August 28, 2008
Healthy Aging Month
During Healthy Aging Month take time to enhance your health! Make 30 minutes of exercise part of each day, enjoy vegetables and fruits everyday, and take time to see your health care provider for any medical screenings you may be due for. The Cancer Screening Services Program of Onondaga County offers mammogram screening, Pap tests, and colorectal cancer screening for those who are medically uninsured. Call 435-3653 to learn more or to make an appointment.
National Family Health and Fitness Day
September 27th is Family Health and Fitness Day, and the Onondaga County Health Department encourages you to enjoy physical activity with your family! Adults should exercise for at least thirty minutes on most days and children need to move at least sixty minutes on most days. Choose activities that are fun for you and your family that you can do together. When you exercise daily, you can better control your body weight, reduce your risk of chronic diseases and improve your feeling of well being. Try some of these ideas to get you and your family moving: take a nature hike; dress up the kids and pets, decorate wagons, tricycles, bikes and strollers and parade around the block; or work in the garden. Surround your family with active fun this month for better health. For more healthy tips, call the Eat Well Play Hard program at 435-3280.
Fruit and Vegetable Month
September is National Fruit and Vegetable Month. Did you know that by eating the recommended five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day you can lower your cholesterol levels? The fiber found in fresh fruits and vegetables is what helps you lower your cholesterol levels. As you increase the fiber in your diet make sure to drink plenty of water. Here are some ideas to help you eat more fruits and vegetables everyday:
· Make fruits and vegetables visible in your home. This will encourage you to reach for them more often when you are feeling hungry.
· Have fruit or 100% juice at breakfast daily.
· Grab a piece of fruit, like an apple or banana, to eat on the go.
· Snack on raw veggies, like baby carrots, pepper strips, broccoli and celery with low-fat dip.
· Pile spinach leaves, tomatoes, peppers and onions on your pizza.
· Stir fresh or frozen vegetables into your pasta, noodles or omelet.
· At a restaurant, order a side of vegetables, like broccoli, vegetable or bean soup, coleslaw, or a small salad, instead of French fries.
For more healthy tips call the Eat Well Play Hard Program at 435-3280.
Take a Loved One for a Check Up Day
Do you know someone who is due for a mammogram, Pap test, or colorectal screening? Has he or she been putting it off because of the costs? The Cancer Screening Services Program of Onondaga County offers mammogram screening, Pap tests, and colorectal cancer screening for those who don't have health insurance. Call 435-3653 to learn more or to make an appointment.
Baby Safety Awareness Month
September is Baby Safety Awareness Month. Every year over one thousand babies are shaken by parents or caregivers, many of whom do not realize that simply shaking a child can cause life-threatening injuries. A baby's neck is very weak and its head is very heavy. The stretching motion that comes from a child's head snapping back and forth during shaking can rupture blood vessels in the brain and result in serious injury or death. You can prevent shaking injuries by:
· Always supporting the head and neck of an infant or small child as they are picked up.
· Always supervise older children when they play with a baby or small child.
· Choose babysitters and caregivers carefully. Make sure they know the dangers of shaking small children.
· If you become upset with your child, first make sure the child is in a safe place, then go into another room. Take a few moments to calm down before you handle the child again. Call someone to help if you are still angry and the child needs care.
For more information on shaking injuries and how to prevent them, call Syracuse Healthy Start at 435-2000.
Is Your Child a Safe Passenger?
Child Passenger Safety Week is September 21-27, a good time to remember that your baby or toddler must be in a car seat every time he or she rides in a vehicle, and then move into a booster seat when he or she outgrows the car seat. For low-cost car seats and booster seats, to have your child's safety seat checked, and to learn the correct way to install the seats, call the Onondaga County Car Seat Program at 435-8485.
Preparing Food…Make it Healthy AND Safe
September is Food Safety Education month. When preparing food in your own home, make it healthy AND safe to prevent food-borne illness. Follow these tips to make sure your food stays safe:
· Wash your hands before preparing foods, especially after you have touched raw meat, fish or eggs
· Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold
· Keep raw foods and cooked foods separate
· Refrigerating leftovers within two hours
· When in doubt, throw it out!
Contact the Food Protection section of the Onondaga County Health Department at 435-6607 if you have any questions on proper food handling and preparation, or visit www.foodsafety.com.
Protect Your Pets with a Rabies Shot
Rabies shot clinics are held at various locations throughout Onondaga County and are free for Onondaga County residents. A voluntary donation per family is appreciated. Please be sure to keep your pet on a leash or in a carrier during the rabies clinic and bring past shot records with you. New York State Public Health Law requires that all puppies and kittens get vaccinated at three months of age, get a booster shot at one year old and then every three years. Ferrets must get vaccinated every year. Upcoming clinics are listed below or click here for a complete list of Health Department clinics.
· Tuesday, September 9, 6:00-8:00 pm: S.P.C.A., 5878 E. Molloy Road, Mattydale
· Monday, September 22, 5:00-7:00 pm: Marcellus Fire Department, 4242 Slate Hill Rd, Marcellus
· Monday, October 6, 5:00-7:00 pm: Beaver Lake Nature Center, East Mud Lake Road, Baldwinsville
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