You Only Have One Heart...
Each year, 17.1 million lives are lost to heart disease, and it remains the number one cause of death among women. This month, take the time to learn more about what you can do to care for your heart and decrease your risks of heart disease. The Mayo Clinic has several tips for a heart-healthy diet, including limiting unhealthy fats and cholesterol, eating more fruits and vegetables, and selecting whole grains. Several of these steps are supported by health observances this month, including World Heart Day, on Sept. 29, when people are encouraged to take charge of their family's heart health by choosing a heart-healthy diet, increasing physical activity and saying "no" to tobacco.
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Quit Now Indiana Contest
Women throughout Indiana can join the thousands of Hoosiers who are ready to quit smoking. The Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Division at the Indiana State Health Department and INShape Indiana have launched the 2011 Quit
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Now Indiana Contest, where quitters have an opportunity to win $2,500. Participants pledge to remain tobacco free throughout October in exchange for better health and a chance to win extra spending money.
To be eligible to win, contestants must be 18 years or older, a legal resident of Indiana, a current tobacco user and stay tobacco free from Oct. 1 through Oct. 31, 2011.
To register or for more information, visit INShapeIndiana.org, QuitNowIndiana.com, or call (317) 234-1787. Registration must be received by Sept. 30. Employers (including long term care facilities) interested in promoting the contest on-site may request a free contest kit at QuitNowIndiana.com.
When Disaster Strikes, Lend a Hand, Heal a Heart
Recent natural disasters such as Hurricane Irene on the East Coast and tornadoes and flooding across the Midwest have caused devastation and disrupted lives. As community instability rises following natural disasters, risk factors for sexual violence also increase, as seen by increased sexual assaults in Haiti following the earthquake and New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. Sexual assault victims, already impacted by the effects of the natural disaster, experience increased instability and have fewer resources available to them as they recover. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center, in collaboration with several sexual assault prevention programs, created The Relief Fund for Sexual Assault Victims. One-hundred percent of the donations will go to direct services for victims, prevention initiatives at evacuation sites, and to restore sexual assault centers destroyed by the disasters. Visit the link below to learn more and to donate to the fund.
INCASA Special Recognition License Plate
The Indiana Coalition Against Sexual Assault is sponsoring this license
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plate which will generate funding to benefit programs throughout Indiana that provide services, care and treatment to victims of sex crimes. This plate can be ordered through myBMV.com, at license branches and other customer service locations. For more information, visit the INCASA website or watch the PSA for the INCASA License Plate.
Learn About Lupus
Many of us may have heard of lupus, but may not know why it is a concern for women. Lupus is a chronic disease (meaning that the signs and symptoms last longer than six weeks) which affects the autoimmune system. In lupus, your immune system cannot tell the difference between the bacteria, germs and other invaders, and your body’s healthy tissues. In lupus, your immune system creates autoantibodies which can attack and destroy healthy tissue and create inflammation, pain, and tissue damage in parts of the body. The disease can range from mild to severe, and can happen in childhood or later in life. Diagnosis is often difficult as lupus develops slowly with symptoms that come and go. Women who get lupus are most often diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 45, and women comprise more than 90 percent of the people with lupus. African-American women are three times more likely to get lupus than white women, and Latina, Asian and Native American women are also at greater risk. Having this disease can lead to a myriad of other health problems such as heart disease, osteoporosis, and kidney disease. For a personal side to this oftentimes perplexing health condition and to hear more about one person’s experience with lupus symptoms, please read this engaging interview: http://womenshealth.gov/news/spotlight/2011/8.cfm
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