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PARTNERS | HEALTHY CITY | HOW HEALTHY | VISION | SUMMIT | PRIORITIES | FUNCTIONS | CITY OF FALL RIVER |
HEALTHY CITY FALL RIVER |
Past Community Wellness
columns from the Fall River Herald News Living Well
Section written by David Weed, Psy. D. © 2008-2015
Staring in February 2015, all articles include photos! |
July
21, 2016
|
New
Quequechan River Rail Trail is a healthy lifestyle resource!
It’s
not often that a city gets a brand new park, but the
recently-opened Alfred J. Lima Quequechan River Rail Trail is a
six million dollar gift to the city from the Massachusetts
Department of Transportation and the Executive Office of Energy
and Environmental Affairs. The first half mile of this
magnificent walkway opens the last natural area of the City to
everyone to enjoy. Once completed in the fall, the 1.2 mile
bicycle and walking path will extend from close to the Westport
line almost to Plymouth Avenue, with a tunnel connection to
Rodman Street and two other tunnels under Route 195. (Click here for the full article in
WORD format.)
|
June
16, 2016
|
New
approach for Type 2 diabetes treatment gets results!
Two
weeks ago, I attended the annual Diabetes Fair held at People
Incorporated headquarters to learn more about how people with
the condition were doing. For many, their lives centered around
taking medications and measuring their blood sugar levels while
their illness seemed to be slowly progressing. Their worst fears
were that it would lead to blindness, kidney failure or
amputations that so many long-term diabetics experience. Worse
yet was the constant fear of heart attacks as half of them occur
among those with diabetes.
|
May
21, 2016
|
Fitness
Challenge Weight Loss Winners can teach all of us!
While
everyone likes to win a door prize drawing or a lottery ticket,
when little to no effort is required, winners of the annual
Greater Fall River Fitness Challenge really had to work to earn
their prizes! Dozens of individuals and team members as well as
public schools competed in the annual event to earn thousands of
dollars in cash prizes given out each year by Partners for a
Healthier Community and demonstrated that anyone can improve
their health if they’re willing to put in some time and
effort. (Click here for the full article in
WORD format.) |
April
21, 2016
|
Seniors
keep fit with Family Service Program!
A
Gallup poll last year revealed that Americans age 55 and older
have a higher sense of well-being than the rest of the
population. Though Massachusetts seniors ranked 29th
out of the fifty states (Hawaii was number one, and West
Virginia was 50th), older residents still rank higher
than their younger counterparts. Older American also have better
healthcare access, eat more fresh produce, smoke less and have a
lower incidence of obesity and depression compared with people
younger than 65, according to Gallup. |
March
17 , 2016
|
Spring
is here – Time to plant Crocuses
are springing up on the lawn, the birds are out and about in
greater numbers, all traces of snow have vanished – Spring is
here! Its an
exciting time of year for gardeners as they begin to think about
what they will grow (or attempt to grow) in the coming season. |
February
21, 2016![]() |
Keep
those legs and arms moving in winter!
While it’s difficult to imagine at this time of
year, spring is on its way, and one day in a month or so,
we’ll have one of those wonderful days when everyone wants to
get out and walk. With the cold weather and snow we’re
experiencing now, however, our natural inclination is to stay
warm, stay indoors, and stay put. Our bodies, however, were
designed to move, and spending weeks and months without exercise
takes its toll. So, what’s a body to do? (Click here for the full article in
WORD format.)
|
January
21, 2016![]() |
New
Dietary Guidelines unfortunately offer outdated advice
Every
January for the past five years I’ve written about the
changing nutrition recommendations that have come from recent
research. This past year, those changes have been substantial
and very important for anyone dealing with weight gain or
diabetes and have implications for the prevention of heart
disease. Unfortunately, the new USDA Dietary Guidelines that
were issued last week are not moving the needle closer what the
latest research is showing. (Click here for the full article in
WORD format.)
|
December
17, 2015![]() |
Parent
Academy launches 68 classes for Fall River the New Year!
Education is the key to attaining and maintaining
lifelong health, and now parents in Fall River will have the
chance to learn a variety of subjects free of charge starting in
January. The Fall River Parent Academy, launched on November 21st
with an open house at Kuss Middle School, will soon offer
sixty-eight different classes on a range of topics from helping
students achieve, personal growth, family health and wellness,
parenting, community resources and career and professional
growth. (Click
here for the full article in WORD format.)
|
November
18, 2015![]() |
Fitness
Challenge in a whole new location this year!
