UA Health Link
December 2007
In this issue...
Weight Watchers Fairbanks
Fairbanks Cholesterol/Glucose
Organic Buying Guide
Arthritis and Exercise
December Wellness Challenge
Schedule a Wellness Break
Audiocasts
Upcoming Community Events
Program Links:
UA Health In Action Website
Online Wellness Center
Health Activity Tracker
On the UA Health In Action Website:
Employee Assistance Program
VSP, Vision Care Provider
UA Statewide Website
Upcoming
Community Events:
DECEMBER
Anchorage
Beginning Adult Skate Ski Lessons, Friday, Dec 14,
6:30 - 8:30 PM, Kincaid Park [more info]
Fairbanks
Dance Practice
Sundays, 4 - 6 pm,
Pioneer Park Dance Hall
Practice the Waltz, Foxtrot, East & West Coast Swing, Cha Cha, Salsa and more! [more info]
Juneau
Moonlight Swim
Friday, Dec 7, 8:45 - 10:15 pm
Augustus Brown Swimming Pool. [more info]
Health Resources:
Find these and more on the UA Health In Action Website:
Cooking Light
American Heart Association
Community Resource:
 Big Brothers Big Sisters is the oldest, largest and most effective youth mentoring organization in the United States. They have been the leader in one-to-one youth service for more than a
century, developing positive relationships that have a direct and
lasting impact on the lives of young people.
Big Brothers Big Sisters
mentors children, ages 6 through 18. www.bbbs.org
BBBS of Anchorage
1057 West Fireweed Lane - #202
emily.rodgers@bbbs.org
(907) 263-2020 BBBS of Fairbanks and Interior
610 Cushman Street - Suite 300
taber.rehbaum@bbbs.org
(907) 452-8110 BBBS of Juneau
110 Seward Street - #2
emily.berg@bbbs.org
(907) 586-3350
Health Tool:
Can Your Kitchen Pass the Food Safety Test?
In the home, food safety revolves around three main functions: food storage, food handling, and cooking. To see how well you're doing in each, take this quiz..
Kitchen Food Safety Quiz
Source: Online Wellness Center
Health Tip of the Month:
Would you like to get a Health Tip by email every month?
December tip preview: How to find reliable health information on the web. Sign Me Up!
November Tip: Sneaky Way to Get Whole Grains in Your Diet
ARCHIVES: Health Tip
Disclaimer: The information contained in the UA Health Link eNewsletter is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice or treatment that may be prescribed by your physician. Before adhering to any WIN for Alaska or UA Health In Action's recommendations or undertaking any exercise program, wellness advice, fitness or diet regimen, you should consult your physician.
You are solely responsible for any actions that you may take based on information in the UA Health Link eNewsletter, and any such actions are at your own risk. Neither WIN for Alaska nor UA Health In Action is responsible for any injuries or other problems that might occur due to said actions.
Because the UA Health In Action program is an approved UA Statewide Benefit, "unsubscribe" is not available for the Health Link eNewsletter. |
Coming Up
New UA Health In Action programs headed your way
Incentive Program
A brand new individualized incentive program will begin February 1, 2008—get ready! The new three-tiered program will run through July. The goal is to help you incorporate healthy habits into your lifestyle. When you track your healthy activities in the Health Activity Tracker monthly, you'll accumulate points. Each month you reach a point goal, you'll get a congratulatory email message and a reward like a gym bag, pedometer, first aid kit, bookstore gift certificate, or cash card. The greater your points, the bigger the reward. Interested? More details to come in January.
Individualized Health Planning Sessions
Individualized Health Planning (IHP) Sessions are starting in Anchorage and Juneau in February.
Have you ever thought being healthy is just too hard, that there's just not enough time in the day to exercise or research healthy recipes?
What if you had someone to meet with you regularly and help you develop a plan for exercise, training, weight loss, heart health, or stress reduction?
That's what IHP Sessions are all about. They begin February 1, 2008. Look for more details in January.
Fairbanks Events
More cholesterol/glucose events & Weight Watchers
Weight Watchers at UAF
You asked for it...Weight Watchers at work!
The course begins Tuesday, January 22, at noon in the UAF Admin Services Bldg, room 206D. The group will meet weekly for 13 weeks. There will be an informational meeting held Friday, December 7, in the Alumni Lounge in Constitution Hall.
[Register Now]
We know there is interest in Weight Watchers at UAA and UAS. We have contacted Weight Watchers about programs in those locations. They are looking for instructors.
More Cholesterol/Glucose Events Added
Due to the huge response we received from UAF staff/faculty, we've added two more cholesterol/glucose screening events in December. The free screenings will be held at the Wood Center in the 1st floor exhibit area from 7:30 – 10:30 am on the following days, by appointment only:
Tuesday, December 11
Wednesday, December 12
ADDED—Tuesday, December 18
ADDED—Wednesday, December 19 Registration is required. Register now.
Schedule a Wellness Break
It's like a mini health fair that comes to you
A Wellness Break is a free half-day event brought to you by WIN for
Alaska—Your Wellness Team. We offer blood cholesterol and glucose
screenings, healthy snacks, a power walk, and mini-presentations. Contact us for more details, or download the Wellness Break Request Form.
If you are in a city other than Anchorage, Fairbanks or Juneau, and have
more than 20 staff/faculty, we will be visiting you soon.
Organic Buying Guide
When should you spend?
 What is Organic Anyway?
