Squirrels, mice, ticks, fleas, and mosquitos. What do they have in common? The County's Vector Control Program catches all of these animals to test for nasty diseases like West Nile Virus and plague. Without this trapping and testing, we'd never know if we had a disease outbreak in the county.
The San Diego Immunization Coalition celebrated 20 years of fighting disease. The increased use of vaccinations has led to a reduction and prevention of disease.
Dan Buettner, an internationally-recognized researcher, explorer, and author of The Blue Zones, will be the keynote speaker at the County’s Vital Aging: Keeping in Step with Your Health conference from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday, June 3, at the Liberty Station McMillin Center, 2875 Dewey Rd., San Diego. A companion event will be held at the same time at the Carlsbad Senior Center, 799 Pine Ave.
The Vital Aging Conference is a biennial event, coordinated by the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency’s Aging & Independence Services. This event will also feature walking tours, health screenings and exercises, free lunch and giveaways.
“Our County health team is always looking for ways to assist the public in improving their health and well-being,” said Bill Horn, Chairman, San Diego County Board of Supervisors. “This event is another opportunity to present information about ways to increase life expectancy, reduce absenteeism and lower health costs.”
Buettner and his team of researchers have traveled across the globe to discover what he calls “Blue Zones” — hotspots of human health and vitality. Working with the National Institute on Aging, he identified five small populations with the world’s highest life expectancy. Then he isolated the common denominators that explain extraordinary longevity: What is the optimal diet for making it to a healthy age 90? Should you be running marathons or doing yoga? What supplements work? Does stress really shorten your life?
Buettner debunks the most common myths and offers a science-backed blueprint for the average American to live an additional 12 quality years. He takes you into the world’s five Blue Zones, tells stories and teaches how to get more life from your years and more years from your life. His second book “Thrive — Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way,” was released in October.
“The Vital Aging Conference is an important event for the County’s Live Well, San Diego! initiative,” said Nick Macchione, Director, San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency. “Supporting healthy choices is one of the goals of the initiative, and the Blue Zones presentation as well as the focus on walking, fitness and healthy eating directly addresses this important issue.”
Reservations are required for the free Vital Aging Conference; RSVP at 1-877-926-8300. For more information, visit www.walkhealthysandiego.org. The event is also sponsored by AARP, Humana, Healthways Silver Sneakers, North County Community Action Network (NorCAN) and the Carlsbad Senior Center.
Local teens were able to shop for formal dresses at the El Cajon Library recently. Over 200 new or nearly new gowns were on display, all free of charge. The teens were also treated to free makeovers and dance lessons.
Families are encouraged to stretch their legs in a day of fitness and fun at the sixth-annual It’s How We Live! Family Day in the Park health festival in Spring Valley.
This year’s event promises an invigorating line-up of activities, entertainment and giveaways. Besides sampling nutritious food and taking in healthy cooking demos, participants can get free health screenings, including body fat analyses and dental screenings. Experts will offer exercise and injury prevention tips, while a DJ and dance performances build positive vibes.
Prizes and giveaways will include pedometers and cookbooks. A climbing wall, crafts, games and inflatable jumps will engage and energize kids.
New this year: a “Green Zone” with hands-on activities and a focus on topics like recycling and energy efficiency to keep our environment healthy as well.
And for the first time, the event kicks off with a one-mile Family Fun Walk in support of Child Abuse Prevention Month. In 2010 there were over 74,000 calls to the County’s child abuse hotline, and the walk is intended to raise awareness of the issue while families enjoy a healthy activity together.
Participants can register for the walk online at http://8196.bbnc.bbcust.com/page.aspx?pid=358 or at 9 a.m. on day of the event.
The festival is from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 30, at Spring Valley Park, 8735 Jamacha Boulevard.
The event is hosted by the San Diego County Department of Parks and Recreation, the County Health and Human Services Agency, the County Commission on Children, Youth and Families and the Promises2Kids Foundation.
Parking and admission are free. For more information, please visit www.sdparks.org.
Highlights from today's Earth Week Recycling Event put on by The County of San Diego at the County Administration Center downtown.
It's spring cleaning time, and time to clear away the clutter you've accumulated. If you find batteries or compace fluorescent bulbs (no tubes, though) amongst the piles of stuff you no longer want, you're in luck.
The County's annual recycling event is Wednesday, April 20th from 11 a.m to 1 p.m. on the West Plaza of the County Administration Center.
You're encouraged to bring in your used batteries and compact fluorescent light bulbs for recycling and you'll be rewarded by being eligible for prizes, including a Sony Vaio Eco-Series laptop, a solar mailbox and green product gift baskets.
Compact fluorescent bulb disposal kits will also be available while supplies last and experts will be on hand to answer questions about recycling.
During County Government Month in April, the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) is featuring 14 award-winning programs, including one from the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency. The goal of TEAM San Diego is for multiple providers to work together to improve access to comprehensive and coordinated health and social programs for individuals with complex needs.
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