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DECEMBER 17
PAYING FOR HEALTHCARE
52 Flu Shots: Why They Matter
Experts from Molina Healthcare discuss why, when it comes to flu shots, there is a lot more at stake than avoiding a sniffle.
46 Meager Security: Problems For The Insured
Why healthcare coverage is often a meager blanket, and which alternatives are winning new followers.
In Finding Mental Healthcare 55 Challenges Coverage Does your insurance cover mental healthcare? We discuss the best ways to get help for anxiety, depression, and more, and how the field of mental illness is progressing.
42 A Holiday Food Masquerade
We lay out the unhealthy holiday recipes that seem healthy, and also name certain foods to the Hall of Shame. From fruitcake to canned yams, some culinary traditions should die.
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Also:
Recipe: Beef, Barley & Lentil Soup
A Brighter Home: Give Your Home a Color Scheme
The Annual Healthy Magazine Gift Guide
We’re all amatuer home decorators. Here are a few things to consider when it comes to color.
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Adult ADHD
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FROM THE EDITOR
Healthy ®
December 2017
Who Cares O
ne thing is clear to me. Life is precious. And fleeting. And more valuable the older we grow. Still, life is only as valuable as we make it.
I recently met with my financial planner to review our retirement plan, consider a health savings plan, and talk life insurance. From a legal, life-insurance perspective, the value of life is interesting. Am I worth a few thousand dollars, or a few million? Depends on how much I want to pay each month, apparently! Insuring 'life' is an ironic concept. Any insurance agent can tell you what the no-fault payout for killing someone in a car accident is. But, ask a war casualty's widow or parents what they are paid when a military member is killed, and what they would pay to have them back. Monetizing the value of an irreplaceable life is an intriguing disparity. When I hold a baby, I marvel. An infant truly is a priceless miracle. A healthy infant, even more so. When you think of all the systems at play in making a human body function properly—eyes, ears, lungs, bone structure, brain, etc.—it truly is a wonder that any of it goes right at all. And yet, it does most of the time. Except, when it doesn't. Life comes and goes. We win, and we lose. We experience highs and lows, joys and sorrows, disappointment and fulfillment. Opposition in all things is clearly part of the mortal plan.
JOHN A. ANDERSON,
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @JOHN_A_ANDERSON
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VOLUME XVII, 6
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF John A. Anderson | john@stardocs.com PUBLISHER Kenneth J. Shepherd | ken@stardocs.com MEDICAL DIRECTORS Steven N. Gange, M.D. and Lane C. Childs, M.D.
For any who have lived with, or cared for someone with some type of disability, you know and understand how difficult, and also how rewarding that can be. Not easy, yet enriching in peculiar ways. My oldest brother and his wife have cared for their beautiful, mentally disabled, though highly capable daughter, Candace, for over thirty years. She's brought so much unique joy to our entire family.
OPERATIONS MANAGER Allyson Long | allyson.long@stardocs.com DESIGN EDITOR Phillip Chadwick | design@stardocs.com MANAGING EDITOR Michael Richardson | michael@stardocs.com ONLINE EDITOR Chelsa Mackay | chelsa@stardocs.com
I have a very active cousin who became completely disabled from the neck down within weeks of getting married in his 20's. It was tragic and unbearable. And amazing, as Jeremy Chatelain has gone on to become a father, a teacher, and a PhD. Through his extremity has come glorious capability and inspiration.
ASSISTANT DESIGNER Krista Bowen | krista.bowen@stardocs.com CIRCULATION MANAGER Ron Fennell | distribution@stardocs.com CONTRIBUTING & STAFF WRITERS Caitlin Schille, Angela Silva
I have another cousin who was highly intelligent, artistically inclined, with impressive scholarships to Stanford University. He suffered from mental illness and tragically took his very promising life. That was challenging to understand.
