BCBSTX Wellness Messages & Community Resources

BCBSTX Wellness Messages & Community Resources1

BCBSTX Wellness Messages & Community Resources

July 2017

Contents

BCBSTX Wellness Messages & Community Resources

Protect the Skin you’re In

Less Stress,More Rest: Planning Your Summer Getaway

Don’t Let Work Worries Scare You Away from Vacations

Make Checklists

Get Everyone Involved in Planning

Find a doctor while you’re away from home.

Connect Your Health:Top 10 Ways to Prevent Childhood Obesity

New Member Special: Join the Fitness Program and Pay No Fee in August

Beginning August 1, new members can join the Fitness Program and pay no enrollment fee*. Sign up by August 31 to get this great deal!

Munchies – Tomato and Shell Bean Salad

Munchies – Grilled Plums and Berries

National Health observances

Toolkits/blogs

SOCIAL MEDIA: FACEBOOK SITES

Protect the Skin you’re In

Edward Sanchez

Over the summer months, people spend more time in the sun, so it's a good time to remember that the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays can damage your skin in as little as 15 minutes. Too much sun can lead to health problems, including skin cancer.

Follow as many of these sun protection steps as you can:

Limit time in the sun – especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the sun's rays are the strongest.
Avoid sun tanning and tanning beds.
Wear clothes and a hat to protect as much of your body as possible.
Be careful in places where the sun is reflected like near water and sand.
Use sunglasses to protect your eyes from UV rays.
Find sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SFP) of 15 or more and reapply every two hours. Reapply more often if you get wet.
Check when your sunscreen is out of date. Throw it away if it's out of date or if it's more than three years old. And the shelf life may be shorter if it has been out in high temperatures.

Less Stress,More Rest: Planning Your Summer Getaway

Kari Fortelka

Do you need a vacation from planning and packing for your vacation? Does the idea of coming back to the missed days of work make youwantto bring your laptop to the beach?

"Vacation stress" may sound like a contradiction in terms. But any kind of change — even a fun one — can trigger stress. Add children to the mix, and you can have a recipe for more work than relaxation.
According to bestselling author and family researcher Bruce Feiler, family vacations are where the “most fertile, ferocious fights imaginable can happen.” Vacations can throw together the dreaded combination of money, stress, planning and navigation. Add on other common stressors like delayed flights, lost luggage and bad weather and the perfect family meltdown can be brewing before you’ve even left your zip code.
The secret to a successful vacation can be thorough planning. It’s not just about making flight reservations or reserving a campsite.

Don’t Let Work Worries Scare You Away from Vacations

Good planning includes tying up loose ends at work and ensuring your bases are covered while you’re away. The better organized the work aspect is, the more relaxed and less harried you’re likely to feel before, during and after your days off.
Vacations scare some employees who worry the work world will end without them. Worse yet, they fear higher-ups will think they lack commitment. Perhaps that’s one reason an estimated 500 million American vacation days go unused each year. But if you have days off, take them.
Sure, three weeks in Paris may not fit into your work goals — or your budget. But a heavy workload or tight budget doesn’t mean you have to lose vacation time.
Schedule a long weekend a few times a year and stay fairly local. Kayak a lake or hike a park. Stay at a nearby bed and breakfast for a few days. A new challenge or change in routine can reset your internal processor. When you return to the office, you may do so with renewed energy and purpose.

Make Checklists

A checklist can help you get organized before you leave and help relieve stress. According to Feiler, to improve family efficiency, create different checklists for different times in the vacation planning process.
Create one for a few weeks before, the week before and two days out. You can even make one for the few hours before your departure. Your checklists should have specific action items. And try to keep them to only seven items each. Target things that often go wrong, like forgetting to cancel the mail or bringing a mobile phone charger, or more importantly, making sure everyone uses the bathroom before you hit the road.

Get Everyone Involved in Planning

Planning doesn’t have to be a burden. Make it a family event and use it to help build excitement about the trip. Before you pack up the family, involve older children in decisions about where to go and what to do on vacation. Kids can help with making and following checklists, too.
Will all of the planning add up to a stress-free vacation? Maybe not — things often happen that are out of anyone’s control. But putting in the effort upfront can help you and your family get away to a place and time for building lasting memories.

Find a doctor while you’re away from home.

Illness and injury aren’t in anyone’s vacation plans. But if you need medical care while you’re traveling, you can use our onlineProvider Finder®tool to find doctors and hospitals in your network.
And make sure you pack your member ID card. You will have to show your member ID card at the doctor’s office, clinic or hospital if you need health care services.

