Healthy Eating

Wellness Wednesday – Week 39

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6 Healthy Eating Tips That Aren’t

Everyone is telling you which foods are good for you. Stop listening! Here are six seemingly healthy eating tips that the science just doesn’t back up.

False Tip: Fresh fruit is better than frozen.

The Truth: Food manufacturers freeze fruit at their peak of freshness in order to preserve its quality and nutritional value. Freezing fruit is a great way to preserve it if you bought a little too much or it’s on sale. Frozen fruit is very convenient, especially when you’re super-busy with work and family, plus it lasts longer than fresh. Fresh isn’t necessarily better than frozen, and both count toward your daily recommended amount of fruit.

False Tip: Fresh vegetables are healthier than canned.

The Truth: If you think canned is the bad guy, think again. This means of preservation has been around for about 200 years. Yes, canned vegetables can have loads of salt, but you can now find many with no added salt. Additionally, canned vegetables will still retain much of their vitamins, even when stored for several months, which is a clear advantage over fresh.

False Tip: Multigrain bread is always the healthiest choice.

The Truth: Multigrain just means the bread is made from several grains — that doesn’t mean they’re whole grains, which are more plentiful in nutrients. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, you want to make half your grains whole — so the next time you pick up a loaf of bread, make sure the grains named in the ingredient list include the word “whole,” such as whole rye and whole wheat.

False Tip: Bottled water is better than tap water.

The Truth: According to an investigation conducted by the Environmental Working Group, a variety of contaminants were found in tested brands of bottled water. Further, bottled water does have a larger carbon footprint than tap water, and doesn’t contain the nutrients found in tap water (such as fluoride). This may be a good excuse to purchase a few reusable water containers you can fill with tap water.

False Tip: Coconut oil is the only oil you should use.

The Truth: Advocates of coconut oil believe that its medium-chain triglycerides make it super healthy. However, several types of fat found in coconut oil, including palmitic, myristic and lauric acids, have been found to raise both your bad (LDL) and good (HDL) cholesterol as well as total cholesterol. Although the debate continues, your best bet is to include coconut oil in your healthy-oil repertoire along with other healthy oils, like sesame, olive, peanut and safflower.

False Tip: There are only a handful of superfoods.

The Truth: Although many believe that exotic-sounding foods like acai, chia seed and goji berries are the healthiest of all foods, that’s not the case. Your body needs a variety of food groups in order to get all the nutrients you need to stay healthy. Therefore, wholesome foods like Greek yogurt, almonds, pears, broccoli, barley, eggs and avocado also achieve super status.

https://www.yahoo.com/food/6-­healthy-­eating-­tips-­that-­arent-­true-­122032158.html

Wellness Wednesday – Week 38

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12 ‘Healthy’ Foods That Actually Aren’t All That Great for You

With all the mac & cheese and fried chicken in the world, going for lighter bites can be a struggle. To make matters worse, some foods are disguised as healthy options, when really they’re just tricking us into eating hundreds of extra calories and boatloads of sugar.

If we wanted that, we’d go straight for the donuts and not bother with the appearance of health. Here you’ll find the 12 sneakiest “health” foods, plus how to outsmart them.

Granola

“For some reason, granola has always had a health halo around it,” says Keri Gans, RD, author of The Small Change Diet. More often than not, it’s anything but healthy.

Many options contain tons of added sugar (which science says plays a part in high blood pressure and heart disease), few nutrients, and a boatload of calories. Think of it more as a topping than anything else.

Gans suggests sticking to products that have more than 5g of fiber (which will keep those hunger pangs from interrupting that mid-morning meeting with your boss) and less than 10g of sugar.

Green juices

These super-trendy sips aren’t necessarily all they’re cracked up to be. Just don’t tell that to your juice-cleansing friend, who might be hungry enough to physically assault you.

While green juices are definitely a way to get some nutrients, they also sometimes contain added sugars. “Just because it’s green doesn’t mean that the calories don’t count,” says Gans. Keep tabs on the serving size (some bottles contain two or three), and remember that all that sugar can add up.

