What`s the Skinny on Fat`s?

Wellness Wednesday

Fats are an important part of a healthy diet: They provide essential fatty acids, keep our shin soft, deliver fat-soluble vitamins, and are a great source of energizing fuel. But it's easy to get confused about good fats vs. bad.  “Choosing the right types of dietary fats to consume is one of the most important factors in reducing the risk of developing heart disease," says Tufts University researcher Alice Lichtenstein. DSc. Your body will certainly thank you for providing it with the right source of energy and nutrition! Cutting the total fat in your diet not only helps you shed pounds, it can also help you live longer and healthier.  

Here are some Myths and facts about fats from helpguide.org;

Myth: All fats are equal—and equally bad for you.
Fact: Saturated fats and trans fats are bad for you because they raise your cholesterol and increase your risk for heart disease. But monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are good for you, lowering cholesterol and reducing your risk of heart disease.
Myth: Lowering the amount of fat you eat is what matters the most.
Fact: The mix of fats that you eat, rather than the total amount in your diet, is what matters most when it comes to your cholesterol and health. The key is to eat more good fats and less bad fats.
Myth: Fat-free means healthy.
Fact: A “fat-free” label doesn’t mean you can eat all you want without consequences to your waistline. Many fat-free foods are high in sugar, refined carbohydrates, and calories.
Myth: Eating a low-fat diet is the key to weight loss.
Fact: The obesity rates for Americans have doubled in the last 20 years, coinciding with the low-fat revolution. Cutting calories is the key to weight loss, and since fats are filling, they can help curb overeating.
Myth: All body fat is the same.
Fact: Where you carry your fat matters. The health risks are greater if you tend to carry your weight around your abdomen, as opposed to your hips and thighs. A lot of belly fat is stored deep below the skin surrounding the abdominal organs and liver, and is closely linked to insulin resistance and diabetes.

Remember, fat is only part of the problem. Obesity is much more complicated than just over eating a single nutrient. Eating more calories -- from fats, carbohydrates, protein, and alcohol -- than you burn off leads to weight gain. Simply put, people who get little physical activity and eat a diet high in calories are going to gain weight. Genetics, age, sex, and lifestyle also weigh into the weight-gain formula.

Feel free to contact Nancy @ my.healthiswealth@comcast.net

Get Organized & Increase Productivity

It is a known fact that getting organized and staying organized has many benefits. It saves you time and money; it reduces stress and increases productivity. Getting organized is also empowering and has benefits for everyone involved in your organization, according to Kris Beavers, Executive Director, Texas ACOFP 

A well-organized office is one that not only looks good but is functional too. It is organized to match how you work, live, and travel – not how someone else does. The basic rule of thumb for placing things in a space is to put frequently used items close to you and infrequently used ones farther away with the remaining things situated somewhere in the middle. However, that rule falls short of telling you how to consider job duties while organizing your work space – so some of us use the “put-it-anywhere” approach. But, people who organize their space according to the work they do, how they want or need to do it, and where they do it, report being better organized and, generally speaking, feeling more in control of their work than the “put-it-anywhere” population.

See if any of this sound familiar to you… It’s Monday morning, you’re running late, the computer won’t boot up, the phone is ringing already, you have an early morning meeting, and you have several important things pending on your desk…

We all have these “days” but there is a difference in having a “day” that is out of control and an unorganized office that customarily operates out of control. Having a routine is critical to saving time and keeps stress to a manageable level. Having routines and high standards in your office is the key to being organized and saving time.  Be specific on the details, follow-thru with all commitments, be consistent and accountable to have a more efficient office. Barry Drake, The CEO of Backyard Broadcasting, encourages his top management to adapt the following four words as a part of their mission statement.  I have these four words engraved and sitting on my desk as a daily reminder:

Specificity - having a special application, bearing, or reference; specifying, explicit, or definite: to state one's specific purpose. specified, precise, or particular:

Consistency - steadfast adherence to the same principles, course, form, etc.: There is consistency in his pattern of behavior. agreement, harmony, or compatibility, especially correspondence or uniformity among the parts of a complex thing.

