1. health and fitness

MAY 2015
INFORMATION FOR KEEPING HEALTHY
THE Y AXIS
Get the Jump on Weight Loss
Beware of
Brain Drain
California resident Michael Rogers tipped the
scales at 300 pounds. His diet was far from
healthy. He didn’t exercise. And he knew
something had to change if he wanted to see his
daughter grow up.
Dial a phone number
from memory. Recall
the date of a historical
event. Ask someone
for directions. Sounds
old-school, right?
But instead of popping weight-loss pills or
spending a fortune on fad diets and gimmicky
exercise equipment, he changed his eating habits
and picked up a jump rope.
If you’ve gone digital,
you may depend on
Internet access for
this stuff. However,
research in the journal
Science suggests that
Internet use may
be a brain drain.
At first, 15 minutes of sporadic jump roping was
all he could do. But he was determined to lose
weight, and keep it off.
Information Please
Researchers found that
you’re less likely to
remember information
when you think you can
access it later online.
How many of the 5.74
billion Google searches
per day are yours?
Build a Better Memory
If you want
to build
a better
memory,
plan a
regular
digital fast. Read,
don’t skim. And quit
multi-tasking. Your
brain will do a better
job storing information.
COMMENTS?
Send comments to
the editor:
evan.jensen@
wellsource.com
Start with 15 Minutes of Exercise
“I lost 100 pounds,” says Michael. “It took me
eight months with plenty of motivation. It wasn’t
easy at all. I just kept jump
MORE
roping. Eating a healthy diet
helped too.”
Jump rope for
Eventually, he developed
a one-hour jump rope
workout routine that
included regular jumping,
fitness
Video – tinyurl.com/
oputmvd
Video – tinyurl.com/
k7e2vzz
“I lost 100 pounds …
It wasn’t easy at all.
I just kept jump roping.”
crossovers, high-knees jumping, and even double jumping (the rope spins fast enough to go around
twice in a single jump).
If you’re ready to lose weight and improve your
health, jump roping is one way to achieve your
goal. It’s an effective form of exercise that burns
calories and fat, according to the American
College of Sports Medicine.
“Try jump roping or walk up a hill to burn more
calories,” says Michael. “Just pick something you
enjoy. Live an active life. You have to make the
decision to do something about your weight.”
American College of Sports Medicine.
Protect Your Brain with
Leafy Greens
Take a trip to City Hall in Crystal
City, Texas, and you’ll have to get
past a strong-armed, eye-squinting
sailor to get inside. This southwest
Texas town is known as the
spinach capital of the world. And
since 1937, a statue of the spinachloving cartoon character Popeye
has served as a reminder of the
town’s spinach-driven economy.
In the 1930s, Popeye’s popularity
increased spinach consumption
by 33 percent in the United States.
And the leafy greens are still being
gobbled up. In a recent survey, 56
percent of adults said spinach was their
favorite vegetable.
Feed Your Body. Feed Your Mind.
MORE
Check out these
leafy-green recipes
tinyurl.com/m7w5yte
Photo: TexasCourthouses.net
Spinach is a good source of vitamin K
and vitamin A. Your body needs these
nutrients to control bleeding, support
bone health, protect your vision, and fight
infection. A new study also shows that
spinach and other leafy greens are good
for your brain.
Researchers followed 950 older adults
for 10 years. They measured thinking
and memory skills of study participants.
Researchers also monitored their diet.
Turn Off the TV to Prevent Diabetes
RECIPE
Power Snack Mix
It’s late afternoon. You’re
hungry. In a zombie-like
state you walk toward
the vending machine
for a candy bar. Sound
familiar? If you’re craving
an afternoon snack
with a little sweetness
without loading up
on the fat and empty
calories of a candy bar,
try this recipe.
Ingredients
1 C Multi Grain Cheerios®
3 T mini-carob chips
3/4 C almonds
1/3 C dried cherries
Directions
1. In a medium bowl,
mix together all
ingredients.
2. Portion into 1/3 C
servings.
Makes 6 servings. About
150 calories per serving
(half the calories of a
candy bar).
American Diabetes
Association.
ABITS HARMING YOU
T V H few reasons
RH
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to un
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He
9 years
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If you plan your evening around watching
shows like NCIS: New Orleans, Dancing
with the Stars, 60 Minutes or The Voice,
you’re not alone. The typical adult
watches at least 4 hours of TV a day.
Amount of time the average
person has watched TV by age 65.
7 hours
There’s nothing wrong with a little digital
entertainment. But too much TV time
may increase your risk for diabetes. It’s
a disease that can damage your eyes and
kidneys, limit circulation, and increase
your risk for a heart attack or stroke.
In a recent study, researchers tracked the
TV habits of people with prediabetes.
