Happy & Healthy Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day! Nice weather, a day off from work, good company, and an appetite…all make for a great Memorial Day celebration. In order to help make your Memorial Day festivities healthier, we have provided tips on healthy choices around the grill, physical activities, and spending quality time with family and friends.

Healthy grilling starts with food choice and portion control. First of all, it’s best to choose foods that are healthy and tasty – high in nutrients, low in fat, full of flavor – when planning meals. Second, be mindful of your hunger signals and how much you are eating.

Here are some helpful tips for selecting the right foods for your Memorial Day celebration, as well as healthy substitutions:

• Choose lean cuts of meat and trim excess fats 
• Grill vegetables and fruits and enjoy their fantastic flavor. Tips for grilling vegetables
• Whole wheat buns instead of white
• Mustard instead of ketchup
• Lean hamburger meat instead of hot dog
• Perhaps use ground turkey for burgers or even try a veggie burger
• Baked beans instead of coleslaw
• Corn on the cob instead of potato chips
• Choose reduced fat cheese or leave it off altogether
• Add lettuce, tomato, and onion to burgers
• Fresh melon and berries for dessert or a lower calorie option such as angel food cake
• Add bottles of water to the cooler.  Try to alternate one water for each beer/soda or make a big pitcher of unsweetened iced tea. 

Once you have selected great foods for your gathering, practice portion control and pay attention to your hunger signals. Remember that ‘everything is good in moderation,’ so instead of filling your plate with meat, buns, and potato chips, cut back on each and add in fresh or grilled fruits and vegetables. This will create a more well-balanced meal. Try not to eat when you aren’t hungry, use a small plate to serve yourself to minimize portions, and wait an hour before having seconds so you avoid eating too much. Lastly, if you plan to have dessert, save room for it.

Be creative with your grilling. Add foods like fish (tuna kabobs) and vegetables. Need delicious ideas? Check out healthy grilling recipes.

While the grill may seem to take center stage, Memorial Day isn’t just about the food. If the weather is nice, focus on outdoor activities that you can enjoy with friends and family, such as catch, Frisbee, touch football or horseshoes. If you have access to a swimming pool, take a dip or horse around with kids. They have lots of energy and will keep you moving. Outdoor activities are a good way to pass the time and work up an appetite while the food is cooking. After you’ve had a chance to digest, you may even want to resume the games and work off your meal.

If you are stuck indoors, try to use whatever equipment you have to enjoy your company and move your body. Perhaps you can start a Wii tournament, play table tennis or dance to some music. If you aren’t able to be active, focus on spending time with friends and family, catching up on what is happening in each others’ lives. If you get caught up in conversation, you may even forget to go back for a second portion of food. Whatever you choose to do, remember that holidays are a break from routine to enjoy each other and remember what matters in life. Happy Memorial Day. Have a wonderful holiday!

   

Feel free to ask a question or share your favorite grilling recipe with fellow readers in the comments section below.

TRAVEL WELL!

Whether you travel once a year or every week, around the region or around the globe, you know that making healthy choices on the road is more challenging than it is at home. Outside of your home routine, taking the time to find healthy options may not be very convenient.  However, with some planning and commitment, it is definitely possible.  In addition to offering the benefits of prevention and longevity that healthy living always brings, making good choices on the road can reduce some of the effects of travel, such as weariness, fatigue and loneliness, while improving job performance and even success.  

I was on a hotel elevator when a very muscular and fit middle aged man stepped on.  He was sweating and panting, clearly coming from the hotel fitness room.  I asked him if he had a good workout.  He replied, “You just have to make exercise a priority when you travel for a living.  Travel is brutal on the body.”  He looked like the pinnacle of health, but clearly he has to work at it, just like the rest of us.  Below are some ways that the HealthNEXT team works to stay healthy when we travel, as it is a challenge for us as well.  You may want to start by choosing one or two items in each category that you aren’t already doing and give them a try next time you hit the road.

DIET

The key here is to plan ahead. 

-          Pack snacks.  Things like nuts, granola bars, apples, oranges, whole grain crackers and trail mix will travel well and keep you nourished in a pinch. Snacking on healthy foods throughout the day can also curb your hunger so that when you sit down for lunch or dinner you are not overly hungry and therefore, do not overeat.

-          When you are buying food at the airport or while driving, search out the healthy choices.  You can always find a salad or a healthy sandwich somewhere. Choose baked or grilled over fried and maximize fruits and vegetables.

  -     When you are by yourself for a meal, search the internet for restaurants in the region and choose according to the likelihood that they will have healthy choices on the menu.

-          When you have to eat out with colleagues and can’t choose the place, you can still choose your meal.  Challenge yourself to find the item on the menu that a nutritionist would pick for you.

