the better blog

Thomson Reuters and NPR recently conducted a poll that asked a group of Americans about their New Year’s resolutions.  Not surprisingly, many of the responses  were focused on losing weight and quitting smoking.  And there’s never been a better time for us to tackle these issues. 

Raymond Fabius, M.D., and chief medical officer at Thomson Reuters feels that if we can keep these resolutions or goals, then we’re taking meaningful steps in solving America’s healthcare crisis.

In the February 2012 Yoga Journal, Chip Wilson, founder of Lululemon Athletica, suggests the following tips for reaching your goals:

1. Imagine yourself ten years from now. What do you look like?  How do you feel? Work backwards from that picture to determine the steps you need to take to turn your vision into reality.
2. Set a “by when” date.  If your goal is to lose ten pounds, pick a date by which you plan to accomplish that goal.
3. Read your goals out loud to create excitement! If you’re excited you are more likely to accomplish your resolution successfully.
4. Have a support system.  Share your goals with your friends so they can support you.
5. Write your goals down and keep them where you can see them often. 

Your corporate wellness professionals are equipped to help your employees realize their resolutions and work toward attaining them. Through comprehensive wellness programs, registered dieticians, and recreation planning, these goals are within reach.  With a proper wellness program, not only will you be contributing to lowering our healthcare crisis, you will be lowering your bottom line by supporting your employees’ healthy goals. How’s that for a resolution worth keeping?

Locavore became a word in the Oxford American Dictionary in 2007 and is defined as a person whose diet consists only or principally of locally grown or produced food.

In an age of increased use of pesticides and other food contaminants, people are buying locally in order to make healthier choices, to support local farmers, and to help the environment.  There are several ways to buy locally, whether by a local farmer’s market, a community supported agriculture subscription (a weekly local delivery of produce), or participation in a co-op. 

Many corporate facilities now offer gardens that are maintained by employees. The food they grow is then harvested and included in their company cafeterias.  School gardens are another great way to promote eating locally as well as teaching kids at a young age that the taste and quality of home-grown local produce far beats the 1,500 mile trek their cross country produce makes, eliminating the gas guzzling of buying out of your region.   

"Local food is often safer, too," says the Center for a New American Dream (CNAD). "Even when it's not organic, small farms tend to be less aggressive than large factory farms about dousing their wares with chemicals."

The mantle of Locavore does not just apply to fruits and veggies.  Meats and poultry from local farmers tend to taste better, are fresher, and small farms tend to use fewer hormones and other additives than big meat packers do.  They also tend to grow more variety than the big farms, which creates and protects biodiversity.

According to a San Francisco-based group of Locavores intent on supporting people’s wish to better their lives and their families’ lives, the following are helpful suggestions:

If not LOCALLY PRODUCED, then Organic. This is one of the most readily available alternatives in the market and making this choice protects the environment and your body from harsh chemicals and hormones.

If not ORGANIC, then Family farm. When faced with Kraft or Cabot cheeses, Cabot, a dairy co-op in Vermont, is the better choice. Supporting family farms helps to keep food processing decisions out of the hands of corporate conglomeration.

If not FAMILY FARM, then Local business. Basics like coffee and bread make buying local difficult. Try a local coffee shop or bakery to keep your food dollar close to home.

If not a LOCAL BUSINESS, then Terroir, which means 'taste of the Earth'. Purchase foods famous for the region they are grown in and support the agriculture that produces your favorite non-local foods such as Brie cheese from Brie, France or parmesan cheese from Parma, Italy.

For those tech-savvy locavores, www.getlocavore.comeven has an app for smart phones available on itunes where consumers can input their zipcode and see where and what they can buy locally.

Try it today!

According to a recent story in USA Today, an Ohio third grader who weighed 200 pounds was taken from his parents’ home and put into foster care because his mother "was not doing enough about his weight."

An Obesity Doctor from Boston's Children's hospital said removing a child from the home is not a matter of finger pointing and blame, but rather a way to get the overweight child the help that their parents can't provide. According to the article, there are discussions afoot as to whether parents of extremely obese children should lose custody of the children. According to the article, the medical community appears to be agreeing that yes, the government should get involved in cases of extreme overweight for the child's sake.

This brings up an interesting dilemma in a time in American history when not all children are expected to outlive their parents due to obesity and the resulting possibilities of type-2 diabetes, liver, and breathing issues that could kill them before they reach the age of 30.

Whether or not you agree that the government should intervene and remove children from their parents, the issue shines a bright light on the fact that corporate wellness programs must be a family affair. Employees need to take the tools and knowledge that they learn in the workplace and bring them home to their families and children.