All foods are organic because they contain carbon, but foods with the USDA Organic logo are produced according to certain production standards set by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Organic crops are grown without synthetic pesticides, artificial fertilizers, or biotechnology. Organic meat and poultry are raised on organically grown feed, without synthetic growth hormones or antibiotics, and the animals are not confined all of the time.
Why should you care?
Organically grown foods have less synthetic contaminants. Decreasing exposure to contaminants is important for reducing cancer risk. How can you afford organic foods?
With the cost of living on the rise and winter fuel bills looming in the future, it might be getting harder to justify the cost of consuming organic produce. Read on to learn when buying organic is absolutely worth it.
The Dirty Dozen & the Cleanest 12
Thanks to information compiled by the Environmental Working Group, you can refer to The Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides In Produce, which identifies The Dirty Dozen and the Cleanest 12 produce. Produce on the list is ranked by pesticide content, using results of over 50,000 tests collected by the USDA and FDA between 2000 and 2005.
Produce on The Dirty Dozen list have either thin skin or no skin, so they are exposed to more pesticides. They are absolutely worth buying organic:
• Peaches
• Apples
• Sweet Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Cherries
• Lettuce
• Imported Grapes
• Pears
• Spinach
• Potatoes
Need to watch the food budget?
Save money by buying non-organically grown produce on the Cleanest 12 list. The Cleanest 12 are onions, avocado, frozen sweet corn, pineapples, mango, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, kiwi, bananas, cabbage, broccoli, and eggplant. The Cleanest 12 have thicker skin which gives them more protection from pesticides.
If your don’t see your favorite produce here, check out the full list at www.foodnews.org.
Many shoppers put their pesticide concerns away once they’ve selected their produce. As you approach the refrigeration units, it’s important to remember that the average person’s greatest exposure to pesticides comes from meat and dairy products because of what the animal consumed. When animals are fed crops grown with pesticides, the fat-soluble pesticides are stored in the fatty tissue of the livestock, and can transfer to its milk.
Choosing nonfat dairy and lean meat or poultry can decrease your risk of pesticide exposure AND reduce your risk for heart disease—talk about bang for your buck!
Cindy Salmon
WIN for Alaska Wellness Consultant,
Licensed & Registered Dietitian, Personal Fitness Trainer
References:
The Environmental Working Group: www.foodnews.org
USDA National Organic Program: www.ams.usda.gov/nop/indexNet.htm
Arthritis and Exercise
The helping hand to hurting joints
 When most people say, “I have arthritis,” they are typically referring to osteoarthritis (OA). OA is a degenerative process where the articular cartilage that covers the ends of our bones degrades. The result is a thin, rough surface, which no longer provides cushion between the bones forming a particular joint. Without cushion, friction causes joint irritation and inflammation. Over time, this inflammation may provoke the body to cause further damage in the area by forming bone spurs.
The most common causes of OA are related to aging and obesity. As we age, our cartilage dries up and begins to look like fissures created in soil during a drought. With obesity, the excessive weight increases compression on our joints, causing grinding or more friction, accelerating degeneration of the weight-bearing joints.
Exercise can help prevent OA, and even help with arthritic symptoms if they are present. Movement stimulates the joint capsule to release synovial fluid, which lubricates the joints and provides nutrients to the articular cartilage. Weight bearing activities like walking provide on and off pressure, which stimulates the cartilage to absorb the nutrients.
Strengthening exercises increase a muscle’s ability to take load. Therefore, stronger muscles can take loads off of joints, alleviating compression, increasing joint stability, and decreasing joint friction and irritation.
Stretching exercises also decrease friction in a joint by lengthening the surrounding muscles and increasing its mobility.
Endurance activities like walking, biking, and swimming, strengthen muscles, help maintain joint mobility, stimulate joint capsules, increase muscular endurance, and results in weight loss. Even a small reduction in body weight, in an individual who is overweight, can dramatically decrease the stress on weight-bearing joints.
Unfortunately, we have no control over aging, but we do have control over the physical activity we participate in throughout the stages of our lives. Whether you have symptoms of OA or not, use exercise to your joints’ advantage.
Stephanie Yates
WIN for Alaska Wellness Consultant,
Physical Therapist, and Athletic Trainer
References:
www.medicinenet.com/osteoarthritis/article.htm
arthritis.about.com/cs/exercise/a/exercisetreat.htm
December Wellness Challenge
Family health month: spend time with family
 Kids whose parents spend time with them have a better chance of getting through the teen years without engaging in risky behaviors. If you don't have children, be a mentor. Volunteer at a Boys & Girls Club, local school, or church youth group. Become a Big Brother Big Sister.
Take this month's challenge...spend time with your kids or grandkids.
Download and print this month's Wellness Challenge, Spend time with kids. Put a check mark in the shaded box each day you spend time with your kids.
 Check out your Online Wellness Center for more information on Family Health Month, Safe Toys and Gifts, and Hand Washing
Audiocasts
Exercise for your ears!
Available This Month:
10 Things You Need to Know About Prostate Cancer (2:06) WIN
How to Limit Eye Strain (4:24) WIN
Energy Drinks May Pose Risks For People With High Blood Pressure, Heart Disease (5:21) American Heart Assoc. Heads Up! Play it Safe When it Comes to Concussions (6:49) CDC
 Think of audiocasts as mini-wellness breaks for those days when you need some time for yourself, but the pile on your desk says otherwise.
Accessing an audiocast is easy:
1) Click one of the links
2) Turn up the sound on your computer
3) Press the play arrow once
4) Get informed
Audiocasts are also available on the UA Health In Action Website under "Programs." [go]
|
WIN for Alaska, Inc.