Stay Smart this Summer

Summer is a great time of the year to get outside. Enjoying vacations, sports and outdoor trips to the park or back yard are great ways to soak in some extra vitamin D and lift your mood. However, with summer comes an increased risk for skin damage, cancer and the chance of getting burned while enjoying the heat.

Here are a few simple tips to stay smart this summer and enjoy the outdoors without risking your skin.

1) Schedule an annual skin check with a dermatologist.

An annual skin check is important so that your doctor can watch for new moles or atypical mole development. Be proactive to reduce your risk of skin cancer. An annual skin check is covered at 100%. Also, your dermatologist can advise you on the best practices for your skin pigment. For example, fair skinned individuals can keep their high burn area's covered by reapply sunscreen every two hours and wearing an SPF swim shirt.

2) Wear sunscreen. 

It is important to protect your skin from the UV rays from the sun. Using at least 15 SPF is preferred and it is important to reapply every two hours or if you have towel-dried or sweat. Sunscreen is not "water-proof" so it will wear off quicker in the water. Be aware of how long you are out and keep yourself covered.

3) Drink water. 

Heat strokes and exhaustion can cause serious damage to your body. Be proactive and drink plenty of water to replenish fluids during the day. When you work out in the yard, mow the lawn or play sports, try to avoid the hotter hours of the day.

4) Enjoy the shade.

The sun is hottest during the middle part of the day, so find some shade especially if you fair skinned. Shade can help you keep your body cool and regulate your temperature to reduce your risk of skin damage, cancer, heat stroke or exhaustion. Hats and sunglasses are another great way to keep your face, eyes and neck shaded from the sun and susceptible to sun burn.

Taking the First Step

Starting to exercise can be tough, and a bit scary but it may be one of the best things you can do for your health. Any type of physical activity can reduce your risk for chronic disease, help you lose weight, improve balance, coordination, sleep habits and self esteem. In fact, some studies show that losing as little as 5 to 10% of your starting weight can lower your blood pressure and other stroke factors!

No matter your age or fitness level, beginning to exercise can provide a world of difference for your body and health. Let's walk through four basic types of exercise to help you keep your weight under control, protect your joints and strengthen your bones.

Walking

Walking can help you maintain a healthy weight, improve cholesterol levels, strengthen bones, keep blood pressure in check and improve your mood. Work your way up to 30 minutes of walking a day. Start with a few smaller walks for about 5-10 minutes. Keep in mind that the faster, farther, and more frequently you walk during the week the greater benefits.

Swimming

Swimming is great if you are suffering from arthritis or recovering from an injury to your knee, ankle or back. It provides almost no impact on your joints and can help improve flexibility and strength. It's two workouts (cardiovascular and resistance) in one.

Yoga

A number of studies have shown that yoga can help reduce stress and anxiety. When beginning yoga you may want to take a class or two to learn proper form and technique. You can find classes at your local YMCA or community center.

Resistance Training
Try weight-bearing exercises such as lifting free weights or using your own body weight (push-ups, pull-ups) and aim for 10-15 minutes a week to begin. Afraid of getting the bulky look from weight training? Try lighter weights with more reps. You should still feel the burn from lifting the weight but it should take about 12-15 repetitions to reach. 

Don't have a gym, workout facility, or money for a pass? Get outside and enjoy the fresh air and natural surroundings. Studies have shown that people have lower levels of stress after getting active outside. No matter where or how you choose to get moving, most importantly have fun. The more you enjoy the activity the more likely you will stick with it and make time to be active!

Everyday Choices Matter

I've completed my biometric screening with my doctor for the past three years and it is amazing the impact we can make on our overall health when we begin to understand our numbers.

Everyday choices matter. I like to bring my lunch to work. 

Today, I'm having grilled chicken fajitas with green peppers 

and cherries for dessert. 

I started working as the Heartland Health & Wellness Fund wellness director in 2014, prior to that I worked in other wellness fields and my education is in health. So, it's fair to say that I understand how to eat right and how much to exercise. However, I've found it's so easy to lose motivation to go to the gym three to five days a week. I often get bored with my workouts and have to dig to find something new. Also, my family loves desserts and typically has one after each meal--talk about tempting. I've had my ups and downs in the health area. I've certainly eaten my fair share of some great, yet unhealthy foods. I like to blame it on my kids as I believe they helped me achieve what is called, "The Dad Body." That being said, I do understand that we are what we eat--literally. Every 35 days our skin replaces itself. Every month our liver replaces itself. Our bodies make these new cells from the foods we eat. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to eat healthy, exercise and keep track of our numbers so we can keep our bodies in tune. I've learned the hard way.

Since I started working at the Fund, it has offered annual physicals covered at 100% to keep our health in check. This preventative wellness check typically includes a cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose screening. These numbers help us understand our bodies and risks for developing lifestyle conditions such as diabetes, atherosclerosis, heart disease, stroke and many others. It is remarkable that by keeping blood sugar levels (glucose) under 100 mg/dl, the risk of type II diabetes is significantly reduced.

It's important to change up your work out to get the most benefit.

Since I spend 40 hours a week promoting wellness, most would assume that my biometric screening numbers are great every time, but that wasn't the case my first year. It turned out that my triglycerides (the fatty acids within the blood stream) weren't optimal. When we eat, fatty acids are created from the unused calories. When our bodies have no use for the fatty acids produced at a specific time, we store those fatty acids or triglycerides in our fat cells. High triglyceride levels are often a sign for increased risk of stroke or heart disease. The best way to avoid increasing triglycerides is to choose healthier fats, cut back on calories and exercise regularly.

After the second year of biometric screening, I was able to lower my triglycerides to a near optimal level. I was surprised to see how staying focused on consistent, weekly exercise, and reading nutrient labels on packages could actually nudge my numbers to a healthier level. After this third year of screening, not only are my triglycerides at the optimal level, but I was able to cut them in half. I met my goal of decreasing triglycerides, and with added exercise, I was able to increase my HDL (good cholesterol).

HDL's are very important to our bodies as they bind to the LDL's (bad cholesterol) and carry them out of our system or to the liver to be reprocessed. HDL's are significantly increased when 30-60 minutes of aerobic exercise is added to a daily routine. Also if a person uses tobacco, by quitting, HDL levels will increase.

So for three years now, I have slowly been able to bring my wellness check from moderate to no risk and maintain that level of health. Not only does it reduce my risk of developing lifestyle conditions but healthy diet and exercise decreases stress, boosts energy and gives our bodies the vital nutrients we need to live out each day to the fullest. If I've learned anything from these biometric screenings, it is that no matter where our numbers are today, we are all just a stepping stone to where our health could be in the future. Wellness isn't a fad, or diet or three-month change. It is a lifelong journey dedicating ourselves to improving our health so we can live healthy, feel great, have energy and lower our risk of disease.

12 Years Unchained!

As the Heartland Health & Wellness Fund Wellness Director, I've had the opportunity to hear remarkable stories about overcoming addictions, weight struggles and overall health issues. It's been a blessing to see the results of the culture the Fund is cultivating not only within the lives of plan participants but reaching out to the families of our members. Making a healthy lifestyle change isn't always the easiest thing to do, but knowing we are all in this together can help.

This week, a plan participant reached out to me to tell me about her 12-year milestone of being smoke free. As I sat down to listen to her story, I knew I wanted to share it with all of you. If you smoke, have ever thought about quitting, have quit or have wondered how smoking impacts your life, I invite you to read this story.

She was in her early twenties when she first tried smoking cigarettes. It started as a social thing--having a cigarette when she was out with friends. She didn't smoke a lot, and never considered it a habit. But life has a way of throwing curve balls that can turn the most innocent of activities into full blown addictions. When her marriage spiraled into divorce, the cigarettes became a coping mechanism.

It's been my experience, that every individual handles stress in a unique way. When I hit a wall, I hit the gym or the trail. I have friends who hit the fridge. I have one friend who jokingly refers to it as "eating her feelings." Sadly, some turn to alcohol or even drugs. There are healthy ways to deal with stress, but this plan participant turned to cigarettes to cope with her stress.

