GET WELL, STAY WELL NEWSLETTER
YOUR GUIDE TO HEALTHY LIVING
In honor of American Heart Month, Be Well Solutions wants to answer some frequently asked questions
about heart health and heart disease.
What is heart disease?
Heart disease is a general term for a group of conditions related to our heart’s ability to deliver blood to our bodies.
This includes heart defects, irregular heart rhythms and blood vessel diseases. Much of our focus at Be Well Solutions
involves helping people prevent heart attacks and strokes — part of a condition known as atherosclerotic heart disease.
How does stress impact my risk of heart disease?
Stress does not necessarily increase your risk of heart disease, but poorly managed
stress does. For example, coping with stress by eating unhealthy foods, drinking too
much alcohol or using tobacco/drugs can increase your risk of heart disease.
Unmanaged stress can lead to a higher heart rate and blood pressure, which are
significant risk factors for heart attacks and strokes. For these and many other
reasons, it is important to use healthy coping strategies to manage daily stress.
Is it really important to choose whole grains to maintain a healthy heart?
Whole grain pasta, bread and rice contain more fiber than their white, refined counterparts.
Fiber is key for heart disease prevention. Since the fiber in whole grains takes longer to digest,
it helps you feel full longer and keeps blood sugar levels more stable. White, refined grains are
digested so quickly that your blood sugar rises quickly after you eat them. This spike in your
blood sugar increases diabetes risk and promotes an inflammatory response. This
inflammation contributes to narrowing of your arteries through plaque formation.
Do I need to eliminate saturated fat from my diet to reduce my risk of heart disease?
Higher saturated fat intake has been associated with higher risk of developing heart disease. However, it is not
necessary to completely eliminate saturated fat from your diet. It is necessary to pay attention to serving sizes of foods
such as red meat, full fat dairy products and tropical oils (coconut & palm kernel oils). There are many healthy options
that contain small amounts of saturated fat, such as nuts, olive oil and salmon. The American Heart Association
recommends the average adult get no more than 7% of their calories from saturated fat, which comes to no more than
about 15 grams per day if you are eating a 2,000 calorie diet.
What type of exercise should I do to reduce my risk of
heart disease?
The American Heart Association recommends engaging in a
combination of aerobic and strength training exercises throughout
the week for overall cardiovascular health. See the picture to the
right for more specific guidelines.
How does smoking and tobacco use increase my risk for
heart disease?
Smoking damages your veins and
arteries making it more difficult for
blood to circulate through your
body and back to your heart.
Smoking also increases your risk of
blood clots, which can travel to
your heart and cause a heart
attack. In addition, nicotine found
in all tobacco products elevates
your heart rate and blood pressure
placing added stress on your heart.
Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas
Recipe from http://www.cookingclassy.com/2015/01/slow-cooker-chicken-fajitas/
Ingredients
Directions
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1.
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes with green chilies (no salt added)
1 red, orange and green bell pepper, julienned
1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2.5 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
9 corn tortillas
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Pour half of the canned tomatoes into the bottom of a slow
cooker and spread into an even layer. Top with half of the
peppers and onions. Add chicken.
Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, coriander, salt and
pepper. Use tongs to coat both sides of chicken with
seasonings. Top with remaining half of the tomatoes,
peppers and onions.
Cover and cook on high heat for 3 hours or low heat for 6-8
hours, until chicken is cooked through and veggies are
tender.
Remove chicken and cut into strips or shred. Ladle out 1
cup of the broth in the slow cooker and discard.
In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice and honey. Add
to slow cooker along with chicken. Gently toss.
Serve with warmed corn tortillas.
Nutrition Facts
Total Servings - 9
Per 1 fajita
Calories: 207 / Total Fat: 2.5g / Saturated Fat: <1g / Sodium: 250mg / Carbs: 19g / Fiber: 4.7g / Protein: 26g
For more information, contact Be Well Solutions at (888) 935-7378 or info@bewellsolutions.com.
©Copyright Be Well Solutions, 2016
®
2.2016
O BS ER
VA N CE
N
ational Eating Disorders
Awareness Week is February 21-27.
Eating Disorders
By Cara Rosenbloom, RD
Sometimes worrying
about weight can lead
to an eating disorder –
a mental illness indicated
by extreme obsession
with food, eating and
body size. There are
3 main categories of
eating disorders:
February
is American
Heart Month.
O BS ER
VA N CE
Life’s Simple 7 for Your Heart
• Anorexia nervosa involves restricting food
The American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7 steps to heart protection can boost
energy and stamina and have you feeling better in no time:
2.
Manage
blood
pressure.
Healthy
blood pressure
is vital to preventing or
managing cardiovascular
disease (CVD).
Routine checking and improving
your blood cholesterol levels give
your arteries their best chance to
remain free of blockages.
1.
Reduce blood sugar.
High blood sugar can
lead to type 2 diabetes
and damage your heart,
kidneys and
nerves.
Control cholesterol.
3.
5.
• Bulimia nervosa includes binging by eating
lots of food and then purging by vomiting or
taking laxatives. It can be hard to tell if someone
is bulimic because they may not lose weight and
may hide their purging.
• Binge eating disorder involves eating lots of
4.
