Buckle up this Holiday Season!

Home for the Holidays Challenge Heads up

Our last WELL4LIFE challenge is about to start! Get excited! Seeing as today it started to snow...We want you to drive safe! 

The challenge will last 5 weeks, each week we will be focusing on a dangerous driving behavior. There will be 5 weekly challenges and a raffle for those who complete all 5 challenges! 

This first email will be sent out November 14! Look for the challenge! 

Also we are looking for your stories!!

Did you accomplish something this year you are proud of?  

How did the WELL4LIFE program help you?

Please write a message on Facebook or email Kari at karis@utahcounty.gov

Small Steps for Better Health

You may have noticed the emphasis on taking the stairs! If you haven't noticed, go check them out and use the stairs!  

Did you know???

• Physical activities like stair climbing are a great way to cope with job-related stress.
• Stair climbing is a 'green' activity, the only energy source used is what is stored in our bodies.... good for you and the environment!
• Taking the stairs is often faster than waiting for an elevator during peak usage times. Take the test and time your trip. Often for trips of 7 floors or less, the stairs are the quickest way to your destination.
• Using the stairs requires no special skill, equipment or clothing and it burns twice as many calories as walking. Step right up!!
• Climbing just two flights of stairs everyday could result a loss of 2.7kg or 6 lbs per year. Six flights a day could help you trim nearly 18 lbs.
• The 30 minutes of physical activity we need for our health can be accumulated a bit at a time, or one stairway at a time, spread at intervals throughout the day. Do it your way!
• People spend an estimated two-thirds of their lives at their place of employment. In order to stay healthy, we need to find ways to incorporate physical activity into our workday.
• Adding stairs to your day can add years to your life. Studies show that risk of cardiovascular disease and death is lower among those who are regular Stair climbers.

Source: http://hsc.unm.edu/wellness/physical/stairs.html

Can HEALTHY and HALLOWEEN be combined?

As the holidays approach, we brace ourselves for the expenses that come, the treats that overflow, family relationships strained or strengthened, and stress that sets in. Halloween is the initiation of the hubbub, afterwards comes Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Lets face it FOOD is a big part of the holidays, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY decreases and STRESS can increase. All of which lead to the so called, "holiday hangover". To avoid the "holiday hangover" here are some tips to start at least Halloween out on a good foot:

1. Fill up before Trick-or-Treating.
You and your children will be less likely to snack on the candy along the way, if you eat something before you go!

2. Handout non-sugary or toys for treats.
Some food ideas could be granola bars, animal crackers, popcorn, rice cereal, or cheddar cheese crackers. That way those leftovers don't hang around!

3. Walk while your trick-or-treating.
It is a tendency by some to drive from neighbor to neighbor, choose to walk from house to house instead.

4. Keep your favorite sweets and hide the rest.
When you return with bags of "loot", dump it all out and allow the kids to enjoy it but have them separate the candy into things that are their favorites and things that aren't. Hide the things that aren't their favorite and hide them out of sight and out mind.

5. Be careful about what you apply to your face! Don't use colored contacts, you need a prescription for those. Test try make-up to assure you are not going to have a bad reaction. Your skin is very sensitive.

*Source CNN and TIMES

If you don't plan for yourself, you'll be apart of someone else's.

$$$ "The biggest secret to financial success or success in any endeavor is to think further ahead than most people do." $$$

We had an awesome "Brown Bag" presentation today at the Sheriff's Office. A speaker came from Mountain West Credit Union came and gave us some great tips about finances. And he challenges us to NOT procrastinate change, but to take what we learned and apply it to ourselves. 

Here were some of the tips that we learned: 

1. Live a cash-only life. Get rid of any debt hanging over your head.

2. Invest properly. Look at your retirement, 401k, and bonds.  

3. Spend within your means. Don't spend more than you make. 

4. Save your money!  

5. Talk to the professionals. Don't be afraid of them, it shouldn't be embarrassing, everyone is going through life and so talk it out with people that you trust. 

6. Be aware of your accounts and potential identity threats. 

7. Plan, plan, and plan. Divide your potential spending into short term, long term and future in order to better anticipate unexpected high spending. 

8. Look at your interest rates and explore ways to lower them so you can pay off debts faster. 

9. Consider your paydays a "celebration day". And reward yourself with a little bit of money. 

10. If you earn a raise, don't spend more, save more money!

At the end of the presentation, he even gave away a $25 gift card! It was well worth the time! Think about what ways you can better your finances!

"Life is 10% of what happens to us and 90% of how we react to it."

Attention to all those reading this blog, you are important to us. And because you are so valuable to the Utah County Health Department, we truly care about you and your health! We know that healthy people equals happy people. We are preparing for the upcoming year and want to cater our activities to your needs! 

We want you to fill out this quick survey to give us a better idea of where you might be in the many aspects of wellness!

Here is a link to the survey, it is completely random, you are not required to place your name, nor will it be recorded, so please answer openly. Your answers will also be confidential. It is only to give us a better idea of program activities for the next year! It will only take you 3-4 minutes! We promise!!

Click here: Wellness Survey

Thanks again!!!!

Do something that your future self will thank you for!

The first fall YOGA class is tomorrow at noon! It should be lots of fun and relaxing all at the same time. Take a minute to "de-stress"! 

3 Reasons you should: 

1. You will LEARN something new. 

2. You could get to KNOW someone new. 

3. You will have FUN.  

.

"Yesterday I was so clever, that I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.' -Rumi

It is time to...BEAT the flu bug and get your SHOT!

Did you know? 

As shown in the graph, we are coming up to the time where everyone should get a flu shot! EVERYONE should get a flu shot every season!

3 REASONS why you should GET THE FLU SHOT this season:

1. The flu can cause other health conditions, i.e. diabetes, heart disease, and asthma, to worsen. 

2. By receiving the shot, you will prevent illnesses that can cause you to miss school and work. 

3. The virus changes year to year and so the shot is created for the specific virus that is most common. 

You can get the shot at your local physician, or the health department. Go and get one today!

*Information found from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

"Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time." Steven Wright

The weather is cooling down at night, and it is brisk in the morning. It is the perfect time of year to take a stroll around the neighborhood. Walking is the solution to a bad day, a reason to let go of stress, enjoy the nature all around, and take a minute to breathe fresh air. 

This Saturday, September 20, at 8:30 am, we will be hosting a "Try a Trail" Event. We will begin at the Jordan Parkway Trail in Lehi, Utah. We will have a booth set-up and some giveaways. Take the morning to WALK, TALK, and ENJOY the nature and cool weather. It should be a lot of fun. Bring your family and friends! 

I just don't have time to...

 

The to-do lists are exponentially growing and you are probably thinking, you just have to get through one week at a time. Just keeping up with the basics feels like a great accomplishment, which it actually is! The early mornings, not so nutritious meals, stressful days at work, or late nights are taking their toll. As mentioned in the this months newsletter,

"The key to extraordinary is to MANAGE ENERGY, not just time."

 

 Think about where your time and energy is going, take a look at the diagram below and challenge yourself to make your to-do lists in these boxes.  

Consider these as you do your lists:

Am I focusing on the tasks in Box 1?

How much of my time am I spending in Box 3?

Are there too many things in Box 4 that are weighing me down? 

As you focus on the tasks at hand in Box 1 you will have more time and will have more energy to get the rest of the items done. Challenge yourself!