W E L C O A ’ s O n l i n e B u lle t i n F o r Y o u r L I F E ST Y L E
‘Tis the Season
Winter is the Season to Make Certain That You Are Eating
the Recommended Amount of Fruits and Vegetables
O
nly one in five Americans eats the recommended five servings of fruits and
vegetables each day. And it can be even more difficult during the winter months
to meet that goal. But, what would you think if someone told you that consuming the
daily-recommended number of fruits and vegetables could dramatically reduce your risk
for serious diseases like heart disease or cancer? You may just be surprised by the amazing
preventive power of fruits and vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables are packed with a number of nutrients central to living a long and
healthy life. And because of these nutrients, fruits and vegetables are central to improving
health, preventing disease, and possibly even delaying the effects of aging. Listed here are
eight of the hundreds of ways fruits and vegetables are important to your health.
There are numerous studies confirming the health benefits of consuming fruits and
vegetables on a regular basis. These studies have shown that…
➤ Individuals who consume four to six servings of fruit and vegetables a day have a 4060 percent lower risk of throat cancer compared to those who consume only 1-2 servings
of fruits and vegetables daily.
➤ Diets incorporating fruits and vegetables are an important first line of defense against
high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and stroke.
➤ Men and women consuming nine to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day had a
20 percent lower risk of coronary artery disease compared with those consuming only
two to three servings per day.
➤ Consuming fruits and vegetables may be a useful strategy for weight loss.
1
Fresh, canned, frozen, and dried fruits
and vegetables are a healthy substitute
for snack foods that are high in fat, calories,
and salt.
2
Eating fruits and veggies reduces the risk
for a number of serious cancers including
lung cancer, ovarian cancer, esophageal
cancer, and stomach and bladder cancer.
3
4
Eating fruits and vegetables helps
prevent heart disease, high blood
pressure, and stroke.
Wellness Councils of America
9802 Nicholas Street, Ste. 315 | Omaha, NE 68114
Phone: 402.827.3590 | Fax: 402.827.3594
www.welcoa.org
Fruits and vegetables may help prevent
lung diseases and actually help improve
lung functioning.
5
6
7
8
Fruits and vegetables protect against
diabetes.
The fiber and low caloric density of
fruits and vegetables may help prevent
obesity.
The folic acid found in many fruits is
known to help prevent birth defects like
Spina Bifida.
Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of
protective nutrients such as vitamin C
and Folic Acid.
Sources: Produce for Better Health Foundation and
Minnesota Department of Health
W E L C O A ’ s O n l i n e B u lle t i n F o r Y o u r L I F E ST Y L E
The Benefits of
Brown-Bagging
B
ringing a brown-bag lunch to work may not seem like the most
exciting thing to do. Just the term “brown bag” can sound a little
boring. But when you consider the benefits brown-bagging brings, the
prospect of packing your own lunch quickly becomes more appetizing.
Check out these benefits of brown-bagging and get to packin’.
Benefit #1: Brown-Bagging Is Healthier
Have you ever wondered what’s actually in a typical fast food burger and
fries? The answer is a lot—a lot of calories, and tons of fat. Consider this. A
double Whopper with cheese, king size fry and king size coke at Burger King
rings in at almost 2,100 calories and 100 grams of fat. That’s all your calories
and more than your share of fat for the day in just one meal! Conversely, a
home-packed turkey sandwich on wheat bread with baked potato chips and
a diet soda totals about 500 calories and about six grams of fat. Anyway you
slice it, packing a moderately healthy lunch from home will almost always
beat the fast food competition hands down when it comes to nutrition.
Benefit #2:Brown-Bag And Get More Done
When you consider travel time—and the time it takes to get your food once
you get seated—going out to lunch each day can take too much time. By
packing your lunch and eating at your desk or an outside spot close to your
office, you’ll have more time to be able to catch up on email, return voice mail
messages, and sew up all the loose ends that accumulate during the week.
Don’t feel like working through lunch? Take some time for yourself by reading
a book, surfing the day’s headlines, or just daydreaming at your desk. Plain
and simple, if you’re not rushing to make it to a restaurant during your lunch
hour, you’ll have much more time to concentrate on more important things.
