Flu: Tis the Season

It’s that time of year again: along with holiday joys and gifts also comes your risk of catching the dreaded flu. Fortunately, there are ways to protect yourself, so read on to learn how to avoid being the one everyone avoids!

The flu affects 1 in 5 people each year and is highly contagious. Most suffer symptoms for a few days up to two weeks. However, symptoms can be much worse for the elderly, babies or young kids, and those with health conditions like asthma, heart disease, diabetes, or a weakened immune system. 

Not a big fan of the flu? Start protecting yourself in the following ways:

Get Vaccinated! This is the single best way to prevent the flu. Each year, the flu shot is designed to protect against the most common flu strains. It’s best to get the flu shot in early fall or as soon as it is available. But you can get it any time during the winter if you haven’t had the flu yet. There are two types of vaccines:

·      The flu shot is made with a killed virus. It is intended for ages 6 months and older. There is a variation of this shot for pregnant women. The shot may cause a sore arm for a day or two.

·      The nasal spray or FluMist contains a live, but weakened form of the virus. The mist is intended for people between 2-49 years of age and who are healthy and not pregnant. This is a simple, quick, and pain-free option!

Some may feel achy or experience a low grade fever after getting the flu vaccine and fear that the vaccine caused it. On the contrary, you cannot get the flu from the vaccine because it contains either a killed or weakened form of the virus.

Wash Your Hands! Another important way to prevent the flu is to wash your hands often and at the right times. The flu virus is very contagious and can be passed to others by touching any surface with flu germs on it. Always wash your hands before preparing food and eating. Also wash your hands before touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, since those areas let germs into your body. It’s also a good idea to wash your hands after touching these areas to protect others in case you are sick or carrying the germs.  

Use soap and warm water. If they are unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Be conscious of the surfaces you are touching when out in public such as door handles, railings, shaking hands, public transportation, gas stations, restaurants, movie theaters, AND grocery carts! Flu germs can remain on surfaces for up to eight hours.

Avoid Sick People! The flu virus is passed very easily, just by being around someone who is sick or who is carrying the germs. Folks are contagious up to one day before having symptoms and up to 7 days afterwards. The flu is passed along in tiny droplets from the mouth and nose when coughing, sneezing, or talking. Wash your hands often when you are around sick people. If you are sick, take the time to rest and recover, and keep your distance from others.

Stay Healthy! You need to keep your immune system strong to fight off the flu and other infections, so stay healthy by practicing the following:

·      Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet (rich in fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean meats, and healthy fats)

·      Exercise 4+ days a week (take a brisk walk or try a workout video on a cold day)

·      Sleep 7-9 hours each night (organize your day to accomplish your highest priorities, making good sleep one of them)

·      Quit smoking. Research shows that smokers experience the flu more than non-smokers and tend to have a more severe infection.

Visit FLU.GOV to learn about flu symptoms and the difference between symptoms of the flu and the common cold.

If you do become sick with the flu this season, follow these tips to help yourself and others:

·      Talk to your doctor about antiviral flu drugs. They can help you get better faster, but must be taken in the first two days of getting sick.

·      If possible, stay home until you feel better and your fever is gone for 24 hours (without taking medicine)

·      Sneeze and cough into your elbow instead of your hand to reduce the spread of germs.

·      Dispose of used tissue after blowing your nose. Don’t leave them on a table or save them for the next use

·      Wash your hands frequently! Including before you prepare or eat food, and after you cough, sneeze, or blow your nose.

We hope this information will help you and your loved ones to enjoy a healthy holiday season! Stay well!

HOW TO MANAGE STRESS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

It’s a festive time of year, but it can also be stressful. The demands of the season can challenge our intentions to make healthy choices. This week’s blog post is full of helpful tips to de-stress this holiday season.

Think Simple
Too often we feel pressure to do too much, spend too much, and attend too many events. The holidays are just as much about you as they are about other people and other commitments. 

