C I T Y
O F
G R A N D
P R A I R I E
W E L L N E S S
N E W S L E T T E R
Watch the “WOW Insurance Budget”
Video on Raving Fans
For the past several years, the City of Grand Prairie has hosted an annual
wellness program for employees, retirees, and spouses who participate in the
City’s health plan. The “Working on Wellness” program was originally designed
to encourage participants to lead healthier, active lifestyles. Due to the rise in
health insurance claims over the past two years, we cannot continue to take a
passive approach to improve choices and overall health. We must make changes
to the structure of our WOW program that allows for employees to be accountable for their own health and to improve their health for areas within their control (weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, etc.).
At this time, the City cannot commit to offering a discount for 2014.
As the budget season progresses, we will review the discount option.
We encourage you to implement changes for improved health, quality of life
and to reduce/improve any health risks. This will allow you to be more prepared
to meet any qualifying criteria developed should a discount become available in
the future.
Please take time to go to www.gptx.org/video/GP_Budget_Insurance_Info.
wmv to watch a brief video explaining this issue and to understand what you can
do to make a difference.
Naturally Slim Begins Feb. 18
Acceptance letters will be sent on Feb.
6, 2013. All letters for the program will be
emailed to the address you provided on the
application. Welcome packets will be mailed
to the address you provided in the application and will include information on program
details and completion. Please remember, the
program begins Feb. 18, 2013, and concludes
April 22, 2013.
★ F E B R U A R Y
2 0 1 3
Too Many Unhealthy
Recipes in Your
Cookbook?
We can
help! The
WOW Committee would
like your help
to create a
Healthy Recipe Cookbook to share
with all city employees. This doesn’t
have to be an original recipe just one
that makes your taste buds smile.
We’d love for you to include a picture
of your prepared masterpiece. Once all
recipes have been submitted, a copy of
the cookbook will be posted online on
the Raving Fans website!
Please submit your favorite
healthy breakfast, lunch or dinner
entrée recipe to your WOW committee member by Friday, Feb. 15. Don’t
know who your representative is?
Send your recipe to [email protected].
Thank you for participating!
Health Fair
Carve out some time to attend
the employee health fair on Tuesday, March 26, at the Ruthe Jackson
Center. Watch for more information
coming soon.
You will be responsible for the following:
• Commit time necessary each week (at least 1-2 hours, and possibly City Shred Day
more) to complete online courses and assignments.
• Complete 9 of 10 weekly ONLINE classes and assignments. These Mark your calendar for city shred
have a time restriction to complete each week. There will be absolutely day for Grand Prairie departments
NO exceptions.
only.
• Agree to the following: Failure on employee to complete ANY of the in-
Friday, March 8
dividual requirements of the program will result in automatic repayment Development Center Parking Lot
of $150 ($25/pay period automatic deductions from your paycheck until 206 W. Church St.
repaid)
For info call 972-237-8061.
WOW! Working on Wellness
Wellness
What Can I Do To Lower
My Risk For Heart Disease?
Your lifestyle choices have a direct impact on your health. Making some changes
can help keep your heart healthy.
• Don't use tobacco. Smoking is the single most preventable cause of death and disease in the United States. Quitting is the best thing you can do for your health. Lose some weight if you need to. • Losing as little as 10 or 20 pounds could make a big difference in your health.
• Eat a healthier diet. Choose whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and lean meats. Eat fewer processed foods, which often have a lot of fat and salt. Ask your doctor about the DASH diet.
• Get at least 30 minutes of moderately intense aerobic physical activity
a day. Being active can lower your blood pressure, cut your risk for diabetes, and help you control your weight. Check with your doctor before you increase your activity level.
If you already have a disease that raises your risk of heart problems, lifestyle
changes are still important, but they may not be enough. Work with your doctor
to get the best care.
• Take your medicine just as prescribed. It won't work if you skip doses or don't take it.
• Go to your follow-up visits. Tell your doctor if you have any new symp-
toms, side effects from your medicine, or changes in your health.
• Learn about your health. Know what your blood pressure is and what it should be. Know your blood sugar and cholesterol numbers. www.uhctools.com
Is Your Number Up?
Your clean bill of health may have a few smudges: Even if you’ve never
been diagnosed with high blood pressure, you could still be headed for a stroke.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin found that physicians failed to
diagnose hypertension in 67 percent of young adults during four years of office
visits. “Doctors tend to disregard high blood pressure readings in young people,
attributing them to the stress of being in the doctor’s office—the so-called
‘white coat syndrome,’” says John Elefteriades, M.D., a Men’s Health cardiology advisor. Take charge of your own readings by logging your numbers into an
app like Blood Pressure Diary ($3 iTunes). If your BP constantly tops 120 over
80, raise the alarm with your doctor.