Eating Lunch On The Run
Mid-day meals are a pricey proposition for the
quarter of our population who eats out for lunch
everyday during the workweek. And not only is
eating out hard on the wallet, it’s hard on our health
as well. By brown-bagging your weekday lunches,
you can save yourself hundreds of calories and
hundreds of dollars in a single year.
To a lot of people, brown-bagging sounds like too
much work for a run-of-the-mill-meal. But believe it
nor not, it’s not that much work. And, because you
have more control over the menu, brown-bagging
allows you to kick your mid-day meal up a notch.
¸
Almost 60 percent of individuals consume
a commercially prepared lunch at least once
a week. Close to one-quarter consume a
commercially prepared lunch five or more
times per week.
¸
The typical person (age 8 and older)
consumes an average of 4.2 meals prepared
away from home per week, or 218 meals
per year.
¸
Dinner is the meal most likely to be
privately prepared and the meal least likely
to be skipped.
¸
Males age 55 to 64 and females age 45 to
54 skip lunch the most often, skipping
almost one lunch per week. Individuals
under age 13 are least likely to skip lunch.
¸
Businessmen and women represent an
important customer group for fast food
restaurants, as well as teenagers and
senior citizens. More than eight out of 10
operators reported that businessmen and
women are important to their business.
Benefit #3: Save Big Bucks
Here’s a news flash: eating out is expensive!
Have you ever really considered how
much you spend on eating out for lunch?
The calculation is pretty simple. Take
an average meal price of seven dollars and
multiply it by 20 (the approximate number
of working days in a month). That’s $140 a
month, and almost $1,700 per year. That’s
enough money to buy two round-trip
plane tickets to Europe or lease a brand
new economy car. When you sit back
and consider, that’s a lot of money to
save just by packing a lunch for work.
Source: National Restaurant Association
Wellness Councils of America
9802 Nicholas Street, Ste. 315 | Omaha, NE 68114
Phone: 402.827.3590 | Fax: 402.827.3594
www.welcoa.org
Q&A With Dr. Donnica:
Snow Shoveling
Bad for the Heart?
Q:
My husband often tries
to get out of shoveling the
snow by claiming that it’s not
good for his heart. Is this true?
A:
Your husband may be
correct, depending upon
his health history. There are
more fatal heart attacks among
snow shovelers after heavy
snowfalls. This may
be due to the sudden
demand shoveling places
on a previously sedentary
person’s heart. Shoveling
can be more stressful in
colder weather, making it
harder to work and breathe.
Snow shoveling may also
increase heart rate and
blood pressure.
The good news: 15
minutes of snow shoveling
counts as moderate physical
exercise. To get in shape,
your husband may need
to shovel—or
do other
exercise—more
frequently,
rather than
less, IF he is
in relatively
good health.
Wellness Councils of America
9802 Nicholas Street, Ste. 315 | Omaha, NE 68114
Phone: 402.827.3590 | Fax: 402.827.3594
www.welcoa.org
WELCOA’s Online Bulletin For Your Family’s Safety
Heart Healthy Holidays
By Donnica L. Moore, MD
T
his holiday season, give yourself—and your loved ones—the gift of cardiac
risk reduction. Heart disease is the number one cause of death of American
men and women: someone dies of a heart attack every 20 seconds. While some of the
major risk factors for heart attack aren’t changeable (age, family history, and race),
several are. According to the American Heart Association, half of all heart attacks are
linked to known risk factors that could be eliminated. Unfortunately, most Americans
haven’t done it yet. Here is what you can do to reduce your heart attack risk:
1. Stop smoking! Among women, smoking triples the risk of heart attack. Even
women who smoke only five cigarettes per day have a doubled risk of heart attack
compared to nonsmokers! Cigarette smoking also lowers the age for initial heart
attack. Good news: former smokers may approach the coronary risk level of a
nonsmoker within 3-5 years of quitting.
2. Lower cholesterol, especially LDL and triglycerides. Aim to get
your “good cholesterol” (HDL) higher and reduce your triglycerides and “bad
cholesterol” (LDL) as much as possible.
3. Control your blood pressure
4. Exercise. Regular aerobic exercise can reduce your risk of heart attack by 40%!
Physical inactivity is associated with a doubled risk for cardiovascular events.
