Some awareness events deal with educational topics while others are focused more on disease prevention. Of the events focused on diseases and disorders, they tend to be very specific (i.e. Alzheimer’s awareness or American Heart Month). However, in the case of National Cancer Prevention Month, a broad approach has been taken to tackle some of the worst diseases which plague the human race.

With so much research necessary to find a cure for just one form of cancer, the amount of ground that National Cancer Prevention Month covers is truly astounding. Since the event places an emphasis on prevention, it means that the responsibility lies with the individual in order to do everything they possibly can to stop cancer. How do people learn the best methods for cancer prevention? It starts with a good education on the subject, and that’s where you come in.

According to the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), the best strategy for cancer prevention is a three-part process:

1. Diet

A healthy diet is one of the most important contributing factors to cancer prevention. In order to maintain this diet, the AICR recommends you do several things. First, incorporate mostly plant foods into your meals. By focusing a large portion of your meals on vegetables, fruits, grains, and beans, you can help strengthen your body against cancer.

Next, make sure to avoid red meat and processed foods. This means limiting your intake of red meat to 18 oz. of lean cuts per week, and completely staying away from hot dogs, sausages, bacon, and especially any sort of fast food. Limiting high-calorie snacks is a “must” when it comes to a cancer preventive diet, so this should be taken into account as well.2. Physical Activity

The second tenet of the reduced cancer risk strategy is physical exercise. The AICR slogan for physical activity is, “Every day, in any way.” This usually means roughly 30 minutes of exercise every day, no matter what type of activity it is. It is important to note that you don’t have to go to the gym to be active in your daily life – you can walk, run, dance, kickbox, or clean your home.

The bottom line is that you are stimulating blood to your heart, and that is what creates a healthy circulation and weight maintenance. If you can keep a good exercise schedule going, then you are well on your way to leading a life of cancer prevention.

3. Weight Management

The third and final component of cancer prevention is keeping a healthy weight. This will probably be the toughest of the three aspects of cancer prevention, especially as people get older and their metabolism slows down. That is why you must rely on the other two components of reducing cancer risk in order to execute the third part effectively.

Being overweight has been conclusively linked to at least six different types of cancers, so it should be taken very seriously as a necessity that needs to be watched. If you can keep track of your diet and exercise, weight loss will come naturally every time.

By educating the people in your community with the information provided above, you can make a huge difference during National Cancer Prevention Month. People of all ages can benefit from this information too; in fact, the younger the people are the better. This way you can get people started on a track of cancer prevention at an early age, and keep them on pace for a long and healthy life.

Which muscle in your body is responsible for maintaining the entire rest of the body? The heart, of course. Everyone knows that without a healthy heart, your body cannot receive fresh oxygenated blood as well as it should. Without a strong cycle of blood constantly flowing through the body, your organs will suffer and eventually the body will not be able to function any longer. Everyone is aware of these basic facts, yet they still do not take them to heart (pun intended). The result is the development of heart disease in various forms. The point at which a heart is deemed unhealthy is the point at which Cardiac Rehabilitation Week comes into play.

From February 13-19 this year, you can take part in Cardiac Rehabilitation Week by doing everything you can to help heart disease patients recover. You can do your part in a myriad of ways, but ultimately it comes down to several important events and educational lessons that will make all the difference. To start, heart disease patients should be schooled in the importance of diet and exercise. Though some heart disease issues are hereditary, these problems will always be exacerbated when attention to the right foods and fitness is neglected. Heart disease patients will probably be advised by their doctors on the amount of physical activity they should be participating in, as someone with a weak heart could make matters much worse by trying to endure strenuous exercise. Your main goal here should be to reinforce the advice that doctors in your community are giving about heart recovery, so that you can support Cardiac Rehabilitation Week is the best way possible.

Some hospitals are also participating in Cardiac Rehabilitation Week by giving free blood pressure and glucose screenings. If you know one of the hospitals or doctor’s offices in your area is doing this, help them make themselves known as best you can so that lives can be saved. At these open houses, information is usually provided about a variety of topics related to heart disease including heart attacks, stroke, and cardiac arrest. The key is always education, so the more people know about heart disease the better. Obviously, anyone who needs to rehabilitate their heart has already had quite a scare – chances are they are going to listen to you this time around.Remember, the importance of maintaining the health of your heart cannot be understated. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States; the more that people pay attention to their heart, the better the chance they have of living a long, healthy life. Anything you can do in your community (i.e. public health events, promoting heart screenings, educating people in your town), the better chance you have of extending some of the lives of your fellow man.