Sushi

Healthy in theory, not so much in practice. It’s easy to overeat sushi, particularly if you’re sharing a bunch of rolls with buddies. Plus, the add-ons (spicy mayo, crunchy tempura flakes, and excess amounts of avocado) can ratchet up the calorie count, says Gans.

Even worse, you might not even be getting what you asked for when you think you’re chowing down on spicy tuna. Go with high-quality restaurants and avoid the bells and whistles.

Dried fruit

Just because they come from nature doesn’t mean these sweet treats are super-healthy snacks. Even if they contain no added sugar and are made from 100% fresh fruit, they’re still packed with way more sugar, calories, and carbs than we need, says Molly Kimball, registered
dietitian with Ochsner’s Elmwood Fitness Center in New Orleans.

The bottom line: these are calorie-dense sugar bombs.

Sugar substitutes

By now you know that sugar’s practically Public Enemy No.1. But does that also hold true for artificial sweeteners?

While there’s no definitive evidence that the fake stuff is dangerous, it may lead to glucose intolerance (a precursor to diabetes), according to a 2014 study published in the journal Nature. Plus, eating and drinking artificial sweeteners trains our taste buds to crave something sweet, perpetuating a cycle, says Kimball. Try to avoid them, unless you’re using them to help you kick a sugary drink habit.

Protein bars

Hate to break it to you, but the majority of the bars you snack on when you’re on the go aren’t your best bet. First off, be wary of stuff that’s branded as a fitness food – products with this kind of packaging may make you eat more of them and work out less (womp, womp), suggests a study in the Journal of Marketing Research.

What you’re getting with each bite may not do you any favors, either. “You don’t need 20 or
30g of protein from a bar,” says Gans. “You should be getting it from real food.” She suggests maxing out at about 12g of protein per bar. You’re also going to want something that’s high in
fiber and low in added sugar.

Yogurt

OK, yogurt’s got a lot of awesome stuff going on – we’re talking vitamins, minerals, and (ideally) plenty of protein. But if yours tastes exactly like apple pie or your favorite cheesecake, it’s probably not that great for you.

“With regular flavored yogurt, you may be looking at 28g of sugar and 5g of protein – it’s a terrible ratio,” says Kimball. Even flavored Greek yogurt can pack in a good 11 to 14g of sugar, though these usually also contain as much protein.

Rule of thumb: look for something that’s high in protein (Greek yogurt’s the winner in that department) with a good ratio of protein to sugar (i.e. 20g of protein vs. 6g of sugar).

Gluten-free products

Over the past couple of years, going gluten-free has been as popular as McCarthyism was in the ‘50s. But if you’ve hopped on the bandwagon hoping to overhaul your health (and to stay off a mysterious “black list”), you might want to reconsider.

The truth is, unless you have a gluten intolerance or celiac disease, gluten-free picks aren’t necessarily going to be better or more nutritious options, says Gans. In fact, many recipes might add sugar to make the product taste better, and may also be higher in calories, she warns.

A cookie’s a cookie, whether there’s gluten in it or not.

Parfaits

They may be quick, easy, and delicious, but parfaits are a nutritional nightmare. Each to-go cup is likely full of vanilla-flavored yogurt (which is high in sugar) and fruit that, while healthy on its own, might also have added sugar, according to Kimball. Top it off with granola, and
you have a straight-up dessert on your hands.

You’re better off going the DIY route with fresh fruit, Greek yogurt with a high protein-to- sugar ratio, and just a sprinkle of granola.

Smoothies

Unless you’re whipping up your smoothie yourself, you run the risk of consuming as much as three to four days’ worth of added sugar, warns Kimball. Ones to watch out for: anything with “power” or “muscle” in the name – even a small one might contain 80-100g of carbs and 80-
100g of sugar, she says.

You don’t have to skip the blended beverages entirely. Just stick to one with 30g of protein and no more than 10-15g of naturally occurring sugar.

Reduced-fat peanut butter

The less fat, the better, right? Around your waistline, yes. But in your peanut butter, that’s not necessarily the case. See, the dietary fat in peanut butter really isn’t a bad thing; it can actually help keep you fuller longer, says Kimball.

