LIVING HEALTHY Newsletter
February 2017 Volume 3, Issue 2
The new year is off and running and I’m sure we are all busy with the busy-ness of life. This issue of Living
Healthy contains more information about the importance of creating healthy habits and living a healthy lifestyle,
particularly as we manage our full and busy lives. As we continue to focus on stress and the importance of
physical activity, we hope you find this newsletter full of helpful information that will allow you to be an informed
consumer of your health and wellbeing.
Lynise Anderson
, N.D., C.N.C.
Brittany Coles
CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER!!
Our very own Dr. Lynise Anderson, Communications and Health Promotion Leader for the VPC—Benefits Consortium, was named one of the Top 50
Health Promotion Professionals in the country by The Wellness Council of America (WELCOA). The Top 50 were chosen from national nominees representing a variety of settings based on peer voting and the empirical review of submissions by a distinguished judging panel.
Reflecting on the award, Dr. Anderson shares, “It’s quite an honor to be recognized by WELCOA as one of the top in my field. It also speaks to the leadingedge work that I am supported in doing by The Consortium.”
Take a look at Lynise’s winning submission by clicking here. Want to congratulate Lynise yourself? Send her an email!
Keep up the great work Lynise and thanks for all you do for our schools!
Benefits of Muscle Strengthening
Heart Disease Risk Factors You Can Control
Maybe you’ve always been the skinny guy and can’t gain weight
to save your life. Maybe you’re a bigger guy and you’d rather have broad shoulders
than a broad waistline. Maybe you’re a female, and you’ve realized that lifting
weights with the right diet will give you that “toned” look that everybody is after. Maybe you just want to be stronger and faster. Sound familiar? Then working
on muscle strength is a great way to achieve your goals!
Heart disease affects more than 81 million Americans and is the No. 1 killer of both women and men.1 While you can’t control your family history, gender and age, you can control
and change these risk factors:
Muscular strength is not only appealing to the eye but also serves a lot of other functions.
 Your numbers. If you have high cholesterol and high blood pressure, you’re also at a
With strong, healthy muscles, you can be proud of your appearance and feel confident when accomplishing everyday tasks. In addition, when you perform resistance
exercises to build strength and endurance, you'll likely improve your overall health
and even help fend off some dangerous illnesses. Increasing muscle mass will also
help you maintain a normal weight and can help you avoid accidents that are more
likely with weak muscles.
Increased muscle strength will also benefit you in the following ways:
You’ll have more energy!!!
Targeted workouts can lead to the growth and increase of the
size of your muscles. This allows you have to have higher
energy levels and a long-lasting stamina. You’ll also have better sleep cycles and improved mental concentration too. With higher muscle mass
and greater muscular strength, you’ll be able to function for longer periods of time
without getting tired.
Your overall health will improve!!
Increased muscular strength and regular physical activity is required to maintain
overall health and well-being. It is also suggested that a variety of medical diseases
like cancer and cardiovascular issues can be prevented with physical activity and
resistance training exercise.
Continued on page 2
 Your weight. Try to squeeze in at least 30 minutes of exercise five times a week.
Plus, fill your plate with healthy choices to help lower your heart disease risk factors
and maintain a healthy weight.
higher risk for heart disease. You can help lower both by eating foods rich in whole
grains, fruits, veggies and low-fat dairy products. Talk to your health practitioner to see
what will work best for you.
 Smoking. If you smoke, kick the habit. Within one year of quitting smoking, your risk
for heart disease is reduced by half.2
Healthy hint: Dealing with a chronic condition like heart disease? As an Anthem Blue
Cross and Blue Shield member, you have access to the ConditionCare program. It will
provide you with the tools and expert guidance you need to help you live your best life —
at no extra cost. To learn more about the benefits of the ConditionCare program , watch
this video.
1 Centers for Disease Cont rol and Prevention website: Heart Disease Facts (accessed Decem ber 2016): cdc.gov/heartdi sease/
facts.htm.
2 American Cancer Society website: When smokers qui t — what are the benefits over time? (Accessed Decem ber 2016): cancer. org.
Stress: Where’s It Coming From??
