Weight Watchers Program begins on Wednesday, February 10th
Location: Staff Lounge at Brookfield Central
Time: Weigh-In @ 4:00 and Meeting @ 4:15
The program will run for 17 weeks with payroll deduction as an added convenience for those that select that option for payment. Prices will be discussed at the first meeting based on staff participation.
All meetings will be held on Wednesday 1 x/week
GOOD LUCK on being a healthier YOU
Don't forget to pack your gym bag and head to the CAO building...................
ZUMBA class comes to the Elmbrook District for all staff
Starts: Monday, Feb 1st and will continue on Monday evenings during quarter 3
Class Times: 4:30-5:30 PM
**There are different options for paying for the class (package rate or "drop-in" pricing)
**Cost ranges between $8-12/class
A special thanks to Liz Siegel (BCHS) for making this wellness activity happen
Elmbrook schools is partnering with ProHealth to provide Wellness Presentations based on staff interest levels. Please join us at any of the locations and times below that work for you. A minimum of 10 staff are required to hold the presentation so please look for sign-up sheets in the school buildings that are hosting a presentation.
PILGRIM PARK MS
Wednesday, Feb 17 NUTRITION-"A Radical Way to Eat" @ 2:45 PM
Tuesday, May 11 FITNESS-"Fitness for Real Life" @ 2:45 PM
BROOKFIELD EAST HS
Tuesday, Feb 16th NUTRITION-"A Radical Way to Eat" @ 3:30 PM
Wednesday, May 12th STRESS-"Manage Your Stress Before it Manages You" @ 3:30 PM
DIXON ELEM
Thursday, Feb 18th NUTRITION-"A Radical Way to Eat" @ 4:15 PM
BROOKFIELD CENTRAL HS
Wednesday, Feb 17th "Maintain a Health Weight/Lose the Scale & Find Your Health" @ 3:30 OM
SWANSON ELEM
Tuesday, May 11th FITNESS-"Fitness for Real Life" @ 4:15 PM
CAO BLDG
Wednesday, May 12th STRESS-"Manage Your Stress Before it Manages You" @ 4:15 PM
Elmbrook Schools has built a partnership with the Wisconsin Athletic Clubs and will be providing discounted membership rates. Please see the attachments for locations and pricing. We are waiting for an updated pricing sheet, so in the mean time you can take an additional $7.50 off the advertised prices.
WAC Corporate rate card 2009.pdf
WAC locations.pdf
The Turkey Trot at Wirth Park on November 21st is a great way to walk or run your way into the Thanksgiving Holiday Feast! Bring your family for a morning of FUN! This event is sponsored by the Spartan Booster Club. Hope to see you there!
If you aren't able to walk or run that morning....VOLUNTEERS are still needed. Contact the BEHS Booster Club,
Stress: Adapt or Perish
Presented by: Kate E. Bender D.C.
Date: Tuesday November 5, 2009
Time: 2:45pm-3:15
Location: Pilgrim Park MS, 1500 Pilgrim PKWY
Walking Your Way To Wellness
The first semester Walking/Running Challenge is on its way to a fabulous start, with more than 250 Elmbrook staff participating, we are guaranteed to travel many miles! Remember to log your daily points and add your weekly totals. If you reach the weekly goal, make sure on Monday you put your name on a note card and stick it into the walking/running challenge box located in your staff lounge. Each participant has 16 opportunities to be in the drawing for prizes. Click on the link below for all the rules. Good luck and have fun! Pedometers are still available at CAO Attn: HR Department for $10.
Walking Running Challenge Rules.doc
How Much Exercise Is Enough?
