Healthy Living
All the programs of the health department have the goals of preventing disease and promoting healthy lifestyle.
Each division works towards these goals in their own way. There is no specific program for the prevention of chronic disease at this time.
The Nursing Division through the programs of Home Visitation, Baby Your Baby, Immunizations, International Travel Clinic, Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Children with Special Health Care Needs, Cancer Control Program, and Family Planning, prevents chronic diseases related to each of these areas.
Environmental Health monitors food safety and air and water quality through their programs. The goal of this department is to prevent disease and when nothing happens, the community is unaware of all the work it takes.
Health Promotion Tips for Healthy Living
- Eat a healthy diet.
The first way to feeling your best every day is to eat a healthy diet. This also supports your immune system to avoid poor health in the future. This habit is especially important for children, pregnant women, and women considering pregnancy, all of whom require a full range of nutrients to ensure healthy childhood development. If poor nutrition is allowed, then frequent illnesses, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and poor bone health among other consequences, in both children and adults can result. Just a few simple steps can dramatically improve your diet.
- Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
- Limit consumption of fats and sugars, commonly found in snack foods (cookies, potato chips, candies) and soft drinks.
- For those overweight individuals, the best diets begin by eating healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables and low-fat meats.
- All diets, especially those with restricted calories, should be supervised by your primary care physician
- If you feel you are not eating properly, supplement your diet with an over-the-counter multivitamin.
- Infants and children under the age of two years have special nutritional needs and different dietary guidelines than adults.
- Infants and children need a sufficient number of calories and nutrients to allow normal growth and development
- Breast feeding and commercial formulas contain the calories and nutrients needed for infants in the first four to six months and may be supplemented with solid foods after this time.
Resources for Additional Information
The following web sites will help you in practicing healthy eating habits for you and your family.
http://www.healthierus.gov/nutrition.html
The following resources will help you access the components of a healthy diet:
- Women, Infants and Children (WIC) – call your local health department office or http://health.utah.gov/wic/
- Utah State University Extension Office:
Beaver County –105E Center St., Beaver 435-438-6450
Garfield County –55 S. Main, Panguitch 435-676-1113
Iron County – 585 N. Main St., Cedar City 435-586-8132
Kane County – 76 N. Main St., Kanab 435-644-4901
- Exercise Regularly
Daily exercise is essential to maintaining high energy levels, a normal body weight, and overall good health. An inactive lifestyle can lead to obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol.
- Adults and children should strive for 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise per day.
- Aerobic exercise includes running, biking, playing team sports swimming and walking among other activities.
- If you are limited physically in your activity, remember any exercise is better than none at all.
- Slowly increasing your activity levels will help you to build up exercise stamina
- Before beginning a new exercise regimen, you should visit your primary care physician for health screening and clearance.
Resources for Additional Information
The following websites will assist you in developing an exercise regimen right for you, monitoring your progress, and finding resources to involve you and your children in recreational activities:
Parks, Trails, Activities: www.sgcity.org/leisure
Utah Walks: www.hearthighway.org
Small Steps: http://smallstep.gov/
Physical Activity for Everyone-Making Physical Activity Part of Your Life: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/life/tips.htm
- Establish Regular Medical Care
Having a primary care physician who knows you well and whom you visit regularly is an essential step to maintaining good health.
- If you already have a primary medical doctor, schedule an appointment with him or her for a check up. One of the best times to visit your doctor or to establish a relationship with a new physician is when you are feeling well.
- If you do not have a primary medical doctor or are without insurance, here are some resources in the area:
- Southwest Utah Community Health Center, 168 N. 100 East, St. George, 435-986-2565
- Enterprise Valley Medical Clinic, 223 S. 200 East, Enterprise, 435-878-2281
- For more information, try this web site:
- http://covertheuninsured.org/stateguides/english/UT.pdf
- Ask your physician to test you for HIV and other sexually transmitted (STDs), especially if you are unsure of your status
- Ask your physician about recommended health screenings.
- Women over the age of twenty-one or younger women who are sexually active should have Pap smears at least every three years.
- Women over the age of forty should have a mammogram every year.
- Everyone over fifty years old should have screening for colorectal cancer.
- All women who are pregnant or considering pregnancy should receive regular prenatal checkups.
- Children need to be updated on their immunizations regularly. For further information, contact your local office of the Health Department
- Visits to the dentist every six months will preserve your best oral health.
The following website will give you specific information on the prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted disease (STDs
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Facts and Information:
http://www.cdec.gov/nchsp/dstd/disease_info.htm
The flowing websites will assist you in learning good overall health habits information, information abort specific conditions, and how you can benefit from regular checkups with a primary care physician:
- Health Finder: http://healthfinder.gov
- Healthier U.S. : http://www.healthierus.gov/index.html
- The Pocket Guide to Good Health for Adults: http://www.ahrq.gov/ppip/adguide/
- The Pocket Guide to Good Health for Children: http://www.ahrq.gov/ppip/childguide/
The following websites will help you select and communicate with your doctor:
- Your Guide to Choosing Quality Health Care: http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/qnt/
- Quip Tips When Talking with Your Doctor: http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/quicktips/doctalk.htm
4. Avoid Risky Behaviors and Unhealthy Habits
The most important way to protect your good health is to avoid activities that cause harm to your body. Now is the perfect time to:
- Quit smoking. See the information available on this web site.
- Stop using smokeless tobacco products. See the information available on this web site.
- Limit alcohol intake
- Stop or stay away from illicit drugs
- Practice safe sex by knowing your partner well and having only one committed partner.
5. Practice Simple Safety
You can avoid a large number of health problems by taking simple steps in your daily life to protect your and your family’s safety:
- Apply sunscreen prior to any sun exposure and reapply regularly
- Sunscreens are not recommended for infants under six months, who should wear sun protective clothing whenever outdoors.
- Wear a seatbelt every time you are in an automobile
- Place young children in properly installed car safety seats for all trips in an automobile
- Wash your hands frequently, especially prior to eating meals and after using the restroom.
- If you have a gun in your home, keep it unloaded and locked up in a location hidden away from children.
- Carefully supervise children in and around swimming pools, beaches, and oceans.
- Keep matches, lighters, and fire works away from unsupervised children.
- Install smoke alarms in your household and check their batteries regularly
- Wear a helmet and bright clothing at all times when riding a bicycle or motorcycle
- Provide safe environments for infants to sleep. An infant sleeps safest alone in a crib on his or her back.
Resources for Additional Information
The following resources will help you learn more about safety techniques you can apply to your daily life:
- Sunscreens: http://www.aad.org/public/Publications/pamphlets/Sunscreens.htm
- An Ounce of Prevention Keeps the Germs Away: http://www.cdc.gov/ounceofprevention
- For information about sexually transmitted diseases http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/sexuallytransmitteddiseases.html
- For more information about car seats http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm
