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FOR INSPIRING GOOD HEALTH! 

Benefits Service Wellness Newsletter
September 2012

Greetings! 

 

The summer months have been a wonderful time to keep active and eat healthy but now they are coming to a close.  The month of September is a great time to set some healthy habits, and plan ahead with wellness routines for this coming fall and winter.  With your annual physical exam, why not ask your doctor for tips and suggestions on staying healthy this fall based on your concerns and needs?

 

We are also quickly approaching that time of year to enroll in medical, dental and/or vision plans, or to make changes to your plans.  THE OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD FOR SYNOD'S BENEFITS SERVICE IS COMING UP IN OCTOBER FOR A NOVEMBER 1ST EFFECTIVE DATE.  Please look out for a mailing by early October, and feel free to check for open enrollment information and any updates on our Synod website: www.synodpacific.org.  And now, back to your good health...

FRUITS & VEGETABLES
Are you eating enough of the wonderful fruits & vegetables available at your local farmer's market or grocery store?  The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, an organization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, was established in 1994 to improve the nutrition and well-being of Americans.  The Center's core projects to reach its objective have included The Food Guide Pyramid, MyPyramid, and most recently, MyPlate, to promote healthy dietary guidance to Americans.  From MyPlate, see 10 Tips to a Great Plate!
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Fitness is one of the cornerstones of good health.  How much exercise do you need?  Check here.  What kind of aerobic exercise do you enjoy and can you committ to doing five days a week?  Running was something I enjoyed years ago but stopped doing for no good reason.  I was recently inspired to start again after reading Christopher McDougall's "BORN TO RUN".  The book suggests that human bodies are built for endurance running and at one time we were all runners.  Hard to believe, eh?  Clearly though, there are many studies toting the health benefits of running.  From Stanford University School of Medicine, Runnings slows the aging clock.  To start your aerobic exercise, begin in moderation at a conversational speed (where you are able to maintain a conversation while exercising).  Take your time (I started out running slower than I could walk!) and as you grow stronger, you may be up to challenging your body further by increasing your time, distance and/or pace.  For those that do not run - try walking, biking, dancing, Zumba or swimming instead!
IN THE KITCHEN
As part of the Synod Wellness Program, we'd love your participation IN THE KITCHEN.  Do you have some healthy recipes that you'd like to share?  If so, please email [email protected] with your name and church - I will post your recipe on one of my future emails.  For seafood lovers, here is Shrimp, Grapefruit and Avocado Salad, Fish Stew and Seared Scallops with a Garlic, Tomato and Olive Compote found on Kaiser Permanente's website.
Bon appetit! 
CANCER RISK, PREVENTION & HELP 
From American Cancer Society's website, Learn about CancerWhat can we do to reduce our risk of developing Cancer?  Researchers are finding that Nutrition and Physical Activity can make a difference and here are some suggestions on Reducing Cancer Risk.  What if you have been diagnosed with Cancer?    From the Cancer Research Institute, here is a wonderful guide called the CRI HelpBook for patients.  Also, although tailored to Kaiser members, there are some great suggestions in managing your care on Kaiser's website.  The National Cancer Institute has some insight if you are thinking about complementary and alternative medicine for your recovery.  Although weighing the source is crucial, there is a lot of information available online about combating cancer - from current proven treatments, clinical trials and investigative approaches such as immunotherapy, to integrative approaches encompassing mind/body/spirit and suggestions for ways to boost the immune system to fight the disease.  There are nutrition recommendations to help prevent or combat cancer, such as AICR's Foods that Fight Cancer (courtesy of American Institute for Cancer Research) or the Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid (courtesy of www.DrWeil.com).  Educate yourself and discuss all of your options with your doctor, including what methods are complementary to one another and which aren't.  If YOU are aware of other great resources for cancer help for those in need, please email [email protected] and I'll include this information in my next newsletter.

If a Benefit Participant has any particular health topics that you would like to learn more about, please email me and I will work on including these topics in future emails.  Also, if you are a church administrator receiving this email, please forward this email to your Synod Benefit Participants in case they have not yet provided me with their email address.  They can send their name & email address to [email protected] to be added to my Wellness Program email list.

Best wishes to your Good Health!

 

Melinda Durham

Benefits Coordinator

Synod of the Pacific

[email protected]

(800) 754-0669

 

DISCLAIMER: THE CONTENT AND INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS E-NEWSLETTER ARE FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. IT MAY NOT BE CONSTRUED AS MEDICAL ADVICE, AND WE DO NOT INTEND FOR  THIS INFORMATION TO BE USED TO DIAGNOSE OR PRESCRIBE  FORMS OF TREATMENT.