From Our Team

Ring in A Smoke Free New Year

Posted on January 4, 2016 by Jana Renner

Another year has come and gone, and it’s time for New Year’s resolutions. Many of us will set a health goal for 2016. Some of us will vow to exercise more or eat less. If you smoke, you may set a goal to quit smoking. If so, congratulations! The decision to quit is a significant first step in improving your health.

Here are some facts that might help further motivate you to quit or assist a loved one in quitting. Quitting smoking may be the best way to significantly increase the life expectancy of smokers. In fact, smokers who quit by the age of 40 can increase their life expectancy…

Add Some Festive Vegetables and Fruits to Your Holiday Meals

Posted on December 7, 2015 by Leah Whigham

The holiday season is upon us, and many of us have a hard time maintaining healthy eating habits during this time of year. One approach is to focus on including more vegetables and fruits.

Adequate intake of vegetables and fruits is important for several reasons:

1) Many vegetables and fruits are good sources of nutrients that most of us don’t get enough of such as folate, potassium, dietary fiber, and vitamins A, C, and K.

2) Eating vegetables and fruits is associated with decreasing your risk of cardiovascular disease (including heart attacks and stroke) and some types of…

Learn to monitor kid's social media activity

Posted on November 9, 2015 by Bianca De León

I remember as a teenager, my mother complained that I spent all day with my friends at school and the minute I got home, I immediately hopped on the telephone with them. She would often question, “What else is there to talk about when you’ve spent all day with them?” Of course for us, there was plenty to discuss. My friends and I would party line other friends and talk about nothing in particular and everything that was happening in our lives. It was a way for my friends and me to be connected even when we weren’t in the same room.

For most teens, peers are everything. Their opinion…

Practicing Acts of Random Kindness Brings Better Well-being to All

Posted on October 5, 2015 by Enrique Mata

Working in the health promotion and healthcare arenas, I’ve witnessed people perform some wonderful life changing, selfless acts. Nothing inspires me more than to see folks connecting with each other to build a better community. Altruism is defined as unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others, which is an important element for emotional well-being and quality of life. In fact, research shows that acts of kindness, generosity and compassion, can boost happiness in both the recipient and the person doing the good deed.

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a…

Improving health for the past 20 years

Posted on September 7, 2015 by Jon Law

You may have noticed the mysterious blue “20” lighting the El Paso skyline on the Wells Fargo building at night. I’ll let you in on the secret – the “20” is in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Paso del Norte Health Foundation.

Have you heard of the Health Foundation? Do you remember Walk El Paso? Have you seen the commercials with former smokers, sitting on a blue coach, with dates above their heads? How about the mom in her car practicing what she’s going to say to her daughter about the new boyfriend? These are some of our projects.

The mission of the Paso del Norte…

School Health: We All Have a Role to Play

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Dr. Michael Kelly

From my days as an elementary school student, I recall the teacher’s counsel to eat a nutritious breakfast before a big test. Therefore, I can testify that at least as far back as the 1970s some teachers knew that nutrition was important for academic performance. Even today, my children are encouraged to eat a well-balanced breakfast before standardized tests. Likewise, conventional wisdom holds that kids of all ages need to burn-off energy during the school day and not simply sit still in their desk. I think teachers and parents alike can list many benefits of integrating nutritious meals…

Underage drinking is everyone’s problem

Posted on July 6, 2015 by Jana Renner

As the parent of a child transitioning to high school, I am both excited and holding my breath about the next four years. One of my primary concerns is alcohol – by far the most commonly used and abused substance among adolescents in the United States. Underage drinking has declined slightly over the past few years; however, 4300 young people under 21 are still losing their lives every year in this country because of alcohol use, and many more compromise their futures.

Most alarming is the fact that many adolescents are extreme binge drinking (10 or more drinks in one occasion)….

A One Stop Shop for Health Information In the region

Posted on June 1, 2015 by Bianca De León

The characteristics and statistics of a specific region are vital information to improve a population’s health. Yet, access to this information can be difficult to locate and often time consuming. This can be especially true when looking for health information of three states and two countries – Paso del Norte region.

The Healthy Paso del Norte website (www.healthypasodelnorte.org) brings non-biased data, local resources and a wealth of information to one accessible location. This user-friendly website is intended to help community members and policy makers learn about the health of the…

Talk with your kids about Healthy Relationships

Posted on May 4, 2015 by Bianca De León

Do you remember your first crush? The first time you held hands with that special someone? What about your first kiss? For most of us, these experiences were positive, maybe even romantic, and filled with newly discovered emotions as we explored this new phase of our sexuality. Adolescents and teens are beginning to explore those emotions in similar ways. It’s important for parents to understand this phase of their child’s development and find ways to communicate the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships, especially with teen dating violence on the rise.

Teen dating…

Palcohol: the next frontier

Posted on April 6, 2015 by Jon Law

The TTB’s decision is not without controversy. Alaska, Delaware, Louisiana, South Carolina and Vermont already have banned powdered alcohol and several other states are considering the same action. Supporters of banning the product are concerned with the potential use and misuse of Palcohol by youth. They argue that powdered alcohol is easily concealed and could be mixed with liquid alcohol, rather than water, to create a dangerous substance. David Jernigan, associate professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, explains: “we know that there is a certain set of young people…