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Healthy habits prevent disease
by Debra
Petitpain
Registered
Dietitian
For more information on disease
prevention, visit the Wellness Wednesday booth from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
July 19 in the Children’s Hospital lobby.
For both American men and women, heart disease and stroke are the first
and third leading causes of death. Cancer of all types is the second
leading cause of death. Chronic lower respiratory diseases are the
fourth leading cause of death.
Current research shows that smoking remains the leading cause of
mortality followed by poor diet and physical inactivity and alcohol
consumption.
If you smoke, you need to quit. Set a quit date and stick to it.
- Maintain a healthy weight. If you need to lose weight,
strive to cut 250-500 calories from your diet each day. Visit a
registered dietitian for help.
- Strive to eat five-to-nine servings of fruits and
vegetables each day. Exercise vigorously for 30 minutes five times per
week.
It’s never too late to get started. You will receive the greatest
benefit by making modifications right away. Adults can have the
greatest impact on disease prevention by setting good examples for our
youth. To learn more about MUSC nutrition services, go to http://www.nutrition.musc.edu/nutrition.htm.
Weekly
tips from the Healthy South Carolina Challenge
Healthy South Carolina Challenge is an initiative created by Gov. Mark
Sanford and first lady Jenny Sanford to motivate people to make choices
that improve health and well-being.
Nutrition
The summer is great for fresh fruits. Concentrate on berries, plums,
any whole citrus, cantaloupe, grapes, peaches, apples, pears, and dried
or fresh apricots.
Physical activity
Avoid working out during peak summer hours. Try exercising in the
morning or evening when heat, smog and pollution levels are lower.
Editor's note: The preceding
column was brought to you on behalf of Health First. Striving to bring
various topics and representing numerous employee wellness
organizations and committees on campus, this weekly column seeks to
provide MUSC, MUHA, and UMA employees with current and helpful
information concerning all aspects of health.
Friday, July 14, 2006
Catalyst Online is published weekly,
updated
as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public
Relations
for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of
South
Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at
792-4107
or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to
Catalyst
Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to
catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island
Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.
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