Everyone should exercise for 20 minutes three times per week. No, make that five times per week for 30 minutes. No, make it more like an hour every day. No, scratch that — short bursts of intense activity for 10 minutes at a time, a few times a day. You hear so much contradictory information about exercise, it's hard to know what to believe. No wonder so many people tune out completely, and go back to surfing the Net or watching TV. A logical conclusion might be that researchers do not know what they are talking about. Actually, the situation is much worse — all of those seemingly contradictory recommendations are probably true. In actuality, you only need to do gentle activities like walking and gardening to lower your risk of heart disease. Below is a quick guide to what constitutes a reasonable prescription for exercise: 1. If you aren't doing much physically, then mild exercise a few times a week will cut your heart disease risk in half. Americans have become incredibly sedentary — remote controls, drive-up banks, elevators, and other conveniences have made it possible to get through the day burning a trivial amount of calories. As a result, even mild activity — like walking at a reasonable clip — a few times per week can make a big difference in the health of your blood vessels. Just raising your heart rate and dilating those arteries modestly can help to lower your blood pressure and fight off atherosclerosis. So, if you are a true couch potato, begin by doing 20- to 30-minute walks three days a week. If you feel chest pressure, light-headed, or markedly short of breath, see your doctor right away. But if not, get back out there in two days. 2. If you do mild exercise a few times a week, increase the frequency to every day. At this point, we know it is safe for you to take those one- to two-mile walks. So what's the point of waiting two days before your next one? Going to daily exercise will help you to burn more calories, and that will have a whole range of beneficial health effects. 3. If you can do mild or moderate physical activities daily, start doing short bursts of more intense activity. You can jog five or 10 miles per day at the same slow clip, and you will burn plenty of calories, but you won't really make your cardiovascular system much healthier. One of the painful messages from recent research is that intense activity — 30 to 60 seconds of really pushing yourself — takes the health of your blood vessels to a new level. This kind of interval training is what athletes do, and for good reason. It conditions your arteries to pump out nitric oxide and other chemicals that help them dilate when your muscles really need a lot of blood. And there is pretty good evidence that this kind of stress on the arteries helps to keep them younger. Naturally, you should not increase your activity level if you feel any of the warning symptoms described above. Those are good reasons to stop, rest, and give your physician a call. But the bottom line on exercise is that whatever you are doing, try doing more. If you are burning a lot of calories with long bouts of exercise, you should try exercising more intensely for shorter periods. It takes discipline to constantly move to a higher level of exercise. Sometimes working with a trainer or going to an exercise class can help.
Question
I have an old bottle of sunscreen from last year. Is it still good? Or should I throw it out?
Answer
from Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D. Mayo Clinic
Sunscreens are designed to remain stable and at original strength for up to three years. This means that you can use leftover sunscreen from one summer to the next.
Some sunscreens include an expiration date — the date at which time the sunscreen is no longer effective. Discard sunscreen that is past the expiration date or is more than 3 years old.
Keep in mind, however, that if you use sunscreen frequently and liberally, a bottle of sunscreen shouldn't last you that long. A liberal application is 1 ounce (30 milliliters) — the amount in a shot glass — to cover all exposed parts of the body. If you have a 4-ounce (118-milliliter) bottle, you'll use about one-fourth of it for one application. Be sure to rub the sunscreen in well.
To maximize protection, use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. Apply liberally 30 minutes before going outdoors and reapply every two hours, or after swimming or sweating.
Eating a nutritious breakfast is a great way to jump-start the day, yet a tasty breakfast might not be finding its way onto your kitchen table. Rushed morning routines, trying to lose weight, and lack of appetite early in the morning are all reasons people skip breakfast. Nevertheless, mounting evidence supports the idea that breakfast may indeed be the most important meal of the day.
Breakfast benefits
Studies examining eating habits suggest that the regular consumption of breakfast can:
- Reduce risk of obesity and high cholesterol
- Decrease insulin resistance (a condition that increases risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease)
- Improve performance on memory-related tasks
- Minimize impulsive snacking and overeating at other meals
- Increase intake of essential nutrients that are rarely replenished by other meals of the day
- Enhance school performance in children and young adults
Although it would seem to make sense that skipping breakfast would save calories, data suggest otherwise. In a study of nearly 3,000 adults who lost and kept off at least 30 pounds for longer than one year, close to 90 percent reported eating breakfast on most days of the week. Interestingly, the breakfast eaters and breakfast skippers consumed almost the same total daily calories; the breakfast skippers made up the missed breakfast calories throughout the day. In addition, researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School found that breakfast skippers are 4.5 times more likely to be obese than are breakfast eaters.
