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· CALENDAR
WIC Checks: 2, 12
WIC Recerts: 1, 5, 8, 9, 16, 19, 20, 26, 30
Immunizations: 14, 29
Family Planning: 6, 13, 21, 27
Willow Clinic: 7
M View Clinic: 28
Cholesterol Screenings: 8, 15
Holiday’s: CLOSED Thanksgiving, November 22 & 23
Walk in Flu Clinics November 1 and 2
There will be walk in flu clinics at the Howell County Health Department on November 1st and 2nd all day from 8-5pm.
The Health Department has held a clinic in West Plains and Willow Springs already and will have a free clinic in Mountain View on November 15th at the St. Francis Hospital.
The flu shot is free to Howell County residents and is highly encouraged to those over age 65 and anyone with chronic diseases.
Call 417-256-7078 for more information. |
Be Prepared with Ready in 3
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services urges residents to take time out of their busy schedules to make a family emergency plan and prepare an emergency kit. The department reminds Missourians that emergencies could affect anyone. Tornadoes, fires, floods, storms, power outages, or even terrorist attacks or a pandemic influenza can leave little time to gather the essentials needed if you must leave your home, and residents might not have enough supplies on hand if they must remain in their home for several days. By assuring that supplies such as adequate water, nutritional foods, and essential medications are available, families can maintain their health and well-being throughout an emergency.
The department’s recommendation is part of its Ready in 3 emergency preparedness initiative to remind Missourians of what they can do at home, school and work to prepare for emergencies. Disasters can happen at anytime or any place, and Ready in 3 provides three simple steps to prepare for an emergency situation:
1.Create a plan for you, your family, and your business. Your family
might not be together when an emergency happens. That’s why it is
important to have a plan in place. Talk about how you will reach each
other in different situations. Make sure everyone in the family can get
to a safe place and find each other in the event of an emergency. For
instance, it is a great idea to designate two family meeting places, one
in the neighborhood and one farther away, and to select two emergency
contacts, including one out-of-state contact, in case local phone lines
are jammed.
2. Prepare an emergency kit for your home, car and at work. If an
emergency happens, you might not be able to get food or water for days
or even weeks, and your electricity may not be working. The following
items should be part of your emergency kit and kept in a container that
can be easily carried:
·Water and canned or dried food - families should set aside one gallon
of water per person per day, to last three days, and a three-day supply
of food per person.
The food should be nonperishable items that don’t
need to be cooked, such as tuna and crackers. Remember to include a
manual can opener. If there’s an infant in the house, include formula
and baby food.
·Battery-powered radio
·Flashlight
·Extra batteries for the radio and flashlight
·Prescription medications
·First-aid kit
The department recommends that you check your emergency kit when
season’s change to ensure food and water haven’t exceeded their
expiration dates and batteries are still working.
3. Listen for information about what to do and where to go during an
actual emergency. City, county, and state officials have developed
emergency plans. In the event of an actual emergency, it’s important
to follow their instructions and advice.
The Ready in 3 Family Safety Guide explains these steps in more detail
and provides an emergency kit checklist. Through the Ready in 3 program,
residents, schools, faith-based groups, adult care facilities, child
care providers, employers and others in local communities can receive
tools and resources designed specifically for them on steps they can
take to prepare for emergencies of all kinds. The Ready in 3 resources
are free and many are available in multiple languages. Missouri
residents are urged to go to the department’s web site at
www.dhss.mo.gov/Ready_in_3 or call 573.526.4768 for to order the
Ready in 3 materials or check with the Howell County Health Dept.
There will be a 2 mile fun run / walk on Saturday, November 10th at 4pm at the Downtown Stroll in West Plains. Anyone can participate, not just Shape Up participants. We will pre-register participants between 3-4pm on the square and the run / walk will start at 4pm. We are currently working on the course, but it will start on the square and come back and end on the square.
Participants will receive a tote bag or sport pack with a certificate of completion and a healthy snack inside. Door prizes will also be awarded. Grab your tennis shoes and your family and come out and do something healthy, your heart will thank you!
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Cooking Tips for the Holidays
To decrease sugar:
Reduce sugar in baked goods and desserts. Reduce sugar by 1/4 to 1/3 in baked goods and desserts. Cookies, quick breads and cakes can be successfully baked this way. Substitute flour for the omitted sugar. (Do not decrease sugar in yeast breads because sugar feeds the yeast.)
To increase the flavor: Use spices to increase the flavor in addition to reducing the amount of sugar in your recipes. Adding cardamon, cinnamon, nutmeg or vanilla to your recipes will enhance the impression of sweetness.
Reduce fat in baked products: Reduce the amount of fat in baked products by 1/4 to 1/3. For example, if a cookie, quick bread or muffin recipe calls for 1 cup oil, use 2/3 cup instead. (Do not use this method for yeast breads and pie crusts.) |
American Diabetes Month
Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles.
There are 20.8 million children and adults in the United States, or 7% of the population, who have diabetes. While an estimated 14.6 million have been diagnosed with diabetes, unfortunately, 6.2 million people (or nearly one-third) are unaware that they have the disease.
In order to determine whether or not a patient has pre-diabetes or diabetes, health care providers conduct a Fasting Plasma Glucose Test (FPG) or an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT). Either test can be used to diagnose pre-diabetes or diabetes. The American Diabetes Association recommends the FPG because it is easier, faster, and less expensive to perform.
With the FPG test, a fasting blood glucose level between 100 and 125 mg/dl signals pre-diabetes. A person with a fasting blood glucose level of 126 mg/dl or higher has diabetes.
In the OGTT test, a person's blood glucose level is measured after a fast and two hours after drinking a glucose-rich beverage. If the two-hour blood glucose level is between 140 and 199 mg/dl, the person tested has pre-diabetes. If the two-hour blood glucose level is at 200 mg/dl or higher, the person tested has diabetes.
Diabetes Symptoms
Diabetes often goes undiagnosed because many of its symptoms seem so harmless. Recent studies indicate that the early detection of diabetes symptoms and treatment can decrease the chance of developing the complications of diabetes.
Some diabetes symptoms include:
- Frequent urination
- Excessive thirst
- Extreme hunger
- Unusual weight loss
- Increased fatigue
- Irritability
- Blurry vision
If you have one or more of these diabetes symptoms, see your doctor right away.
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