Lose weight. Shedding
extra pounds reduces the
burden on your heart, blood
vessels and your joints.
Losing even 1% of your
body weight improves your
health.
6.
Eat well. A diet rich in fresh
Exercise.
Getting at
least 150 minutes
of moderate-intensity
activity weekly (in segments
as short as 10 minutes),
such as brisk walking, helps
protect your heart.
intake and starving oneself. Individuals may
deny feelings of hunger and exercise excessively.
They mistakenly believe their bodies are much
bigger than they are in reality, and they fear
gaining weight.
Stop smoking.
p roduce, whole grains and
healthy protein (e.g., fish,
lean meats, beans) helps
fight arterial disease and
unwanted weight gain.
If you smoke, you have a
much-higher risk for CVD.
7.
food (binging) without purging to get rid of the
food. People with binge eating disorder may
overeat to comfort themselves emotionally.
They often can’t control what or how much
they eat, and feel distressed, disgusted, guilty
or depressed after eating.
The good
news: People
can recover
from eating
disorders with
professional
help.
“Don’t count the days. Make the
days count.” – Muhammad Ali
Smartphones
Take Your
Lunch to Work
By Eric Endlich, PhD
By Cara Rosenbloom, RD
Do you use your smartphone too
much? Assess your relationship with
your phone by checking the statements
that apply to you:
If the food court and cafeteria rule your
lunchtime decisions, consider this: You
could be saving money and making healthier
choices if you bring lunch from home.
QuikRiskTM Assessment:
q Do you keep your phone in or near
your bed while sleeping?
q Do you check your phone at
times that others might consider
inappropriate (e.g., theater, church,
funerals)?
q Do you ignore people you are with
in favor of your phone?
q Has your work, relationship(s),
sleep or parenting been negatively
impacted by your phone use?
q Do you prefer using your phone to
spending time with your partner or
spouse?
q Do you feel depressed or anxious
when you can’t use your phone and
feel better when you can?
q Do your friends or family complain
about how much time you spend on
your phone?
Packing lunches doesn’t need to be timeconsuming or difficult if you use these tips:
Live Stronger
>> Any of these simple lunch options
are healthier and less expensive than fast
food or a sit-down restaurant meal. And
if time is short, start with once a week and
work your way up.
Here are a few simple strength-training exercises you can
do for the rest of your life. Always check with your health
care provider before beginning any exercise program.
1. Plank
someone interrupts you when you’re
on your phone?
q Have you tried and failed to reduce
The more boxes you check, the more
you should pay attention to how your
smartphone could be controlling you
instead of the other way around. Loss
of control is a hallmark of addiction –
facing it is a start.
Leftovers: At dinner, cook a bit more
than you usually do. After dinner, put
leftovers in a reusable container and store
it in the fridge. If you’re packing salad,
leave the dressing on the side.
a nutritious midday meal. Items such as
Greek yogurt, fruit and sliced low-fat
cheese are popular. Try to mix and match
tuna, whole-grain bread, oatmeal packets,
single-serve hummus, almonds, trail mix,
fruit, seed and nut bars as well as an array
of prepared vegetables. Buy
prewashed carrot sticks,
grape tomatoes and mini
cucumbers for easy assembly.
q Do you get angry or annoyed when
your phone usage?
>>
>> Grab ‘n’ go: Pair healthy items to build
Targets: Abdominals, scapular
stabilizers, back extensors.
Equipment: None.
2. Body
Weight
Squat
Targets: Buttocks,
hamstrings, quadriceps,
legs.
Equipment: None.
Starting position: Begin on the ground
on hands and knees with hands a little
more than shoulder-width apart and
slightly in front of your shoulders.
Starting position: Stand with feet a little
wider than shoulder-width apart, and arms
hanging at sides. Keep torso erect and body
weight over heels.
Movement: Extend 1 leg at a time,
balancing on balls of feet as in the up
part of a push-up. Contract abdominals
so that back is parallel to the floor.
Important: Keep head and neck in line
with spine.
Movement: Set feet shoulder-width apart, toes
slightly turned out. Pull in lower abdominals,
keeping eyes forward and hands at sides with
palms facing inward. Push buttocks back.
Lower hips and body toward floor, while
slowly bending at knees and dropping hips
with heels flat on floor. Important: Don’t arch
back. Keep head aligned with spine and look
forward. Pause for a moment. Then push back
up with legs to starting position.
How many: To start, hold for 15
seconds, building up to 60 seconds.
Repeat once.
How many: Two sets of 10 repetitions.
Smart Moves toolkit is at www.personalbest.com/extras/16V2tools.
2.2016
TopHealth® is published to provide readers with the information and the motivation needed to achieve and maintain a healthier lifestyle. The content herein is in no way intended to serve as a substitute
for professional advice. Executive Editor: Susan Cottman. Medical Editor: Zorba Paster, M.D. Sources available on request. © 2016 Ebix Inc. All rights reserved.
Unauthorized reproduction in any form of any part of this publication is a violation of federal copyright law and is strictly prohibited. Personal Best® ... A Learning Solution powered by Oakstone®.
2700 Corporate Drive, Suite 100, Birmingham, AL 35242 • 800-871-9525 • fax 205-437-3084 • e-mail: editor@personalbest.com • website: www.personalbest.com.