CONTENT 3 6 10 12 14 16 19
The Juicing Trend The Butterfly Effect - Living With Lupus Is Your Illness Staring Back at You When It’s Time To “Sit In” Loosen Up PIOJ Health & Wellness Programme The NHF 5 Star Health General
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Sagicor Feature
Cover Feature
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LIFESTYLE TIPS:
To Juice or Not to Juice? Accomplishing a good detox has been the goal for both the health conscious and trend watchers alike. Lately, although the detox craze has been towards high consumption of teas, the juicing trend still remains potent in 2015. Juicing took off a year ago, touting great benefits like ridding the body of toxins, promoting weight loss and improving the appearance of the skin. What’s not to love? 3
LIFESTYLE TIPS
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW The Benefits: Juicing is an easy way to give your body a powerwash of nutrients. These drinks are packed with vitamins and minerals from fruits and vegetables and are low in the bad stuff, like toxic fats, added sugar and salt. When stored in an airtight container, juices can be preservered for up to three days. For every serving of juice, if you use a blender rather than a juicer, you can get about four cups of pulp which contains a lot of fibre and flavour. Ingredients like carrots, beets, cucumbers and ginger are local produce that pack a punch in the nutrition department. It’s best to blend all parts of the vegetable or fruit as the peel contains majority of the nutrients you expect from your juice. Warnings: While juicing is great for your body and can actually aid in weight loss, if you are considering it to drop pounds fast, you could actually be doing more harm than good. Strictly following a juicing programme for more than a few days can lower that number on the scale because of the drastic reduction in your daily calorie intake. However, this can create a large gap in your nutrition and lead to a reduction of your body’s immunity to harmful viruses and bacteria. A great deal of calories in juices are made up of carbs and though there are no added sugars, there are a lot of natural sugars from the fruits and some vegetables. This also means that juices are mostly void in proteins and other vital nutrients that keep you full and energized to maintain lean muscle mass and boost metabolic burn.
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INTERESTED IN It
is best
to skip the
GETTING
US$ COVERAGE?
complete liquid diet and instead enjoy your juice with loads of vegetables ...
A lack of fibre, protein and high proportions of carbs can cause spikes in blood sugar which leads to headaches, mood swings, dizziness and fatigue. Liquid calories are also less filling than whole food calories, therefore causing you to feel starved and irritable. The Verdict: As with all things, juicing is great if done in moderation. It is best to skip the complete liquid diet and instead enjoy your juice with loads of vegetables(contain less carbs) with or in place of one of your meals. This is the best way to gain the benefits of a nutrient packed drink and keep your body satisfied with nutrients found in whole foods, such as lean meats, beans and seafood.
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HEALTHY WOMEN’SHOME HEALTH
THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT: LIVING WITH LUPUS
Danelle Pinnock and her family capturing the moment at a family day out
Picture this, you are at home relaxing and somebody shouts “ANTS!” Instead of grabbing a can of repellent you come running out wildly swinging a sledge hammer. When the dust settles, everything that could have been damaged, is destroyed. That is, the flat screen TV, the window panes, the pictures on the wall, your ceramic tile floor and guess what? You still didn’t get all of the ants. Since that first incident, every time you see ants you feel compelled to start swinging that hammer and now you are constantly repairing your home and property. When asked why such a violent reaction to just ants, you just can’t quite get your thoughts together to give a clear answer. Sounds intense right? Well for a patient diagnosed with Lupus, affectionately known as a ‘lupie’, that is the reality that exists within our bodies. 6
HEALTHY HOME
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) defines lupus as “an autoimmune disease in which the immune system produces antibodies to cells within the body leading to widespread inflammation and tissue damage.” In layman’s terms, the immune system of a ‘lupie’ cannot differentiate between good agents and bad ones. So the body’s defence mechanism regularly attacks itself. Our bodies are the house and the immune system is the violent, hammertoting homeowner.
O ur
bodies
are the house and the immune system is the violent , hammer - toting homeowner .