The kids are screaming, the bills are due
and the pile of papers on your desk is growing at an alarming pace. It's undeniable —
life is full of stress. Understanding the types
and sources of stress — short term and long
term, internal and external — is
an important part of stress management. So what stresses you
out?
Stress is actually a normal part
of life. At times, it serves a useful purpose. Stress can motivate
you to get that promotion at
work, or run the last mile of a marathon. But
if you don't get a handle on your stress and it
becomes long-term, it can seriously interfere
with your job, family life, and health.
Causes of Stress
Everyone has different stress triggers. Work
stress and life stresses can both contribute
to your stress. Causes of work stress can
include having a heavy workload, working
long hours, or having to give speeches in
front of colleagues. Examples of life stresses
are: increase in financial obligations, moving
to a new home, or a chronic illness or injury.
Sometimes the stress comes from the inside, rather than outside. You can stress
yourself out simply by worrying about things.
Here are a few other lifestyle factors and
behaviors that can lead to stress:
Fear and uncertainty. When you hear
about the threat of terrorist attacks, global
warming, and toxic chemicals on the news, it
can cause you to feel stressed, especially
because you feel like you do not
have any control over those
events. Fears can also hit closer to
home; such as being worried that
you won’t finish a project at work or
won’t have enough time to get your
house cleaned for the holidays.
Attitudes and perceptions. How you view
the world or a particular situation can determine whether it causes stress. For example,
if your television breaks and you take the
attitude, “It’s okay, I added a warranty when
I purchased the television,” you will be far
less stressed than if you think, “My TV is
broken and I am never going to get a new
one.” Similarly, people who feel like they’re
doing a good job at work will be less
stressed out by a big upcoming project than
those who feel they are already behind with
their workload.
Unrealistic expectations. No one is perfect. If you expect to go everything right all
the time, you’re destined to feel stressed
when things don’t go as expected.
Change. Any major change can be stressful
- even a happy event like a wedding or a job
promotion. More unpleasant events, such as
a divorce, major financial setback, or death
in the family can be significant sources of
stress.
Your stress level will differ based on your
personality and how you respond to situations. Some people let everything roll off
their backs. To them, work stresses and life
stresses are just minor bumps in the road.
Others literally worry themselves
sick.
Is stress making you sick?
When you are in a stressful situation, your body launches a physical response. Your nervous
system springs into action, releasing hormones that prepare
you to either fight or take off. It's called the
"fight or flight" response, and it's why, when
you're in a stressful situation, you may notice
that your heartbeat speeds up, your breathing gets faster, your muscles tense, and you
start to sweat. This kind of stress is shortterm and temporary (acute stress), and your
body usually recovers quickly from it.
But if your stress system stays activated
over a long period of time (chronic stress), it
can lead to more serious health problems.
The constant rush of stress hormones can
put a lot of wear and tear on your body,
causing it to age more quickly and making it
more prone to illness.
Just breathe
If you are feeling stressed, try a few breathing exercises. An increased amount of
oxygen allows the heart rate to slow down
and produces a calming effect. Breathing
exercises can promote relaxation in three
ways:
Relaxation comes through the
tensing and relaxing of muscles. A deep inhalation tenses
the respiratory muscles and a
deep exhalation relaxes them.
Allowing for more oxygen to be
absorbed will improve body
function. This assists the
body’s response, repair, and recovery from
stress. Without oxygen, cells in vital organs
of the body would die in minutes
Taking time for breathing exercises gives
you the chance to pause and plan your
response to a stressful situation. A diversion
from stress prevents distress.
http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/
causes-of-stress#2
Benefits of Muscle Strengthening (continued)
Stand up and be noticed!
How important is correct posture for overall health? Although it may not get as much fanfare as eating right and exercising, a
straight spine is essential to lifelong wellness. Correct posture aligns everything in your body. Bones, muscles, ligaments and
tendons are all able to function optimally when you sit or stand up straight. Without routinely performing muscle strengthening
exercises to improve posture, most people start experiencing the negative effects of poor posture habits at an early age.
Lower Risk of Injury
Strength training has been a part of sports conditioning for many years. It is touted for its effects on speed, strength, agility and
muscle mass. Often overlooked though are its benefits for injury prevention.
