¡New year -- New you!

Every year on January 1, people across the globe make New Year's resolutions.
Some write a list of the top things they want to change in their lives, set goals for the coming year, or even pick that same one thing they have yet  to master.
Most common among resolutions is to lose weight, eat right and get healthy.
We support that one entirely. Good health is the hallmark for a good life in so many ways.
In the last 25 years, resolutions concerning weight, exercise, better relationships and quitting smoking have been at the top of the list, according to Dr. John C. Norcross, co-author of Changing for Good.
This year, let's not make resolutions a trite statement with no real meaning behind it. Let's actually do it.

Here are some simple tips to get healthier in 2011:

• Eat right.

Make wise choices in the types of foods you eat; add lean proteins, more fruits and vegetables, and monitor portion sizes. Eat food low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate sugars. Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water daily. Write what you eat down to help you keep track of your intake; a food journal forces you to be aware of what you eat.

• Exercise more.

For exercise to help with weight loss, experts advise regular aerobic physical activity, such as walking, biking or swimming, for at least 20 to 30 minutes a day, three to five times a week. If you're a beginner, start slow, but be consistent and determined. Join a fitness center, or take classes at area health centers like the YMCA of Greater Springfield on Chestnut Street.

• Get health exams.

It's important to know the state of your physical health before you begin any exercise regimen. Check with your doctor to see if you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol. For woman, get annual breast and gynecological exams. For men, get prostrate exams as needed. Regular exams are preventative and proactive measures to minimize health risks.

• Get support.

Find a friend, family member, co-worker or someone else with similar "get healthy" goals to serve as an accountability partner, to offer support when you're feeling unmotivated. Programs such as Weight Watchers or working with a dietitian, nutritionist or personal trainer are also effective ways to garner support and learn new ideas and strategies to getting and staying healthy. Use the many online tools and websites available to give you a framework for getting and staying healthy, such as WebMd's diet assessment tool. Also, regularly visit the Mason Square Health Task Force website.

Now, start your new year right. Stay focused. Stay positive. And remember: Take one step at a time.
Happy New Year!

A giving spirit IS a healthy spirit

"Every man must decide whether he will walk in the creative light of altruism or the darkness of selfishness. This is the judgment. Life’s persistent and most urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’ " -- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Dressed as Santa, Orlando Ramos gives gifts
to the children in his old neighborhood.

Can helping others really help us? According to research by mental health experts, the answer is a profound yes. Giving back to your community, or paying it forward to help others, even in small ways is fulfilling for yourself and for the recipient. We like ourselves just a little bit more knowing we are helping someone in need. Even small deeds matter, whether shoveling a neighbor's walk or cleaning the snow off some one's car, taking out an elderly person's trash, or even saying 'hi' to a stranger can make a difference to brighten the day. This makes us feel connected as a community. This reminds us to be grateful for what we have ourselves, and for others around us. A giver's spirit is healthy, not just emotionally, but also physically. We feel better when our hearts and minds are at peace, when we know we've helped someone else.

Springfield resident Orlando Ramos looks forward to the times when he can give back to his community. In particular, every year at Christmas, Ramos buys toys out of his own pocket to give to the kids in the neighborhood where he grew up on Manilla Avenue in Springfield. Located in the Pine Point section, the neighborhood where Ramos was raised is made up 20 duplexes, largely of low-income housing, and managed by the Springfield Housing Authority, he said.

"I moved out eight years ago in 2002, but I still take good care of the people that live there, especially the kids," Ramos, a former City Council candidate, said. Ramos has dressed as Santa for the past five years, bringing presents door-to-door to the kids on Manilla Avenue. He usually spends between $200 to $300. This year, 46 children ages 12 and under will receive gifts on Christmas day. 
"I do this because I care about these children," Ramos said. "I believe in the words in the Bible, Acts 20:35 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' I feel that God has blessed me in many ways, and I like to take advantage of every opportunity to give back. It's a blessing to be able to put a smile on the children's faces on Christmas. That for me is reward in itself."


There are transformative power's in giving. Let's all commit to having a giver's spirit this holiday season and in 2011.

MOCHA selects new coordinator, launches new events to raise men's health awareness

Trevis Wray and Coach Dee Brown

The Men of Color Health Awareness (MOCHA) campaign has hired  a new coordinator in its efforts to steadily raise awareness about health issues and disparities that effect men of color in Greater Springfield.

Trevis Wray, program officer and community leadership coordinator of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, will also serve as coordinator of MOCHA.

"For me, the health disparities facing men of color are real. I'm living with this and seeing it in my community and in my life everyday," Wray said, noting that statistics on morbidity and mortality rates of men of color are markedly higher than for whites. "Even in my own family and extended outward, I can see the currents of the typical illnesses that plague our community heavily - diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, alcoholism and more."

Wray said to keep the conversation about health and health awareness on the tips of every one's tongue, the initiative will host an on-going speaker series with leaders in the area of health, wellness and the community. The first speaker in the series is Coach Dee Brown, former NBA star and coach of the Springfield Armor.

Brown will speak about the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle and exercise on Wed., Dec. 15, at the Springfield YMCA, 275 Chestnut St., Springfield, MA at 6:30 p.m. All are welcome to attend.

We encourage everyone to attend MOCHA events as a means to get men of color in our community healthy and informed.

The Mason Square Health Task Force is part of a community collaborative working with MOCHA that includes Baystate Health, Black Men of Greater Springfield, the YMCA of Greater Springfield and others. The YMCA will facilitate a variety of wellness classes ranging from food and fitness to financial literacy.

The Mason Square Health Task Force applauds MOCHA and encourages all men to get and stay healthy!

What does a healthy neighborhood look like to you?

In every community there is a neighborhood or two that seems to have a societal stigma attached to it, whether from ill-founded cultural biases to actual disparaging factors that may exist.

If you live in Springfield, one of the areas in the community that appears to have such a stigma is the 01109 zip code, which is five sections of the city largely identified as Mason Square. 

People believe there is so much violence and drugs in these neighborhoods that students who attend the surrounding colleges are sometimes warned to not get too far away from their campus. I believe the Mason Square area is no more violent or drug infested than any other zip code in Springfield. If the police collected data on violence and drugs in this area, they would probably come to the same conclusion.

A healthy neighborhood has neighbors who know each other; they greet each other in the morning and bid each other good night in the evening when they are out. They look out for their neighbor’s property and children. A healthy neighborhood looks like a community the President of the United States would be glad to bring his or her children for vacation or to see the Basketball Hall of Fame. What do you think a healthy neighborhood looks like? Go to masonsquarehealthtaskforce.org and check out the website, and then I encourage you to submit your opinion to zgovan@mlkjrfamilyservices.org.  I know your ideas will resemble Mason Square.

If you want to get involved in helping to continue to keep Mason Square healthy and make it even healthier, join the Mason Square Health Task Force. The quarterly meeting will be on Dec. 16, 2010 at Rebecca Johnson School. For more information, contact me at (413) 739-4901 or email me at zgovan@mlkjrfamilyservices.org. 

Growing up in Springfield, I remember being able to hang out with my friends and my brothers'  friends and just having a good time. The city is still the same!  The media would like to portray Springfield as a crime infested city that no one wants to live in. That is the farthest thing from the truth. Traveling to California, Louisiana, Florida, New York and other major cities, it is clear that Springfield is a great city to live in. Mason Square is one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in the City of Homes. The old Victorian homes are something to treasure and exhibit. Many great things and people have lived here, and great things happened in this area including the birth of basketball, the Indian motorcycle, great leader Primus Mason, great colleges, and many more. Great things continue to happen here, and great people continue to live here.

The next time you drive up and down State Street take notice of the positive things in Mason Square. Look at the new trees that were planted recently, the paved streets and the beautiful friendly people waiting for the bus, or walking down the street. If the media would focus on these, they would see that there is more positive than negative in Mason Square. The children walking to and from school are innocent and need to be protected from negative influences. It is our responsibility to do this. To start, we have to focus on the positive. Give them an  opportunity to grow up healthy and safe from the ills that face us and other places in this country.

Old Man Winter is peeking around the corner: Are you ready for his arrival?

This may be a hard pill to swallow right now, but the fact is we live in New England, and in New England winter means snow.

"Oh but the leaves are just starting to fall; we're still having a bit of an Indian Summer," you may say. That can change in an instant. What that means is be prepared. Protect yourself from the harshness of Old Man Winter in a variety of ways - from the clothes you wear to the tools and technique you use in shoveling snow.

Every year, physicians and staff at Baystate Medical Center advise people on the ill effects of improper shoveling, frost bite and other maladies that occur during the winter months. As the area's only and largest trauma center, BMC in Springfield treats an increasing number of patients who incur heart attacks, back injuries and severe frostbite during New England's harsh winter season.

"If you haven't already, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself on how to protect your heart while removing that often beautiful, but heavy white stuff," said Dr. John Santoro, vice chairman, Emergency Medicine, Baystate Medical Center, on the Baystate Health news website. "Persons who have coronary artery disease and other illness should avoid exposure to cold weather, especially when shoveling."  Anyone experiencing symptoms suggestive of a heart attack should be brought to the Emergency Department immediately.