-          Portion control is key.  Restaurant meals are generally at least twice what you need.  Put the rest in your hotel mini-fridge if you don’t want to waste it.

-          Don’t be afraid to ask questions.  Ask for whole grain bread, get the dressing on the side, and leave off the cheese.  Get mustard instead of mayo.  Little changes can add up over time.  Make those substitutions into habits.

-          Watch the alcohol and the bread basket.  Both can be your downfall to a healthy restaurant meal.  Alcohol loosens your inhibition about what you eat and you are less likely to make good choices.  Bread fills your belly with empty calories and you’ll still feel compelled to eat too much of your entrée.

-          Make rules.  Nothing fried.  No dessert.  Something green with every meal.  These kinds of guidelines can steer you toward better choices.

-          Don’t eat just because it is there.  This goes for the peanuts on the airplane, the snacks in the break room and the cookies in the hotel lobby.  If you feel compelled to take it, save it for when you really have an appetite.  Food tastes better when you’re hungry anyway.

-          When you get home, have a home-cooked meal of the most wholesome thing you can imagine to nourish your body after a few days of hard travel.

EXERCISE

-          Do SOMETHING active every day.  Maybe it’s a walk around the outside of the plant, or outside of your hotel.  Maybe you can spend a few minutes on the hotel treadmill while you check your e-mail.  You could also do some sit-ups, push-ups and jumping jacks in your room while you watch the evening news.  Pumping iron in the fitness center is great, but it’s not the only choice.

-          If you play golf with co-workers, avoid riding in the cart and walk between holes.  The average course will add up to about 5 miles of walking.

-          If you have to make calls on your cell phone, put on a Bluetooth headset and take a walk while you talk.

-          Use the hotel steps instead of the elevator.  Run up and down the steps a few extra times if you have it in you.

-          When you are waiting for a flight, walk the full terminal for as long as you have time.

-          When you’re on a plane, get up when the fasten seatbelt light goes off.  Stand in the rear of the plane and give your body a good stretch.  It will prevent cramping, soreness and fatigue.  And you can have some nice conversation with the flight attendants. Here are some airplane stretches to try!

SLEEP

-          Do your best to get 8 hours.  If you’ll be up at 4am, go to bed at 8pm.  Even if you can’t fall right to sleep, give your eyes and your body some rest.  Try to relax your mind and your body and encourage them to let go so that you can sleep.  If you’ll be on the same schedule for a few days, try to be consistent with your bedtime and wake-up routines.  On average, it takes the body one day per hour of time change to adjust.  These relaxation practices may help.

-          Make sure your room is dark.  Close the curtains tightly so the light doesn’t come through.

-          When you wake, turn the lights on so your body gets the signal to wake up. 

-          Set more than one alarm so you aren’t worried about failing to wake up.

-          Keep a notepad by your bedside so you can jot down any brilliant ideas or concerns.  Otherwise, you may stay awake worrying that you’ll forget something.

-          Eat something an hour after you wake up.  If it has to be quick, grab a piece of fruit and a snack bar.  You need fuel to get you going.

-          Limit alcohol intake.  It may help you fall asleep, but your sleep quality will not be as good.

MENTAL HEALTH

-          Get some down time.  Read a few pages of a book for enjoyment.  Watch a few minutes of comedy on TV.  Look up your sports team’s scores.  All work and no play actually hampers productivity.

-          Stay connected.  Call your spouse.  Skype with your kids from your hotel room.  Text jokes back and forth with a buddy.  Just because you’re miles away, doesn’t mean that you have to lose touch with the people who make your hometown the place you want to go back to.

-          When you get home, have some down time to relax and get caught up with your loved ones.  Perhaps plan a date night or an easy night in.  Allow yourself time to be refreshed before you jump into the piles of mail and unfinished chores that await you.

Please contribute your additional ideas with the comments link below.  If you struggle with particular situations or issues with healthy travelling, let me know.  I’d be eager to brainstorm a solution with you!

Exercise: Think outside the box

Spring is here and summer is around the corner! Take advantage of the beautiful weather and have some fun! Exercise is essential for good health but it does not have to be boring or structured. Read on to learn the many benefits of exercise, how much you need, and ideas to make your workout more fun than work.

Exercise helps us to maintain or improve our health and fitness. But it also has many other added benefits. If you find yourself struggling to exercise despite the fact that your doctor (or health behaviorist) suggests it for improving your cholesterol or body weight, you may find more motivation in some of these additional reasons:

·   Exercise improves your mood. Physical activity, especially the kind that increases your heart rate, stimulates chemicals in the brain that make you feel happier and reduce your stress. Exercise can also be a natural remedy to prevent and decrease depression. Participating in fun activities allows you to enjoy yourself and while it is improving your health, it also helps to make you to look better and feel better, boosting confidence and self-esteem.