Quality counts
Before reaching for that doughnut or pastry, keep in mind that what you choose for breakfast is just as important as eating breakfast. Think of breakfast as the perfect opportunity to start accumulating the minimum five servings of fruits and vegetables and three servings of whole grains recommended for optimal health. Furthermore, the National Academy of Sciences recommends that adults consume 21 to 38 grams of fiber per day. This presents quite a challenge for those choosing low-fiber breakfast options or for those skipping breakfast altogether. Whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds are the best sources of dietary fiber. High-fiber foods have the added benefit of warding off mid-morning snack attacks by creating a feeling of fullness. Likewise, adding some protein such as seafood, low-fat dairy products, skinless poultry, egg, or egg substitute can also aid in suppressing hunger.
Beating the breakfast blues
Breakfast can be one of the most monotonous meals of the day, but with a little creativity, the first meal of the day can be one of the best. Variety can beat breakfast boredom, so don’t be afraid to include some unorthodox breakfast foods for a change of pace. Additionally, if you have abandoned breakfast due to a busy lifestyle, some of these breakfast ideas can be packed up and taken along for a delicious grab-and-go breakfast treat.
Tips and ideas
No Time for Breakfast?
- Wrap a whole-grain tortilla around peanut butter and a banana and serve with low-fat milk or soy milk.
- Stuff a whole-wheat pita with low-fat cream cheese or low-fat cottage cheese and canned sliced peaches.
- Plan ahead and place whole-grain cereal (at least 3 to 4 grams of fiber per serving) with dried fruit and nuts in a sealed bag. Grab in the morning along with a carton of low-fat yogurt or low-fat milk.
- Try some whole-grain crackers, string cheese, and grapes.
- Mix instant plain oatmeal with dried fruit, nuts, and a dash of cinnamon.
- Spread peanut butter and jam on whole-grain bread and have with a piece of fruit and low-fat milk or soy milk.
- Munch on a handful of unsalted mixed nuts served with an individual portion of low-sodium vegetable juice.
- Top a whole-wheat English muffin with soy sausage patty and a slice of low-fat cheese.
- Take along a piece of fruit, low-fat milk or soy milk, and a homemade muffin made on the weekend and stored in the freezer. (Substitute at least half the flour in recipes with whole-grain flour and supplement the batter with vegetables, nuts, and/or fruit.)
Not interested in traditional breakfast foods?
- Choose whole-grain varieties (check ingredient list for the words "whole" or "whole grain" in the first ingredient) of breads, tortillas, crackers, bagels, or pita breads and top or stuff with any of the following:
- Salmon spread made with low-fat cream cheese, canned salmon, and your favorite herbs
- Hummus with grated carrots and raisins
- Leftover skinless chicken or turkey with light mayonnaise and cranberry chutney
- Bean spread with lettuce, tomato, and cucumber slices
- Avocado, baby greens, roasted red pepper, and a few chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- Low-fat feta cheese with walnuts and dates
- Scrambled egg substitute or eggs with salsa
- Freezer pops made from a mixture of low-fat yogurt, low-fat milk, or soy milk mixed with 100-percent juice and fruit slices
- Baked tortilla chips with salsa and cut-up vegetables
- Grilled cheese sandwich made with whole-grain bread and low-fat cheese or soy cheese served with fruit. (For variety, stuff with grilled or sautéed vegetables made on the weekend and frozen as individual servings.)
- Celery and sliced apple with peanut butter
- Vegetables with low-fat dip and a hard-boiled egg
- Soy hot dog or veggie burger in a whole-grain bun with lettuce, tomato, your favorite condiments, and a side of baby carrots
- Pizza made with whole-grain pita bread, spaghetti sauce, and low-fat cheese served with fruit
- A bowl of vegetable soup and whole-grain crackers. (Try low-fat pureed soups in a travel mug if eating on the run.)
No appetite in the morning?
A lack of appetite in the morning may be the result of a large meal or snack consumed the night before. Perk up your morning appetite by eating lighter and earlier in the evenings. If a large breakfast is still not appealing, perhaps a breakfast smoothie may be the answer. Try blending a mixture of either low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt, or soy milk with fruit, 100-percent fruit juice, and your favorite spices or flavor extract. Oat bran, wheat germ, or ground flax seed can be added for extra fiber.
