HealthCheck360 Blog

Live Well Work Well May 2012 Newsletter

HealthChkJen — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:45:29 +0000

It’s heating up outside and summer is just around the corner – but before heading out to the local swimming pool, don’t forget to protect your skin! May is National Skin Cancer Awareness Month and this month’s feature article provides some great tips for protecting your skin this summer! Also get some tips on exercising safely in the heat.

May 2012 Live Well Work Well (English)

May 2012 Live Well Work Well (Spanish)

Nutrition 101

CoachEva — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:05:49 +0000

Write before you bite.
- Many people claim they don’t have the time, energy, or perhaps even the know-how to properly record their food. Start small. Simply journaling “a sandwich” for instance is more helpful than not journaling at all. Note the times of day and types of foods at the very least. But be diligent. It may not be breakfast, lunch, or dinner but RECORD EVERYTHING that goes into your body. People often don’t realize how often they’re eating and it’s usually the foods/snacks that aren’t included in our meals that can make the difference between a healthy weight and an unhealthy one.
Read your labels
- Health claims– “w/ added fiber” “fat free” “cholesterol free”—can be misleading. Take a look further into what’s in the product. Is it fat free but loaded w/ sugar? Does the added fiber come with a whole bunch of other additions like fats, calories, and sodium?
- Ingredients. Read them! How many are there? Can you pronounce them? If there are multiple ingredients but you recognize them, evaluate them. If the ingredients are tomato, onion, green pepper, salt, lime juice—that’s probably a good product. If the ingredients are shortening, sugar, cocoa, salt, and flour just being able to pronounce the foods doesn’t necessarily make it healthy.
- Calories—and where they come from. Calorie counts are great, but it’s good to know what types of calories you’re getting. Do they come from protein? Healthy fats? Added sugars? Find out if what you’re eating is nutrient dense—packs a lot of nutrition into few calories—or calorie dense—lots of calories for a whole lot of nothing.
- Sugars vs. added sugars. Fruits contain sugars, but they’re natural. They are healthy in moderation. Added sugars can often be found in the form of cane syrup, corn syrup, agave nectar, cane crystals, fructose, cane juice, honey, dextrose, molasses, syrup, sucrose, and many more. Since there is no necessity in the body for added sugars, if you can avoid them, DO IT.
- Recommended daily values don’t necessarily apply to you. The recommendations, found in the form of % daily values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Much more than the average person needs in a day. A good rule of thumb 10-12 calories per pound of body weight. A woman who weighs 120 lbs, then, needs 1200 to 1440 calories. 2000 would result in unnecessary calories and storage leading to weight gain. Understand that this is a calorie BASE. If that 120 lb woman is running 3 miles/day she’ll need more to make sure she’s meeting the minimum calories necessary to keep her metabolism going.
You can’t outrun a bad diet. Take that 120 lb. runner for instance. Three miles in a day is a great achievement and certainly helps keep her heart healthy, her lungs expanding, and a whole host of other benefits. However those three miles expend only about 222-276 calories. And while that does put a dent in your day, it can easily be undone by and over-large bowl of cereal and toast.
If nature made it, most of the time, it’s a safe bet. You can’t go wrong with an apple or a carrot. With that being said, it’s important to note that even the healthiest things need to be enjoyed in moderation.
Be balanced (use the rainbow). When you eat a diet rich with things from the earth—plants or animals—it’s great to get a variety of those things. Try and get an array of colors throughout the days and weeks. From green onions to blueberries to orange carrots, the benefits are endless. Stay away from those foods that claim to be healthy with bright colorful packages.
If it came in a package, it’s not food. This is an extreme idea but if you can follow it loosely, you’ll notice the difference. Opting for those things that come w/out labels like tomatoes, onions, salmon, eggs, meats, and nuts will assure that you’re eating quality without any added unnecessaries.

May Webinar: Grocery Shopping for You

CoachEva — Wed, 02 May 2012 17:37:14 +0000

To view the recording in Windows Media Player, please click HERE!

To be redirected to the YouTube video recording click HERE!

Links we like:

The DIRTY DOZEN

Jenna Elfman on EATING ORGANIC ON A BUDGET

In the webinar, we talked about how misleading labels regarding trans fats can be. You may recall that a serving can include 1/2 gram of trans fat and still be considered “trans fat free.” This may seem like no big deal, right? Wrong! The thing is, if you eat 2 servings of that “trans fat free” food, you’re potentially consuming 1 gram of trans fat and there are studies indicating that as little as 1 gram of artificial trans fat per day can have serious degenerative internal effects in your body such as inflammation, clogging and hardening of the arteries, heart disease, various forms of cancer, and increased belly fat. For more on this and other nutritional information, click HERE.

