An initiative of the North Carolina Council of Churches

April 2011

The Faith & Health Perspective
A Newsletter by the North Carolina Council of Churches

Key Topic in this Issue:
Stroke Awareness and Prevention

In this Issue:
Stroke Awareness Month
Program Update
Sample Recipe
Laughter is the Best Medicine
Announcements

MAY IS STROKE AWARENESS MONTH

Stroke – the third leading cause of death in America after heart disease and cancer – can be prevented by eating healthily, maintaining a healthy body weight, being physically active, not smoking, limiting your alcohol use and managing existing medical conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.  According to the American Stroke Association, warning signs for stroke include:

  • Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body;
  • Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding;
  • Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes;
  • Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination;
  • Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.

If you experience any of the above warning signs, please call 911 immediately. 

As people of faith, we understand the importance of living a healthy lifestyle, practicing self-control, setting a positive example for others to follow and being good stewards of what God has given to us – our physical bodies included.  We also know that when we seek health and wholeness for ourselves, we enhance our ability to witness to and serve the wider community.

During the month of May, our friends at the American Heart Association (AHA) are encouraging congregations to draw attention to the problem of stroke by hosting a Power Sunday or simply emailing or texting the following message to people you know who are at risk for stroke:

Did you know that people who smoke, may be overweight, have high blood pressure, diabetes or a family history of heart disease or stroke are at increased risk of being disabled or dying from a stroke?  These are key risk factors for stroke.  I care about you and want to make sure you are in my life.  Please take two minutes to visit www.powertoendstroke.org/take2save2 to learn how you can prevent stroke by reducing your risk factors.  Then, pass it on; take two minutes to send others you care about special health messages that just might save their lives.  You are the Power to End Stroke.

Have a Powerful day,
[Your Name]

Together, we can make a difference!  If you have any questions about hosting a Power Sunday or would like more information about stroke prevention in general, please visit www.powertoendstroke.org or contact Chelsea Reeves, AHA Director of Health Equity, at chelsea.reeves@heart.org or 919-463-8352.

WHEN ONE SUFFERS, WE ALL SUFFER

In the July 2010 issue of The Faith & Health Perspective, we focused on the elimination of health disparities, noting that certain groups – whether based on their race, ethnicity, age, sex, disability status, geography (urban vs. rural) or socioeconomic status – suffer disproportionately from certain diseases and other indicators of poor health.  To illustrate, cardiovascular disease, including stroke, is the leading cause of death for African Americans and claims more women’s lives than all forms of cancer.  

Our scriptures teach that we are one body, the body of Christ, and that when one member suffers, we all suffer (I Cor. 12:26).  Therefore, may we spread a message of hope and disease prevention to individuals who suffer disproportionately from heart disease and stroke – i.e., people of color and women. 

PROGRAM UPDATE

PHW Certification Program

Sixty-three congregations have achieved PHW Bronze, Silver and/or Gold Certification to date, demonstrating their commitment to better health by increasing their physical activity, eating healthily and not using tobacco products.

The following four congregations have achieved PHW’s highest honor -  PHW Gold Certification: Green Street United Methodist Church in Winston-Salem, Prospect Presbyterian Church in Mooresville, Woodleaf United Methodist Church in Woodleaf, and Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Eastover.  Some of their activities include: hosting Health Awareness Sundays where they talk about the importance of health stewardship (i.e., eating nutritious foods and being physically active); advocating for long-term solutions to worldwide hunger and industrial air pollution; providing free health clinics once a week for those in need; partnering with their local health departments; and even having their pastors model good health by maintaining a healthy body weight.

The Council is proud of all of the good health-related programs and activities being led by and offered to people of faith across the state.  To read a newspaper article about the efforts of PHW’s very first Gold Certified congregation, Prospect Presbyterian in Mooresville, please click here.  If you would like to learn more about the PHW Certification Program and/or view a complete listing of our current PHW Certified congregations, please click here. 

PHW Blog – Stay Connected!

There are lots of opportunities available to people of faith in North Carolina who seek to improve their health and make a difference in their community.  To keep informed, please read the PHW blog on a regular basis and engage other people of faith in a discussion about important health-related issues by posting online comments.  Examples of recent PHW blog posts include: “Community Gardens Springing up in Raleigh”, “Are Church Potlucks Making Us Fat?”, and “PHW at Chronic Disease Legislative Awareness Day”. 

Congregations are also encouraged to submit videos and pictures of your health promotion efforts to Willona Stallings, PHW Program Coordinator, at willona@nccouncilofchurches.org in order to have them included in future PHW newsletters and on the PHW website.  Thanks for your support!

SAMPLE RECIPE

Curried Chicken Salad with Grapes
Total Servings: 6
Serving Size: 1 cup

Salad

  • 3 cups cooked, cubed chicken breasts
  • 1 ½ cups halved green or red grapes
  • ½ cup sliced celery
  • 2 tbsp. sliced scallions
  • ½ cup diced red pepper

Dressing

  • ¾ cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp. orange juice
  • 1 tsp. curry powder
  • Fresh ground pepper to taste

Combine all salad ingredients.  Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together until smooth. Toss the dressing with the salad and serve.

Courtesy of the North Carolina A. Philip Randolph Institute, Inc.

LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE

At one point during a game, the coach called one of his 7-year-old baseball players aside and asked, "Do you understand what cooperation is? Do you know what a team is?"

The little boy nodded in the affirmative.

"Do you understand that what matters [most] is, whether win or lose, [we are] a team?"

The little boy nodded yes.

"So," the coach continued, "I'm sure you know, when an out is called, you shouldn't argue with or curse at the umpire, or call him names. Do you understand all that?"

Again the little boy nodded.

The coach continued, "And when I take you out of the game so another boy gets a chance to play, it's not good sportsmanship to call your coach names, is it?"

Again the little boy nodded.

"Good," said the coach. "Now go over there and explain all that to your parents."

Courtesy of NCI-Frederick Scientific Library’s “Laugh for the Health of It!”

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Important Correction
In a previous Constant Contact message sent on February 2, 2011 and titled, “Partners in Health and Wholeness Certification Program: Bronze, Silver and Gold Certificates Now Available”, the location of Cameron Grove African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church was mistakenly listed as Raleigh.  Cameron Grove, a current PHW Bronze and Silver Certified congregation, is actually located in Broadway, NC.

Upcoming Health Events

If you would like to announce an upcoming health event that is taking place at your church or within your community, please email the following information to Willona Stallings at willona@nccouncilofchurches.org:

  • Date, time and location of the event
  • Purpose
  • Intended audience
  • Other information that might be of benefit to person who wish to attend

THANK YOU!!

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