Top 5 Ways to make this your best year ever!!
Lawrence County Resources for a Healthy 2020
It’s no secret that Lawrence County has its challenges when it comes to health and wellness. According to the current county rankings from the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation, we are ranked 83rd out of 88 counties for health outcomes and an even scarier 86th for length of life! Of all the counties, we currently are the second highest in obesity (39%) and diabetes (16%). Even though it sounds bleak, it doesn’t have to stay that way! We are lucky to have numerous opportunities to improve the health of not only ourselves but our families. With some small consistent changes, I can see us moving right up in those rankings in years to come! If you are ready to make this your best year yet, here’s my top five ways to improve your health without ever leaving Lawrence County.
- Find a Primary Care Provider (PCP) and see them annually (not just when you are sick) – Having a PCP is one of the most important factors in your overall health. Many of us put off going to the doctor until we absolutely have to, but having that regular check-up can help prevent chronic problems down the road. Jennifer Gibson, a nurse practitioner at Ironton Family Medical Center recommends yearly BMI measurements, cholesterol and other lab work, along with cancer and depression screenings, to help identify risks before they can have a negative impact on your daily life.
- Make exercise a part of your everyday routine– Being physically active most days of the week has a positive effect on our overall health, mood, disease prevention and quality of life! We are lucky to have many exercise facilities close to home no matter where you live in the county. Whether you prefer a big gym like Planet Fitness or the YMCA, or a smaller specialty facility like FitFaith, Brickhouse Fitness, Crossfit, or Studio Dara that offer many varieties of group fitness classes. Of course, there are many free options for exercise as well. YouTube channels like Fitnessblender or Hasfit are great options to get a good workout in without leaving your house!
- Get OUTSIDE– Whether you read a book in your sunny backyard, visit a local park, or hike the trails at Lake Vesuvius, there is just something about fresh air that makes us feel better! Even just a few minutes a day has been shown to perk up our mood, lower stress and improve overall health. Our newest Nurse Practitioner Katie Wagner estimates that the majority of Lawrence Countians are deficit in Vitamin D (the sunshine vitamin), especially this time of year! Her advice? Lace up, bundle up and get out there, even just a few minutes a day can help!
- Cook at Home – We all know that eating out can shrink our bank account and expand our waistline, but sometimes it’s just so darn convenient to hit that drive through! With today’s jam-packed schedules it can be a challenge to plan, prepare and eat at home. This is one challenge worth taking on! A recent article in the Washington Post estimates that people who eat out are likely consuming 200 more calories than if they ate at home. If you eat out twice a week that can be an additional three pounds a year…..eat lunch out on the daily you could be adding nearly 20 pounds worth of calories. One of the best strategies for eating at home is to plan as much as possible in advance! I encourage the people I work with to make a weekly plan for their meals, make a grocery list based on the plan, then head to the store for ONLY what’s on the list! Here’s a great template I use for weekly meal planning and grocery shopping from Real Simple. If you are looking for healthy new recipes, don’t forget our friends at Briggs Library have a huge selection of cookbooks!
- Kick the Smoking Habit– About 27% of adults in Lawrence County report daily smoking. While this is about 10% less than 10 years ago, it still remains a huge health risk. According to the CDC smoking harms nearly every organ of the body, causes many diseases, and reduces the health of smokers in general. Cigarette smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths each year in the United States. This is nearly one in five deaths nationwide. Your medical provider can help determine the best options to aid in your cessation plan. There are numerous medications and /or nicotine replacement products to help you quit for good. The Ohio Quit Line is another fantastic FREE resource to help you become smoke free! The Ohio Tobacco Quit Line provides personal quit coaching and telephone counseling free of charge to ALL Ohioans, regardless of insurance status or income. Nicotine patches, gum, or lozenges are provided for up to eight weeks at no charge to eligible participants. Simply call 1-800-QUIT-NOW to find out more.
There you have it! While definitely not an all-inclusive list, these five areas can make huge impacts on your health. Making some small changes today will have your future self-feeling your very best.
About the Author:
Hi, I’m Laura Kuhn. I am the Health Education Specialist for the ILCAO Family Medical Centers. Most of my day consists of educating and encouraging our patients (and staff) to live their healthiest lives possible. I firmly believe that consistent, small changes in what we consume and how we move can be the best preventative medicine out there!
As a lifelong resident of Lawrence County, it saddens me to see us consistently ranked at the bottom of the state for health and longevity measures. At the same time, I’m encouraged to know that education and opportunities for change are definitely available to us. My goal is to not only provide relevant information regarding your health, but also to share fun family activities, community resources, and hidden gems you may have yet to discover in the area!
I’m the proud mom of three boys and two crazy cats! We enjoy spending time outdoors, seeing the latest blockbusters, and trying new foods together. If you are up and about early enough, you’ll likely see me and some of my fabulous friends running before the sun wakes up!
Have questions, ideas, or want more information about our medical centers? Feel free to email me [email protected]
