Category Archives: Wellness
July – Park and Recreation Month
July is Park and Recreation Month. We will be highlighting the benefits that parks and recreation provide for communities on our social media sites. This year’s theme “I Love My Park and Recreation”, encourage community members to share the role parks and recreation plays in their life.
National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) will be hosting a “Show UR Love for Parks and Recreation” weekly photo contest on their Facebook page. Visit and like NRPA’s Facebook page for more information and to obtain the official contest rules.
JOIN | SHARE | LEARN
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May – Mental Health Month
May is Mental Health Month. Mental Health America (MHA) theme this year is Pathways to Wellness. MHA created a Mental Health Month Calendar which has a wellness tip for each day of May. We will be sharing these daily tips on our social network pages and hope to encourage our fans/followers to find and maintain their pathway to wellness. For more information about mental health wellness visit MHA website at www.mentalhealthamerica.net.
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December – AIDS Awareness Month
In 2001, I was diagnosed with HIV which I contracted from my ex-husband who knowingly infected me. I was devastated as well as shocked! I knew HIV was not a death sentence but, I sure did not know how I was going to cope after getting this unexpected diagnosis. Well, I did more than cope, I actually took a stand on HIV by becoming an educator and activist in my community.
No it was not very easy being transparent and allowing others into my personal space but, then I began to realize that it is not about me and there are many others who need to be empowered by someone else’s experience. In 2004, I made the decision to speak out publicly and educate others on prevention of HIV/AIDS and other STDs as well as, how to live healthy productive and fulfilled lives despite adversities.
My desire is to help others understand the importance of avoiding risky behaviors that would result in an HIV positive diagnosis. My goal as an activist is to press the importance of knowing your status by getting tested, empower those who have received a positive diagnosis to love yourself and know that you are not alone, help others get connected with those who are a good support system, and influence communities to get educated to become more aware of prevention measures to avoid a diagnosis of HIV. There are many websites and organizations that provide resources, educational information, and even support. I have listed a few websites below as well as information on how to contact myself. Be encouraged and know that you are never alone.
Alicia HealedLee Diggs
http://iwilllive-healedlee.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Aliciahealedleediggs?ref=h
Resources:
http://www.triadhealthproject.com/
http://www.cateincba.com/womenlivingwithhiv/
October: Diversity Awareness Month
This October as the leaves change colors and fall to the ground, allow your perspective to do the same. Let your guards down and embrace diversity. After all, October is Diversity Awareness Month. Just as there are variety of yellows, oranges, and reds outside, there are also a variety of identities, nationalities, religions, sexual orientations, and disability statuses.
Diversity Awareness Month is a time to reflect on aspects of cultural diversity. It is not only a chance to learn from each other’s differences; it’s also an opportunity to discover what you have in common with others and build a stronger community.
Friday, October 5th, is National Diversity Day. We encourage you to visit National Diversity Day official website at http://www.nationaldiversityday.com/Ideas_for_NDD.html for great ideas about how to get involved in the celebration of diversity. Participation is simple, easy, and fun; simply embrace who you and others are. For example, get to know your neighbor better, host a cultural potluck dinner, or pledge to learn more about another nationality.
This October, take the time to reflect on and learn about different cultures. You never know who you might have something in common with. Happy Diversity Awareness Month!
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June: Men’s Health Month
Traditionally in the month of June, we celebrate Father’s Day on the third Sunday. Father’s Day is intended to be a day set aside to recognize, honor, and appreciate the father figure in our life. Did you know that June is also Men’s Health Month? Men’s Health Month is designed to bring awareness to health issues that impact both men and boys. We all know that proper diet and exercise are imperative for good health, but knowledge of family medical history and wellness checkups are equally important. The men in our life need medical screenings that will detect those “silent” ailments such as hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Screenings will also reveal health issues like colon cancer and heart disease which are treatable when diagnosed early. For more information about men’s health, visit Men’s Health Network website at http://www.menshealthnetwork.org/.
Normally on Father’s Day, we give our father figures gifts that include ties, clothes, sporting goods and tools. This month we encourage you to also initiate dialogue with him about his health. Encourage him to get a physical and request early detection screenings from his medical provider. Also, check out http://www.menshealthmonth.org/thingstodo.html to discover additional things you can do to heighten awareness about men’s health.
“Recognizing and preventing men’s health problems is not just a man’s issue. Because of its impact on wives, mothers, daughters, and sisters, men’s health is truly a family issue.”- Former Congressman Bill Richardson (Congressional Record, H3905-H3906, May 24, 1994)
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January: National Staying Healthy Month
Happy New Year! Have you decided what your New Year resolution will be? Since January is National Staying Healthy Month, how about striving for overall wellness? When we think of health, often we instantly think of physical health but, according to http://www.definitionofwellness.com there are ten (10) dimensions of wellness: social, occupational, spiritual, physical, intellectual, emotional, environmental, financial, mental, and medical.
You are your greatest asset and your goal for 2012 should be to become a better and healthier you. We encourage you to choose one of the dimensions of wellness to start improving on today. Check out this link to the National Wellness Institute site which offers a free online wellness assessment http://www.nationalwellness.org/index.php?id_tier=91&id_c=55. After you review your assessment results, you’ll have a better idea of which wellness dimension you should target.
For steps to reach some of the dimensions of wellness, check out the video below.
This year be proactive instead of reactive when it comes to health and wellness; think preventive. Allow your thought process to be, what can I do in the dimension I choose to stay healthy, prevent illness, and prolong my life? Start the new year off on the right foot, and embrace the idea of improving your health and wellness during National Staying Healthy Month.
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