Delta Health Alliance/USDA-ARS

Delta body & soul newsletter

AUGUST 2011

Delta Body & Soul is On the Move!

Body & Soul: On the Move Health Costs DB& S Pillars
More Herbs Back to School 1
all starts new classes in schools and universities around the country. Delta Body & Soul is also gearing up for the fall season. It will bring a new cohort of eager Delta churches, who wish to see their congregations become healthier one person at a time. We take this opportunity to welcome Heathman Mt. Zion of Indianola, MS; Mt. Moriah of Belzoni, MS; Pleasant Green of Moorhead, MS, and Truevine of Belzoni, MS. Delta Body & Soul has worked diligently over the last several years to spread the word about the connection between healthy eating and a

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improved quality of life. African-Americans are at greatest risk for every major diet-related chronic disease; which include many types of cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. However, we know that you can do some things to decrease your risk of certain chronic illness such as maintaining or losing weight, eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and increasing physical activity. In addition, increasing your intake of whole grains and decreasing your intake of fat and sugary beverages can help you improve your health and lower your disease risk. Delta Body & Soul helps participants

learn how health and spirituality are connected, empowering them to charge of their health. All of this is done with the help of a committed pastor, activities that promote healthy church eating, and motivational counseling to help members eat a healthier diet. We applaud those who have already completed the six month program and congratulate those who have chosen to enter. We encourage anyone who has been helped by the Delta Body & Soul program to contact us and tell us your story. If your church or someone you know is interested in participating, we would welcome your calls as well!

The Cost of Diabetes: $83 Billion per year

According to the department of Health and Human Services, diabetes patients rack up 23 percent of hospital costs nationwide per year. Their collective hospital bill in 2008, the most recent year for which data were available was almost $83 billion. The average hospital stay for someone with diabetes averages roughly a day longer (5.3 days) compared to someone free of the disease. The average stay for a diabetic patient costs about $10,940 or roughly $2,200 more than the average person without the disease. Also, many people are hospitalized for conditions that could and probably were fostered by diabetes, such as impaired circulation or heart disease or patients may have landed in the hospital with conditions (such as poor wound healing) that were exacerbated by diabetes. This 2008 analysis also finds that people with diabetes tend to have more than just one health condition. Diabetics often also suffer with high blood pressure, breathing problems, edema, chronic pulmonary disease, anemia, kidney failure and obesity. come brackets. Hospitalization rates for diabetes also vary by region, with the highest rate of diabetesrelated hospital admissions in the South and Northeast, and lowest in the West. Everyone pays the cost of diabetes-related hospitalizations through tax dollars ( Medicaid and Medicare covered 60 percent of diabetics hospitalizations in 2008) and higher premiums for private insurance. Lets help fight the development of this disease Rates of hospitali- within our own households. zation for diabetics differs by We have control over diabeincome bracket with those tes and can decrease our risk with the lowest income through exercise, weight experiencing more hospitali- management and eating a zation compared to those in healthy diet! the middle and higher in-

Pillars of DBS

A Committed Pastor Church Activities that Promote Healthy Eating A Healthy Church Eating Environment Motivational Counseling

DELTA BODY & SOUL NEWSLETTER

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More Herbs and Less Salt Day!

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Everyone pays the cost of Diabetes-related hospital stays through tax dollars. -Department of health and human services

ugust 29, 2011 has been designated as More Herbs and Less salt day. While it is not an official holiday, it is still a very important one. We all should know that excess salt is not good for our health. But did you know that the effects of a high salt diet may contribute to Alzheimer's disease, asthma, stomach cancer, hypertension, and kidney stones? High salt intake is also speculated to affect memory! Salt does provide us with much needed sodium and greatly appreciated flavor. But often, we over do it. Salt is readily available in so many forms, that we may not even know how much salt we are actually consuming. Most Americans routinely take in as much as 4000 milligrams of sodium each day? That is about 8 times the minimum daily requirement! Chronic salt

intake not only over does our sodium intake, but also affects the balance between sodium and potassium. In our cells, it is important that the high levels of potassium stay within our cells while high concentrations of sodium stay out. If the saltpotassium balance is out of sync with the sodium levels exceeding the potassium levels, healthy cellular metabolism is compromised. As a result, resistance to disease and illness is weakened. So, the logical response to this is, "OK, so if I eat a lot of potassium, I will balance out quite nicely." Wrong! Changing potassium intake quickly can result in irregular heart-

beats and even heart attacks, not to mention affecting the absorption of calcium. The healthy response to sodium is this: cut back. We do not need a lot of sodium, so why are we taking in so much? In order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, we MUST cut back on our salt and sodium intake. Instead use herbs and other natural seasonings. You could even try lemon juice. Lemon juice has the same mouth watering effect on fish and other dishes as adding salt does.

Body & Soul Contact Info. Emanuel Edmond (662) 390-6432 Curtis Anderson (662) 390-3960 Stephanie Gilmore (662) 390-3169 Lisa Humphreys, PhD (225) 892-3727

Back To School
A new year is about to begin for Delta students. After lounging around all summer it could prove difficult getting your child back into the daily school routine. Here are some tips to get your childs school year off to a healthy start! Are you unhappy with school lunches? Many voices can make a change. Join with other parents in getting your childs school to serve healthy food choices such as fresh fruit, low-fat dairy products, water and 100 percent fruit juices. Avoid serving your child soft drinks at all costs! Planning ahead for school lunches n the habit of eating school lunches and starting routines again. Most schools send schedules of cafeteria lunches home. Parents should use this information to plan on packing your childs lunch when there is a meal being served that he or she would not like. Always remember to pack your childs lunch with fruits and veggies. Avoid too many processed sandwich meats, chips, or lots of sweets. Use whole wheat bread for sandwiches. Its a good idea to send your child with left-over's from the previous nights healthy meal or you can pre-cook healthy lunches for your child to take to school. A 12-ounce soft drink contains approximately 10 teaspoons of sugar and 150 calories. Drinking only one can of soda a day increases your childs risk of obesity by 60%. No more after school couch potatoes! When school dismisses for the day, most kids want to run for the television set. Get your child involved in extra-curricular activities. Some children are naturally interested in participating in an organized class that focuses on a specific activity. T-ball, baseball, football, cheering, soccer, and dancing are very popular for active children and adolescents. These classes introduce kids to the equipment, vocabulary, and rules of the game (including safety). Kids get a feel for the sport, have fun, and get some healthy exercise. Get out and play! Children that arent interested in structured activities should be encouraged to go outside and play for at least 60 minutes a day. Biking, walking, playing a neighborhood game of basketball or baseball are great ways for your child to be active. Starting a healthy eating and physical activity routine at the start of a new school year can help your child stay healthy and focused on learning and excelling !

Sources:
Department of health & human services sciencenews.org caboose.com