Crystal Witte is a registered dietician who works with kids and parents to teach healthy food preparation and balanced nutrition. She urges parents to get the kids involved in food prep at home so they develop a first-hand understanding of food and nutrition. She encourages parents to let the children make their own lunches, and then provide feedback as to what the lunches are missing or have in excess. Witte also offers information on the dangers of nitrates, processed foods, trans fat, and sodas. She painted a clear picture by holding a bag full of 17 teaspoons next to a Pepsi, driving home the point graphically, a great way to reach the kids.

This grassroots, in-the-trenches approach is what's needed in our wellness programs, right now. The staggering statistics of the prevalence of obesity in America and in our children add up to eventual death sentences and catastrophic health issues for both your current employees and your future ones. Are your employees not only learning about proper nutrition, but taking their findings home? Let’s work together to teach our kids the lessons we’re learning now, before it’s too late for them. Start healthy habits early!

Metabolic syndrome, the presence of a group of factors that occur together and increase the risk for three serious conditions, now effects one in three adults in the United States. These conditions are:

• Coronary heart disease and heart attack. When the arteries that supply blood to the heart become narrowed or blocked by fatty deposits called plaque, they decrease the amount of blood and oxygen reaching the heart, which can cause chest pain (angina) or a heart attack.
• Stroke. A stroke occurs when the blood supply to a part of your brain is interrupted by a blocked or burst blood vessel, which deprives the brain of oxygen and nutrients. Within a few minutes, brain cells begin to die, resulting in brain damage, other complications, or death.
• Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes occurs when the body can no longer make enough insulin or is unable to use insulin properly. This causes sugars to build up in the blood and increases risks for kidney failure and cardiovascular disease.

As defined in the U.S. National Library of Medicine reference the two most important risk factors for metabolic syndrome are:

• Extra weight around the middle and upper parts of the body (central obesity). The body may be described as "apple-shaped."
• Insulin resistance, in which the body cannot use insulin effectively. Insulin is needed to help control the amount of sugar in the body. As a result, blood sugar and fat levels rise.

Other risk factors include:

• Aging
• Heredity
• Hormone changes
• Lack of exercise

Make no mistake; the conditions exacerbated by metabolic syndrome are killers. The risk factors gain on you slowly over time but can be prevented if you focus on the factors that are under your control. How can you make a difference in the quality of life for yourself and for those you care about the most?

1. Be active. A sedentary lifestyle can be changed. Take a walk while you make that next conference call. Ride a stationary bike for the first half of your next Packers game. Even standing has shown to be beneficial to your metabolism and posture instead of sitting.
2. Engage your brain before you take that next bite or gulp. Will water do instead of juice or soda? Try leaving one-quarter of your food on the plate or save it for the next meal. Choose fruit instead of a bagel, or even a half a bagel instead of a whole one. Over time you will be amazed how many calories you save and how it will change you from an apple into another, more desired shape.

It takes many years to develop metabolic syndrome. An active strategy to reverse your risk factors and, in turn, your likelihood for developing diseases can instead add just as many quality years to share with all those that you care for and that care for you.

Employers can no longer afford to ignore the importance of integrating the bandwidth of a food vendor into corporate wellness. According to the LA times, a study was published by the American Heart Association that predicted that “the annual cost to treat heart disease -- including high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and other conditions -- will triple by 2030, from $273 billion to $818 billion (in 2008 dollars).”

What role does your company food vendor play in protecting you from such conditions, not to mention from financial ruin? Many of the components of heart disease can be reversed or prevented with a combination of diet and exercise. Without the nutrition mechanism, even the most well-meaning corporate wellness program can fall flat. An employee who takes the time to get to their corporate gym can sabotage themselves by consuming a heavy, greasy, sodium saturated meal in the corporate commissary,  and further hinder their productivity and mood by not staying sufficiently hydrated.

The integration of nutrition and wellness is a natural pairing. In a successful model, these two arms speak to each other often to provide a comprehensive program for employees. The company chefs are intended to create menus for snacks, meals, and healthy shakes. The menus are presented to registered dieticians who then break down the recipes and ingredients to determine if they meet healthy food criteria. Individualized programs are rolled out to teach your employees about how food can be used as medicine and lower their risks of heart disease, as well as diabetes and several types of cancers.

Even if an employee chooses not to work out, they will greatly benefit by making healthier food choices. Better nutrition gives people energy, improves job performance, and can reduce the risk of the diseases that cost all of us bundles…and will cost three times as much in less than twenty years. It all boils down to this: Healthier employees strengthen your bottom line.  Plus, the most wonderful aspect of an employee who understands how the food they eat directly affects their health and wellness?  They will take this knowledge home to their partners and children, who may be your future employees. A win-win for everyone!