5. Control blood sugar. Diabetes is a major risk factor for heart disease. The
build-up of blood sugar can damage the walls of blood vessels. Having diabetes
also greatly increases the risk of a “silent” heart attack.
6. Achieve—and maintain—a healthy
weight. The more overweight you are,
the more demand you put on your heart.
In addition, obesity increases the risks of
developing or worsening high blood pressure,
diabetes, and cholesterol problems. Reduce
stress. Stress and repressed anger have been
shown to increase blood pressure and heart
rate, which can trigger a heart attack.
7. Consider an aspirin a day. Ask your
doctor if you are a candidate to take a baby
aspirin daily, which could cut your risk of a
heart attack significantly. Best candidates are
men over 40, women over 50, with one or more
cardiac risk factors.
WELCOA’s Online Bulletin For Your Family’s Safety
Are You Laying A
Foundation For
Longevity?
By David Gobble, PhD
Y
ou know that you need to control your weight, stay active, and see
your doctor regularly to increase your chances of living a long life.
There are other more specific things you need to know and do to increase
your chance for living a long, vital life. Your lifespan is affected by your
genetics—did you choose your parents well? And, how you live every day
creates the unique physical, mental and emotional self which ages, either
quickly or slowly. This combination of genetics and lifestyle lays your
foundation for whatever life you experience. You can’t do much about
genetics, but lifestyle is your choice.
The Major Patterns Supporting A Long Life
Consistency of health-promoting behavior is an overriding principle for long
life. Each day can be lived in a way that builds a sound mind and body.
For example, starting each day with a balanced breakfast is one example
of consistent behavior for health. Based upon a 40 year plus ongoing study
of health (Alameda County, CA), seven specific things seemed to be very
important for long life. These are:
Reaching And Extending
The Golden Years
Do the following things almost daily:
Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep. It’s like having
a saving account; your body rests up for
stressful times.
Eat a wide variety of foods, minimizing
pre-prepared and fast foods. Fats and
fructose (corn sugar) both are bad for your
blood fats.
Reduce your caloric consumption by
about 100 calories per day (one can of
regular soda) and lose weight (shoot for
your high school ideal weight).
Exercise every day by walking 3–4 miles
(10,000 steps). You should also stretch
and do some resistance training regularly.
Stop smoking or don’t start. Get help if
needed to quit, and this will add years to
your life.
Drink only one alcohol drink per day
(one ounce of alcohol) or don’t drink at all.
Make and keep friends, and volunteer to
serve others as often as possible.
1. Seven to eight hours of sleep per night
2. Eating a balanced diet
3. Maintaining a normal weight
4. Exercising regularly
5. Not smoking
6. Alcohol in moderation or not at all
7. Staying connected to friends and serving others.
If you aren’t doing these things daily, you need to change,
or you will most likely shorten your lifespan.
Wellness Councils of America
9802 Nicholas Street, Ste. 315 | Omaha, NE 68114
Phone: 402.827.3590 | Fax: 402.827.3594
www.welcoa.org
W E L C O A ’ s
O n l i n e
F IN A N C I A L
B u lle t i n
When Stocks Fall,
Look To Bonds
Bonds are an important element to building a
solid and diversified investment portfolio. The
relative stability of bonds can be a welcome
relief when stock prices move downward.
But, like stocks, bond prices go up and down
in value. Here are three primary factors that
impact bond investments:
Don’t Get Hooked By Internet “Phishing” Scams
By Jeff Rubleski, MBA
C
yber-scams are increasing as Internet scammers use creative
email messages and fraudulent websites to lure consumers
into disclosing their sensitive personal information, including
credit card numbers, bank information, passwords, etc. By hijacking
the trusted brands of well-known banks, online retailers and credit
card companies, phishers are able to convince up to five percent
of recipients to respond to them. As a result of these scams, an
increasing number of consumers are suffering credit card fraud,
identity theft, and financial loss.
These scams, referred to as “phishing”, can be very sophisticated.
Here are a few ways to avoid having your sensitive personal
information “phished” away from you:
• Don’t respond to emails requesting confirmation of anything
that includes your personal information or account numbers.
• Be careful emailing personal and financial information through
a website. Make sure you know the vendor, and for added
security look for the “lock” icon on the browser’s status bar to
ensure that your information is secure during transmission.