On the flip side, sugar’s the stuff you should try to limit. And though reduced-fat peanut butter is by no means terrible for you, it can sometimes contain added sugar and sodium. All you
need is natural peanut butter with no added sugar or salt, and you won’t have to worry.

Whole-grain bread

The glorious deception of American marketing works especially well in the bread aisle. Some bread that may be marketed as “whole grain,” just isn’t whole grain at all.

The red flags to look for? The words “multigrain” and “made with whole wheat” on the packaging, says Kimball. When in doubt, look at the label. If the first ingredient listed is enriched wheat flour, you’re getting plain white flour in that loaf. Stick to the ones that say they’re 100% whole wheat or whole grain to be safe.

https://www.yahoo.com/food/12-­healthy-­foods-­that-­actually-­arent-­all-­that-­130356878.html

Wellness Wednesday – Week 36

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Most adults’ ‘heart age’ exceeds their actual age: U.S. CDC

Three out of four U.S. adults have a predicted “heart age” that is older than they are, putting them at increased risk for heart attacks and strokes, government researchers said on Tuesday.

“Your heart may be older than you are. For most adults in the United States, it is,” said Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which released the first study to provide population-level estimates of heart age nationwide.

The CDC calculates heart age based on cardiovascular risk factors including smoking, hypertension, diabetes and obesity.

“It gives a simple risk calculation for having or dying of heart attack or stroke,” Frieden said.

For the report, CDC researchers gathered used risk factor data collected from every U.S. state as well as information from a large, ongoing heart study.

They found that nearly 69 million adults between the ages of 30 and
74 have a heart age older than their actual age.

The report also showed significant differences based on gender and other factors.

For example, the average heart age for adult men is 8 years older than their chronological age, compared to 5 years older for women.

The study found disparities between heart age and chronological age for all racial and ethnic groups, but they were highest among African- American men and women, whose heart age was 11 years older than their actual age for both genders.

The study also found geographical differences in average heart age, with individuals in the Southern United States having higher heart ages than other regions of the country.

States with the highest percentage of adults with a heart age 5 years or more older than their actual age included Mississippi, West Virginia, Kentucky, Louisiana and Alabama. Those with the lowest percentage of adults with heart ages that exceeded their actual age by more than
5 years included Utah, Colorado, California, Hawaii and Massachusetts.

Although individuals may be concerned to learn that their heart age was years older than their actual age, Frieden said the numbers can be improved by reducing one or two cardiovascular risk factors, such as stopping smoking or controlling high blood pressure.

“It is never too late to turn back the clock on your heart age, Frieden said.

(Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen; Editing by Bernard Orr)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/01/us-­‐usa-­‐health-­‐heart-­‐study-­‐
idUSKCN0R14DT20150901

Wellness Wednesday – Week 35

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What Your Cholesterol Levels Mean

How’s your cholesterol? Time to get it checked!

Keeping your cholesterol levels healthy is a great way to keep your heart healthy – and lower your chances of getting heart disease or having a stroke.    But first, you have to know your cholesterol numbers. The American Heart Association recommends all adults age 20 or older have their cholesterol, and other traditional risk factors, checked every four to six years.

Your test report will show your cholesterol levels in milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL). Your total cholesterol and HDL (good) cholesterol are among numerous factors your doctor can use to predict your lifetime or 10-year risk for a heart attack or stroke.

To determine how your cholesterol levels affect your risk of heart disease, your doctor will also take into account other risk factors such as age, family history, smoking and high blood pressure.

A complete fasting lipoprotein profile will show the following for:

Total blood (or serum) cholesterol Your total cholesterol score is calculated using the following equation: HDL + LDL + 20 percent of your triglyceride level.

HDL (good) cholesterol With HDL cholesterol, higher levels are better. Low HDL cholesterol puts you at higher risk for heart disease. People with high blood triglycerides usually also have lower HDL cholesterol. Genetic factors, type 2 diabetes, smoking, being overweight and being sedentary can all result in lower HDL cholesterol.