You’ll Age Gracefully!!
Strong muscles also contribute to strong bones and joints. Individuals who continue to work-out to maintain muscular strength as
they age are more likely to age slower and have a lesser risk of developing fractures or osteoporosis
Prevention of Diseases
Strengthening your muscles may prolong the onset or decrease the progression of certain illnesses. Muscle strengthening exercises have been found to have positive effects in cases of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, non-insulin dependent
diabetes, back pain, obesity and osteoporosis.
The most obvious benefit of strong, healthy muscles it the ability to perform everyday tasks
on your own. With strength comes self-sufficiency, which contributes to a healthy lifestyle. With capable
muscles, you can open your own pickle jars, rearrange your furniture when the desire strikes and carry heavy
grocery bags from the car to your kitchen.
https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/the-beginners-guide-to-building-muscle-and-strength/
Check out the
Center for Disease Control
and Prevention videos
about physical activity
These videos will help explain
the guidelines for how much
muscle strengthening you
may want to include in your
exercise regimen. You’ll also
get tips on how to meet the
guidelines and how to do
muscle strengthening exercises properly.
Maple Cinnamon Trail Mix
Store-bought trail mix can be high in added sugar, but this trail mix contains only 6 grams of sugar
per serving, making it a great choice for breakfast. What’s more, it’s loaded with antioxidants and
heart-healthy unsaturated fats. Good morning!
INGREDIENTS
 1/2 cup raw almonds
 1/2 cup raw cashews
 1/2 cup raw, shelled pistachios
 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
 1 tablespoon maple syrup
 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
 Pinch of sea salt
 1/4 cup dried berries
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine almonds, cashews, pistachios and coconut flakes in a mixing bowl with maple syrup,
cinnamon, vanilla and sea salt. Toss to combine.
Spread nut mixture onto a baking sheet, and bake for about
10 –12 minutes, until nuts are fragrant and golden brown.
Remove from oven, and allow nuts to cool. Toss with dried
berries, and enjoy. Store leftover mix in a covered storage
container for up to a week.
WORKING THROUGH THE MAZE OF STRESS
The effects of chronic, sometimes unpredictable, stress can leave you feeling like you are in
a maze. Hopefully this one will be a source of fun and relaxation!
Deep breath in
Deep breath out
Information provided herein is for educational purposes only and should not be used to replace the care and information received from your healthcare
provider. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional with any health concerns you may have.
Healthy Behaviors for a Healthier Lifestyle
Daily habits like the foods you eat, the time you go to
sleep and how much activity you get throughout the
day have a significant influence on your health. Each
of these behaviors positively or negatively affects you
and dictates the overall state of your health.
You may not realize the way your everyday actions are
affecting your health. The first step to making healthy
lifestyle changes is identifying your current habits. Then,
you can take steps to replace poor habits with more
positive behaviors.
Developing a healthy lifestyle is about more than just
focusing on habits that address a specific health
problem. By devoting your time to healthy behaviors
every day, you can ensure that your whole body stays
as healthy as possible for as long as possible.
Here are several aspects of your lifestyle that might
be influencing your health:
 Nutrition habits: The foods we eat have a direct
influence on the health of our bodies. Instead of eating
to feel full, focus on eating to increase your energy
levels, benefit your digestive health and improve your
overall health.
 Hydration habits: To maintain good health you have
to drink plenty of water. A good target is ½ of your
body weight in ounces of water every day. How do
you achieve that? Make water your “go to” drink
throughout the day, saving soda or juice for a special
treat. And remember, if you are physically
active, you’ll likely need more water to
make up for what’s lost in sweat!
 Physical activity: Staying physically
active can help you maintain a healthy
weight and body composition, reducing
the risk of weight-related medical conditions. It can
also help you maintain the health of your muscles,
bones and joints with age.