Is your company prepared to help an employee with an emotional crisis? 

A few weeks ago, a story on National Public Radio featured a company called Mental Health First Aid. The broadcast explained that while many corporate employees are required to be CPR and AED certified, it is much more likely that they will encounter a colleague suffering from some form of emotional disturbance rather than a heart attack. Emotional disturbances come in the form of anxiety, depression, suicidal feelings, and addiction.

In a time where jobs and futures are more uncertain and fraught with worry than many of us can remember in our lifetimes, it’s not difficult to imagine someone reaching their emotional edge at the workplace.  Emotional disturbances can be disabling for an employee, and can often strike without warning. 

According to the American Psychiatric Association, anxiety disorders are the most common form of emotional disorders.  Symptoms of an anxiety disorder include:

• Overwhelming feelings of panic and fear
• Uncontrollable obsessive thoughts
• Painful, intrusive memories
• Recurring nightmares
• Physical symptoms such as feeling sick to your stomach, “butterflies” in your stomach, heart pounding, startling easily, and muscle tension.

Whether or not your company enlists the help of a company like Mental Health First Aid, it is important to have employees educated and made aware of what to do in case of such an emergency. Some organizations enlist the services of a Certified Wellness Professional who can train employees to act quickly and appropriately in an emergency situation or, if on-site, can provide these services themselves.

Creating a culture of physical and mental health in your company plays an integral part in helping your employees before they reach red alert.  Providing corporate wellness programs specifically designed to reduce anxiety, monitor blood pressure, and increase mindfulness with yoga, meditation, hiking, and team retreats is a manifestation of this culture that has proven to pay significant dividends.

October is national Breast Cancer Awareness month.  According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer for women, second only to skin cancer. One out of every eight woman in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer.

There is currently an abundance of science-based evidence that states there may be ways to prevent breast cancer from occurring in the first place.  Dr. Christine Horner, prominent breast cancer surgeon and author of "Waking the Warrior Goddess: Dr. Christine Horner's Program to Protect Against and Fight Breast Cancer" has been touring the country visiting both conventional medical doctors and naturopathic practitioners. Her mission is to explain that we very much have control over cancers – or any illness for that matter – in our bodies.  She blames the American lifestyle and diet; high anxiety, and fast food or “goo and glue.” In other words; stress, refined sugars, and refined carbs fuel cancer like kindling in a wildfire.

When an individual is diagnosed with breast cancer, Horner believes that natural solutions should be used in conjunction with (not in place of) traditional cancer therapy.  Combinations of green tea and turmeric, exercise, and ginger dramatically ease the ravages and fatigue of chemotherapy and radiation. Understanding that one does have the power to heal through meditation and other mindfulness practices helps a cancer patient fight like a rock star rather than feel defeated, alone, and fatalistic.  Finding quiet amidst the chaos and fear of a catastrophic disease is imperative to a “whole” recovery. Alternately; the ability to experience a peaceful, meaningful, and rich ending if survival is not in the cards is not only possible, it should be mandatory.

As in any life changing event, behavior modification, or lifestyle change, maintaining good new habits and mindsets are key. There is a tendency in any human behavior to slip, once the crisis has passed, or the goal has been met.  Horner recalled a Wortle Statistic regarding such slips; “Ninety percent of heart attack victims go back to their original diet and lifestyle within one year. Strangely, death is not a motivator for human beings on a daily basis.”

As with any disease, stress management is extremely important. Especially today, when stress levels for most Americans are at an all time high, every effort to reduce tension and anxiety is of prime concern and will be reciprocated with many benefits, including reduced illness, a more positive outlook, and a healthier way of life. Many companies wisely offer Wellness programs, including such activities as group walking, meditation, office yoga, and deep breathing to keep their employees at their best and most productive.  If there is a diagnosis of cancer or any other disease, stress reduction is yet another important element to a complete recovery. 

There is one very clear message that Horner sends: We must understand and appreciate that there is power behind the decisions and choices we make; good or bad. What decisions have you made today that impact your total health and wellness?

For more information on breast cancer prevention, please visit the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org.

We are experiencing a perfect storm of global factors that are truncating the lives of some of our best minds because their bodies are failing. Ironically we are victims of our own technological advancements.

Never in history has child mortality been so low. As a result we are opening up the reality of adulthood to so many more humans.

