An initiative of the North Carolina Council of Churches

January 2010

Partners in Health and Wholeness Newsletter
A Newsletter by the North Carolina Council of Churches

Vol. 2, No. 1

Key Topic in this Issue:
Tobacco Use Preventation and Cessation

In this Issue:
Program Update
Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation
Sample Recipe
A Healthy Choice
Laughter is the Best Medicine
Announcements

PROGRAM UPDATE

Partners in Health and Wholeness Certification Program

As of January 1, 2010, congregations from across the state of North Carolina can obtain special certification as a result of their efforts to create healthy and whole congregants.

To become a Bronze Congregation and receive recognition from the North Carolina Council of Churches and/or your judicatory, please verify that you have taken the following three steps:

  1. Identify a health contact person within your congregation to take the lead on organizing and/or promoting health programs and to serve as a point of contact for PHW staff
  2. Create tobacco-free buildings
  3. Serve water and healthier food items, including fresh fruits and vegetables, as an option at events. For tips on how to prepare healthier meals, read "A Healthy Choice" below.

You may submit your verification at any time during 2010, but in order to be recognized at the Faith and Health Summit in March, your verification must be received by March 1, 2010.

Additional tiers of PHW Certification will be announced soon. To enroll your congregation in this initial level of certification or for more information, please visit our website.

Faith and Health Summit

The Partners in Health and Wholeness Program, with generous support from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation and Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, will hold its Faith and Health Summit on Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at First Baptist Church (located at 101 S. Wilmington St.) in downtown Raleigh. The theme for this special day-long event is, "Presenting our bodies as living sacrifices, healthy and acceptable unto God!"

Gary Gunderson, a nationally recognized expert on issues related to faith and health, will give the keynote address, and a series of workshops will be offered to:

  1. Illustrate the spiritual relevance of healthy living
  2. Bring awareness to local programs and resources that are available to people of faith to help them lead healthier, more fulfilling lives
  3. Engage health, faith and political leaders in critical discussions about cultivating and safeguarding key partnerships

To reserve your spot at this important gathering of clergy, congregants and public health professionals from across the state, please click here.

New Logo & Updated Web site

The PHW Web site has gotten a facelift! It not only looks better but provides more substantive information related to the mission of PHW, our health partners, and other resources that are available to people of faith. Check it out: Click here.

On the Home page of the PHW Web site and at the top of this newsletter, you will also find the new PHW logo. It was designed by Carol F. Majors of Publications Unltd.® and illustrates the mission of our program - 1) to promote health as a faith issue (represented by the Jerusalem cross at the center of the logo), 2) to build key partnerships between existing health programs across the state and the Council's more than 6,000 affiliated churches (represented by the four burgundy-colored hands surrounding the cross), and 3) to facilitate our congregations to serve as health promotion centers in the community, helping people of faith to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives (represented by the sun - a symbol of happiness, life and spirituality - that is formed by connecting all of the hands together).

Meetings with Judicatory Heads

To date, Willona Akingbade, PHW Program Director, and Rev. George Reed, Executive Director of the North Carolina Council of Churches, have met with 19 of the Council's Judicatory Heads in order to gain their support for PHW and to learn about any health initiatives already taking place within our member bodies.

These meetings have been extremely helpful to PHW staff as we continue to formulate our plans for the upcoming year. We have discovered that important health-related activities are already taking place in several churches - e.g., health fairs and screenings, parish nursing programs, no smoking policies, free health clinics, substance abuse programs, global health initiatives, etc. - but there seems to be a lack of collaboration among the different congregations, regardless of denominational ties or geographic proximity. PHW will work to reverse this trend by encouraging resource sharing both between and within our member bodies through the PHW Certification Program and other activities.

TOBACCO USE PREVENTION AND CESSATION

It is no secret that cigarette smoking is unhealthy. The first Surgeon General's report on the health risk of smoking was published more than forty years ago, in 1964. We now know that smoking is associated with different types of cancers including those of the lung and throat, lung diseases such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis, poorer birth outcomes in women (e.g., babies of lower birth weight), and coronary heart and cardiovascular diseases.

Despite these alarming findings, smoking remains the number one cause of preventable death in the United States. In North Carolina, the impact of smoking is even more pronounced - the percentage of adults who smoke in this state (22.9%) is higher than the U.S. as a whole; smoking claims the lives of 12,200 adults in North Carolina each year; and it is estimated that 193,000 children who are now under the age of 18 will die prematurely from this menacing risk factor.

Perhaps even more disturbing is that you do not have to smoke in order to die from a smoking-related disease, as secondhand smoke claims the lives of nearly 2,000 adult nonsmokers in North Carolina each year. According to researchers, as little as 30 minutes of exposure to secondhand smoke can trigger a heart attack in someone with heart disease.

But wait, it's not all bad news! North Carolina has cause to celebrate!!

As of January 2, 2010, most restaurants and bars in North Carolina are now smoke-free! This new law is expected to save countless lives and health care dollars for our state. In fact, it is estimated that North Carolina will save more than $48 billion as a result of reduced hospital admissions and overall deaths.

To learn more about the NC Smoke-Free Law as well as community events marking this critical piece of legislation in your area, please visit www.smokefree.nc.gov or www.ncallianceforhealth.org.

To get help with quitting smoking for yourself or a loved one, please call the NC Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

SAMPLE RECIPE

Zucchini Lasagna

6 servings

Ingredients:

  • ½ pound cooked lasagna noodles (in unsalted water)
  • ¾ cup mozzarella cheese, part-skim, grated
  • 1 ½ cup cottage cheese, fat free
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 ½ cup zucchini, raw, sliced
  • 2 ½ cup tomato sauce, no salt added
  • 2 tsp basil, dried
  • 2 tsp oregano, dried
  • ¼ cup onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Lightly spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with vegetable oil spray.
  2. In a small bowl, combine 1/8 cup mozzarella and 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, combine remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese with all of the cottage cheese. Mix well and set aside.
  4. Combine tomato sauce with remaining ingredients. Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Add a third of the noodles in a single layer. Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture on top. Add a layer of zucchini. Repeat layering. Add a thin coating of sauce. Top with noodles, sauce, and reserved cheese mixture. Cover with aluminum foil.
  5. Bake 30 to 40 minutes. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Cut into 6 portions.

Nutritional Analysis (per serving)

Calories: 276
Total Fat: 5 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 11 mg
Sodium: 380 mg

Courtesy of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

A HEALTHY CHOICE:
Tips for Preparing Healthier Church Meals

  • Choose low fat or skim milk instead of whole milk
  • Serve water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages
  • Choose whole grain and low fat breads and pastas instead of regular breads and pastas
  • Instead of frying chicken or meat, grill or bake it
  • Try cooking a lower fat or lower calorie version of your favorite foods
  • Choose low sodium beverages, vegetables and soups
  • Serve smaller portions of food

Adapted from the NC Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch, 2004. African American Churches Eating Smart and Moving More: A Planning and Resource Guide.

LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE

"If we see you smoking, we will assume you are on fire and take appropriate action!" - Douglas Adams, English humorist & science fiction novelist

**Side note: Can't you just hear restaurant and bar owners in NC making this statement to defiant patrons now that we are smoke-free?

ANNOUNCEMENTS

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 Akingbade at willona@nccouncilofchurches.org:

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

Thank you!!

Citations available upon request