From the First Lady
Welcome to the Healthy South Carolina Challenge, a results-oriented initiative that we hope will motivate each of us to start making choices that can significantly improve our health and well-being.
We all benefit as South Carolinians if we not only join together and raise awareness of the need to live well, but if we each individually exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight, eat right, and do not smoke.
By acknowledging the importance of personal accountability in our lifestyle choices, we can reduce the incidence and mortality of many chronic diseases currently impacting individuals and families in our state.
We look forward to celebrating the results that these healthy changes can bring to South Carolina!
Jenny Sanford
First Lady |
Mark Sanford
Governor |
The Healthy SC Challenge is an initiative of South Carolina First Lady Jenny Sanford and SCDHEC.
This Week's Healthy Tips
Nutrition
The more I learn about real, simple, whole foods, the more passionate an advocate I become for having them as staples in our diets. It is amazing to me that every vegetable, fruit and whole grain benefits our body in a different and specific way. I am always excited to learn what a certain food does for us. What I am learning more and more is that no man-made or processed food comes close to benefitting us the way natural foods do. In fact, processed foods can have very negative effects on our health and well-being.
Just last night I learned of a recent study that reveals people who eat a diet high in processed food increase their risk of depression. The study split 3,500 participants in half according to those who ate a diet high in processed foods, sweetened desserts, fried food, processed meat, refined grains and high-fat dairy products and those who ate a diet based on whole foods like fruits, vegetables and fish. After accounting for factors such as gender, age, education, physical activity, smoking habits and chronic diseases, the study shows a significant difference in the risk of future depression with the different diets. Those who ate the most whole foods had a 26 percent lower risk of future depression than those who ate the processed diet. The people with a diet high in processed food had a 58 percent higher risk of depression than those who ate very few processed foods. It is remarkable to me that we can learn the incredible benefits of whole foods and the devastating effects of processed/refined foods and still turn to the man-made items. I hope to continue as an advocate for every single fruit, vegetable, whole grain or nut out there. It may take time to completely rid your diet of processed foods, but the many and varied benefits to your health are worth it.
-Meg Milne, Director of the Healthy South Carolina Challenge
Physical Activity
I think most of us know the benefits of exercise. We know it's important. We know it's good for us. We know we would probably look better if we partook. But for some, it is daunting to even begin to imagine how we'd start. There are plenty of people who make a resolution, have great intentions, and some may even join a gym. Maybe they go to the gym the first week two or three times. They jog on a treadmill for four minutes then pick up some free weights and do bicep curls a few times*oh, and then they decide the elliptical machine might be their thing. They leave feeling okay but not great. Did they really get a lot accomplished---a real work-out? The next time they leave the gym they, again, feel defeated and sure everyone around knows they are an amateur. A week passes. They grudgingly go back to the gym to try again. The frustration only grows as they leave feeling discouraged and lethargic. Soon they quit going to the gym all-together. Exercise, once again, seems daunting and miserable.
I think what makes working out so miserable for many people is not having a game plan. Finding an exercise routine is really just about finding your niche. You can't try something new for two minutes and decide you hate it. Go to the gym with a plan. Plan to do five miles on the stationary bike followed by a few weight repetitions. Don't give up if you feel exhausted and frustrated after the first mile on the bike. Make it a rule that you cannot give up on an activity unless you complete your initial goal (remember not to set too lofty a goal!). If you hate going to gyms, don't join one. There are plenty of great activities you can do outside without paying a monthly fee. Try taking a tennis lesson. Or join a yoga class. Accountability is key for sticking to a plan. Eventually, you might make friends and feel guilty if you skip. After all, you now have people waiting for you. The answer to starting and sticking to an exercise program is trying different options. The important thing is not to give up.
-Meg Milne, Director of the Healthy South Carolina Challenge
Tobacco
You can learn to replace cigarettes with other things that give you positive feelings. You can learn to relax and clear your mind in far more productive ways than smoking. Finding replacements for your addictions is easily done with a little bit of effort. Here are some suggestions for how to beat the temptation to smoke:
* Change your environment. Get rid of all cigarettes, ashtrays, lighters, and matches.
* Prepare yourself. Have creative alternatives available, such as sugar-free gum, low-calorie snacks, etc. Plan an enjoyable activity and start it before the temptation occurs (for example, take a walk after dinner).
* Make use of your social world. Tell a lot of people that you have quit smoking. Make clear to your smoking friends that you don't want them to give you a cigarette (most relapse cigarettes come from friends). Tell a friend about an upcoming temptation and ask them to give you some encouragement in the situation (perhaps before a tense meeting).
* Keep your goal in mind. Rehearse your reasons for quitting. Promise yourself something you enjoy (movie, dinner) for getting through the first week. Get involved in activities that don't go with smoking (exercise, meditation). Imagine yourself as you'd like to feel, enjoying favorite activities without smoking.
* Reduce the appeal of temptations. Think about the harmful things cigarettes do to you. Think about the diseases you're concerned about if you go back to smoking.
As you can see from these examples, your will-power does not depend on some inner strength - but it rests on how well you anticipate temptations and how creatively you act to change them. Avoiding temptations is certainly a lot of work, and it requires effort in advance. But keep in mind the fact that quitting smoking is the most important, and one of the hardest things you'll d all year. Give it the attention that it (and you) deserves.
- www.smoking-cessation.org
