“Ensuring the Right to Health” is the theme of the final day of National Public Health Week. This topic falls under the mission of Suwannee River AHEC “to promote and provide access to quality health connections in our community.” American Public Health Association has identified three pillars for ensuring the right to health which include: access [...]
Today is Day 3 of National Public Health Week. Today’s theme is environmental health. Air pollution contributes to thousands of premature births and costs billions of dollars. Asthma, lead poisoning, and mercury levels are the environmental health issues we often think of as affecting quality of life. However, the largest environmental issue, climate change, affects our [...]
Since the movement began in the U.S. in 2003, Meatless Mondays have become a healthy habit for people living in over 40 countries, from Slovakia to South Africa. The Monday Campaigns’ initiative for temporary vegetarianism initially started with the goal of reducing Americans’ saturated fat intake by 15%, and now also promotes the benefits of no-meat [...]
National Public Health Week 2018 is underway. Today’s focus is Behavioral Health, a dimension of health that Suwannee River AHEC is well versed in. American Public Health Association’s emphasis on behavioral health revolves around the prominent opioid epidemic. Opioid addiction is killing thousands of Americans each year—91 people each day (Behavioral Health, n.d.). Though the opioid [...]
I often get the question, “Why does my son need the HPV vaccine? He doesn’t have a cervix.” I smile and respond, “Well he can spread the virus to his future partner, and he can also get HPV-related anal, penile and throat cancers.” Many times, this statement opens the parent and/or teen up to hearing more. [...]
If you’re looking to improve the quality of your diet, using MyPlate as a guide is a great place to start. MyPlate recommends that your diet be comprised of 50% fruits and vegetables, 50% grains and lean protein, plus some low-fat dairy and limited added fats/sugars. It’s important to note that the plate in MyPlate represents [...]
March 21st is Kick Butts Day, an awareness day created by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. Today is a national day of activism aimed at empowering young people to “stand up, speak out, and seize control against Big Tobacco”. Events organized today seek to raise awareness of the problem of tobacco use in their [...]
In a world filled with Happy Meals and SpongeBob-shaped fruit snacks, it can be challenging to get kids to eat healthy. Habits that kids learn during childhood, however, can make a lasting difference for their weight and overall health in adulthood. Use these 10 tips to help foster healthy habits within your home! Eat meals together. [...]
Meal preparation refers to the habit of proactively planning, cooking, and packaging food to be eaten over a specified period of time (usually 3 – 7 days). Although it may seem like a fad popularized by fitness gurus on Instagram, #mealprep is actually a tried and true strategy for eating healthier! Studies show that it can [...]
So, I am a 47 year old woman and I have had an STD! BAM!! POW!! Saying that out loud makes me feel like I’m a villain in the old Batman show. Then I remember that an estimated 80% of the adult population in this country at any given time have had HPV, and I am [...]