Healthy South Dakota

Let's Move - national campaign to solve the challenge of childhood obesity.

Community tool kits available from Healthy South Dakota

Graphic standards for using Healthy South Dakota logo

The Healthy South Dakota Nutrition and Physical Activity Program is reflected in the Office of Health Promotion 2020 Strategic Map - the vision is that all South Dakotans will enjoy healthy lives free from the devastation of chronic diseases.

Potassium for Your Heart

potassium rich foods February is Heart Month. A diet rich in potassium is important in controlling blood pressure. Potassium blunts the effects of sodium. Controlling your blood pressure is good for your heart. Potassium is only one component of a well-rounded plan for blood pressure health. Other factors are salt intake, amount and type of dietary fat, cholesterol, protein and fiber as well as minerals such as calcium and magnesium may affect blood pressure. Researchers attribute changes in blood pressure to certain patterns of eating.

The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan is a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fat-free or low-fat (1 percent) milk and milk products, whole grain foods, fish, poultry, beans, seeds and unsalted nuts reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure. This diet contains less salt and sodium, sweets, added sugars and sugar-containing beverages, fats, and red meats.

Exercise: Prescription for Health

Rx for exercise prescription pad Ready for a healthy challenge? The Exercise: Prescription for Health challenge encourages you to be physically active to improve your health. It is being conducted in collaboration with the South Dakota State Medical Association but you don't need an exercise prescription to participate. However, if you have questions about your ability to be physically active, do consult your physician.

The challenge will run January 15 - February 29. You can join the friendly competition as an individual or as part of a team. Click here to sign up for the challenge or log your minutes of activity. The challenge is web-based and each participant needs their own email address to participate. At the end of challenge 10 randomly selected participants will receive a 2012 South Dakota State Parks pass. Start the year off right by increasing your physical activity. Exercise is indeed medicine!

Challenge promotion poster

Heart Healthy Energy Booster

family playing in snow One heart healthy energy booster is to move more. Increasing physical activity to increase energy works! You don’t have to be a marathoner to see the benefits. Just start where you are and do more. If you don’t exercise, walk around the block and gradually work up from there. Your goal should be to get 30 minutes of brisk activity on five days a week for a total of at least 150 minutes per week. You don’t have to do all 30 minutes at once. Three 10-minute hikes in a day works too. If you try to do too much too fast, you might get hurt, so start slowly and stick with it.

More tips on getting healthier through physical activity!


	Welcome to Healthy South Dakota.gov! This web site was created to help South Dakotans become more physically active and eat healthier foods. Come back often for more credible health information and inspiration to “Live Better. Grow Stronger.“