Monthly Archives: December 2015

Top 5 New Year’s Resolutions

By Bryony Wardell

The coming of a new year is an opportunity to make some positive changes, and 2016 could be your best year yet. Here are DHEC’s top 5 resolutions to live better – and we’ll even help you achieve them.

Quit Tobacco: No matter how long you’ve used tobacco or what your age is – quitting this year will make a difference you can feel.You don’t have to go it alone!
The S.C. Tobacco Quitline is a free counseling service that can help you deal with cravings, identify triggers, develop a quit plan and get free resources like nicotine gum and patches to help you quit. You can do it! Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669).
Recycle: Recycling is something easy that you can do that helps supports South Carolina’s economy and helps keep the state beautiful and clean. Did you know that aluminum cans, plastic bottles, paper, glass and a wide variety of other items like motor oil and tires can all be recycled?
Some communities have curbside recycling programs or you can simply collect your recyclables and drop them off at a location nearby. You’ll be amazed at how many recyclables you collect! To find out what and where to recycle in your community, click here.
Eat Well: Good nutrition plays an important role in helping you live a healthier, fuller life. Make a few easy choices to start your year off eating right:
-Switch out empty calorie snacks like potato chips with a fresh fruit, low-fat yogurt or carrot sticks with peanut butter or hummus.

– Trade in sodas and sweet tea for unsweet tea, water, or skim milk.

– Skip fried or fatty foods. Choose lean meats that are baked or broiled and dig in on raw, steamed or boiled fresh vegetables and whole grains. Learn more!
Exercise: Keeping your body moving can add years to your life and life to your years, and it can help you lose those pesky pounds too.
Whether you like to walk, ride your bike, go to the gym or dance to your favorite music in your living room – getting your heart rate up for at least 30 minutes a day is a resolution you’ll love to keep.Find inspiration and exercise resources at Let’s Go SC – Move More.
Make a Difference In Your Community: Living in a healthy community with clean air, water and land can improve your quality of life. And, you can help make it happen.
– Put litter in the trash or recycling bin, not on the ground and help pick up litter in your community.

– You can improve air quality with energy-saving habits like turning off the lights when you leave a room. Or, look for opportunities to drive less by carpooling or walking / cycling shorter distances.

– Help keep SC’s rivers and coastal environments clean. Never dump trash, oil or debris of any kind down a drain, storm drain or into a waterway. Get more pollution prevention ideas here.

Whether you pick one resolution or five, 2016 is your opportunity to live better. For more information on helping healthy people living in healthy communities, please visit www.scdhec.gov.

Firework Safety for New Year’s Eve

1 Reply

By Bryony Wardell

When the clock strikes midnight, remember that it’s best to leave fireworks to the professionals. But if you choose to use fireworks, also choose to protect yourself, your family members and your friends.

Fireworks can cause serious injuries, including burns, contusions, lacerations and eye injuries and can even be deadly.

Safety Tips!

Smart Purchasing

Please obey local and state laws regarding the sale and use of state approved fireworks.Buy only consumer-grade fireworks. Avoid buying fireworks packaged in a brown bag, which often means they were made for professional displays and could be dangerous for consumer use.

Handle with care

Read all warning labels and follow directions on each device. Never put your head or any part of your body over a firework. Never hold a lit firework in your hand.Fireworks should not be carried in your pocket. Don’t aim or throw fireworks at another person. Store fireworks in a cool, dry place and keep a fire extinguisher of water bucket handy.

Adult supervision

Firework activities should be adult led, and adults should never allow children to handle or ignite fireworks. Make sure you, your kids, and others watch from a safe distance.

Safe lighting

Light from the side (never standing directly over) using a blunt or handheld igniter. Wear protective eyewear. Remember that a dud is a dud, and you should never attempt to re-light a short fuse or a firework dud. And, call 911 immediately if someone is injured from fireworks.

For more information on firework safety, visit www.cdc.gov/family/minutes/tips/fireworks/.

Wishing You A Healthy Holiday

1 Reply

By Bryony Wardell

Give yourself the gift of good health by making some easy changes and choices this holiday season that can help you feel merry and bright all year long.

Enjoy yourself!

Laugh, dance, get some fresh air, play a game and enjoy the company of others. The special memories with friends and family are what really matter, not the food.

It’s a Party, But Don’t Overdo It

Savor your favorite holiday treats by eating slowly, and really enjoy the recipes that you might only have once a year. Make room for dessert if you like by cutting back on another carbohydrate during your main course. And, be reasonable with your portions – less is more when it comes to anything decadent.

Bring What You Like

Try not to worry about what will be served. Offer to bring your favorite dish to share and make it healthy one so you know you will be able to enjoy yourself.

Try a Healthy Recipe Twist

For the main course, use spices and fresh produce to deliver the flavor instead of oils and salts. Time for dessert? Try baked apples with cinnamon and a sprinkle of sugar instead of apple pie. Or, look for baking recipes that use unsweetened applesauce instead of butter or oil to cut the calories.

Cheers to good health

Stay hydrated with plenty of water to aid digestion and keep your skin looking its best for holiday photos. Skip the calorie-packed sodas and drink mixers and quench your thirst with low-calorie options like water with lemon, lime or orange slices; unsweet tea or seltzer water with a splash of 100% fruit juice. If you choose to drink alcohol, remember to drink in moderation.

