Sleep Wellness

by Terri L Mooney-Hooker

Have you ever wondered the importance of your sleep habits? How many hours of sleep are needed each night, and are necessary for overall health and well-being? What are the benefits of a good night’s sleep? Our Wellness Team did some research and is pleased to share why sleep is so important to your total health.

When one sleeps, there is a lot going on in the physical body.  For example, healing and repairing of the heart and blood vessels takes place. In addition, good quality sleep can help protect your mental health, quality of life, and safety. Sleep deficiencies can actually do harm over time. It can leave someone at risk for possible chronic health problems, affect how well one thinks, reacts, works, learns, and even getting along with others.

Studies show a good night’s sleep:

  1. Improves learning
  2. Helps you to pay attention
  3. Helps in decision making
  4. Helps in being creative
  5. Improves your physical health by helping to maintain a healthy balance of hormones
  6. Helps the immune system

As you can see, sleep is just as important as what you eat and how you maintain your total health. Being aware of your sleep habits and helping to correct any sleep deficiencies will help you to achieve optimal health. Feel better, think better, work better and in general, BE better!

Sources:

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sdd/why

http://www.apa.org/topics/sleep/why.aspx

About TerriHeadshot
Terri is the Administrative Coordinator at MAX. She performs all administrative duties, and helps out in other areas of the company when needed. Outside of the office, she enjoys spending time with her husband, her children, two cats, and her extended family and friends. She is huge movie goer and an avid animal lover.

Dealing with Stress

by Terri Mooney-Hooker, Administrative Coordinator

Stress. Mostly everyone knows that word all too well. How does it affect you? How can one manage it? What are the best ways to deal with that awful feeling? Our Wellness Team did some research and is pleased to pass on some ways to acknowledge and manage stress which we hope you will find helpful in your daily lives.

Sometimes, stress can seem overwhelming. According to the American Heart Association, it can cause aches and pains – such as headaches, backaches, stomach aches, just to name a few. Stress can also contribute to anxiety, depression, and even anger. When we are not aware of stress or we try to avoid it, we may become easily irritated and impatient- with others, as well as with ourselves.

What can we do about it? The American Heart Association recommends trying positive self-talk. Self-talk is when we talk to ourselves not out loud but in our heads. It’s what we tell ourselves, and makes a noticeable impact on how we feel. Here are some great examples of positive self-talk:

  • “I’ve got this!”
  • “I can get help if I need it.”
  • “Things could be worse.”
  • “Some day I’ll laugh about this.”
  • “I’ll do the best I can.”

Try telling yourself these affirmations, or pick one of your own. Believe it or not, this can help relieve stress and improve your mood. Self-talk in the car, before you go to bed, at your desk, or whenever you notice any negative thoughts creeping in.

Other ways to help calm down in a stressful situation include:

  • Count to 10 before you speak
  • Take three to five deep breaths
  • Go for a walk
  • Don’t be afraid to say “I’m sorry,” if you make a mistake
  • Consider meditation or prayer

There are other ways to help one deal with feeling stressed or experiencing a stressful situation.

  • Talk with family and friends. Connecting to others can do wonders.
  • Engage in daily physical activity. Not only will this help to de-stress, but it will keep you healthy, too.
  • Remember to laugh. Most of us forget this one. Laughing can make us feel good.
  • Practice giving back. When you help others, you actually are helping yourself too.

When stress makes you feel bad, do something that makes you feel good. Try to find something you enjoy, or you find pleasure in, every day…even if it’s only for 15 to 20 minutes out of your day. That should bring a smile to your face.

Source:  American Heart Association

HeadshotAbout Terri

Terri is the Administrative Coordinator at MAX. She performs all administrative duties, and helps out in other areas of the company when needed. Outside of the office, she enjoys spending time with her husband, her children, two cats, and her extended family and friends. She is huge movie goer and an avid animal lover.

Healthy Eating and Weight Loss

by Terri Mooney-Hooker, Administrative Coordinator

In today’s world, it seems we are focusing more on nutrition and health. Being a member of our Wellness Committee at MAX makes me more aware of how choosing healthful food choices and figuring out a healthy weight are so important to our well-being.  However, they can also sometimes be a bit confusing. What does good nutrition mean? What is a good balance of fat, carbohydrates, and protein? How does one know what a good weight to maintain really looks like?

