PHM-Wellness-Newsletter-Spring-18-EMAIL

PHM-Wellness-Newsletter-Spring-18-EMAIL

FRESH AIR spring Do you want to get in shape this summer but don’t want to spend every day at the gym? If you make the effort to integrate summer activities into your fitness planning, you may lose some weight and have fun at the same time. Try one or more of these summer fitness tips and you just might have a trimmer body before the cool weather of autumn rolls around. ONE Whether you are spending time at the beach or swimming in your community pool, consider incorporating water aerobics into your day. Anything from running in place to side stretches and arm circles can get your hear t rate pumping. Focus on having fun while spending time in the water, and you won’t even notice you are exercising. TWO Nothing says summer like a bike ride with friends or family. Cycle around your neighborhood, through a local park, or spin your wheels along an ocean- front boardwalk. Bike riding is phenomenal exercise and lets you explore your city at the same time. THREE Horseback riding is a summer activity often overlooked by fitness fiends. Horseback riding actually requires major core strength. Enjoy an afternoon of summer horseback riding, and you will definitely feel your abdominal, shoulder, and arm muscles the next day. To find places for horseback riding, visit Recreation.gov and search horseback riding activities in your area or destinations where you plan to travel to this summer. Fitness 5 Ways to Pack More Fitness Fun Into Your Summer A WELLNESS PERIODICAL FOR PARTICIPANTS OF PINNACLE HEALTH MANAGEMENT

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Got a Hot Temper? Try These Fast Tricks to Cool Down

If you are easily upset, take what people say and do to hear t, and react by internalizing your anger or lashing out at others, then you are probably hot- tempered. Are you aware of how damaging sustained anger is to your health? This negative emotion can put your heart at risk, increase the odds of having a stroke, and weaken your immune system. An angry frame of mind can also make existing anxiety or depression symptoms even worse. Next time you are about to lose your cool, remember that the best way to communicate is to stay calm.When you are angry, thinking straight and seeing the big picture of what’s happening is nearly impossible. However, you can change your behavior. It’s possible to adopt new responses to challenging situations and stop before you reach your boiling point. Breathe your way to calmness The breath and emotions are linked. When you’re upset, breathing becomes rapid and takes place high up in your chest. But when you’re calm, you take slow breaths lower into your belly. To gain composure, inhale and exhale slowly. Focus on breathing, noticing the sensation of air entering and leaving your body. As a result, you’ll shift out of fight-or-flight mode and adopt a calmer demeanor.

FOUR How about scheduling a hike into your exercise planning? Pack a healthy picnic lunch in a backpack and set off for a calorie-burning summer hike with a friend, enjoying time outdoors while giving your quad muscles a hardcore workout too. To find a hiking trail near you, visit AmericanHiking.org to help you plan your next adventure. FIVE Basketball, lawn bowling, and flag football are just some of the games you can play with your family in the summer. You can build summer memories with your family and supercharge your metabolism at the same time. Staying active during the summer is easy if you do a little planning. Choose a variety of activities to up your fitness level and enjoy the spectacular weather summer has to offer.

Continue ‘Hot Temper’ to pg. 4

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Did You Know? Social Connection is Good for Your Health!

Here are some of the main benefits of having positive relationships in your life: • lowers your stress hormone levels • reminds you to keep up healthy routines • improves your mental health by boosting happiness levels • helps you to reduce negative behaviors, such as watching too much television • encourages compassion, trust and intimacy Now you know the many benefits of social connection. If you are currently experiencing feelings of loneliness, here are some ways to help you get more connected and work toward better health: • Think about someone who could use some help, especially if they might be lonely themselves. For example, you could visit a neighbor or friend who is battling a chronic illness. Try bringing over a meal, offering to clean or helping them with their pets. • Check out websites such as Meetup.com or Citysocializer.com, which helps bring people together with similar interests. • Call a friend you haven’t spoken with in a while and ask them out for coffee or dinner to catch up on each other’s lives. Or invite a coworker to do something together after work, such as going to a happy hour or a movie. • Enroll in a class that you are interested in to meet like-minded people who may eventually become friends. • Volunteer at your church or in your local community.

We know as a working professional you have a lot to do each week. While you may be working alongside others each day and conversing briefly with the barista who hands you your coffee each morning, are you carving out time for quality social connections into your weekly schedule? “A social connection should be a public priority,” states Julianne Holt-Lunstad, professor of psychology at Brigham Young University and lead author of a study on the health risks of loneliness. Holt-Lunstad says that their study shows that “social connection is associated with a 50 percent reduced risk of early death.” Moreover, a lack of social connection is similar in health risk to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. Loneliness was also found to exceed the risks of other unhealthy behavior s, such a s exces s i ve alcohol consumption, physical inactivity or obesity.

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VeggieSpotlight

Beets, also known as beetroots, come from the Chenopodiaceae family. Beets have a history that dates back as far as ancient times – the earliest signs of their usage was about 4,000 years ago in the Mediterranean region. Read on to discover some interesting facts about beets and how you can benefit from including them in your diet.

