New Year’s resolutions. Sometimes they stick. Sometimes they don’t. But a new year can be a good time for a fresh start. The key might be not to over promise yourself that you will be perfect, because no one is.

If you don’t want to go on a restrictive diet and not allow yourself any treats, how about just making one change at a time? Maybe incorporate more fruit into your diet and trade it out for some of the sweets you usually eat. Or cut back on drinking. If you already go to a gym to work out, think of a way to spruce up your exercise routine. If you don’t have a fitness regimen, maybe start walking 15 or 20 minutes a day.

On the other hand, if you do want to try some more sweeping habit adjustments, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers some tips. Feel free to mix and match, adapt what you can and maybe leave room for improvement in 2019.

Make healthy food choices. A healthy eating plan emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts and is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium) and added sugars.

Be active to improve overall health. Try simple things such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Consider mall walking if the weather is cold or icy. Be active for at least 2½ hours a week.

Be smoke-free. If you are ready to quit, call the West Virginia Tobacco Quitline at 1-877-966-8784, or 1-855-DÉJELO-YA (1-855-335-3569 for Spanish speakers) for free resources, including free quit coaching, a free quit plan, free educational materials and referrals to other resources where you live. Need inspiration? Check out these videos from the CDC’s Tips From Former Smokers campaign. You can also check out the West Virginia Division of Tobacco Prevention’s website. Historically a state with one of the highest percentages of adult smokers, West Virginia just saw that rate drop by four points, thanks in large part to former middle and high schoolers who never smoked and have aged into adult. Let’s keep that number dropping!

Get enough sleep. Insufficient sleep is associated with a number of chronic diseases and conditions—such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and depression. Adults should get at least seven hours of sleep each night, if not more. As you age into your 60s and beyond, eight or nine hours is even better.

Other options for self-improvement include taking a class or learning a new language. Or joining a book club. There are local and online options. You will learn new things, meet new people and make new connections.

Whatever you decide to do, resolve to make 2018 a healthy, happy and productive year. Happy New Year!

There have been some great “Twelve Days of Christmas” parodies over the years, so why shouldn’t the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention add one into the mix? After all, the holiday season coincides with the start of cold weather and winter, and when you gather together with friends and relatives, you want to exchange goodwill and gifts, not a cold or the flu.

So sing along to the “Twelve Ways to Health Holiday Song”—click on the above link and hear a recorded version--and remember to wash your hands, get your flu vaccine, indulge in food and drink safely and with moderation and stay warm and joyful during these celebratory times.

Here we go:

The first way to health, said the CDC to me
Wash hands to be safe and healthy.

The second way to health, said the CDC to me
Bundle up for warmth, and wash hands to be safe and healthy.

The third way to health, said the CDC to me
Manage stress, bundle up for warmth and wash hands to be safe and healthy.

The fourth way to health, said the CDC to me
Don’t drink and drive, manage stress, bundle up for warmth and wash hands to be safe and healthy.

The fifth way to health, said the CDC to me
be smoke-free, don’t drink and drive, manage stress, bundle up for warmth and wash hands to be safe and healthy.

The sixth way to health, said the CDC to me
Fasten belts while driving, be smoke-free, don’t drink and drive, manage stress, bundle up for warmth and wash hands to be safe and healthy.

The seventh way to health, said the CDC to me
Get exams and screenings, fasten belts while driving, be smoke-free, don’t drink and drive, manage stress, bundle up for warmth and wash hands to be safe and healthy.

The eighth way to health, said the CDC to me
Get your vaccinations, get exams and screenings, fasten belts while driving, be smoke-free, don’t drink and drive, manage stress, bundle up for warmth and wash hands to be safe and healthy.

The ninth way to health, said the CDC to me
Monitor the children, get your vaccinations, get exams and screenings, fasten belts while driving, be smoke-free, don’t drink and drive, manage stress, bundle up for warmth and wash hands to be safe and healthy.

The tenth way to health, said the CDC to me
Practice fire safety, monitor the children, get your vaccinations, get exams and screenings, fasten belts while driving, be smoke-free, don’t drink and drive, manage stress, bundle up for warmth and wash hands to be safe and healthy.

The eleventh way to health, said the CDC to me
Prepare dinner safely, practice fire safety, monitor the children, get your vaccinations, get exams and screenings, fasten belts while driving, be smoke-free, don’t drink and drive, manage stress, bundle up for warmth and wash hands to be safe and healthy.

The twelfth way to health, said the CDC to me
Eat well and get moving, prepare dinner safely, practice fire safety, monitor the children, get your vaccinations, get exams and screenings, fasten belts while driving, be smoke-free, don’t drink and drive, manage stress, bundle up for warmth and wash hands to be safe and healthy.

The CDC also offers some tips that didn’t make it into the song that can help us navigate temptations in a healthy manner. Such as, reach for veggies instead of salty and sugary snacks. When gathering together with family and friends, round some of them up for a walk or a hike. It’s also a good time to talk to them about family health history. Make sure you get plenty of sleep. Don’t smoke, and avoid other people’s second-hand smoke.

Most of all, relax and have a great time with family!

