Category: March Month

• National Cheerleading Safety Month – March

  NATIONAL CHEERLEADING SAFETY MONTH

  March recognizes National Cheerleading Safety Month. During the month, take the opportunity to review safety protocols with your cheer team. It’s also an excellent time to brush up on first aid practices and update certifications.

  Princeton University established the first all-male pep club in the 1880s. While teaching at the University of Minnesota, Princeton alumnus Thomas Peebles shared the Princeton cheers while also teaching the students about football. By 1898, the first organized cheer made its appearance during the University of Minnesota football game to rally the team and the fans. The cheer may seem a little familiar to some. “Rah, Rah, Rah! Ski-U-Mah! Hoo-Rah! Hoo-Rah! Varsity! Varsity! Minn-e-so-tah!”

  Since then, organized cheering squads became an important element to many sports teams. Physical fitness and safety are just as important to the cheerleading athlete as it is to any other player in sports. Just like other athletes, cheerleaders risk injury especially if they don’t follow safety protocols. Even when they do, an injury is inherent to the event. Knees twist, muscles strain, and joints become dislocated. Athletes need to be aware of the risks and respond accordingly. National Cheerleading Safety Month addresses these risks and how to reduce the impact on the participants.

  HOW TO OBSERVE #CheerleadingSafetyMonth

  Take part in a cheerleading safety clinic and follow the team’s best practices. Visit cheersafe.org for more information. Then have fun with your cheer squad as they perform and advance! Use #CheerleadingSafetyMonth to share on social media.

  NATIONAL CHEERLEADING SAFETY MONTH HISTORY

  Since 2013, the AACCA and CheerSafe.org have co-sponsored National Cheerleading Safety Month, promoting and improving cheerleading safety for athletes around the world.

  March 10, 2015

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  National Day Calendar

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  Health & Awareness, March Month

• National Celery Month – March

  NATIONAL CELERY MONTH

  Get chopping in March with National Celery Month! This vegetable adds crunch to salads while adding lots of flavor to casseroles and soups.

  Celery is a fibrous vegetable that grows into a leafy stalk. While many enjoy it fresh, celery also goes well into a cooked meal. Per serving, the crunchy vegetable has 16 calories. It’s a good source of fiber, potassium, and vitamins A and C. Add it to snacks to benefit from its anti-inflammatory qualities.

  However, celery is not a superfood. They are the perfect complement to a healthy diet. While it is not glorified as a superfood, celery does class up the plate. Seasoned right, celery can stand out with a flavor all its own.

  Meanwhile, back in your kitchen, your celery sticks scream for something else. Add some peanut butter or avocado. Mix chopped celery into a pasta dish or stir-fry. Stir chopped celery into onions and potatoes for a delicious soup.

  While all these items are cooking, chop up a few extra sticks and store them in an airtight container, and place them in the refrigerator. They will keep crisp for at least two days. The celery will lose quality after that, but you can still enjoy them or use them in soups or other recipes.

  HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalCeleryMonth

  Celebrate National Celery Month by incorporating celery into your meals every day. Try these ideas to keep you inspired all month long:

  • Plant celery in your garden this year.
  • Try a new recipe featuring celery.
  • Make ants on a log.
  • Add celery to just about any soup recipe.
  • Add celery to your favorite salad.
  • Create delicious dips for dunking your celery.
  • Make a celery relish.

  Try a recipe from the National Day Calendar Recipe page and use #NationalCeleryMonth to share on social media.

  Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

  NATIONAL CELERY MONTH HISTORY

  We were unable to identify the source of National Celery Month.

  March 10, 2015

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  National Day Calendar

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  March Month

• National Caffeine Awareness Month – March

  NATIONAL CAFFEINE AWARENESS MONTH

  National Caffeine Awareness Month in March reminds us that our fifth cup of java may be harmful to our health.

  While sticking to just one cup still has its benefits. When our blood pressure is up, or stomach acid bothers us, sometimes we need to give up the morning pick-me-up.  But do we?

  This stimulant that provides jolts of energy throughout the day may not be offering the perk it once did. We can build up a tolerance and require more to feel the same boost.

  Consider your sources and how much it takes to derive a benefit from the good ol’ bean these days. Take a daily tally of your total caffeine intake from all sources. Do you only have two cups? Or after careful consideration, is your caffeine intake substantially higher?

