DECEMBER 2014
HEALTHYROADS
®
NEWSLETTER
01
Welcome to
HEALTHYROADS!
In this monthly newsletter, you’ll
find a collection of articles on
popular health and wellness
topics. If you’d like additional
guidance and support in your
quest to lose weight, improve
nutrition, develop an exercise
plan, reduce stress, or quit
smoking and haven’t
discovered our Weight
Management, Tobacco
Cessation, and Wellness
programs, we encourage you
to call us today. Some or all
of these programs may have
been purchased for you by your
employer. To take advantage
of all that Healthyroads has to
offer, visit us online at
www.healthyroads.com or call
us toll-free at 877.330.2746.
M600-4469A-DEC (12/14) © 2014
American Specialty Health Incorporated
(ASH). All rights reserved. Healthyroads,
Healthyroads Coach, and the Healthyroads
logo are trademarks of ASH. Healthyroads,
Inc. is a subsidiary of American Specialty
Health Incorporated. Healthyroads is a
health education and wellness program; it
is not insurance. Exclusively distributed by
Healthyroads, Inc., PO Box 509040,
San Diego, CA 92150-9040.
Wellness and Healthy Living
The Air You Breathe
Air pollution can be hard to avoid, especially if you
live in a city. And if you exercise outdoors, you may
raise your exposure. How does poor air quality affect
your health? And what can you do to minimize those
effects?
First, let’s look at what air pollution is. It’s a mix of
harmful particles and gases in the air. This “dirty air”
can come from manmade sources like vehicles and
factories. But it can also occur in nature in the form
of smoke from fires, dust, and pollen.
Your body has ways of defending itself against
pollution. But a lot of exposure over the long term
can weaken those defenses. Breathing fine particles
can harm lung tissue. It can also irritate your nose
and throat. And it can be especially hard on people
with breathing problems. In fact, it can worsen such
conditions as:
the air quality where you live. Consider changing your
activities when the quality is lower. These 3 steps can
help protect you from the effects of air pollution:
ÀÀ Check the air quality index (AQI) for your
area. Look up the air quality for your ZIP Code
at AirNow.gov. Or check levels during the
weather forecast on radio or TV. Try to spend
less time outside when pollution levels are up.
Have kids play indoors.
ÀÀ Think about moving your workout inside
on days when the air quality is lower. Or do
outdoor workouts in the morning, when smog
and other pollutants are lower. Try not to work
out outdoors near busy roads.
ÀÀ Steer clear of heavy traffic. If you drive during
rush hour, close the windows and recirculate
the air.
You can also get involved in helping local cities and
towns clean up their act and their air. To learn more,
visit the American Lung Association at www.lung.org.
ÀÀ Asthma
ÀÀ Emphysema
ÀÀ Bronchitis
ÀÀ COPD
Other people who may be at higher risk are those
who have heart disease or diabetes. People who work
outside also may be more vulnerable to the effects of
poor air quality. The same is true for adults over 65
and children.
Big cities tend to have more air pollution. Hot summer
days and stagnant-air weather patterns can also
bring lower air quality. Try to stay informed about
01
02
03
04
The Air You Breathe
Healthy Indulgence?
Smoking May Make a
Hangover Worse
Can Acupuncture
Ease Stress?
Wellness and Healthy Living
Diet and Exercise
Quitting Smoking
Low-Stress Living
IMAGINE ...
Your own customized, 7-day exercise program or
meal-by-meal healthy eating plan. Healthyroads.com
offers these great services and much, much more!
Log on to
www.healthyroads.com today.
02
Diet and Exercise
Healthy Indulgence?
Chocolate, red wine, and coffee all used to have a
bad health rap. But in the past 10 years, they’ve been
reborn as healthy indulgences. Are they truly healthy?
And is there a point where “healthy” becomes “too
much of a good thing”? Here’s what you need to know
before you partake:
ÀÀ How to enjoy: Women should drink no more
than 1 glass per day. Men should drink no more
than 2 glasses per day. Skip the wine if you are
pregnant or have certain health conditions. Also,
if you prefer not to drink alcohol, doctors don’t
advise starting just to benefit your heart.