·     Set priorities and let go of impossible goals

·     Ask others, including the kids, to help you complete chores

·     Rest when your body tells you to and participate in things that bring you energy, not deplete it

Your Health and the Holidays

When you get busy during the holidays, you may miss the gym, indulge in treats, or get less sleep. To stay healthy this season, stick to your routine as much as possible. It’s ok to show up at the holiday party a little late if that means you can get in a workout or leave a bit earlier to get in a full night’s rest. Be good to yourself! Get enough sleep, eat well (most of the time) and keep your sense of humor.

Creative and Inexpensive Gifts

If all of the holiday shopping is stretching your budget or causing you stress, rethink the season of giving. Try baking holiday cookies to give to neighbors, friends and local service, such as your postman or local fire station. Your family may also choose to participate in a secret Santa or white elephant gift exchange to limit overspending for everyone. Teach your kids about giving to those less fortunate. They may surprise you with their willingness to give more than they receive.

Solo Holiday
If you are spending the holidays alone, make good use of the time by enjoying physical activity, cooking healthy meals for yourself, and getting plenty of rest. You will have a head start on everyone who starts making healthier choices in January!

More Assistance

If you are working with a coach already, be sure to stay in touch during this challenging season. If you would like to work with a coach, contact Dr. Steffany Haaz at shaaz@corporatehealthsolutions.com or 443-801-0539.

Some people feel heightened emotions during the holidays. If your feelings of loneliness, sadness, anger or frustration persist, please contact your Carebridge EAP at 1-800-437-0911 or by emailing clientservice@carebridge.com.Carebridge service is available 7/24/365.

Happy Holidays!

Happy Thanksgiving!

From our hearts to yours, we wish you all the very best Thanksgiving this year. Wherever you may be, we hope that you enjoy the day with family, friends, and neighbors. 

Kindly,

The HealthNEXT Team

If you wish to see ideas for making smart decisions around the holidays, view the recent blog post: http://www.scalivingwell.blogspot.com/2012/11/eating-smart-around-holidays.html 

AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others” -Cicero

As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, most of us are thinking about turkey, stuffing, cranberries and pumpkin pie… and maybe how we’re going to enjoy our feast in small portions.  But somewhere in the back of our minds, we know that this holiday is really about celebrating the “bounty” in our lives, not just on our plates.  It turns out that the virtue of gratitude has some very real physical and mental health benefits. Below, we share a bit about the science of gratitude, and some ideas for living a more grateful life.  You might even want to try starting a new Thanksgiving tradition that involves the whole family in an experience of gratitude (and all of its benefits)!

WHAT IS GRATITUDE?

Gratitude means thankfulness, or appreciation of kindness.  It is often acknowledged by doing something kind in return, or doing something kind for someone else (ie. “paying it forward”).  There are three components of gratitude:

1)      A warm sense of appreciation for something or somebody

2)      A sense of goodwill toward that thing or person

3)      Acting positively because of that appreciation

Gratitude does not have to be toward another person.  It can also be a sense of wonder, thankfulness and appreciation for life, an experience, or a state of being (such as good health).

PHYSICAL HEALTH BENEFITS

After just 15-20 seconds of focusing on something that makes you feel grateful, physical changes occur in the body:

-          Stress hormones go down.

-          Arteries relax, increasing blood flow to your heart.

-          Breath is deeper, bringing more oxygen to the whole body.

-          Energy goes up.

-          Faster recovery from illness or surgery

-          Improved survival or slowed progression of disease

-          Better sleep quality

MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS

There are also changes in the way we feel when we practice a sense of gratitude, including:

-          More alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness

-          Increased happiness, optimism, life satisfaction

-          Greater progress toward completing life goals

-          Feeling more loved

-          Less stress or depression

The nervous system is wired for survival by keeping us alerted to danger. Holding thoughts of appreciation is harder than holding thoughts of fear.  Because of this, it takes practice to build gratitude and feel its benefits.  It is a little bit like exercising a muscle to make it stronger.

