Disclosure: I have been compensated by Mom It Forward and the Girl Scouts of the Nation’s Capital to share the Girl Scouts Healthy Habits Journey as part of the Together Counts initiative. All opinions are my own.

Often times when anyone mentions “Girl Scouts”, typically society immediately thinks “cookies”.

Pushing Thin Mints and Samoas may seem to be counter-productive to living a healthy lifestyle, however, the Girl Scouts are big proponents of living healthy. Believe it or not, health and fitness have been part of Girl Scouting since girls ran foot races in 1912. My girls will attest to that as we have participated in our local Girl Scout race, the Thin Mint Sprint, two years in a row!

Of course, camping continues to be an essential part of the Girl Scouts mission. A love for the outdoors and developing a deep appreciation for nature are at the core of the Girl Scouts mission. Through the affordable programs, girls everywhere can enjoy camping with their troop or attending a Girl Scout day and evening or resident sleep-away camp.

From high adventure with kayaking, archery and rock climbing to traditional camps with crafts, singing, hiking and cooking over an open fire, Girl Scout camps give girls an opportunity to grow, explore, and have fun under the guidance of caring, trained adults.

Given its healthy, active outdoor focus, the Girls Scouts adopted the Together Counts initiative.  The Together Counts program developed a nationwide program in conjunction with the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation to inspire active and healthy living via physical activity and nutrition, a fundamental underpinning of efforts to reduce obesity.

As I previously shared before, the Girls Scouts through the Together Counts program have adopted the Energy Balance philosophy, which simply means balancing the calories we consume with the calories we expend.

Energy In = The calories you get from eating and drinking.

Energy Out = The calories you burn from physical activities.

In partnership with the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, the Girl Scouts have developed three Healthy Habits booklets for volunteers to use in conjunction with their Journey Adult Guides which easily incorporate energy balance into meetings, outings, events and adventures. The free booklets help guide girls as they learn to lead active, healthy lifestyles.

Through the use of these free resources for Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors, Girl Scout volunteers and families can guide girls in fun, easy ways to achieve “energy balance.”

The three Healthy Habits booklets available for download include:

• Between Earth and Sky with Healthy Habits – girls learn about the many plants, trees, and animals that flourish in nature, and also build important leadership skills.
• WOW! Wonders of Water with Healthy Habits – girls discover the many forms and paths that water takes and how to protect it. They also learn how to engage in teamwork, speak effectively to convey a message, and inspire others
• Get Moving! with Healthy Habits– girls learn how to use their energy to protect Earth’s energy and build important leadership skills.

Download each of the three FREE Healthy Habits booklets  for Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors.  Girl Scout volunteers and families can guide girls in fun, easy ways to achieve “energy balance” and encourage them to maintain the healthy habits.

Find your local council and enroll your daughters in camp programs to achieve energy balance and a healthy lifestyle with like-minded active girls.

Follow the Girl Scouts of the Nation’s Capital Twitter and Girl Scouts of the Nation’s Capital Facebook for highlights from council events and volunteering opportunities: Similar to Twitter, the GSNC Facebook page shares photo albums of troop activities, news from around the region, and partner content from Together Counts.

To learn more about the Together Counts initiative or learn more about living with energy balance, visit the Together Counts Website and the Together Counts Blog.

For additional resources, tips, recipes and more on living a healthy, active lifestyle follow Together Counts on Twitter and Together Counts Pinterest.