Char-Koosta News
ST. IGNATIUS February is American Heart Month and Go Red for Women and the Tribal Health Department Diabetes Program took the lead on the locally acknowledged issue, and informationally celebrated it Friday at the St. Ignatius Tribal Community Center. The event promoted a healthy diet and physical activity. Seventy-five adults signed in for the event, and with all the children the attendance was nearly 100.
Go Red for Women is the American Health Associations national health movement with the goal of curbing better yet, ending heart disease and strokes among women.
There were numerous health related informational booths at the Go Red for Women event.
A good healthy diet and exercise prolongs life, a good quality of life, said Kati Burton, THD Community Dietician. One of the first steps to a long and quality life is knowing what a person is eating; that starts with reading ingredient labels on processed foods. A healthy diet with exercise makes for a healthy body that lowers pain levels in muscles and joints, improves eyesight and blood flow. All foods contain vitamins, minerals and nutrients that keep us alive. The biggest difference a person can do is controlling the amount of fats in the food they eat read the ingredients.
Burton said another contributor to an unhealthy diet is the shift from family dining and fast food dining. The social nature of family dining affects both the body and mind especially when combined with healthy foods on the plates. In the case of American Indians, those foods could include the natural foodstuff that sated the diets of tribal Ancestors.
Burton encourages people to look into gardening or purchasing produce from local gardens, eating and preserving what comes from the garden.
Its good to know where your food comes from, she said.
The Montana State University Food Products Development Lab is researching and promoting the use of natural and healthy foods including foodstuff that were historically a part of the American Indian diet.
Dr. Wan-Yuan Kuo, MSU FPD Lab director said part of the mission of the program is Sustainable food product development sourcing local, specialty, and Indigenous crops to create healthy, eco-friendly, and culturally acceptable food products,
The lab is working with the Billings based Native American Development Corporation to establish research and education efforts to develop Native American food products.
Edwin Allen, MSU Food Products Development Lab, discusses the Lab and what it is doing to use underused healthy foods for healty diets.
Edwin Allen of the MSU FPD Lab said the program is working with the Indian Nations in Montana to incorporate under-utilized crops such as lentils, chickpeas, and peanuts into diets of tribal people. Allen is a MSU graduate student from Ghana who also has promoted such an effort in Senegal, Africa. He has heretofore worked with the Northern Cheyenne, Crow and CSKT tribes to promote heathy natural foods into diets.
On the Flathead Indian Reservation, he and other MSU FPD Lab students worked with the CSKT Fish Keepers to promote the use of lake trout into peoples diets. At the Go Red for Women gathering the group had smoked lake trout fish tacos on the menu in traditional corn tortillas and another with tacos in fish skin, both had huckleberries as an ingredient. They were a smokie spicy and sweet taste that wasnt bad on the palate.
We help people develop underused food products and want to help the Fish Keepers promote the consumption of the lake trout, Allen said. Montana is the third largest producer of lentils and we would like to use that here in food diets.
The lunch at the Go Red for women was a healthy serving of vegetable soups and salads.
In fact, the main luncheon dish was two thick soups with chick peas as the main ingredient.
Allen said the MSU FPD Lab will soon began researching and promoting bison. We will be working with the tribal community to incorporate lean bison meat in their diets, he said. All the ingredients we use for events like this is promoted by the tribal communities we are working with.
Allen said MSU is working on establishing a relationship with Salish Kootenai College on the development of natural and healthy food projects. We want to increase the consumption of Native products, he said.
The diet of Indian women is high on processed foods that increase blood pressure and cholesterol, said THD Diabetes Program manager Brenda Bodner. Its pretty easy to turn that around with improvements in diet. That includes choosing quality foods. Beans are a big emphasis today they are rich in protein, and good for cardiovascular health.
THD nurse Chelsea Kleinmeyer said healthy food and exercise are good ingredients for a healthy lifestyle.
Get away from the TV or computer screen and get outside and be active, she said. Being outside is very beneficial, it reduces stress and lowers blood pressure and improves mental health.
Another highlight of the Go Red for Women event was the Native fashion show that featured all-age models in Native design apparel. The fashions all incorporated the color red.
Symptoms of a Stroke
Signs that you may be having a stroke:
You should never wait more than five minutes to dial 9-1-1 if you experience even one of the signs above. Remember, you could be having a stroke even if youre not experiencing all of the symptoms. And remember to check the time. The responding emergency medical technician or emergency room nurse at the hospital will need to know when the first symptom occurred.
Stroke is not only the number four cause of death in the United States, its also a leading cause of severe, long-term disability. Thats why its important to take action immediately. Research conducted by The American Stroke Association shows that patients who take a clot-busting drug, or thrombolytic, within three hours of their first stroke symptom can reduce long-term disability from ischemic stroke the most common type, accounting for about 87 percent of all cases.
When you know the signs of stroke, the life you save could be your own or someone elses. Learn to spot the signs of stroke, or spot a stroke F.A.S.T. (Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call 911) with the help of mobile app for iOS or Android. Your life is in your hands.
Learn more about your risk for heart disease and stroke as well as factors that increase your risk.
Knowing the Warning Signs of a Heart Attack, and Acting Quickly can Save a Life
Causes of a heart attack in women
Heart attacks occur when the flow of blood to the heart is blocked by a buildup of plaque in coronary arteries. While the initial causation can often be pinned on the usual suspects heavy smokers, people with high-stress lifestyles, or those who are excessively overweightthe not-so-usual suspects can also be at high risk for heart attack.
Heart disease is the number one killer of women, which is why it is imperative that women learn the warning signs and symptoms, see a doctor regularly, and learn their family history.
Symptoms of a heart attack:
As with men, the most common heart attack symptom in women is chest pain or discomfort. But its important to note that women are more likely to experience the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.
What to do during a heart attack
If you experience any of these signs or symptoms:
Why its important to know the symptoms of a heart attack
Women who consider themselves healthy often misdiagnose the symptoms of a heart attack because they dont think it could happen to them. That is why its crucial to learn about heart disease and stroke, know your numbers, live a heart-healthy lifestyle and be aware of the risk factors of heart disease.
View post:
Go Red for Women promotes healthy diets, hearts and fun - Char-Koosta News
