Healthy Weight

Breastfeeding

Why breastfeed?

Breastfeeding is important for mother and baby health. Any amount of breast milk offered to your baby is good.

In Australia, it is recommended that infants are exclusively* breastfed until around six months of age when solid foods are introduced, and that breastfeeding is continued until 12 months of age and beyond, for as long as the mother and child desire.¹

*Infant receives only breast milk. No other liquids or solids are given, not even water, with the exception of oral rehydration solution, or drops/syrups of vitamins, minerals or medicines.

Breastmilk is the ideal food for infants. It is safe, clean and contains antibodies which help protect against many common childhood illnesses. Breastmilk provides all the energy and nutrients that infants need for around the first six months of life. From six to 12 months breastmilk continues to provide up to half or more of a child’s nutritional needs and up to one third of a child’s nutritional needs between 12 months and two years.

Breastfed children are less likely to be overweight or obese and less prone to diabetes later in life. Women who breastfeed also have a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancers.

Need help with breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding is a learned skill, which needs practice. The more you feed your baby, the easier it will get. More information and support is available from the following:

Breastfeeding Education Live – online sessions

Interactive breastfeeding education webinar sessions for expectant parents. Learn and practice how breastfeeding works. Click here for more information

CCLHD breastfeeding support clinics

These breastfeeding support sessions for Central Coast residents are run by child and family health nurses to support, protect and promote breastfeeding. Click here for community health centre locations and times.

Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA)

Call the Breastfeeding Helpline on 1800 686 268. This helpline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and staffed by trained, volunteer counsellors.

The ABA website provides a range of resources to support, educate and advocate for a breastfeeding inclusive society. You can hire a breast pump through ABA.

The mum2mum app provides breastfeeding information and support based on your baby or child’s age.

Raising Children Network

An Australian parenting website that provides articles, videos and interactive resources tailored to different ages and stages. Breastfeeding information can be found in the ‘newborn’ and ‘babies’ tabs.

MotherSafe

For women and healthcare providers concerned about exposures during pregnancy and breastfeeding. more information, click here or call 1800 647 848.

Other support for breastfeeding

Five ways family and friends can support a mother to breastfeed

Offer encouragement.
Help with the baby between feeds, and older children in the family, to allow the mother to rest or nap.
Make nutritious meals and snacks to help increase her energy.
Help with cleaning and other jobs around the house to decrease these responsibilities.
Find breastfeeding friendly meeting places.

Dads can sign up to SMS4dads and receive free text messages sent straight to their phone containing tips, information and links to other services to help fathers understand and connect with their baby and support their partner.

Grandparents play an important part in the encouragement and support of breastfeeding. More information for grandparents can be found here.

There are no benefits to starting solid foods before around six months. Starting too early can contribute to a decrease in breast milk production. Starting Family Foods provides current advice on introducing your baby to solid foods.

Support for breastfeeding in public

Look for the ‘We Are Breastfeeding Friendly’ sticker in Central Coast businesses and facilities that are supportive of mothers’ breastfeeding on their premises. There are more than 300 on the Central Coast helping to promote a positive attitude towards breastfeeding in the community.

If you have a business or know of a business that is breastfeeding friendly and would like to participate, contact Nutrition Services, Central Coast Local Health District for free breastfeeding friendly stickers and kit. Call 4320 2251.

Celebrating World Breastfeeding Week 2020

In 2020, the Central Coast Local Health District Breastfeeding and Infant Feeding Reference Group offered a community art competition. There were some wonderful entries!

The following virtual gallery is a presentation of the selected entries along with comments from the artists and judges.

References

¹National health and Medical Research Council 2012, Infant Feeding Guidelines, Canberra. National Health and Medical Research Council.

Quick Meals for Kooris

By Health Promotion

Quick Meals for Kooris is a ‘hands-on’ cooking program, developed to assist Aboriginal people prepare easy, low-cost family meals using available ingredients. Allowing time to cook, eat and share ideas and knowledge is an important part of this program.

Check out this short video to find out more about the Quick Meals for Kooris program and how it can be adopted in your organisation.

