Free Yoga Class at People’s Center!

Here at People’s Center Health Services we are committed to nourishing the health and well-being of people living and working in Cedar Riverside and neighboring communities. That is why we could not be more excited to unveil our new beginner yoga class!

When: Thursdays at 5:15 p.m.
Where: People’s Center, fourth floor, room 411

If you are unfamiliar with yoga, it is a form of exercises that have been practiced for more than 5,000 years, and currently, over 11 million Americans are enjoying its health benefits. Yoga teaches you how to move your body in new ways and incorporates relaxation techniques that are good for your mind. Yoga integrates stretching and use of core body muscles to build strength, improve posture, and increase flexibility. In addition, by choosing yoga and the calm environment it provides for your regular workout, your stress levels will decrease.

Our certified yoga instructor, Alex, is thrilled to join the People’s Center Health Services team and teach a beginners yoga class. She says, “In Yoga Therapy, we will be focusing on improved health through unity of mind, body, and spirit. A combination of physical activity and meditative exercise will provide both psychological and physical benefits, including decreased stress and improved strength and flexibility.” Alex became interested in yoga after taking a class herself for nine months and noticed the positive changes it made in her life. She explains, “Yoga has changed my life. Physically, it has strengthened my muscles, improved my posture, and increased my balance and flexibility. Beyond the physical benefits, it has changed the way I handle stress, the way I interact with people, and my attitude towards life in general.”

Yoga Therapy will be held at People’s Center (in room 411) on Thursdays at 5:15 p.m. Come after work to de-stress and get your body in shape!

National Immunization Awareness Month

Welcome to the end of summer and the beginning of National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM)! People’s Center Health Services wants to use this time to increase awareness about immunizations, from infants to the elderly.

Why are immunizations important?
Immunization is among the most incredible public health achievements of the 20th century. Vaccines have eradicated smallpox, eliminated wild poliovirus in the United States, and significantly reduced the number of cases of measles, rubella, and other many diseases that were once a societal bane.

Despite the miracle of modern vaccines, people in the United States still contract these diseases and die from them. By staying up-to-date on the recommended vaccines, you can safely protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community from life-threatening infections.

Who should be immunized?
Getting immunized is a lifelong community effort regardless of age, sex, race, ethnic background, or country of origin. Recommended vaccinations begin soon after birth and continue throughout life. Protect yourself from disease by following these immunization schedules—for children and adolescents and for adults.

When are immunizations given?
Because children are especially vulnerable to infection, most vaccines are given during the first five to six years of life. (Check out this parents’ guide to childhood immunization to learn more.) Other immunizations are recommended during adolescent or adult years and, for certain vaccines, booster immunization are recommended throughout life. Vaccines against certain diseases that may be encountered while traveling abroad are recommended for travelers to specific regions of the world. (Source: CDC)

And what about Jenny McCarthy?
Actress and comedian, Jenny McCarthy, controversially claimed that the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine gave her young son autism. While she is choosing to not give her son any more vaccinations, she does not encourage parents to do the same—and neither do the dozens of studies that prove that vaccinations are perfectly safe. Read more about Jenny and the autism debate in this TIME article.

Get vaccinated at People’s Center Health Services!
People’s Center Health Services brings convenience, quality, and low costs to health care and that applies to immunization and vaccinations as well. We pride ourselves on quick access, even same day or walk-in appointments available. So, no need to fret about the back to school rush at the doctor’s office here. Your appointment, or your child’s appointment, will be quick, easy, and stress-free!

Your child’s appointment will be with Deborah Olson, our Certified Nurse Practitioner-Pediatrics. Deborah came to the People’s Center Health Services in July, 2006.  After receiving her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Viterbo University in La Crosse, WI, Deborah went on to receive her Masters Degree at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, MN.  Her work experience includes time in both the obstetrics and pediatric departments at HCMC as a staff nurse.  She came to the People’s Center because of her interest in primary care with a diverse population of clients.

Her primary duties are to provide preventative and acute care for children from newborn to 21 years of age, and she “loves watching my patients grow and thrive while I’m able to build connections with the families.”

So, take advantage of our caring staff and affordable services and call today to make your child’s appointment with Deborah Olson: 612-333-4973.

Free Car Wash-Brian Coyle Center

Come get your car washed and help a great cause!

This Friday, the Brian Coyle Community Center Action Crew youth group is having a car wash from 2-5 pm as a fundraiser.

