Blowing Smoke

This Saturday May 1, 2010, the Dr. Ron Davis Smoke Free Air Law goes into effect in Michigan. Many restaurant and bar owners are concerned about losing customers, because of the law.

There will be a vocal minority of smokers who are going to voice their displeasure about not being able to smoke in a restaurant or bar. They are in the minority. Currently in Michigan, about 20% of the population smokes. That means 80% of us do not smoke.

We need to put a positive face on the Smoke Free Air Law. We want the restaurant and bar owners to realize their business will actually increase! I know of several restaurants I will visit now that I will be able to breathe clean air while I eat.

What can you do to help put a positive face on the Smoke Free Air Law? During the month of May, visit some restaurants you have avoided in the past because of the smoke. Tell the restaurant owners and managers how much you enjoy eating in their restaurants now that they are smoke free. With a smile on your face, tell them you plan to come back often!

Of course, let's not forget the people who will feel the effects of this new law. That is the people who are addicted to tobacco. As a former smoker, I can tell you, it is an addiction. As mentioned earlier, 20% of the Michigan population smokes. In the WISEWOMAN population it is closer to 30%.

Maybe this law will be the nudge your WISEWOMAN participant needs to help her decide to quit. If you have a WISEWOMAN participant who need help quitting, tell her about the Michigan Tobacco Quitline. The number is 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669).

Everything is Coming Up Veggies!

With the signs of spring now firmly in place around the state, WISEWOMAN is gearing up to begin another year of Entrepreneurial Gardening. This project, a partnership between WISEWOMAN in District Health Department #2 and Michigan State University Extension (MSUE), is in its third year and has WISEWOMAN participants growing fruits and vegetables in backyard and community gardens. The gardeners then sell their produce at local farmer’s markets.

The program was piloted in Ogemaw County under the leadership of Helen DeFlorio, Extension Educator (and Hometown Health Hero), with Ogemaw County MSUE. This year Helen will be instrumental in expanding the program throughout Northern Michigan.

Heart To Heart Truth

In April 2009 WISEWOMAN trained a group of women in White Cloud, MI to be “Heart to Heart Truth Lay Health Educators.” These lay health educators spread the word about leading a heart healthy lifestyle to their friends, families, and other women in the community. The experience gave them marketable presentation skills, and as an added bonus, they made some extra money! (We paid them for every time they delivered the message.)

The project was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Office on Women’s Health, Region V. It took place in Newaygo County Michigan. Newaygo County is a primarily rural county north of Grand Rapids. To make this work, we collaborated with Cheryl Griffin in District Health Department #10. Cheryl did a great job recruiting and supporting the lay health educators. We also worked with Kellie Owens, an intern from Michigan State University. Kellie did the post project interviews and helped out with evaluation.

In the end, five lay health educators provided healthy heart education sessions to 131 women in Newaygo County between April and June 2009! They delivered the sessions one-on-one and in group settings. They worked with their families, friends and colleagues, and they reached out to other groups of women in their community with the heart health message using an adapted version of the Heart Truth Campaign. It was a little like a heart healthy Tupperware party!

After finishing up the project, we talked to the lay health educators about the project. They said it felt good to share information that could inspire their friends and family to be healthier. All of them were excited about being teachers and motivators, and they were proud of their roles in the program. Overall, the project was quite positive for their self esteem.

We asked the lay health educators what surprised them about the project. They were shocked by the heart health statistics and by how many risk factors they had personally. They did not realize heart disease kills so many women.

As a result of the project, the lay health educators made healthy changes in their lives. They also saw changes in their family’s health behaviors. They and their families have started eating healthier meals and have become more physically active.

By teaching five women a lesson on heart health, the Heart to Heart Truth Lay Health Educators project made a positive impact on the lives of each of these educators and their families, as well as 131 women in the community who had the chance to hear the message.

You can view some photos from the training on our facebook site.

Top 10 List

10. WISEWOMAN has a facebook page
9. Entrepreneurial Gardening Project
8. WISEWOMAN helps women get healthy in the real world
7. Market Fresh coupons for participants to buy Michigan fruits and vegetables
6. Heart to Heart Truth Lay Health Educator Project
5. Family Life Intervention Component
4. Awesome Lifestyle Counselors!
3. National Women's Health Week Projects
2. Partnership with Michigan State University Extension

and the number 1 reason to support WISEWOMAN . . . . .

WISEWOMAN is a cool name

Stay tuned to this blog spot to find out about these projects and more!