LDL (bad) cholesterol A low LDL cholesterol level is considered good for your heart health. However, your LDL number should no longer be the main factor in guiding treatment to prevent heart attack and stroke, according to new guidelines from the American Heart Association. For patients taking statins, the guidelines say they no longer need to get LDL cholesterol levels down to a specific target number. A diet high in saturated and trans fats raises LDL cholesterol.

Triglycerides Triglyceride is the most common type of fat in the body. Normal triglyceride levels vary by age and sex. A high triglyceride level combined with low HDL cholesterol or high LDL cholesterol is associated with atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty deposits in artery walls that increases the risk for heart attack and stroke.

AHA Recommendation We recommend that all adults age 20 or older have their cholesterol and other traditional risk factors checked every four to six years, and work with their healthcare providers to determine their risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Source – http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/What-Your-Cholesterol-Levels-Mean_UCM_305562_Article.jsp

The Top 5 Cholesterol Myths

Even if you think you know everything there is to know about cholesterol, there may be a few more surprises in store. Check out these common myths about high cholesterol; find out whos most likely to have it, what types of food can cause it, and why—sometimes— cholesterol isn’t a bad word.

Myth 1: Americans have the highest cholesterol in the world
One of the world’s enduring stereotypes is the fat American with cholesterol-­‐clogged
arteries who is a Big Mac or two away from a heart attack. As a nation, we could certainly use some slimming down, but when it comes to cholesterol levels we are solidly middle-­‐of-­‐ the-­‐road.

According to 2005 World Health Organization statistics, American men rank 83rd in the world in average total cholesterol, and American women rank 81st; in both cases, the average number is 197 mg/dL, just below the Borderline-­‐High Risk category. That is very respectable compared to the top-­‐ranked countries: In Colombia the average cholesterol among men is a dangerous 244, while the women in Israel, Libya, Norway, and Uruguay are locked in a four-­‐way tie at 232.

Myth 2: Eggs are evil
It’s true that eggs have a lot of dietary cholesterol—upwards of 200 mg, which is more than
two-­‐thirds of the American Heart Association’s recommended limit of 300 mg a day. But dietary cholesterol isn’t nearly as dangerous as was once thought. Only some of the cholesterol in food ends up as cholesterol in your bloodstream, and if your dietary cholesterol intake rises, your body compensates by producing less cholesterol of its own.

While you don’t want to overdo it, eating an egg or two a few times a week isn’t dangerous.
In fact, eggs are an excellent source of protein and contain unsaturated fat, a so-­‐called good
fat.

Myth 3: Kids can’t have high cholesterol
Most people think high cholesterol is a problem that’s strictly for the middle-­‐aged. But guess what? Research has shown that atherosclerosis—the narrowing of the arteries that leads to heart attacks—can start as early as age eight. In July 2008, the American Academy of Pediatrics released guidelines on kids and cholesterol that recommended that children who are overweight, have hypertension, or have a family history of heart disease have their cholesterol tested as young as two years of age.

Children with high cholesterol should be on a diet that restricts saturated fat to 7% of
calories and no more than 200 mg per day of dietary cholesterol, according to the
guidelines. Fiber supplements and more exercise are also recommended.

While the guidelines prompted a bit of an outcry from parents worried that doctors would be pushing cholesterol-­‐lowering drugs for kids, a new study suggests that less than 1% of adolescents aged 12 to 17 would be considered candidates for medication.

Myth 4: Food is heart-­healthy if it says “0 mg cholesterol”
The Cholesterol portion of the nutritional label refers to dietary cholesterol, which is only one of the things found in food that can cause your cholesterol to go sky-­‐high. (A bigger contributor to elevated cholesterol? A high-­‐fat diet.) It’s also believed to be the least important. Saturated fat (found in animal foods and dairy products) and trans fats (found in packaged foods) appear to have a far greater impact on low-­‐density lipoprotein (LDL), the so-­‐called bad cholesterol that causes atherosclerosis, than dietary cholesterol.

