A Newsletter From Your EAP and WorkLife Service
The Impact of Alcohol
Why is it that two people can drink the same amount of alcohol and one will seem fine
while the other will appear “buzzed”? Many factors impact how alcohol affects a person.
Here are some of the most common:
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Body weight. A larger person has more capacity to absorb alcohol due to increased
blood volume.
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Gender. Women tend to have higher blood alcohol levels than men after drinking the
same amount due to differences in body size and chemistry.
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Age. Older people have greater difficulty metabolizing alcohol because they typically
have a greater fat to muscle ratio than younger people of similar size or weight.
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Speed. A typical adult is capable of metabolizing one alcoholic beverage (12 oz. of
beer, 5 oz. of wine, or 1.5 oz. of hard liquor) per hour. If you have more than one
drink an hour, you will feel the alcohol’s effects more strongly.
•
Drink composition. The higher the percentage of alcohol, the faster you will feel its
effects. Check the label to determine the percentage of alcohol in a drink or ask the
bartender how many shots are in a mixed drink.
•
Food. If you eat prior to or while drinking, it will slow down the alcohol absorption
rate and dilute its effects.
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Medications. Medications may impact your body’s ability to absorb alcohol. Check
with your doctor before drinking when you are taking a prescribed or over-thecounter medication.
While many people can use alcohol on an occasional basis without concern, others may
find that they are drinking with more frequency or to deal with problems. When thinking
about your use of alcohol (or any other drug), it is important to consider these questions:
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Have you ever called in sick because of alcohol/drug use?
Are you more likely to attend a social gathering if alcohol or drugs will be available?
Have you ever had legal difficulties due to alcohol/drugs?
When sober, do you regret your behavior while under the influence?
Once you start using alcohol or drugs, do you find it difficult to stop?
Do you have difficulty remembering your actions while under the influence?
Answering yes to one or more of these questions may indicate a problem with alcohol or
another drug. Call LifeMatters for confidential assistance.
Source: Krames Staywell
Creating a Balanced Fitness Program
A balanced fitness program is one that works your entire body. While a single activity
(such as running) may help keep your weight down, it works a limited set of muscles.
A good way to make sure you are maintaining a balanced fitness program is to vary your
exercise routine. There are three primary areas that should be addressed:
•
Endurance exercises (aka “aerobic” or “cardio” exercises) boost your heart rate and
breathing over a period of time and benefit the heart, lungs, and circulation. Studies
suggest that regular endurance workouts may prevent or delay some diseases,
including heart disease or diabetes. Examples include:
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Strength training helps maintain muscle mass and bone strength. Some examples
are:
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Walking
Running
Biking
Cross-country skiing
Swimming
Dancing
Aerobic exercise routines
Stair climbing
Any other activity done without stopping for a period of time
Weight training
Resistance training
Body weight exercises, such as push-ups or pull-ups
Stretching increases the range of motion in a joint and helps to maintain flexibility
and prevent injury. Some forms of stretching may also improve balance, which is key
to avoiding debilitating falls as people get older. Examples include: -
Yoga
Tai chi
Pilates
When planning your exercise routine, consider varying these three types of activities for a
total of at least 150 minutes of exercise per week. Keep in mind that it’s important to
stretch before and after engaging in either strength or endurance activities to avoid injury.
In addition, these points may help to improve the effectiveness of your workout routine:
•
Consider adding high-intensity intervals to your workout, such as jogging for short
stretches during a brisk walk or including some hills or stairs on your route. Short
bursts of high intensity exercise will help you burn more calories.
•
Avoid fasting or skipping meals. Not eating regular, balanced meals may make it
harder to stay fit because your body will burn fewer calories to protect itself. Eating
smaller, more frequent meals is a better choice for maintaining an appropriate energy
level.
•
Your body burns more calories when digesting certain types of foods or beverages.
These include:
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High protein foods such as skinless chicken or low-fat yogurt
Whole grains
Fresh fruits and vegetables
Milk, green tea, or coffee
Spicy foods
Incorporating more of these foods into your diet and cutting back on processed
carbohydrates such as white bread or pasta may help with making your digestion
work for you.