Here are few helpful tips to get you started:

Let’s start with good nutrition. That is the key to maintaining good mental and physical health. When you eat a balanced diet, it can affect the way you feel and how your body works. It is the interaction of nutrients and other substances in the food we eat that maintains our growth, reproduction, and overall health.

Here’s the skinny on nutrient-dense foods. Look for these “good” fats to include in your meal plan:

  • Monounsaturated,
  • Polyunsaturated
  • Unsaturated

Avoid the “bad” fats:

  • Saturated
  • Trans fats

Carbohydrates can be either good or bad, and are either simple or complex. Here are some examples of both…

  • Good Simple: Naturally present sugars – like in fruit or milk products.
  • Bad Simple: High fructose corn syrup; added sugar in sodas, baked goods, etc.
  • Good Complex: Starchy veggies, like potatoes, corn, whole grains, and beans.
  • Bad Complex: Refined starches, found in cookies, cakes, French fries, etc.

When choosing protein, think lean. Lean meat will have visibly less fat and fewer calories. One serving should be 3oz.- about equal to the size of a deck of cards. Here are some helpful tips for choosing lean meats:

  • Limit meat to 1 – 3 3oz. portions per week.
  • Eat wild fish, especially salmon, whenever possible.
  • Add beans and lentils.
  • Other great sources of protein are tofu and other soy products, as well as eggs.

And don’t forget the fiber!

  • Soluble fiber would include oat bran, oatmeal, fruits and vegetables.
  • Insoluble fiber would include wheat bran, figs, raisins and nuts; all good for you!

Now, to assess your weight. Most of us don’t like to think about it, let alone look at it.

Here are some things to consider:

  • Body Mass Index (BMI): it is formulated by weight and height to estimate body fat. Try this site to easily calculate: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm
  • Weight circumference: measure your waist just after you breathe out to get an accurate measure. Men should measure less than 40 and for women, less than 35.

Just remember – baby steps in losing weight to achieve weight goals is best. ½ to 2 pounds per week is a healthy weight loss. A safe and maintainable rule of thumb would be to lose about 10% of your body weight over a 6 – 12 month period.

A combination of creating a healthy meal plan, lifestyle, and exercise, is the key to sustaining weight loss and staying healthy.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/nutrition

Cigna: “Together, all the way;” Healthier Eating for a healthier you.

HeadshotAbout Terri

Terri is the Administrative Coordinator at MAX. She performs all administrative duties, and helps out in other areas of the company when needed. Outside of the office, she enjoys spending time with her husband, her children, two cats, and her extended family and friends. She is huge movie goer and an avid animal lover.

Photo by balise42

Exercising at Work? Ways to Stay Active and Healthy

by Terri Mooney-Hooker, Administrative Coordinator

Our Wellness Committee at MAX hosted a fantastic lunch and learn event where team members discovered we could perform stretching and strengthening exercises in the office.  While most of us do not feel like we have time to “workout” at work, we actually can take a few moments throughout the day to stretch and renew. It’s so important to stay active in order to stay healthy.

What if you could get a little strength workout and stretching at your desk while you work? If you stare at a computer screen, as most of us do these days, try keeping your head straight, your neck still, shoulders relaxed, and with just your eyes – look left, look right, look down, look up. Do this several times. Believe it or not, your eyes need to “stretch” too.

If you do a lot of typing, and feel your wrists get stiff – try bending your wrist down, then apply a light tension to the top of your hand. You can also stretch your arms out in front of you with your palms facing up. Apply slight tension downward on your fingers; slowly and very slightly until you feel a tug.

There are other ways you can work in movement to your day by just parking your car a little further away or taking the stairs instead of an elevator or escalator. Try walking over to someone, rather than calling their extension if you need to talk with them. And if you can get a quick walk in during your break or lunch – just do it!

Source:  Exercises provided by Stretch and Strengthen at Work by Cigna.

HeadshotAbout Terri

Terri is the Administrative Coordinator at MAX. She performs all administrative duties, and helps out in other areas of the company when needed. Outside of the office, she enjoys spending time with her husband, her children, two cats, her extended family and friends. She is huge movie goer and an avid animal lover.