Myth 5: Cholesterol is always a bad thing
When most people hear “cholesterol” they think “bad.” Like most things in life, the reality is more complex. High cholesterol can be dangerous, but cholesterol itself is essential to various bodily processes, from insulating nerve cells in the brain to providing structure for cell membranes. That’s why your body makes the white, waxy substance (about 75% of the cholesterol in your blood is made by the liver and cells elsewhere in your body).

The role of cholesterol in heart disease is often misunderstood. Cholesterol is carried through the bloodstream by low-­‐density and high-­‐density lipoproteins (LDL and HDL). LDL, known as bad cholesterol, and not the cholesterol it carries per se, is responsible for atherosclerosis.

http://www.health.com/health/condition-­‐article/0,,20259746_2,00.html

Wellness Wednesday – Week 34

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Cold, Flu, or Allergy?
Know the Difference for Best Treatment

You’re feeling pretty lousy. You’ve got sniffles, sneezing, and a sore throat. Is it a cold, flu, or allergies? It can be hard to tell them apart because they share so many symptoms. But understanding  the differences will help you choose the best treatment.

“If you know what you have, you won’t take medications  that you don’t need, that aren’t effective, or that might even make your symptoms worse,” says NIH’s Dr. Teresa Hauguel, an expert on infectious diseases that
affect breathing.

Cold, flu, and allergy all affect your respiratory system, which can make it hard to breathe. Each condition has key symptoms that set them apart.

Colds and flu are caused by different viruses. “As a rule of thumb, the symptoms associated with the flu are more severe,” says Hauguel. Both illnesses can lead to a runny, stuffy nose; congestion; cough; and sore throat. But the flu can also cause high fever that lasts for 3-4 days, along with a headache, fatigue, and general aches and pain. These symptoms are less common when you have a cold.

“Allergies are a little different, because they aren’t caused by a virus,” Hauguel explains. “Instead, it’s your body’s immune system reacting to a trigger, or allergen, which is something you’re allergic to.” If you have allergies and breathe in things like pollen or pet dander, the immune cells in your nose and airways may overreact to these harmless substances. Your delicate respiratory tissues may then swell, and your nose may become stuffed up or runny.

“Allergies can also cause itchy, watery eyes, which you don’t normally have with a cold or flu,” Hauguel adds.

Allergy symptoms usually last as long as you’re exposed to the allergen, which may be about 6 weeks during pollen seasons in the spring, summer, or fall. Colds and flu rarely last beyond 2 weeks.

Most people with a cold or flu recover on their own without medical care. But check with a health care provider if symptoms last beyond 10 days or if symptoms aren’t relieved by over-the-counter  medicines. For more about when to see a doctor, go to CDC’s Flu Page .

To treat colds or flu, get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids. If you have the flu, pain relievers such as aspirin, acetaminophen,  or ibuprofen can reduce fever or aches. Allergies can be treated with antihistamines or decongestants.  See the “Wise Choices” box for more details.

Be careful to avoid “drug overlap” when taking medicines that list 2 or more active ingredients on the label. For example, if you take 2 different drugs that contain acetaminophen—one for a stuffy nose and the other for headache—you  may be getting too much acetaminophen.

“Read medicine labels carefully—the warnings, side effects, dosages. If you have questions, talk to your doctor or pharmacist, especially if you have children who are sick,” Hauguel says. “You don’t want to overmedicate, and you don’t want to risk taking a medication that may interact with another.”

Cold Flu Allergy-3

http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/oct2014/feature2

Wellness Wednesday – Week 33

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String May Work Better Than BMI In Determining Body Fat, Health Risks

May 12, 2015

By Anthony Rivas

More research is beginning to show BMI isn’t as accurate at determining health as we once thought. String may work better.

For over a century, doctors have been improving on the body mass index (BMI), their go-to method for determining whether a person has an unhealthy amount of body fat. Still, few changes have been made over the last few decades, even as medical knowledge improves. Scientists are beginning to realize body mass index may not be the best indicator of a person’s fat level or the best predictor of their risk for health problems like heart disease. Instead of using BMI, a group of researchers from the UK say string will do just fine.

