So it started as a movement and it's actually now a nationwide event.

And the goal is for families to eat more meals together at home.

And so parents that have young kids in school know that the struggle is real when it comes to work, school, after school activities, practice.

- And we're tired!

- Exactly.

And so the pledge is actually super simple.

Just eat one meal together at home per week, something that you've made at home.

- OK, that sounds totally doable.

- It is doable, Brittany, but that's just one piece of it.

Kids, for the most part, are back in school and parents now need to pack lunch boxes, so I spoke with a nutritionist who showed me how parents can very easily pack healthy lunches for their kids.

- My go to formula to suggest to parents would be including a whole grain, a source of protein, whether it's a plant-based or animal source of protein, fruits and vegetables, a source of dairy, and then if you also want to include an optional treat, you can do that a few times a week as well.

- Lyndi Wieand is a nutritionist for Weis Food Markets.

She says packing healthy lunches boils down to preparation.

- So we have here kind of takes on different ways you can build lunchboxes.

So we have a bento box, we have it just kind of a traditional takeout container, and then we just have some regular storage containers that you might just have in your house already.

And so these are different ways you can pack lunches, but incorporate all the food groups as well.

As we walk through the grocery store, Wieand gave me some tips when it comes to food shopping for lunch boxes.

Now we reached the fresh cut fruit aisle.

So, Lyndi, tell me about some of these different options here.

I'm sure they're more convenient for parents.

- They're absolutely more convenient.

So if you are someone that maybe doesn't know how to cut up certain types of fruits, or maybe you don't have a lot of extra time, this is always somewhere that I point out to families because we do all the hard work for you.

So all this fruit is cut the day of that we put it out, so it's not going to be sitting out on the shelf for a long time and it's just very convenient.

So that way, when you do buy the bigger package, you can take it home, put it in your own little baggies, your own little smaller containers, and then just put it in the fridge.

- She says these options are more expensive for the added convenience.

Parents can save money by cutting the fruits at home.

- Try to get as much prep that you can ahead of time done.

So, whether it's when you do your grocery shopping, maybe on a Saturday or Sunday, spend an hour or so pre-cutting things, pre-packaging it into little sandwich bags or Ziploc bags, little containers.

That way, when you do have the more busy schedule during the week, you can just kind of grab and go.

- She also says kids may be more prone to eat what they've made with their own hands and encourages parents to cook with our kids.

- It really creates a bonding experience.

It really makes it more of a family meals moment.

And September is actually National Family Meals Month too, so this is a really big focus for dietitians to help promote this to families.

So if families do it all together, the kids are, one, having more fun in the kitchen, they might be less of a picky eater because they are actually being able to try things themselves and cut it up themselves and get more excited about what they're making.

- But if you're feeling stuck when it comes to preparing healthy meals, Wieand says Weis Markets offers free virtual nutritional classes, including meal management.

- I can also take people through the store and just teach them, "This is something to pick up "and add to your grocery list."

- And that's exactly what we did.

Wieand took me to the granola aisle to show me what parents should watch out for.

- The biggest things to look out for are whether or not it has whole grains, if it has a lot of added sugar, if there's any fiber and if there's any protein.

If it lacks those types of ingredients and nutrients, then it's not really going to be filling for your child, it's just going to be kind of empty carbohydrates that are going to get digested pretty quickly and not give your child the right kind of energy.

- Wieand says all of these extra steps can set up children for good eating habits when they're older.

- If children have the right kind of foundation and they learn the basics as they're young, and if they get taught in school, it might not become so much of a challenge for them as they get older and they're in high school, they go away to college and then they're like, "I don't know what to do.

I don't know how to eat healthy.

"I don't know how to cook for themselves."

So definitely there can be a lot of psychology behind it.

- And that's something that Bethlehem resident Mary Grube can agree with.

She has two daughters in college.

These days, she's a private chef and cooking instructor, so she showed me some healthy options for parents.

So we're here in Mary's kitchen, and she has a bunch of ingredients for us and is going to show us how parents can make healthy meals for their kids.

- So what I would suggest is when you're at the grocery store, think about things that you used to like to eat, maybe with a little bit of a twist.

So nowadays, I know my daughter used to love a wrap, and so instead of just doing sliced cheese, a nice option is to do Feta cheese, something very different.

And you can get these high-protein, low-carb wraps that are very healthy.

If your child is gluten-free, you can just do it in a nice big piece of lettuce.