• Immediately review bank and credit card statements when
received to determine whether there are unauthorized charges.
Report suspicious activity to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
You can send the suspicious email directly to the FTC at [email protected].
For more information on fighting this type of fraud, visit
www.ftc.gov/spam or www.antiphishing.org.
Source: Federal Trade Commission and the Anti-Phishing Working Group
1. Interest rates change.
Bond prices have an inverse relationship
to interest rates. Rising interest rates result
in lower bond prices, while lower rates
increase bond prices.
2. The bond’s credit risk changes.
Bonds are issued primarily by companies,
governments and governmental agencies.
If the credit rating of an organization is
changed by a bond credit rating agency
(such as Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s),
the bond value can increase or decrease.
3. The bond gets “called.”
Most bonds have provisions that allow the
issuing organization to call or “buy back”
the bond at a future date at a specified
price. If interest rates fall, the issuing
organization might buy back the bond
before it matures, resulting in the need to
find another investment, often at a lower
interest rate.
Wellness Councils of America
9802 Nicholas Street, Ste. 315 | Omaha, NE 68114
Phone: 402.827.3590 | Fax: 402.827.3594
www.welcoa.org
W E L C O A’ s
O n l i n e
F IN A N C I A L
B u lle t i n
Are You Better Off
This Year...Than Last Year?
By Jeff Rubleski, MBA
O
ne way to find out if you’ve made financial progress during
the year is to examine your financial net worth and review
your total debts. I look at my net worth progress each year in
early January. I record the results of each year’s net worth
review on a sheet of paper. This allows me to compare
my current year’s progress to previous years. Here’s
how you can review your net worth.
Review Overall Debt
First I list and review my overall debt. Did I
reduce my debt during the year? Or, if my debt
increased, I review why this occurred. I then set
goals for where I’d like my total debt to be one
year later when I re-examine my finances.
Evaluate What You Own
Second, I record the value of what I own. These
are my personal assets. I include only those
assets that have some type of market value,
such as the value of my home, automobiles,
investments, savings, and retirement plans.
From the total value of my assets, I then
subtract all debts that I owe. The difference
between the market value of my personal assets
and my debts represents my financial net worth.
In the last three years my investments in the
stock market have lost value. This has resulted
in a slowing of my overall net worth gains.
But on the positive side, my debts have been
reduced during the last few years, resulting in a
lower overall personal debt load.
By taking these steps at least annually,
you’ll be in a position to measure
your progress in reducing debt and
increasing your financial net worth.
Wellness Councils of America
9802 Nicholas Street, Ste. 315 | Omaha, NE 68114
Phone: 402.827.3590 | Fax: 402.827.3594
www.welcoa.org
AS SEEN ON TV!
The Best Piece Of
Exercise Equipment
Few, if any, infomercial exercise
machines live up to all their hype.
The more expensive ones— Bowflex,
CrossBow, Total Gym, and
TreadClimber—come closest. The
cheaper ones generally are not very
effective. And even those cost a lot
for what they do.
This year Consumer Reports rated
exercise equipment as seen on TV
infomercials. The verdict is in, just
in time for the holidays.
Best machines to improve aerobic
conditioning: Treadmills or
Elliptical machine.
Best buy—Treadclimber.
Best machines to strengthen
muscles all over: Multi-station
weight stack units.
Best buy—Bowflex.
Best machines to strengthen
abdominal muscles: None worth
the money.
Best buy—lying on the floor and
doing crunches!
Best machines to strengthen bun
and thighs: None worth the money.
Best buy—Doing squats and
lunges.
The best machines are also the most
pricey—but remember, you get what
you pay for.
Source: Consumer Reports, January, 2004.
Wellness Councils of America
9802 Nicholas Street, Ste. 315 | Omaha, NE 68114
Phone: 402.827.3590 | Fax: 402.827.3594
www.welcoa.org
W E L C O A ’ s O n l i n e G E N E R A L W E L L N E SS B U L L E T IN
Helpful Hints For The
HOME GYM
By Mike Perko, PhD
I
f you’re considering buying fitness equipment for home workouts, remember this
piece of advice: “If it looks too good to be true, don’t reach for that credit card!”