Fall River may be home to the longest running non-commercial fitness challenge in the nation! Now about to start its ninth year on January 9, 2016, this four-month event has succeeded in getting thousands of people in the Greater Fall River Area to do something that we all need to do – get physically active on a regular basis. And this year, all of the major events will be based at the Matthew J. Kuss Middle School at 52 Globe Mills Avenue in Fall River. (Click here for the full article in WORD format.)
|
October
20, 2015
|
Food
Day in Fall River
|
September
17, 2015
|
New
project to address diabetes and hypertension
Two of the most pervasive medical
disorders in Fall River and most American communities are high
blood pressure, or hypertension, and diabetes. These
“silent” long-term illnesses account for a high percentage
of hospitalizations as well as a major portion of outpatient
treatment visits and pharmaceutical prescriptions each year.
|
August
20, 2015
|
Community
gardens are at their peak! Growing
a garden is always an exercise in faith! You begin with a plot
of soil, some seeds or seedlings, and a lot of hope that
whatever you plant will yield an abundant crop of edibles ready
for the kitchen. Four local groups demonstrated that faith
earlier this spring and planted gardens that would not only meet
their own needs but also the needs of others. Each of these
gardens will continue to produce well into the fall, and each
proves that with a vision, a plot of soil, and a lot of hard
work, people can help a lot of people to eat better! (Click
here for the full article in WORD format.)
|
July
16, 2015
|
Infrastructure
improvement projects seem to be everywhere! Just about everyone wants to live
in a community where transportation is easy, where one can walk
or bike just about everywhere, where parks are attractive and
complete with active spaces, and where natural beauty is easily
accessed. While this seems like a pipe dream for Fall River at
the moment, the time is rapidly approaching when all of these
phrases will describe our city!
|
June
18, 2015
|
Health
in Greater Fall River on track for improvement Progress in improving the health
of our community is well on the way. Partners for a Healthier
Community, Inc., the local organization designated by the
Massachusetts Department of Public Health to set goals and
measure progress for the Greater Fall River Area, is holding its
annual Design Team meeting today, and early reports of progress
are excellent!
|
May
21, 2015
|
Fitness
Challenge helps keep weight gain in check! Sue
Botelho has been losing weight consistently for over three
years. Now down over 155 pounds, she attributes her success to
one thing: year by year participation in the Greater Fall River
Fitness Challenge. “Over this time I’ve never gained weight
because the Challenge keeps me in check,” she reports. “The
secret is to stay active and watch what you eat, but, more
importantly, to keep at it!”
|
April
16, 2015
|
Time
to Get Out!
After a long, cold winter, it
looks like Spring is finally here! Though most days are still
cool, the sun is clearly getting stronger and the days much
longer. What better time to get outside in order to ramp up your
activity level?
|
March
19, 2015
|
Healthy
cooking begins at home
Earlier this week, half a dozen
Fall River families had the chance to take some cooking lessons
together with staff from the University of Massachusetts
Extension Nutrition Education Program. Held at 6:00 p.m.at the
Watson Elementary School, these parents and children learned how
to prepare three easy recipes for black bean soup, a
Mediterranean couscous, and a pot roasted beef. The program was
part of an effort to encourage families to cook together at home
as a way of improving their diet, saving some money, and, most
of all, having a good time together.
|
February
19, 2015
|
When
you think “frozen”, think “healthy”!
If
there’s one thing that we’ve all had to get used to this
winter, it’s things that are frozen! Everything from frozen
ice on sidewalks, to frozen cars in snow drifts, to frozen locks
and, of course, frozen hands have plagued many of us over the
past few weeks. Given all of that, it might be a good time to
consider the up side of being frozen when it comes to our
health!
|
January 22, 2015 |
Learn
the new dietary advice for lowering heart disease risk
Heart
disease — which includes high blood cholesterol, hypertension,
heart disease, heart attacks, and stroke — continues to be the
number one cause of death in Fall River. While deaths from these
diseases have dropped 37% over the past decade, mostly due to
better treatment and medications, the rate of heart disease in
the City — 9.3% in Fall River compared to 6.8% statewide
(2005-2007 average) — continues to be high.
|
December 18, 2014 |
Nutrition
will weigh in more in the next Fitness Challenge!
Hundreds
of people from across Greater Fall River are expected to sign up
for the 8th Annual Fitness Challenge starting on
January 10, 2015. While many enter for the chance to improve
their muscular and cardiovascular fitness, the biggest draw is
the promise of weight loss. “We give great prizes at the end
of the Challenge in May, but most of them are for those who have
lost the biggest percentage of weight,” noted Challenge
Coordinator Annemarie Holly.
