November 30, 2009

fruits & nuts MAKE for a HEALTHY portable snack

The holiday shopping season has begun and eating while out shopping during the stretch from Thanksgiving to New Year’s can be difficult for some people. Remember to

Bring fruits & nuts for a portable snack – Apples, bananas, grapes and pears all travel well and provide carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.  Match them up with some nuts or seeds for protein, healthy fat and other nutrients.

November 23, 2009

Fill Up On Healthy Holiday Choices

Many families have huge dinner spreads for the holidays, and follow them up with lots of desserts.  Though you may want to try everything and eat more than you have room for, smart decisions can reduce excess caloric intake. Fill up on vegetables like salad, green beans and sweet potatoes.  Eat white meat without skin and go easy on gravies. Go for smaller portions on mashed potatoes, stuffing and rolls.  With desserts, enjoy smaller portions as well and pick dishes with fruits or vegetables like pumpkin pie or pumpkin pudding (our Healthy Bite’s recipe of the week).

NOVEMBER 16, 2009

GREAT AMERICAN SMOKEOUT THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2009

Lake Health is committed to health and wellness and as of November 1, 2009 is a smoke-free campus for Team Members, physicians, property contractors, tenants, visitors and patients anywhere on the property of any Lake Health facility.  Therefore, we encourage all smokers to partake in The American Cancer Society’s 34th Great American Smokeout on Thursday, November 19 by encouraging smokers to use the date to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day. Non-smokers can also encourage their loved ones to quit for the day. By doing so, smokers will be taking an important step towards a healthier life – one that can lead to reducing cancer risk.

Researchers say that quitting smoking can increase life expectancy – smokers who quit at age 35 gain an average of eight years of life expectancy; those who quit at age 55 gain about five years; and even long term smokers who quit at 65 gain three years ¹. Lake Health offers “UP IN SMOKE” smoking cessation classes. For more information regarding fees and schedule dates please contact the Best of Health Line at 440-953-6000.

Also, smokers who want to quit can call the American Cancer Society Quit For Life® Program operated and managed by Free & Clear® at 1-800-227-2345 for tobacco cessation and coaching services that can help increase their chances of quitting for good.

Important facts about tobacco use:

• Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the U.S.
  
• Cigarette smoking accounts for about 443,000 premature deaths – including 49,400 in nonsmokers.
  
• Thirty percent of cancer deaths, including 87 percent of lung cancer deaths, can be attributed to tobacco.
  
• Smoking also accounts for $193 billion in health care expenditures and productivity losses.
  
• Great progress is being made in reducing tobacco use in the U.S., with adult smoking rates in 2007 declining among all adults to 19.8 percent. ·

Source: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/subsite/greatamericans/content/Media.asp

November 9, 2009

Eat fish instead of meat

Fish is a great source of protein, but naturally lower in saturated fat than beef.  Some also have healthy fats, like the essential omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon and other fish.  Bake or broil your fish to minimize added fat, and try lemon and pepper or other herbs and spices to add flavor and aroma without salt or fat.  Check out this week’s Healthy Bites Recipe for a great, healthy, quick and easy meal.

NOVEMBER 2, 2009

KEEP STRESS IN CHECK

In our busy routines, it’s still important to mind our mental health.  Too much stress is bad for our health, and can also lead to binge-eating or other bad decisions.  Make time to talk to friends, family or professionals about what’s stressing you out.  Find healthy activities to de-stress you, like stretching, meditating, yoga or taking a bath. Keep your eyes out for The Wellness Institute’s upcoming yoga schedule.