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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Speare Memorial Hospital (603) 536-1120 | |
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March 12 , 2007 | |
Steps to a Healthier You Next in SMH’s Health & Wellness Series Presentation marks the first day of spring and highlights national nutrition month | |
| PLYMOUTH, N.H. --- Did you make a new year’s resolution to eat healthier, lose weight or improve your fitness level? Stay on track with Speare Memorial Hospital’s Steps to a Healthier You, the next presentation in its annual Health & Wellness Outreach Series, on Wednesday, March 21 at 7 p.m. The program is free and open to the public, and will be held in the Community Room located in the basement of 20 Highland St., the Citizen’s Bank/Mid-State Health building. | |
| “March is national nutrition month and the 21st is the first day of spring,” notes Michele Hutchins, SMH’s director of community relations, “so Steps to a Healthier You is a great way to celebrate one's self and re-energize those new year’s resolutions.” | |
| The presentation will be divided into three parts: nutrition, exercise and proper inhaler use for people with asthma or other respiratory issues. SMH’s Registered Dietician Marie Veselsky will begin with a discussion on what constitutes a balanced diet. Using the U.S. government’s new food pyramid (MyPyramid.gov) as a guide to healthy eating habits, Veselsky will talk about different foods in terms of color and their health benefits. She will also explain the difference between “good fats” and “bad fats”, the need to reduce carbohydrates and avoiding processed foods. | |
| Following the discussion on healthy eating, SMH’s Director of Rehabilitation Services Gillian Cavezzali will discuss the importance of exercise in promoting health and wellness. Exercise complements healthy eating by promoting weight loss, but its overall benefits go beyond weight control, including: lowering blood pressure, increased endurance and flexibility and facilitating long-term muscular-skeletal health. Whether you are just starting an exercise regime, or looking to increase your current activity level, learn how small changes in your routine can positively impact your overall health. | |
| Rounding out the presentation will be Peter Gallagher, SMH’s director of cardiopulmonary services. Since breathing easy is key to the success of any exercise regime, Gallagher will discuss the proper use of inhalers. For those with asthma or related respiratory conditions, difficulty breathing can inhibit a person’s ability to exercise at a level that promotes cardiovascular health. Gallagher will explain the different types of medicines and inhalers used to keep airways open, and demonstrate how to properly dispense a prescribed dose. | |
| Speare Memorial Hospital’s annual Health & Wellness Outreach Series offers free informational sessions addressing community needs with additional programs scheduled in April and May. They are: Eldercare: 10 Most Difficult Conversations to Have With Your Parents on April 18; and Triple E, West Nile Virus and Lyme Disease: Understanding the Threats on May 16. For more information call the Office of Community Relations at 238-6468. | |
| Speare Memorial Hospital is a 24-hour, acute care, non-profit community hospital and health care provider serving Plymouth, and the communities of central New Hampshire, for more than a century. | |
| Michele Barney Hutchins Director of Community Relations Speare Memorial Hospital (603) 238-6468 mhutchins@spearehospital.com |