• Beets contain magnesium, copper, potassium, fiber, zinc, vitamin B6, protein, phosphorus and folate.The beet greens contain calcium, iron, vitamin C and vitamin A. • This scrumptious vegetable is rich in antioxidants and is said to increase blood flow as well as help lower blood pressure. • Beets are a low calorie vegetable – a whole cup of beets is only 60 calories. Picked beets contain less than two grams of fat. • Ca nned be e t s a re a n a dded convenience and contain about

the same amount of nut r i ent s and benefits as fresh beets. • Beets contain an anti-inflammatory agent. • Beets can help in the prevention of cataracts. As you can see, beets offer many health benefits; and did you know that both the beet and beet leaves can be eaten? Some ways to enjoy beets in your diet is to include them in salads or in sandwiches. You can also steam beet greens and eat the greens similar to wilted spinach.

Lastly, it is said that beets are one of the best foods for pregnant women to consume because it enhances the hemoglobin content of the blood. Doctors advise that pregnant women shou l d dr i nk beet root j u i ce to increase their iron content, which helps reduces the risk of developing anemia during pregnancy.

Nutrition The Benefits of Fabulous, Filling Fiber

Eating the right amount of fiber has a wide range of health benefits. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, plant foods rich in dietary fiber can help protect against cancer (specifically colorectal cancer) and other chronic diseases. The research institute also reports that non-starchy vegetables and fruits may protect the body against cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, colon, rectum and stomach. The USDA recommends consuming about 30 grams of fiber each day, which equates to about five servings of vegetables and fruit along with three small servings of

whole grains. Incorporating whole grains (whole wheat toast, oatmeal), bananas and nuts into your daily diet will help increase your fiber intake, and they’re easy to grab if you’re on the go. With summer just ahead and many fresh fruits and veggies in season, now is a good time to eat fresh foods with a high fiber content. Eating at least two cups of seasonal fruits and two-and-a- half cups of vegetables each day can increase the fiber in your diet. A great tip when preparing your plate is to make sure that at least two-thirds of your plate is filled with fruits and vegetables

(and some healthy grains if desired), and the remaining one-third or less for meat and dairy. For those on a low-carb diet, non- starchy vegetables and low-sugar fruits can provide high fiber and nutrients and make your diet plan more balanced and healthy. To get more fiber without the carbs, try adding flax and chia seeds to your meals since they have very minimal carbs. Mustard greens, chicory and endive are some vegetables that have high sources of fiber and are also low in carbs.

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HealthCare For Future Health Care Savings and Better Health, Get Your Annual Screenings Done! The Affordable Care Act considers annual screenings for men and women as preventive care and requires that most health plans cover them. Don’t forget to get your lowor no-cost annual screenings done to catch any potential costly health problems while they are still in the early stages. Below are partial lists of screenings as well as recommendations by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force on how often these screenings should be performed.

Continued ‘Hot Temper’ from pg. 1

Take a break When anger rises, people forget that they have the choice to step away f rom t he s i t ua t i on t ha t troubles them. Taking a break provides you time to calm down and clear your head. Doing so also stops you from saying or doing things you’ll later regret. If you notice your temper growing, leave the situation and go some- where quiet for a while.The problem will either dissipate or be easier to handle when you come back with more peace of mind. Don’t vent People used to believe venting reduced negative emotions. We now know reliving problems by talking about them incessantly only makes matters worse. When you vent, your anger increases rather than subsides. Don’t talk about events that leave you fuming. Your hot temper will naturally decrease if you give it time. Your negative thoughts will decline even faster if you switch your focus to a different topic. You can e f fi c i en t ly manage c h a l l e n g e s and reduce the appearance of anger. When you’re hot under the collar, take deep, slow breaths.Also, don’t hesitate to walk away from the problem and give yourself time to recover.When a stressful event is over, don’t keep it going by venting to friends. As a result, you’ll be able to keep your cool no matter what the situation!

FREE AND LOW-COST HEALTH SCREENINGS AVAILABLE TO WOMEN • Mammogram – every one to two years for women 40 or older. • Cervical Cancer Screening or Pap Test – every one to two years for sexually active women. • Breast Cancer Genetic Testing Screening – at least once for women who are at high risk for breast cancer. • Pregnancy and Sexually Transmit- ted Diseases – as needed. • Colonoscopy – every 10 years for- women over 50. • Cholesterol and Blood Pressure Test - every five years. • Skin Exam – every year as part of an annual physical; regular self-examina- tions are also recommended.

are over the age of 45 and at risk for heart disease or have high levels of LDL or low levels of HDL cholesterol. • Prostate Cancer Screening – recommended to star t after the age of 50 for men who are at av- erage risk and earlier for men with a family histor y of prostate cancer earlier than age 65. In most cases, screenings should be done annually. • Colon Cancer Screening – men should receive a flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years and a colonoscopy every 10 years beginning at age 50. • Skin Exam – every year as part of an annual physical; regular self-exams are also recommended. In addition, both men and women should be screened for diabetes ever y three years after the age of 45; if there is a family histor y of diabetes, or you are overweight or have high blood pressure, consult with your doctor to see how often you should be tested. For additional information on the coverage of annual screenings, visit Healthcare.gov and search for preventive care benefits.

FREE AND LOW-COST HEALTH SCREENINGS AVAILABLE TO MEN

• Blood Pressure Test – recommended at least once every two years for men between the ages of 18 and 64. • Cholesterol Test – recommended every five years, or more often if you

FRESH AIR spring

If you have any questions regarding your wellness program, please contact a member of our care management staff at: C U S TOM E R S E RV I C E (844) 230-1121 E M A I L [email protected]

Fresh Air is a periodical wellness publication sent to all participants of the Pinnacle Health Management wellness program, published by: 15525 Sand Canyon Avenue Irvine, CA 92618

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