Hard, painful, frustrating and unpredictable are some words that come to mind to describe living with lupus. As a ‘lupie’ you are constantly experiencing some level of pain or discomfort. Some days are better than others especially when you have been diligently taking your medication, exercising as often as you can and making healthy food choices. But then, life happens. You get a cold, you had to have ice cream, school or work gets you stressed, you spent too long at the beach, there was a death in the family - any one of these things could be considered a trigger for a flare. When a lupus patient has a flare or is flaring, it means that a combination of symptoms has intensified often leaving you bed bound, house bound and in some cases, hospital bound. Treatment may be as simple as taking painkillers and increasing your existing medication or as complicated as undergoing a prolonged doctor administrated treatment such as chemotherapy (Yeah, I know, it’s not just for cancer patients). Lupus signs and symptoms vary greatly from patient to patient. Some common ones include achy joints (just think Chik-V all the time, yikes), unexplained fever(more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit), swollen joints, prolonged or extreme fatigue, skin rash, ankle swelling and fluid accumulation, pain in the chest when breathing deeply, a butterfly-shaped rash across the cheeks and nose, hairloss,sensitivity to the sun and/or other light, seizures, mouthor nose sores, pale or purple fingers or toes from cold or stress.
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HEALTHY WOMEN’SHOME HEALTH
T he
best thing you
can do for a loved one with lupus is be as informed and supportive as possible Living with lupus means that simple is now erased from your vocabulary. There is no simple cold, you don’t simply go for walk in the middle of the day, you can’t always simply just hop out of bed in the morning to use the bathroom, a hug is not always simply a hug when your body is screaming in pain. Everything that involves your body now becomes a project of engineering – lots and lots of management. “Do I have enough energy?” “Am I in too much pain to do this now?” “The last time I did or ate this I flared, is it worth the risk to try again?” As a mother with lupus, the journey has been fraught with as much, if not more emotional pain than physical. I remember moments when I lay helplessly in bed as a friend positioned my three month old for breast feeding because pain left me unable to move. There were moments I looked in the face of my 2 year old and telling him “Mommy can’t play with you today,” because I knew if I did I would be unable to move for the rest of the day. Even now I live with the concern that if I get pregnant again between the disease and medication, my unborn child’s chances of survival would be slim. 8
You know that feeling you get sometimes at the supermarket when you hand the cashier your card and you aren’t quite sure if there is enough in the account? Then, you start praying and sweating and finally you see APPROVED and you are able to exhale and might even do a victory dance? That is what life is like for a ‘lupie’. You wake up each morning not sure how much you have in your life/energy/pain free account but you know you have to pack your trolley and proceed to the checkout regardless. When you successfully make it to the end of another day, it is just as fulfilling as seeing APPROVED on the screen. When you live knowing that you can die in the blink of an eye, having seen others die from the same affliction, every second becomes precious. You take nothing for granted and the ‘simple’ moments are amplified 100 fold. I have been blessed by God to have a support network like no other, family and friends who literally help me make it through the day. The best thing you can do for a loved one with lupus is be as informed and supportive as possible. We don’t always look sick and can’t always articulate what is wrong at the time but assistance and care are always needed. By volunteering to take care of that one thing is one less thing we have to worry about. For more information on lupus, check out these useful websites: The Lupus Foundation of Jamaica www.lupusfoundationjamaica.org, The Lupus Foundation of America - www.lupus.org, and the National Institutes of Health http://www.niams.nih.gov/health_info/.
Levi and Zhuri Pinnock affectionately showing mummy support
HEALTH
IS YOUR ILLNESS STARING BACK AT YOU?
SEEING SIGNS? Take a look in the mirror, what do you see? You might want to really look at yourself after reading this article. Experts believe that illnesses can be detected by just looking at yourself. Here are some of the signs to look for when conducting a close scan of your body. Lets start with the eyes... Minor irritations may happen during the day causing them to get red, but do you have sore, bloodshot eyes? Bloodshot eyes can be a sign of iritis, which is a painful inflammation of the iris. Iritis is accompanied by pain in the eye or brow region, pain when exposed to bright light, blurred vision or a small or funny shaped pupil. See your doctor if you are experiencing these concerns. Getting connected with your neck Do you have a lump or swelling on your neck? This often painless growth is called a goitre, it happens when there is a swelling in the thyroid gland, which is just in front of the windpipe. This is usually caused by an overactive or underactive thyroid or thyroid nodules, or by an iron 10
deficiency. In severe cases, this can be treated with hormone therapy, medication, radioactive iodine or surgery. Fewer than one in 20 nodular goitres are cancerous but a biopsy or ultrasound scan can be performed to confirm this assessment. Skin deep The skin is a great place to look when scrutinizing your body for health issues. The state of your skin is a great indicator of your overall health. “Patients sometimes have multiple lesions that are suspicious looking, and those that are itchy or painful should raise high concerns for nonmelanoma skin cancers,” says Dr. Gil Yosipovitch, chairman of dermatology at Temple University School of Medicine, in a 2014 Temple University Health System news release. Skin cancer is prevalent in individuals who spend a great amount of time in the sun, and we do inhabit a very sunny island. Also, be cautioned if you have a lower amount of melanin. If you have irregular moles or patches of skin, be sure to visit your doctor.
