Living WellMuskogee Phoenix • Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013

Inside

Story on Page 2

ICTC deploysWeapons of Mass

ReductionStory on Page 3

Good nutritionboosts heart

healthStory on Page 4

Know symptoms,risks for heart

attack

Muskogee Phoenix Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013

Muskogee Phoenix Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013 Page 2Living Well

NURSING HOMES

HOME HEALTH & HOSPICE

Health Care Directory

012700354401

Highway 64 Warner, OK 74469

918-463-5143

By Cathy SpauldingPhoenix Staff Writer

Indian Capital Tech-nology Center employeesare using Weapons ofMass Reduction in theirefforts to get fit and im-prove their heart health.

Employees at ICTC’sMuskogee campus aretaking part in a 12-weekcontest to see how muchweight they can lose. Theprogram is calledWeapons of Mass Reduc-tion. At the program’skickoff in early January,employees weighed in,checked their blood pres-sure, cholesterol level,glucose level and bodymass index, then divid-ed into teams. The teamthat loses the mostweight wins.

“It’s all about being ahealthy campus,” saidDana Chandler, ICTCnursing transitions in-structor who is coordi-nating the contest. “Wehope other campusesjoin as well.”

The Technology Cen-ter, 2401 N. 41st St. E,has a reputation to up-hold. In 2012, it wasnamed a Certified

Healthy Campus by theOklahoma Departmentof Health for its partici-pation in 2011’s HealthyCampus Program.

The Health Depart-ment and partner agen-cies have recognizeddozens of Muskogee-area campuses, schools,agencies and businessesthrough its CertifiedHealthy Oklahoma pro-gram, which began in2003 to recognize busi-nesses working to im-prove employee health.A department websitesays certified business-es “know that creating ahealthier workplace isimportant to productivi-ty, morale and employeehealth.”

Lisa Wade Raasch,who directs the Musko-gee Wellness Initiative,said 35 Muskogee- areabusinesses, schools andother programs are list-ed on the 2012 CertifiedHealthy Program.

“ICTC is really aleader in this area,” shesaid. “They had been do-ing this program for sev-eral years.”

Raasch and other rep-resentatives of Musko-gee Wellness Initiativeattended ICTC’sWeapons of Mass Reduc-tion kickoff to demon-strate nutrition andhealthy serving portions.The kickoff also includeddemonstrations of aero-

bic trends, includingZumba, and healthy tor-tilla soup.

The contest will end inlate March with a 5K

run to benefit the ICTCFoundation, Chandlersaid. Each staff memberin the contest paid $5.The money will be pre-

sented to the winningteam, she said.

ICTC special servicessecretary MarilynWilliams joined the pro-

gram because “I want tokeep in shape and keeptoned,” she said. “I just

ICTC deploys Weapons of Mass Reduction

Staff photo by Cathy Spaulding

An Indian Capital Technology Center nursing student draws blood for a card that measures cholesterol level dur-ing the kickoff of ICTC’s Weapons of Mass Reduction health campaign.

(See EMPLOYERS, 3)

Employeesjoin in 12-week

contest to lose weight

Muskogee Phoenix Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013 Page 3Living Well

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By Cathy SpauldingPhoenix Staff Writer

Area residents need tolearn about good nutri-tion and heart health,said Lisa K. Taylor,Muskogee County exten-sion educator for 4-HYouth Development andFamily and Career Ser-vices.

Taylor referred to aMuskogee County HealthReport that showed heartdisease as the leadingcause of death for adultsbetween ages 45 and 55and age 65 and older. Itranks second for ages 35to 44 and 55 to 64.

According to theHealthy People 2010table, Muskogee Countyhad a 28.6 percent preva-lence of obesity for ages18 and older. While that islower than the state’s 31percent obesity rate, it’shigher than the 26.7 obe-sity rate for the UnitedStates.

“Look at decreasinghigh fat and decreasingadditional sugars,” Taylorsaid.

Good nutrition involvesmore than eating theright things.

