Healthy School Lunches Made Easy

It pays to pack a nutritious packed lunch for your child. Granted, it’s one more thing to do in an already busy day, but the benefits are numerous, especially if you are health-conscious.  Packing your child’s lunch allows you to ensure that your child has healthy food at hand, helps keep your child away from unhealthier food choices, and may even be more economical.

Healthy packed lunches should include foods from at least three groups, providing your child with a balanced meal that includes whole grains, lean proteins, and fruits and vegetables.  Health Advocate offers the following ideas on packing healthy lunches for your kids.

Know the rules.Many schools have policies in place to protect children who suffer from potentially life-threatening food allergies, such as peanut allergies. Before packing your child’s lunch, make sure you know the school’s policy on what foods you can and can’t send to school.

Think outside the (lunch)box. Don’t feel boxed in to packing a traditional sandwich/fruit/milk combo. Consider other types of balanced meals that contain interesting foods. For example, you could pack hummus and whole-grain crackers, a hard-boiled egg, cut-up vegetables and a yogurt.

Have healthy foods on hand. When preparing lunch, make sure you have healthy foods that pique your child’s interest and eating style. Some healthy foods to keep in the kitchen include: whole grain breads and crackers; canned tuna fish; low-fat cheeses and cottage cheese; low-sodium natural lunch meats; various fruits and vegetables; yogurt and granola. Encourage your kids to make fun sandwiches with different whole grain breads, bagels, pita pockets or colorful wraps. Instead of traditional sandwich spreads like mayonnaise and mustard, try tabouli or hummus.  

Keep it cool.  If you are packing foods that need to be kept cold or chilled, use an insulated lunch box and include a freezer pack that helps food stay cold.

Consider your child’s age.  It’s important to pack foods that are easy to eat, especially for younger children. Older kids might be able to peel an orange or hard-boiled egg with no problem, but younger ones might have a tougher time completing these tasks quickly. Make sure to peel and cut up foods to make it easy for younger children to eat. Other fun, nutritional lunch options include:

·         Spinach wrap or tortilla with shredded low-fat cheddar cheese, chopped grilled chicken with a side of cut up carrots, celery and cucumbers

·         Egg salad on whole-wheat bread with tomato and lettuce and a side of fruit salad or applesauce

·         A ½ cup of low-fat cottage cheese mixed with strawberries, blueberries and pineapple with whole-grain crackers and hummus

·         A whole-wheat pita pocket stuffed with feta cheese, grilled chicken, cherry tomatoes, olives and lettuce with a side of yogurt

Don’t forget a drink!Water is always the healthiest choice. But if your child prefers fruit juice, make sure you provide juice that is 100% natural with no added sugars.

Make it fun. We all crave a snack now and then, so offer your kids some healthier types of treats. Some nutritious options include:

·         Baked potato chips

·         Air-popped popcorn

·         Trail mix, raisins and other dried fruits

·         Seeds (such as pumpkin or sunflower seeds)

·         A square of dark chocolate

·         Granola bars and fig bars

A few extra tips to make packing lunches easier for moms and dads:

·         Have your child help. Lighten your lunch-packing workload by getting your child involved. For example, you could cut up some raw vegetables for your child’s lunch, and they could pack them into a reusable container or plastic sandwich bag. Or, you could tell them that it’s their responsibility to choose a piece of fresh fruit from the basket to add to their lunch bag. Not only does it reduce the work you have to do, it gets your child involved in preparing healthy choices. 

·         Buy in bulk. Especially if you have more than one child, it may be a good idea to buy healthy lunchtime staples in bulk from your preferred wholesale club; this could lower your price per item.  It’s easy to store nonperishable items like applesauce, 100% fruit juice boxes, bottled water, peanut butter, bags of trail mix, nuts, and granola bars.

·         Prepare in bulk. If preparing a healthy lunch for your child every school night doesn’t fit your schedule, choose one night and prepare lunches for the whole week. Make and package sandwiches, cut-up veggies, bags of healthy snacks (whole-wheat crackers, dried fruits, etc), and a fruit (fruit cups, applesauce, or fresh fruit); put into brown paper bags and stash in the fridge.

If you are a Health Advocate member and you have access to Wellness Coaching, call your coach today, or visit HealthAdvocate.com/members, for more healthy meal ideas!

This week's WOW: Walking!

Each Friday, we’ll have a new Workout of the Week (WOW) for you. We hope you’ll try it out over the weekend and then build it into your daily routine Monday through Friday of the coming week. These workout ideas will be simple, appropriate for people of various ages and abilities, and allow you to fit a little more physical activity into your week!