 Stress management: Stress triggers a survival response that can help us in the short-term but become
damaging if it persists for a prolonged period. Learning how to control stress can help you retain your
A healthy lifestyle can affect multiple aspects of
your health, including:
 Your ability to maintain a healthier weight level
 The aging process, including how your mental and
physical health change with age
 Your risk of developing chronic disease
Developing healthier lifestyle habits can initiate
permanent change in your life. Depending on
your current wellness level, certain behaviors
can reverse the onset of disease, increase your
energy levels and improve your mood.
What does it take to live a healthy lifestyle?
Adopting a healthier lifestyle requires fundamental
change to several aspects of your life. This isn’t a
temporary shift. To become healthier, you’ll have to
commit to a collection of psychological, behavioral
and dietary changes.
mental and physical health.
 Sleeping habits: The amount of sleep you get every
night dictates your energy level, feelings of mental alertness and ability to maintain a healthy weight level. Try to
get between seven and nine
hours of sleep every night—
even on weekends!
 Daily supplements: Vitamins,
nutrients and herbs are big
supporters of health and wellness. Taking supplements and
managing your health through
detoxification and other treatment methods can encourage a healthier lifestyle.
Have a look at your current habits, and consider ways that
you can make changes in your life in respect to the areas
outlined above. It only takes three weeks to create a
healthy habit. By focusing on small behavior changes you
can make substantial change in your life and work towards
developing a healthier lifestyle.
Excerpted from http://www.wallerwellness.com/healthy-behaviors-for-ahealthier-lifestyle
To Learn More about how Anthem’s Disease
Management Program can help you create
a healthier lifestyle call 800-445-7922 to
speak to a specialist who can help you determine if this program is right for you!
Diabetes: Heredity vs. Lifestyle
Does diabetes run in your family? Some genes can certainly lead to disease, but for most people, a unhealthy
lifestyle often trumps inherited risk. While genetics can
play a role in the development of diabetes, leading health
organizations like the World Health Organization and the
American Diabetes Association acknowledge that Type 2
diabetes is disease of lifestyle. In many cases, what we
“inherit” are the lifestyle habits of our families that may not
support optimal health.
How Ya Livin’?
Being overweight or poor eating habits aren't the only
things that can lead to diabetes. You might be surprised to
learn that some everyday habits might be putting you at
risk for developing the disease.
You’re a Night Owl
If late night is your favorite time of day, you might be putting yourself at risk for diabetes. A recent study found that
people who stay up until the wee hours of the morning are
more likely to develop diabetes than those who hit the
sack earlier, even if they still get seven to eight hours of
sleep. Night owls tend to be exposed to higher levels of
artificial light from televisions and cell phones, a habit that
is linked to lower insulin sensitivity and poorer blood sugar
regulation, study author Nan Hee Kim, MD, said in a press
release. Staying up late is also linked with poor sleep
quality and sleep loss, which can disrupt your metabolism.
You microwave leftovers in plastic
Here's a good reason to purge your collection of takeout
containers: Reheating food in them might increase your
risk of developing diabetes. Researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City found that two
chemicals used in the manufacturing of plastic wrap and
plastic takeout containers were associated with an increased risk of diabetes in children and teens. The
chemicals were found to increase insulin resistance, a
precursor to diabetes, as well as elevated blood pressure.
Jewish Hospital. But if you must have a late snack,
don’t even buy tempting
chips, donuts, and other
“trigger” foods that will
derail weight loss, she
adds. Instead, have healthy
foods like carrots and hummus handy.
You Skip Breakfast
Forgoing your morning meal not only tends to backfire,
making you ravenous by late morning, but can also
create the perfect storm for type 2 diabetes," Ellen
Calogeras, a diabetes educator with the Cleveland Clinic
Diabetes Center told EverydayHealth.com. When you
deprive your body of food, insulin
levels are disrupted, making it harder
to control blood sugar.