Fidget spinners hit the market earlier this year with a bang. When I attended a family-friend music performance by some friends in the spring, I realized what a big deal they were. Just about every kid in the casual audience had one of the three-armed toys that features a ball bearing in the center that propels it to twirl easily.

That means fidget spinners are probably on a few Christmas lists this year. But as with any toy, parents should do some research to make sure it’s age-appropriate for their children.

According to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, fidget spinners definitely should not be in the hands of kids under 3 years of age and are usually recommended for children at least 12 years old, if not 14. Even if you intend the spinner as a gift for an older child, that means there should be some supervision or, for a change, some lecturing against sharing—or maybe both.

According to the CPSC:

• The plastic and metal spinners have small pieces that can be a choking hazard. Choking incidents involving children up to age 14 have been reported.

• “Light-up” fidget spinners may come with button or lithium coin cell batteries. These batteries are an ingestion risk for children and the larger lithium coin cells can lead to severe burns in the esophagus.

• Children of all ages should be warned not to put fidget spinners or small pieces in their mouths and not to play with the fidget spinner near their faces.

An additional set of guidelines can be applied to battery-operated fidget spinners, and the advice is also relevant for other battery-operated toys:

• Be present when products with batteries are charging.

• Never charge a product with batteries overnight while you are sleeping.

• Unplug your fidget spinner immediately once it is fully charged. If there is no indicator showing a full charge, unplug after one hour.

• Always use the cable that came with the fidget spinner.

• If the fidget spinner did not come with a cable, make sure the cable you use is undamaged and has the correct connections for charging.

• Have working smoke alarms in your house to protect you if there is a fire.

Of course, fidget spinners are not the only toys that require supervision and instructions to follow. Parents should always check a toy’s age guidelines to make sure it any toy is good fit for their child’s age, development and maturity level. Smaller items such as marbles, or toys with parts that can be taken or ripped off and are small enough for children to ingest, should not be given to kids 3 and under. These include magnets and “button” batteries, which can cause serious injury or death if ingested. One guideline is that if a piece can fit inside a toilet paper roll, it is not appropriate for kids in that age range.

Most toy-related injuries involve cuts and bruises, often to the head and face. But riding toys—especially non-motorized scooters—were responsible for nearly half of the toy-related deaths in 2016. Any riding toys—bikes, scooters, skateboards, skates—should be accompanied by the appropriate protective gear, which can include helmets and knee and wrist pads.

Other assurances to look for include crayons and markers that are labeled nontoxic and toys in general that are marked ATSM, which means the item has met the American Society for Testing and Materials Standards.

And once the toys have been unwrapped and are in use, remember to supervise, supervise, supervise. Everyone wants to have happy holidays and spending time with your kids as they get accustomed to new toys is a great way to do that and make sure they stay safe.

Mary Wade Triplett is the public information officer for the Monongalia County Health Department.

It’s that time of year. No, not the holidays, although that season has arrived.
It’s also a time of sniffling and sneezing, and if you are really unlucky, fatigue and body aches and tummy upsets.

Yes, it’s flu season. And it’s no coincidence that we are in the midst of both National Influenza Vaccination Week and National Handwashing Awareness Week.

The two go hand in hand, you could say. As does winter, which begins in three weeks, just as everyone is enjoying the hustle and bustle of shopping, cooking, planning and visiting with family and friends.

Nobody wants to miss out on all the fun. Or exchange illnesses with loved ones instead of presents on the big day when everyone gathers together.

But there is good news. The Monongalia County Health Department still has flu vaccines available. You can make an appointment to get one by calling 304-598-5119.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention likes to point out that a flu vaccine is still your best bet against catching the flu. This year’s vaccine is a quadrivalent, meaning that it will protect against what health officials believe will be the four flu strains most likely to be circulating this season.

Just about everyone 6 months of age and older should get a flu shot. Exceptions could be people with egg allergies, although they can talk to their doctor to see if it’s the right choice for them depending on the potential severity of their reaction.

Pregnant women, those who are 65 and older and people with compromised immune systems should seriously consider getting a flu shot. An expectant mother passes the protection on to her unborn child, who cannot be inoculated for the first six months of life. And the elderly and those with illnesses such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis and emphysema are more at risk for flu complications. Sinus and ear infections can be mild complications. Pneumonia and hospitalization are more serious ones.

While getting your flu shot is the primary way to avoid the flu, a great ancillary measure is common-sense cleanliness. You should always wash your hands after going to the bathroom and blowing your nose; flu season is a good time to step up those efforts and be extra vigilant.

Things to avoid include: sick people, going to work while you are sick, touching your eyes, nose and mouth and coughing or sneezing into your hand. Elbows come in handy when you want to cover a sneeze and do not have a tissue handy. Fun fact: I’ve changed check-out lanes when I’ve witnessed a clerk exhibit the aforementioned behavior that sent germs into the hands that would be touching my items. You can never be too careful. And you can bet I wipe down my cart handles when I enter the store.

As for washing hands, soap and water is best with 20 seconds of scrubbing. If you are not near a sink, hand sanitizer is better than nothing.

So make this holiday season about the holiday, and not coughing, sneezing and missing out on all the fun. Get your flu shot and practice good health habits this winter.

Mary Wade Triplett is the public information officer at the Monongalia County Health Department.