This week’s WOW focuses on walking. Try walking an extra 500 steps each day this week. Count your steps by using a pedometer, a small device that clips onto your belt—if you don’t already own one, you can pick up an inexpensive one at many mass market retailers. 

If you’re not accustomed to doing too much walking, 500 steps may seem like a big number, but trust us—just start walking, and you’ll reach 500 sooner than you think! Here are a couple simple ideas to get you started:

* Take the kids and/or the dog for an after-dinner walk

* Park farther away from your office building to walk more steps before you start your shift

* On a rainy day, walk briskly through the mall--take the stairs (not the escalator)  to get from one floor to the next!

 

An extra 500 steps a day will add up over time and can help you burn extra calories. If you’re already a frequent walker and 500 isn’t challenging enough, try doing those steps on an incline, or just set your step goal higher.

Want more fitness ideas? If you’re a Health Advocate member with access to the Wellness Coaching program, reach out to your Wellness Coach for more healthy ideas to get—and stay—fit.

Workout of the Week: Hip Bridges

Each Friday, we’ll have a new Workout of the Week (WOW) for you.  We hope you’ll try it out over the weekend and then build it into your daily routine Monday through Friday of the coming week.  These workout ideas will be simple, appropriate for people of various ages and abilities, and allow you to fit a little more physical activity into your week!

Hip Bridges

Hip Bridges are a great way to strengthen a group of muscles you normally don’t engage during a regular exercise--your hips, lower back, abs, quads, and calf muscles.

·         Start by laying flat your back, knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands flat on the ground at your sides.

·         Next, tighten your stomach to engage your abdominal muscles and lift your hips off of the ground, resting only on your upper back. Hold this position for 1-2 seconds. Bring your hips back down to the ground reassuming the starting position. Remember to keep your abs tight the entire time.

·         Do this repeatedly for 30 – 60 seconds or until you can no longer lift your hips off the ground. For added difficulty, hold a weight over your stomach while doing the exercise.

Want more fitness ideas?  If you’re a Health Advocate member with access to the Wellness Coaching program, reach out to your Wellness Coach for more healthy ideas to get—and stay—fit. And remember, talk to your doctor before beginning any new fitness regimen.

Workout of the Week: Squats

Each Friday, we’ll have a new Workout of the Week (WOW) for you.  We hope you’ll try it out over the weekend and then build it into your daily routine Monday through Friday of the coming week.  These workout ideas will be simple, appropriate for people of various ages and abilities, and allow you to fit a little more physical activity into your week!

For this week’s workout, we will be focusing on working the muscle groups in our legs, thighs, and backsides. Squats are an age-old exercise that can be done virtually anywhere. Here’s how to do them:

·         First, start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart.

·         Next, slowly lower your body as if you are trying to sit in a chair that is a bit too far away (you can use your arms for balance). Try to bring your thighs as close to parallel to the floor as possible, keeping your back straight as you do this. Make sure your knees do not extend beyond the tips of your toes.

·         Slowly stand up, pushing through the heels of your feet, and come back to standing position.

·         Remember to tighten your stomach muscles to engage your core throughout the entirety of the exercise.

·         Repeat the squat 10 to 15 times.

 

If this is your first time (or first time in a while) doing a squat, you will likely feel it the next day. If you need more of a challenge, try adding 5 to 10 more squats each day of the week, or hold a weight in your hands while you do the exercise.

Want more fitness ideas?  If you’re a Health Advocate member with access to the Wellness Coaching program, reach out to your Wellness Coach for more healthy ideas to get—and stay—fit.  And remember, talk to your doctor before beginning any new fitness regimen.

The Dangers of Binge Drinking

As summer comes to an end, young adults nationwide begin to switch gears and get ready to pack up their cars and head back to college. But for many college students, whether they are at the beginning of their college career or are returning to finish up their final semester, their first weekend back on campus could involve heavy drinking. Binge drinking is a very real, and potentially fatal, danger that many students don’t take seriously. Universities often educate college students, especially incoming freshmen, of the dangers of binge drinking during orientation, but this doesn’t always stop them from doing it.

 "College freshmen are at the biggest risk for binge drinking," says Sandra Hoover, Ph.D., M.P.H., deputy director of A Matter of Degree: Reducing High-Risk Drinking Among College Students, a project administered by the American Medical Association (AMA) in Chicago. "They're away from home for the first time, and they have lots of freedom. They decide that means freedom to get drunk."

By the time they get to their senior year, most students who binge drink have moderated their drinking. But by then, many have already been hurt by bouts of heavy drinking.

