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| Dear Spartanburg Community, 
We hope you enjoy our August newsletter! This month's letter contains information about our new staff member, monthly health facts, events in the Spartanburg community, and a special section on the Rio Olympics.
Please help us spread the word about our services in the community. We are always accepting new clients and we want to help as many people as possible get connected with medical and social resources. Thank you for all your support of AccessHealth Spartanburg and our community. If you have any feedback, comments, or suggestions, please send them to [email protected].
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AccessHealth Spartanburg is pleased to announce the addition of a new staff member!
Tracie is a Community Case Worker for HOPS (Healthy Outcomes Program Spartanburg). In her role, she works closely with clients to ensure that they are connected to medical and social resources. Prior to joining AccessHealth Spartanburg, Tracie spent two years working with Spartanburg School District Two and eleven years working with Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System in various areas including the Centralized Referral Center, Radiology, and Medical Records. She holds an AA from Spartanburg Community College (2004), a BA in Information Management Systems- Healthcare from USC Upstate (2007), and a MAT in English from Converse College (2012). Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her children and family, taking road trips, working in her yard, and reading.
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Going for the Gold: The Olympics and Health
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August 5th marks the official start date of the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The following are some fun facts about the Olympics to get everyone excited for the Opening Ceremonies and for supporting their favorite teams.
Olympic Food and Nutrition:
The amount of food that an athlete consumes before a big Olympic event is dependent on a variety of factors including the type and length of the event. Many people will remember how Michael Phelps famously stated in 2012 that he consumed up to 12,000 calories per day while he was training for the Olympics. Most Olympic endurance athletes (swimming, cycling, marathon, rowing) burn between 3,000-8,000 calories during their events. Compare that amount to the recommended daily intake of 1,600 to 3,000 calories for the average person, and you will see that Olympic athletes need a lot of food! Source: NPR. In terms of the type of food that each athlete consumes, that is dependent on the individual. While some Olympic athletes have stated that McDonalds provided most of their nutrition while competing in a foreign country (e.g. Ryan Lochte and Usain Bolt), many are focused on eating high protein, nutrient dense diets. For some healthy Olympic recipes including apple oatmeal muffins, roasted pork with avocado salsa, and sweet potato quesadillas, visit: Team USA Nutrition. Olympic Events:  One event that you might not have known is part of the Olympics is race walking. Race walking is a competition involving fast walking where one foot has to be on the ground at all times. Although the event seems like it would be a fast walk in the park, it is actually very technical. For more information on race walking, visit: Race Walking and USA Race Walking.
This year's Olympics in Rio will include two new sports: Golf and Rugby 7. Former Olympic events that have been removed over the years include tug of war, live pigeon shooting, and rope climbing. Sources: New Sports and Previous Sports. Other Olympic Facts: The Rio games will be the first to feature athletes born in the year 2000. Source: NBC. Rio taxi drivers have been given the opportunity to sign up for free English classes. The four month class provided by the Organizing Committee will help the drivers interact with visitors as their first point of contact in Brazil. Source: NBC. |
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Celebrate Health During the Month of August
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August is National Immunization Awareness Month. National Immunization Awareness Month exists to highlight the importance of vaccines for people of all ages. The National Public Health Information Coalition recommends that all adults should have their vaccination needs assessed by a medical professional. People who have chronic conditions, such as asthma, COPD, diabetes, or heart disease have specific recommended vaccines to help mitigate additional health complications. For more information on National Immunization Awareness Month, visit
NPHIC Immunizations and
CDC Immunizations.
August is also National Water (H2O) Quality Month. It is important to protect local waterways and the ecosystems that they support. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that 40% of waterways suffer from water quality problems. The Clean Water Action Group gives the following tips for how individuals can help mitigate the damage being done to waterways: do not flush unwanted or outdated medications down the toilet or drain, do not put anything other than water down storm drains, avoid using pesticides or chemical fertilizers, choose non-toxic household products whenever possible, and pick up after your pets. For more information on National Water Quality Month, visit
H2O Quality Month. For more information on our watersheds in Spartanburg, visit
Spartanburg Water.
August 15th is Relaxation Day. According to the Mayo Clinic, the benefits of relaxation include slowing your heart rate, lowering your blood pressure, slowing your breathing rate, increasing blood flow to muscles, reducing muscle tension and chronic pain, and improving concentration and mood. There are many different relaxation techniques to try including visualization, deep breathing, yoga, and meditation. If none of these techniques are your style, there are many alternative ways to reduce stress including exercise, art, and music. So whether you decide to mediate for a half hour or work on a crossword puzzle, take some time to relax on August 15th. For more information on relaxation and techniques, visit
The Mayo Clinic.
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| Our clients are in need of following items. Please consider an in kind donation that will be used to assist our clients on the way to good health.
Deodorant (Men's and Women's)
Soap & Shampoo
Body Wash
Dental Floss
Razors
Diapers
Please note that all toiletry items must be unopened and unused in order to be accepted as donations. If you have any questions regarding donations, please contact
[email protected].
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August 20th is part of the Movies in the Park Event Series sponsored by Hub City Church. The movie on August 20th is Zootopia. It will be played at Barnet Park and will run from 8:15 pm to 11:00 pm. Admission is free! Popcorn and soda will also be provided free of charge. Make sure to bring lawn chairs and a blanket! For more information, visit: HCC- Movies in the Park.  August 27th is Summerfest in York, SC. The festival runs all day long from 9 am to 5 pm and includes the following events and activities: 120 crafts/art and food vendors, a car show, sports tournaments, races, music, a BMX stunt team performance, helicopter rides, a health clinic, a robotics demonstration, a petting zoo, rock climbing, a zip line, and more! The event is expected to attract over 45,000 visitors. For more information, visit: York Summerfest.
If you have any community shout outs that you would like us to share in our August newsletter, please email
[email protected].
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If you would like to support
and contribute to
AccessHealth's mission click
HERE!
In Good Health,
AccessHealth Spartanburg
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