Archive for August, 2011

An Ounce of Prevention….The Importance of Health Screenings

Monday, August 29th, 2011

August 29, 2011

Aimee Shea, MPH, RD, CSO, LD

We’ve all heard the old saying: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” but how many of us actually routinely receive preventive services?  Preventive services, which are also known as routine health screenings, can include regular physical exams conducted by your primary care physician, blood tests (such as blood sugar or cholesterol), certain measurements (like weight and blood pressure), immunizations (i.e. vaccines), and screening tests to look for signs of cancer or heart disease.  All of these services can help your doctor identify common, yet potentially serious, health concerns early – and early detection means early, and hopefully more successful, treatment.

So how do you know which preventive services you need?  The best thing to do is check with your general doctor.  He or she should be able to tell you which tests you need, and how often you need them, based on your gender, age, and family history.  You can also check out this resource from the Mayo Clinic that provides customized health screening guidelines: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/health-screening/WO00112.  In general, all adult men and women should have their weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels checked regularly.  Other routine screenings for women include a Pap test for cervical cancer, a mammogram for breast cancer, and a colonoscopy for colorectal cancer – check with your doctor on how often you need these tests.  For men, your doctor will likely recommend a colonoscopy for colorectal cancer and a PSA test for prostate cancer, both at regular intervals.  And don’t forget that children need preventive services too.  The most important of which are vaccines – your child’s pediatrician will be able to recommend which shots are needed and at what age.

Keeping up with routine health screenings is key to preventing disease and staying healthy, and The Rite Bite can help you stay on top of these services.  Our Corporate Wellness Program offers health screenings & clinics.  The Rite Bite health screenings include measurement of blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), percent body fat, waist circumference, cholesterol (including HDL, LDL, and triglycerides), and blood glucose, in addition to one-on-one health coaching to discuss your screening results, review your lifestyle habits and provide personalized recommendations on how you can improve your health.  The Rite Bite employees are happy to come to your place of employment to conduct health screenings.  If you’re interested in setting up a health screening for your employees, please contact us at 866-668-RITE (7483) to discuss custom corporate packages.  Take your health into your own hands, and schedule your routine health screenings right away!

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Fueling For Performance

Monday, August 22nd, 2011

August 22, 2011

By Nick Kelly, BGSU Dietetic Intern

Nutrition plays a key role in achieving optimum performance. Therefore, fueling for performance should be thought of as a complete and on going process.

Athletes Needs

Carbohydrates

  • Moderate intensity exercise: 2-3grams per pound (lb) of body weight
  • High intensity endurance activities: 3-5.5grams per pound (lb) of body weight

Example: if a person weighs 150lbs

  • 300- 450grams of carbohydrates in a day
    • 1 slice of bread = 15grams carbohydrate
    • 1 cup of cooked rice = 45grams carbohydrate
    • 1 cup cooked pasta = 30grams carbohydrate

Protein

  • Moderate intensity exercise: 0.55 – 0.8grams per pound (lb) of body weight
  • High intensity endurance activities: 0.7-0.9grams per pound (lb) of body weight

Example: if a person weighs 150lbs

  • 83 – 120grams of protein in a day
    • 3oz of chicken = 21grams protein
    • 1oz luncheon meat = 7grams protein
    • 1 tablespoon peanut butter = 7grams protein

Hydration

  • The average athlete needs 13–26 fluid-ounces every hour of exercise
    • Its suggested 3–7 fl oz is drank every 15 minutes or 6-10 ounces every 15-20 minutes to reach fluid needs

Before-Exercise

  • •Carbohydrate loading 1-2 hours prior to exercise can improve performance in endurance-type activities lasting more than 1 hour
  • •Begin carbohydrate loading two-three days prior to completion
  • •Proteins help speed up recovery and repair muscles

Snack Examples

  • Apple and yogurt
  • Luncheon meat sandwich
  • 1 handful or peanuts and dried fruit
  • Pretzels and string cheese

During-Exercise

  • § Drink enough to maintain hydration and replace fluids lost during exercise
  • § Eat a 15gram carbohydrate snack when you exercise longer than 90-minutes at moderate-to–high intensity

Examples of a 15gram snack

  • Special K granola bar
  • Quaker 90 calorie granola bar
  • A little less than ½ a 16oz Gatorade®

After-Exercise

  • Carbohydrates replenish fuel stores
  • Eating protein helps repair damaged muscle tissue and stimulates development of new tissue, and help body use carbohydrates
  • Weigh before and after exercise and replenish what was lost
  • Restore fluids and electrolytes lost in sweat
  • Begin recovery with a snack or meal 15-60 minutes following exercise

Healthy Snack Ideas

  • Trail mix with dried fruit, nuts, and seeds
  • Chocolate milk (especially during and after exercise)
  • Peanut Butter and Jelly
  • Fresh fruit and sliced vegetables
  • Dry ready-to-eat cereals
  • String cheese and yogurt

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Packing Healthy Lunches for Your Kids

Monday, August 15th, 2011

By Aimee Shea MPH, RD, LD, CSO

As the first day of school gets closer and closer, busy parents everywhere are starting to think about school lunches.  Packing lunch is a great way to sneak in healthy foods.  In fact, studies have shown that children who bring their lunch from home end up consuming more fruits and veggies and less sugary drinks and fried meats than children who eat lunch at school.  So here are some tips to help you pack a huge nutritional punch into that lunch!