Besides the risk of alcohol poisoning and even death, there are numerous risks involved with binge drinking. Here are just a few:

• Accidents. Alcohol impairs sensory perceptions, judgment and reaction time. Of young people who drink, 20 percent say they sometimes drive drunk.
• Date rape. Alcohol is a factor in up to two-thirds of sexual assaults on students.
• Unprotected sex. Heavy drinkers are at greater risk for AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. They also have a greater chance of pregnancy.
• Alcoholism. College students who abuse alcohol could become alcoholics. Chronic alcohol use can damage the liver and heart and increase the risk of some cancers.
• Bad grades. Students who drink the most have the worst grades, according to a study at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.

So what can you do?

If you are the parent of a college student, educate your college-age son or daughter about the risks of binge drinking and other substance abuse. Letting your kids know about the real-life dangers involved with binge drinking goes a lot further than just telling them “Don’t drink too much at college.” Here are some other things you can do:

·         Make your attitudes clear. Discuss your expectations for their college lifestyle and academic performance.

·         Show interest. Ask about grades, classes, friendships and other healthy aspects of campus life. Let them know these things are important.

·         Don't give up. What parents say and do really can make a difference. The earlier you start your prevention efforts, the better.

Want more help talking with your kids about alcohol or substance abuse? If you’re a Health Advocate member, you can call your EAP+Work/Life specialist who can provide counseling or help you locate more resources to help you and your family.

Source: http://www.medcentral.org/Main/StaywellProducts/Binge-Drinking

WOW –Workout of the Week: Banana Abs

Each Friday, we’ll have a new Workout of the Week (WOW) for you.  We hope you’ll try it out over the weekend and then build it into your daily routine Monday through Friday of the coming week.  These workout ideas will be simple, appropriate for people of various ages and abilities, and allow you to fit a little more physical activity into your week!

Banana Abs

This week’s workout, Banana Abs, focuses on engaging our abdominal and pelvic muscle groups.  You may be curious what this exercise has to do with a banana…well, if you’re in the correct position while doing the exercise, your body will be in the shape of a banana!  Here’s how to do this exercise:

·         Lie on your back with your feet together–legs straight–and extend your arms above your head.

·         Next, tighten your stomach to engage your abdominal muscles, and with both feet together, elevate your legs about 1-2 feet off the ground.  As you are doing this, raise your head and shoulders off the ground, remembering to keep your arms and legs straight.

·         If you’re doing the exercise correctly, your body will be in the shape of a banana, and you will feel muscles being worked all the way up and down your stomach.

·         Hold this position for 1-2 seconds and then return to the starting position.

·         Try doing sets of 30-40 reps, or try holding the banana position for 1 minute straight.

 

Want more fitness ideas?  If you’re a Health Advocate member with access to the Wellness Coaching program, reach out to your Wellness Coach for more healthy ideas to get—and stay—fit.

Remember to talk to your doctor before beginning any type of fitness regimen.

Workout of the Week: Calf Raises

Each Friday, we’ll have a new Workout of the Week (WOW) for you.  We hope you’ll try it out over the weekend and then build it into your daily routine Monday through Friday of the coming week.  These workout ideas will be simple, appropriate for people of various ages and abilities, and allow you to fit a little more physical activity into your week!

This week’s WOW: Calf Raises

For this Workout of the Week, we will be focusing on our calf and ankle muscles. Calf raises are a great way to build both strength and mobility in your knees, legs and ankles. Here’s how to try this exercise:

·         Find a step with a railing –this could be at your house, the park, or work.

·         Stand on the step, facing the stairs, with the pads of your feet resting halfway on the step and your heels hanging off. Make sure to place your hands on a railing for balance and support.

·         Next, slowly try to touch your heels to the floor behind you. (Hint: this is also a great way to stretch your calf muscles.)

·         Then, raise your body by standing only on the pads of your feet and toes.

·         Do this about 20-30 times or until your legs get tired. You should feel healthy tension in your calf muscles. Need a bigger challenge?  Try doing multiple sets of about 20-30 calf raises to get a more intense calf workout.

Need a visual guide? Watch this short video demonstrating proper calf raises:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUxn8c4HoSk&feature=player_detailpage&list=UU8XsYS0lX0jd4pjVA-dDxew

If you have pre-existing knee or ankle problems, please speak to your doctor before trying this workout.

Want more fitness ideas?  If you’re a Health Advocate member with access to the Wellness Coaching program, reach out to your Wellness Coach for more healthy ideas to get—and stay—fit.

Remember, before beginning any new fitness regimen, talk to your doctor to make sure the workout is right for you.