  Possible sources:

  • Sodas
  • Tea
  • Chocolate/cocoa
  • Guarana/energy drinks
  • Coffee

  Remember, to include caffeine incorporated into our foods. Caffeine isn’t taken out of the coffee ice cream we enjoy before bed. If you wonder why you can’t sleep, that might be why.  Don’t be surprised when you order an extra large sweet tea at lunch and get the jitters and sweats during a meeting with the boss.

  All these circumstances add up to our total caffeine intake and contribute to sleepless nights, increased blood pressure and stomach acid. However, studies show caffeine in moderation can be beneficial.

  According to a study by the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University researchers summarize that 3-4 cups equivalent to 300-400 milligrams of caffeine per day offer few health risks. The Mayo Clinic concurs.

  HOW TO OBSERVE #CaffeineAwarenessMonth

  Gain benefits from caffeine by consuming it in moderation. Track your intake and see how much you really consume. Use #NationalCaffeineAwarenessMonth to share on social media.

  NATIONAL CAFFEINE AWARENESS MONTH HISTORY

  In 2003, the Caffeine Awareness Alliance founded National Caffeine Awareness Month.

   

  RELATED OBSERVANCES

  • Caffeine Addiction Recovery Month
  • National Carbonated Beverage with Caffeine Day

   

  March 10, 2015

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  National Day Calendar

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  Health & Awareness, March Month

• National Peanut Month – March

  NATIONAL PEANUT MONTH

  In March during National Peanut Month, join the celebration featuring one of America’s favorite snack foods.

  This little legume is a powerhouse of flavor and versatility. Humans have been consuming the peanut since around 1400 BC. Also known as groundnuts, the peanut grows underground and belongs to the Leguminosae family which includes peas and beans. According to the National Peanut Board, peanut consumption increased to 7.9 pounds per capita in 2021. That’s an astonishing amount of peanuts!

  Two U.S. presidents were peanut farmers: Thomas Jefferson and Jimmy Carter.

   When it comes to plants packing protein power, peanuts provide a whopping 8 grams per ounce, more than any other nut according to The Peanut Institute. And remember, it’s not a nut! Nuts grow on trees. The peanut is also high in antioxidants. This goober (as they’re called in the south), is also high in vitamins E and B6, but they’re rich in minerals such as magnesium, iron, and zinc. Studies also show when paired with other nutrient-rich foods, this wonderful legume helps us absorb nutrients better, too.

  Revolutionary inventions and discoveries made the peanut easier to cultivate during the late 1800s and early 1900s. One such contributor was Dr. George Washington Carver who is considered the Father of the Peanut. His dedicated research into the peanut led him to publish “How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it for Human Consumption” in 1916. His continued interest resulted in more than delicious uses for the peanut. 

  HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalPeanutMonth

  Savor the taste of delicious peanuts all month long. These tasty nuts add a punch of flavor to almost any dish. Eat them whole or spread peanut butter on a sandwich. Bake up a delicious treat using peanuts. You can also learn more about the history of peanuts, George Washington Carver, or how they have been cultivated over the years. However you celebrate, be sure to use #NationalPeanutMonth on social media.

  NATIONAL PEANUT MONTH HISTORY

  National Peanut Month had its beginnings as National Peanut Week in 1941 but later morphed into a month-long celebration in 1974.

   

  March 2, 2015

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  National Day Calendar

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  March Month

• National Umbrella Month – March

  NATIONAL UMBRELLA MONTH

  We have a brainbuster for you: What goes up when the rain comes down? We’ll give you a hint. This thing was originally created to help block the sun. Need another hint? Mary Poppins was known to carry one. Still haven’t guessed it? Well, Rihanna famously sang about this object. Think you know it now? If your answer was an umbrella, then you are correct! (Good luck getting those song lyrics out of your head now.) March is National Umbrella Month.

  We understand it might be surprising that we celebrate umbrellas in March considering the old saying “April showers bring May flowers.” However, being prepared is also something worth celebrating. And it’s important to point out that March 13th is National Open An Umbrella Indoors Day, too.

  According to Abby Eyers of Associated Content, the average household is said to have an average of 3.8 umbrellas. The basic umbrella was invented over four thousand years ago. It was the Chinese who waterproofed them for rain protection, and then in the 1900s the umbrella, which we are familiar with today, was invented.

  HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalUmbrellaMonth

  So, now that you know it is National Umbrella Month, let’s celebrate! Use #NationalUmbrellaMonth to post on social media… tell the world how you are choosing to honor National Umbrella Month. You can start by going out and getting a new umbrella (be sure to buy one that makes you smile on a rainy day!) or if you discover that you have developed a collection of them throughout the years, you can donate a few to a local homeless shelter, or the nearest Goodwill. Umbrellas can also be a fun new decoration for your patio or front door. Or, if you’re looking for some extra fun, you could walk up to a stranger on a rainy day and sing Rihanna’s famous words “You can stand under my umbrella, ella ella, eh eh eh.” Whichever way you choose to celebrate, make sure you take some time to dance in the puddles, smell the fresh rain, and look for the rainbow after the storm!

  NATIONAL UMBRELLA MONTH HISTORY

  Thomas Edward Knibb founded National Umbrella Month in 2003.

   

  March 2, 2015

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  National Day Calendar

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  Invention, March Month

• National Nutrition Month – March

  NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH

  National Nutrition Month is an educational campaign focusing on the significance of physical fitness as well as eating nourishing meals. Taking charge of your health contributes to overall well-being.

  Our overall health is a balance of diet, exercise, rest, and hereditary traits. While we do not have control over heredity, we do control the other three. Nutrition is one of the biggest factors in our health. What we eat can significantly increase or decrease our risk factors for disease and injury. We are often bombarded by a variety of diet programs that aim to improve our health and keep us slim. Making sense of them all can become a daunting task. However, most studies agree that including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and proteins comprise a healthy diet.

  6 Simple Steps to Better Nutrition

  At the beginning of the year, many of us attempt lifestyle changes that include eating healthier meals and exercise. By March, our passion for this change will have either succeeded or is beginning to wane. National Nutrition Month is an opportunity to refocus and grab that healthy lifestyle. Some simple ways of redesigning a diet include:

  • Reducing or eliminating sugary drinks and sodas. They add unnecessary calories and help us pack on the pounds without much effort.
  • Pile on the vegetables. Vegetables are low in calories and high in nutrients. They can be prepared in a variety of flavorful ways and help to fill us.
  • Serve smaller portion sizes. One way to do this is to use a salad plate instead of a dinner plate when serving your meal. Another option is to eat smaller meals more often.
  • Eat smarter snacks. That doughnut looks so good, but it will likely leave you unsatisfied very quickly.
  • Try a meal kit program. Many of these programs offer light meals. Since these kits are portion-controlled, it makes preparing meals with appropriate serving sizes easier.
  • When dining out, choose from the lighter side of the menu and only eat half of the dish. Take the rest home for another meal later.

  Eating healthier comes with a lot of benefits that stick with you for the long haul. Combined with exercise, healthy eating makes our bodies stronger and improves our immune system. Together they also reduce our risk for chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease. A healthy diet and exercise also make us stronger and help us to feel better about ourselves because our skin and hair are healthier, the aches and pains are fewer, and we have more energy.

  HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalNutritionMonth

  Take your first or millionth step toward a healthier you during National Nutrition Month. How many ways will you celebrate?

  • Set a nutrition and exercise goal.
  • Try healthier versions of your favorite dishes.
  • Add a new exercise routine to spice up your workouts.
  • Invite a friend to join you on the journey.
  • Speak with your physician to help you make smart changes.
  • Join a support group that will help you maintain your determination and reach your goals.

  Share your tips, recipes and progress using #NationalNutritionMonth to post on social media.

  NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH HISTORY

  The campaign originally began as National Nutrition Week and was first launched in 1973, with the theme “Invest in Yourself – Buy Nutrition.”

  The American Dietetic Association (ADA) was an early advocate in getting the message to the public by organizing educational events held in schools and health care centers. By the beginning of 1980, due to an intense increase in popularity, the House of Delegates expanded National Nutrition Week to National Nutrition Month. ADA is now known as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and, with more than 70,000 members, is the world’s largest organization of registered dietitian nutritionists and dietetic technicians. This year’s theme is “Bite into a Healthy Lifestyle,” focusing on exercising regularly and making the best food choices.

   

  February 27, 2015

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  National Day Calendar

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  Health & Awareness, March Month