(Click
here for the full article in WORD format.)
|
November 20, 2014 |
Local market
survey reveals local consumer choices Over
this past summer, more than a dozen youth were trained by the
Department of Public Health to survey residents of Fall River
and New Bedford about their preferences for where they purchase
their food. These young people, aged 15 to 21 years, approached
people on downtown sidewalks in each community and asked if they
would be willing to answer some questions about their food
shopping habits. Over
the course of several weeks, more than 500 people agreed to
participate, and their answers provide us with an interesting
profile of not only where they shop, but also how, including
their use of corner or neighborhood stores.
Their responses also shed some light on how we might be
able to improve people’s health by making some small changes
in what some of these stores have to offer.
(Click
here for the full article in WORD format.)
|
October 23, 2014 |
Healthy Food
Recommendations Hit the Silver Screen Though
you probably missed it this summer, a new documentary film
debuted across the country focused on the so-called obesity
epidemic and its causes. Entitled
“Fed Up,” the movie produced by ABC’s Katie Couric and
“Inconvenient Truth’s” Laurie David, exposes the poor
research behind our current government recommendations to eat a
low fat diet. It then goes on to indict those guidelines as one
of the causes of weight gain over the past thirty years and
recommends drastic reductions in dietary sugars and refined
carbohydrates, causes of increased diabetes, heart disease and
even some cancers.
|
September 25, 2014 |
Low or
no-cost dental care available to all children but to few adults One
of the health statistics that has always been disturbing to me
is the percentage of adults who are missing all of their teeth.
According to the latest figures (2008), eighteen percent of
adults fall into this category, and among those who have less
than a high school education or earn less than $15,000 a year,
the figure tops 35%! In addition, 44% have lost six or more
teeth by the time they are 65. These figures have profound
implications not only for oral health but also for nutrition,
communication and self-image. (Click
here for the full article in WORD format.)
|
August 28, 2014 |
More mental
health resources needed on the South Coast Perhaps
no health resource in any community is given less consideration
than mental health treatment. While most of us expect good
emergency services, excellent medical care and even accessible
dental care, few even mention psychiatric care. It seems that
only when a horrific shooting takes place does the need for a
better system of care even get mentioned in the national press.
Yet, a 2005 study found 26% of nearly 10,000 adults surveyed
experienced mental health symptoms in the previous year, 22% of
which were serious. (Click
here for the full article in WORD format.)
|
July 24, 2014 |
Walkability
audit will help seniors navigate Fall River streets Walking on a regular basis is one of the most important ways of staying healthy, especially for seniors, but for many getting out for a morning or an evening walk isn’t always easy in Fall River. So many sidewalks are either in poor repair, traffic is heavy, and crosswalks are ignored, poorly marked or non-existent. Fortunately, the City has received a new grant that will not only encourage seniors to walk but will help them address the many obstacles to safe walking. And, making the streets of Fall River safer and more accessible for seniors will make streets safer for everyone! (Click here for the full article in WORD format.)
|
June 26, 2014 |
Action
Plan targets a wide range of health-related issues In
order to get anything of a complex nature done, a community
needs to have a plan. Whether it’s planning to educate our
children, or to build our roads and houses, or even to make
improvements in our economy, we need a plan of action to make
sure our efforts will get us where we want to go. In a similar
way, if we want to create a healthier community, we need a plan.
We first need to know what needs to be improved and then we need
to determine what’s most important to work on. Finally, we
need to be sure we have the resources we’ll need to realize
our plans. (Click
here for the full article in WORD format.)
|
May 22, 2014 |
Fitness
Challenge yields life-changing rewards Now
that spring is finally here, this is a wonderful time of year to
get outdoors for some active time. Whether it’s a long walk or
a hike, or a chance to participate in a team sport, or a chance
to dust off the bicycle and go for a ride on one of the City’s
new bike routes, May and June are perfect months to either
continue being active or to start making physical activity part
of your routine. And, for several hundred people, it’s a great
opportunity to continue something they started months ago: the
Greater Fall River Fitness Challenge! (Click
here for the full article in WORD format.)
|
April 24, 2014 |
Community
Health Workers can make a difference in your care!
We’re
all aware that the practice of medicine has been changing.
Everything from electronic medical records to drastically
shorter visits with our physician has made the way we get
medical care different from what we experienced even a few years
ago. Now, the introduction of community health workers into
medical practice in our area promises to improve the care we
get. (Click
here for the full article in WORD format.)
|
March 27, 2014 |
Plant
a tree for your health!