“I’ve used the training to show other people how to cook inexpensive meals.”

Lynne Clarke, volunteer, San Remo Neighbourhood Centre.

“What I love about the Quick Meals for Kooris is the recipes are simple and easy to make in your home, the ingredients are available in all shops and honestly some of the standard ingredients are in your cupboard today, right now.”

Kerry Groves, volunteer, San Remo Neighbourhood Centre

Quick Meals for Kooris is designed to be run by Aboriginal health workers or Aboriginal community members. This versatile program can be adapted to suit participant needs, resources and capacity of leaders. Program ‘leaders’ will not need extensive nutrition knowledge or food preparation skills as the Quick Meals for Kooris – Trainers Manual provides detailed guidance. Recipes included in the program are in the Quick Meals for Kooris – At Home book. It is intended that all group participants are given a copy of this book. This book is also a stand-alone resource and can be provided to people who do not attend a program.

NEW Quick Meals for Kooris recipe videos

You can watch how to prepare four of the quick, easy and low-cost recipes from the Quick Meals for Kooris at Home book.

Watch the videos below and download the recipes and methods.

Hawaiian Chicken Pasta | Quick Meals for Kooris

Vegetable Slice | Quick Meals for Kooris

Fruit Crumble | Quick Meals for Kooris

Family Mince | Quick Meals for Kooris

Thank you to Mitch Ella, Steve Ella, Tyra McEwen and Jenni McEwen for featuring in the videos.

Tell us what you think of these videos here!

Download the video recipes below:

Family Mince

Chicken Pasta

Vegetable Slice

Fruit Crumble

For more information, hard copy resources or support with nutrition training contact Lesley Marshall on (02) 4320 3691 or email [email protected].

Refresh @ Home

By Health Promotion

Welcome to Refresh @ Home

The novel coronavirus COVID-19 has changed the daily lives and routines of people living and working on the Central Coast.

To help you during this time, our Refresh – Kids & Families page has become Refresh @ Home. Here you’ll find a collection of our resources, as well as information and advice on a number of topics, from exercising at home, to cooking healthy meals, mental health support, activities and games.

Please continue to check this page for further updates. New updates are marked *NEW* so you can quickly spot them. You can also subscribe to our new Refresh newsletter to stay updated on new resources and programs from the Central Coast Health Promotion team.

Last updated: 16 February 2021

Activities and Games
Exercise
Healthy Eating
Older Adults
Alcohol Reduction

Activities and Games

Looking for games and activities to keep the kids occupied? Fear not, we’ve got you covered with a number of resources and programs to help keep you and your family both active and entertained.

Go4Fun face-to-face programs are back! Yes, after a COVID-enforced hiatus, our 10-week healthy lifestyle program returns in term 2 when we will be at Killarney Vale Public School on Wednesdays from 4–6pm and Green Point Community Centre every Saturday, 10am–12pm. Go4Fun is a free program for families with children between 7–13 years old. The program focuses on making lifestyle changes as a family, encourages healthy eating habits and fitness and improves self-esteem in kids. Click on the image below to visit the Go4Fun website to register, or call 1800 780 900.

Our Magic Lunchbox storybook has been brought to life through animated storytelling. The story, written by Central Coast author Angela Barrett, supports children aged 4–6 years to understand everyday healthy food choices and “the magic made, when you put good food inside.” Watch a reading of the story below. You can also download more Magic Lunchbox resources and a copy of the book here.

*NEW* We’ve created a series of videos of our Family ACTIVation games. Family ACTIVation is a fun-packed resource to help parents and carers of 5–12-year-olds get active with their children. It’s full of quick and easy games to play at home, in the park, or wherever. Games that reinforce the fundamental movement skills like throwing, catching, hopping and skipping… the same movement skills being learnt at school. Why not try Home Circuit by watching the video below? You can download the Family ACTIVation resource pack and watch the full set of videos here.

During the summer months, it’s important we practice good sun protection habits. The Cancer Institute has compiled a suite of interactive skin cancer prevention resources for NSW schools. Its Sun and UV at School classroom resources are curriculum-aligned, flexible, and easy for teachers to use, and will assist students to make healthy, safe and proactive choices about sun protection, reducing their risk of skin cancer into the future. They have also produced the below video, which provides advice on how to enjoy the outdoors safely.