GRATITUDE RESEARCH

There is a study that has been repeated 3 times with the same results.  In the study, people are divided into 3 groups:

A)     Write down things you are grateful for

B)      Write down things you find annoying

C)      Write down things that have an impact on your life

Group A had higher wellbeing than the other groups, especially Group B.  When this continued for 10 weeks, there were measurable physical and social benefits.  Practicing gratitude just once per week increased happiness by 25% and the effects lasted several months.

BUT WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE MUCH?

Everyone has something to be grateful for.  Beyond meeting our basic needs (food, shelter, etc), more wealth or more possessions do not lead to greater happiness.  What DOES lead to greater happiness is gratitude for the things in life that we can’t hold in our hands- family, friends, health, experiences, abilities, life, or nature. In fact, life’s greatest challenges can sometimes INCREASE feelings of gratitude.  For example, some families who lost their home during the recent storm are feeling grateful for the people who gave them immediate shelter. Some people who are living with a serious diagnosis are grateful for each day of life that they can experience. If a person in your life is challenging you, you might think of it as an opportunity to become more patient or understanding. 

PRACTICE GRATITUDE

Here are some ideas for things you can do to enhance the gratitude in your life, not just during the holiday, but all year:

1)      Keep a gratitude journal. Every day or once each week, spend a few minutes writing down anything that makes you feel grateful. You can use a special journal or loose paper. You will start to notice the positive things in your life more easily.

2)      Use visual reminders. Put post-it notes in places you will see, or set a timer on your electronic devices for a moment of gratitude.

3)      Make a list. List the benefits in your life and ask yourself if you take them for granted.

4)      Have a gratitude partner. If you associate with grateful people, they will influence your outlook.

5)      Make a public commitment. If you tell others that you plan to be more grateful, you will catch yourself before speaking negatively about your life.

6)      Change your self-talk. You can change your mood by changing the messages you repeat in your mind. Talk to yourself in a creative, optimistic and appreciative way.

7)      Reframe the situation. Look at life with a more positive attitude, looking past the cloud to find the silver lining.

8)      Do for others. Nothing increases gratitude like giving a lending hand to those in need.

As we enter the holiday season, think about practicing a sense of gratitude in your life, and with your friends and family.  You might find that you have more to be grateful for than you realize… including the benefits of better health!

Eating Smart Around the Holidays

It’s probably safe to say that nearly all of us are working hard towards losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight. As if this goal weren’t challenging enough, we are going to be challenged a bit more as the holidays approach. We are entering a time of celebration, family gatherings, stress, and lots of delicious (and unhealthy) foods and desserts… a time when self-discipline and motivation to stay on track becomes very difficult.

The average American gains 7-10 lbs between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day! Don’t let yourself be an average American this season. It’s a good idea to begin thinking about these challenges now so you can prepare for them by anticipating what they might be and setting goals so that you can stick to your plan.

Here are a few ideas to help you make smart decisions for the next couple of months:

·       Be realistic. Don’t try to lose weight during the busiest, most stressful month of the year. Instead, work towards maintaining your current weight and not gaining.

·       Start your day with a healthy breakfast. Eliminating unhealthy foods early in your day will help you to feel more energy and to experience fewer cravings for unhealthy foods as the day progresses. It also helps to keep you on track for not skipping meals, which leads to overeating.

·       Try to take a brisk walk each day. Even if you can only manage to fit in a 10-15 minute walk, it’s better than nothing. Walking before a meal can help you make smarter choices. Walking after a meal can help you burn it more quickly. Also, holidays can be a stressful time, which can lead to overeating. Therefore, schedule exercise each day to relieve and manage your stress and avoid weight gain.

·       Maintain small portion sizes at each meal throughout your day. Add in a light, healthy snack between each meal to help hold you over until your next meal. Visit Smart Snacking for healthy snack ideas. It’s also a good idea to eat a healthy snack before going to a holiday party to prevent overindulging. Instead you can slowly graze and make healthy choices.

·       Be selective. Try only eating dessert if it is something special that you can’t have during the rest of the year.

·       Make a rule that you can only enjoy dessert if you exercised that day. Keep in mind that you should have a light dessert so that you do not cancel out your good efforts of exercise. Also consider eating delicious fresh fruits with natural sweetness instead of high-calorie desserts.

