March is National Nutrition Month!

National Nutrition Month® is a nutrition education and information campaign created annually in March by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day, also celebrated in March, increases awareness of registered dietitian nutritionists as the indispensable providers of food and nutrition services and recognizes RDNs for their commitment to helping people enjoy healthy lives.


The 2015 National Nutrition Month® theme is "Bite into a Healthy Lifestyle."





Click on the widget to the right to find out more information and read interesting articles on nutrition!

Many Americans don't get enough:
Potassium-only 4.7 percent of adults consume recommended amounts of potassium
Try eating a banana! (3 a day is required for your daily intake) also try squash or potatoes.


Fiber-only 11.3 percent of people meet the daily recommended intake
Try incorporating more whole grains, whole wheat and bran are high in fiber!


Calcium- can be found in spinach, broccoli and onions, not only milk, which contains mostly fat


Vitamin D-only 50 percent meet the daily requirements
Try taking a walk in the sunshine (15 min a day) or incorporating a supplement


Iron- try incorporating more healthy nuts and dark leafy green vegetables!


It may be hard to get all the nutrients you need in a day, you may want to consider taking a multivitamin

Don't Worry Be Happy

Did you miss the Brown bag last week?

if you did DON'T WORRY here is a little summary

What is worry? 

Worry is stress, some worry can be beneficial (Eustress) and can motivate us to solve problems and take action. However with the good also comes the bad, too much stress or worrying can be harmful and crippling (Distress) and leads to less efficient and productive lives. 

Below is the Yerkes-Dodson Human performance and stress curve it represents the connection between stress and performance.

As you can see on the left of the chart without any stress we are un-alert and unmotivated to get anything done.

On the opposite end you can see with too much stress we become disorganized and and unable to effectively complete tasks.

How can we control our worrying/stress?

Change your Belief System- only YOU can decide how you will react to situations

instead of thinking your a failure for doing something wrong, think of it as a learning opportunity, you can only get better with practice!

Have a Support Group- Close family and friends can help you through tough times, even if they are only there to listen.

Have a Hobby- have an activity that brings you happiness, something you can do that is uplifting after a long day.

Exercise Regularly- 3 hours per week

Obtain a Nutritious Diet

And Get Adequate Sleep- 7-9 hours per night

If you need assistance in managing your stress or just need someone to talk to, contact the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) @ 801-442-3509

***All services are FREE and CONFIDENTIAL***

Say "hi" to the quiet guy

Remember to work towards increasing your Social Wellness this month.

Be aware of the social impact you have on others, a simple conversation not only increases your social wellness but the wellness of others.

Respect what others have to say and be an active listener.

Have you Tested for Radon Yet?

RADON

January is national Radon action month!

I hope you all decide to take action by getting your homes tested!! Tests can be purchased at the Provo health department in the Environmental office for just 10$ or 5$ if you decide you would like to take a BYU survey regarding Radon (which took me approx. 5 minutes)

What is Radon??

Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas. It forms naturally from the decay of radioactive elements, such as uranium, which are found at different levels in soil and rock throughout the world. Often times we build on areas where radon is escaping the soil, this gas can become trapped inside our homes and cause serious health problems. It is estimated that 1 in 3 homes have elevated radon levels!

What can radon do to me and my family??

• ·         Long-term exposure to radon can lead to lung cancer.
• ·         Respiratory diseases, especially pulmonary fibrosis (scar tissue forming in the lungs that leads to shortness of breath).
• ·         Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (this includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis).
• ·         Some studies have also linked Radon exposure with the development of multiple sclerosis.
• ·         Some scientist suggests there might be a link between radon exposure and the development of Leukemia in children.

GET YOUR HOME TESTED!!!!!!!!

Resources for tests as well as solutions to dealing with high radon levels in your home can be found on the link below

http://www.epa.gov/radon/index.html

Crucial Conversations

In review of our latest "Brown Bag" guest speaker we learned that a crucial conversation is any conversation where the stakes are high and opinions differ. Uncomfortable conversations can happen anywhere, at home or at work and without the proper communication skills these situations can quickly become HEATED!!

REMEMBER the authors also offer seven effective steps to mastering a crucial (effective) conversation:

1.  Start with Heart – What is the desired result from this conversation?  What exactly is at stake?  You have to ask yourself these questions to determine how important this conversation is to you and your career.  Knowing what is at stake going into the conversation will help you stay true to your convictions. 

2.  Learn to Look – Be on the lookout for a lack of mutual purpose.  Continuously ask yourself whether you are leading the conversation with dialogue or defensiveness.  And if you or the other party strays toward the latter, protect your conversation from going downhill with an expression like “I think we’ve moved away from dialogue” or “I’m sorry.  I’ve been trying to force my ideas on you.” 

3.  Make it Safe – When you notice that you and others have moved away from dialogue, do something to make it more comfortable.  Ask a question and show interest in others’ views.  Apologies, smiles, even a request for a brief “time out” can help restore safety when things get dicey. 

4.  Master your Story – Retrace your path to find out what facts are behind the story you’re telling.  When you have the facts on your side, it’s hard to deny your argument. 

5.  State your Path – Share your facts and conclusions in a way that will make the other party feel safe telling their story, too.    

6.  Explore Others’ Path – A dialogue allows you to actively inquire about the other party’s views.  Now that you both understand each other, you can emphasize which parts you agree upon and the areas in which you differ. 

7.  Move to Action – Come to a consensus about what will happen, document who does what by when and settle on a way to follow up. 

The authors believe that mastering these steps reduced the failure of team projects by half and showed effective results in many other situations – both personal and professional.  By knowing how to handle these crucial conversations, you can become influential; the type of person who can solve problems and get things done while also strengthening valuable relationships in the workplace. 

http://www.wikisummaries.org/Crucial_conversations_Tools_for_Talking_When_Stakes_are_High

Home for the Holidays Challenge: Impaired Driving

Don't drink and drive this Holiday season and make sure your loved ones don't drink and drive either!  Talked to your kids about underage driving and make sure they know it is unacceptable.

Still need to do your holiday shopping?

Here's a few ideas for healthy holiday gifts to get your loved ones....

Be safe this weekend and Don't use your phone while driving...

Fasten Your Seat belt Someone Needs You!

If we all would drive with more common sense and think about driving, while we are actually doing so, the amount of accidents would significantly decrease. I am sure that you can think of many times you have been driving down the road and get held because up ahead there is a crash. You slowly pass the accident thinking, "Yikes! That is a bummer, I am sure glad that isn't me." Well, we are glad it isn't you either! 

But awareness and prevention are the keys to avoiding these disasters and making the roads safer! We have been doing the Home for the Holidays Challenge 5 most dangerous driving behaviors: Drowsy, Unbuckled, Impaired, Distracted, and Aggressive. You are aware of these dangerous behaviors! Set a goal to rid your driving of one or more of these habits!