Probably
the last thing that anyone thinks of to improve their health
would be to plant a tree! With all of the emphasis on diet and
exercise, quitting smoking or lowering stress levels, it’s
hard to imagine that planting a tree might be a good investment
in living a healthier life. And the Fall River Street Tree
Planting Program is eager to help you do just that! (Click
here for the full article in WORD format.)
|
February 20, 2014 |
Less
tobacco for pharmacies and landlords
We
were all greeted with the news two weeks ago that Woonsocket,
RI-based CVS Caremark, the second largest chain pharmacy in the
country, has decided to end its sales of all tobacco products as
of October this year. While this in no way ends the sales of
tobacco, it eliminates one of the largest outlets of these
dangerous products in the countr. “Fall River was way ahead of
the curve when the City Council voted to ban tobacco sales in
all City pharmacies” noted City Councilor Jasiel Correia II,
who, as a youth advocate, helped to lead the effort in March
2011. (Click
here for the full article in WORD format.)
|
January 23, 2014 |
Lowering
carbs may help to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s
If
you’ve read my column over the past four Januarys, you know
that I have been advocating for reduced carbohydrates and
increased fats in our diets as a way to achieve a healthy
weight, lower cholesterol and triglycerides, and reduce or
eliminate the risk of diabetes. Now new research points to the
possibility that carb reduction may also lower the risk of
acquiring Alzheimer’s disease. (Click
here for the full article in WORD format.)
|
December 19, 2013 |
The
Greater Fall River Fitness Challenge continues to expand!
Once
all of your gifts are opened for the holidays and you’ve
celebrated the coming year, you might want to think about giving
yourself the best gift of all: a healthy and fit body! If
that’s what you have in mind, then the opening of the seventh
annual Greater Fall River Fitness Challenge is just around the
corner! (Click
here for the full article in WORD format.)
|
November 21, 2013 |
Participate
now in making our community a healthier place to live! If you have an idea about how to
improve the health of the Greater Fall River Area, now’s your
chance! Every five years, Partners for a Healthier Community,
the organization designated by the Massachusetts Department of
Public Health to assess our health status, is beginning its
third five-year Needs and Assets Action Planning Process, and
your input is requested! (Click
here for the full article in WORD format.)
|
October 24, 2013 |
National
Food Day helps us focus on teaching cooking I’ve just returned from three
weeks in India were I witnessed first-hand a country that has
enormous problems with its food system. Major portions of the
population have barely enough food on which to survive, and half
of the population lives on less than two dollars a day for all
of their needs. If there were ever a society defined by food
insecurity, it’s India. (Click
here for the full article in WORD format.)
|
September 19, 2013 |
Popular
e-cigarettes keep the nicotine addiction burning
Two years ago in this column, I wrote about
the rapid increase in smokeless tobacco products, especially
among young people. While self-reported smoking rates continue
to decline among Fall River youth (about 7% in middle schools
and about 12% in high school, down from 16%), the use of
smokeless alternatives such as Snus and dissolvable tobacco
products is on the rise, partially in response to strong
restrictions on smoking on school grounds and other settings. (Click
here for the full article in WORD format.)
|
August 22, 2013 |
Partners
celebrates 20 years of improving health in Greater Fall River
Healthy communities don’t just happen;
they have to be created. That is the premise behind the
formation of Greater Fall River Partners for a Healthy
Community, which is about to celebrate twenty years of work to
assist the City of Fall River and the surrounding communities of
Somerset, Swansea and Westport make improvements that will lead
to healthier lives. Over 100 people will gather in the
Commonwealth Center at Bristol Community College on September 18th
to look back on what has been accomplished and to look ahead to
future efforts. (Click
here for the full article in WORD format.)
|
July 25, 2013 |
WIC Services
bring an abundance of healthy eating
Last month in this column, I wrote about Fall River’s five farmers’ markets that now operate every day except Friday and Sunday in different locations throughout the City. Hundreds of people each week take advantage of the opportunity to purchase fresh, locally-grown fruits and vegetables from nearby farm and to enjoy their nutritional benefits. Families who are enrolled in the Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Program, or “WIC” program in this area receive an added benefit of vouchers specifically geared to these purchases, helping to ensure that children get this nutritional benefit. (Click here for the full article in WORD format.)