Keep your kids entertained with Jack’s FUNtastic Day. Written by Central Coast author Angela Barrett, Jack’s FUNtastic Day is a story for 3–6-year-olds about a boy named Jack who leaves his screen behind for a day to embark on a fun-finding expedition. Click the image below to take you directly to the story or here to a page with related activity books for pre-school and primary school aged-children.

Our Get Active Today tool has some ideas on simple games and activities you can play to support the development of children ages 4–8.
Kids Health has compiled a helpful page with a number of play ideas for children, including indoor and outdoor games and educational and sensory activities.
Reducing screen time can be a challenge. Watch this video full of handy tips to help your family sit less and move more. Check out NSW Health’s screen time page for more guidance and tips.

Exercise

Exercise is more important now than ever before – both to support our physical health and mental health. Here are some great ways to exercise, covering all ages and abilities, to ensure we continue to give our body and mind the work out it needs.

NSW Health’s Get Healthy at Work program has developed a Being Healthy While Working From Home guide with lots of information – from physical activity, to healthy eating and mental health advice.
On the subject of mental health, NSW Government has produced a factsheet with advice on how to look after your mental health during COVID-19.
*NEW* The Department of Education School Sport Unit and The Arts Unit have produced a range of videos called [email protected] to teach kids a range of fundamental and sport-specific skills using items found at home in their living rooms, in a fun and engaging way. Watch the video on hopping below, aimed at children ages 3–6, and check out the rest of the episodes here.

NSW Health’s new Healthy Eating Active Living website has some simple exercises to do from home or outdoors. You can view and download a range of workouts, from beginner, low-intensity and high-intensity workouts.
The NSW Institute of Sport has put together a High Performance at Home page containing a selection of videos by some of Australia’s top athletes to help us exercise at home, including improving your running technique and full body 30-minute workouts. Check out its 15-minute full body workout for beginners or daily flexibility routine for working from home.
As many of us begin to think about returning to our places of work as restrictions lift, why not consider active transport to work? Central Coast Health Promotion runs a Go Active 2 Work Day every third Wednesday of the month, with monthly gatherings in William Street, Gosford. To join the Go Active 2 Work community, receive a welcome pack and updates, visit our Go Active 2 Work page.

Healthy Eating

Spending more time at home is a great opportunity to cook fresh and healthy meals every day. Avoid the temptation to snack and starting experimenting in the kitchen. And if you’re not sure what to prepare, don’t worry, we’ve listed a number of resources with helpful recipes and advice to ensure you eat healthily at home.

*NEW* Changing your routine and getting the whole family on board can seem like a challenge. But there are small steps you can take that will have a big impact on you and your family’s health and wellbeing. NSW Health’s new Healthy Eating Active Living website is full of great resources, tips and helpful information on how you can live a healthy lifestyle. Check out its ‘Getting started’ page for some simple changes that could become part of your day-to-day routine. And if you’ve ever wondered just how healthy your lifestyle is, you can also take the healthy habits quiz. The quiz will identify where you might be able to make changes to lead a healthier lifestyle, as well as signpost you to any further help and support that’s out there. Click the image below to take the quiz.

*NEW* Patch to Plate is a recipe book boasting a collection of tasty and healthy recipes from primary schools on the Central Coast, curated by our Central Coast School Garden Interest Group. Now, not only can you download the recipe book, but you can also watch a series of videos showing how to prepare and cook the meals. Check out the video below demonstrating how to make spinach and feta gozleme.

*NEW* Check out our series of recipe videos based on our Quick Meals for Kooris cooking program. Quick Meals for Kooris assists Aboriginal people to prepare easy, low-cost family meals using available ingredients. You can find out more about the program here, and below watch a video on how to prepare and cook vegetable slice.

*NEW* Our Make Their Meals Count resource aims to help parents and carers prepare healthy meals for children aged 4–8 years. The recipes are basic everyday meals, and are easy to make with ingredients that are inexpensive and readily available. To further support you, we’ve developed a number of the recipes from Make Their Meals Count into a video series. Below you can watch a video to make homemade pizza with grape salad, and you can check out the full set of recipes and videos here.