Recipes from Webinar:

Italian Season Chicken

•Cook Time: 7 hours

•Prep Time: 5 min

•Ingredients:

•4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

•1/2 cup Italian salad dressing (light)

•1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

•Preparation:

•Place chicken in bottom of Crock Pot. Sprinkle with Italian dressing and seasoning.

•Cook on low for about 6-8 hours, or until the chicken is done.

•Serve w/ vegetables or salad.

•

Shared by Ness – www.thriftyfun.com

Chicken or Beef Stir Fry

Minimal Ingredients! Minimal Prep!

•4 boneless chicken breast or 1lb top round steak thinly sliced

•Mixed vegetables of your choice(broccoli, snap peas, onions, etc.)

•2 to 4 tbsp light soy sauce

•Cut meat into strips, sauté w/ cooking spray or low-sodium chicken broth; remove from pan

•Add vegetables w/ cooking spray or low-sodium chicken broth; cook until tender

•Add the meat and soy sauce and cook on low for 3-5 minutes.

•Serve!

Mexican Chicken or Beef Tacos

•Cook Time: 6 hours

•Prep Time: 5 min

•Ingredients:

•4 boneless chicken breast or 1 lb sirloin beef steak

•Taco seasoning

•Low sodium chicken broth

•Preparation:

•Add ingredients to crock pot—

•6-8 hours on LOW

•3-4 on HIGH

Serve over salad or on whole wheat tortillas w/ vegetables to garnish!

Stick w/ salsa and not sour cream to keep the meal light and healthy!

April Webinar:Family Favorites Redone

CoachEva — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 14:55:59 +0000

Click HERE to view in Windows Media Player.

http://youtu.be/4JPambVNIGI

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=4JPambVNIGI&vq=medium#t=30

Recipes from the webinar:

Pita Fajitas

whole wheat pita pocket
peppers, onions, tomatoes (sauteed)
grilled chicken strips
mozzarella (optional)

Nutter Fruit Special

spelt grain bread
almond butter
no-added-sugar fruit spread
sliced banana

Live Well Work Well April 2012 Newsletter

HealthChkJen — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 22:19:07 +0000

We’ve all read the studies warning us about texting and driving – but just how distracting can it be to multitask behind the wheel? April is National Distracted Driving Month and this month’s newletter reveals some alarming statistics while offering helpful tips to stay safe while on the road.

Also In This Issue: Fresh from the Farm – Learn how Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) is good for both you and the local economy! Feeding A Picky Eater! Discover fun & nutritious tricks to provide healthier eating at home. Healthy recipes and more!

April 2012 Live Well Work Well (english)

April 2012 Live Well Work Well (spanish)

March webinar: Sleep Health

CoachEva — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 22:54:10 +0000

To view this month’s webinar on sleep and your health, click HERE.

Live Well Work Well March 2012 Newsletter

HealthChkJen — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 21:24:16 +0000

Getting enough sleep is very important to your overall health. Many times, this key piece to wellness is overlooked an placed on a back burner in relation to other responsibilites that fill up our lives. Be sure to read this month’s Live Well Work Well Newsletter to find out how much of an impact not getting enough sleep has on your health.

March 2012 Live Well Work Well (English)

March 2012 Live Well Work Well (Spanish)

Live Well Work Well February 2012 Newsletter

HealthChkJen — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:13:56 +0000

It’s no accident that February, the month of love and hearts, is also healthy heart month sponsored by the American Heart Association. This month’s Live Well Work Well Newsletter is no exception. We love to take advantage of a chance to talk about healthy hearts. In fact, did you know that stress can have a very significant impact on your heart’s health? Click the links below to find out just how much.

February 2012 Live Well Work Well (english)

February 2012 Live Well Work Well (spanish)

February Webinar: Help your Heart

CoachEva — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:56:07 +0000

Since February is Heart Month, the HealthCheck360 health coaches explore some common myths and facts regarding your heart health. We heart you and we want you to feel great all the time. Enjoy this month’s webinar on helping your heart!

To view the webinar recording in Windows Media Player, click HERE.

Links we like:

10 Foods to Lower Cholesterol

Avoiding unhealthy snacks

NEW information on blood clots and flights!

Healthy heart foods

Live Well Work Well January 2012 Newsletter

HealthChkJen — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:59:53 +0000

It’s tough to get motivated to workout on cold wintry days, but drop the bad-weather excuses and learn how excersising this season can be fun and rewarding! Try these cold weather fitness tips to stay warm and fit this winter!

Also in this issue: Radon Safety – is your home safe from the dangers of radon? Wake Up to the Benefits of Breakfast, Healthy Recipes, and more!

Live Well Work Well January 2012 Newsletter – English

Live Well Work Well January 2012 Newsletter – Spanish