Suggested $5.00 donation to help Brian Coyle Action Crew Youth go to Valleyfair!

Action Crew does a variety of community work in the Cedar-Riverside community to improve the area.  Action Crew consists of youth middle school volunteers.

Details:

Date: Friday, 7/23/2010 at Brian Coyle Center Parking Lot
Time: 2:00-5:00pm

Brian Coyle Center
420 15th Ave S. Minneapolis

Contact:
612-338-5282
pelusoa@puc-mn.org

West Bank Farmers Market

Eat locally. Eat Healthy. Farmers Markets.

Come check out the West Bank Farmers Market! With two different farmers markets every Tuesday, you’ll have no excuse to not pick up some fresh produce.

Locations:
Brian Coyle Community Center: 4th St. and 15th Ave 11am-1pm

Augsburg College: Front of Foss Center, 7th St. and 22nd Ave. 2-5pm

WIC and FMNP Coupons accepted!

For more information about eating healthy and shopping for healthy foods, contact Kathryn Hang, Clinical Dietitian, Nutrition Educator for People’s Center Health Services (612.238.3520).

Cedar Riverside Youth Awareness Week

People’s Center Health Services is thrilled to be one of the sponsors for the upcoming Cedar Riverside Youth Awareness Week hosted by the Cedar Riverside Youth Council! The Youth Awareness Week will take place July 12 – 17, 2010 at the Brian Coyle Center and Currie Park.

Come down and check out the fun activities! People’s Center Health Services will even be presenting and tabling on some of the days:

7/12 Monday: Healthy/Physical Education Awareness (5-8pm). People’s Center’s Kathryn Hang will be presenting on Nutrition and Healthy Living. Kathryn is a Clinical Dietitian, Nutrition Educator and she also hosts a weekly FREE “Shape Up” class to help adults and youth develop a healthy life program.
7/13 Tuesday: Community Information Fair (2-5pm). People’s Center will be setting up a table to share information about our services and to hand out some really awesome free buttons, make sure you pick one up!
7/14 Wednesday: Drugs and Chemical Dependence Awareness (5-8pm). People’s Center will also be setting up a table to share information about some of our behavioral health services (don’t worry, we’ll still have the cool buttons on Wednesday too).
7/15 Thursday: Summer Activities (5-8pm). Basketball and Soccer tournaments.
7/16 Friday: Youth Violence Awareness (5-8pm).
7/17 Saturday: Leadership Awards Ceremony (5-8pm).

It is fantastic to see this kind of leadership and organization from the Cedar Riverside Youth Council. Come show your support for this amazing group of young adults, who really understand what it means to “Ask not what your community can do for you; Ask what you can do for your community.” For further information please contact the President of CRYC, Mohamed Jama at president.cryc@gmail.com or 612-338-5282.

Water Safety

Beyond the realm of pools and water parks, the Land of 10,000 Lakes has endless freshwater swimming opportunities. A recent American Red Cross survey showed that nearly half of families with young children plan to swim in a place with no lifeguard, and in Minnesota specifically, those figures are likely higher. This is why People’s Center encourages you to swim safely with these tips from the Red Cross.

Practice water safety.

• Swim in designated areas supervised by lifeguards.
• Always swim with a buddy; do not allow anyone to swim alone.
• Ensure that everyone in the family learns to swim well.
• Never leave a young child unattended near water and do not trust a child’s life to another child; teach children to always ask permission to go near water.
• Have young children or inexperienced swimmers wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets around water, but do not rely on life jackets alone.

Maintain constant supervision.

• If you have a pool, secure it with appropriate barriers—many children who drown in home pools were out of sight for less than 5 minutes and in the care of one or both parents at the time.
• Actively supervise children whenever around water—even if lifeguards are present.
• Always stay within arm’s reach of young children.

Know how to respond to an aquatic emergency.

• If a child is missing, check the water first. Seconds count in preventing death or disability.
• Know how and when to call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number.
• Have appropriate equipment, such as reaching or throwing equipment, a cell phone, life jackets and a first aid kit.

Visit the Red Cross – Twin Cities Area Chapter website to sign up for CPR and other trainings that will help you respond not only in water safety emergencies but in emergency situations on any day—at home and away.

Source: American Red Cross

(Use the codes on the coupon at the bottom of the flier to get great discounts at RedCrossStore.org!)

A note on UV Safety Month

Finally summer…warm, humid breezes during the day; windows open at night; the freshness of rain and the sounds of thunder during a good midday drench; and sunshine…delicious sunshine. We Minnesotans yearn for our summers, and by mid-March most of us can’t wait to get outside for walking, gardening, biking, baseball, tennis, swimming, parks, and picnics.