Hairy Situations Salt and pepper, although thought to be sexy on men and distinguishing on women, isn’t usually welcome on the bodies of younger folks. Early greying happens when your colour producing cells stop producing pigment. Though rare, medical problems associated with early greying include a deficiency in vitamin B12 or a problem with your pituitary or thyroid gland. Digging In Yellow nails may be a sign that you had some yummy curried chicken for dinner, but curry less nails that have a yellow tint may be a sign of fungal infection. Leaving the infection without treatment may result in the nailbed retracting and the nails thickening and crumbling. In rare cases yellow nails indicate serious thyroid issues, lung disease, diabetes or psoriasis.
LIFESTYLE TIPS
WHEN IT’S TIME TO “SIT IN” Whether you prefer to burn the midnight oil or turn up at your favourite social events, you may be labelled the Workaholic or the Social Butterfly. But whether you claim the label or not, you’re either one, the other or in between. So for the rest of us that suffer to strike that 20/20 balance, this advice only aims to help to find the happy medium.
FIVE TIPS TO BECOMING THE EXCEPTION: 1. Reward Yourself Within Boundaries So you love the fast paced world, the thrill of beating that close call for that all night consuming work assignment. Get that balance by simply rewarding yourself. Once you’ve completed a list of high priority tasks on your to-do list, hit up the town with some friends or simply just dedicate a night at home watching your favourite movie. This downtime will leave you more refreshed when you start on the next items on your list of things to do. 12
2. Time is Money Isn’t that how the saying goes? You’re determined to putting in that energy and time to get to that next stage of your career or whichever dream you’re chasing. Let’s balance out that focus by simply doing 26 minutes of physical activity a day. The Center for Disease Control states that the average human needs approximately 150 minutes of exercise a week. Get your workout time in and socialize by turning it into a fun gathering, at home, the gym or wherever you choose. Either way, health is wellness. With the technology available to us nowadays, you can even join fitness communities with apps like Pump Up, and get great tips on pursuing a healthier lifestyle.
LIFESTYLE TIPS
3. Be Open to New Outlets Workaholics tend to say that work is their escape from any problems they may be experiencing in their lives. It’s healthy to have an outlet to work through your stress, but balance is of the utmost importance. Shake things up by exploring other outlets for stress relief. De-stress by investing in building a positive social circle, finding a fun hobby, infusing new energy by using music therapy or decluttering your space. There are many ways to relieve stress, but with these tips it’s a good place to start. 4. Career/Self Development Some persons are encouraged by a progressive career while others find positive relationships with family and friends more rewarding. Balance by doing both. Instead of just doing career development tasks, list the things you want to learn for your personal development. Maybe it’s a new language or travelling to a certain country? Now start! Give yourself time to learn something new by gaining new skills or giving back through mentorship. There are many ways to build your career by building your self as well.
“T he
butterfly
counts not months but moments , and has time enough ” Rabindranath Tagore
5. Stay Committed Achieving any goal takes work. List your short-term and long-term goals along with the steps to attain them. Now organize them in order of priority and the timeframe required for its completion. Wait! Make sure you don’t leave your social goals out. Now do the same steps for those too. Once you’re done, stay committed to the steps to fulfill your immediate tasks. However, be flexible. Take the time to assess each opportunity, whether social or work-related and determine the effects on your immediate goals. Once, you know it’s a green light, give it your all. Rabindranath Tagore once said, “The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.” Invest in your moments, by achieving that elusive balance in your life. These five tips are great starting points for anyone trying for that equilibrium.