MensHealth
Blow Your Nose the Right Way
No stranger to Kleenex? Betcha didn’t know there’s a good and bad way to
get rid of that mucus-y stuffiness. Turns out, honking both notrils at the same
time can create too much pressure in your nasal cavities and can push mucus
deeper into your sinuses, prolonging symptoms, says Woman’s Day. Instead,
blow slowly, one nostril at a time.
Reader’s Digest
WOW! Working on Wellness
Burn 200
Extra Calories
in 2.5 Minutes
If you want to get
more bang for your
exercise buck, swap
out your lengthy cardio
session for a shorter
interval workout. In a
recent Colorado State
University study, men
who pedaled stationary bikes all out
for just five 30-second segments,
interspersed with 4-minute stints of
cycling slowly, burned about 200 calories more throughout the rest of the
day than they ordinarily did. Prevention advisor Wayne Westcott, PhD,
thinks a similar effect will hold true
for women. What’s more, intervals
can also prevent cognitive decline,
boost your mood, and help your heart.
Try it: Run up a flight of stairs, walk
down, and repeat.
Prevention
Happier Meals
Is food an attitude adjuster?
A study by British and American
researchers found
that people who ate more than two
servings of fruits and vegetables daily
reported higher levels of happiness
than those who ate less. Another glad
tiding: The more produce you eat, the
more your mood can improve. People
who ate 7 to 8 servings of fruits and
vegetables per day were the happiest
of all. While the scientists caution
these findings may not demonstrate a
cause-and-effect link, they say more
research into how produce benefits the
brain could prove fruitful. For a berry
fix in winter, head for the frozen foods
aisle: Even when stored for up to 4
months, frozen berries have almost as
much antioxidants as fresh ones do,
according to a Romanian study.
MensHealth
Wellness
Wellness
Under Fire
Up to one in five people experience acid reflux every
week. But by separating fact from fiction when it comes to
heartburn, you can extinguish the flames for good.
Myth #1 - You should avoid spices.
Reality: “Seasonings won’t necessarily cause acid reflux,”
says Douglas Adler, M.D., an associate professor of medicine at the University of Utah. “The real culprits are usually
acidic foods like citrus and tomatoes, which are used in spicy
meals.” Other offenders are caffeine (don’t forget it’s in chocolate too) and peppermint.
Myth #2 - You’ll only feel a burning in your chest.
Reality: Difficulty swallowing, a cough and a hoarse voice are other signs of
acid reflux, says Vivek Kaul, M.D., an associate professor of medicine at the
University of Rochester Medical Center. If your throat feels funny after eating
acidic foods, try antacids, not cough drops.
Myth #3 - You don’t need to see a doctor.
Reality: Talk to your M.D. if you’re taking over-the-counter meds more than
twice a week or for more than two weeks in a row. Untreated, chronic heartburn
may damage your throat and eventually lead to esophageal cancer. An M.D. can
write you a prescription or suggest dietary tweaks.
Family Circle
To Boost Immunity, Get a Move On
If you needed another reason to stay active,
exercise is now receiving props for helping
thwart illnesses. According to Fitness magazine, the right type, length and intensity of
activity can help you fight the common cold or
flu.
“Moderate exercise helps boost immunity
byi ncreasing the movement of immune cells,” said David Nieman, a professor
of health and exercise science at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. But not all sweat sessions are created equal. Long, intense workouts can leave
you exhausted and compromise your immune system.
If you’re already sick? “Heavy exertion during an illness, particularly a
fever or flu, can worsen and prolong your symptoms…But a runny nose isn’t a
free pass to lounge in bed.” If you have a minor headache, minor cough, runny
or stuffy nose, sneezing or a mildly sore throat, you’re good to go. But more
severe symptoms such as migraine, chest congestion, wheezing, body aches and
fever are prohibitive. In any case, don’t push to the point of being exhausted.
The Dallas Morning News
Brain Reaction
Stuffed up? A two-year Taiwanese study finds that sinus infections may
raise your stroke risk. People diagnosed with an infection were 39 percent more
likely to experience a stroke than those with clear sinuses. Study author ChinWen Wy, M.D., says inflamed tissue may put pressure on brain arteries. Try a
saline nasal spray—it curbs swelling, say scientists at the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey. MensHealth
WOW! Working on Wellness
Your First
Step to Slim
Don’t be daunted by a New Year’s
resolution to lost weight. Small
changes are key: For example, a study
in the Journal of Physical Activity and
Health shows that a brisk daily walk
can jump-start weight loss. People
who walked for 30 minutes a day over
three weeks lost 1 ½ pounds—without
changing their diet. That’s because the
speedy stroll helped participants burn
an extra 114 calories a day on average,
the researchers say. Try a walk during
the second half of your lunch break.