TX:lifetimes.bcbstx.com

Sources:Vacation Deprivation: Americans Have Twice As Many Unused Days Off As Last Year, New Survey Finds, Forbes.com, Nov. 30, 2013; The Secrets of Happy Families: Improve Your Mornings, Rethink Family Dinner, Fight Smarter, Go Out and Play, and Much More, Bruce Feiler, 2013

Connect Your Health:Top 10 Ways to Prevent Childhood Obesity

Kerchanin Allen

Whether your child is overweight or not, it's never too early (or too late) to start teaching him or her about eating right and living well. Here are some key ways to help prevent childhood obesity and teach your child healthy habits that will last a lifetime.

1.Change your formula: Consume less, burn more.
It sounds simple, but the key to childhood obesity prevention is managing the amount of calories that go in and increasing the amount of calories that are used up with exercise.

2.Make food fun.
If eating right seems like punishment, no kid will want to do it. Involve your children in meal planning, grocery shopping and cooking. Give your child several healthy choices and let him or her plan dinner. Make funny faces out of veggie sticks. Use pretzels to make fruit or veggie sculptures.

3.Make family dinners a priority.
Life is busy and schedules are hectic. But studies show that kids in families that sit down together for dinner several nights a week are more likely to adopt healthy eating habits and behavior. They also do better in school.

4.Be a role model.
Even if it seems like your kids (and especially your teenagers) don't notice anything about you, they do. The lessons you impart now will stick with them for a lifetime. If you try to eat right and get exercise, your kids will notice. Don't just tell your kids to eat healthy snacks, have one yourself to stress that you are serious about healthy eating.

5.Remember, no one is perfect.
Not everything that goes into your mouth is going to be whole grain, homemade or 100 percent nutritious. And that's OK. Show your kids how to have a healthy relationship with food by remembering moderation and eating right throughout the day.

6.Follow the 5-2-1-0 Rule
The 5-2-1-0 rule is a simple formula (created by Let's Go!, a childhood obesity prevention program) that parents can follow to try to get kids to eat right and exercise more.

5– Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies per day
2– Spend less than 2 hours a day in front of screens
1– Spend at least 1 hour per day doing something active
0– Limit sweetened drinks (to 0 per day) and drink more water and low-fat milk

7.No more portion distortion.
Over time, our portion sizes have grown increasingly larger. A good way to keep from overeating is to use smaller plates and smaller bowls. We're used to filling our plates, but that's usually far more food and calories than we actually need.

8.Make school healthy.
Even if you stock your home with healthy snacks, your child spends much of the day at school. At school, children are surrounded by unhealthy food options, from vending machines to fried food in the cafeteria. Talk to your Parent/Teacher Organization or principal about how the school can become a healthier environment. Learn more about theHealthy Schools Programfrom the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.

9.Let your kids lead.
Kids tend to embrace change more if they have some say in it. Don't just tell your kids how to eat right and live well. Empower them to make their own healthy decisions and be part of childhood obesity prevention efforts.

10.Ask for help.
There are lots of resources to help you help your child. Talk to your child's health care provider, school nurse or PE teacher. A dietitian can help you come up with healthy meal plans. Many hospitals offer pediatric weight management programs. Many YMCAsand Boys and Girls Clubs are involved in childhood obesity prevention, and may offer some helpful programs and classes.

Connect links:

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LifeTimeslinks:

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New Member Special: Join the Fitness Program and Pay No Fee in August

Beginning August 1, new members can join the Fitness Program and pay no enrollment fee*. Sign up by August 31 to get this great deal!

The Fitness Program offers flexibility, convenience and ease for just one low monthly fee. Members have access to more than 9,500 participating facilities so they can work out whether traveling, at home or at work. Other features of the Fitness Program include:

• Online enrollment and tracking

• Automatic monthly payment withdrawal

• No long-term contract. Pay only $25 per member per month

• Access to discounts through a nationwide Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) network of 40,000 health and well-being providers such as massage therapists, personal trainers and nutrition counselors

• Weekly Blue PointsSM** for regular visits. You will earn 2,500 bonus points for joining the Fitness Program. Redeem points for apparel, books, electronics, health and personal care items, music and Sporting goods. To snag your free enrollment, log in to MyEvive at click on the Blue Access For Members Tile, and search for the Fitness Program under Quick Links. You will need to enter the code “ENROLL4FREE” during enrollment to join for free before August 31. If you have any questions or prefer to enroll over the phone, call 888-762-BLUE (2583) Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. CT (6 a.m. and 6 p.m. MT).