Everywhere you turn, it’s there. In the movies, in the media, on the Internet, and in our personal lives, sex is a important part of modern life. Since the 1960′s, the Sexual Revolution, and the emergence of birth control, the practice of sex has become much more casual and frequent. No longer are people restricted to having sex with one partner, nor are the required to wait until marriage. With homosexuals also finally getting the rights and recognition that they deserve, the sexual freedom of Americans has become complete. Now while freedom is a wonderful thing, the newly found liberty to participate in sexual acts with whoever you choose also comes with great responsibility. This is why Sexual Responsibility Awareness Week is so important.

Kids in today’s day and age how grown up in this new era of sexual freedom, learning from sexual themes on television shows and in the movies. While there is nothing wrong with this, the same children who are exposed at an early age often do not receive the proper lessons on sexual education. So if you want to get involved with Sexual Responsibility Awareness Week this February, you should know that making a difference starts with reaching kids at an early age.

By getting into the schools and giving lectures in the community, you can teach teenagers who are learning about their bodies some of the most important concepts of sexual responsibility. Of these lessons, probably the most important one is using protection. Offered in both male and female forms, the use of protection during sex will drastically reduce chances of pregnancy and disease. Remember, the only way to ensure 100% chance of not getting pregnant or getting a sexually transmitted disease is through abstinence. However, it is unrealistic in the year 2011 to expect people to abstain from sex while all their friends are taking part.

You can demonstrate the use of some of the most popular forms of sexual protection during your classroom lecture. The male condom is the most popular, and when used properly can reduce the chance of unwanted pregnancy and STD by 98 percent. That is an incredible percentage, and should be duly noted as you go through your sexual responsibility presentation. You can also practice safe sex with various other forms of contraception including the female condom, and other injectable or hormonal devices.

In order for people to feel even more confident in their use of contraception, the female can take birth control pills. Commonly known as “The Pill”, this oral contraceptive is taken every day throughout the month, regardless if the woman has had sex on that particular day. The use of birth control pills is something that should be discussed with parents before a teenager makes the decision to use it.

Finally, it is important to note that Sexual Responsibility Awareness Week should not only be applied to students and young people. Regardless of how old you, a keen sense of sexual responsibility should always be practiced in every situation. Too often, adults neglect to take the proper steps in protecting themselves and their partner during sexual activity. This results unwanted pregnancies and disease, ultimately having to be resolved with either abortion or adoption, the use of medication, and plenty of regret and emotional distress.

By spreading these principles in your schools and community, you can help make a difference during Sexual Responsibility Awareness Week that will help make many people’s lives much healthier and better.

The American Dental Association (ADA) works hard every February to sponsor National Children’s Dental Health Month, one of the most important awareness events for young kids. It is a fact that practicing oral hygiene is established at an early age, and children will probably maintain the same routine into their adult life. So, it is extremely important that teachers, parents, and community leaders reinforce the significance of oral hygiene during this time.

While children are in their formative years, they can be easily influenced as to the level of dental health that they are going to practice. It is also true that some methods are more effective than others in the inculcation of a good routine. One of the best ways to teach kids during National Children’s Dental Health Month is with tangible giveaways and fun activities to do. On the ADA website, there are a ton of great activity sheets that you can pass out to the kids in your community which are both fun and educational. The How to Floss activity sheet, for example, provides children with step-by-step instructions on how to effectively floss their teeth at home. The sheet comes complete with great diagrams, since visual reinforcement often helps to support the dental health lesson.

Another great way to be proactive during National Children’s Dental Health Month is by partnering with the dentists in your community. For a day or two, dentists can come to the schools in your area and give kids a free checkup and cleaning. This is a win-win for everyone involved: kids get to learn about how to keep teeth clean, dentists get great exposure for their firm, and you accomplish an incredible amount of success during Children’s Dental Health Month.

If you are participating in National Children’s Dental Health Month this year, kids are not the only ones you need to reach. You can’t be with every child at all times to make sure they are brushing and flossing; that responsibility lies on the shoulders of parents. You should meet with the parents in your community and explain to them that kids do not naturally develop good oral hygiene – they need to be taught. Every parent can encourage their child to maintain their dental health by creating some sort of incentive or reward system.

Parents can keep a weekly calendar on the refrigerator or wall in their child’s room, and mark it with a check mark or star every time that their child brushes his/her teeth. When enough check marks have been reached, the parent can tell reward the child with a new toy. This simple practice of reinforcing positive behavior is something that is done with success in all aspects of parenting, but can be applied especially to the procedure of dental hygiene.

Remember that the ultimate goal of National Children’s Dental Heath Month is to have a lasting impact on as many children as possible, leading them to practice good oral hygiene for the rest of their lives. If you can get teachers and parents in your community to help support the process, you will be able to accomplish a tremendous amount of success during an important awareness event.