Follow-Thru- the act of continuing a plan, project, scheme, or the like to its completion.

Accountability- subject to the obligation to report, explain, or justify something; responsible; answerable. capable of being explained; explicable; explainable. 

Want to save time and money, reduces stress and increases productivity? Get organized and have a goal to be and do the your very best.

by:Nancy Larson, Human Resources Director, Delaware County Government

my.healthiswealth@comcast.net

What to cut back on calories?

Try a low-calorie vegetarian recipe. Get encouraged trying these delicious, diet-friendly vegetarian dinners.  Many are joining the “Meatless Monday” option. Whether you’re a vegetarian (which I`m not) or just looking to cut back on calories, (which I am) eating meat-free meals can have real weight-loss benefits. Vegetables, beans and whole grains, are all plant-based foods and are full of fiber, which helps you feel satisfied on fewer calories. Increasing our fiber intake has been shown to help prevent weight gain—and even encourage weight loss. Plus, going meatless may help to reduce your risk of heart disease.

No matter which category of vegetarian you fall into, it is important to choose a variety of foods, including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds. Using the MyPlate.com tips for vegetarians and non-vegetarians can help you make sure you are meeting your nutritional needs each day.

Vegetarians should consume a variety of calcium sources in order to meet daily requirements. Studies have shown vegetarians absorb and retain more calcium from foods than do non-vegetarians. Dairy products are a rich source of calcium. If dairy products are not included in your diet, adequate amounts of calcium can be obtained from plant foods.

Vegetarians should consume a variety of iron sources to meet daily requirements. Consuming a good source of vitamin C (citrus fruits, orange juice, tomatoes) at each meal will increases your iron absorption. Some of those include fortified breakfast cereals, soybean nuts, dark green, leafy greens, beans, enriched breads, rice and pasta, eggs and peanut butter.

Protein is found in most plant foods as well as animal foods. Your body will make its own complete protein if a variety of foods and enough calories are eaten during the day.

Vegetarian sources of protein include: beans, whole grains, soy products, nuts and nut butters, dairy products, eggs. Don’t forget your need for B12 which is found in all foods of animal origin, including eggs and dairy products. An adequate intake of vitamin B12 is generally not a concern for vegetarians who eat some dairy products or eggs. Strict vegetarians or vegans, however, may need to supplement their diet by choosing a fortified breakfast cereal or by taking a vitamin B12 supplement of no more than 100 percent of the Daily Value.

Information provided by Vegetarian Nutrition, a dietetic practice group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 

Contact Nancy @ my.healthiswealth@comcast.net

Are you feeling SAD?

 SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER

People may reject the accusation that a shift in the weather can cause depression in some individuals. Seasonal depression can be cause by the lack of sunlight during the winter for those very sensitive individuals. It may be argued that everybody goes through these varying weather patterns without any difficulty. This past weekend was a challenge for me…I am tired of gloomy overcast and cold weather! I know it is all about finding the “good” in each and every day, but this weekend was a tough one. There is a medical reason why some of us encounter depression because of the weather and also there are treatments available.

 

The changing of the seasons for many people can be a time of struggle against a form of depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder, commonly known as SAD, It is a specific type of depression that only appears during a certain time of year, most often during the fall or winter, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). I have known a few people, including myself, that struggle with SAD.

One known effective treatment for SAD is light; patients sit under special lights with full spectrum light bulbs. Other tips to help treat your seasonal depression:

·        Stay connected with friends, support is important.

·        Change the light bulbs in your home to those that are more like natural light.

·        Exercise, such as walking the mall or on a treadmill

·        Maintaining a positive attitude can do wanders for your heart

·        Managing time wisely to reduce any added stress

·        Eat healthy well balanced meals

It is important that your surrounding environment be kept as bright as possible for the longest time possible as well. May this wellness tip brighten YOUR day!

Nancy Larson, CWCC

Human Resources Director

Delaware County Government

Tel: 765.741.3397

Fax: 765.284.5831

nlarson@co.delaware.in.us

http://www.co.delaware.in.us