By LAURA BROOKHART / Community Columnist

The WISEWOMAN Program came to the Shelby County Health Department in August of this year. It is a sister to the Alabama Breast and Cervical Cancer (ABC) Program and is funded by the Centers for Disease Control.

Women age 40 to 64 that are under and uninsured that come through the ABC program at the Shelby County Health Department are referred for WISEWOMAN. Their initial visit includes cholesterol, blood glucose, blood pressure and BMI screenings along with a visit with the nurse practitioner.

If they are a smoker, they receive a referral for a smoking cessation program. Risk reduction counseling is provided during this visit by the nurse practitioner with a focus on identifying and lowering their cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Following risk reduction counseling, they are referred for health coaching visits where they will set nutritional and physical activity goals and be provided incentive items and educational materials to help them achieve their health goals.

The WISEWOMEN receive a visit with a nutritionist about a month after enrolling in the program. Free gym membership (coming soon), USDA.

Lifestyle nutrition classes and monthly support groups also help to give the women the education and tools they need to achieve a healthier lifestyle and lower their risk for cardiovascular disease.

All services and classes are free to WISEWOMAN participants.

In an early December program, attendees learned about HDL and LDL and the best sources for unsaturated fats, i.e. fish, sardines, tuna, flaxseeds, walnuts, cauliflower and olive oil.

Call Angela House at (205) 685-4173 for more information and January meeting dates.