Cigarettes have a little chemical inside them known as nicotine--I think many smokers underestimate its power. Cigarette smoke contains thousands of chemicals. Dozens of those chemicals are harmful. One of the most dangerous is nicotine, a natural part of the tobacco leaf. Nicotine is the addictive drug in cigarettes. And nicotine addiction is what imprisoned this young plan participant. She confessed that her life began to revolve around smoking cigarettes. She planned her whole day around cigarettes. When she got up she had a cigarette, while putting on her makeup she smoked, while heading to work she smoked, on her breaks she smoked, on her way home she smoked, before dinner, after dinner, once she got the kids to bed. It was crazy how much her life revolved around cigarettes.

Remember those little curve balls I was talking about, well she was hit with another. Her mother developed COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) from a lifetime of cigarette smoking. Her mom was in and out of the hospital coping with the disease, but all the while, insisting that the smoking had done its damage and she wasn't going to quit now. At one point, our plan participant crumpled up a box of her mother's cigarettes leading to a heated argument and hard feelings.

I can tell you that you CAN recover from most of the damage cigarette smoking does to your body. It takes time, but research has proven that once you are smoke free for 10 years your risk of smoking-related cancer returns to that of a normal person and after 15 years, your heart normalizes to that of a non-smoker. For her mother's COPD there was no cure, however if her mother had quit smoking, she could have prevented her symptoms from getting worse.

As she watched her mother deteriorate, she couldn't imagine her children watching her suffer in the same way as her mother. She wanted to be around for her kids and her future grand kids. So she made the decision to quit. It wasn't easy and it took numerous times for her to quit. She would quit, then after about two weeks, go right back to it. The straw that broke the camel's back was watching her mother sit out on her front porch attached to an oxygen tank and smoking a cigarette. That made her so angry at her mother--she couldn't understand why she was doing this to herself. Suddenly, the light bulb went on and her eyes were opened, she realized she was doing the same thing as her mother and would end up the same way if she didn’t quit smoking.

Determined to quit, she started changing her routine in small ways. For instance, instead of smoking first thing in the morning, she'd wait until her first break at work. She would change her routine every week, so she wouldn’t fall into the same trap. She did do the patch for a little while, but had a reaction to it and had to stop. She also kept her hands busy doing needle point and peeling oranges. During the work day, she would walk on her breaks with another co-worker, who also had quit smoking, making for a great support system.

After 12 years of being smoke free, she feels so much better and has a lot more energy. Thinking back over her quit smoking experience, she remarked, "It blows my mind that something like a cigarette had that much control over me." Her conviction to quit proved stronger than her addiction to nicotine, and I encourage you to find your strength to quit smoking. 

Although this story has a good ending, life's curve balls keep coming. She lost her mother to COPD in 2012 at the age of 59. However, nicotine had relinquished its hold and she was able to cope with her grief while continuing to live a smoke-free life. 

If you want to quit smoking, I'm here to help. Smoking cessation is a battle you can win.  

Why do I really promote wellness?

When I was in high school I worked at a fitness center. I'll never forget Charlie, a 62-year-old man who had lost his wife to cancer and been diagnosed with degenerative disc disease. Charlie was told he could expect to suffer slight paralysis and potentially need a wheelchair, but Charlie wouldn't let his diagnosis define him. During the four years I worked at the fitness center, I watched Charlie daily ride the bike and lift weights. After two years, he shared with me his story of the pain he had endured, but most importantly how his daily exercise had suspended his disc degeneration and held off any side-effects of the disease. Not only was Charlie an inspiration to his friends and family, but to me as well. He lived out the truth that we cannot be defined by our circumstances. There will be pain in our lives, but there is also hope.

My wife has been dealing with hyperthyroidism since 2012. Since then, we have exhausted efforts to find a treatment plan that doesn't result in early death, transplant or removal of an organ.

When the process began, Aubrey completed a series of doctor's visits where she would describe the symptoms and then undergo a battery of laboratory tests. For months, we gathered and documented information about her symptoms which included a rapid heart beat, restlessness and the ability to eat enormous portions of food without her weight being affected. For example, we could sit down at Chipotle and she would finish her stuffed burrito and then move on to eat the other half of mine, along with chips and guacamole--her appetite was nearly insatiable! As the symptoms persisted, the doctors finally referred her to an area endocrinologists. We verified the provider was in-network on anthem.com, and we headed off to the next round of tests. Two years later, the specialists arrived at the diagnosis of Grave's disease.