|
June 20, 2013 |
Farmers’ Markets now available all hours and most days of the week!Two years ago, if you wanted to shop at a farmers’ market, you could only go on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and early in the day at that. Starting this week, your options have expanded! Markets are now available on every day but Friday and Sunday, and are open as early as 7:00 a.m. and as late at 8:00 p.m.! So, no matter what your work or school schedule, you can avail yourself of the abundance of locally-grown produce throughout the summer months. Mondays: Begun last year, the Saint Anne’s Hospital Farmer’s Market opens at 11:30 a.m. every Monday and remains open until 4:00 p.m. Located next to the Hospital along South Main Street, the new market features produce and goods made from crops grown at the farm. Owned by Andy Pollock, the farm is one of the oldest operating farms in Massachusetts, with a 350-year history. Its produce is grown using sustainable methods, meaning no herbicides or pesticides are used. Created as a way to provide the community with affordable, healthful alternatives throughout the growing season, the market is open to hospital staff and the public. (Click here for the full article in WORD format.)
|
May 23, 2013 |
Guide to Fall River's Community GardensEvery spring, people all over Fall River get the urge to start a garden. Whether it’s flowers in front of the house or vegetables in the back yard, the chance to dig in the dirt and bring plants to life is almost a primal urge not to be resisted. In addition to the emotional satisfaction that comes from gardening, the stretching and pulling helps with physical health by keeping joints limber and muscles strong. Unfortunately, not everyone has access to a good plot of soil and water to create and maintain their own garden. That’s where community gardens come in. A number of organizations throughout the city have sponsored community gardens where people young and old can get their hands dirty and reap the benefits that the earth has to offer. Most come with knowledgeable people who can advise the novice and sometimes a supply of tools to use. (Click here for the full article in WORD format.)
|
April 18, 2013 |
“Before You Light Up, Look Down” Campaign Warns Against Secondhand SmokeIf you aren’t a parent of a child in the Fall River School System, you might have missed a notice that went out a few weeks ago advising smokers “Before You Light Up, Look Down.” Promoted by Mayor William Flanagan, the campaign was designed to alert adults who smoke that they are potentially endangering the health of Fall River children. The “Look Down” campaign was originally launched by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Make Smoking History campaign (www.MakeSmokingHistory.org) in 2009 to bring attention to the problem of children exposed to secondhand smoke from their parents and others in the family. While the campaign was wide-spread, it ended after a few months due to limited funding. (Click here for the full article in WORD format.)
|
March 21, 2013 |
Prevention of child abuse is essential to improving adult healthWe sometimes think of early child abuse and later adult health status as unrelated conditions. However, a growing body of evidence supports the idea that exposure to maltreatment in childhood, in fact, leads to a greater susceptibility to lifelong physical and mental health problems, including heart and liver disease, alcoholism and abuse, illicit drug use, depression, suicide attempts, smoking, adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. The Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Study of 17,000 person’s experiences of abuse during childhood suggest that these events may actually cause changes in neural and hormonal systems that regulate how a person handles stress. Such changes can increase one’s vulnerability to disease over the course of a lifetime and increase the likelihood of poor health outcomes. (Click here for the full article in WORD format.)
|
February 21, 2013 |
Fall
River’s Roadmaps to Health Prize award didn’t happen
overnight
|
January 17, 2013 |
Dr.
Oz does an about-face on the dangers of cholesterol &
dietary fat
Two
years ago and last year this month, I wrote in this monthly Herald News column entitled “It’s time to end the low-fat
myth” (see
January 2011 article, below) that “over the past ten years
evidence has been accumulating that increased consumption of
refined carbohydrates have a greater potential for increasing
the potential for heart disease,” than dietary fats. Finally,
cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz, the current popular
arbiter of all things healthy, on his television show that aired
on December 11th, has finally challenged the conventional wisdom
about low-fat diets and has pinned the cause of heart disease
and stroke where it rightly belongs: on diets high in refined
carbohydrates.
|
December 20, 2012 |
Fitness
Challenge becomes the Greater Fall River Fitness Challenge!
In
just over two weeks, when all of the presents are open and the
New Year’s parties are over, we will all be looking at a brand
new year. For many of us, this is a time to take stock of our
health and to resolve to change for the better.
So, now is the perfect time to make a note to attend the
Greater Fall River Fitness Challenge Health Fair at the Matthew
J. Kuss Middle School on Shaw Street on Saturday, January 5th,
from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
|
November 15, 2012 |
Managing, not reducing,
stress is the key to staying healthy The upcoming holidays have
become known for more and more people as one of the most
stressful times of the year. Women, in particular, report higher
degrees of stress at this time of year due to the extra demands
of holiday meals, family visits, gift purchasing, school
vacations, and multiple responsibilities. While this stress is
clearly unenjoyable, could it also be related to the development
of chronic illness later in life?