Signs and symptoms of a heart attack include:

• Pressure or pain in the chest, arms or neck
• Nausea.
• Lightheadedness.
• Sweating or feeling clammy.
• Unusual fatigue. 

Unusual exertion from shoveling snow can also cause severe back pain for those with healthy and bad backs, and result in pain in the hips and knees. A standard shovel full of snow weighs about 16 pounds. Shoveling 10 times every minute for ten minutes  alone is equivalent to lifting about 1,600 pounds after 10 minutes of shoveling.

For the elderly and disabled, shoveling snow and experiencing long periods of time in the cold is an even more harmful combination. We need to be neighborly and help them out. Get a youngster in the neighborhood to shovel their walkways, or call the city to inform them that snow removal services are needed. 

Winter and Snow Removal Safety Tips:

• Dress warmly with a hat, gloves, winter coat, scarf and boots. There are many agencies in Greater Springfield that provide free winter outerwear including the Salvation Army, the Springfield Rescue Mission, the Survival Center in Indian Orchard, area Boys and Girls Clubs, Big Brothers Big Sisters and area churches.
• Stretch before you begin to shovel. Use the proper technique which means using a medium-sized ergonomically-designed shovel. Pick up smaller amounts of shovel on the blade and lift with your legs, not your arms.
• If you have a driveway, clear the snow build up at the base of the driveway near the street first while your strength is greatest; then clear the snow from the middle of the driveway pushing out to the sides from the middle. It's easier and results in less wear and tear on your body.
• Lastly, if you simply don't have the strength, physical wellness or stamina to shovel snow, then don't. Don't be too prideful to ask for help. It's better to seek help from someone then face a possible life-threatening health challenge because you didn't.

Now, let's all zip up our coats and buckle down for Mother Nature's next season of treats.

The Flu Shot is For Everyone

As we get deeper into the colder weather, which is when more people get colds and the flu, it is imperative that people get their flu shot.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, everyone should get the flu shot:

While everyone should get a flu vaccine each flu season, it’s especially important that the following groups get vaccinated either because they are at high risk of having serious flu-related complications or because they live with or care for people at high risk for developing flu-related complications:

1. Pregnant women

2. Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old

3. People 50 years of age and older

4. People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions

5. People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities

6. People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:

1. Health care workers

2. Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu

3. Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated)

If you don't have a doctor you can get the flu shot at your local pharmacy, including CVS and Walgreens. It costs under $30 to get the flu shot. To find the nearest location where flu shots are available, fill out the Find a Flu Shot box on the right.

Health disparities project: Lots of talk and lots of action

Betty Agin

Betty Agin has made a name for herself in Springfield - she's known as a community organizer, a woman who works hard to get inner city issues brought to the forefront of discussion and addressed by political, business and other community leaders, and a fearless soldier for positive reform.

Agin, a Springfield resident by way of her native Georgia, sits at the helm of the Universal Community Voices Eliminating Disparity, an outgrowth of the Springfield Health Disparities Project. 

 The Springfield Health Disparities Project is just one of many public health initiatives given new life through grant funds provided through the Mason Square Health Task Force. The Health Disparities Project received $17,000 in funds during the 2009-2010 cycle of funding.

The disparity project is a grass roots initiative aimed at engaging community residents and assisting them in identifying and taking appropriate action to address root causes of health inequities through conversations on community health.

The group is not just a "let's talk about it" network of concerned people, but also a "let's be about it" outreach.

Every second Saturday of the month, the Universal Community Voices Eliminating Disparities Project holds a community forum from 9:30 to 11:30 am at 365 Bay Street, Springfield, MA.  Last week's discussion group was on HIV and AIDS awareness, and connecting people to the prevention and treatment services in the community. The forums bring out neighborhood activists, doctors, nurses, political leaders, and concerned Moms and Pops. 

"It's usually open conversation and strategizing about what we can do to make this community better, to help one another, to work together," said Again, who was recognized for her community service work recently by the AFL-CIO supported group Western Mass Jobs With Justice group. "These meetings are for everybody, the health care provider, community organizers, people who work around specific issues like HIV, teen pregnancy, violence, young dads, single moms. Everybody. What we've learned is that for a lot of people in need of help, the issue is about not knowing where to turn for help. We can fix that."

The group has been successful in getting many issues of concern in the city addressed ranging from having blighted homes boarded or torn down to helping dozens of people with minor, decades-old, or even dropped criminal offenses on their records sealed so they can get jobs and find housing.

"Most of our job is to recruit and teach people how to be leaders in their own neighborhoods and be advocates for themselves around issues," Agin said.

Now that's what we call working for the greater good!