You spend your weekends binge-watching TV
Midnight Munching
It's been hours since dinner, and you
find yourself back in the kitchen again. If you're indulging
in nighttime noshing on a regular basis, beware: This
eating pattern causes blood sugar spikes and disrupts
insulin secretion, a bad pattern if you want to prevent
type 2 diabetes, according to research in the British
Journal of Nutrition that looked at the effects of eating
patterns on night workers. By having three balanced
meals every day, you help stifle the urge to indulge at
night and provide better control of your blood sugar, says
Barb Klingler, RN, BSN, CDE, diabetes educator at the
Washington University Diabetes Center at Barnes-
You might want to rethink your Sunday Netflix fix. A
University of Pittsburgh study found that every hour
spent sitting in front of the TV increases your risk of
developing diabetes by nearly 4 percent. "Too much
sitting can lead to storage of visceral fat, which increases your waist circumference," Eric Sternlicht,
PhD, a professor of kinesiology at Chapman University, told the site. Extra belly weight significantly increases your risk of developing diabetes by reducing
your body's insulin sensitivity.
Small change can lead to huge rewards.
Healthy lifestyle choices can help you stave off type 2
diabetes. Even people at high risk can cut that risk in
half through better lifestyle choices like healthier eating, getting more activity and losing weight. If you’ve
been told that you have pre-diabetes, these lifestyle
changes can slow or halt the progression of diabetes.
The same changes can also lower the chances of
developing heart disease and some cancers, so they
have total wellness
Continued on page 6
Every Body’s Not the Same!
You've probably heard the term BMI (body mass index). It's based on your height and weight, and it's widely used to determine if you're in a healthy weight range. But as it turns
out, BMI may not be the best way to size up your shape.
One Size Does Not Fit All!
Imagine a man who is 5-foot-9 and weighs 260 pounds. At that height and weight, the man would have a BMI greater than 40, placing him in the third and most severe tier of obesity. What the BMI doesn't tell you is that this man could be a professional bodybuilder on stage at the Olympia. He has low body fat and has a lean mass percentage bigger than
you or I could even imagine – but he’s definitely not obese!
Because BMI is a simple calculation only taking into account a person’s height and weight, and NOT their body composition, it is not always an accurate indication of a person’s
health status.
Although BMI is useful as a quick screening tool by a doctor or nurse, it's not enough to look only at BMI as an indicator of health. The “BMI error” doesn't occur only in professional bodybuilders . Well-muscled people are often given higher BMIs and the subsequent "medical" diagnosis of being overweight or obese.
BMI's Drawbacks
While BMI is traditionally defined as a measure of body fat
based on your height and weight, it actually doesn't reveal
anything about the makeup of your body, such as how much
muscle vs. fat you have. That's why conclusions based only
on this number can be misleading, especially when it comes
to the following:
How much does body
composition matter? A lot!
150lb doesn’t look the
same on everyone.
How muscular you are: Some people have high BMIs but
don't have much body fat. Their muscle tissue pushes up
their weight. An example: A football player or a body builder
who is very muscular. Their BMI shows up pretty high, and
yet their body fat is actually pretty low.
Your activity level: Someone who is very inactive may have
a BMI in the normal range and have lots of body fat, though
they may not look out of shape.
Your body type: Are you an apple shape or a pear shape? The location of your fat is a greater indicator of your health status and potential health risks than your BMI. Generally, it's
the belly fat, or the "apple" shape, that is associated with a higher health risk. Being overweight raises your risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Fat that builds up on
the hips and thighs, or the "pear" shape, isn't as potentially harmful1.
Beyond BMI
So what other indicators can you use besides BMI for a more accurate reading of your health status?
Scientists have long debated which measure of abdominal fat is the best predictor of health risk: Waist size alone or waist-to-hip ratio. The research to date has been mixed. But
adding up the evidence from multiple studies suggests that both methods do an equally good job of predicting health risks. In 2007, for example, a combined analysis of fifteen
prospective cohort studies found that waist-to-hip ratio and waist circumference were both associated with CVD (cardio vascular disease) risk and were no different from each other
in predicting CVD risk2. Other researchers have found that waist, waist-to-hip ratio, and BMI are similarly strong predictors of type 2 diabetes 3,4. The Nurses Health Study also
found that waist and waist-to-hip ratio are equally effective at predicting who was at risk of death from heart disease, cancer, or any cause5.
Remember -- when it comes to health, every little bit counts, and even a modest weight loss of 5 to 10 percent of your body weight significantly lowers your obesity-related disease
risk. If you're not sure where to begin, consult nutrition and fitness professionals for help with your diet and exercise regimens. Body composition is an integral component of total
health and physical fitness. So start thinking leanness, not thinness, to enhance your lifetime physical and overall well-being .
