November is Prematurity Awareness Month

Prematurity is the leading killer of America’s newborns and contributes significantly to lifelong disabilities and health problems including:

• cerebral palsy
• intellectual disabilities
• chronic lung disease
• blindness
• hearing loss

1 in 8 babies are born too soon. Each year, 13 million preemies are born worldwide. More newborns die from premature birth than any other cause. In up to 40 percent of cases, the cause of prematurity is unknown.  March of Dimes researchers are seeking the causes of prematurity as a step toward developing effective ways to prevent it.

Visit www.marchofdimes.com to learn more.

America Recycles Day

America Recycles Day is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to the promotion of recycling programs in the United States. On November 15 communities across the country come together to celebrate and inform people of what we can all accomplish when we work together.

Visit  www.americarecyclesday.org to find a location near your community.

Here are 5 ways you can take action this year:

1. Know your local recycling system. Different communities have different standards for what can be recycled and how to do it. Visit Earth911.com and enter your zip code for your local information and resources.

2. Can it! Metals are among the most valuable materials in the waste stream. Aluminum and steel cans are always welcomed by recyclers, and most metals can be recycled infinitely with no loss of quality.

3. Make recycling easy on the road. Keep two bags in your car or truck to contain your trash – one bag for garbage, and one for recyclables. Pre-sorting makes it easier to transfer your recyclables to the proper container once you’ve reached your destination.

4.Answer the call to recycle your wireless phone! Hundreds of millions of out-of-service phones are waiting to be reused or recycled. Do you have one or more in your home? Find a local charity with a phone recycling program, or visit Earth911.com to find recyclers near you.

5.Plug in to E-cycling. We live in an electronic age and that’s creating a lot of electronic waste. Never throw old computers, monitors, TVs, printers, or other electronics in the landfill. Instead, donate them to a local charity for reuse, or find out about your local e-cycling programs.

November is National Family Caregivers Month

More than 65 million family caregivers in the United States fulfill a vital role on the care team. They are the most familiar with their care recipients’ medicine regimen, the most knowledgeable about the treatment regimen and they understand the importance of a dietary and exercise regimen. Celebrating Family Caregivers during NFC month enables all of us to:

• Raise awareness of family caregiver issues
• Celebrate the efforts of family caregivers
• Educate family caregivers about self-identification
• Increase support for family caregivers

For more information about National Family Caregivers Month click here

Healthy holiday eating

Scared about gaining weight over the holidays? We have 10 healthy holiday eating tips for you to consider during Thanksgiving this year:

1. Don’t skip breakfast or lunch on Thanksgiving day

2. Think of Thanksgiving as regular dinner and NOT a buffet

3. Enjoy time with your family outdoors before and after dinner to get in extra exercise

4. Increase your calcium intake to reduce acid reflux

5. Modify some of your recipes and make them healthier

6. Use a regular sized plate, not an extra large one

7. Socialize with your family during the meal

8. Don’t pig out on leftovers

9. Drink extra water to keep full

10. Remember to give thanks and focus on your family instead of food