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MY FITNESS
B enefits
of
S tretching
Let’s Stretch! With two hands in the air, your legs stretched out in front of you, audible crackling joints and your head tilted back, it’s safe to say the immense joy of writhing your body in several different ways has commenced. For most, this is sheer happiness, it’s that time when you can just take a moment to ease all the pains caused by sitting at your desk all day. It’s stretching time! Stretching, refers not only to quick relief, but also to intentionally improving your flexibility by completing certain exercises. Stretching is as old as time, take yoga for example, it has been in existence for more than 5,000 years. Its popularity has been enhanced by the fact that more and more people are become exposed to different types of physical activity and want to try new techniques. Also, there are now many more yoga practices open for business in Jamaica versus 10 years ago. Its now laughable that there was a time when Jamaicans would associate the practice of yoga with obeah. 14
Stretching Relieves Tight Muscles Our bodies are tough, but they are delicate at the same time. So stretching helps to rehabilitate the tight muscles so that they can perform better, not just in the typical physical activities, but better in simple daily activities, like reaching your top kitchen cupboard. Stretching Improves Flexibility Stretching increases one’s range of movement and reduces the risk of injuries by assisting the joints to move more thoroughly through their full range of motion. It also prompts the muscles to work more effectively while completing certain exercises, like touching your toes without bending your knees. Stretching Improves Posture and Balance Most women walk with an oversized handbag and the men a backpack or briefcase. The heavier these bags are, the more likely they are to impact our postures on one
MY FITNESS
side and cause us to become out of balance. Stretching can bring the body ‘back to center’, as we say in yoga, to feel more balanced and once you feel more balanced, this automatically improves your posture. Stretching Improves Flow of Blood Stretching increases the flow of blood to the muscles and sends messages to the body to prepare for the next activity. Best Way to Stretch When persons think of the ultimate stretching/flexibility physical activity, usually yoga and pilates first come to mind. Though yoga is much more older than pilates, they both offer the same benefits as it relates to stretching. Yoga, however, incorporates more of the “spirit” from the Mind, Body, Spirit aspect of the practice, as well as meditation. Yoga is more aligned to a spiritual practise while managing stress levels and pilates movements are centered around the core and back. Stretching is one of the most natural forms of physical activity for the body, it’s almost second nature, just like stretching when getting out bed in the morning or if you’ve been in a particular position for too long. Even animals have it as a part of their natural instinct to stretch. One can stretch anytime, anywhere but it is important to have an aim in mind. For example, what body part are your targeting? Especially if you were doing another type of physical activity before or after, let’s say weight training on the legs. You want to ensure that you focus on those muscles that you were using or will be using. Caution While Stretching One general rule of thumb is to not stretch until you are feeling pain, stretching should help to relieve pain not to inflict pain. Stretching
during pregnancy can help to ward off common aches and pains, though it is advised to stretch with caution and consult a doctor prior to stretching when pregnant. Stretching is one the most ideal exercises for people with back problems or those recovering from injury. It allows you to slowly ease yourself into a workout routine and strengthen muscles that are not often used during other physical activity. As for the elderly, it is recommended to approach stretching a bit slower to avoid injury or fall, because as we age our bodies become weaker and our muscles become shorter and loses elasticity.
S tretching
is
one of the most natural forms of physical activity for the body ...
Contributor Meisha-Gay Mattis Certified Holistic Health Coach
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SAGICOR FEATURE
The improvement of health and overall wellness requires the creation of a certain level of awareness of the issues surrounding the cause. With this in mind, the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) launched the PIOJ Health and Wellness Programme in 2004 for its employees. The programme was primarily implemented to create the necessary awareness, but also serves as a way of improving organizational productivity and staff morale, and aids in the reduction of costs associated with ill-health and injury at work. A large focus was placed on the different dimensions of wellness, most notably, Spiritual, Physical, Mental, 16
Financial, Emotional and Social Wellness. To accomplish the goal of addressing each dimension, the programme was broken down into three main components. Wellness Education Information about one’s health should always be deemed important. The PIOJ recognizes this and so, has made a wealth of literature and articles available for browsing. Articles on wellness have been uploaded to the PIOJ’s Intranet bi-monthly to keep information updated and credible. Employees can therefore read and source information about health and wellness issues.
