No one has all the answers, but we can give you three
Get Healthy Kentucky (GHK) encourages its members to make wellness a central part of their lives by using three simple principles: Get more physical activity, follow a healthy eating plan and don't smoke or use tobacco products.
We devised this model because it's a proven approach to not only improving health and well-being-but preventing the onset of damaging conditions like heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
GHK was created as a statewide wellness initiative so that all Kentuckians can improve their lives, particularly our young people. You're at an age when you're grappling with decisions about your future, trying to pick a college, career path or other important issues that come with finishing high school. Don't forget to think about your personal health.
If you start now, you have a good chance of avoiding major health problems down the road. After all, you have the potential to be the most successful and innovative generation Kentucky has ever produced so be sure to protect your quality of life by making the right decisions now that will keep you healthy for years to come.
Become a member today by logging on to www.gethealthy.ky.gov and start learning more about wellness. We'll introduce you to healthy eating, teach you about the dangers of tobacco and we even provide you with over 100 different activities and forms of exercise from which to choose.
Not everyone can be the fastest sprinter, the star quarterback or an award-winning gymnast. But everyone can be a member of Get Healthy Kentucky. Regardless of athletic ability, GHK is for you. Actually, you don't have to be an athlete at all to take part in our fitness program. It's true, we encourage regular physical activity, but that doesn't mean you have to run a marathon. If walking is more your pace, that's fine with us. We even count gardening.
Actually, GHK was created to educate its members about the importance of wellness and how to incorporate important things like eating well and getting regular physical activity into your life. From there, we want you to feel inspired to make us a regular part of your life-for the rest of your life.
Sometimes the smallest change can make the biggest impact.
Choose to be Tobacco-Free
Choosing not to smoke may be the best decision you make for the future
When it comes the future, most questions are open-ended.
What type of college is right for me? Which careers are most fulfilling? Will it be OK if I want to switch fields 10 years down the road?
But if faced with a question about tobacco use, the answer is simple. Say no. Choosing not to smoke or use tobacco products is one of the best things you can do for your long-term health and wellness. Tobacco is addictive, can impact your ability to play sports and exercise by putting extra strain on your heart and lungs, and has been linked to cancer and heart disease.
The impact on your personal appearance is even worse. Tobacco smoke can make your hair stink, stains your teeth and causes bad breath. Spit tobacco can cause cracked lips, white spots, sores and bleeding in the mouth. Long-term use can lead to cancer of the mouth.
Don't use it. Not now. Not ever.
You may wonder why, if tobacco is so damaging to your health, so many people use it. The truth is that people who smoke-or use other tobacco products-like the way the nicotine in tobacco products makes them feel. What many people don't realize is that nicotine is a very addictive chemical and once people become addicted it's incredibly difficult to stop using tobacco.
The choices we're making now will impact our personal health and well-being years from now. If you're smoking or using tobacco products, you're putting yourself at great risk for future health problems.
To learn more about the dangers of tobacco or how to quit using tobacco, log on to our Web site at www.gethealthy.ky.gov.
