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March into March . . . Public Health Updates
March, march and march some more
Lift right knee up, hold, slowly lower, lift left leg up . . . Marching is one of those aerobic exercises, meaning "with air or oxygen" that can help reduce falls, keep your heart healthy and help manage weight. Aerobic activity is long in duration, but can be low in intensity. Marching can also increase your energy, improve your mood and reduce stress and it requires no specialized equipment. Marching on carpet or grass reduces the impact on your joints. If you have any difficulties with balance, march in place near a counter or couch that you can hold onto. This March, try marching!
JCPH Celebrates March as National Nutrition Month
JCPH dieticians and WIC educators are celebrating nutrition month with their clients this year by offering free cooking demonstrations promoting healthy eating. Everyone is encouraged to learn more about making healthier food and beverage choices. Check out this website created by the state of North Carolina and take a trip through the grocery store to learn some tips.
Get Savvy about Salt . . . March is National Nutrition Month
Most of us, 9 out of 10 U.S. adults, get too much sodium in their diets every day.According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average person consumes about 3,300 milligrams of sodium per day. That’s more than
twice the recommended limit for about half of Americans, and it does not include any salt added at the table. The
U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day, that is equivalent to about one teaspoon of salt. Adults with high blood pressure, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and those 51 years of age or older are recommended to further limit their sodium to 1,500 mg a day.
According to the report, over40% of sodium comes from 10 types of foods: Breads and rolls, cold cuts and cured meats such as deli or packaged ham, or turkey, pizza, fresh and processed poultry, soups, sandwiches such as cheeseburgers, cheese, pasta dishes (other than macaroni and cheese); meat-mixed dishes such as meat loaf with tomato sauce, and snacks such as chips, pretzels, and popcorn.
Resources:
Take Care of your Brain . . . March is Brain Awareness Month
A brain injury can happen anytime, anywhere, to anyone. The numbers are alarming:
- 475,000 children sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year in the U.S.
- 3.1 million individuals live with life-long disability as a result of TBI
- 52,000 people will die, 275,000 people will be hospitalized and over 1 million people will be treated and released from an emergency department this year due to a traumatic brain injury.
These are numbers we can dramatically reduce by paying special attention to injury prevention. Traumatic brain injuries are caused mostly by . . . Read More
falls (35%); car crashes (17%), workplace accidents (16%), assaults (10%), and other (21%). JCPH urges everyone to learn more about preventing falls, motor vehicle safety and wearing appropriate protective gear when participating in sports and other activites. Taking care of your brain also means feeding it properly. Healthy foods help create healthy minds. Wild salmon, blueberries, black beans, walnuts, carrots and oats are all healthy foods that are also good for your brain. View JCPH superfoods handout.
- The JCPH Health Care Program for Children with Special Needs (HCP) helps families of children with TBI and other conditions. Call 303-239-7006 or visit JCPH Health Care Program for Special Needs for more information.
Learn more:
Support for a Stronger Smoke Free Ordinance in Lakewood, CO Continues to Grow
St. Anthony Hospital joins the list of organizations in Jefferson County which support stronger protections from secondhand smoke for workers and the public. The St. Anthony Hospital Board of Directors reviewed the smoke-free provisions recommended by Citizens for a Healthier Lakewood coalition as evidence-based best practices by global public health authorities, the Jefferson County Board of Health and unanimously passed a Resolution in support of the most protective workplace and public place provisions.
Commenting about the Board’s vote, Jeff Brickman, CEO of St Anthony Hospital, stated that St. Anthony’s supports this position as a basic public health issue and accepts responsibility to advocate for a stronger smoke-free law. St. Anthony Hospital joins a growing list of organizations in support of strengthening the smoke free law in Lakewood including: Jeffco PTA, Lutheran Medical Center, Clear Creek Valley Medical Society, New West Physicians, American Lung Association of Colorado, GASP of Colorado, Colorado Tobacco Education and Prevention Association (CTEPA) and Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids.
The smoke-free provisions being recommended are proven to protect workers and patrons from secondhand smoke and help reduce youth initiation of tobacco use as well as overall consumption of tobacco. The provisions include making all indoor area of workplaces smoke-free regardless of the type of business, making outdoor seating and dining areas of bars and restaurants smoke-free to protect workers, and patrons of all ages, and making certain outdoor public places smoke-free, including recreation areas, playgrounds, parks, public transit waiting areas and sidewalks around hospitals. These provisions align with the sentiments of the majority of Lakewood’s citizens as reflected in a resident survey conducted by the National Research Center during the summer of 2011. According to the survey, 81% of the Lakewood survey respondents would support a stronger law to make more public places smoke-free.
“While the science on the dangers of secondhand smoke is reason enough to make our work and public places smoke-free, the results of the resident survey combined with the robust list of organizations in support, shows that the people of Lakewood want a stronger smoke-free law,” said Susan Sobkoviak, Tobacco Control Policy Specialist with Jefferson County Public Health. According to the survey conducted by the National Research Center and involving 267 respondents*, the majority of Lakewood citizens are in support of the following:
- outdoor seating/dining areas of bars and restaurants – 77% are in support
- sidewalks around hospitals – 85% believe these areas should be smoke-free to protect patients
- outdoor transit waiting areas – 79% believe these areas should be smoke-free to protect children
- indoor areas of all businesses and workplaces, including small businesses, tobacco and cigar bars – 59% are in support
- outdoor recreation areas – 77% are in support
- 25 feet around the entrances of buildings – 78% support this
The survey of Lakewood residents indicates that businesses could actually benefit from a stronger law, with 85% of respondents saying they are more likely to visit bars or restaurants that are smoke-free indoors and 78% saying they are more likely to use the outdoor seating area of a bar or restaurant if it’s smoke-free. Additionally, 44% of all respondents report leaving early if exposed to tobacco smoke in an outdoor area.
- For more information about the NRC survey or to get involved with Citizens for a Healthier Lakewood, or click HERE to view the survey highlights
- For more information on additional resident surveys including input from over 2,400 people, please call Susan Sobkoviak, JCPH Tobacco Prevention Policy Specialist
*With a 28% response rate, weighted data, and a margin of error of +/- six percentage points, the survey results are considered representative for the population of Lakewood.
“One, Two, Buckle My Shoe” . . . Immunization Visits Help to Get Kids Reading in Jeffco
Jefferson County Public Health’s Immunization Program nurses and staff are advising parents about the importance of reading aloud to their children and also providing age-appropriate books to take home. JCPH is one of the more than 180 participating clinics in the Reach Out and Read Colorado program. This non-profit distributes more than 143,000 books to more than 82,000 Colorado children annually.
More Information:
Wheat Ridge Shines at Livewell Colorado Day at Capitol
LiveWell Wheat Ridge was well represented on January 26, 2012 at the LiveWell Colorado Day at the Capitol. Healthy eating and active living were the topics of the day and local legislators were urged to keep these a priority in the upcoming legislative session. The importance of school wellness and the role Farm to School initiatives can play in bringing healthy food to schools were also discussed. Representative Sue Schafer from House District 24, an active leader in LiveWell Wheat Ridge obesity prevention initiatives, was chosen to read a LiveWell Colorado Tribute to the House.
Last Modified: Feb 24, 2012 02:10 PM