We’ve launched a new Thirsty? Choose Water! website that has loads of great resources and tips to help you and your family drink more water. Download factsheets, check out mythbusters, use our sugary drink calculator and download our awesome new Aqua Sprint game, available for free on the App and Google Play stores. Click on the image below, which features our new Thirsty character, to visit the new site, and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram.

Want to help improve your diet and stay active during the COVID-19 pandemic? NSW Health’s Get Healthy program is a free telephone-based information and coaching service that sets personalised healthy lifestyle goals on health eating, becoming more activity, achieving a healthy weight, reducing alcohol intake and achieving healthy weight gain in pregnancy. Watch the video below for more information.
NSW Health’s guide to healthy eating while working from home contains recipes, advice on grocery shopping and other tips ans tricks to eat healthier.
Nutrition and dietetics experts at the University of Newcastle have launched the website No Money No Time. It aims to improve the eating habits of young Australians and includes quick, cheap, easy and healthy recipes. You can even take its Healthy Eating Quiz and get a personalised report on your eating habits along with recipe suggestions and ideas based on the information you provide.

Older Adults

There are a number of tailored resources for older adults that can help them stay active, healthy, connected and safe at home.

Active and Healthy

If you’re 60 or older, or Aboriginal and 45 or over, you can get Healthy and Active for Life thanks to a FREE new 10-week online program from NSW Health. You will receive weekly online exercise videos to do at your own pace, healthy eating and lifestyle tips, as well as telephone support from a trained coach at a time that suits you. And all from the comfort of your own home. The next program starts on Monday 19 April 2021, although registrations close on Friday 2 April. To register or for more information, visit the website or call Health Promotion on 4320 9700.
NSW Government has produced factsheets to support seniors in staying healthy and staying connected at home that include some handy and practical tips.
Over 70? Do the 7! Click the thumbnail below to download and print a poster with advice on how to stay COVID safe.

Our nutrition booklet for older adults and their carers, Eating Well, includes heaps of advice from nutritionists to help you eat the foods you need to maintain weight, muscle strength, bone strength and independence.
NSW Health’s Active and Healthy at Home booklet includes practical tips and information for older adults to stay active, healthy, and connected at home, and includes available services for the elderly. You may also wish to download and print this Active and Healthy at Home flyer, which has some handy tips you can keep close by.
Developed by physiotherapists across Australia, Safe Exercise at Home is a simple-to-navigate website with helpful information and exercises.
The Exercise at Home section on NSW Health’s Active and Healthy website has heaps of simple exercises to improve balance and strength, along with images and videos to demonstrate.

Falls Prevention

While we spend much more time at home than usual, home safety awareness, such as avoiding fall risks and hazards, becomes even more important.

The following resources contain advice and information on how you can stay safe in the home, along with some fun games too.

Download our Falls prevention checklist to help reduce your risk of falling.
Download our Home safety checklist which includes suggestions on how to make your home environment safer.
Play our Falls are preventable wordsearch. Can you find all the words?
Play Spot the Falls Risk. Can you spot all 21 hazards?
Take a look at out our informative poster on What to do if you fall at home. Feel free to print and keep around the house as a reference.
The Clinical Excellence Commission has a number of helpful factsheets, available in different languages, as part of the NSW Falls Prevention Program, such as:
- Foot care and foot wear to ensure you’re more steady on your feet. This is also available in Italian, Greek, Arabic and other languages.
- Medications advice. This is also available in Italian, Greek, Arabic and other languages.
- Home exercises to improve balance and strength. This is also available in Italian, Tagalog, Greek, Korean, Arabic and other languages.

Alcohol Reduction

As we all come to terms with the challenges presented by COVID-19, it’s important we avoid potentially harmful coping strategies such as excess alcohol consumption.

There are a number of health impacts caused by drinking too much alcohol, which you can read more about in the Alcohol section of this website.

There are some helpful resources out there to support you if you’re struggling during the COVID-19 situation.