Munchies – Tomato and Shell Bean Salad

RECIPE /
Tomato and Shell Bean Salad
"You say tomato, I say tomahto", whatever you call it, its sweet and juicy flavors are so wonderfully versatile this time of year. They can be chopped in salads, cooked in soups and stews, roasted and prepared as a sauce, or even just sliced up and eaten with a pinch of salt. Vine ripened summer tomatoes are what we wait for all year.
Did you know that tomatoes produce lycopene, a chemical which may help prevent certain cancers, and adding fat (like olive oil) and heat may enable your body to absorb more of it?
Servings: 4
INGREDIENTS /

4 oz. pancetta, sliced into 1/4 inch-thick strips (pancetta is an Italian bacon that is cured but unsmoked like most bacon)
Kosher salt
1 1/2 shelled fresh beans, such as edamame or black-eyed peas
1 ear corn, kernels cut from cob
1 plum tomato, halved and grated
1 garlic clove, minced
2 T. red wine vinegar
5 T. olive oil
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 lb. assorted tomatoes, large ones sliced 1/4 in. thick, small ones halved or quartered
1/2 c. chopped fresh basil

DIRECTIONS /

In large skillet, cook pancetta over low heat, stirring a few times, until crisp, about 10 min.
Drain on a paper towel- lined plate.
In med. saucepan of boiling salted water, cook beans until tender, 5 to 8 min. Just before they're done, add corn kernels and cook 1 min. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl.
Add grated tomato, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, and 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper.
Arrange tomatoes on a platter and season with a pinch of salt. Top with bean salad.
Scatter pancetta and basil over salad and serve. Enjoy!

NUTRITIONAL
ANALYSIS / N/A

FLIK
We attempt to provide nutrition information that is as complete as possible. The nutritional values are based on standard product formulations. Variations may occur due to the use of regional suppliers, seasonal influences, differences in product preparation at home and recipe revisions. Nutrient values are rounded according to FDA Rounding Rules.

Source: Motiva

Munchies – Grilled Plums and Berries

RECIPE / Grilled Plums and Berries

Grilled fruits and vegetables are delicious and easy. They are a perfect accompaniment when grilling fish or meat. Grilled fruits are wonderful on their own or as a topping for low fat ice cream or yogurt. Nectarines, peaches, and other stone fruits can be substituted.
Servings: 4
Serving Size: 1/2 plum with 1/4 cup berries and 1/2 cup yogurt or ice cream
INGREDIENTS /

4 halved and pitted plums
4 T. butter
2 T. Crystallized ginger, sliced thinly
3 T. sugar
1 c. raspberries and/or blackberries
2 cups low fat ice cream, frozen yogurt, nonfat yogurt or Greek yogurt

DIRECTIONS / 1.Mix 4 tablespoons melted butter, 2 tablespoons sliced crystallized ginger and 3 tablespoons sugar in a large bowl.
2.Toss with 3 or 4 halved and pitted plums.
3.Place the fruit, cut-side up, on a sheet of foil
4.Scatter 1 cup raspberries and/or blackberries on top.
5.Fold up the packet and grill over medium-high heat until the plums are tender and the berries are juicy, 15 to 20 minutes
6.Serve with 1/2 c. low fat ice cream, nonfat yogurt or Greek yogurt and 1/2 plum and berries.
NUTRITIONAL
ANALYSIS / N/A

FLIK -
we attempt to provide nutrition information that is as complete as possible. The nutritional values are based on standard product formulations. Variations may occur due to the use of regional suppliers, seasonal influences, differences in product preparation at home and recipe revisions. Nutrient values are rounded according to FDA Rounding Rules.

Source: Motiva

National Health observances

August

Children's Eye Health and Safety Month
Gastroparesis Awareness Month
National Breastfeeding Month
National Immunization Awareness Month
Psoriasis Awareness Month
1 – 7:World Breastfeeding Week
7 – 13:National Health Center Week
22 – 26:Contact Lens Health Week

September

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
Fruits & Veggies—More Matters ® Month
Healthy Aging ® Month
National Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month
National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
National Food Safety Education Month
National ITP Awareness Month
National Pediculosis Prevention Month/Head Lice Prevention Month
National Preparedness Month
National Recovery Month
National Sickle Cell Month
National Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month
National Yoga Awareness Month
Newborn Screening Awareness Month
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
Pain Awareness Month
Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Sepsis Awareness Month
Sexual Health Awareness Month
Sports Eye Safety Month
Whole Grains Month
World Alzheimer's Month
10-16:National Suicide Prevention Week
10: World Suicide Prevention Day
13: National Celiac Disease Awareness Day
18 – 24: National Farm Safety & Health Week
18 – 22: Malnutrition Awareness Week™
18: National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day
19: Get Ready Day
20: National School Backpack Awareness Day
21: RAINN Day (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network)
22: Falls Prevention Awareness Day
24: Family Health & Fitness Day USA ®
25: Sport Purple for Platelets Day
27: National Women's Health & Fitness Day
28: World Rabies Day
29: World Heart Day

Toolkits/blogs

August

National Immunization Awareness Month

September

National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

Fruits and Veggies – More Matters Month