Grave's disease, also known as a version of Hyperthyroidism, is an autoimmune disorder in which the thyroid gland produces excessive hormones.Treatments include a few paths:

1. Start medications. See how the body reacts. Hope all is well.
2. If the first round of medication doesn't work, try a second medication that causes damage to the liver if taken for prolonged periods.
3. If neither medications work well, make the life-changing choice to either surgically remove the thyroid or destroy it with radioactive iodine.
4. Once the thyroid is removed, patients must take thyroid hormone supplements for the rest of their lives along with other medications to handle any side-effects such as depression, weight gain and mood changes.

Aubrey is currently discerning option three.

I am neither the doctor nor the patient, but the options don't really scream happy and well to me. I'd rather try every other path in the world to correct the autoimmune issue then voluntarily give up a piece of my body, let alone the piece that controls your metabolism, growth, body temperature, muscle strength, appetite and health of your heart, brain, kidneys and reproductive system. Unfortunately, we may not have a choice. Our specialist assures us this is the "standard" protocol or path of treatment for Grave's disease. Just as there is a standard procedure for breast cancer, celiac disease, hypertension or diabetes, this is the path for Grave's. We live in the modern world of medicine, and most of the time, medicine works well and saves lives. However, for a few out there, it only masks the symptoms for a short period of time. Many autoimmune diseases are thought to be related to genetics, however, research shows that only 25% are affected by genetics. The remainder of instances are presumed to start with an allergic reaction or intolerance, others with toxins we daily ingest. In other words, most of these specific diseases result from environmental conditions.

All over the world, we see how human existence has impacted the earth. We have polluted the world with toxins and plastics. We have modified plants, animals and food sources to make life easier. Back in 1928 when the first antibiotic, penicillin, was discovered to fight bacteria, it quickly overwhelmed the market. Currently, penicillin is prescribed for illnesses that 45% of the time are uneffected by antibiotics. The result is the development of "super bugs" which are resistant to antibiotics. By over prescribing antibiotics or adding them to our foods, livestock or plants, antibiotics become less effective in treatment. 

So what does this all mean? 

I didn't get into wellness because I want everyone to be skinny and walk five miles a day. The danger lies in the world we are creating for ourselves and the generations to follow. I advocate a return to farm fresh food and healthy, active lives so everyone can live a joyful life with family and friends. By passing down the teachings of healthy living to family members, we cultivate an environment where eating well, recycling, growing fresh fruits and vegetables, slowing down and spending time with family once again become the normal American family values.

I want you to be proactive by seeing your doctor annually to help prevent lifestyle diseases from affecting you and your family. I wan't you to stay active to keep your heart healthy and lungs strong to do the things you enjoy. When you take these steps, not only are you helping yourself, but you are modeling a lifestyle for others to follow. 

I promote wellness because wellness meant a life for Charlie that didn't require paralysis or living in a nursing home. Wellness means hope for my wife to control her thyroid and avoid extra medications along with side-effects so she can have the energy to be there for our boys as they grow. Most importantly, it means hope to me for my children to live long, healthy lives. 

What does a healthy life mean to you?

Why it is important to always wash your hands!

It's official, I finally understand why my mom used to make me wash my hands before and after eating, after cleaning, playing and everything else under the sun.

It's called Coxsackievirus A16, also known as Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD). More common among kids, and known to be highly contagious, HFMD can remain in your body for weeks even after the symptoms are gone. Let me start off with this note, yes it is as awful as it sounds. Coming up on a full two weeks now, I have been slowly recovering from HFMD. You may hear about it in the news every once in awhile, but it is a virus that attacks the body inducing cold/flu like symptoms along with a sore throat similar to strep and small red blisters that form a rash. HFMD is commonly mistaken in households as strep throat since not everyone gets every symptom. Mine was a full blown case!

I won't go into most of the details, but the most distinctive characteristic of HFMD is the red rash that forms along an individual's hands, feet, mouth or other areas of the body. I've included a mild picture of what my hand looked like mid way just to give you a glimpse. So why does this matter?

