how to stay on track this holiday season to wellness...free health screenings at himg the following...

PATHWAYS TO WELLNESSNEWSLETTER

ITC Kabel

DECEMBER 2013

FOR MOUNTWEST EMPLOYEESLunch & Learn EventJanuary 29th | 12:00 - 1:00pm

The topic of this Lunch & Learn event is: “Making Healthy Food Choices for the New Year” and will be presented by a local registered dietitian. Please bring your lunch and participate in this free opportunity! Please RSVP to Bethany Perry at stiltner1@mctc.edu or Ext. 3501 by January 20th.

LOCAL EVENTSCooking Classes at Huntington’s Kitchen“Heart-Healthy Cooking”December 18 | 4:00-5:15pm“Cooking on a Shoestring”December 19 | 6:00-7:15pm

These classes offered by Huntington’s Kitchen, located across from Pullman Plaza in Huntington on 4th Avenue. Cooking classes are free to the public.

RSVP is required. Call 304.522.0887 for more information and to RSVP.

Free Health Screenings at HIMGThe following screenings are offered at HIMG, located at 5170 US Rt 60 in Huntington off of Interstate 64. For more information or to schedule a screening, please call (304) 399-3100 or (304)399-2367

• BloodPressure• BloodSugarCholesterol• BodyFatScreeningPulse• OximetryScreening• WeightScreening• HearingScreenings

MISSISSIPPI SPICED PECANSIngredients• 1poundpecanhalves• 1tablespoonpackeddarkbrownsugar• 11/2teaspoonskoshersalt• 1teaspoonchoppedfreshthyme• 1teaspoonchoppedfreshrosemary• 1/2teaspoonfreshlygroundpepper• 1/2teaspoonpimentd’Espelette, (see Tip) or a pinch of cayenne pepper• 2tablespoonsextra-virginoliveoil

Directions1. Preheat oven to 350°F.2. Spread pecans on a large baking

sheet. Roast until fragrant, about 12 minutes.Watchcarefullysotheydon’tburn.

3. Combine brown sugar, salt, thyme, rosemary, pepper and piment d’Espelette (or cayenne) in a small bowl. Transfer the roasted pecans to a large bowl, drizzle with oil and toss well to coat completely. Sprinkle with the spice mixture and toss again. Serve warm or let cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Tips:Make Ahead and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Piment d’Espelette is a sweet, mildly spicy chile pepper from the Basque region of France, ground into a powder. Find it online at spanishtable.com.

Nutrition facts (per serving = 2 tablespoon)107 calories; 11 g fat (1 g sat , 6 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 2 g carbohydrates; 1gprotein;1gfiber;53mgsodium;58 mg potassium.

HEALTHY RECIPE(www.diabeticgourmet.com)

The Pathways to Wellness Newsletter will be published monthly as a component of Mountwest’s Campus Wellness Initiative with the goal of “working to ensure the health and wellness of Mountwest.”

For additional information, please email hrempdev@mctc.edu.

A State Community and Technical College of West Virginia | An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

How to Stay on Track This Holiday Season8 Ways to Stay Healthy and Fit Through the HolidaysArticle Courtesy of: Huffington Post (www.huffingtonpost.com)

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for some, but for others it’s a time of stress. Whetheryou’reworriedaboutspendingtoomuchmoneyortryingtokeepupwithyour holiday commitments, the stress of the holidays can make you feel anything but merry.

We’vemadeitthroughThanksgiving,andasweapproachthemeatoftheholidayseason (hopefully not with tighter jeans), there are still plenty of temptations tocome.Whetherit’sthatmercilessbake-happyco-worker,toomanypartyinvitations, or that mother-in-law who has never heard of fruit, even the most motivated and active person struggles with exercise lapses. Here are some tips to stay the course and come out ahead.

1) Make Some Tradeoffs It’s not realistic (and no fun) to completely deprive yourself during all the

festivities. Make a deal with yourself where you can indulge a little, then sacrificesomewhereelsetocompensate.Haveanextrapieceofpumpkinpie,then try to get in an extra indoor cycling ride! But know yourself -- if you can’t have just a little, it’s better to have none at all.

2) Quantify It Reaching your goals means making sure you measure up. People attain

greater success if they hold themselves accountable by keeping a journal that reflectsworkouthoursandfoodportions.