It also helps to knowhow much to eat, whereto eat, even how to eat,nutrition experts say.

“We’re just used to big-ger sizes now,” saidMartha Alford, health ed-ucator with the MuskogeeCounty Health Depart-ment.Proper portion sizes are aprimary key to good nu-trition and weight man-agement, she said. And,the sizes are much small-er than you think. Alford

carries a case comparingthe proper portion sizeswith everyday objects.

For example, a healthyportion of a meat or pro-tein product is 3 ounces,about the size of a deck ofcards; a pancake is aboutthe circumference of acompact disc; and a serv-ing of pasta, about thesize of a computer mouse,she said, adding that peo-ple eat too much of thesetype foods.

On the other hand, peo-ple should have morefruits and vegetables.

“As you can see, thevegetable portion is big-ger,” Alford said, showinga fake broccoli flower thesize of a light bulb, aboutone cup. The best veggiesare unprocessed andfresh, she said.

Alford said Muskogee’sbiggest nutrition problemis “not enough fruits andvegetables.”

The U.S. Department ofAgriculture uses a plateand cup to show its rec-ommended serving sizes.Half the plate should bemade up of fruits and veg-etables with grains andprotein taking up the oth-er half. Proteins should belean beef, pork, poultry,beans or tofu. The USDArecommends one cup offat-free or low-fat milk onthe side and a helping ofseafood twice a week.

“And all the grainsshould be whole grain,”Alford said, advising peo-ple to check the label toensure the product trulyis whole grain.

She said whole grainshould be at the top of theingredient list.

“If it says wheat flour,

it’s not whole grain,” shesaid. “And check the nu-trient label for fiber. Iffiber per serving is lessthan two grams, you’renot getting whole grain.”

Alford also advisesdrinking more water anddrinking fewer sweetenedbeverages, includingjuices.

Wait, didn’t she just ad-vise eating more fruit?

“It’s better to eat an or-ange than drink orangejuice,” she said. “The moreprocessed a food is, theless nutritious it is.”

Again, check the label,Alford said. On a bever-age, sugar or another typesweetener might be list-ed near the top — a badsign.

Certified nutritioncoaches Cathy Moseley

and Freda Armstrong,who own the Perfect Bal-ance nutrition program,said nutrition needs couldvary with the individual.

“Each individual is dif-ferent,” Moseley said,adding people need to findthe right balance of carbo-hydrates, proteins andfat.

When you eat also isimportant. Alford said

breakfast gives a personthe energy and nutritionto start the day. You lit-erally are “breaking yourfast” with breakfast.

Moseley advises eatingevery three to four hoursto keep blood sugar levelsstable.

Reach Cathy Spauldingat (918) 684-2928 orcspaulding@muskogeephoenix.com.

Good nutrition boosts heart health

Staff photo by Cathy Spaulding

Muskogee County Health Department educator Martha Alford shows the recommended serving sizes of variousfoods. One cup of pasta would be the size of a computer mouse, three ounces of meat would be the size of a deckof cards. A tablespoon of peanut butter, the size of a film canister.

want to have a long,healthy life.”

She may already havea good start. At the kick-off, she tested her bodyfat, weight, body massindex resting metabo-lism and “body age” withan Omron full body sen-sor.

“It said I’m extrayoung, body-wise,” shesaid.

Joe Gordon, an assis-tant to ICTC’s Muskogeecampus director, said, “Ijust plan to eat better,and try to do somethingabout my weight situa-tion.”

Chandler said Musko-gee is the only one ofICTC’s four campuses –the others are at Stil-well, Tahlequah and Sal-lisaw – to have such anextensive fitness pro-gram. “We hope our oth-er campuses can take up

the challenge,” she said.Raasch said an in-

creasing number of areaemployers are encourag-ing health and fitnessprograms for their work-ers. Muskogee PublicSchools is active in theprogram, she said,adding that its 14schools are on the Certi-fied Healthy Schoolslist. Schools in Hulbert,Fort Gibson, Wagonerand Tahlequah also areon that list.

