For those of you who were able to attend our Do512 Family Picnic on March 19, you had the chance to meet some of the friendly faces behind IT’S TIME TEXAS, a statewide, grassroots cause dedicated to making healthy living easier for Texans. We are thrilled to partner with this wonderful organization who aims to empower each of us lead healthier lives, and we want to be sure you know about the great services they provide for FREE.

 

Based here in Austin, IT’S TIME TEXAS is a first-of-its-kind organization that offers tools, support, and healthy connections for individuals, families, schools, businesses, organizations and policymakers across the state.

In the last 30 years, preventable chronic diseases in this country have reached epidemic proportions. If these trends continue, the associated healthcare costs of this crisis will exceed $1 trillion by 2030. IT’S TIME to take action. Baker Harrell, Ph.D, Founder & CEO of IT’S TIME TEXAS knows first-hand how hard it is to overcome unhealthy habits from his experiences as an overweight child growing up in small-town Mississippi. He shares:

“It is extremely challenging to change unhealthy habits that are embedded in our cultures and family traditions. It can be difficult, but we owe it to ourselves and to our loved ones to commit to leading healthier lifestyles. I know from my own experience as an overweight child that the establishment of healthy habits is absolutely the most important tradition a family can develop and model for others.

The trick is to find people to walk your health journey with you and to hold you accountable in a loving and supportive way. That is what my family, friends and all the great people I work with and serve through IT’S TIME TEXAS do for me, and that is what IT’S TIME TEXAS exists to do for all Texans—to provide tools, resources, and support services that make it easier for people to lead healthier lives and build healthier communities.”

What does IT’S TIME TEXAS do?

• The Choose Healthier mobile app (launching this spring) created with Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas, is a free app for families and individuals that will list all of the healthy events, activities and resources in Central Texas so you can be in-the-know about all of the opportunities to get out and get active with the kids.
• The Teach Healthier mobile app offers hundreds of free nutrition and physical activity lessons for Texas educators, created in partnership with the UT School of Public Health – Austin Regional Campus.
• Last spring, IT’S TIME TEXAS and H-E-B helped schools raise over $71,000 to for healthy projects via the Growing Healthy Schools Program.
• Through its Partnership with the Association of Texas Professional Educators, IT’S TIME TEXAS offers professional development opportunities to 100,000+ educators.

How can you get involved?

1. Like IT’S TIME TEXAS on Facebook and follow them on Twitter and Instagram for healthy tools, tips, activities and motivation, and to show your support for the cause.
2. You can sign up here to be notified when the free Choose Healthier app is ready for download.
3. Join IT’S TIME at the Healthy Texas Week Rally on the Capitol Steps Monday, Apr. 6 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. to kick off the healthiest week of the year with Texas legislators, a group walk, yoga, and a healthy snack demo! RSVP and learn more about Healthy Texas week at itstimetexas.org/healthytexasweek.

Let’s have some healthy family fun together!