About 86 million people in the United
States are at risk for diabetes. They found
that the risk for diabetes increased 3.4
percent for every hour of TV watched.
Amount of time TV is
usually on at home per day.
4 hours
Average amount of time
adults watch TV per day.
42 minutes
80 %
Your risk of dying
from heart disease
if you watch more
than four hours of
TV a day.
The average person
watches 84 tv ads per day.
20 minutes
Average amount of
time adults read per day.
It didn’t matter if people were trying to
prevent diabetes by taking medication, eating
healthy, or exercising either. Too much TV
time still increased the risk for the disease.
If you’re already at risk for diabetes,
turn off your TV. If you’re not at risk,
less TV time is still a healthy habit.
American Diabetes Association.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Diabetologia.
American Heart Association.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Protect Your Brain with Leafy Greens (continued from page 1)
Here’s what they found. People who ate at least
1 to 2 servings of spinach or other leafy greens
per day had the brain health of someone 11 years
younger. Leafy greens may help protect against
Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and age-related
memory loss.
Give spinach and other leafy greens like kale and
collards a try. It doesn’t matter whether they are
Monthly Health Challenge™
Get Your Zzzs
How much do you know about sleep and
your health? Take this quiz to find out.
CHALLENGE
to increased hunger and weight gain.
memory, and learning.
3. n n Poor sleep habits can increase your risk for heart
disease and other chronic conditions.
4. n n Caffeine or nicotine don’t interfere with sleep if
used 8 hours or less before bedtime.
5. n n Adequate sleep can improve mental health and
reduce depression.
If you can’t get 7 to 8 hours of sleep at night, take a short
nap during the day. Getting adequate sleep can improve
and protect your health in many ways. Get your Zzzs and
you’ll feel better and live longer.
Requirements to complete
this HEALTH CHALLENGE™
1. Read “Get Your Zzzs.”
2. Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep daily on at
least 22 days this month.
3. Keep a record of your completed challenge in case
your organization requires documentation.
Answers: 1. True. 2. False. 3. True. 4. False. 5. True.
After years of struggling with insomnia, he
came up with his own sleep-inducing habits.
They were unusual, but they worked most
of the time. He slept in a barber’s chair or
stretched out on a pool table. When those
methods left him wide-eyed, he kept a hose
on outside his window gently sprinkling
water on an umbrella to help him fall asleep.
Are you getting enough sleep? Health experts
recommend adults sleep 7 to 8 hours a night.
Research shows it’s the optimal amount of
sleep needed to promote health, prevent
disease, and help you live longer. Need help
drifting off to dreamland? Take this month’s
Health Challenge to Get Your Zzzs.
Take the May Health Challenge!
1. n n Lack of sleep raises hormone levels linked
2. n n Sleep has little impact on brain function,
W
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
National Institutes of Health.
Federation of American Societies for
Experimental Biology.
T F
Sleep 7 to 8
hours daily
hen vaudeville
comedian, juggler,
and actor W.C. Fields had
trouble sleeping, the usual
bedtime routines didn’t
work. He tried
counting
sheep. He drank a warm glass of milk. He
read something boring in bed. But sleep
wouldn’t come.
cooked or raw – just eat them! They might not
give you brawny-sailor biceps, but leafy greens
can improve your health and your brain.
Sleep and Your Health
When you’re sleep-deprived, you might think tossing back a cup of coffee
or caffeine-spiked energy drink is enough to recharge your batteries. But
it’s not. Lack of sleep (less than 7 hours a night) has been linked to a
long list of health problems. Poor sleep increases your risk for:
✔
Heart disease
✔
Stroke
✔
High blood pressure
✔
Diabetes
✔
Obesity
✔
Depression and
other mental
health problems
✔
Stress
✔
Injuries
✔
✔
✔
Car accidents
Problems with
memory and
brain function
Early death
Develop Healthy Sleep Habits
If you’re not getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep most nights, there’s a good
chance your lifestyle habits may be to blame. Fortunately, you can learn
to develop healthy sleep habits. Here are some suggestions from the
National Sleep Foundation to help you sleep better:
n Exercise daily. Regular physical activity helps reduce stress and
feelings of anxiety. A good workout can also help you
relax. Be active each day, and you’ll fall to sleep
Your
faster and get more sleep than those who don’t
Guide to
exercise. If you plan to exercise in the evening,
Healthy Sleep
make sure you do it at least six hours before
tinyurl.com/
lxkyq55
bedtime. Exercising just before you turn in for the
night can make you feel more awake, not sleepy.
Get Your Zzzzs: Sleep 7 to 8 hours daily
Ask the Wellness Doctor:
This month Dr. Don Hall answers the question:
What is the Mediterranean Diet?
For more information about HBG's wellness programs or services, please contact us by visiting our website at www.hbgaz.com