Want to drink less? Changing your drinking habits is easier with someone in your corner. Did you know you can get support over the phone from your own FREE health coach through NSW Health’s Get Healthy Service? Coaches are friendly and trained to help you change your drinking habits. They will give you practical tools and support you, without judgement, helping you to set achievable goals, make a plan (starting with small steps), and overcome barriers that stand in your way. They will work as a team with you and celebrate your successes with you. To sign up, call 1300 806 258 or click on the image below and complete the simple online form. And if you want to find out more about the dedicated service for pregnant women, click here.

Want to know more about how alcohol impacts your health? Check out Get Healthy at Work’s Alcohol and your Health factsheet. It includes tips on low-risk drinking, information for women pregnant or breastfeeding, advice for men, as well as a number of support and treatment services.
NSW Health has produced a handy document with tips to reduce your alcohol consumption while working from home. There’s also a version for employers too.
Check out this page on Your Room – a joint initiative by NSW Health and St Vincent’s Alcohol and Drug Information Service – which has information, advice, a risk assessment tool and helplines to support you.
The Alcohol and Drug Foundation has a Coping with Coronavirus page that contains a range of helpful links with advice on a number of topics, from relapse and withdrawal, to resources and support services.
The Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) has created an online resource with tips, strategies and information on how to limit alcohol use, and groups you can turn to if you need support.

[Read more…] about Refresh @ Home

Family ACTIVation

By HEALTH Promotion

Family ACTIVation is a fun-packed resource to help parents and carers of 5 to 12-year-olds get active with their children.

It’s full of quick and easy games to play at home, in the park, or wherever…

Games that reinforce the fundamental movement skills like throwing, catching, hopping and skipping… the same movement skills being learnt at school.

Family ACTIVation game cards DOWNLOAD

Family ACTIVation – Tricky Catches

Family ACTIVation – Treasure Chest

Family ACTIVation – Throw Golf

Family ACTIVation – Home Circuit

Family ACTIVation – Fly

Family ACTIVation – Airborne

Tell us what you think of these videos here!

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At Central Coast Local Health District, the Health Promotion team is always on the look out for GREAT games to get families active.

If you have a game, we would love to hear about it so we can share it with families across the Central Coast.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAMILY GAME

Refresh – Kids & Families

By Health Promotion

Making healthy choices easier choices

Parents and carers are pivotal, but who supports the families? We do! Refresh – kids & families is here to provide information and resources for making healthy choices easier choices.

In the modern environment, where processed foods are plentiful and screens are surplus, families are faced with many challenges when reinforcing healthy choices for life. Nurturing children’s health is a community effort.

Our service works within different community settings making it easier for healthy choices to be easier choices.

Please click on the images below for more information.

Go Active 2 Work Day

Wednesday 18th March 2020

World Water Day

Sunday 22nd March 2020

With World Water Day taking place on Sunday 22nd March, why not use it as an opportunity to take part in Q4:H20?

Q4:H20 is a one-week school or family-based activity that promotes the concept of healthy drinks to primary school-aged children and their parents.

This activity is done in stage 2 in many Central Coast primary schools.

Download the printable kids water challenge card.

Make Their Meals Count is a pictorial guide for families of children aged 4–8 years. It shows sample meals for four days with photographs of the type of healthy foods you can serve children and how much. The quantities can be adjusted so the meals can be eaten by the whole family.

Meals and snacks were developed by Central Coast Local Health District dietitians to meet the nutrient requirements of a 4-8-year-old child. Based on the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating.

Refresh 6- Kids & Families

By Health Promotion

Making healthy choices easier choices

Parents and carers are pivotal, but who supports the families? We do! Refresh – kids & families is here to provide information and resources for making healthy choices easier choices.

Our Service works within different community settings making it easier for healthy choices to be easier choices.

Please click on images below for more information . . .

New year – is your goal to get healthy?

Your free NSW Health service can help provide you with the support and motivation you need to reach your goals – eat healthy, get active, achieve a healthy weight, reduce alcohol, be healthy in pregnancy. We also provide tools and calculators to help you on your Get Healthy journey to plan and track your progress.