CIRCULATION
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I have witnessed and feebly consoled other close family members who have struggled to have children, and/or whom have lost children at birth. Infertility and child loss are two very heartbreaking issues that further highlight the fragile nature of life.
To be included in our free online directory, or to advertise or get content published please e-mail us at info@healthy-mag.com PLEASE NOTE: The content in this publication is meant to increase reader awareness of developments in the health and medical field and should not be construed as medical advice or instruction on individual health matters, which should be obtained directly from a health professional. The opinions expressed by the authors and advertisers are not necessarily those of the publisher. Call for reprint permission. All stock photography by Shutterstock.com, unless otherwise noted.
As the saying goes, 'Whether it be a grain of sand or a rock, in water they sink the same.' No matter how big or small the trial, it's never easy to handle. But, it can be rewarding. Each of these personal life challenges I mention seemed to be offset by an increase of love and understanding, of closeness and caring that, perhaps, would not have been there without the pain and setback. Maybe, like the body itself, tragedy finds its own way of healing and harmonizing.
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So, this season, we turn our attention to life. To blessings. To gratitude, and to recognizing the bounty in life. Hopefully, the overall message is about joy, happiness, and hope for a better, more enriching life, whatever life opportunities you must embrace.
published by stardocs media Copyright © 2017 Stardocs, LLC. All rights reserved. info@stardocs.com www.stardocs.com
To discuss Stardocs creative, design, writing, websites, online marketing services, or even creating your custom publication,healthy-magazines.com call us at 801.369.6139.
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FACTOIDS
IN THE NEWS
61
%
said sending flirtatious messages to someone other than your partner counts as cheating
Daily Dietary Variety Might Help Weight Loss New research shows that daily overall variety in diet is positively associated with weight loss. In other words, eating a larger number of different foods and also different food groups on average in a given day is positively associated with greater weight loss, says Dr. Peggy Liu of the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh, one of the study authors. Liu says that a hypothetical healthy-variety diet within a given day might consist of a banana, an egg, wheat toast, meat, and perhaps most importantly, a large variety of different kinds of vegetables. Vegetable variety was an important driver in the weight loss relationship, their research showed. Importantly, dietary variety over a longer time span does not show the same relationship to weight loss. Variety in the span of a day is most important. Source: Journal of Marketing Research
Many Americans don't think one night stand is cheating A report from the Deseret News found that one in four Americans don’t think a one night stand is cheating. In the same report, only 51% said sending flirtatious messages to someone other than your partner counts as cheating.
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Leaked Monsanto Emails Show Potential Ghost Writing Of Documents Used By Federal Agencies One of Monsanto’s hottest products, the weed killer Roundup, uses glyphosate, a common weed killer used by farmers and gardeners around the world. Roundup’s safety is upheld by regulators, but recent email leaks show that Monsanto may have been involved in ghost writing reports published under the names of several academic scientists. Other employees sent emails detailing and encouraging the ghost writing claims. The EPA used these reports to determine that the chemical was safe. Monsanto denies claims of wrongdoing. Currently, 240 lawsuits are pending against Monsanto Co. filed by people alleging that exposure to Roundup caused them or loved ones to develop non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and that Monsanto covered up the risks, according to U.S. Right to Know (usrtk. org).
Youth Sports Increasingly Exclude Poor Families Youth sports are increasingly expensive. Team fees, apparel, and travel can be thousands of dollars every year. Often, that means poorer families just can’t keep their kids in sports.
As of July 2017, California added glyphosate to their list of chemicals known to cause cancer. Monsanto calls this “unwarranted on the basis of science and the law.”
