When it comes to key health indicators, Alabama ranks among the lowest in the nation. Such health issues can be impacted by factors such as someone’s access to medical care, zip code, income, education, race/ethnicity, and family history. That’s why Live HealthSmart Alabama is on a mission to make good health simple. To achieve such a transformation requires partners who believe in our mission and are driven to work alongside us to make it a reality. One of the organizations improving health in our state, together with Live HealthSmart Alabama, is Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) United.
Christy Swaid, Founder & CEO
Christy Swaid, Founder and CEO of HEAL United, experienced first-hand the impact science can have on health and wellness in the 2000s when she was competing in jet ski races around the world.
Swaid recalled, “A sports performance and rehabilitation partner came into my racing program and started using science and technology in my training; and it completely changed my life. I reached a performance level that I had never experienced before. Science-based methods and measures empowered me to overcome injuries, win more championships, endure two pregnancies, and continue to be the foundation of my ongoing—always reinventing—health journey.”
“My mother always told me that regardless of what you’re doing, be mindful of the greater good” added Swaid. “While I was racing, that greater good was marine safety. But, after moving to Alabama, I needed to find a new way to help the greater good.”
Using what she learned in her own life, Swaid wanted to help children in Alabama lead healthy, active lives using an evidence-based curriculum. And thus, HEAL United was born.
About HEAL United
Since 2007, HEAL United has sought to improve children’s health through education and the practice of healthy lifestyle behaviors. Over the years, HEAL United built a support system for children that advanced with them through each grade—empowering them to take an active role in the health of their household and community.
The program has created comprehensive professional development trainings to engage teachers, families, afterschool care providers, and community/faith-based leaders. HEAL United has evolved to provide methods and materials that inspire physical and mental health for K-12 students, colleges, households, and the community. The extensive list of services includes nutrition, cooking, meal planning, disease preventive exercises, healthy financial planning, social connectivity with time saving sensitivity.
In addition to eating healthy, the HEAL physical activity curriculum incorporates technology, such as heart rate monitors, to help students understand how their activity level contributes to healthy living.
HEAL recognizes that each child is different, and their activity plan should be too.
“The students learn that for some, walking will increase their heart rate enough to be in the target heart rate zone. However, for others, it might require jogging or a game of soccer. It’s not good to reward one child and not the other. Technology allows us to discern how hard everyone is working. With the metrics provided by technology, we see the student that is not athletically inclined is actually working as hard or harder than the gifted athlete. Sadly, before this technological intervention, some students learned to hate PE and physical activity by being misunderstood, underappreciated, or pushed too hard.” added Swaid.
The HEAL United total healthy lifestyle programs, were developed by educators, for educators. Swaid works with industry leaders in various fields to ensure programming is evidence-based, peer reviewed, supporting best practices, and measurable.
By teaching healthy behaviors early, HEAL United addresses the prevention of chronic diseases. Most importantly, HEAL United supports quality of life, self-worth, and contribution to society, the “greater good.”
As a key component of the Alabama STEM Ecosystem and the Alabama Grade Level Reading Executive Committee, HEAL United fuels the Alabama Strong Start Strong Finnish Initiative. Swaid and her team, provides foundational education and inspiration for early health behaviors and offers pathways to financial freedom through career building—each of which are intentional and intrinsically linked.
In total, HEAL United programs can be found in over 200 schools, serving over 45,000 students, across 56 school systems in 36 counties in Alabama, and 350 professional educators. HEAL has expanded to Arkansas and Louisiana and has a growing waitlist.
HEAL United’s Partnership with Live HealthSmart Alabama
Like HEAL United, Live HealthSmart Alabama is a transformational movement addressing key areas that embody total wellness.
Swaid explained, “I’ve always felt embraced by UAB. Many people who have either helped us get started, developed curriculum, or are members of our executive & advisory board are UAB faculty or alumni. Chronic disease in Alabama is a large problem and it’s going to take a lot of effort, money, and committed people to make a difference, but together with Live HealthSmart Alabama we are going to get much more done.”
As part of the partnership between HEAL United and Live HealthSmart Alabama, the two teams coordinated to identify four schools in LHSA’s demonstration areas, which include these underserved communities: East Lake (Barrett Elementary), Kingston (Hayes K-8), Ensley Highlands (Minor Elementary), and Fountain Heights (Phillips Academy).
Before implementing the healthy eating and physical activity programs in the schools, HEAL United and Live HealthSmart Alabama teams conducted a pre-assessment survey to gauge the student’s familiarity with the subject matter. Then, at the end of the school year, a post-assessment was conducted to see how much students learned.
Findings show that there was a statistically significant difference between the intervention and control groups for the knowledge pre- to post- assessment. This increase in knowledge is essential for positive behavior changes to occur.
A self-report survey indicated that 60% of students in the intervention schools increased their level of physical activity and improved their knowledge of healthy eating and physical activity. Moreover, 30% of students increased their cardiovascular output.
Given the challenges faced by students in underserved communities, both organizations believe that with further intervention, improvements in positive health behaviors will continue.
As Live HealthSmart Alabama expands into Selma, it has coordinated with the HEAL United team to participate in curriculum and ambassador training for the LHSA program manager, two area teachers, and six members of prominent local churches who will be implementing the curriculum. More trainings will be scheduled as additional schools and places of worship are identified by the Live HealthSmart Alabama team.
“Our partnership with Live HealthSmart Alabama is fantastic because LHSA reinforces healthy lifestyle behaviors with services that support the HEAL United Mission; and the Mobile Market and Mobile Wellness vans are remarkable solutions to obvious barriers.” remarked Swaid.
“Because of Live HealthSmart Alabama these areas will also see improvements to their policies, systems, and built environments, so together we are addressing health on multiple levels.”
