March is here and we are ready for Spring at the Westfield Y! Check out all that is happening this Spring and Summer at the Y. As always, if you have any questions reach out to our Membership Desk at 413-568-2631.
Camp Shepard
Registration is open for Summer 2025!
Session 1: June 23 - July 3
(No camp July 4)
Session 2: July 7 - July 18
Session 3: July 21 - August 1
Session 4: August 4 - August 15
Registration can be done at the Membership Desk at the YMCA.
Click here for the 2025 Camp Brochure.
Save the Date!
Healthy Kids Day 2025
Saturday, April 26, 2025
Join the Westfield YMCA for Healthy Kids Day 2025. This year's event will run from 10:00am - 2:00pm.
Activities this year will include:
- DJ Booth
- Photobooth
- Arts and Crafts
- Gaga Pit
- Face Painting
- Yard Cames
- Obstacle Course
- Food Truck
- Westfield Police Department
- Westfield Fire Department
- Aquatics/Safety Around Water
- Family Open Swim
- Family Yoga
- Family Swordfit
and more!!
Keep an eye out for more information!
Registration for Y's Kids Summer & Preschool Summer Programs Opens Monday, March 10!
Starting Monday, March 10, registration opens for Y’s Kids Summer and Preschool Summer programs. Each week features exciting themes and runs from 7 AM to 6 PM. Space is limited, so be sure to secure your child’s spot early!
Program Details:
- Cost: $200 per week
- Hours: 7 AM - 6 PM, Monday through Friday
- Registration Packets: Available on our website and at the Y’s front desk.
To complete your registration:
- Submit the completed registration packet
- Pay a $25 deposit to secure your child's spot
- Provide health forms (for Preschool)
- Provide immunization records (for Preschool)
For more information, please contact the Youth Development Director at (413) 568-8631, ext. 306.
Registration for Gateway Summer Program Opens Monday, March 10!
Starting Monday, March 10, registration opens Gateway's 5 week Summer Program from July 7-August 8. Each week features exciting themes and runs from 7 AM to 6 PM. Space is limited, so be sure to secure your child’s spot early!
Program Details:
- Cost: $200 per week
- Hours: 7 AM - 6 PM, Monday through Friday
- Registration Packets: Available on our website and at the Y’s front desk.
To complete your registration:
- Submit the completed registration packet
- Pay a $25 deposit to secure your child's spot
For more information, please contact the YMCA Membership Desk at (413) 568-8631
Next Livestrong Session
March 24th will begin the next session of the Livestrong Program. Livestrong at the YMCA is a free 12-week program for cancer survivors who are currently in or have completed treatment. This program has been proven to help survivors regain strength and functional ability.
Click Here for More Information
Everyman Triathlon
We will again be doing the Everyman Triathlon in the month of April - keep an eye out for more information!
Questions? Contact the Front Desk at 413-568-8631
Intro April
Have you been wanting to try a new class at the Y?
This April we will be hosting an intro class each week. Intro classes will include Intro to the Functional Training Room, Intro to Cycling, Intro to Strength Training and more.
More information to come!
Health & Wellness Segment: UPFs
What are UPFs, and why should I care about them?
UPFs are ultra-processed foods, and have been making a big splash in the news lately. Why? Because there have been studies linking them to several health conditions – heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, and cognitive impairment. While they haven’t established direct causality to most of these health conditions, they have proven association – people who ate more of them had higher risk of these conditions.
So what exactly defines a UPF?
A simple way to think about them is a food that is either highly processed and/or uses ingredients not found in any kitchen – like high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils , additives like flavorings, colors or emulsifiers to make them more palatable.
Some examples are:
- Soda
- Energy drinks
- Chips
- Candies
- Store bought baked goods or mixes
- Margarine
- Hot dogs
- Chicken nuggets
- Sausages
- Lunch meats
- Energy bars
- Packaged bread
- Plant milks
- Meat substitutes
- Breakfast cereals
- Flavored yogurts
Some of the products that make the list are not necessarily all ‘bad’, such as plant milks, flavored yogurts, whole grain breads and cereals. Those make the list because of ingredients and/or processing methods, but shouldn’t necessarily be eliminated – the benefits outweigh the risk. And because of cost, availability and convenience of UPFs, most people will continue to consume UPFs as part of their diet.
So what is the average person supposed to do?
Well, for starters, incorporate as many unprocessed and minimally processed foods into your diet as possible – fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, tinned fish, etc. Unpackaged is one great guideline for choosing foods.
Look at the ingredients in the food that you’re buying. An easy guideline for healthy foods is finding those with only 3-5 ingredients. Do you know what all the ingredients are? Do you really want to be putting industrial ingredients and chemicals into your body more than necessary? Educating yourself on what you’re eating is key.
Cook at home more, so you know what ingredients are going into your food, and to avoid the irresistible sugar/fat/salt combo that makes you want more and more.
Try switching from refined flour products to whole grain products (cereal, bread, snacks), and make easy switches like real oats and maple syrup w/milk vs. instant flavored oatmeal, plain yogurt with fruit and a drizzle of sweetener vs. fruited yogurts, salted nuts vs. chips, etc, real cuts of meat vs. processed meats.
If you struggle to stop eating something, don’t bring it into your house! (that would be kettle corn, for me)
Make small changes, vs. overhauling your entire diet, so that the changes stick.
Some other food for thought…
Many of us regularly experience that phenomenon where we just can’t stop eating certain foods. That is often because the food industry has made these items highly palatable and easy to overeat because of hard-to-resist combinations of carbs, sugar, fat and salt. These foods are engineered to make us eat them quickly, want more, and be hungry soon after. The reward center in your brain is hijacked making you crave more.
By eating these palatable foods, we are displacing healthy foods, that are not only much better for us, but satiate us longer. Eating ‘real’ foods takes our bodies longer to break down, often requires us to chew more (thus delaying more food intake), does not provide the same ‘hit’, thus making us gobble down more, and does not involve us eating industrial ingredients.
Studies have shown that eating too high a percentage of UPFs d to obesity, which in turn is linked to many of the health conditions mentioned above. And a recent study suggests a direct link to a high consumption of UPFs to a higher risk of cognition impairment and stroke.
In this whirlwind, convenience-laden world, make yourself and your health a priority. Arm yourself with knowledge and awareness, and nourish your body with health positive foods!