3) Find What Motivates You Self-reflectionisasimportantasyourreflectioninthemirror.Don’tletthe

chaos of the holidays derail your momentum. Stay as close to your regular routine as possible, and look inward to understand why you’re setting goals.

4) Partner Up The sad reality is, the harder you try to stick to an exercise program, the

harder people try to lure you away. You may hear, “C’mon, skip a day!” or “Enjoyyourselfandeatwhatyouwant.”Developstrengthinnumbers--findan exercise buddy who’s on the same page and someone (a spouse, sibling, or co-worker) who will go the extra mile to keep you on track.

But exercise, or lack thereof isn’t the only thing that makes or breaks you -- it’s the gluttonous surplus of food and calories. Even if you exercise without fail, a calorie feast every day for a month will leave you bloated, heavier, and lethargic.Followthesetipstokeepyousatisfied.

5) Don’t Skip Meals Cravings and binges are attributed to skipping meals or severely limiting your

caloric intake. If you’re trying to be “good” around the holidays by eating much less,ditchthatapproachandeatsomethingsensibleandfilling.Ifnot,yourbrain senses famine, takes over, and actually produces chemicals that make you hungry to keep your body from starving.

6) Don’t Stress Life brings on stress, and around the holidays emotional stress levels climb

fast. Remember that eating does not make your problems go away. Food is just a temporary distraction. Find other ways to beat stress. Read a book, call a friend, take a walk or meditate.

7) Drink Plenty of Water The best things in life are free -- free of calories that is. Make a toast to the

most sensible drink. Drink at least six to eight glasses of water each day to beatfatigueandfighthunger.Stayinghydratediscrucialtogoodhealthandto your waistline. People often misinterpret thirst cues for hunger. If you feel hungry, drink a large glass of water before your meal, and continue to drink waterduringthemeal.Thiswillfillyourstomachandmakeyoufeelsatisfied.

8) Don’t Be Impulsive Whenfacedwitheatingsomethingthatcouldderailyourprogress,youmay

needsomehelpcontrollingyourimpulses.Trythis:Stopyourself.Takefiveslow, deep breaths and think of three positive consequences that can come from not giving into your impulse, then move on to something else

Tips for Preventing Holiday Weight GainArticle Courtesy of: www.mayoclinic.com by Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeretsky, R.D.

It’s commonly thought that the typical holiday weight gainis around 5 pounds (2.3 kilograms). In reality, it’s probably less. The catch, though, is that even a small holiday weightgain is seldom lost — adding to the cumulative weight gain that happens over time for most adults. In past blogs we’ve talked about being mindful about holiday eating. Continuing in that spirit, I offer a few additional tips to help you enjoy the season and avoid holiday weight gain:

• Takeitadayatatime.Strivetobalanceoutyourcalories over the day or at least over a couple of days. If you’ll be consuming extra calories at a social event in the evening, make adjustments earlier in the day. Focus on fruits and veggies, and add some lean protein and high-fibergrainstokeepyourappetiteincheck.

• Spurnthepartysnacks.Don’twasteyourcaloriesmindlesslymunchingsaltyor sugary snack foods. Save them for the big event — dinner and dessert.

• Beselective.Buffetsdon’thavetobeallyoucaneat.Surveytheofferings.Whatlookstoogoodtopassup?Whatcanyoulivewithout?Focusonwhatyou’ll enjoy, not how much you can squeeze on your plate.

• Decorateyourplate.Fillhalftothree-quartersofyourplatewithcolorfulrawveggies, fruits or items that have these as their main ingredient. You know creamy sauces and cheesy toppings are going to add calories, so take smaller portions. Fill the rest of your plate with lean meat, shrimp or other seafood choices.

• Mindyourmannersandyourportions.Atsit-downaffairs,graciouslysampleall foods — for your own experience and to please your host. However, you don’t have to clean your plate to demonstrate your appreciation.

• Practicediscretion.Identifytheaddedcalorieculprits,suchascheeseorcreamsaucesandfillings,anddiscretelymovesomeoralltothesideofyourplate.You’llstillgettheflavorjustnotalltheunnecessarycaloriesandfat.

• Planforindulgence.Ifyouwanttoindulgeinahomemadeholidaytreatorluscious dessert, ask yourself what you’re willing to give up in exchange — somethingatlunchordinner,oryourafternoonsnack?Orarewillingtoputintheextratimeatthegym?