 A) Like most men, the reaction we get from anything, even a cold, essentially sends us to our death bed.
 B) HFMD can be prevented by keeping your hands washed and preventing the spread of germs.

When should you be washing your hands?

• Before, during and after preparing food
• Before eating food
• Before and after caring for someone who is sick
• Before and after treating a cut or wound
• After using the toilet
• After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
• After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
• After touching an animal, animal feed or animal waste
• After handling pet food or treats
• After touching garbage

You get the point.

How should you wash your hands?

1. Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm is best), turn off the tap and apply soap
2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with soap. Be sure to lather the back of your hands, between your fingers and under your nails
3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the "Happy Birthday" song twice
4. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water
5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them

I know washing your hands can seem like a typical, everyday task that doesn't need a whole blog post to reference it, but trust me, this is worth the mention to help prevent anyone else from being infected with this common and pesky virus.

Eggs good, Eggs bad, what can I actually eat!

CHANGE is the running theme of nutrition and regulations. Often it seems scientists discover new food benefits that have been around for awhile only to reverse their findings a few years later. Take cholesterol for example—this just in! Eggs are good! You can eat eggs again for breakfast—now if they would just approve bacon as healthy…

Why the change? Dietary cholesterol, which is highly prevalent within an egg yolk, is no longer considered to be a threat to your cholesterol and heart health. To state the findings "Cholesterol is not considered a nutrient of concern for over-consumption," states the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC). Previously, it was recommended that we keep our dietary cholesterol intake below 300 mg a day. The change in 2015 takes in the perspective of what I had talked about in my February blog with regard to sugar and food companies' ability to increase or decrease the amount of a macro-nutrient when other macro-nutrients are decreased.

In theory, when we are given recommendations to decrease our cholesterol we must consume foods that are lower in that area. In order for a product to be processed and reduced in its overall fat count, something must be added in its place so that it continues to taste good. So sugar is added in when fat is stripped from the product. In the last few years, we have seen a dramatic shift in the waistline of the average American. Increased consumption of sugar has led to a nationwide epidemic of health concerns and conditions. Diabetes Mellitus Type II has increased significantly within the population affecting about one in every three Americans. In fact, the percent of healthy adults in the U.S. has steadily declined since 1994.

Realizing the impact that a high sugar diet is having on Americans, the DGAC dug into cholesterol and noticed that "only 15% of circulating cholesterol in the blood comes from what you eat. The other 85% comes from the liver." Now this doesn't mean we can go out and eat fries and a hamburger every day, the focus of your diet should be well balanced and full of nutrients. The committee suggests reducing your intake of added sugars, solid fats, and refined (processed) food and grains. Two other big focuses are to limit your salt intake to less than 2,300 mg/day and keep your added sugars to less than 10% of your total calories/day.

Here's the bottom line.

What we are eating is not only affecting our habits, but our children's habits as well. Half of American adults have one or more preventable chronic diseases that relate to poor quality dietary patterns and physical inactivity. Not only are more than two-thirds of adults considered overweight or obese, but nearly one-third of our children are considered obese.

Let me bring this topic home with one last point.

As a society, we have gotten to a point where the busyness of our lives has continued to deteriorate our lives. We have created convenience in the form of food, fad diets, quick workouts, social media and cell phones. Overwhelming evidence shows that each one of these monsters created for our own good has turned around to destroy our very existence. I know it isn't easy to find time to grocery shop, workout, cook or now even talk on the phone. Trust me I have my days as well. The reality is—we are letting go of the beautiful blessings of life so that we can hurry through it. Social media was created so we could connect to more people, but I know that most of my family and friends now spend less time talking, hanging out or chatting with one another.

Fast foods were created so we could eat a good meal during our busy schedules, but those are typically the least healthy meals we get. Exercise DVD's were created so we could workout in our home, when we have been given nature around us to enjoy. Social media was created to help us stay connected to each other’s lives, but how many of us can honestly say we have a deeper relationship with more individuals then before? Life is passing us by, so I ask you to take a step back from your day and ponder this question:

If convenience is defined as the quality of being useful, easy and suitable, what choices are you making today that you should be giving more thought to and where are you letting life pass you by when you could stop to smell the roses?

Take a moment to reflect and thanks for stopping by to read A Well Led Life.