If you want to get and stay healthy, you may want to listen to what environmental health advocates have to stay. These days, with a growing number of environmental issues that can affect your health, you want to have a healthcare advocate on your side, one specifically trained in environmental health advocacy.

Healthcareercenter.org says that environmental health advocates “are specialists who identify public health problems, organize public health campaigns, teach classes about good health, and empower the public to take responsibility for their health.”

Here are some of the things that such a healthcare advocate can do for you when it comes to your health:

What Is Environmental Health Advocacy?

Warn People of Dangers in Food

Do you wash fruits and vegetables before eating them? Did you know that organic foods do not contain the pesticides that many conventionally grown foods do? And are you aware of ways to prevent yourself from getting salmonella or e coli poisoning?  Those are just some of the things that an environmental healthcare advocate can warn you about.

There are simple tips that such an advocate can also recommend to help ensure your safety when it comes to food, such as washing your hands and using safe cutting boards.

There is also a danger in food when it comes to eating things cooked with transfats, or drinking sodas filled with sugar. Health advocates warn about these items, as well as lesser-known dangers, like the amount of sugar in fruit juices and energy drinks.

What Is Environmental Health Advocacy?

Talk about Diseases and Disease Prevention

Thanks to unfortunate some misinformation, the number of people getting vaccines is way down in this country, which means that things like whooping cough and measles, once diseases thought to be virtually stamped out in this country, are making an undesired comeback. Environmental health officials can warn people about the importance of vaccinations for the public health benefit.

Other things that can cause diseases like Lyme Disease are ticks, and environmental health advocates tell the public about the dangers involving ticks, and how to avoid getting bitten by one.

In addition, environmental health advocates can warn the public about the dangers of pollution from things like smokestacks, as well as issues like lead paint, toxic waste, polluted streams and other environmental issues.

Some Environmental Issues are caused by Humans

Some of the worst damage that can happen to people’s health is caused by people themselves. For example, look at cigarette smoking. The dangers of second-hand smoke are so well-known now, that not only are many cities banning smoking from restaurants and workplaces, but even some apartments no longer allow smoking.  Yet some people still smoke. Healthcare advocates warn about the continued dangers of smoking, and hope that more people quit the filthy habit.

Such environmental healthcare advocates also let people know good health is in their hands. Doing things like eating right, exercising regularly, and avoiding excessive alcohol can lead to great health in the future. To learn more about tips for living right, visit Livingwellcarenavigation.com.

Lisa Swan writes for a variety of blogs and websites.