PHM-Wellness-Newsletter-Summer-18-EMAIL

PHM-Wellness-Newsletter-Summer-18-EMAIL

FRESH AIR summer

S U M M E R 2 0 1 8

A WELLNESS PERIODICAL FOR PARTICIPANTS OF PINNACLE HEALTH MANAGEMENT

The Latest in Alzheimer’s Research

Fitness Keeping in Shape While Enjoying the Water

In addition to the soothing feeling of being in or on the water or pool, water-related exercises have many health benefits. According to Livestrong.com , the buoyancy of water enables people to exercise longer without stressing their bones, muscles, and hearts, so they can burn more calories. Pool exercises can be adjusted for anyone from beginners or people with physical challenges to very fit athletes, while paddle boarding and paddling a canoe or kayak require special skills. Aquatic exercises can be performed in an outdoor pool in the warmer months or in an indoor pool year round. Aquatic exercises should begin with a warmup of striding and a cool-down of stretching. What happens in between can include many of the same exercises performed on dry land without swimming prowess. KICKBOXING in the water makes it easier to maintain your balance. Resis- tance training can be done in the water without equipment. Interval training lets you jog and sprint through the water at a higher intensity than you could on land. Health experts at Livestrong.com also recommend other pool exercises, such as snake walk, mountain climbing, butterfly, pushups, sit-ups, and wall squats.

Did you know that Alzheimer’s disease affects more than 5.7 million people in America? It is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. and by 2050, it is projected that one American will be diagnosed with the disease every 33 seconds. Alzheimers typically affects those over 70 years of age but current statistics show that 200,000 people under the age of 65 have early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Currently there is no cure, prevention or treatment to modify the disease – which is why pre- vention is so important! For those reasons, Maria Shriver— award-winning journalist, bestselling author, and daughter of someone stricken with the disease—created the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement. Now Shriver is teaming with the brain exercise platform BrainHQ to provide a tool to improve cognitive health for women. As she said, “Stretching, train- ing and challenging your brain is just as important as stretching, training and challenging your body.” A recent Dr. Oz program offered three perspectives on Alzheimer’s. Dr. Richard Isaacson, director of the Alz- heimer’s Prevention Clinic at Weill...

PADDLE BOARDING is another water-based exercise that is especially good for developing your core. It should progress from a lying down to a standing position, starting in an area with calm water and wind for maintaining balance. Hold the paddle like a canoe paddle with one hand on the grip on top and the other hand near the middle. For best range of motion, keep your arms straight. Maneuver down and back, and switch sides often to stay straight. CANOEING AND KAYAKING can boost flexibility, strength, and overall fitness. A canoe is an open vessel, and a kayak is enclosed. Both can be fitted with special equipment to make this low-impact form of exercise anything from a gentle ride down a river to a more athletic sprint race. The water is a place to meditate, play, and stay fit while staying cool. Go ahead and get in!

Continue ‘Alzheimer’s Research’ to pg. 4

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VeggieSpotlight

Avocados, also known as Alligator Pears because of their pear-like shape and green skin, are fruits that are grown on an evergreen tree from the Lauraceae family. According to the California Avocado Society, avocados originated in the state of Puebla, Mexico as early as 7000 B.C., with natives collecting avocado fruit and carrying it into their caves. Despite lacking sweetness, avocados are a fruit and technically a type of berry. However, the creamy texture of an avocado makes adding one to ice cream and dessert drinks a delicious treat! Your body also needs healthy fats each day and avocados are chock-full of them! Here are some facts about avocados and how they can benefit your diet and overall health:

• Avocados are a good source of mono- unsaturated fatty acids and are rich in various nutrients, vitamins and minerals. • Many of the nutrients packed in avoca- dos are great for maintaining healthy skin and hair. The nutrients help to nourish dry and damaged hair as well as skin that is dry, chapped or damaged. • An average avocado (100g) contains around 160 calories. Although avoca- dos are calorie-dense because of their fat content, these healthy fats (as men- tioned previously) are beneficial to your body.

• There are over 500 varieties of avocados grown throughout the world, but the California Hass Avocado is the most popular. • Avocados are mood boosters! Because of the folic acid density in avocados, they can help counter the effects of the compound homocys- teine, which depletes production of dopamine and serotonin. • A single California avocado tree can produce up to 500 avocados (or 200 pounds of fruit) a year, according to the CaliforniaAvocado Commission. An av- erage avocado tree typically produces 6o pounds of fruit from 150 avocados.

Nutrition The Power of Green Tea

How to Prepare

min C, which is also an antioxidant to strengthen the immune system. Tannins keeps caffeine release gradual, so the caffeine in green tea has a prolonged invigorating ef- fect.Teanin, an amino acid found in green tea, soothes your system and the B-complex vitamins detoxify your body while boosting mental capacity, metabolism, and the ner- vous system. Green tea is also used for weight loss and weight management since it lowers blood sugar and choles- terol and burns fat. Studies have demonstrated that it also prevents colds and flu, cavities, skin con- ditions, and arthritis. Health pro- fessionals advise people to drink green tea daily, swapping it for...