Stay Active
The holidays can be a hard time to manage your weight or conditions like diabetes, but incorporating physical activity into your traditions can make it easier. Start a pick-up game in the yard, go for a walk before and after a big meal with your family, sign up for a community walk or run or help clean up after the party to keep yourself moving.

Overindulged? Get Back on Track

If you eat more than you planned for, don’t worry. Just turn your focus on spending the rest of your time with the people around you. Maybe go for a walk and make sure to eat extra healthy the next day.

For more information on eating healthy and managing your health, click here.

Reduce Holiday Waste

Leave a reply

By Richard Chesley, DHEC Recycling Program manager

The holidays. We do more, buy more, eat more. And, we throw away more.

Think about it. The food waste, shopping bags, packaging, ribbons and bows, wrapping paper and boxes – it all adds up. In fact, it’s estimated that between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, Americans throw away about 25 percent more trash than any other time of the year.

In South Carolina, it is estimated that we dispose of nearly 960,000 tons of waste between November and the end of January – comprising 31 percent of the total waste disposed of in a year!

But it doesn’t have to be the most wasteful time of the year. The holidays are a perfect time to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Give more, waste less gift

Think about gifts that make memories, not waste. For example, you could give tickets to a game or concert, a membership to a gym or fitness classes, gift certificates for a massage or manicure, classes to learn a new hobby or even give some homemade cookies in a reusable tin.If something more tangible is on your list – Keep it simple. One thoughtful gift is better than too many that may become unwanted.

Let’s wrap it up (or not)

Who needs wrapping paper? Use a simple ribbon or bow for large gifts and try reusing old maps, blueprints, or pages from the Sunday comics for a unique and eco-friendly gift presentation they will love. Be sure to save reusable bows, boxes and bags for next year!

It’s in the cards

Consider sending e-cards rather than paper ones this year or look for recycled-content holiday postcards that will save you on postage and envelopes.

Tree-cycle

When the holidays are over, remember to recycle your Christmas tree. Call your local recycling coordinator or click here to learn where you can take your tree to be mulched or composted.

Make a grocery list, and check it twice
Did you know that food waste is the biggest contributor to landfills? Help reduce wasted food by buying only what you need, donating what you don’t and safely storing leftovers so you can get the most out of your meals. For the food waste you do generate, try composting – it’s a gift to your garden.

Recycle more

If we had just one thing on our holiday wish list, it would be to recycle during the holidays and throughout the year. It’s easy, it supports jobs and it helps keep South Carolina clean and beautiful. From empty green bean cans to drink bottles to tires and trees – click here to find what and where to recycle near you.

For more information about recycling and other solid waste management topics, please call the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Office of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling at 1-800-768-7348 or visit www.scdhec.gov/recycle.

New Year – New Tide Tables

Leave a reply

By Liz Hartje, DHEC Coastal Projects Manager

A new year is on the horizon, and South Carolinians who want to update their calendars with a new year of tidal information can now get the 2016 Tide Table Poster from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC).

The Tide Table Posters are produced by DHEC’s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) to help citizens monitor and plan for tidal events along the coast. The tables provide daily tidal information based on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tide predictions, including dates and times of high tides with corresponding water levels, and dates and times of low tides.

Impacts of tides vary, but extreme high tides may wash debris and contaminants into coastal environments or cause coastal erosion and flooding. Knowing when tides occur can help South Carolina’s coastal communities and residents prepare. Tidal information also helps residents and visitors plan for recreational activities such as kayaking, boating or a trip to the beach.

Where to Get Your Tide Table Poster

Limited supplies of printed Tide Tables are available at DHEC OCRM offices in Charleston, Beaufort and Myrtle Beach. A foldable, desktop version of the chart is also available online. To learn more about the Tide Tables and to download the 2016 poster, click here.

Coastal Photography

DHEC holds its Coastal Photography Contest each year to determine the featured photograph for the new Tide Table Poster and web page. Nearly 100 photos were received during the 2015 contest, and Justin Morris was selected with his winning photo, Orange Crush, which was captured at Folly Beach. Congratulations, Justin!

About Tides

The rise and fall of tides are caused by the gravitational and centrifugal forces exerted by the moon, sun and the earth. These forces produce two high tides and two low tides per day in South Carolina.

The highest seasonal tides occur when the earth, moon, and sun are aligned, and the moon is closest to the earth in its elliptical orbit, known as perigee. Often referred to as King Tides, these extreme high tides are predictable based on the known astronomical forces described above. But, it’s important to remember that meteorological conditions like onshore winds, low atmospheric pressure, and precipitation can push water inland and result in water levels that greatly exceed astronomical predictions.

King tide photo at Murrels Inlet submitted by Christopher Stout

King Tides Program

DHEC is leading the South Carolina King Tides initiative to document the effect that extreme tide events have on our state’s beaches, coastal waterways, private property and public infrastructure.

Through the initiative, citizen scientists can submit their photos of king tide events to help DHEC monitor and respond to coastal environmental issues. The photos are included in DHEC’s long-term analysis of coastal vulnerability and planning initiatives with municipalities.

To participate in the South Carolina King Tides Initiative, click here.

Live Healthy S.C.

DHEC's Health and Environment Blog