And fun additions could be lots of different fruits and dried fruits.

So I have an assortment of berries and dried things and grapes which can double as also a snack.

- Something else that could double as a snack, hummus with veggies, pretzels or even a wrap.

- So I have the chickpeas and the garlic already in here, and I precook the garlic so it doesn't have that all day kind of taste.

I'm going to add some tahini.

And it's optional, but a little bit of cayenne pepper is always a nice little hit.

And some fresh lemon juice, which I'll just squeeze right through my fingers, maybe like half a lemon, and then I'm going to cover it and blend it and start adding my olive oil.

It's fun to make.

You can have your kids help you.

Very healthy.

And again, there's lots of ways to make it at home and that are very affordable options.

- Now, here's something to keep in mind.

There are some schools that are considered to be nut-free.

What that means is even though your child doesn't have a nut allergy doesn't mean you can pack foods that contain nuts.

Every school policy is different, including how strictly the policy is enforced, so make sure to check with your kids and teachers and be mindful of that when you're planning lunches.

- I know, Genesis, for my kids, we pack sun butter, so that's been helpful with packing those peanut butter and jellies that are so easy to make.

Now with all of this, planning seems like it seems to be the key to success when eating healthy for both kids and adults.

- Most certainly.

And that's something that Lyndi, our nutritionist, said.

I mean, setting aside time once or twice a week, even 30 minutes before bed, can make a world of a difference.

You know, mornings can be crazy, Brittany.

So whether the kids are late, missed the bus, you know, it's very easy to revert to pack chips and a soda.

And so if you plan, you'll make sure that you get ahead of that.

- I like that advice.

Those small tips just help us be a little bit more successful in our parenting game, right?

All right.

Well, we want you to sit tight, because we're going to bring in Grover Silcox now.

We went on kind of a class trip, so to speak, to have a little bit of fun and sneak in some exercise.

We went to the Colebrookdale Railroad in Boyertown, didn't we, Grover?

- Yes, we did.

I thought we were going to be steaming down the track on a train, but we got on a rail bike.

- We did.

It was so much fun and exercise, too.

- Exactly.

No diesel, no electric, no steam power.

Pedal power.

- Yes, pedal power.

We all got in on the act.

It was a lot of fun, wouldn't you say?

- I had so much fun.

- And actually my thighs burned after that too.

- Yeah, so there were some health benefits wrapped into all of this.

- There really were.

And, you know, it's terrific.

You know, you can get in one of these carts with three other people, your best friends or family, and just, you know, pedal at breakneck speed down the track or at a nice calm pace, depending on, you know, what works for you.

So it's a lot of fun and a great workout.

- We got to enjoy the scenery as well.

And we're going to take a look at that.

- You know, if you're spinning your wheels on a stationary bicycle or tired of counting steps, you might consider pedaling your way through history, nature and the great outdoors on a new fangled version of an old-fashioned rail bike.

Brittany, Genesis and I gave it a go.

And here's how it went.

It takes people power to ride the rails at the Colebrookdale Railroad in Boyertown.

When the engineers give their vintage train a breather, they bring out these sporty pedal pushers.

- Our bike is a quad, carries four people.

It sits to the ground, similar to a recumbent, but not in a full recumbent position.

The pedals do sit higher and towards the front of the rider, which alleviates some of the pressure on the joints in exercise and movement.

And, really, it's just a great family-friendly, fun activity.

- It's exercise that doesn't seem like, well, exercise, as rail bikers roll through five miles of the Secret Valley.

- Rail bikes have been around since, really, the beginning of train tracks and bicycles.

And that was right at the turn of the century.

- Rail bikes were originally used for work crews on the railroad.

Colebrookdale uses these modern-day versions for recreation and for groups like our PBS39 team, Brittany, Genesis and me.

- Jordan, so what do we need to know to become pros at the rail bike?

- All right.

Pretty much, there's three main things that you got to know.

First, our brakemen.

Front right seat is the only seat with brakes.

Second rule, always stay 20 feet behind the bike in front of you, just to give you that extra room.

Third thing, wallets, keys, phones, anything, you should put them in the basket that's in the back here or in a safer place, like a fanny pack or a backpack or something.

- All right, so what I've learned out of all of this is that you hold my life in your hands with the brakes!

- Keep us safe!

- I would feel safe with Genesis... - Says the guy who's not riding on our bike!

- Pedaling our rail bikes is actually very easy.

We go down a slight 2% grade, maybe almost 3%.