You read that right. String. And it’s not as far-fetched as it sounds, either. BMI is a calculation of a person’s weight status based on their weight and height, which then categorizes a person as either underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese. However, such a basic measurement fails to account for where in the body the fat is located, and that’s important when we consider that there are two kinds of fat: brown, the good fat that insulates us, and white, which stores energy and contributes to obesity. With BMI, all of this fat is considered equal.

In their new study, researchers from Oxford Brookes University suggested a new method that’s been gaining acceptance of late: waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). They found that measuring a person’s height with string, then folding the string in half and seeing if it’ll fit around a person’s waist comfortably could be a better indicator of whether a person is overweight, Yahoo Health reported. This is because white fat tends to preside mostly in the abdomen, whereas brown fat hangs out elsewhere in the body. Having too much white fat around the abdomen has been linked to heart disease, diabetes, and other metabolic disorders.

For the study, researchers looked at data from the Health Survey for England
2009, which looked at the health of nearly 3,000 people. They found that

“12 percent of the total population would be missed by BMI screening, and over a third of those classified as ‘normal’ by BMI would have a WHtR exceeding 0.5” — anything over that and the patient is at a heightened risk of cardiovascular disease, a press release said. “These could be called non- overweight ‘apples,’ who have a lot of fat around the waist but not a high BMI.”

Arguing in favor of the string method, lead researcher Margaret Ashwell told Yahoo Health: “The science about the limitations of BMI and the superiority of waist-to-height ratio has been growing in leaps and bounds recently.” One study from 2013, for example, found that larger waistlines correlated with lower life expectancies. With BMI being the “convention,” however, researchers said it will take time and more research before doctors begin adopting a new method.

In the press release, the researchers said, “We would like to show that WHtR is not only superior to BMI in first stage screening for the health risks of obesity, but it is also more efficient in practice and can be done by personnel with minimal training and resources.”

Source: Ashwell M, Gibson S. A proposal for a primary screening tool:
‘Keep your waist circumference to less than half your height.’ BMC Medicine. 2015.

http://www.medicaldaily.com/string-­‐may-­‐work-­‐better-­‐bmi-­‐determining-­‐body-­‐fat-­‐
health-­‐risks-­‐333060

Wellness Wednesday – Week 32

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Negative Consequences of Obesity

Did you know that…

Obesity has more negative health consequences than smoking?

67% of the U.S. population is overweight/obese?

An overweight or obese employee’s health care costs are more than one third higher each year than the health care costs of a healthy weight individual?

This information came from Weight Watchers and that’s why the STARS Employee Healthcare Program would like to offer Weight Watcher classes to all TRC employees.  Depending on interest, we would like to offer either a 12 or 17 week class both in Jamestown and Dunkirk.  Employees can pay for this by payroll deduction, cash, check, or credit card.  This cost can be reimbursed using FSA monies with written documentation from a Doctor.  A discount for this class will be applied to any STARS enrolled employee, amount to be determined.

If interested in attending Weight Watchers, please email or call Donna Trusso, STARS Project Manager, at 661-4795 at your earliest convenience.  I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Stay well!

Wellness Wednesday – Week 31

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Computer & Desk Stretches

Basic recommendations from the American College of Sports Medicine suggest that adults engage in flexibility exercises at least two to three days a week to help improve range of motion, performance, and activities of daily living.

Here are some stretches that can help you follow this recommendation while at work. Stretching can help reduce pain and stiffness caused by sitting at a desk for long periods of time.
Print this worksheet and keep a copy in your drawer, or bookmark this website and add to your favorites for ease of return. These stretches can be done regularly throughout the day about every 30 minutes. In addition it is helpful to take time to get up and walk around regularly.

Sitting Stretch for Upper Body:

Sit upright in your chair and straighten your arms out in front of you with you fingers laced.
You should feel this stretch in your arms and your upper back. Hold stretch for 20 seconds, do at least twice.

Arms/Shoulders/Upper Back Stretch

Interlace your fingers and raise your arms above your head with your palms facing up. To feel the stretch, try to push your arms up and back. You should feel this stretch in your arms, shoulders, and upper back . Hold for 15 seconds. Try to breathe deeply and do not hold your breath.

Shoulder and Side Stretch

Bend your right elbow placing your arm behind your head. Hold right elbow with your left hand. To stretch armpit/shoulder area, move back of head against right arm until mild stretch is felt. Hold for 10-15 seconds. Do both sides. To extend stretch further down your side
and into your hip, bend knees slightly and gently pull your elbow behind your head as you bend
from your hips to the side. Hold for 10 seconds.

Shoulder Blade Pinch

Sit up straight in your chair and relax your shoulders. Place your hands behind head, interlace your fingers, and pull your shoulder blades together. Hold for 4-5 seconds. You should feel this stretch in your shoulders, upper back, and even a little in the pectoral (chest) muscles as your chest moves upwards when you work to squeeze your shoulder blades together. Repeat 3-4 times.

Shoulder Shrug

Start with shoulders relaxed and arms hang-ing to the side. Shrug shoulders up as high as possible without bend-ing your elbows. You should feel slight tension in your neck and shoulders. Hold for 5 seconds. Then, relax your shoulders back down. Repeat 2 – 3 times.

Neck Stretch

With hands behind your back, grab your left wrist with your right hand. Tilt your head to the side to-ward your right shoulder as your right hand pulls your left arm down and across. Hold for 10-15 seconds. Do both sides.

Wrist Flexor Stretch

Similar to previ-ous stretch. Start with arms down in front of you and your palms together with fingers pointing down. Slowly bend elbows bringing your hands upward. Go until you feel a mild stretch in your wrists and fore-arms. Keep your elbows up and even. Hold for 5-8 seconds.

Reaching Upper Body Stretch

Reach in opposite directions with your arms while sitting. Hold for 10 seconds each side. Keep your jaw relaxed and breathe rhythmically. This stretches the sides of the upper body, shoulders, and arms.

Wrist Flexor Stretch

Place your hands together in front of you with fingers up and elbows out. Then, push your hands together and down, keeping your palms together, until you feel a mild stretch in your wrist and forearms. Keep your el-bows up and even. Hold for 5-8 seconds.

Hand Shakes

Shake your arms and hands at your side for 10-12 sec-onds. Keep your jaw re-laxed and let your shoul-ders hang downward as you shake out tension.

Back Extension Stretch

Sitting on the edge of your chair, place your palms on your lower back just above your hips, fingers pointed downward. Gently push your palms forward to create an extension in the lower back. This stretches the lower back and stretch can also be felt in the chest and shoulder area. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat twice. Use this stretch after sitting for an extended period of time. Do not hold your breath.

Lower Back and Side Hip Stretch

In a sitting position cross your left leg over the outside of your right knee. Turn your shoulders to your left using your right hand to push against your left knee while your left hand pushes against the back of your chair. Exhale slowly and turn your head to look over your left shoulder. Hold for 10-15 seconds. Do both sides.

Wellness Wednesday – Week 30

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Have you visited MYPLATE.gov lately?

Healthy tips on Eating, Recipes, Vegetarians, Eating Out, Food Safety, and more.

Starting Points

Your food and physical activity choices each day affect your health — how you feel today, tomorrow, and in the future.

These tips and ideas are a starting point. You will find a wealth of suggestions by going to this site and clicking on the bullet points to get more information on how to get started towards a healthy diet and a healthier you! Try one change that you can make today.

  • Make at least half your grains whole grains
  • Vary your veggies
  • Focus on fruit
  • Get your calcium-rich foods
  • Go lean with protein
  • Get more healthy eating tips

Want more information?  Go to  http://choosemyplate.gov/healthy-eating-tips.html

  1. 10 Tips Nutrition Education Series
  2. Recipes, Cookbooks, and Menus
  3. Tips for Vegetarians
  4. Tips for Eating Healthy When Eating out
  5. Counting Calories in Mixed Dishes
  6. Food Safety Advice
  7. Tips for Increasing Physical Activity