Don’t Eat… Fuel!

Take a step back and think for a moment. During your last meal (or even snack), did you choose to eat? Or did you decide to fuel?

Eating involves consuming. That consumption is the ultimate goal. There is no “next step” in mind when the choice is to “eat.” Think of a trash compactor. It’s goal is to consume the trash - to put it away as quickly and efficiently as possible. That’s exactly what eating involves - consume as efficiently as possible, with no eye on the future. A plethora of calorie dense, “fast” options make that the easy choice.

On the other end of the spectrum is to fuel. Fueling is always done with a purpose in mind. A next step in the picture. Whether it’s fueling up your car or fueling up a plane or charging up your cell phone, it is done for a purpose. Taking the same approach to your next meal or snack (how will my selection affect my performance over the next several hours?), then we’re guaranteed to make smarter choices. Guaranteed!

One of our fun contest give-aways you may see is a sports towel, used when on the bike or working out to keep the sweat at bay. Their look, feel and size are great. But my favorite thing about ‘em is the phrase that appears below our logo: Move…Fuel…Repeat!

You see, when it comes to our own health and wellness, we can discuss all kinds of studies about calorie intake, ratios of carbs/fats and proteins, heart rate levels, etc. And all of those things are good. But when it comes down to it, the strategy is pretty simple - “Move…Fuel…Repeat!”

See you at the fuel stop!

Make it a great week, Champion

What a fantastic time of the year. The “fresh start” feeling that comes with the turning of the calendar page is a good thing. And, it’s a chance to make some key decisions about how we’re going to live this year differently.

As we set goals for 2010, there are a few key things to remember…

1.  Build on successes. What worked for you in 2009? How can you take those positives and build further?

2.  Be specific. General statements such as “I’d like to lose weight” or “I’m going to exercise more” are of little value in creating change. Instead, creating clearly stated, measurable goals and then writing them down somewhere (such as your personal wellness journal), will provide traction as you move forward. An example might be “I will pack my lunch 4 out of 5 days each week of January.”.

3.  Tap into positive peers. Is exercise on your radar for 2010? Healthier eating? Regardless of what it is, your success is often predicated on the people with whom you spend time. I’m not suggesting you dump your friends ;- ). But, if you will plan some time with those pursuing similar goals to yours, you’ll BOTH be more successful.

What are your tips for success? Send them to me at bcooper@uscorporatewellness.com and we may include them in future issues. Here’s to an incredible year of health and wellness in 2010!

Thanks to Carissa Look for the following:

UNSAFE URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS LINKED TO TEEN WEIGHT
Joene Hendry
Reuters
08/24/2009NEW RESEARCH SHOWS THAT HIGH-FAT DIETS ARE JUST AS UNHEALTHFUL IN THE SHORT TERM AS THEY ARE IN THE LONG TERM
Cody Mooneyhan
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
08/12/2009

PHYSICALLY FIT STUDENTS OUTSCORE LESS FIT PEERS IN NEW YORK CITY
United Press International
07/14/2009

OBESITY LINKED TO BRAIN SHRINKAGE, ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION
Melissa Healy
LA Times
08/25/2009

STARS ALIGNING ON SCHOOL LUNCHES
Kim Severson
The New York Times
08/18/2009

PRESIDENT OBAMA SPEAKS UP FOR HEALTHY SCHOOL FOOD, FARM TO SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Rochelle Davis
Healthy Schools Campaign
08/24/2009

EMPLOYERS LURE SPOUSES INTO WELLNESS PROGRAMS TO HELP CUT COSTS
Joann S. Lublin
The Wall Street Journal
08/31/2009

TUMULTUOUS ENVIRONMENT MAKES A HEALTH CARE COMPROMISE MORE UNLIKELY
John Harwood
The New York Times
08/09/09

LOUISE IS BACK AND THIS TIME SHE’S ON THE OTHER SIDE…
Judith Warner
The New York Times
08/09/09

WELCOME TO THE SUMMER OF HATE
Laura Lorson
NPR, All Things Considered
08/13/09

HEALTH INSURANCE INSIDER TURNS ON INDUSTRY
Scott Hensley
NPR, Health Blog
08/11/09

WHOLE FOODS CEO DENOUNCES “OBAMACARE”
John Mackey
Wall Street Journal
08/12/09

MOST COMMON QUESTIONS POSED TO OBAMA AT TOWN HALLS AND HIS RESPONSES
The Baltimore Sun
08/10/09

WE ARE OLD, WE ARE FAT, WE ARE OVER-LAWYERED
Forbes
08/10/09

By Michelle Rizzo

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Most generally healthy adults starting an exercise program do not need to see their doctor first, researchers say.

