EAT A HEALTHY DIET
Eating a healthy diet is a key step to feeling your best every day and supporting your immune system to avoid poor health in the future. Healthy eating is particularly important for children, pregnant women, and women considering pregnancy, all of whom require a full range of nutrients to ensure healthy childhood development. Poor nutrition can result in frequent illnesses, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and poor bone health, among other consequences, in both children and adults. A few simple steps can dramatically improve your diet:
- Consume at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
- Limit consumption of fats and sugars, commonly found in snack foods (cookies, potato chips, candies) and soft drinks.
- If you are overweight, the best diets begin by eating healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and low-fat meats.
- All diets, especially those with restricted calories, should be supervised by your primary care physician.
- If you feel you are not eating properly, supplement your diet with an over-the-counter multivitamin.
- Infants and children under the age of two years have special nutritional needs and different dietary guidelines than adults.
- Infants and children need a sufficient number of calories and nutrients to allow normal growth and development.
- Breast feeding and commercial formulas contain the calories and nutrients needed for infants in the first four to six months and may be supplemented with solid foods after this time.
Resources for Additional Information
The following web sites will help you in practicing healthy eating habits for you and your family:
Nutrition.gov
MyPyramid.gov
Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005
Kids Nutrition
African American Breastfeeding Alliance
EXERCISE REGULARLY
Daily exercise is essential to maintaining high energy levels, a normal body weight, and overall good health. An inactive lifestyle predisposes you to obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol
- Adults and children should strive for 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise per day.
- Aerobic exercise includes running, biking, playing team sports, swimming, and walking, among other activities.
- If you are limited physically in your activity, remember any exercise is better than none at all.
- Slowly increasing your activity levels will help you to build up exercise stamina.
Before beginning a new exercise regimen, you should visit your primary care physician for health screening and clearance.
Resources for Additional Information
The following websites will assist you in developing an exercise regimen right for you, monitoring your progress, and finding resources to involve you and your children in recreational activities:
Baltimore Recreation and Park
Just Move Fitness Center
Small Steps
Physical Activity for Everyone - Making Physical Activity Part of Your Life
ESTABLISH REGULAR MEDICAL CARE
Having a primary care physician who knows you well and whom you visit regularly is an essential step to maintaining good health.
- If you already have a primary medical doctor, schedule an appointment with him or her for a check-up. One of the best times to visit your doctor or to establish a relationship with a new physician is when you are feeling well.
- If you do not have a primary medical doctor or are without insurance, a number of local health centers offer low or no-cost care.
- If you are uninsured, contact Baltimore Health Care Access at 410-649-0521 to learn of available health insurance programs and contact Baltimore Access to Care Program at 410-396-9996 for information on local health centers providing free services.
- Ask your physician to test you for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), especially if you are unsure of your status.
- Ask your physician about recommended health screenings.
- Women over the age of twenty-one or younger women who are sexually active should have Pap smears at least every three years.
- Women over the age of forty should have a mammogram every one to two years.
- Everyone over fifty years old should have screening for colorectal cancer.
- All women who are pregnant or considering pregnancy should receive regular prenatal checkups.
- Children at ages one and two are required by law to be tested for lead levels. Contact the Baltimore City Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program at 410-361-9500.
- Children need to be updated on their immunizations regularly. For further information, contact the Baltimore City Immunization Program at 410-396-4454.
- Visits to the dentist every six months will preserve your best oral health. Contact Oral Health Services at 410-396-4501 for additional information.
Resources for Additional Information
The following will help you find a health care provider for both yourself and your children, regardless of your ability to pay or insurance status:
The following websites will give you specific information on the prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including where to find testing sites in your area:
The Baltimore City Health Department offers a number of clinics and medical services to meet your and your family's needs for regular medical checkups, health screening, and STD testing. Contact or visit the following sites for assistance with these programs:
Druid Family Health Center
Services Offered: family planning, STD clinic, oral health
1515 W. North Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21217
410-396-0176
Eastern Health Center
Services Offered: family planning, STD clinic, oral health, chest (tuberculosis) clinic
620 North Caroline Street
Baltimore, MD 21205
410-396-9410
Men's Health Center
1515 W. North Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21217
410-396-6367
Healthy Teens and Young Adults Clinic: 410-396-0353
Maternal and Infant Nursing: 410-396-9404
Baltimore City Healthy Start: 410-396-7318
School-Based Health Centers: 410-396-3185
The following websites will assist you in learning good overall health habits information, information about specific conditions, and how you can benefit from regular checkups with a primary care physician:
The following websites will help you select and communicate with your doctor:
AVOID RISKY BEHAVIORS AND UNHEALTHY HABITS
The most important way to protect your good health is to avoid activities that cause harm to your body. Now is the perfect time to:
- Quit smoking
- Stop using smokeless tobacco products
- Limit alcohol intake
- Stop or stay away from illicit drugs
- Practice safe sex by always using a condom and knowing your partner well
Resources for Additional Information
The following resources will provide you with information regarding tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs, including steps to help you quit using these substances:
PRACTICE SIMPLE SAFETY
You can avoid a large number of health problems by taking simple steps in your daily life to protect your and your family's safety:
- Apply sunscreen prior to any sun exposure and reapply regularly.
- Sunscreens are not recommended for infants under six months, who should wear sun protective clothing whenever outdoors.
- Wear a seatbelt every time you are in an automobile.
- Place young children in properly installed car safety seats for all trips in an automobile.
- Wash your hands frequently, especially prior to eating meals and after using the restroom.
- If you have a gun in your home, keep it unloaded and locked up in a location hidden away from children.
- Carefully supervise children in and around swimming pools, beaches, and oceans.
- Keep matches, lighters, and fire works away from unsupervised children.
- Install smoke alarms in your household and check their batteries regularly.
- Wear a helmet and bright clothing at all times when riding a bicycle or motorcycle.
- Provide safe environments for infants to sleep. An infant sleeps safest alone in a crib on his or her back.
Resources for Additional Information
The following resources will help you learn more about safety techniques you can apply to your daily life:
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www.ci.baltimore.md.us/government/health/healthtips.html