·       Save yourself. Avoid junk food, fast food, and candy dishes during the holiday season so you can save the indulgences for festive favorites.

·       Keep a healthy mindset. If you make a poor food choice during the day, try to avoid the thought-process that says, “Well, I already messed up today, so why not indulge again…” If you overindulge at one meal, try to make up for it at the next meal by eating light.

·       If you really crave a dessert, allow yourself to have a small portion and enjoy! This may help you to avoid losing control later and indulging too much. If you cannot choose just one dessert, allow yourself a small bite of each.

·       Avoid alcoholic beverages or drink lightly. Not only does alcohol pack on unnecessary calories and sugar, it can also reduce inhibitions, causing you to be less concerned about making healthy choices.

·       Bring a healthy dish to a holiday party. This ensures that you will have at least one healthy option to choose from.

·       Enjoy people, not just food. Parties are not just about the food. Walk away from the table or put down your fork and enjoy the conversation, the music, the atmosphere. Play with the kids at family events or take a walk with someone you don’t see often.

·       Plan your meals. Planning your meals ahead of time can help you to prepare healthy meals in the midst of your busy days of working and holiday shopping. Waiting until the last minute to figure out what you and your family will have for dinner increases the likelihood that you will resort to fast food.

Overall, try to maintain your healthy schedule and routine that you have been working hard at all year long. Making healthy decisions during the holiday season is important for several reasons, not just weight management. Holiday foods and stress can contribute to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and increased risk for diabetes, all of which are risk factors for stroke and heart disease. So your healthy decisions have the potential to go a long way in keeping you healthy, which in itself is a lovely holiday gift to your family and friends.

Many of us made New Year’s resolutions at the beginning of 2012 to exercise regularly and to eat healthier. Wouldn’t you love to finish off the year strong and set a new resolution instead of falling behind and having to start all over? Keep these helpful tips in mind as the season approaches and be in touch with a health coach if you feel you are starting to struggle. Contact Dr. Haaz at SHaaz@CorporateHealthSolutions.com.

PREVENT DIABETES IN NOVEMBER!

Do you know someone with Type 2 Diabetes? Unfortunately, many of our lives are touched by this condition. That is because almost 26 million people in the U.S. have diabetes. Type 2 diabetes used to be called “late onset diabetes” because it happened mostly to older folks. It now affects all age groups and the amount of cases is growing. The main reason for this is less activity, poor food choices, and weight gain.

Type 2 diabetes happens when the body does not make enough insulin or the cells don’t use it effectively. Insulin, a hormone, is important because it moves sugar from your blood to your cells so you can use it as energy. When you eat food, your body turns some of it into sugar, which is fuel for your cells. When your body can’t make enough insulin or it does not use insulin well, the glucose can’t go into the cells and builds up in the blood. This causes high blood sugar and can lead to diabetes type 2.

Type 1 diabetes happens when the body does not make insulin. It usually happens in children and young adults and requires insulin therapy.

November is the National month to be aware of diabetes and decrease your risk. Research has found that moderate weight loss (achieving a healthy weight) and physical activity can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. You can lose weight by having a healthy diet (lean meat/protein, low in fat, high in fruits and vegetables, and low in white carbohydrates and starches). Choose whole fresh fruit instead of fruit juice, dried fruit, or fruit snacks, which have a lot of sugar. Regular physical activity is important for weight loss and a healthy blood sugar. Taking a brisk walk for 20-30 minutes most days of the week is a great place to start and can help to regulate blood sugar. Being overweight or obese can prevent your body from making and using insulin properly.

Another important way to lower your risk for and prevent diabetes is to have your blood sugar checked by your family doctor. It is recommended that if you are 45 years or older, and especially if you are overweight, that you be tested for diabetes. If you are younger than 45, are overweight, and have at least one other risk factor (see list below), consider being tested. After fasting for 12 hours, your blood sugar should be less than 100. It is also a good idea to discuss your family history with your doctor. Your risk for diabetes may increase if any family members have diabetes.

