Promote health in 100 teens in Portland, Oregon

There are more than chemical bonds happening in Ramona Toth’s Liberty High School Chemistry lab in Hillsboro, Ore. After school on Tuesdays, MIKE Program teens are bonding with near-age mentors to affect positive change in their health.

MIKE launched its health science education program at Liberty High School in February. For the teens, many of whom are interested in health professions, MIKE brings multiple facets of health, workforce development and community engagement to them each week.

Mentors play an important role in MIKE by bonding all those elements together. They are role models, guides and advocates for healthy behavior. MIKE attracts a diverse and impressive group of young adults who commit two or more hours each week to support teens academically and socially.

For MIKE mentor Jade Stobbe, the Liberty High School program is a way to volunteer many of her skills and experiences before heading to medical school. And it’s not her first time in the school. Stobbe graduated from Liberty High School in 2009.

Equipped with a bachelor’s degree in biology from Portland State University (PSU), Stobbe fuses her interest in nutrition with a science background that brings health to life for her mentees.

“I want to break the cycle of bad health habits,” says Stobbe.

One of the ways MIKE mentors reinforce messages of health is through healthy snacks. The snacks are served at the beginning of each class. Mentors rotate turns for purchasing and serving the snacks helping them establish stronger budgeting skills within set nutritional value parameters. What really matters is how the teens respond to the foods, some of which may be new to them.

MIKE introduces, then reinforces healthy eating habits as a foundational skill that the teens can carry on throughout their lives. Such knowledge and skills provide the teens with greater capacity to avoid chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure.

MIKE mentors provide a support cushion for the teens as they develop new advocacy and leadership skills. The small groups help the teens strengthen their social skills.

“I understand what it means to be part of something larger than yourself,” says MIKE mentor Yemaly Alexander. Alexander, who grew up in Venezuela, applies her strong family and community values to her mentoring at Liberty High School. “It’s about how to work in a group to accomplish a shared goal,” says Alexander, who pursued the position with MIKE “to have leaders in our communities.”

As the weeks progress, MIKE teens will move toward developing a health leadership project which they will share in the local community. Past mentor teams have hosted health fairs, healthy cooking classes for their younger peers, and created a healthy message mural that can be seen by thousands of drivers and pedestrians each day outside Miller Education Center West (MECW) in Hillsboro. MIKE is now in its fifth year at MECW.

For Liberty’s Toth, MIKE is a catalyst for engaging teens who are struggling in school and/or home. Teens enrolled in the program earn academic credit toward their graduation requirements. The mentors provide the teens with enthusiastic examples of a variety of science and health careers.

Alvin Trieu, a pre-med student at PSU, has been a physics and organic chemistry workshop leader. He shares his passion for math, science and sports with the teens. He first heard about MIKE through one of his public health courses at PSU. “When MIKE Program was mentioned I was intrigued,” says Trieu. “I thought it would be a great opportunity to learn about mentoring and how to communicate with younger teens.”

Links:

• MIKE website

Do you know what foods make your hair grow faster or what’s good to eat for breakfast? Teens at De La Salle North Catholic High School peppered a recent talk on nutrition with such questions for MIKE Program Board Member Tyrell Comeaux. His answers were a balanced serving of straightforward talk and information.

For Comeaux, a nutrition services supervisor with Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland, Ore., any question about nutrition is a good way to engage teens about their health. Having recently completed his Master’s degree in Nutrition from Northeastern University, Comeaux looks to a future where teens are well-equipped to understand the benefits of good nutrition and to take charge of their own health.

MIKE invites content experts like Comeaux to expose the teens to the latest guidelines in nutrition and career opportunities in health care. During MIKE’s unit on nutrition, teens learn how to analyze food labels, discover how nutrients affect their body and determine what foods are best for them. The more the teens know, the more likely they will be able to distinguish the facts from marketing ploys.

Comeaux offers a snapshot of the questions and answers from his recent talk with the teens:

What foods make your hair grow faster?

Foods with biotin, an important B vitamin, is key. Biotin works in the metabolic process to break down protein, fat and carbohydrates; and it is essential for growing nails and hair. Most foods high in protein offer higher levels of biotin, such as eggs, almonds, legumes, milk, meat, and some whole grains.

What’s good to eat for breakfast?

A healthy breakfast should contain a variety of foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and low or nonfat dairy. What foods does Comeaux recommend? A vegie omelet; smoothie with fruit, yogurt and greens; hard-boiled egg with a banana; or a whole grain cereal with fresh fruit.

Are all vegetables good for you?

All vegetables are good for you, though some, like potatoes, contain higher levels of starch. Vegetables contain a variety of vitamins and minerals essential for good health. When selecting vegetables, the more variety of color, the better the overall nutrition.

Why are French fries unhealthy if they’re made from potatoes?

French fries are unhealthy because of the fat and salt used during the cooking process.

Why is eating in fast food restaurants unhealthy?

Most meals offered in a fast food restaurant pack in the fat, salt and sugar. Order a burger, fries and soft drink from most menus in fast food restaurants, and you could easily consume your daily amounts of calories, fat, salt and sugar. While there are some items that are more nutritious, most people don’t just consume that one item.

How much salt should you have a day?

While the average adult should consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day, the average American consumes about 3,436 mg per day. While athletes need to replenish their salt levels, most Individuals get enough salt in basic foods. Processed foods contain the greatest amount of sodium. Individuals who have diabetes, high blood pressure or are in populations of color are more susceptible to chronic diseases and should only consume sodium levels below 1,500 mg per day.

What are the most important factors for your health?

While health is affected by a variety of factors, the most important are nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress, and avoiding tobacco and drugs. 

Links:

• MIKE Program website