Tips for Reducing Holiday StressArticle Courtesy of: www.webmd.com

Whydomanypeoplefeelsomuchmorestressatthistimeofyear?Wetendtoblameworseningtraffic,crowdedmalls,andincessantcommercialspushingholidayconsumption, but a key culprit is our own memories, according to Ronald Nathan, PhD, clinicalprofessoratAlbanyMedicalCollegeinNewYork.“Whenwethinkabouttheholidays, we dwell on the past and what went wrong, or we romanticize it and make it impossible to re-create,” he says.

He counsels people to carefully examine their thoughts and expectations, and not drive themselvescrazyfinding“theperfectgift”orplanning“theperfectparty.”“Instead,”hesays, “lower your expectations, and overestimate -- rather than underestimate -- your time

Stress and the Immune SystemEasing up on yourself over the holidays is important because the connection between stress and illness is real, says Simon A. Rego, PsyD, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and associatedirectorofpsychologytrainingatMontefioreMedicalCenterinBronx,N.Y.

“Thecontroversythatstresscausesdiseaseisprettymuchover.We’renowteasingouthowstressdoesit,”hesays.Infact,a new study explains how stress may weaken the immune system. Each cell contains a tiny “clock” called a telomere, which shortens each time the cell divides. To counter this effect, the body also produces an enzyme, telomerase, which protects the cell and prevents further shortening by adding more DNA to the end of the telomere.

So far, so good -- but under stress, the body pumps out cortisol, a hormone that suppresses this protective enzyme. The study found that people under chronic stress have shorter telomeres, which, researchers say, means they are more vulnerable to a host of ailments.

Health effects of stressHowtoreducethewear,tear,andmiserythatholidaystresscaninflict?Whenyourholidayto-doliststretcheslongerthanSantaClaus’s beard, eliminate whatever is unnecessary. Doing so may reduce your risk of:

• Heartdisease,includingheartattacks• Skinconditions,includingpsoriasisandshingles• Digestivedisorderflare-ups,suchassymptomsofirritablebowelsyndrome,ulcerativecolitis,andCrohn’sdisease• Immunedisorders,includingflare-upsofmultiplesclerosisandlupus• Anxiety,depression,andinsomnia• Worseningpain,ifyoualreadyhaveapaindisordersuchasarthritis, back pain, and muscle spasms

The Health Benefits of Volunteering Article Courtesy of: www.huffingtonpost.com, “So What’s so Good about Giving?”

Thanksgiving and the upcoming holiday is a perfect time to remember what this season is really all about. An intriguing study fromtheCorporationforNationalandCommunityServicetitled“TheHealthBenefitsofVolunteering”showedthatstateswithhighervolunteerrateshaveoverallbetterhealthandlowerratesofheartdisease.Alongwiththepositivephysicalbenefits,anincrease in mental health was reported due to the personal sense of accomplishment from the volunteer activity. Volunteers also have lower rates of depression and live longer.

As Thomas H. Sander, executive director of the Saguaro Seminar at Harvard University, said in the study, “Civic engagement and volunteering is the new hybrid health club for the 21st century that’s free to join ... Social capital research shows it miraculously improves both your health and the community’s through the work performed and the social ties built.”

Thisreportsummarizestheimpressivefindingsfromanumberofstudiesthathaveexploredtherelationshipbetweenvolunteeringandhealth.Whilethesestudiesmaydifferintermsoftheirspecificfindings,theyconsistently

demonstratethatthereisasignificantrelationshipbetweenvolunteeringandgoodhealth;whenindividualsvolunteer, they not only help their community but also experience better health in later years, whether in terms ofgreaterlongevity,higherfunctionalability,orlowerratesofdepression.Inaddition,wepresentfirst-time

evidence that when a state has high volunteer rates, they are more likely to have greater longevity and less incidence of heart disease. Given the sheer size of the Baby Boomer population and the fact

that the oldest

Boomers are just entering their 60s, this research on the relationship between volunteeringandhealthdeservesahighdegreeofattention.Ofparticularimportancearethefindingsregardingthe“volunteeringthreshold,”whichindicatesthatinorderforoldervolunteerstoexperiencesignificantbenefitsfromtheirvolunteeringactivities,theirlevel of commitment to these activities needs to be considerable, or, on average, one or two hours a week. If we engage Baby Boomers and others in substantial volunteer experiences, we may not only help solve community problems, but simultaneously enhance the health of the growing number of older adults.

We want to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season!