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! 

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