#33: Healthy Body and Spirit Through the Holidays

We hear it every holiday season – it’s the most wonderful time of the year. But it’s not for those who are grieving a loss or are feeling stressed out or alone during the holidays. It can also be a challenging time for our physical health, when time off and holiday gatherings can make it easy to let healthy habits slide by the wayside. Check out the next episode of the TSET Better Health Podcast and find ways to boost your mental, emotional and physical wellness during the holidays, so this truly can become the happiest time of the year. Find out how from Executive Director Erin Engelke and Clinical Director Heather Gaglio of Calm Waters Center for Children and Families, who will offer great ways to boost mental and emotional well-being during the holidays; Kym Hardin of Healthy Schools Oklahoma, who will help us stay physically active into the new year; and TSET’s own Dylan Jasna, who will share new and tasty nutritional resources from Shape Your Future.

#32: Surviving Cancer with Screenings and Tobacco Cessation

As few as 1.5 percent of Oklahomans who are eligible to get a lung cancer screening actually get them – 1.5 percent. Episode 32 of the TSET Better Health Podcast will explore who qualifies for lung cancer screenings, reasons why rates are so low in our state, the high importance of getting screened, and the programs in place to increase awareness of, and accessibility to, these lifesaving tests. Speaking on this will be Dr. Mark Doescher of the University of Oklahoma’s Stephenson Cancer Center and College of Medicine, and Eric Finley of the Oklahoma Hospital Association. In addition, Dr. Lurdes Queimado, of the TSET Health Promotion Research Center at the OU Health Sciences Center, will explain encouraging new research results that show much higher rates of remission of head and neck cancers among smokers who quit before starting their treatments compared to those who continued smoking.

All music licensed through PremiumBeat. Full transcripts and music credits available at tset.ok.gov/podcast.

#31: Native American Health, Culture and Tobacco

“It’s easy to quit,” Ken Allen, a Muscogee Creek, said of tobacco. “I quit every day, probably 20 times. It was just staying quit is the problem.” The Perkins resident finally quit smoking after more than 35 years with help from the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline – and no help from a commercial tobacco industry that markets heavily to Native Americans. Allen shares his long journey toward better health in Episode 31 of the TSET Better Health Podcast, which also includes Aaron Williams, tobacco program coordinator of the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board. Williams offers a wider perspective on commercial tobacco use and cessation among Native Americans in Oklahoma, and how commercial tobacco differs from ceremonial tobacco use and traditions. During the interview, Williams referred to BRFSS, the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which is the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) phone survey system for learning about rates of health-related risk behaviors and chronic health conditions at national and state levels.

All music licensed through PremiumBeat. Full transcripts and music credits available at tset.ok.gov/podcast.

#30: Nutrition in Public Schools

Oklahoma students are back in school, where kids and teens often get the nutrition and energy they need to learn and stay active from meals and snacks served in the cafeteria. In fact, school nutrition is crucial for the health and well-being of Oklahoma kids both during and outside of school hours. With school in session and Child Obesity Awareness Month arriving in September, Episode 30 of the TSET Better Health Podcast will focus on school and child nutrition with Jennifer Weber, executive director of child nutrition at the Oklahoma State Department of Education; Heather Steele and Sheila Russell with Tulsa Public Schools’ Child Nutrition, and Valarie Carter, a classically trained chef, food writer and mom who shares her knowledge on Shape Your Future Healthy Kitchen segments on KJRH in Tulsa.

#29: Benefits of a More Walkable Oklahoma

We Oklahomans often find ourselves behind the wheel or behind a desk, causing us to fall behind on physical activity. When our built environment lacks sidewalks, trails, bike lanes – in other words, walkability and active transportation – it becomes even harder to get up and be physically active. 

Efforts are underway within communities of all sizes to make them easier and safer to walk, jog, run and bike – not only in residential neighborhoods, but also in business districts that profit from increased foot traffic. 

In this episode, hear from Ron Frantz and Shane Hampton of the University of Oklahoma’s Institute for Quality Communities on how walkability and placemaking – making public spaces more appealing – is happening throughout Oklahoma and why it’s good for our physical and economic health. You'll also hear from Kelly Martin, an elementary school principal. She explains how community partnerships led to walking trails that benefit numerous students and community members. Doug Walton, TSET Healthy Living Program coordinator in Muskogee County, also joins us to talk about Connect Muskogee and its plan to tie together every aspect of transportation system, including sidewalks, trails and bikeways. 

All music licensed through PremiumBeat. Full transcripts and music credits available at tset.ok.gov/podcast.

#28: Nutrition on a Budget: Eating Healthy in Food Deserts

We all know that eating well-balanced nutritious meals is important for energy and good health. But that can be difficult for Oklahomans who rely on dollar and convenience stores for their groceries because they lack access to faraway supermarkets. Fortunately, families and individuals can shop for healthy foods at smaller stores, and this episode’s guests provide resources, strategies, and services available to help. Pat Dehart, a diabetes educator nurse, walks us through what healthy options are available in dollar and convenient stores. Lydia Kelley, executive director of Loaves & Fishes, details the services her client-choice food pantry provides, who can qualify, and why it’s so meaningful. And Dylan Jasna, new member of the TSET Health Communication team, shares the wealth of resources available through Shape Your Future, a healthy lifestyle promotion program of TSET.

All music licensed through PremiumBeat. Full transcripts and music credits available at tset.ok.gov/podcast.

#27: Encore Presentation: TSET Community Impact

TSET’s commitment to healthier communities throughout Oklahoma bears repeating. So the TSET Better Health Podcast will present an encore presentation of the “TSET Community Impact” episode that featured stories of partnerships between TSET Healthy Living Program grantees and local community members that helped bring new school playground equipment to Prague, sidewalks to Newkirk for pedestrian safety, increased healthy food access to small and large communities in Cleveland County and a host of healthier environments in Muskogee. The episode presents a great opportunity to look back at community impacts as TSET and its grantees look forward to both new and continuing opportunities for better health in Oklahoma in the months and years ahead.

All music licensed through PremiumBeat. Full transcripts and music credits available at tset.ok.gov/podcast.

#26: A Vicious Cycle: Mental Health, Nicotine & Youth Quit Resources

We all know that nicotine addiction is bad for the body, but what about the mind? This month, the TSET Better Health Podcast takes a deep dive into how tobacco impacts mental health with three special guests: Tony Stelter from ODMHSAS discusses the toxic relationship between nicotine addiction. Krysten Isaac of Rescue Agency and Dr. Thomas Ylioja of National Jewish Health talk about two innovative tobacco cessation programs aimed toward helping youth and young adults quit smoking or vaping.

All music licensed through PremiumBeat. Full transcripts and music credits available at tset.ok.gov/podcast.

#25: The TSET Health Promotion Research Center

The Health Promotion Research Center, or HPRC, is on the front lines of behavioral change technology. Join HPRC co-directors Michael Businelle and Darla Kendzor for an inside look at the Center's work and ground-breaking scientific research into mobile apps and financial incentives to quit smoking.

All music licensed through PremiumBeat. Full transcripts and music credits available at tset.ok.gov/podcast.

#24: The Healthy Living Program

Take a tour through some of the inspiring stories from TSET's Healthy Living Program. Hear from coordinators Melinda Caldwell, Arianna Derr and Hillary Mead about how they're collaborating with local leaders and organizations to improve the health of their communities. New municipal tobacco policies, Cherokee Nation health partnerships and summer feeding programs for kids are just the start of how these grantees work tirelessly to transform their counties for the better.

All music licensed through PremiumBeat. Full transcripts and music credits available at tset.ok.gov/podcast.