Public servants target of health campaign

(CNS): Civil servants have are being given some help keeping New Year’s resolutions to get healthy with a series of presentations by the Civil Service College. The newly introduced Health and Wellness Week aims to empower civil servants to take ownership of their health, government officials stated. CSC Deputy Director Andrea Fa’amoe explained that the college is organising activities focused around the theme of wellness during the second week of every month this year. At the first Lunch and Learn event on Monday (7 January), participants learnt from Heart Health Centre’s Education and Programmes Coordinator, Jodie Kelley, RN, that heart disease is preventable.

Strategies for prevention include keeping: blood sugar; blood pressure; triglycerides and cholesterol, especially LDL, or bad cholesterol, within prescribed limits, while exercising regularly, eating right, cutting out smoking and immoderate alcohol use, as well as managing, if not reducing, stress.

Nurse Kelley reminded the audience that New Year’s resolutions have a better chance of success if they are "very specific, realistic and forgiving". So, she said, resolving to walk 30 minutes a day for three days a week, has a far better of chance for success than vowing to walk five miles every day. "But get moving! Exercise is by far the best "pill" you can take,” she told the public servants

Kelly said heart disease continues to be the primary cause of death in the Cayman Islands, spurred by uncontrolled high blood pressure and diabetes, as well as a bad diet and genetic predisposition. "The way you live daily affects your heart," she cautioned.

On Tuesday the presentation focused on nutrition, Wednesday’s on physical fitness and Thursday’s family well-being and the scheduled topic for Friday is finance.

For more information on heart-health visit info@hearthealthcayman.com or www.hearthealthcayman.com