One o f t he o l des t and mos t popular drinks in the world, green tea, fights free radicals in the body to ward off numerous diseases. Made from the leaves of a tea plant from China, green tea is touted as everything from a metabolism booster to an aging antidote. Antioxidants in green tea, including catechin, repels the free radicals to protect against cancer, stroke, high blood pressure, stomach acid, and muscle damage. A green tea ingre- dient, flavonoids, are said to pre- vent heart disease and absorb vita-

1. To prepare green tea, boil water and let it stand, reducing the temperature to make the most of the catechins. 2. Pour the water over the tea leaves and wait for 2 to 3 minutes. 3. After steeping for 2 minutes, the tannin makes green tea more soothing. 4. Finish by adding lemon, becauseVitamin C enhances the absorption of the cate- chins and increases the density of poly- phenols. Avoid milk or cream, which will make it harder to absorb them.

Continue ‘Green Tea’ to pg. 4

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Workplace Health Seven Sensible Ways to Be Healthier at Work Most companies support healthy lifestyle options for employees so check out what is available at your organization. Happy, productive employees create a great environment for everybody concerned.

You spend most of your waking hours seated at a desk, under pressure to perform. Despite limitations, you need to get creative and literally think on your feet to be in control of healthy choices. Here are seven suggestions to make the most of your workday for better health:

4. HYDRATE Drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water or other beverages will keep you awake and energetic. Coffee can also spark energy, but keep it in moderation and avoid cream and sugar. 5. SANITIZE Keep your hands and your surroundings clean. Frequent hand washing and wiping down office equipment can keep germs from lurking around you and keep you from getting ill. 6. BREATHE Take time out to look away from your work and just take deep breaths.The refreshing change is good for your mental and physical health. 7. AIM FOR BALANCE INALLASPECTS OF YOUR LIFE Give yourself a chance for downtime during the day and take vacation time when offered. Allowing yourself an occasional lapse from making regular healthy choices is fine, but get back on the best food and exercise regimen right away.

1. BRING YOUR OWN HEALTHY FOODTOWORK Temptation is everywhere. Bringing lunch and snacks that are low in sugar, salt, and oil avoids those sneaky calories that end up on your waistline. 2. STAND UP, STRETCH, AND TAKE BREAKS Some tasks can be accomplished while standing. Use them to var y your routine and avoid sitting in the same position all day. Hourly stretch breaks get the kinks out of your shoulders. 3. WORK OUT OR AT LEAST TAKE THE STAIRS Take an hour lunch break to go to a yoga class or go on a run to boost your productivity in the afternoon. Otherwise, do a round of pushups or walk around the building with your team for healthy bonding. Make a habit of taking the stairs to burn a few calories.

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HealthCare How to be Healthy While on a Road Trip

Continued ‘Alzheimer’s Research’ from pg. 1

Cornell Medicine and co-author of The Alzheimer’s Diet, recom- mended reducing the intake of sugar, which powers the brain, while overloading on sugar causes inflammation that spurs cognitive decline. Dr. Heather Snyder, senior director of medical and scientific relations at the Alzheimer’s Asso- ciation, advises minimizing salt, in your diet, which deters the ability to form spatial memories. More- over, those who suffer from anxi- ety can possibly have an increased risk of Alzheimer’s, according to new research. To see if your level of anxiety might be putting you at risk, take an Alzheimer’s risk quiz on Dr. Oz’s website at DrOz.com and search for Are You at Risk for Alzheimer’s Quiz . While there is no cure for Alzhei- mer’s, healthy living may minimize its effects. sugary drinks. They recommend drinking 3 to 4 cups a day to avoid the sleeplessness that too much caffeine can cause. Green tea leaves can be eaten, making them ideal for use as a condiment in food, especially in- soluble foods like fiber. If you dis- like the taste of green tea, try the flavored versions, such as passion fruit and mango. It just might im- prove your life. Continued ‘Green Tea’ from pg. 2

A weekend or vacation road trip offers quality family time or bonding with friends. But just because you are away from home doesn’t mean your healthy habits have to stop. With a little planning to stay mentally and physically healthy while on the road, you can enjoy your time guilt free and make wonderful memories. Here are some tips to prepare you for your trip ahead:

• Star t by mapping your trip or downloading a GPS app to tell you where to find healthy food choic- es and places to walk or exercise. Know how long it will take to reach your destination, allowing for stops along the way, so you maintain aler tness and minimize stress.

and cottage cheese must be kept in a cooler. If you eat out, consider farmers’ markets and other places that offer meals or snacks made with fresh, healthy ingredients. • Take extra vitamins, nutrient-rich juices or supplements before leaving on a tr ip. Annie Fitzsimmons in

Na tional Geogr aphic also recommends “a sure-fire sore throat killer : lemon juice, gin- ger, and cayenne pep- per” as well as coconut oil, which “has antimi- crobial and antiviral proper ties” as preven- tive medicine before traveling.

• Stay hydrated at all times. Not only does it keep you aler t, but it helps your eyes to function, too. • Stay fit by power walking or run- ning, working out in a hotel gym, swimming, and doing exercises with weights. Be sure to pack workout clothes and sneakers. • Save your sanity on long tr ips. Listen to music or audiobooks and bring toys and stor ybooks to keep children occupied. Better yet, talk to each other and create those memories.

• Pack healthy food to avoid the temptation to stop at fast food joints that dot the highway. Non-perishable foods should in- clude complex carbs (such as brown rice, whole grain and oat- meal-based foods), proteins, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats. Many foods—including fruit and nut bars, freeze-dried fruits and vegetables, single-ser ving packs of olives and hummus, tuna, string cheese, and popcorn—are made to travel, but fresh fruits and vegetables, yogur t,

FRESH AIR summer

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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