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· CALENDAR
WIC Checks: 3, 14
WIC Recerts: 4, 9, 11, 17, 18, 24, 28, 30, 31
Immunizations: 10, 25
Family Planning: 8, 16, 22, 29
Willow Clinic: 2
M View Clinic: 23
Cholesterol Screenings: 7, 15
Holiday’s: 1 & 21-CLOSED New Years Day & Martin Luther King
WIC-Women’s, Infants, and Children’s Nutritional Program is offered through the Howell County Health Department in West Plains.
Satellite clinics for families enrolled on WIC are held each month in Willow Springs on the first Wednesday and in Mountain View on the fourth Wednesday.
Willow Springs satellite clinic is held at the United Methodist Church. Mountain View’s satellite clinic is held at St. Francis Hospital in Suite #2 (previously in suite #1).
For more information call the Howell County Health Department at 417-256-7078. |
Winterize Your Home
The Department of Energy estimates that the average family will spend $1,400 heating their home. But you can reduce that cost and stay safe and healthy this winter by taking a few simple steps now.
Maximize heat. Have your furnace inspected by an HVAC professional. Stock up on filters so you can change them regularly throughout the season. Consider installing a setback thermostat that reduces the heat when you leave the house, or a room conditioner that heats the rooms you spend more time in. If you burn wood, clean out your fireplace and chimney and inspect the damper.
Keep warm air in and cold air out. Seal cracks, caulk around windows and electrical outlets and use weather-stripping around doors. Replace screens with storm windows for added protection against the cold winter winds, and protect basement windows with plastic screens. Check to see if you have adequate insulation in your attic. If you can see your ceiling joists, you need more insulation. Clear away debris from your home’s foundation, seal cracks and secure crawlspaces.
Keep hot water hot. Fourteen percent of the average utility bill is spent on heating water. Reduce your costs by wrapping a water heater blanket around your water heater, insulating your water pipes and installing a timer on electric water heaters.
Prevent water damage. Clean out gutters so water can drain properly. Check your roof for leaks and replace worn or damaged roof shingles. Insulate exposed plumbing pipes. Drain garden hoses and air conditioners and turn off your air conditioner’s water shut-off valve, if it has one.
Lower your heating bill with these tips, but also focus on staying safe.
Install smoke detectors and a carbon monoxide detector. Place a carbon monoxide detector near your furnace and water heater, according to manufacturer specifications. Install smoke alarms in every room. Test each alarm after it is installed. Check your fire extinguisher and replace it if it is more than 10 years old. Remove flammable items from near your furnace or wood stove. Stack dry firewood away from your home’s exterior walls.
Trim trees that hang near power lines, and are too close to your house or may lead to winter injuries. Clear sidewalks, porches and driveways of items or debris that may cause injury.
Assemble an emergency kit. Include a first-aid kit, flashlight, batter-powered radio and extra batteries. Stock up on canned foods and non-perishable foods like peanut butter, trail mix and crackers. Add a manual can opener and bottled water to your kit. Pack extra blankets, important phone numbers and cash, and plan several evacuation routes out of your neighborhood.
January is National Radon Month
During National Radon Month in January, EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General urge all Americans to protect their health by testing their homes for radon. You can’t see, smell, or taste radon, but it could be present at a dangerous level in your home. Radon is the #1 cause of lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers and overall is the 2nd leading cause of lung cancer in America and is classified as a “Class A” carcinogen according to EPA. Radon claims the lives of about 20,000 Americans each year, but exposure to radon is a preventable health risk.
Radon is a radioactive gas. It comes from the natural decay of uranium that is found in nearly all soils. It typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Your home traps radon inside, where it can build up.
It's not hard to find out if you have a radon problem in your home. All you need to do is test for radon. The amount of radon in the air is measured in "picoCuries per liter of air," or "pCi/L." The average indoor radon level is estimated to be about 1.3 pCi/L, and about 0.4 pCi/L of radon is normally found in the outside air. Your home levels should be 4 pCi/L or lower.
The cost of making repairs to reduce the radon level depends on several factors, including how your home was built. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs, like painting or having a new hot water heater installed.
Go to www.epa.gov/radon/nram/public.html to find what you can do to protect yourself against radon. They have a publication entitled “Basic Radon Facts” they also have information and guidelines if you are building a new house called “Radon Resistant New Construction” that are helpful.
Another website is www.dhss.mo.gov and click on topics A-Z and then click on Radon, for more information and resources.
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What Else Should I Look for in a Weight-Loss Program?
Your program should include plans for weight maintenance after the weight-loss phase is over. It is of little benefit to lose a large amount of weight only to regain it.
Weight maintenance is the most difficult part of controlling weight and is not consistently implemented in weight-loss programs. The program you select should help you improve your dietary habits, increase your physical activity, and help you change other lifestyle habits that may have contributed to your weight gain in the past.
Being overweight is too often viewed as a temporary problem that can be treated for a few months with a strenuous diet. However, as most overweight people know, weight control must be considered a life-long effort. To be safe and effective, any weight-loss program must address the long-term approach or else the program is largely a waste of money and effort! |
Choosing a Weight Loss Program, Brought to you by WebbMD
During any one year, over half of all Americans go on a diet to lose weight. For many people, it is difficult to lose more than a few pounds and few succeed in remaining at the reduced weight. The difficulty in losing weight and keeping it off leads many people to turn to a professional or commercial weight-loss program for help. When considering joining a weight-loss program, choose wisely.
Almost any of the commercial weight-loss programs can work, but only if they motivate you sufficiently to decrease the amount of calories you eat or increase the amount of calories you burn through physical activity each day (or both).
What Should I Look for in a Weight-Loss Program?
- Make sure it is safe. Whether you create your own program or use a commercial one, make sure it is safe. A safe diet should include all of the recommended daily allowances (RDAs) for vitamins, minerals and protein. The weight-loss diet should be low in calories (energy) only, not in essential vitamins or minerals.
- Slow steady weight-loss. The program should be directed toward slow, steady weight loss unless your doctor feels your health condition would benefit from more rapid weight loss. Expect to lose only about a pound a week after the first week or two. With many calorie-restricted diets, there is an initial rapid weight loss during the first 1 to 2 weeks, but this loss is largely fluid. The initial rapid loss of fluid also is regained rapidly when you return to a normal-calorie diet. Thus, a reasonable goal of weight loss should be expected.
When inquiring about a commercial weight-loss program, be sure you are provided with a detailed statement of fees and costs of additional items such as dietary supplements or foods. Other important questions to ask of any potential weight loss program include:
- Does the staff consist of qualified counselors and health professionals such as registered dietitians, doctors and exercise physiologists?
- Are food choices flexible and suitable?
- Are weight goals set by the client and the health professional?
- What percentages of people complete the program?
- What is the average weight loss among people who finish the program?
- What percentages of people have problems or side effects? What are they?
If you plan to lose more than 15 to 20 pounds, have any health problems, or take medication on a regular basis, your doctor should evaluate you before you start a program. A doctor can assess your general health and medical conditions that might be affected by dieting and weight-loss.
Also, a doctor should be able to recommend appropriate programs and help you come up with a sensible weight-loss goal. If you plan to use a very-low-calorie diet, you definitely should be examined and monitored by a doctor.
Reviewed by the Department of Nutrition Therapy at The Cleveland Clinic.
Edited by Charlotte Grayson, MD, WebMD, August 2004.
Reviewed By Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, July 25, 2007.
Medically updated July 25, 2007.
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