Routine medical screening before starting a regular exercise regimen with the goal of reducing the risk of sudden exercise-induced death is not recommended, the researchers wrote in a report published this month.

“Sudden death is a rare adverse effect of exercise,” Dr. Mayer Brezis, of Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel, told Reuters Health in an interview.

“Medical screening before initiating regular exercise is often advised but without scientific basis,” Brezis noted.

An exercise electrocardiogram — a test that detects and records the heart’s electrical activity — is thought to help identify people at risk but the test yields “many” falsely positive and falsely negative test results, the researcher warned.

In a “simulation study,” Brezis and colleagues found that routine screening decreases deaths in intermediate to high-risk people but not in those who are at low risk.

“Actually, medical screening may cause damage,” Brezis said, “for instance because of labeling healthy people as sick or because of the side effects” of tests to check for heart disease.

“Medical screening may actually prevent the known benefit from exercise by diverting attention from the main goal: i.e., to have people exercise,” Brezis said. 

“Sedentary people should be encouraged to initiate exercise gradually and go to a physician if they feel chest discomfort or dizziness during exercise,” Brezis said.

“Gyms should post boards explaining these warning signs. Exercise coaches should understand and explain these warning signs to customers,” he added.

Still, Brezis emphasized that this advice does not apply to individuals with known heart disease. “These people should be referred to cardiac rehabilitation centers where they can resume physical activity under supervision.”

SOURCE: Journal of General Internal Medicine, August 2009.

MAPS STEER CYCLISTS TOWARD FRESH AIR AND FRESH PRODUCE
Clara Silverstein
The Boston Globe
08/05/09

EVEN PEOPLE WHO EXERCISE FOR THE RECOMMENDED 30 MINUTES A DAY WILL HAVE POOR HEALTH IF THEY ALSO SPEND A LOT OF TIME SITTING
Ashley Hall
ABC News Australia
08/03/09

THE ULTIMATE GARDENING WORKOUT
Journal of the American Geriatric Society
Utica Observer-Dispatch, New York
08/03/09

IN LAFAYETTE TOWNHOMES: NO KIDS ALLOWED OUTSIDE ALONE
Amy Bounds
Boulder Daily Camera
08/03/09

UNCLE SAM MUST STOP SUBSIDIZING OBESITY
Rina Shah, M.D.
The San Francisco Chronicle
08/03/09

COLORADO TRIBES TO BE SCHOOLED ABOUT DIABETES
Claire Trageser
The Denver Post
08/02/09

OBESITY IS PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE
Mark Winne
The New Mexico Independent
08/03/09

LEAKED ARMY MEMO REVEALS MANY BRITISH SOLDIERS ARE SO OBESE THEY CANNOT BE DEPLOYED
Mark Townsend
The Guardian, United Kingdom
08/02/09

OBESITY COSTS RISE 87 PERCENT IN A DECADE
Chicago Daily Herald
08/03/09

FRIENDSHIP INFLUENCES EATING BEHAVIOR, PARTICULARLY WHEN FRIENDS ARE OVERWEIGHT
State University of New York, Buffalo
08/03/09

Thanks to Carissa Look for the following updates…

FIGHTING THE HIGH COSTS OF OBESITY—AND 7 OTHER SECRETS TO LIVING YOUNGER
Deborah Katz
U.S. News & World Report
July 27, 2009

DOES HEALTH INSURANCE MAKE YOU FAT?
Erica Alini
The Wall Street Journal
July 27, 2009

This week - a simple, yet very challenging workout.  You can scale this based on your current mileage (ie, perform 50% or 75% of the workout).  The key is to keep your splits consistent (or gradually faster) when comparing the first 2-3 intervals to the last 2-3 intervals…

• 10 min warm-up, running barefoot in grass if available
• 20 x 400 M (1 lap around the track) with a 200 M jog in between each one
• 10 min warm-down, again in grass if available