Finding the right balance between diet and exercise is the key to both mental and physical
fitness and your overall health. For more tips on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle,
contact LifeMatters.
The above information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to take the
place of medical advice. Please contact your doctor before beginning any exercise
routine.
Source: Krames Staywell
Get Your Finances in Order with These Apps
Do you want to get your finances in better shape or manage your expenses more
accurately? Fortunately, there are plenty of free apps that can help you do just that. All
the options listed below are free and available for iOS or Android (with some available
for Windows too).
Personal Finance
No surprise that Mint.com is one of the most popular personal finance sites available. Its
app offers a secure way to track all of your accounts and credit cards in one location and
on the go. You can slice and dice account data to create graphs that show you the bigger
money picture and set alerts and reminders.
Dollarbird (dollarbird.co) is a calendar-based app that tracks expenses and income. It
also allows you to set up recurring transactions and bill reminders. Other perks include
getting a snapshot of where your money is going and creating a five-year financial
projection plan.
Credit Cards and Check Management
Billguard (billguard.com) monitors “gray charges” on your credit card statements. It
flags questionable or unwanted purchases and highlights merchants who frequently
charge for products or services that are unnecessary or oddball fees.
MintBills (mintbills.com) lets you pay bills from your mobile phone, either manually or
by scheduling automatic payments. It also monitors bank or credit card accounts and
notifies you if your checking account balance or credit limit is at risk.
Monitor everything about your credit score with the CreditKarma (creditkarma.com)
app. Get notifications if and when there are changes to your credit report and a “report
card” on factors impacting your credit score number.
Mobile Payments
Sick of the hassle of splitting the check when you’re out with friends? Square Cash
(square.com/cash) makes it easy to link your debit card to the software and securely send
and request money via email. You can beef up online protection with a security code too.
Transactions typically take one to two business days.
Another big player in this market is Google Wallet (google.com/wallet). It allows you to
send money to any user in the U.S. You can also track online orders and view your
purchase history when you have the free Google Wallet Card.
Other Tools
Hate keeping track of your work expenses? Expensify (expensify.com) makes it easier
with the ability to scan receipts, track mileage, and even link debit and credit cards. You
can view usage and create expense reports. Travel bonus: it allows you to set up currency
converters and flight alerts.
Slice (slice.com) offers its own version of “one stop shopping” for all of your online
purchasing needs: track packages, view your spending habits, and find out if there are
price reductions that you can claim with a merchant after the purchase date. It also
provides shopping insights and consumer recall information.
So get ready, set, and app up for your personal finance needs in 2015!
Tips for Cutting Credit Use
1. Opt out of new credit offers. Call 1-888-5-OPTOUT or visit optoutprescreen.com to
stop offers.
2. Keep your credit cards in a safe place at your house. Only get your card out if you
intend to make a specific purchase.
3. Shop sales and look for discounts. Get discount cards or apps from stores you shop
frequently. For big purchases, do your homework and wait until there’s a sale to buy.
4. Cut clutter. Have a yard sale or list items you no longer need online. Put the
proceeds toward paying off debt.
5. Save every month. It’s important to pay yourself first, even if you have debt.
6. Exercise, eat right, and get enough rest. Engaging in healthy behavior will decrease
your risk of illness — and prevent the associated costs.
7. Consider your choices and values. Understanding why you may have overused
credit in the past will help prevent you from using it improperly in the future.
8. Learn to put yourself first. Putting your own finances at risk to help someone else is
liable to end with both of you in financial trouble.
9. Manage your stress. It’s important to acknowledge that too much debt is a problem.
Having concrete steps to address the issue will ease your stress and worry about the
future.
“Money is a great servant but a bad master.” ~ Francis Bacon
LifeMatters® by Empathia is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year to assist
with a variety of concerns. Call 1-800-367-7474 or visit mylifematters.com.
Language assistance services in your preferred spoken and written languages are
available at no cost by calling 1-800-367-7474.
©2015 Empathia, Inc.
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