<< A Little Pick-me-up >>

No better way to make your day & relieve some stress

than with a little humoR.

Ellen Degeneres has a funny gallery of 

"Bad Paid for Tattoos"

on her website. 

Some of these are unbelievable!

Take a look!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

source

Hope you're having a good work week!!

<< Lunches @ Work >>

Recently while browsing the internet...

We found a healthy blog that shares awesome healthy eating ideas.

Here are some of the lunches the author brings to work with her each day..

Besides looking AMAZINGLY delicious...

each of these lunches are extremely healthy.

Check out this blog to see what's in them and more healthy lunch ideas!!

The blog also has breakfast & dinner ideas, how to grocery shop for healthier foods, finding motivation to exercise, and more!

check it out!

{click the link below}

www.undressedskeleton.tumblr.com

<< Fall into October >>

Crisp & Cool Air

Changing Leaves

Hot Cocoa

Apple Picking

Pumpkin Carving

& the Spooky Halloween Spirit

....

It's time for fall!

6 healthy reasons to LOVE fall!

1. Seeing the leaves change isn't just fun to look at, it can also improve your mood & energy levels! "Research shows that yellow is associated with happiness and optimism; red and orange are both stimulating shades." 

Next time you need a boost, take a walk around the park or up the canyon to see what the leaves have to offer!

2.  Apple & pumpkin picking can be a romantic date idea, or a fun idea for you and the kids! Find some apple trees & start picking.  Plus, who wouldn't want a few extra apples to munch on during the day?

3.  The crisp air can be a benefit to your health.  Not too hot during the day, and just cold enough for a jacket and some mittens at night.  Go for a bike ride, or take a trip to the park to enjoy the fresh air.

4. Daylight savings brings an extra hour of sleep.  Setting the clock back an hour is definitely something we can all look forward to!

  

5.  Bring out the slow cooker!  Now that it's cooler, some warm vegetable soup might sound a bit more appetizing than it does in the summer. 

6.  Spend more time with your children by helping them in their studies!  Now that school is back in full force, and schedules have become a bit busier, spend time with your kids by helping them with their homework by quizzing them and coming up with creative games to learn.

information via http://www.everydayhealth.com/healthy-living-pictures/9-healthy-reasons-to-love-fall.aspx#/slide-1

Pumpkin Muffins!

It's that time of year....here's a yummy recipe for Pumpkin Muffins!

1 (18.25 oz) package yellow cake mix
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves

From allrecipies.com

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves until smooth. Spoon equal amounts of batter into the prepared muffin cups.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean.

Welcome to Quarter 4!

It's the 4th Quarter...can you believe it! ONLY 3 more months left in 2012!  That's crazy!  This is going to be a fun quarter!  We'll do our best to help motivate you to make this the best 3 months of the year!  What have you wanted to accomplish all year but haven't yet....?  Here's your chance!  If you need ANY help or suggestions for how to reach your goals, or if you just want a little extra motivation contact us!  We want to help you be the best you can be!
karis@utahcounty.gov.  Let us know how we can help!

Why Have a Worksite Wellness Program?

Worksite wellness programs have become an integrated part of many companies within the past few years. Why the sudden rise? Why are they even needed? Here are some of the top reasons. Wellness Programs...

1. Decrease worker and employer health care cost. In recent years health care costs have been on a staggering rise for both worker and employer. In the year 2002, annual premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance were $3,083 for single coverage and $8,003 for family coverage ($2,137 from worker contribution and $5,866 from employer contribution). Currently in 2012, the average annual premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance are $5,615 for single coverage and $15,745 for family coverage ($4,316 from worker contribution and $11,429 from employer contribution. That is an 82% increase in premiums for single coverage and 97% increase for family coverage. This growth in premiums has outpaced increases in both workers’ wages (1.7% since 2011 and 33% since 2002) and inflation (2.3% since 2011 and 28% since 2002). 

2. Increase Productivity. Healthier employees are more productive on the job and accomplish more during the workday. Presenteeism, which is the loss of productivity while on the job associated with health and work/life factors, is reduced in workplaces that have wellness programs. Additionally, healthier employees miss less work, thus reducing absenteeism.  

3. Better Morale. When a company begins to change as a result of the worksite wellness program, there is a new energy within the company. Employees who feel cared for by their company feel a better since of loyalty to the company and are more likely to enjoy the work atmosphere.

Wellness Week!

This week, September 17-21, is wellness week! Each day comes with a challenge, and if all the challenges are completed then you will be entered to win a prize! Just sign the flier you received via email and return it to Kari Matheson (2700 of the HJB) at the end of the week. Remember, your body does so much for you! Time to pay it back. Be healthier than you were yesterday.

Here are the daily challenges:

9/17-Fuel Your body! Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies today!

9/18– Sleep is important to get a fresh start to your day! Get 8 hours of sleep tonight.

9/19– It’s the middle of the week, but don’t be stressed! Take 15 minutes to relax today! Listen to your favorite music, take a walk,...Anything that helps you relax!

9/20– “I like to move it, move it!” Spend 30 minutes being active!

9/21– Exercise your Brain! Take the time to exercise your brain today. Memorize something, do a crossword, play Sudoku, something to give your brain a work-out!

September's Brown Bag!

         Last Tuesday, September 4, Kari Matheson presented the monthly brown bag entitled, “Tips and Tricks for Helping your Family Eat Healthier.” Her presentation centered around behavioral economics which focuses on the psychological variables involved in making decisions and how these variables can be translated to the way we eat. Brian Wansink, author of Mindless Eating, said, “Our taste resides in our head as well as in our mouth.” Even before the food touches our mouth we are hit with psychological cues including the name of the food, visual appeal, ingredient associations, packaging, lighting, and odors and scents. Kari gave an example of a bakery that was having a hard time selling their brownies. Someone decided to sprinkle some powdered sugar on them and sales went up almost immediately. Therefore, when feeding a family it is important to think about these psychological factors and how changing one or more of them can be the difference between a family member eating vs not eating a food item. Kids can be especially picky when it comes to what they will and won’t eat. Some ideas to help them eat their meals include the following: making stories out of their food, creating visual associations (broccoli=dinosaur trees), involving children in meal planning, giving children food choices, and cutting food into different shapes.        
         After the presentation we put this idea into practice. Everyone made a pancake and mixed in healthy ingredients including flaxseed, sunflower seeds, almonds, and pecans. After the pancake was cooked everyone tried to make it as visually pleasing as possible with fruit, whipped cream, jam, and syrup. Take a look at some of the creations!  

Thank you to all those who came to September’s brown bag, and don’t forget about the next brown bag on October 10! Earthquake lady will be giving a presentation on emergency preparedness!

 

End of the Quarter....

The end of the 3rd Quarter is coming up...September 30th!  Can you believe it!?!  Don't forget to contact your coach, track your goals, do your health education and physical activities or whatever else you need to do to finish the quarter up!  If you have any questions contact Kari at 851-7098!.

25 Super Snacks with 100 calories or less!

Click this link!
http://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-100-calorie-snacks?ecd=wnl_din_082712&ctr=wnl-din-082712_ld-stry