SAGICOR FEATURE
Programmes and Activities A number of programmes and activities have been put in place since the inception of the Health and Wellness Programme. These include: • Take the Stairs Day: A day when employees are asked to abandon the elevator and only use the stairs. • Emanci-pendence Games: Intra organisation competitions in football, dominoes, netball, volleyball, table tennis, dancing and track and field. Some of the organisations involved are the Ministry of Finance and Planning, the National Housing Trust, Office of Disaster and Emergency Management and Office of the Contractor General. • Participation in walking activities such as: Forest Trek and various 5K runs.
the event, health and fitness screenings, physiotherapy and exercise, workshops, seminars and consultations are conducted. The screenings and services included Blood sugar (diabetes), Blood pressure, A1C (blood sugar control), ECG (heart test), Microalbumin (kidney test), Haemoglobin (anaemia), Eye screening (vision), Doppler (foot circulation test), Foot care, BMI/waist circumference and Reflexology and massages.
The PIOJ stands firm in its stance to ensure employee wellness and will continue to do so for years to come.
Many organizations and individuals have participated over the years, including Banks & Building Societies Scotiabank, National Commercial Bank and Jamaica National Building Society, Doctors and Therapists Physiotherapist, Psychiatrist, Nutritionists, Chiropractor, Reflexologist, General Practitioners, Massage Therapist and even the creatives have joined in the fun. The event has seen displays of Music, Dancing, Exercising, Yoga and Humour.
The Annual Expo The Annual Expo is a well thought out event that takes place during the last quarter of the year, for approximately 2-3 days. Health professionals and organizations are invited to participate and set up their own booths. During
Some of the themes used over the years for the Wellness Expos were: Celebrate Life, Happiness is Health, Your First Wealth is Health, The Joy of Living, Repairs Vs. Maintenance, Healthy Living and Happiness is Contagious.
Other participants over the years have included :
JMMB Sagicor Allied Brokers Nestle, Jamaica The Heart Institute Spartan Health Club HIV/AIDS Counselling Jamaica Cancer Society Diabetic Association of Jamaica The Heart Foundation of Jamaica
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ASK YOUR DOCTOR
THE NHF 5 STAR HEALTH GENERAL
There is a common adage that states that it is difficult to convince a man to visit the doctor. To combat this sort of thinking, it would be spectacular if all men led healthy lifestyles, but this is certainly not true for many Jamaican men. In fact, statistics and research show that a high percentage of Jamaican men are at risk for cardiovascular disease. In addition to heart health problems, our men are not consistent in having rectal examinations to check for prostate cancer and are not taking medication as prescribed. The Jamaica Health and Lifestyle survey carried out between 2007 and 2008 also spoke to the fact that 99% of Jamaicans are consuming below the recommended portion of vegetables and fruits. Generally, Jamaican men in the 30 – 55 age group are aware of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and seem interested in adopting one. However, there are factors inhibiting an early take up of this preferred lifestyle, such as financial restraints and social acceptance, but they may likely be convinced if shown viable options for healthy living. With this in mind, the National Health Fund (NHF) has developed a 5 Star Health General Programme for men,
where we seek to encourage Jamaican men to practice five healthy lifestyle principles. These include: • Eating healthy • Working out • Getting sufficient rest • Getting regular check-ups • Taking medication as prescribed By practicing these principles on a consistent basis, men will “Look Good & Feel Even Better”. Men who are successful at being consistent with the lifestyle are dubbed 5 Star Health Generals. To this end, we have included a special category for men who are entrants in the NHF Work it Out Weight Loss Competition, where teams from corporate Jamaica use exercise and nutrition to attain a healthy BMI. The top male in the competition this year will receive the 5-Star Health General Trophy. To join in on our mission for 5 Star Health, visit our website (www.nhf.gov.jm) for information on the 5 Star principles. The NHF is also making every effort to be present at male dominated events to share wellness tips and information. Start today, become the 5-Star Health General! 19
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Phone: 1-888-SAGICOR (724-4267) Fax: (876) 929-4730 www.sagicorjamaica.com infoja@sagicor.com
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