And there are several places where it levels out.

- Rail bikers climb aboard after some preflight preparations.

- They should come prepared as if they're going to be outdoors, through the woods, along the streams and doing physical activity outside.

Those things include bug spray, sunblock, appropriate attire, comfortable clothing.

We absolutely require everywhere on our property closed-toed shoes.

Sneakers are really the best footwear for what we are going to do.

- Doc Andy Sellers, a retired surgeon, serves as engineer and trainer for the Colebrookdale Railroad.

- The rail bikes are a great aerobic exercise.

You can sit in the rail bike and in this position without loading the weight on your knees and on your hips and your ankles.

You can pedal this bike.

You're getting good exercise and you're increasing your cardiovascular fitness as well.

- Brittany and Genesis formed a dynamic duo.

- Are you having fun?

- I am!

Are you?

- Oh, what a beautiful morning!

While I teamed up with Jordan Becker, assistant manager of the rail bike department.

- About how much longer do we have?

- Usually, an average excursion takes about 45 minutes, if we have, like, a small amount of people.

If we have all nine bikes, it could take up to an hour.

- It does require consistent pedaling by all members of the team, but lots of folks have reported to us that it didn't feel like they were doing much work at all.

- While rolling through the canopy of pines on the 150-year-old rails, bikers can actually forget that they're pedaling.

- So cool!

- This railroad hangs over a stream.

You're way up on a grade like you'd be out in the west.

This is a gorgeous railroad for the East Coast.

And you can see all kinds of things in that environment as you go by.

- The ride itself travels over several different types of bridges.

We have trestle bridges, iron bridges, wooden bridges, etc.

There is beautiful rolling farmland.

- After an hour or so, I definitely felt the pedaling in my hips and calves, but in a good way.

- You have to make the bike move.

So it's a real good source of you having to put energy into the vehicle.

And yet you're not overtaxed.

If one person wants to stop working, stop pedaling completely, if they feel it, whatever's happening, where they're having a little problem with energy or what, you've got three other people taking you down the line.

- Jordan and I toughed it out in the lead bike, without the aid of two other riders.

- Hey!

Colebrookdale Railroad brings 20 to 30,000 new visitors to the region annually.

It also blends myriad educational programs.

- We're so excited to engage with Michelle and the railroad to be able to bring youth from Pottstown out here that might never have that opportunity.

It's an amazing experience.

- Doc Sellers waits for the rail bikers five miles up the line to take them back to the station on his Doodlebug, a 1930 motor car.

- Alright!

- I've seen people who've said, "Boy, I haven't been out since the pandemic."

We're here, you're outside.

I can't tell you how many people have said how much they've enjoyed the bikes.

- And that pretty much describes our team's experience.

- Beautiful scenery.

- It's almost six miles.

- We made it!

-- And just so you know, a ticket for four on a Colebrookdale rail bike cost s$250.

They also have two rail bikes for three riders and a staff member for 200.

Brittany, Genesis and I enjoyed riding the rails with everyone on the excursion.

You know, Britt, it's just as Doc Sellers, our engineer, said.

It's a great way to socialize and exercise.

- We did a little bit of both on our trip for sure, and we were kind of feeling the burn during that trip.

Yes, I feel great and I'm still feeling it, as a matter of fact!

- Sure.

So have a little bit of exercise background before hopping on that bike.

- Yeah.

But the terrific thing about pedaling a rail bike is that you can go at your own pace.

So for a leisurely ride or a real vigorous workout, it's all up to you.

- Great.

We did a little bit of both.

And I hope that we can do more class trips like this, so to speak, as we move forward.

- You got it.

- All right, Grover, thanks so much.

- You're welcome.

- And if you're spending more time outside, you're not alone.

A study finds nearly three quarters of American homeowners say their outdoor space is crucial to their mental health during the pandemic.

Results show people are spending 14 hours a week outside, an increase of three hours since before the pandemic.

Seven in ten respondents added that improving their outdoor spaces has become a new hobby.

I want to welcome now Connor Moriarty.

Connor is a licensed professional counselor who founded Reset Outdoors, a counseling service that reconnects clients with nature to help foster a more healthy and balanced life.

Connor, I have to tell you, it felt really good to get outside, get some exercise.

The sun was shining.

We got some shade from the trees.

So why do we get that extra boost of energy when we're exercising outdoors?

- Brittany, it's an excellent question.

