Month: July 2013

Healthy Eating for a Healthy Weight

kid_12A healthy lifestyle involves many choices. Among them, choosing a balanced diet or healthy eating plan. So how do you choose a healthy eating plan? Let’s begin by defining what a healthy eating plan is.

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, a healthy eating plan:

  • Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products
  • Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts
  • Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars
  • Stays within your daily calorie needs

via Healthy Weight: Healthy Eating for a Healthy Weight | DNPAO | CDC.

What to Do After a Car Crash

Bergen_County_Car_Accident_AttorneyDriving is probably the most dangerous thing most of us will ever do. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA, there are more than 30,000 deaths and over 2 million injuries from motor vehicle crashes in the U.S. every year.Although you do your best to drive responsibly and defensively, its still smart to know what to do just in case you end up in a collision.

Crashes can be very scary, but here are some tips if one happens to you:Take some deep breaths to get calm. After a crash, a person may feel a wide range of emotions — shock, guilt, fear, nervousness, or anger — all of which are normal. But take a few deep breaths or count to 10 to calm down. The calmer you are, the better prepared you will be to handle the situation. This is the time to take stock of the accident and try to make a judgment about whether it was a serious one.

Keep yourself and others safe. If you cant get out of your car — or its not safe to try — keep your seatbelt fastened, turn on your hazard lights, then call 911 if possible and wait for help to arrive. If the collision seems to be minor, turn off your car and grab your emergency kit. If its safe to get out and move around your car, set up orange cones, warning triangles, or emergency flares around the crash site.

via What to Do After a Car Crash.

Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)

aed

Approximately 890 deaths from coronary heart disease occur outside of the hospital or emergency room every day. Most of these deaths are due to the sudden loss of heart function or sudden cardiac death.1 In 2001 and 2002, there were 6628 workplace fatalities reported to OSHA; 1216 from heart attack, 354 from electric shock, and 267 from asphyxia. A number of these victims, up to 60 percent, might have been saved if automated external defibrillators (AEDs) were immediately available. Chances of survival from sudden cardiac death diminish by 7 – 10 percent for each minute without immediate CPR or defibrillation. After 10 minutes, resuscitation rarely succeeds. An AED is an electronic device designed to deliver an electric shock to a victim of sudden cardiac arrest. Ventricular fibrillation may be restored to normal rhythm up to 60 percent of the time if treated promptly with an AED, a procedure called defibrillation.

via Safety and Health Topics | Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs).

The Benefits of Physical Activity

physical_activityRegular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. It can help:

  • Control your weight
  • Reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease
  • Reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome
  • Reduce your risk of some cancers
  • Strengthen your bones and muscles
  • Improve your mental health and mood
  • Improve your ability to do daily activities and prevent falls, if you’re an older adult
  • Increase your chances of living longer

If you’re not sure about becoming active or boosting your level of physical activity because you’re afraid of getting hurt, the good news is that moderate-intensity aerobic activity, like brisk walking, is generally safe for most people.

Start slowly. Cardiac events, such as a heart attack, are rare during physical activity. But the risk does go up when you suddenly become much more active than usual. For example, you can put yourself at risk if you don’t usually get much physical activity and then all of a sudden do vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, like shoveling snow. That’s why it’s important to start slowly and gradually increase your level of activity.

If you have a chronic health condition such as arthritis, diabetes, or heart disease, talk with your doctor to find out if your condition limits, in any way, your ability to be active. Then, work with your doctor to come up with a physical activity plan that matches your abilities. If your condition stops you from meeting the minimum Guidelines, try to do as much as you can. What’s important is that you avoid being inactive. Even 60 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity is good for you.

The bottom line is – the health benefits of physical activity far outweigh the risks of getting hurt.

via Physical Activity for Everyone: The Benefits of Physical Activity | DNPAO | CDC.

The 10 most dangerous jobs in America

tumblr_m5l0e5Dguw1qzzh6gAccording to a September report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics BLS, fisherman, loggers and pilots were the three deadliest in the United States in 2011. The organization recently examined the occupations with the highest rate of work-related deaths and found that of all U.S. workers, fishermen are the most likely to die on the job.

Here is the full list of work-related deaths in 2011 per 100,000 workers:

  • Fisherman 121.2
  • Loggers 102.4
  • Pilots 57.0
  • Farmers and Ranchers 25.3
  • Police Officers 18.6
  • Construction Workers 15.7
  • National Average 3.5
  • Firefighters 2.5
  • Cashiers 1.6
  • Office Admin 0.6
  • Business and Finance Staff 0.5

via The 10 most dangerous jobs in America | SmartPlanet.

Dog Bite Safety Tips for Children

iStock_000013392500XSmallTo help prevent children from being bitten by dogs, teach the following basic safety tips and review them regularly:

  • Do not approach an unfamiliar dog.
  • Do not run from a dog or scream.
  • Remain motionless (e.g., “be still like a tree”) when approached by an unfamiliar dog.
  • If knocked over by a dog, roll into a ball and lie still (e.g., “be still like a log”).
  • Do not play with a dog unless supervised by an adult.
  • Immediately report stray dogs or dogs displaying unusual behavior to an adult.
  • Avoid direct eye contact with a dog.
  • Do not disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating, or caring for puppies.
  • Do not pet a dog without allowing it to see and sniff you first.
  • If bitten, immediately report the bite to an adult.

via CDC – Dog Bite Prevention.

Safety and Health Program Assessment

safetyThere are three basic methods for assessing safety and health program effectiveness:

  1. Checking documentation of activity.
  2. Interviewing employees at all levels for knowledge, awareness, and perceptions.
  3. Reviewing site conditions and, where hazards are found, finding the weaknesses in management systems that allowed the hazards to occur or to be “uncontrolled.”

Some elements of the safety and health program are best assessed using one of these methods. Others lend themselves to assessment by two or all three methods.

via Tools for a Safety and Health Program Assessment.

The Dangers of Diving Into Shallow Water

thomas-harrisjpg-a392be49e3b794ddIt’s so tempting on a hot day to want to just plunge into the nearest pool or other body of water.

But before you do, remember: feet-first.

Diving into shallow water is one of the major causes of spinal cord trauma, according to the National Institutes of Health. Although anyone could sustain a spinal cord injury, the group most commonly affected are young, healthy people, particularly men between the ages of 15 and 35.

via The Dangers of Diving Into Shallow Water | Kendall Regional Medical Center.