Chocolate
Coffee
ÀÀ Pros: Eating chocolate may help boost your
heart health. This may be thanks to the flavonols
in chocolate. Flavonols may help fight the cell
damage that plays a part in disease.
ÀÀ Pros: Some studies suggest drinking coffee
may help improve mental function and have a
positive effect on liver health.
ÀÀ Cons: Chocolate often has added fat and sugar,
so eating too much can cause weight gain. Also,
those healthy flavonols make chocolate taste
bitter. So most of them (about 90 percent) get
removed. That means your “healthy” chocolate
may not be so healthy.
ÀÀ How to enjoy: Eat no more than 2 ounces of
chocolate a day. Stick with dark chocolate that
is at least 65 percent cocoa. Also, chocolate is
fairly high in calories, so consider being a bit
more active. This can help to offset the added
calories and benefit your heart even more.
Red wine
ÀÀ Pros: If you are an adult who already drinks
alcohol, enjoying a glass of red with dinner
may be good for your heart health. This may be
thanks to both the alcohol and resveratrol in red
wine.
ÀÀ Cons: Drinking too much alcohol can do a lot of
harm to the body. It can raise your risk of high
blood pressure, obesity, liver damage, and other
issues.
ÀÀ Cons: If you drink more than you are used
to, coffee can temporarily raise your blood
pressure, plus leave you jittery and sleepless.
Doctors suggest certain groups may be better
off avoiding or limiting coffee. These include
pregnant women and people who have trouble
controlling their blood pressure or blood sugar.
Unfiltered coffee has a substance that may raise
bad cholesterol.
ÀÀ How to enjoy: Four 8-ounce cups of caffeinated
coffee per day is believed to be a safe upper
limit for most healthy adults. If you are sensitive
to caffeine, you may want to drink less. Choose
paper-filtered coffee. And watch the added
cream and sugar. They really bump up the
calories.
If you want to improve your health, the best ways
are to be active, eat healthy, manage stress, and get
enough quality sleep. But when you want to enjoy a
few healthy indulgences in moderation, go ahead and
partake. You know you want to.
HEALTH TIP:
Try to be mindful when
you indulge in treats like
chocolate or wine. Focus
on the taste and scent.
Put distractions and worries
on hold. You’ll enjoy the
experience more and be less
likely to overdo it.
03
Quitting Smoking
Smoking May Make a Hangover Worse
SERIOUS
ABOUT
QUITTING?
We at Healthyroads understand
the challenges of quitting
smoking. That’s why we offer
a comprehensive Tobacco
Cessation program that
provides you with the best
techniques to help you quit—
once and for all. From our
phone-based coaching program
and educational materials to our
online resources and nicotine
replacement therapy products
(if included in your benefit),
we give you every chance to
succeed. For anyone
considering quitting smoking,
take the first step and visit
www.healthyroads.com or
contact us at 877.330.2746.
’Tis the season to overdo. And if you’re a smoker who
drinks alcohol, you might be in for a rough wake-up
call. Smoking has been shown to make hangovers
worse. Your best bet is to avoid the smokes and limit
the drinks.
If you’ve had a hangover in the past, you know all too
well its unpleasant symptoms. The parched mouth,
aching head, and roiling stomach—not to mention
the urge to sleep all day—are just the most common
symptoms. There are a host of others. You can add
aching muscles, dizziness, nausea, and light and sound
sensitivity to the list. Yep, all of the movie clichés are
true.
But here’s the odd thing. Hangover symptoms don’t
start until most of the alcohol is out of your system.
Why? It used to be thought that dehydration caused
most hangover symptoms. That thinking has changed.
Yes, dehydration is a factor (alcohol makes you urinate).
But researchers now think another culprit may be your
immune system. Alcohol makes this system turn on
inflammation, and this may add to the symptoms.
So where does smoking enter the picture? By pairing
cigarettes with alcohol, you greatly boost your odds of
having a hangover. The more you smoke while you drink,
the better your chances of a miserable next day. As for
why this happens, scientists are still puzzling this out.
Here’s what researchers know: The same receptors in
your brain that link with alcohol also link with nicotine.