|
October 2012 |
Fall is the best time to go
for a walk in the woods Last Saturday, the Flint Neighborhood Association sponsored another trolley trip to Blossom Road for a guided walk through the nearby Bioreserve. That same morning, about a dozen hikers walked around the Copicut Reservoir guided by Everett Castro from Green Futures. Other hikers were searching the Tattapanum Trail in the Watuppa Reservation looking for different species of plants identified on an interpretive map that the Fall River Water Department provides.With beautiful crisp fall days, colorful leaves and terrific trails to explore, the City of Fall River offers numerous opportunities to enjoy a walk in the woods, all without leaving the City limits. Many of the people who live or work in Fall River are not aware that nearly half of the City’s land area is wooded land on east and north of the North Watuppa Pond that supplies all of the community’s fresh water. (Click here for the full article in WORD format.) |
September 2012 |
Being disabled is should not
be a barrier to being healthy! Next Tuesday, over 100 persons
with mental health disabilities will be invited to attend the
third annual Health & Wellness Fair hosted by Fellowship
Health Resources, Inc. (FHR) of Fall River at the East Gate
Christian Academy Gym on Middle Street. This event is the
highlight of a year round Healthy Lifestyle Program at FHR Fall
River, which is designed to encourage its participants to lead
healthier lives and will include interactive
games such as ring toss and even potato sack races, activities
that get clients up and moving. The program is made possible
through a $5,500 Community Impact grant from the Greater Fall
River United Way. The grant will pay for program supplies and
equipment, including a treadmill at one of the FHR group homes.
|
August 2012 |
Why smoke-free multi-unit
housing makes sense In a few weeks, almost 27,000 tenants of Boston Housing Authority’s 64 apartment complexes will
receive letters announcing that their buildings will be
smoke-free and that they will have to agree to the new policy
when they sign their annual leases. The policy is aimed at
protecting nonsmokers, especially children, from breathing in
secondhand cigarette smoke from neighboring units, which can
cause asthma attacks, respiratory infections, lung cancer, and
heart disease. Boston will join over 250 other public housing
authorities who now have some restrictions on smoking, including
all public housing in the State of Maine. (Click
here for the full article in WORD format.)
|
July 2012
|
Now
is the time for the year’s best vegetables! If you’re a vegetable lover,
you’re going to find yourself in heaven over the coming weeks.
Plants like broccoli, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, melons, Swiss
chard, and tomatoes that have been growing for eight weeks or
more are soon to explode with delicious food that you cannot get
any other time of year. Earlier plants like spinach, peas,
peppers, onions and lettuce have already been on your plate with
fresh-grown goodness and all of the nutrients that keep us
strong and healthy. And, later in the summer, you’ll have the
chance to enjoy the squashes, pumpkins, cabbage and Brussels
sprouts that grow best at that time of year. Raising vegetables
in your own garden gives you the luxury of choosing exactly what
you want, including more exotic varieties than you might find in
the supermarkets. Less popular items like cilantro, chives or
rhubarb, that you may have difficulty finding in stores, can
also be grown in your own garden if you’re willing to take the
time to learn how to raise them. (Click
here for the full article in WORD format.) |
June 2012 |
Should
sugar-sweetened beverages go the way of the cigarette?
There was a time when doctors
used to recommend smoking. “Relax with a Camel” ran the ads
in the 50s and “Four out of five doctors prefer Lucky
Strikes”. We look at those ads today with horror, knowing what
we know about the health risks of tobacco use. What we’ve
learned in the past half century, however, is that slowly, over
the course of many years, some, but not all, smokers developed a
range of chronic, and, in some cases, deadly diseases. |
May 2012 |
Five Years of Fitness in Fall River and Still Growing! At
last Friday’s finale held at the Eagle Performing Arts Center
on |
April 2012 |
Fall
River is on its way to becoming a cycling city
When
Fall River Mass in Motion coordinator Julie Kelly first thought
about ways to get more people who live or work in |
March 2012 |
Good
News and Bad When It Comes to Quitting
The single most significant
health problem in the City of Fall River is cigarette smoking.
More deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by all
deaths from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug
use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders
combined. And, while poor nutrition, lack of physical activity
and stress contribute their share of health problems leading to
disability and disease, smoking is linked to the development of
80% of lung cancers, 90% of deaths from chronic obstructive lung
disease, the exacerbation of diabetes, and a substantial portion
of deaths due to heart disease and stroke. |
February 2012 |
Now, every
workplace can be healthy!
