The employees of Parks Custom Cabinets in Chelsea accepted the challenge of drinking more water after a nutrition presentation. The company is working hard to improve the health of its employees by educating and motivating them to eat better, move more, and be tobacco free. They believe a healthy workforce is a more creative and productive workforce.
Renetta Harrison, Health Educator for Rogers County Health Department, and Jody Reiss, Healthy Living Project Director at Volunteers for Youth completed a series of three presentations covering nutrition, physical activity, and tobacco information as requested by Bruce Parks, owner of Parks Custom Cabinets. Harrison and Reiss are active members of the Healthy Community Partnership, a Rogers County coalition with the mission to achieve lasting positive environmental change in Rogers County to prevent substance abuse and promote overall wellness for youth and across the lifespan.
After the nutrition presentation, Mr. Parks decided he would incentivize his employees with their own Yeti cup if they increased their water intake during the month of May. He set a goal for them to reach and 11 earned their Yeti cups! Several of the employees stopped or reduced their number of sugar sweetened beverages while increasing their water intake. Drinking at least eight glasses of water each day will help reduce fatigue, increase energy level, improve skin, digestion, kidney function, and assist with weightloss/maintenance. It is especially important to consume enough water when exposed to heat. The employees of Parks Custom Cabinets are reaping these benefits while they drink water in their new Yeti cups!
The Parks Custom Cabinet initiative dovetails nicely with the Shape Your Future campaign’s new June messages that encourage Oklahomans to “Rethink Your Drink” and choose water over sugary beverages. This is part of an ongoing statewide health initiative supported by the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) and the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH).
The Rogers County Health Department and Rogers County’s TSET Healthy Living Program/Healthy Community Partnership hope more people will take on the challenge of eating better, moving more, and being tobacco free. For more information, please contact Jody Reiss, at jody.r@volunteersforyouth.com or Renetta Harrison, at renettah@health.ok.gov.