I wonder how many of us, when planning for summer, think to create a summer safety list? When summer is about to arrive and we begin our safety planning such as assuring helmets for bike rides, life jackets for boat rides, enough sunscreen for everything (especially the beach), how many of us pause and ask ourselves, what about my eyes? When we plan something as simple as a walk around the block or as complex as a family reunion or outdoor wedding, do we stop to think about safety, summer safety, and our eyes?

Sunglasses are so much more than a fashion statement. They are a necessity. Not all of us realize the importance of sun glasses, the kind that block both UVA and UVB radiation by 99 percent, which is what is recommended by the experts. When I went in for an eye check this April, the optometrist spent five minutes explaining the importance of eye safety. She said that sun damage to my eyes can result in the development of cataracts or macular degeneration. I’d never really thought about it, but now I sure do. We’ve all heard about the importance of sunscreen and we know what sun damage can do to our skin. But how often do we really think seriously about the damage direct sunlight can do to our eyes if they are not protected? Of all our senses, we probably rely upon our sight the most.

What if we added a card to the wedding, office picnic, or family reunion invitation to remind our guests to bring sunscreen and sunglasses, because we care about them and their safety?  (Also, we want to be certain that they will be able to see the photos taken for years and years to come.)

I believe the start of every summer requires a list of safety tips. On the list we should be sure to add eye safety, too.

Have a great summer and take care of your beautiful eyes!

Peggy Metzer
CEO of People’s Center Health Services

To learn more about UV Safety Month, visit the American Academy of Ophthalmology website.

National Men’s Health Week: June 14-20, 2010

This week is National Men’s Health Week!

Every year in the week leading up to Father’s Day, National Men’s Health Week aims to heighten awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment among men and boys. This week gives health care providers, public policy makers, the media, and communities a platform to encourage men to seek regular medical advice and treatment.

People’s Center will jump on the bandwagon and take this opportunity to emphasize the importance of men’s health and share some tips on how to live a long, healthy life (and how to celebrate Men’s Health Week in the Minnesota Twin Cities area).

For starters, a few statistics. In the United States:

• Twelve percent (12%) of men over the age of 18 are in fair or poor health.
• Thirty-two percent (32%) of men over the age of 20 are obese.
• The leading causes of death for men are heart disease, cancer, and accidents (unintentional injuries)

For more statistics on men’s health in America, visit the CDC.

Men’s health checklist

The most basic and most important things men (and women!) can do to stay healthy:

• Get recommended screening tests.
• Be tobacco free.
• Drink alcohol only in moderation.
• Be physically active.
• Eat a healthy diet.
• Stay at a healthy weight.
• Take preventive medicines if you need them.

Given that the #3 cause of death for men in the United States is accidents (or unintentional injuries), People’s Center also wants to remind men to be careful. Preventable accidents are the hardest to cope with, especially the kind that result in an infamous Darwin Award.

Be screened

Even if you take all the steps you can at home to stay healthy, screening tests are invaluable. These tests can find diseases early, when they are easier to treat. The following are tests recommended by health experts at the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Talk to your doctor about which ones apply to you and when and how often you should be tested.

• Obesity
• High Cholesterol (regularly starting at age 35, or earlier if you are at risk)
• High Blood Pressure (every 2 years)
• Colorectal Cancer (starting at age 50, or earlier if it occurs in your family history)
• Diabetes (if you have high blood pressure or cholesterol)
• Depression (if you’ve experienced symptoms for two weeks)
• Sexually Transmitted Infections (talk to your doctor to determine need)
• HIV (talk to your doctor to determine need)
• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (if you are 65-75 and have ever been a smoker)

Also talk to your doctor about taking medicine to prevent disease and staying up to date on immunizations.

For more details on how to stay healthy at any age, click here.

See also:
National Men’s Health Week Website
CDC: Men’s Health
CDC: Men’s Health Topics A-Z

Celebrate Men’s Health Week in the Twin Cities!

Twin Cities locals can celebrate healthily with the Father’s Day 5k at Como Lake on Sunday, June 20. Race, walk, or run for fun with Dad, Granddad, and other family and friends to celebrate “Generations of Active-Athletic Dads and Their Fit-Fun Families.” For registration details, click here.

Click here for a list of other Father’s Day activities happening in the Twin Cities.