·   Exercise increases energy. Physical activity increases the circulation of blood and oxygen throughout the body to the heart and other organs, increasing your energy level.

·   Exercise improves sleep. Physical activity relieves stress that can keep you up at night. It will also help you to fall asleep faster and allows for deeper sleep. Be sure not to exercise too close to bedtime, as you will be too energized to sleep.

·   Exercise helps to maintain a healthy weight. Physical activity burns calories! The longer and more intense the activity, the more calories are burned.

·   Lastly, the best benefit of all is that regular physical activity leads to a longer life! All of the benefits listed above are yours if you become active. In doing so, you can also prevent or manage high blood pressure, strengthen muscles and bones to prevent osteoporosis, minimize risk of obesity and diabetes, reduce triglycerides, and increase HDL (which is the good cholesterol that protects your heart from heart disease). With regular physical activity, you are more likely to live longer, feel well and energized, look great, and prevent chronic disease.


Wondering how much exercise is necessary to achieve these benefits? Check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention physical activity recommendations for adults to learn about different combinations of exercise and time. Remember to speak with your doctor before beginning a new exercise program and be sure to start out slowly in order to condition your muscles and prevent injury.

Tired of going to the gym or unmotivated to workout in your basement? Get outside and go green!

Here are some ideas for activities that will make you forget that you’re exercising!

• Grab a walking stick and go for a hike or walk with your family or friends. Explore nearby county or state parks and enjoy the peace and beauty that they have to offer.
• Buy or rent a bike or canoe for the day
• Start up a friendly game of kickball or softball with your neighbors
• Plant and maintain a garden or landscape your yard
• Jump rope with your kids and learn new tricks (this is excellent exercise!)
• Play Frisbee with your spouse
• Take a brisk walk around the neighborhood

Most importantly, be creative so that physical activity is fun for you and does not become a chore.  If you’re feeling bored or reluctant, it’s time to find something new to keep you moving! Studies show that people who practice “Green Exercise” significantly increase their motivation for exercising.   

If you don’t have time for an outdoor activity or the weather isn’t cooperating, consider these gym-free indoor options:

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator
• Walk during your lunch break
• Do a few rounds of jumping jacks, push-ups, sit-ups, and squats
• Put on an interactive workout video that will boost your heart rate like kickboxing, P90X, Insanity, power yoga, or Pilates (you can find them at the library, On Demand, at a video rental shop, or buy them on sale).
• Run up and down your stairs several times
• Use resistance bands,
• Play on Wii Fit
• Lift dumbbells
• Put on music and dance in your living room!

Try to do some form of physical activity on most days in order to create routine and habit. We all know that it’s much easier to stop exercising than to start. The bottom line is that exercise can be fun and rewarding for you! It can even become a hobby. All it takes is a little creativity and effort to try something new.

Feel free to ask a question in the comments section below or share additional ideas of physical activities that you enjoy.  Have fun!

Cancer Prevention

On May 7^th, seventy-five SCA employees and family members in the Midwest will be participating in Sole Burner, a 5K run/walk which raises money for the American Cancer Society.  The event is sponsored in part by SCA and raised over $345,000 for cancer treatment and prevention last year. 

Since many of you are working on making healthier lifestyle choices already, this is a good opportunity to highlight the health behaviors that play a major role in cancer prevention.  While there are many different forms of cancer, each of these six key behaviors can decrease the risk of several cancer types.  Additionally, some of these behaviors can also help to prevent a variety of other health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes or stroke.  Additional resources and details about the Sole Burner event can be found at the bottom of this post.  You can post comments and participate in discussion below the post.  If you'd like to ask me a confidential question, please e-mail shaaz@corporatehealthsolutions.com.  

1. LIVE TOBACCO FREE

This is probably the single greatest cancer preventer and the most important decision you may make in terms of your health.  All forms of tobacco are associated with cancer risk.  Smokers tend to get cancer in the lungs, bladder, cervix or kidney, while smokeless tobacco users are more prone to cancers of the mouth, esophagus or pancreas.  If you are ready to quit or to start cutting back, contact me (email address located in profile) for resources to get started.  Here’s a place to begin: How to quit

2. EAT RIGHT

This one actually has 3 parts.  Much research has indicated that fruits and vegetables protect against a variety of cancers, including stomach, esophageal, lung, oral cavity and pharynx, endometrial, pancreatic, and colon.  The most effective are raw fruits and vegetables, dark green vegetables (ie. kale, spinach, collards, broccoli), carrots and tomatoes.  Fruits and vegetables are high in fiber, which cleanses the digestive track.  They are also high in antioxidants, which reverse the oxidative cancer-causing process.  These foods are naturally low in calories and can contribute to maintaining a healthy weight, which also reduces cancer risk.