So start your day the healthy way by fueling up with a nutritious breakfast!
Harvard Medical School
Nuts and your heart: Eating nuts for heart health
Eating nuts helps your heart. Discover how walnuts, almonds and other nuts help lower your cholesterol when eaten as part of a balanced diet.
Eating nuts as part of a healthy diet is good for your heart. Nuts, which contain unsaturated fatty acids and other nutrients, are a great snack food, too. They're inexpensive, easy to store and easy to take with you to work or school. The type of nut you eat isn't that important, although some nuts have more heart-healthy nutrients and fats than do others. Walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, you name it, almost every type of nut has a lot of nutrition packed into a tiny package. If you have heart disease, eating nuts instead of a less healthy snack can help you more easily follow a heart-healthy diet.
Can eating nuts help your heart?
Most studies on people who eat nuts as part of a heart-healthy diet have found that nuts lower the LDL, low-density lipoprotein or "bad," cholesterol level in the blood. High LDL is one of the primary causes of heart disease, so nuts' ability to lower LDL cholesterol seems to be quite beneficial. Eating nuts reduces your risk of developing blood clots that can cause a fatal heart attack. Nuts also improve the health of the lining of your arteries. The evidence for the heart-health benefits of nuts isn't rock solid yet — the Food and Drug Administration only allows food companies to say evidence "suggests but does not prove" that eating nuts reduces heart disease risk.
What's in nuts that's thought to be heart healthy?
Although it varies by nut, researchers think most nuts contain at least some of these heart-healthy substances: § Unsaturated fats. It's not entirely clear why, but it's thought that the "good" fats in nuts — both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats — lower bad cholesterol levels. § Omega-3 fatty acids. Many nuts are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s are a healthy form of fatty acids that seem to help your heart by, among other things, preventing dangerous heart rhythms that can lead to heart attacks. Omega-3 fatty acids are also found in many fish, but nuts are one of the best plant-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids. § L-arginine. Nuts also have lots of l-arginine, which is a substance that may help improve the health of your artery walls by making them more flexible and less prone to blood clots that can block blood flow. § Fiber. All nuts contain fiber, which helps lower your cholesterol. Fiber also makes you feel full, so you'll eat less later. Fiber is also thought to play a role in preventing diabetes. § Vitamin E. Researchers still aren't sure, but it's thought that vitamin E may help stop the development of plaques in your arteries which can narrow them, leading to chest pain, coronary artery disease or a heart attack. § Plant sterols. Some nuts contain plant sterols, a substance that can help lower your cholesterol. Plant sterols are often added to products like margarine and orange juice for additional health benefits, but sterols occur naturally in nuts.
What amount of nuts is considered healthy?
Nuts contain a lot of fat; as much as 80 percent of a nut is fat. Even though most of this fat is healthy fat, it's still a lot of calories. That's why you should eat nuts in moderation. Ideally, you should use nuts as a substitute for saturated fats, such as those found in meats, eggs and dairy products. Instead of eating unhealthy saturated fats, try substituting a handful of nuts. Current guidelines suggest eating 1 to 2 ounces (28.4 to 56.8 grams, or a small handful) of nuts each day. But again, do this as part of a heart-healthy diet. Just eating nuts and not cutting back on saturated fats found in many dairy and meat products won't do your heart any good.
Does it matter what kind of nuts you eat?
Possibly. Most nuts appear to be generally healthy, though some more so than others. Walnuts are one of the best-studied nuts, and it's been shown they contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Almonds, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts and pecans are other nuts that appear to be quite heart healthy. Even peanuts — which are technically not a nut, but a legume, like beans — seem to be relatively healthy. Coconut, which is technically a fruit, may be considered by some to be a nut, but it doesn't have heart-health benefits. Both coconut meat and oil contain a large amount of saturated fat. Keep in mind, you could end up canceling out the heart-healthy benefits of nuts if they're covered with chocolate, sugar or salt. Here's some nutrition information on common types of nuts. All calorie and fat content measurements are for 1 ounce, or 28.4 grams (g), of unsalted nuts.