If you work in a small
business (and over 80% of people in Fall River do!), you now
have a chance to improve your health status, thanks to a
newly-funded program. And, the first twenty businesses that sign
up will be able to participate at no charge for the first year! |
January 2012 |
It's
time to end the Low-Fat Myth
A year ago in this column, I
wrote about the benefits of moving to lower carbohydrate diets
supported by a growing body of research. Reducing or eliminating
refined flours, potatoes, rice and other starchy vegetables
along with sweets and sugared beverages from the diet was
described by Walter Willett, M.D., chairman of the Department of
Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), as the
key to reversing the nation’s obesity problem and the growing
incidence of diabetes. Dozens of studies, many from HSPH
researchers, have shown that low-fat diets are no better for
health than moderate- or high-fat diets—and for many people,
may be worse. |
December 2011 |
Flu
shots given by nationally-recognized group of MRC volunteers
“If
you haven’t gotten your flu shot so far this year, it’s not
too late,” states Greater Fall River Medical Reserve Corps
director Alvin McMahon. “And, if you get your shot at a local
public health office, you might see one of the nurses on
national television next year!”
|
September 2011 |
Mass In Motion moving to create more active lifestyles in Fall River"Get Up and Get
Moving" is the message we are hearing on television, the
radio, and in the print media. Maybe you have been thinking
about how to adopt a healthier lifestyle?
How can you and your children or grandchildren be more
physically active while having fun?
For the past two and a half years, Mass in Motion - |
August 2011 |
Tobacco going "under the radar" to keep lure in young customersA front
page article in the August 11th edition of the Herald News
("Budget cuts have gutted anti-smoking programs in |
July 2011 |
Locally-grown produce offers better nutritional valueOne of the best things about summer is the
abundance of fresh, locally-grown produce available at farmers'
markets and roadside stands on quiet country roads. Bursting
with fresh corn, tomatoes, peppers cucumbers, zucchini, beans
and a whole host of other favorites, these wonderful
alternatives to supermarkets beckon anyone with a love of good
food to enjoy food at its very best. For
|
June 2011 |
Campaign seeks
to make
On a typical day in the |
May 2011 |
Social networking the key to employee health improvementMany people were startled to
hear a report published several years ago that obesity may be a
contagious disease. Dr. Nicholas Christakis, a physician and
professor of medical sociology at |
April 2011 |
Fall
River's Community Gardens are growing!
This is the time of year when nearly everyone starts to notice the explosion of plants all around us and when some of us start to think about putting a spade into the ground to get our gardens started. Nothing beats a warm spring day and the chance to feel the texture of the earth as we get it ready for new plants or seeds! Gardening not only offers the rewards of freshly-picked tomatoes, lettuce, corn, peppers, onions, cucumbers, squash, and a myriad of other vegetables brimming with healthy nutrients, it also provides the added benefit of stretching, bending, and lifting that one would have to pay a fitness class instructor to provide. And the nice thing is, one can work at one's own pace and not have to keep up with the class! (Click here for a WORD version of the full article.) |
March 2011 |
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February 2011 |
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December 2010 |
If you live in |
November 2010 |
For children, breakfast may be the most important meal of the day Tomorrow, we will all
celebrate the only American holiday that is centered around a
meal. While Thanksgiving is a wonderful day not only for the
food but for the relationships that are enjoyed that day, it is
the day-to-day food that we consume that has increasingly become
a concern in this country. Behind the much-covered problem of
obesity is an even more important issue of nutrition, especially
when it comes to our children. (Click
here for a WORD version of the full article.) |
October 2010 |
Walking to school a good routine to get into Just over a week ago, hundreds of |
September 2010 |
Most Americans still
don’t eat enough vegetables, and fruit consumption is actually
dropping a little, according to a report released two weeks ago
by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The
study found that last year about one-third of |
August 2010 |
Creating a healthy community
takes planning. Opportunities for recreation and support for
active lifestyles don't just happen by themselves. That is why
the |
July 2010 |
Owners and managers of many
small businesses in |
June 2010 |
Over
the past several weeks, farmers from |
May 2010 |
In just a few weeks, the
school year will be wrapping up and thousands of |
April 2010 |
When the "Cougars", a team of four women started the Fitness Challenge in January, they had no idea of what it would be like. By the final weeks of the four-month experience, however, they were glad they signed up. "It's been a very positive experience," said Christine Gillespie of the team. "I feel better; I have more strength; and I deal better with stress," she said. In addition, she and her other team members have lost over sixty pounds collectively, and she attributes this primarily to the motivation that her team provides to keep at the exercise classes three to four times a week. (Click here for a WORD version of the full article.) |
March 2010 |
The
longer daylight hours and warmer days are getting many people
into the mood to get down and dirty with a little vegetable
gardening. Some have already begun planting the hardier
vegetables, such as spinach, lettuce and peas, even before the
last danger of frost is over. All gardeners are eagerly
anticipating the coming bounty of fresh, home-grown vegetables,
far more delicious than any you can buy in the supermarket—and
much more nutritious to boot. Nothing beats the taste of an ear
of corn or a ripe tomato that you've raised yourself and picked
just hours before you eat it! (Click
here for a WORD version of the full article.) |
February 2010 |
Believe
it or not, spring is just a few weeks away! With the start of
spring comes a desire to be outdoors after a long, snowy winter.
