A free public service workshop focused on the critical health issue of building and keeping healthy bones among children and adults will be held at Seminole State College on Thursday.
This special bone health event, which also will discuss early detection and prevention of osteoporosis, runs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Enoch Kelly Haney Center on the SSC campus.
Registration is free and will be accepted at the door.

Seminole State College students and faculty had a chance to learn about goods and services available in the community during the college’s 15th annual Area Services Fair held on Wednesday and Thursday. About 20 businesses participated in the event.

Actinic Keratosis is a skin lesion that appears as a rough, scaly patch on your face, lips, ears, back of hands, forearms, scalp and the neck area. There may be a single lesion or several lesions. It is a small, rough spot occurring on skin that has been chronically exposed to the sun. It is the most common type of precancerous skin lesion.

Can you believe it? Summer has come and gone like the wind, and kids are back in school. This comes with mixed emotions of joy, sadness, excitement and new schedules to manage.  Sometimes this time frame can detour us from treating our health and fitness programs like the priority they truly are. Please remember that no matter how much your schedule changes, or how busy you get, removing exercise and good nutrition from the routine as priority, should never be an option. I now challenge you to plan ahead, and be prepared to make adjustments along the way so that your new, unfamiliar schedule will soon become one that is normal, includes exercise and comfortably fits into your daily routine. 

Through conversation with people about their wellness, I am excited to say that it seems like most are starting to view good health habits like finding a good nutrition program, and regular exercise as mandatory, rather than something that can be left to chance. Rightfully so, because with over half a million deaths in the United States each year resulting from coronary artery disease, facts indicate it has definitely become urgent that we take proactive steps daily to decrease risk factors for the condition. What is coronary artery disease, you might ask. Well, let’s start by explaining that arteriosclerosis is the thickening, hardening, and loss of elasticity of the blood vessels, especially the arteries. Atherosclerosis is a form of arteriosclerosis and is the main cause of coronary artery disease. It is caused by the formation of fatty deposits on the lining of the coronary arteries. The fatty masses are formed due to the narrowing of the arterial walls.

The Pottawatomie County Health Department is not testing for individual cases of the new H1N1 influenza virus, aka swine flu.
“We now know that the new influenza virus has spread throughout the state, so testing individuals to determine if the disease is in the county is no longer necessary,” said Tina R. Johnson, administrative director.

As children begin their annual back-to-school trek, the Pottawatomie County Health Department recommends that parents’ gear up for what could be a challenging flu season.
“Expect your children to get the flu earlier than normal this year and plan accordingly,” said Tina Johnson, administrative director of the Pottawatomie County Health Department. “With the new H1N1 flu circulating in the state, children are going to be exposed to the virus before the vaccine is available, and many may get sick earlier than they might normally.”

When we think of participating in an exercise program, we tend to associate it with intense physical activity, sweating, challenging ourselves and hard work.  And true, those qualities are often present in a good program, but attaining fitness success is more complex than just the extreme muscle burns, gut wrenching lifts, blood, sweats and tears. There is an important, low- impact and very relaxing piece of the exercise puzzle that must not be forgotten each time that you train!  And that is improving your flexibility and stretching! Please take time every workout to stretch so that you maintain and help promote your muscle recovery and joint flexibility!  It improves quality of life through increased range of motion and takes only 5-7 minutes of your time following your pre-workout warm up, and only 10-15 minutes at the conclusion of your training session.

The PSA test is the prostate-specific antigen blood test that is used to detect prostate cancer in its early stages. The prostate is a walnut-sized gland located under the bladder and next to the rectum in men. This gland provides about a third of the fluid that propels sperm through the urethra and out of the penis during sexual intercourse. Prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, is a protein made by the prostate cells. The PSA test measures the amount of PSA in the blood and if the PSA test is elevated it can be an indicator of prostate cancer and should be followed up by your health care provider.

Wouldn’t you agree? Exercise is only good for you when you actually do it!  Equally so, is the fact that we must deal with many distractions that deter us from completing our much-needed exercise. That’s why it is so important to identify and utilize strategies that will help keep you motivated to maintain your exercise program for the rest of your life. Hopefully this week’s tips will be beneficial in that manner, and can be included in your growing library for fitness success.
It has been my experience that most successful fitness programs have been incorporated smoothly into a person’s weekly agenda as a way of life.  This usually requires instituting change.And of course, change is never easy. However the stress of this process can be minimized if you are aware and prepared to handle it effectively.

Normally when we embark on a fitness program to improve our health, we are often fueled by pleasant thoughts of a newer improved self, with stronger muscles, more flexibility, smaller waist and fewer pounds on the body.

I agree it is inevitable that we will get older, however the loss of strength, endurance, flexibility and balance are another story. Age does not have to get us down. We can control, maintain and continue to improve our physical qualities with regular exercise, proper nutrition and rest. I hope you will stand next to me on the front line, in the battle, for optimal health and quality of life forever.
Most older individuals are aware that they need regular exercise, but many dismiss it as an activity only for the young. That is absolutely not the case, because everyone can work at their own level. Weight training or resistance training is one of the few types of exercises that can slow, and even reverse, the declines in muscle mass, bone density, and strength that were once considered consequences of aging. I challenge you, with your doctor’s permission of course, to consider weightlifting. People shouldn’t experience pain while lifting weights, but it is normal to feel some soreness the next day.

The Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons has granted Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation to the Cancer Program at Unity Health Center’s Cancer Center.
A facility receives this recognition following an on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor during which the facility demonstrates a commendation level of compliance with one or more standards that represent the full scope of the cancer program.

Salads are a great way to incorporate vegetables and fruits into any diet.
When a salad is made with lots of fruits and vegetables, it can be loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, said Janice Hermann, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension nutrition specialist.

Wouldn’t it be nice if all we had to do to lose weight was eliminate fats from our diets?

Shawnee realtor Teri Thompson took third place in a 5K run May 3 in her age group. The event was sponsored by the Shawnee Board of Realtors for Family Promise.

The Pottawatomie County Health Department is joining the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health and the Oklahoma State Department of Health in celebrating National Women’s Health Week May 10-16. The theme of this 10th annual health observance, “It’s Your Time,” helps call attention to the importance of women’s health.

The Tecumseh Public Library is partnering with two community organizations to offer workshops during May on maintaining healthy lifestyles and good nutrition. Ron McIntosh, RD of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe and Sonja McDaniel of the OSU Extension Service each offer a Fit for Life program for adults interested in learning more about diabetes and nutrition.

Patients and visitors of Unity Health Center may find it easier to get from their cars to the hospital and back, due to a recent gift from the Unity Health Center Volunteer Auxiliary. The volunteer auxiliary purchased a sporty, six-seat, purple golf cart to offer guest parking lot shuttle services.

In response to increasing concerns regarding swine flu cases in the U.S., local health officials at Unity Health Center said they are well-prepared to combat the virus if it reaches Pottawatomie County but urged good hygiene practices from community members.
“The number one thing is to wash your hands or use alcohol-based rubs, just good overall health hygiene,” said Vicki Milliken, director of infection control at Unity Health Center. “And cough or sneeze into a tissue and throw the tissue away. Then wash your hands again afterward or use a sanitizer.”