Obviously, fruits and veggies are essential.  But which ones are the best choices to take to school?  Since most kids can’t keep their lunch in a refrigerator all day long, it’s important to choose produce that will be okay when kept at room temperature.  The easiest options include whole fruit (like a banana, apple, pear, peach, or plum) or ready-to-eat veggies, like sugar snap peas, baby carrots, or cherry tomatoes.  Just wash and throw them in the lunch box!  Dried fruits are also a great choice.  And, did you know you can even get dried veggies these days?  They are often found in the bulk section at supermarkets, or you can order them online (for example: http://www.justtomatoes.com/jtstore/pc/Dried-Vegetables-c3.htm).  Other ideas for sneaking in fruits include applesauce or fruit cocktail (preferably canned in water or juice).  Just remember that it has to be okay at room temperature for several hours.

So now you’re probably wondering what other healthy stuff you can throw in that lunch box.  Nuts are a great way to add protein and healthy fats to your kid’s diet.  Make sure to check with your school, though, to see if nuts are allowed.  Sometimes schools don’t allow peanuts because of allergy issues, but other nuts are usually okay.  Speaking of nuts, don’t forget that nut butters make super yummy sandwiches!  Try almond butter on oat bread or cashew butter on whole wheat.

Lastly, don’t forget that dairy can be a great addition to any healthy lunch, even if refrigeration isn’t an option.  Look for aseptically packaged milks, like those made by Organic Valley (http://www.organicvalley.coop/products/milk/shelf-stable-milks/) or Horizon Organic (http://www.horizondairy.com/products/milk-boxes/lowfat-plain-milk-box/).  They are shelf-stable, and thus good at room temp for hours!  In fact, here’s an easy (and healthy) lunch idea that most kids would die for: cereal and milk!  Just pack some whole grain cereal in a Tupperware bowl, and your kids can pour on the milk and enjoy!

Hopefully, these tips have given you some ideas for healthy lunches that your kids will love.  They will soon realize that healthy can and does equal yummy!

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Back to School & Back on Track

Monday, August 8th, 2011

by Kendra Dickey, Otterbein Exercise Physiology Intern

Thank goodness it’s August and the kids are headed back to school! As a working parent, you can now breathe a sigh of relief. No more daytime babysitters, swimming lessons and basketball camps!

As the hustle and bustle of summer finally dies down, now would be a great opportunity to focus on your overall health.

Did you know?  Chronic diseases affect more than one third of working-age Americans and raise healthcare costs. Addressing risk factors early can really make a difference.

For example, $5.6 billion in heart disease costs could be saved if one-tenth of Americans began a regular walking program.

Work site wellness programs are essential for making America a healthier nation.

I encourage you to take full advantage of any wellness programs available at your workplace.  Most employee wellness programs offer health screenings and nutrition education classes. Most are free to employees and often spouses are included as well.

If you purchase your lunch often, get in the habit of packing your lunch at least three days per week. People tend to consume less calories and save money when they pack their lunch. Include items such as light yogurt, cold-cut vegetables with hummus or dip, fresh fruit and whole grain bread. Keep snacks such as dried fruit or nuts in your desk drawer for those days when you need an extra boost. When making a quick stop at the vending machine, healthy options include baked chips, whole wheat crackers and nuts.  Choose water as your primary beverage.

Set aside time before or after work to utilize the fitness facilities at your workplace. Or you could start a walking club with other co-workers during your lunch break. You can even purchase a pedometer and track your steps with an ultimate goal of 10,000 steps per day. Use the stairs instead of the elevator and rack up some exercise points. People burn more calories while standing up than sitting down. A couple times throughout the work day, stand up from your desk and walk around. Your mind will appreciate the mental break and your body will appreciate the movement!

Remember, eating healthy and staying active is a choice that is totally up to you. Even as a busy, working parent, it is extremely important to make time for nutrition and exercise in your everyday life.  And if you make the choice to be healthy, your children are bound to follow in your footsteps.

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National Immunization Month

Monday, August 1st, 2011

Summer is winding down and soon we will be preparing our kids to head back to school. So this is a great time to remind family and friends to catch up on their vaccinations. August is National Immunization Awareness Month. Vaccinations are not just for babies and young kids. We need to promote immunizations to our friends, family and coworkers across a full life span. Vaccines safeguard children and adults from illnesses and death caused by infectious diseases.

There are many benefits to getting vaccinated. Before vaccines the only way to become immune to a disease was to get it and survive it. If we get vaccinated we train our immune systems to resist the disease. This is a win-win for families, employers and communities because it is much cheaper to prevent a disease than to treat it. According to National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, in a 2005 study on the economic impact of routine childhood immunization in the United States, researchers estimated that for every dollar spent, the vaccination program saved more than $5 in direct costs and approximately $11 in additional costs to society.

One of the most common immunizations we are all encouraged to get every year is the flu shot. Offering flu shots for your employees is one of the easiest ways to offer worksite wellness and will also have a positive impact on a company’s bottom line due to fewer absences from work. Everyone aged 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine according to the CDC. Vaccines not only protect ourselves but those around us by decreasing or even eliminating the chance state of being contagious.

Vaccines offer safe and effective protection against infectious diseases. We should all lead by example and stay up to date on recommended vaccines. We can all work together towards the common goal of preventing diseases. Take time to schedule yourself and your family to get the annual flu shot. You can spend time having fun instead of fighting the flu!

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