Minimizing dietary fat from animal sources can also reduce risk of breast, colorectal and prostate cancers.  This especially includes red meat, which should be limited to 1-2 times per week, but also includes dairy, eggs and poultry.  When eating dairy, aim for low or non-fat options.  Choose egg whites or egg beaters when possible, and eat white meat poultry without the high-fat skin.  Fats from plants (olive oil, avocado, nuts, etc.) and fish do no raise cancer risk and have a variety of other health benefits.  Here’s a good resource to learn more about healthy eating: What should you eat?

Avoiding excessive alcohol consumption reduces risk of cancers to the breast, colon, lung, kidney and liver.  For most people, a healthy rate of consumption is no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.  A drink is considered to be one shot of liquor, one glass of wine, or one 12 oz. beer.  Here’s more information about alcohol and cancer.  If you are having trouble reducing your alcohol consumption, contact your employee assistance program or ask me for more information.

3. EXERCISE

Staying physically active can reduce risk of breast, colon, prostate, uterus, and lung cancer.  The evidence for decreasing lung cancer risk is stronger in men than women.  The US Surgeon General recommends 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week for all adults.  Regular physical activity may also increase survivorship and quality of life for people with a cancer diagnosis.  If you have questions about exercise, let me know.

4. MAINTAIN A HEALTHY WEIGHT

Eating the right foods, minimizing alcohol consumption, and staying physically active can all play a role in maintaining a healthy weight.  Independent of these behaviors, a healthy weight is good cancer prevention, especially for breast, prostate, lung, colon and kidney cancers.  If you are eating healthy food and exercising regularly, you may also need to watch portion sizes to reach your weight goals.  I recommend listening to your body’s hunger signals, which means only eating when you are truly hungry and stopping BEFORE you become full.  If this is challenging, you may want to try tracking calories.  If you are interested in more information about hunger signals, calorie recommendations or portions sizes, let me know.

Use this tool to determine if you’re a healthy weight.

5. PROTECT SKIN FROM SUN EXPOSURE

Especially during these warmer months or if you spend a lot of time outdoors, it is important to use sunscreen on all exposed skin.  An SPF of 30 or more is recommended with reapplication every two hours.  A hat, sun umbrella and/or lightweight cover-up can provide even better protection.  If you are participating in outdoor physical activities, choose a high SPF, sweat-proof sunscreen that can last through the activity.

6. SELF-EXAMS AND SCREENING TESTS

Keeping an eye out for early signs through your own body awareness and medical tests can catch cancer before it starts or in its earliest and most treatable stages.

If you have a family history of skin cancer or many skin irregularities, you may wish to visit a dermatologist annually for a thorough skin cancer screening.  You can also examine your own skin.  Look for any of the following abnormalities:

ASYMMETRY- one half is unlike the other

BORDER- an irregular or poorly defined border

COLOR- two or more colors are present

DIAMETER- larger than a pencil eraser

EVOLVING- If it is growing in size or changing in its characteristics

If you notice one or more of these characteristics on your skin, see a dermatologist for further evaluation.  Here's more information about skin cancer.

Prostate cancer screening includes a simple blood test for Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA).  If you are a male over 50, this was part of your annual health assessment blood draw.  If you have a history of prostate cancer in your family, you may wish to have the PSA test a bit earlier.  During an annual check-up, your family doctor may also check your prostate for any enlargement or irregularity.  This is what you can expect in a prostate exam.

Breast cancer screening is done through annual mammograms after age 40 (or younger with family history of breast cancer).  Women of all ages should also perform monthly breast self exams (BSEs) to look for any lumps or changes.  This interactive video provides more information about BSE's.

It is also recommended that women over 21 see a gynecologist annually for a clinical breast exam and Pap test, which can detect cervical cancer. 

The gold standard for assessing colon cancer risk is a colonoscopy, which is recommended at age 50.  If no abnormalities are detected, this can be repeated every 10 years.  If any abnormalities are found, more frequent testing may be advised.  Your family doctor can arrange for a colonoscopy.  To learn more, see colonoscopies.

If you are interested in getting up to date with cancer screenings and do not have a family doctor, see your human resources staff for a list of eligible doctors in your area.

SOLE BURNER

If you live in the Midwest and would like to attend Sole Burner to watch the race and cheer on your fellow SCA employees, here are the details:

29^th annual Sole Burner 5K Run/Walk

May 7^th, 2011

8:15am- First Event Begins

10:15am- Awards Ceremony

Appleton, WI

Website: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/CommunityFundraisingPages/CFPFY10Midwest?sid=1730&type=fr_informational&pg=informational&fr_id=35019

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

American Cancer Society: www.cancer.org

National Cancer Institute: www.cancer.gov

Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation: www.komen.org