And those of us that spend a lot of time outdoors know that there's this magical thing that happens when you get out into the natural world, where your perspective just starts to shift, the things that are bogging your brain down just clear out and you're able to focus more on what's happening in front of you, which is in some cases experienced as an energy boost and in some cases, for me, most frequently, has been deeply relaxing.

So, Connor, what is the evidence behind nature as a natural stimulant or a booster to our overall health?

- Yeah, two questions contained in there, Brittany, that are important to understand.

The first is if it helps.

And the second is how.

So the answer to if nature helps, the evidence is overwhelming.

It's an absolutely resounding yes.

It's not even a debate anymore.

It's not a theory.

We know this to be true.

The second question is a little bit of a longer answer, and it's "How does nature impact us, "and overall impact wellbeing in a way that helps us?"

And physiologically, psychologically, socially, creatively, the list goes on.

We know from really high-quality research, from research institutions around the world, that simply making time to spend in the outdoors helps us measurably.

- Sure.

You mentioned people who live near green spaces.

What about people who don't, people who are living in cities, Bethlehem, Allentown?

Where can they go?

How do they find that green space to get to and get outdoors and get that dose that they need of fresh air?

- Yeah, this is really a critical question.

And I think societally here in the Lehigh Valley, we're lucky to have access to green space.

I think in the United States, we are one of the areas that has the most access, especially in our city centers, to green space, under a 15-minute walk for most people that live here in the Lehigh Valley.

You don't need to live near Yosemite or Jacobsburg State Park here locally.

- It would be nice!

- It would be so nice.

It would be so nice.

But simply looking at the sky, getting out into sunlight, hearing the breeze, even in the buildings, between buildings, seeing birds, seeing plants grow up between sidewalk panels is something that has been shown to be really beneficial.

- These little things that we might take for granted, but they're right there in front of us.

We can take a moment and appreciate.

- Even looking out of a window at the sky, Brittany, has been shown to reduce stress.

- I love that.

That's some great advice right there.

So what are some of your favorite spots throughout the Lehigh Valley?

Where should people go to get their hiking in, their biking in and that kind of thing?

- Yeah, I've got a laundry list.

I think here in Bethlehem, we have two incredible resources.

The first is the Greenway right here on the south side.

It's beautiful.

It's a nice, easy, gentle walk.

Same thing in the north side is the towpath.

The trail system here locally is a gem and one that I know a lot of us on our team utilize frequently.

Jacobsburg State Park is one of my all time favorites.

A little more locally, we have Wildlands Conservancy.

I mean, the list goes on and on and we have resources on our website to direct people to locations that are hopefully within ten or 15 minutes from their home.

What are some ways you can get out there and de-stress?

Simply taking a walk, is it easy as that?

Or are there other ways to de-stress and overcome some trauma?

Because that can help too.

- Yeah, so the good news is you don't have to walk to get the benefit of spending time outside.

That's the thing that we lean on the most at Reset Outdoors.

For folks that maybe don't feel like going for a walk or maybe are having some mobility issues, simply getting yourself out and sitting in the sunlight has been shown to be really beneficial.

Now, for folks that are recovering or healing from trauma, which I think are most of us these days.

The past year and a half has shown us just how much we need to be connected to each other.

And not being able to do so qualifies as a chronic subtrauma.

And one of the most beautiful things about spending time in nature, again, backed up by incredible research, is that connecting with the natural world is a surrogate for connecting with other people.

Simply getting out and feeling a part of an ecosystem has incredible benefits.

- So just get out there, sit, take a moment.

You don't even need to walk.

- Take...

It's more than a moment.

- OK, more than a moment.

- We're advocating for people taking 20 minutes a day, or a total of two hours a week, to spend outside.

That's what the research says is the magic number for watching these benefits and tangibly, measurably seeing the impact that has over time.

If you're able to do that for one month, the benefits persist for upwards of a month.

- Connor, you're a small business, but you work with larger corporations.

Mental health has come into the forefront throughout this pandemic the past year and a half.

Are you seeing corporate businesses include that in the wellness of their employees, trying to get that mental health aspect in there so that their employees are happier and healthier?

Are you seeing that firsthand?

- Yeah, we're talking to a lot of business leaders that are struggling with this question and trying to figure out what the best way to do this for their team in their business.

Every business is unique, just like every person is unique.

And the trick is finding a solution that is effective for every individual while also having that translate into the goals of the business being achieved.

- ResetOutdoors.com.

Connor Moriarty from Reset Outdoors, thank you so much for joining us.