What better place to go than one of Fall River's twelve parks,
fourteen playgrounds or the Bioreserve, a large wooded area of
the City accessible to the public. What you may find, however,
is that some of these facilities are either in disrepair or not
well developed. Starting this spring, though, you can join a
newly-formed group of Urban Park Advocates that is working to
make sure those parks and open spaces are welcoming and
user-friendly. (Click
here for a WORD version of the full article.) |
January 2010 |
While
improving your health status may be something you or your doctor
may desire, it is becoming increasingly clear that a healthy
lifestyle is also good for business. Businesses in |
December 2009 |
The
good news is that, as far as |
November 2009 |
A week ago, the Massachusetts Department of
Public Health (DPH) released a report that was full of good news
for smokers in |
October 2009 |
Last week, leaders of the
Airport Road Industrial Park announced the opening of a new
three and a quarter mile walking and bicycle route specifically
targeted at the over 4,000 employees that work at companies in
the Park. The route is marked along both sides of the roads that
connect the companies in the Park and is marked with maps that
lay out five routes of different lengths. |
September 2009 |
For a look at what the
“walk-ability” and “bike-ability” of |
August 2009 |
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June 2009 |
For anyone seeking to live a healthier
lifestyle in |
May 2009 |
At
the recent Civic Engagement Summit held at the |
April 2009 |
As
the Healthy City Fall River coordinator, if I were asked to name
the perfect healthy activity, it would have to be vegetable
gardening. I can think of nothing else in life that combines the
heart-healthy benefits of vigorous labor and stretching with the
absolute pleasure of eating the best food that Nature has to
offer! (Click
here for a WORD version of the full article.) |
March 2009 |
One
of the most devastating events that can happen to anyone is the
loss of a job. While loss of a predictable source of income is
the chief factor, the loss of important social networks, the
absence of routine and the threat to one’s identity can all
add up to a real crisis. Even worse, from the standpoint of
mental health, job loss can result in major symptoms of anxiety,
stress and depression. These symptoms, in turn, may produce an
increased risk of a number of both acute and chronic illnesses,
such as heart disease. (Click
here for a WORD version of the full article.) |
February 2009 |
Mark
Fenton, host
of the PBS television series “ |
January 2009 |
Hundreds of people throughout |
November 2008 |
With Thanksgiving and the other holidays coming up, lots of good eating opportunities will soon be available. For many, the holidays mean time at home to enjoy cooking and preparing traditional favorites. Eating, after all, is one of life’s best pleasures, especially in the company of people we enjoy. If you’re one who enjoys preparing foods from scratch, it’s an even better chance to ensure that what you’re eating is wholesome and healthy since you get to choose what goes into each dish. (Click here for a WORD version of the full article.) |
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Most of us think that our health is a private, personal matter. We think it is up to us alone to make sure we are eating right or getting the right amount of exercise or even quitting unhealthy behaviors like smoking. (Click here for a WORD version of the full article.) |
October 2008 |
One of the best ways to
improve your personal health status is to work for an
organization that promotes wellness on the job. Fortunately, a
good number of people who work in |
September 2008 |
Fall River firefighters have a very dangerous job to do. Unfortunately, the biggest danger they face isn't fire or smoke or collapsing structures. It's heart attack. According to national statistics, forty-four percent of firefighter deaths on the job are related to cardiac events. (Click here for a WORD version of the full article.) |
August 2008 |
A
great deal has been written in the past few years about |
July 2008 |
As
the 2008 Summer Olympics get underway next week in |
May 2008 |
It’s springtime in |
March 2008 |
If
your doctor could prescribe a medication that would decrease
your risk of heart attack by 30-40%, cut your risk of stroke in
half, help to control your blood pressure, reduce your risk of
some cancers and diabetes, and lower your weight, would you take
it? What if you also learned that this medication is absolutely
free? It would be hard to pass up, wouldn’t it? (Click
here for a WORD version of the full article.) |
February 2008 |
Whether you’re a smoker, or
overweight or a confirmed couch potato, even the thought of
making a change to a healthier lifestyle can make you sweat!
Most of us go for years avoiding taking that first step, but |
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