Risk Factors

·     Being overweight or obese

·     Family history – having a parent or sibling with diabetes

·     Personal history of gestational diabetes or birth of at least one baby weighing more than 9 lbs

·     Having a low HDL (good cholesterol) of 35 or less, or triglyceride level of 250 or higher

·     Physical inactivity – exercising fewer than 3x/week

Having diabetes can increase your risk for other serious health conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, high blood pressure, and blindness.

If a blood sugar test result is higher than normal, but not high enough to be diabetes, it is called prediabetes. One in 3 American adults is at high risk for diabetes, or 79 million people. Prediabetes might be reversed if the correct steps are taken, such as weight loss, dietary improvements, and exercise.

The good news is that you can reduce your risk for diabetes by living a healthy lifestyle! Even if you have already been diagnosed with diabetes, you can better manage your disease by doing the following:

1.   Lose weight (achieve and maintain a healthy weight)

2.   Increase your physical activity

3.   Work closely with your family doctor to manage your condition

For more information on how to have a healthy diet and become active, visit: Be Active and Eat Right

Take strides this month to reduce your risk for diabetes!

WEIGHT LOSS MAINTENANCE

Have you ever lost a lot of weight and then gained most of it back?  Maybe you even gained back all of it and then some.  If so, you are not alone.  This is because the behaviors that help you lose weight are not necessarily the ones that keep it off.  Also, the more weight you lose, the more difficult it is to keep it off!

To learn more about how people succeed at weight maintenance, the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) was started.  The NWCR is tracking over 10,000 people who lost weight and kept it off.  Every year, they are asked about their behaviors and the strategies they use to maintain their weight loss.

One thing the NWCR has learned is that there is no single recipe for successful weight loss.  About half of all registrants lost weight with some type of program, and the other half lost the weight on their own.  Almost all of them modified their food intake (98%) and most also increased physical activity (94%). 

Not surprisingly, the most common exercise for weight loss was brisk walking.  Walking is easy to do without a gym membership or fancy equipment.  You can do it anywhere in the world, at home or when traveling.  Just make sure you are walking fast enough to challenge yourself.  You can use the sentence test, where you have to take a few breaths to complete a sentence, but not a breath for every word.

To keep off the weight, there seem to be 4 behaviors in almost every success story.

1. EAT BREAKFAST EVERY DAY.  If you are looking for easy breakfast ideas, read our recent post about healthy breakfast choices at: http://www.scalivingwell.blogspot.com/2012/08/breakfast-ideas-healthy-easy-and-quick.html
2. WEIGH YOURSELF AT LEAST ONCE PER WEEK.  The success stories keep an eye on their weight, and they make small adjustments in their daily choices so that a two pound gain doesn’t creep up to ten pounds or more.  Weighing yourself is one way that it is important to “know your numbers.”
3. WATCH LESS THAN 10 HOURS OF TV PER WEEK.  If you have a sedentary job, make the most of your time away from work by doing something physical in your time off.  If you need to sit and relax for a bit, listen to some music or read a book.  Both options are better for your body and your brain than TV. 
4. EXERCISE. On average, weight maintainers exercise one hour per day.  That may seem like a lot, but any exercise is better than none.  Find activities you enjoy like taking a long hike, going for a bicycle ride, or walking the course when you play golf. Remember, don’t sell yourself short. Lifestyle physical activities (mowing the lawn with a push mower, cutting wood and cleaning the house) should figure in to your total exercise plan. Try challenging yourself physically during these activities (breathing hard) for the greatest benefit.

Have you lost weight and want to share information about how you did it?  If you have lost 30 pounds or more and kept it off for at least one year, you are eligible to join the NWCR.  Sign up at: http://www.nwcronline.com/join.aspx

To find out more about the research, go to: http://www.nwcr.ws/Research/default.htm

To read about the success stories, visit: http://www.nwcr.ws/stories.htm

If you would like assistance with weight loss or weight maintenance, join our free coaching program.  Contact Dr. Haaz at shaaz@corporatehealthsolutions or 443-801-0539 for more information.