It’s almost Thanksgiving – the biggest meal I cook all year. I always get a little anxious when I think about feeding so many people – What kind of turkey should I buy? Fresh or frozen? Stuffed or unstuffed? How do I store my turkey? And how long should I cook it to make sure it’s safe to eat? The last thing I want is for someone to get sick!
Here are four tips (courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control) to help you safely prepare your Thanksgiving turkey meal.
Continue ReadingWe’ve all heard the saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” There’s a reason for that! Good nutrition is vital to good health and disease prevention. And it’s essential to “growing up big and strong” as my grandmother used to say. Eating nutritious foods (along with a little exercise, of course) can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Those are some of the leading causes of death in our County and the country.
Seems easy enough, right? If I eat healthy food, I will be healthier. But it’s not that simple. Not everyone has access to healthy food. I know! It’s hard to believe that in 2020, there are people in our community who don’t have access to a grocery store to get the foods they need to live healthy lives.
Reggie Singleton, one of Public Health’s policy coordinators, was inspired by the fruit tree orchards he grew up with in the Sea Islands of Charleston, SC. He suggested partnering with other community organizations to install orchards and a system for distributing the food to the communities with food insecurity. And the Edible Landscape Project was born!
With support and partnership from community organizations, Public Health and its partners have established multiple orchards across priority communities in Mecklenburg County. The orchards produce plums, figs, pears, peaches and persimmons. They have even expanded to plant seasonal herbs and vegetables like squash, string beans, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Neighbors harvest, process and distribute food to nearby community members directly or through the church food pantry. To date, their efforts have supplied fresh, nutritious food to over 25,000 people in the County. Here’s a look inside how the orchards work.
Earlier this year, the Edible Landscapes Project received a Best In Category award from the National Association of Counties. This project combined with farmers markets and healthy corner stores is helping communities get better access to healthy food.
A big thanks to our community partners for helping establish and nurture our Edible Landscapes: N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, TreesCharlotte, Village HeartBeat, Mecklenburg Extension Master Gardener, and The Males Place Inc.
One of the best parts of summer is the opportunity to be active outdoors – whether it’s running, cycling or hiking. It’s also the season for marathons, and when sports teams start practicing for fall. And unfortunately, every year it seems we hear tragic news of a football player losing their life on the field due to heat stroke, or a runner collapsing at a race.
But it’s not just athletes who need to be on the lookout for heat-related illness. Physical exertion in the heat can be dangerous, for all ages. Anyone who spends time being active in the summer needs to be aware. This includes outside laborers such as roofers and landscapers; families visiting a theme park; and children playing outdoors.
Continue Readinghealthy adjective:
/ ˈhel-thē also ˈhelt-\
healthier; healthiest
1 – a: enjoying good health
: free from disease
b: not displaying clinical signs of disease or infection
2 – beneficial to one’s physical, mental, or emotional state : conducive to or associated with good health or reduced risk of disease
3 – showing physical, mental, or emotional well-being : evincing good health
4 – a: prosperous, flourishing
b: not small or feeble
At least, that’s how Merriam-Webster defines it.
Continue Readingby Kim Bayha, Health Policy Coordinator for Tobacco Control, Mecklenburg County Public Health
It’s no secret that tobacco dependence is a wicked addiction. When used as directed, tobacco kills half of its loyal users. Yet, 90 percent of those people start using before they’re 18. The human brain isn’t even fully-formed and able to give informed consent at that age!
There has been incredible progress in the fight against tobacco. Smoking rates have declined from nearly half the population in 1965 to about 17 percent today. But, tobacco use is still the leading cause of preventable death and disease in our community. The Great American Smokeout, sponsored by the American Cancer Society every November, provides an opportunity to talk about some of the strategies that are most successful for reducing tobacco use and developing a quit plan.
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