Connors State Collegeand Northeastern StateUniversity join ICTC onthe Certified HealthyCampus list. Muskogee,Hulbert and Tahlequahare listed as CertifiedHealthy Communities.

Reach Cathy Spauld-ing at (918) 684-2928 orcspaulding@muskogeephoenix.com.

Continued from Page 2

Employers encourage fitness

By Cathy SpauldingPhoenix Staff Writer

David Hensley remem-bers few things from thattime he came back towork after lunch June 28.

“I was walking acrossthe parking lot, got thehiccups and felt my stom-ach was upset. I thoughtit was food poisoning,” hesaid, adding that he felthot and sweaty. “Then Icollapsed in the parkinglot.”

Hensley, 49, recalledwaking up the next day inthe hospital having hadwhat he called a “widowmaker” heart attack.

“It was in the main ar-tery of my heart,” he said.“That was where they hadto put a stent in. I was inthe hospital four days. Icame back home aroundthe Fourth of July.”

What Hensley felt justbefore he collapsed fit thedescription of heart at-tack symptoms. MuskogeeCounty Emergency Med-ical Service Education Co-ordinator Laurel Havenssaid abdominal pain anddifficulty breathing aresome common symptomsof heart attack.

The main heart attacksymptom is chest pain,Havens said.

“You feel a lot of pres-sure round the chest andit radiates down the arm.”

Hensley recalled goingthrough the parking lotwondering “Why am I get-

ting so hot.”Havens said people

showing heart attacksymptoms need to be seenimmediately.

He quoted literaturefrom the American HeartAssociation that said peo-ple experiencing a heartattack should call an am-bulance.

“They should not drivethemselves to the hospi-tal or they may go uncon-scious,” Havens said.

Hensley said the heartattack taught him somelessons about eatingright.

“I watch what I eatnow,” he said. “I don’t eatfried foods as I used to,though I might go once amonth go get fried food. Iwatch my cholesterol. Forlunch, I eat tuna andcrackers. When I go home

I might have light turkeyand ham in a wrap.”

The man who recallsregularly going to Mexi-can restaurants andchicken wing establish-ments said, “I haven’t hada piece of chicken sincethe heart attack hap-pened.”

On the other hand,Hensley said he exercisedregularly before his heartattack. He said he’d liftweights or run on histreadmill at home.

Hensley said his family

has a history of heart dis-ease.

“My dad and both mygrandfathers died fromit,” he said. “So it runs inmy family pretty thick.”

He said his mother hada stent put in her heartabout 20 years ago and isstill going at age 70.

That’s good news.Common heart attack

symptoms in women dif-fer from those in men,Havens said.

“Women have what isknown as atypical symp-toms,” he said. “Theymight have abdominalpain and not really havechest pain. But that does-n’t mean they won’t havechest pain.”

Women also might feelshortness of breath, nau-sea/vomiting and back orjaw pain, according to theAmerican Heart Associa-tion website.

A key to preventing aheart attack involvesknowing the risks. Major

factors could include ad-vancing age, heredity andgender. Factors that canbe controlled include highblood pressure, high cho-lesterol levels, diabetesand weight.

The American HeartAssociation also saysthree main steps to pre-venting heart attack in-clude avoiding tobaccoproducts, becoming moreactive and choosing goodnutrition.

Hensley said he had aphysical screening threeyears ago and was told hewas overweight. Sincethen, he’s gone from 218to 180 pounds.

He said he’s doing whathis doctor tells him.

And its paying off, hesaid.

“At my last stress test,the doctor said I have theheart of a 25-year-old.”

Reach Cathy Spauldingat (918) 684-2928 orcspaulding@muskogeephoenix.com.

Know symptoms, risks for heart attackMuskogee Phoenix Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013 Page 4Living Well

012711431001

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Staff photo by Wendy Burton

David Hensley works on an elliptical machine at his home. Hensley had a heart at-tack in June. He said he exercised regularly before his heart attack and has changedhis diet to a more “heart healthy” one.

Managing weight,diet can help even

after episode