They also know that when nicotine leaves the body, the
immune system turns on inflammation. Sound familiar?
Alcohol and tobacco may pack a 1-2 punch.
The best way to avoid a hangover is to prevent it.
These 4 tips can help you enjoy your evening without
regretting it the next morning:
ÀÀ Drink only in moderation. This means having no
more than 1 alcoholic drink per day for women or
2 alcoholic drinks per day for men. If you choose
to drink more, know this: Drinking more than 1
glass of alcohol per hour means that alcohol is
entering your body faster than your body can get
rid of it.
ÀÀ Don’t pair smoking with drinking. If you’re
drinking alcohol do it in moderation and pass on
the cigarettes. Even better, set a date now for
quitting tobacco.
ÀÀ Alternate alcohol with water: For every alcoholic
drink you down, have a glass of water.
ÀÀ Make sure you’ve eaten: Having food in your
stomach helps to slow down alcohol absorption.
And remember, there is a reason why both alcohol and
nicotine set off your body’s inflammatory response.
Both are toxins. So if you choose to drink this holiday
season, do it responsibly. And skip the smokes.
04
Low-Stress Living
Can Acupuncture Ease Stress?
Unrelieved stress can take a terrible toll on your
body and mind. At times, this stress may be hard to
manage on your own. If you need added support to
help you relax, consider trying acupuncture. Emerging
research shows it may help relieve stress.
Acupuncture involves putting thin needles into specific
points on the body. Practitioners believe stimulating
these points can support good health.
Scientists are still learning how acupuncture may
reduce stress. But early research suggests that it may
help:
ÀÀ Turn on the parasympathetic nervous system
(your body’s relaxation response)
ÀÀ Turn off your “analytical” brain, so you can quit
worrying and relax
ÀÀ Lower cortisol (a stress hormone) in your blood
ÀÀ Stimulate the release of neurotransmitters
(chemicals that affect mood)
ÀÀ Stimulate your body to make its own natural
painkillers (which calm the nerves)
As with any chronic health issue, relieving stress can
take time. So, if you’ve been stressed for a while, it
may take time for your body to settle into a more
relaxed state. Acupuncture supports slow, gentle
healing. Expect that you will probably need about
6 to 12 treatments over several weeks or months.
This is a typical course of treatment.
At your first session, your acupuncturist will ask
detailed questions about your symptoms and health
habits. He or she will also examine you. This may
include looking at your tongue and feeling your pulse.
Most first sessions also involve treatments with
needles and may take up to an hour. After that,
follow-up sessions may be shorter.
As the needle goes in, you may feel a pinprick of
discomfort—or nothing at all. Sometimes, needles
can produce an ache when they reach the right depth.
Typically, a practitioner will put in anywhere from 5 to
20 needles. Know, too, that your acupuncturist may
put needles in many places on your body, not just in
your area of concern.
The sessions themselves tend to be very relaxing. Your
acupuncturist will leave the needles in for at least
10 to 20 minutes. Many people doze off during this
time. Your acupuncturist may come in and adjust the
needles midway through the session. He or she may
also use heat or mild electrical pulses to stimulate the
needles.
If you’re interested in trying acupuncture to manage
your stress, choose a licensed practitioner. To find one
in your area, you can use one of these sites:
ÀÀ National Certification Commission for
Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
www.nccaom.org
GET STARTED
with Healthyroads today!
You can receive these
features at no cost:
ÀÀ Telephone sessions with a
Healthyroads Coach®
ÀÀ Award-winning materials
ÀÀ Password-protected website
for tracking your progress
ÀÀ Customized meal and
exercise plans
For more information,
visit us online at
www.healthyroads.com or call
us toll-free at 877.330.2746.
ÀÀ American Academy of Medical Acupuncture
(for medical doctors who are also licensed
acupuncturists)
www.medicalacupuncture.org
After a single treatment, you may feel very relaxed—
although some people feel full of energy! And over
time, you may start to notice that your stress levels
have dropped and your overall energy and well-being
have climbed.
HEALTHYROADS
WANTS TO HEAR
FROM YOU!
Do you have ideas for articles you
would like to read? Suggestions for
improvements? Please let us know
at [email protected]