MensHealth
Energy Drinks,
Busted
Are Red Bull claims
a bunch of bull? A new
study in the Journal of
Strength and Conditioning Research reports that
noncaffeine ingredients in
energy drinks don’t enhance your performance.
Cyclists who downed Red
Bull consumed as much oxygen and
felt just as tired as athletes who drank
a beverage that contained the same
amount of caffeine but lacked ingredients like taurine or B vitamins. What
that means: It’s caffeine alone that
elevates your game, says study author
Robert Pettitt, Ph.D. “If you’re looking for an energy boost during day-today workouts, anything with roughly
76 milligrams of caffeine will do,” he
says. A cup of regular brewed coffee
has 95 milligrams. MensHealth
75
Number of minutes of moderate
exercise you need
weekly to add
nearly two years
to your life.
MensHealth
Employee
of the
Quiz
Month
Beatriz Juarez
Beatriz Juarez has been named
Employee of the Month for February. Juarez is responsible for recruiting all city positions, entering, posting
and overseeing positions to be filled,
conducting background checks and
communicating with departments
in regard to vacancies. For the past
six months, she has helped keep city
recruitment efforts running smoothly
while the Human Resources was short
an employee and another employee
was out on leave. She worked on
training, implementation and development of the new applicant tracking
system, managed civil service testing
and all other recruiter duties. Fellow
employees commend her for always
being helpful, courteous and professional.
“During the busiest time of the
year, no one could have expected the
hiring process to have continued so
seamlessly,” said Ron Neely, Parks,
Arts and Recreation. “Processing took
no longer than normal, drug screenings and background checks came
back in time to start all new hires in a
timely manner. Being shorthanded (in
HR) was never a problem because Bea
did not allow it to be.”
According to her coworkers,
Juarez has worked late many days,
takes work home and comes in on the
weekends to ensure that all of her responsibilities are taken care of. She is
a team player and dedicated employee
who has gone above and beyond.
Message from the Manager
By now I hope you have seen the City Insurance Budget Video. If you have
not, please ask your supervisor to forward the link to you or allow you to see it
on a city computer.
In 2012, our insurance fund spent $4.5 million more than we brought in.
We had a huge spike in insurance costs. Because of the increased cost, we are
not sure that we will be able to offer the employee WOW incentive discount for
2014. We will know more as we work on the 2014 budget later this year.
I would rather put city money into raises than into healthcare. Please make
sure you are taking care of your health by keeping your weight down, watching
blood sugars and cholesterol. Working on wellness can save us money and keep
our insurance benefits on track. If you have questions about our budget or city
benefits, feel free to ask your supervisor or anyone in city management. Keeping employee pay and benefits great in the city of Grand Prairie is our priority. On another note, Mayor Charles England announced that he will retire in
May after 21 years as mayor of our city. Grand Prairie has grown exponentially
since he came into office and during his leadership, Lone Star Park, Verizon, and
the AirHogs came to the city. We acquired the Lake Parks at Joe Pool Lake, renovated the Uptown Theater, built a new Municipal Court, Police and Fire Training Center, Public Safety Building, new fire stations, Market Square, the Bowles
Life Center, The Summit and the list goes on. The election for a new mayor
will be on May 11. Please remember that we encourage each employee to vote
but the position you hold belongs to the citizens not you. You are therefore not
allowed use your office, position or uniform to campaign or endorse a candidate. Use discretion in voicing opinions on a candidate and or putting campaign signs
in your yard to avoid an appearance of misusing your position.
Thank you for all that you do to create Raving Fans and make this city a
wonderful place. You are appreciated.
Tom Hart, City Manager
Run Longer, Sleep Better
The more calories you burn while awake,
the sounder you may sleep. In a Dutch study,
people who torched 2,500 calories a day spent
more time in bed sleeping (not just lying awake)
than those who burned 1,500. If you sap your
energy stores during the day, you need to replenish them at rest, which is associated with better
sleep
efficiency, says researcher Dick Thijssen,
Wellness
Ph.D. Try evening exercise: The spike in body temperature may help initiate
sleep.
MensHealth
High-Grade Muscle
Collegiate men who regularly lift weights tend to earn higher grades. Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin discovered that college guys who
hit the weights at least three days a week had higher grade point averages than
those who didn’t. Why? “We’re not sure, but studies on children suggest that
strength training can increase brain function,” says lead study author Xiaofen
Deng Keating, Ph.D. MensHealth
WOW! Working on Wellness