Never in history have there been so many readily accessible foods to eat. Many of which are loaded with empty, artery-clogging calories.

Never in history has physical activity been so unnecessary. Do we really need an electric motor to open a door for us or shuttle us up the stairs to our gym facility? 

The World’s leaders do not think so and they are finally speaking out, this week the United Nations opened in New York.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which are estimated to cause 63 percent of all deaths worldwide, were the focus of a two-day UN high-level General Assembly meeting which resulted in a declaration calling for a multi-pronged campaign by governments, industry and civil society to prevent and control NCDs. “Non-communicable diseases are a threat to development. NCDs hit the poor and vulnerable particularly hard, and drive them deeper into poverty,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

NCD’s attack developed and developing nations with equal devastation. Diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancers and chronic respiratory diseases cause 37 million deaths out of the 57 million deaths that occur around the world each year. A succession of heads of state and other national leaders stated their commitments to doing more to address risk factors for non-communicable diseases, with a special emphasis being placed on physical activity.

This is great news. First of all physical activity also means sports, games, gardening and walking. This is fun and easy stuff that can be done with family or against your most formidable enemy. Movement can be easily recognized, is hard to hide and can be the most social of endeavors. Wouldn’t it be great if Feetbook was as popular as Facebook?

And what else could be better than bossing around your Boss and with the straightest of expressions say; “I am only doing this for your own good. Get off your butt and move.”

You will eventually get a heartfelt “thanks”. You may have to be ready to give an ice pack and a couple of Advils.

A truly valuable return on your corporate wellness program is whether your employees can take their nutritional and fitness knowledge they learned in the office and bring it home to their families.  If your employees rely completely on the color-coded utensils in your company cafeteria to tell them what and how much to eat, then your Wellness program is falling a little short. 

According to the CDC, September is "Fruit and Veggies - More Matters" Month.  No matter what part of the country you and your employees are in, fall is the perfect time to get outside and show off your wellness chops. Be sure your Wellness program hypes the area’s local farmer's markets, which are sure to be selling the season's perfect fall produce: pumpkins and other richly colored squash, root veggies such as parsnips, turnips, carrots; and purple, golden, and sweet potatoes.  Strolling through the market with family and loved ones burns calories, and de-stresses the mind.  At home, this fall bounty can be drizzled with olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and pepper, and roasted to perfection.  Not only does this taste delicious, but it smells wonderful.  Other fall time treats include figs, garlic, endive, ginger, pears, apple and chard.  Your educated employees know that increasing the amount of plants and vegetables in their diet lowers their risk of many types of cancers, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and hypertension.   When dinnertime comes, your health savvy employees will fill their plates two-thirds full of veggies. The more color on the plate from the variety of vegetables or fruit, the better. 

While your employees wait for their fresh veggies to roast, they can log some outdoor and kid time raking leaves and jumping in the piles.  Playing ball or tag equals more calories burned for everyone in the family.  Building a tree house or fort, taking a hike in the woods, changing the focus from their usual routines and enjoying the outdoors provides a healthy shift in focus for all involved.   If your employees don't have a yard, perhaps a trip to a local park to enjoy the fresh air is in order.

Seeing your employee and their families enjoying a richer, healthier lifestyle is the true picture of your return in your Wellness investment, because healthier, happier employees live longer, healthier lives.

There’s no nice way to say it.  We Americans are fat, and we get fatter every year.  According to the CDC; “About one-third of U.S. adults (33.8%) are obese.  Approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2—19 years are obese.”

And it‘s getting worse.  The CDC predicts that one third of those born in 2000 will develop type two Diabetes, and some articles suggest that parents may possibly outlive their children.  

It’s a no brainer that a healthy employee is going to cost your company less than an employee that is likely to die in middle age due to cardiovascular disease and complications that come from obesity. 

The cost of healthcare premiums has doubled in the past ten years, according to the July 30th issue of The Economist. That makes it harder for your company to continue to offer healthcare.  But some companies have started to do more than “suggest” that their employees quit smoking, lean up, and adopt a healthier lifestyle.  Some companies have started to penalize the employees who don’t.  Many firms no longer allow smoking at their facilities.  In fact, The Economist cites GE Capital, who first offered their employees incentives for quitting smoking, and now, those who continue to smoke must pay an additional $650 for health insurance.

That’s where wellness programs excel.  Wellness professionals know how to build programs for your company that will inspire lasting change.  It’s one thing to lose 20 or more pounds, but to provide the education, information, and incentives to help your employee keep it off for a lifetime, quit smoking, and show their families how to do the same, is priceless on many levels.