The Federal Trade Commission advises all workout “wannabes” to exercise
good judgment when evaluating advertising claims for fitness products. Before you
buy, the FTC wants you to:
Look for equipment that offers a total workout. The best route to overall
fitness is one that incorporates a variety of physical activities as part of a daily routine.
Remember that no exercise device can burn fat off a particular
part of your body. To turn a “beer belly” into a “six-pack stomach,” you must
combine sensible eating with exercise that works the whole body. Why? Everything
you eat has calories and everything you do uses calories. More calories out...fewer
calories in = weight loss.
Be skeptical of outrageous claims. Ads that promise “easy” or “effortless”
results are false. And many ads that make big claims about the number of calories
you’ll burn also may be deceptive.
Think twice about dramatic testimonials or before-and-after pictures
from satisfied customers. These may not be typical. Celebrity endorsements
don’t necessarily mean the equipment is right for you, either.
Get the total cost of the product before you
buy. Total cost includes sales tax, shipping and handling,
delivery, and set-up fees. Get the details on warranties,
guarantees, and return policies. Check
out the company’s customer
service and support, too, in
case you need replacement
parts.
Source: Federal Trade
Commission
W E L C O A ’ s O n l i n e G E N E R A L W E L L N E SS B U L L E T IN
Coming To Terms With...
Exercise
W
hen you begin exercising you’ll hear all kinds of talk about intensity
level—light intensity, moderate intensity, and vigorous exercise. What does
it all mean? Below you’ll find examples of activities and how they rank.
Light-Intensity Activities
Moderate-Intensity Activities
•
•
•
•
• Walking briskly
• Golf—pulling or carrying clubs
• Mowing the lawn with a power motor
• Bicycling on level terrain, or with a few hills
Walking slowly
Golf in a powered cart
Gardening or pruning
Dusting or vacuuming
Vigorous-Intensity Activities
•
•
•
•
Racewalking, jogging, or running
Mowing the lawn with a hand mower
Moving or pushing furniture
Bicycling more than 10 mph, or on steep
uphill terrain
Here’s the key. You don’t have to be a marathon runner to
get health benefits from physical activity—in fact, you
should begin exercising slowly and build your endurance.
The Surgeon General recommends that you engage in
moderate level physical activity for 30 minutes on most
days of the week, but some benefit can be derived from
doing low intensity activities, too—you’ll just
have to do them for longer periods of time.
If you’re doing low intensity activities, you’ll
need to do them for about an hour to get health
benefits. Moderate level activities, about a half hour,
and if you’re engaged in vigorous activity, you’ll only need
to keep it up for about 20 minutes. Also, it’s recommended
that you check with your healthcare provider before
beginning or increasing physical activity.
Working Out Is Right
For You
Exercising is one of the most important
steps you can take to leading a long and
healthy life. Regular physical activity has
been shown to reduce your risk for heart
disease, help you control your weight,
lower your cholesterol levels, improve
your blood pressure, reduce stress and
increase energy. But you have to exercise
the right way to obtain these benefits.
The Surgeon General recommends that
adults engage in “moderateintensity”
physical activity for at least 30 minutes
on five or more days of the week. For
many people, the thought of exercising
conjures up all sorts of negative ideas
and images. But exercising doesn’t have
to be such a painful experience. Even
small improvements in your physical
activity will make a difference. Everyone
can benefit from physical activity,
regardless of age or fitness level. If
you’re getting ready to begin an exercise
regimen, keep the following tips in mind
to help you maximize your workout.
• Talk to your healthcare provider. If
it’s been a long time since you last got
any physical activity, be sure to talk
with your doctor about the best way
to begin your exercise program.
• Choose activities that are right for
you. Choosing an activity you like
will help you stick with it.
• Be comfortable. Make sure your
clothing and shoes encourage exercise,
not hinder it.
• Find a friend. Having someone to
exercise with is more fun than going
it alone. It also increases the chances
that you’ll exercise more.
• Don’t overdo it. If it’s been a while,
start with lighter intensity activities
and build from there.
Wellness Councils of America
9802 Nicholas Street, Ste. 315 | Omaha, NE 68114
Phone: 402.827.3590 | Fax: 402.827.3594
www.welcoa.org