Based on BMI alone, both of
these men are obese!
1. http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/weight-loss/
2. de Koning L, Merchant AT, Pogue J, Anand SS. Waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio as predictors of cardiovascular events: meta-regression analysis of prospective studies. Eur.Heart J. 2007;28:850-6.
3. Vazquez G, Duval S, Jacobs DR, Jr., Silventoinen K. Comparison of body mass index, waist circumference, and
waist/hip ratio in predicting incident diabetes: a meta-analysis. Epidemiol.Rev. 2007;29:115-28.
4. Qiao Q, Nyamdorj R. Is the association of type II diabetes with waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio stronger than
that with body mass index? Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009.
5. Zhang C, Rexrode KM, van Dam RM, Li TY, Hu FB. Abdominal obesity and the risk of all-cause, cardiovascular, and
cancer mortality: sixteen years of follow-up in US women. Circulation. 2008;117:1658-67. http://www.diabetes.org/areyou-at-risk/lower-your-risk/overweight.html
Diabetes: Heredity vs. Lifestyle continued
benefits, too.
Control Your Weight.
Excess weight is the single most important cause of type 2 diabetes. Being overweight increases your chances of developing type 2 diabetes seven times, and being obese increases it by up to 40 times more than people at a healthy weight. Losing just 7 to 10 percent of your current weight can cut your chances of developing type 2 diabetes in half.
Eat Healthier Foods.
Diet isn’t only about less calories, it’s also about eating the foods that offer the best nutrition. In general, you want to choose foods that are lower in fat and calories and higher in
fiber by focusing on fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Research into diabetes prevention found that these four key diet changes had a significant effect on lowering diabetes risk:
 Replacing refined carbs with whole grains
 Replacing sugary drinks with water
 Eating healthy fats
 Eating healthy proteins
Increase Your Activity Level.
A sedentary lifestyle is another serious risk factor for diabetes, whereas working your muscles (exercising) boosts their ability to use insulin and absorb glucose. Aim for 30 minutes
of moderate physical activity like brisk walking, every day. If you can’t fit in one long workout, do three 10-minute sessions throughout the day, like before each meal (this may help
reduce your appetite, too). You can also try limiting TV viewing time and, when you do watch, march in place or do weight-resistance exercise during the commercials.
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/diabetes-prevention/preventing-diabetes-full-story/#bottom_line
http://www.everydayhealth.com/type-2-diabetes/bad-habits-that-raise-your-diabetes-risk/#10
What’s on Your Mind?
Have an idea for an article or a question about a health topic? Are you enjoying the newsletter?
Click here to send me an email
I want to hear from you!
Do something now that will make the person you
will be tomorrow proud of the person you are today.
Chicken with Cherry wine pan sauce
No reservations are required for this tasty meals. Whether you’re planning a romantic Valentine’s Day meal or
a casual dinner at home for two, this recipe is fit for the occasion.
INGREDIENTS










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4 chicken breasts (about 1-1/2lbs)
extra virgin olive oil, for brushing
salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons butter, divided
1 shallot, chopped
1 cup red wine like Cabernet
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
12oz fresh or frozen pitted sweet cherries (if frozen, do not thaw)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
juice of 1/2 lemon
DIRECTIONS

Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness then brush both sides with extra virgin olive
oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat
(6/10) then add chicken and saute until no longer pink, 3-4 minutes a side. Remove to a
plate then tent with foil to keep warm.

Melt 1 Tablespoon butter in same skillet then add shallots and saute until tender, 2
minutes. Add wine, chicken broth, balsamic vinegar, and fresh cherries, if using, then
simmer until sauce is reduced by nearly half, 3-4 minutes. If using frozen cherries, add
now with thyme then continue to reduce sauce until slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes,
pressing down on cherries gently with the back of a wooden spoon.

Remove skillet from heat then stir in remaining Tablespoon butter and lemon juice. Spoon
over chicken breasts then serve.