|
Type of nut |
Calories |
Total fat (Saturated/Unsaturated fat)* |
| Almonds, raw |
163 |
14 g (1.1 g/12.2 g) |
| Almonds, dry roasted |
169 |
15 g (1.1 g/13.1 g) |
| Brazil nuts, raw |
186 |
19 g (4.3 g/12.8 g) |
| Cashews, dry roasted |
163 |
13.1 g (2.6 g/10 g) |
| Chestnuts, roasted |
69 |
0.6 g (1 g/5 g) |
| Hazelnuts (filberts), raw |
178 |
17 g (1.3 g/15.2 g) |
| Hazelnuts (filberts), dry roasted |
183 |
17.7 g (1.3 g/15.6 g) |
| Macadamia nuts, raw |
204 |
21.5 g (3.4 g/17.1 g) |
| Macadamia nuts, dry roasted |
204 |
21.6 g (3.4 g/17.2 g) |
| Peanuts, dry roasted |
166 |
14 g (2g/11.4 g) |
| Pecans, dry roasted |
201 |
21 g (1.8 g/18.3 g) |
| Pistachios, dry roasted |
162 |
13 g (1.6 g/10.8 g) |
| Walnuts, halved |
185 |
18.5 g (1.7 g/15.9 g) |
*The saturated and unsaturated fat contents in each nut may not add up to the total fat content because the fat value may also include some nonfatty acid material, such as sugars or phosphates.
MayoClinic.com
20 ways to revive your healthy-eating plan
Whether you're just starting or have been following a healthy diet for years, sticking to the plan can be challenging. But healthy eating doesn't need to be boring or tiresome. Flavorful food combinations, new cooking ideas and an inventive spirit can enliven your meals and snacks.
Here are 20 ideas to keep you on course.
- Experiment with new foods and combinations. Try mango or peach slices on whole-wheat toast with a little peanut butter and honey. Toss some mandarin orange and peach slices into a salad.
- Add chickpeas, black beans or garbanzos to your lunch or dinner salad. If you typically buy a salad at work and no beans are available, bring beans from home in a small container.
- Try something new for breakfast. Munch on leftover vegetable pizza or make a smoothie blended from exotic fruits, low-fat yogurt and a spoonful of wheat germ.
- Stir-fry extra-firm or firm tofu rather than meat in oriental dishes. Freezing and then thawing tofu before use gives it a firmer, chewier texture.
- Make a nutritious snack rather than a full meal when time is tight. For example, spread a brown rice cake with ricotta cheese and fresh strawberries or low-sugar, spreadable fruit. Or try corn muffins with apple and cheese slices, or fat-free refried beans mixed with salsa, a small amount of low-fat sour cream and baked tortilla chips.
- Add crushed bran cereal or unprocessed wheat bran to baked products, such as meatloaf, breads, muffins, casseroles, cakes and cookies. Also, use bran products as a crunchy topping for casseroles, salads or cooked vegetables.
- Grill fresh vegetables for a quick and healthy side dish. Cut vegetables into 1/2-inch slices or large chunks and baste with a light salad dressing or brush them with canola or olive oil. Grill until tender, turning only once.
- Take advantage of ready-to-use foods. Fresh bagged salads, frozen vegetables, low-fat deli meats, whole-wheat pasta, whole-grain breads, and fresh and canned unsweetened fruits take only minutes to prepare.
- Vary your salad greens and enjoy the multitude of flavors and textures. Choices include arugula, chicory, collard greens, dandelion greens, kale, mustard greens, spinach or watercress. Purchase a different variety each week.
- For breakfast on the go, munch dry, ready-to-eat cereal with a banana and drink a small carton of low-fat or skim milk.
- Choose a dish that serves as a full meal for quick and simple cooking. Healthy examples include beef, barley and vegetable stew; chicken, vegetable and rice casserole; turkey and bean casserole (made with turkey ***, white beans and tomatoes); or vegetarian chili with diced vegetables.