- Thank you, Brittany.

- And of course, the past year and a half has been traumatic, to say the least, for everyone, including children.

Now, many are starting the school year once again under the cloud of Covid-19.

But there is a way to help your kids de-stress from all of this.

A Lehigh Valley yoga instructor shows me how.

- All right, friends.

We're doing it here.

- Larissa Noto knows how to get the attention of her kids.

- We are heading back to school, right, so we can get to ride this awesome school bus, right?

Yes!

All right.

So what color is this bus?

And what else do you see?

OK. And then what does that do?

A wheel!

It turns and turns.

All right.

So that's exactly what we're going to do.

We're going to take a breath and we're going to roll our hands from side to side.

- She's honed the skill of bringing them into a calm space after school.

- Side to side, side to side, side to side, and then we're going to go forward and back.

Are you ready?

Forward and back.

- The mom of three is a trained yoga and mindfulness instructor who works closely with kids and adults alike.

- Take a big breath in.

- She says despite the pandemic sending most exercise to a virtual space, she's still been able to connect with her classes through her practices.

- There's a physical component, which, especially during Covid, we may not have been moving around as much as we normally would be.

So having the physical mobility was really important.

And yoga inspires us to move in different, creative ways and also accessible ways.

- And my favorite one is Warrior 3.

Like that.

- Noto says using those different movements, parents can help bring some calm to their kids at a time that can be chaotic, with new back to school routines and traumatic, amid a pandemic.

- Not all of our students are able to perhaps play sports or be, especially during Covid, in athletic teams because things were shut down.

So yoga invited this ability to keep that movement going and allow that to continue.

- So what are some of the practices parents can use with their kids throughout the school year to be more mindful and kind of have that sense of calming throughout school when things get stressful?

- So take a moment.

Show me your hands.

Take a moment, maybe just like open and close your hands, shake out your fingers, move them in any way.

I like to say wave high, high five hands all the way around, and then pause.

And then take a moment here and take your opposite finger.

And as you breathe and trace up one side of your thumb.

As you breathe out, trace down.

Breathe and trace up your other finger.

Breath out, trace down.

Breathe in, trace up.

Breathe out, trace down.

Breathe in, trace up.

Breathe out, trace down.

Breathe in, trace up.

Breathe out, trace down.

And then take a pause.

Release your hands.

And just notice.

How do you feel after you take those breaths?

Do you feel the same as when you started?

Different?

Using a word to label it, which goes to the emotional aspect of all this.

- I like to do it to be calm, and I get anger out of my body a lot.

- Press your palms together super, super hard.

- Not only does Noto practice the movements with her own children in classes, but she is part of a program that goes into schools, teaching students and staff how to take a break using yoga and mindfulness in a way to improve brain function.

- That benefit is hugely important because then you're able to, and studies have shown, even perhaps build more gray matter in your brain.

It's fascinating.

That's the mental.

And then there's the emotional component, which... Yoga invites this ability to connect with your inner landscape in a way that may be not accessible to everyone or maybe not be discussed as often.

- She's seen the improvements firsthand in her own kids.

- I can balance for a long time.

- Though they seemed to be her toughest students.

She says she notices a difference in their work and how they talk to others about yoga.

- Logan's really good at it too.

- When you're moving your body, you're then also stimulating your digestive system, impacting your immune system, all of these awesome benefits from a physical perspective.

As you exhale, reach your arms down.

- Noto explains yoga is a form of mindfulness, as well as Tai Chi and Qigong, that helps bring both kids and adults into the present moment, even in the middle of a global health crisis.

- Being mindful allows us to be here and now, so we don't miss anything.

It also allows us to be here and now so that we're not thinking about what happened in the past, we're not thinking about something that happened at school, on the playground mask, not mask.

Like, having those moments where you're feeling all those big emotions and big feelings about everything that's happening right now.

That's behind you.

You're here now.

And then you can say namaste.

- Namaste!

- And for some students, the state mask mandate in schools is also causing stress and, in some cases, even bullying.

Many school districts have said they will reassess their mask mandates when Covid case numbers start to go down.

On the next episode of Living in the Lehigh Valley, the history of vaccines.

This isn't the first time scientists have responded to a global health crisis.

We've been down this road before, but has it always been this divisive?

We'll explore.

Thank you for joining us for this episode of Living in the Lehigh Valley.

I'm Brittany Sweeney, hoping you stay happy and healthy.