- Take advantage of healthy side dishes offered at fast-food restaurants. Instead of french fries, choose a side salad with low-fat dressing or a baked potato. Or add a fruit bowl or a fruit and yogurt option to your meal.
- Stock your shelves with good-for-you snacks. Low-fat pudding cups, dry roasted soy nuts, low-fat popcorn and whole-grain crispbread crackers are good choices.
- Decrease the meat portion on your plate and increase the serving size of vegetables. Use three times as many vegetables on pizzas or in casseroles, soups and stews.
- Plan meals so that you can use the extra food in other dishes. For example, bake chicken breasts for a meal and use what's left in sandwiches, soup or a stir-fry.
- Use salsa for more than just chips. Whether it's mild, fruity, scorching, smooth or chunky, salsa is a great companion for potatoes, vegetables, fish, chicken or meats.
- Marinate meat, chicken, fish before cooking to tenderize and add flavor to foods. Try mixtures of herbs or spices with wine, olive oil, soy sauce, cider vinegar or lemon juice.
- Expand your grain repertoire with whole-grain complements, such as kasha, brown rice, wild rice, barley or whole-wheat tortillas.
- Use herbs and spices to add color, savory taste and sensational aroma. Add cilantro to rice or bean dishes. Sprinkle rosemary on roasted potatoes or grilled meats. Add freshly chopped chives to omelets or pasta salads.
- Explore world cuisines. Discover and enjoy foods from around the world: Mexican, Latin American, Indian, Greek, French and Asian cuisines, just to name a few. Some of the world's most intriguing ingredients — quinoa, edamame, bok choy, bulgur — are as healthy as they are delicious.
Getting Enough Sleep Keeps You From Developing Coronary Artery Calcium
Written by John E. Whitcomb, M.D. from the Aurora Sinai Wellness Institute Topic: Sleep # 2 Getting Enough Sleep Keeps you From Getting Coronary Artery Calcium
Competency # 7 Sleep
Reference: King JAMA 2008;300(24):2859-2866Getting a good night's sleep is critical to keeping you from getting stressed out with your blood sugar. We learned that last week. Within just a few days of 5 hours of sleep, you become insulin resistant and start looking like a diabetic. Bad news. Now, we have a study telling us all about the arteries in your heart and adequate sleep. 670 patients without known coronary artery disease agreed to participate. 495 finished the study. It included men and women, Caucasian and African American. Each one was tested for how much sleep they got by keeping a log (they turned out to be miserable at measuring sleep length accurately) and an "actigraph" which is a little wrist band that measures how often you move. Turns out that "actigraphy" is a much more accurate measure of actually being asleep and is close to 90% with brain wave measurements of sleep duration. It's an easy and accurate measure of how much time you are asleep. It doesn't measure if you have sleep apnea or how deeply you are sleeping. Then, the volunteers measured their sleep and kept a voluntary log of their sleep duration for 6 nights in a row, on two occasions several years apart.What they found was pretty surprising. There was a 33% INCREASED risk of developing calcium in coronary arteries for every hour of sleep below 7 hours. The mean sleep duration was only 6.1 hours, so everyone in the study was sleep deprived. Risk reduction is the equivalent of having your blood pressure lowered by 16 mm Hg. That is unbelievably huge. The study couldn't measure sleep apnea, which is known to have a big effect on coronary artery disease. They looked for it and excluded folks with it, but didn't test everyone with a sleep study. That is a weakness of this study. But they found 4 hours to be higher risk than 5, and 5 was worse than 6, and 6 was worse than 7. You get the drift?This is a whole new ball game with sleep. We need to add sleep deprivation to our list of concerns for heart disease. If you want a healthy heart, we all need to think of strategies to find the time to give ourselves adequate quality sleep.WWW: What will work for me? I'm thinking of strategies to make sure my sleep is better. I have a bulldog that snores (Bulldogs by definition have ENT issues). She has been moved to a crate out of the bedroom. I don't want my arteries to turn to concrete. I thought I was being tough working extra hard and bouncing back from a late evening to an early morning job assignment. Maybe that was true here and there, but as a habit? I'm aiming for 8 hours in bed, lights out, every night. How good will your aim be?
More Posts
Next page »