Family income under $25,000: 19% participation in youth sports Family income over $100,000: 41% participation in youth sports AVERAGE ANNUAL COST TO PLAY:
Lacrosse: $7,956 Hockey: $7,013 Baseball/Softball: $4,044 Football: $2,739 Soccer: $1,472 Basketball: $1,143 This is concerning not just because poorer kids can’t play sports and have fun. Many look at these costs as a barrier to keeping kids active. In fact, research shows that children from homes in the lowest income bracket are far more likely to be physically inactive than kids from wealthier households. Overall, youth sports are becoming more exclusive. Most sports are experiencing overall decline in participation rates, meaning fewer and fewer kids are participating in calorie-burning activities on a regular basis. Sources: National Family Survey Analysis, Utah State University, Time Magazine, The Aspen Institute
New Potential Tests for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Now commonly termed myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, or ME/CFS for short, this elusive condition torments many, but reliable tests and treatments are lacking. Characterized by profound exhaustion, many patients are completely confined to bed. Stanford researchers have recently linked ME/CFS to variations in certain cytokines, which are immune-signaling proteins. These variations, researchers found, can be an indicator of illness severity. This may lead to new lab tests that would give doctors insights into their patient's’ condition. Additionally, drug companies may now have a new target to research. Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, npr.org
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PH OTO CR ED I T: SAVAN N A SO REN SEN
SAVAN N ASO REN SEN .P HOTO S HELTER.CO M
Diabetes and Endocrinology
Diabetes Care In the Modern Age U TA H CO UNT Y’S KE L LY CO O K TA LKS ABOUT HE R EXPER I ENC E WIT H T YP E 1 DI ABETE S, AND HOW ADVA N CEME NTS HAV E I MPAC TED H E R L IFE
A type 1 diabetes diagnosis at age 13 made Kelly Cook’s life permanently more complicated. “Adolescence is already such a crazy time,” she says. “Adding this made things scary.”
performs regularly, most recently in Seussical and Seven Brides For Seven Brothers.
Now 29, Kelly has been through a long line of diabetes management tools and doctors. Happily, technological advancements and the guidance of skilled physicians have made her condition more conveniently and safely managed. In short, her life is better and her future brighter because her blood sugar is more efficiently controlled.
“Pursuing acting, I was worried that diabetes would have a negative effect on my performing,” she says. “I was also worried about physical activity, because being active can take such a toll on blood sugar.”
And that’s important not just to Kelly, but also to her students. She’s a theater teacher at a junior high school in Utah County. It’s also important to theater productions around the valley, as Kelly
“With young, active patients like Kelly, who want to be physically active, and want to be as healthy as possible, exercise can cause wild fluctuations in blood sugar,” says Dr. Timothy Graham of
Now, she says, understanding her condition and having modern tools at her side, she doesn’t need to worry as much.
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Diabetes and Endocrinology Intermountain’s American Fork Diabetes & Endocrinology, Kelly’s current doctor. “And so that’s where devices such as the insulin pump can be extremely effective. The pump can be manually adjusted to deliver less insulin during exercise and in the period immediately following exercise.” Kelly has benefited from excellent progress in the field of diabetes, as have many with the disease. At age 17, she transitioned from insulin injections to an insulin pump. Careful carbohydrate planning, excusing herself before meals, and constant vigilance were ingrained in day-to-day life before 17. With the pump, she still had to count carbs, but suddenly had flexibility when it came to timing. Kelly says the pump added security and convenience to her life. “With injections, accuracy is so important,” Kelly says. “Mistakes with timing and measurement of insulin takes a toll on the body. With the pump, timing became much easier.” The next step forward for her was a MiniMed 670G, a system that constantly self-adjusts to keep blood sugar levels in range. Continuous blood glucose monitoring systems (CGMs), as they are called, have made diabetes management much simpler for many people, including Kelly. But it’s not just equipment that is important when it comes to diabetes. Kelly says that the many doctors she’s had throughout her life have all contributed something to help her know how to manage her condition better. Some taught her ways to better understand her body and how it reacted to what she ate. Dr. Graham, she says, has brought a key aspect of emotional support to the table. “Dr. Graham has a great way of addressing the emotional toll of diabetes,” she says. “I used to feel shame whenever I’d mess up, misdose myself, or whatever it may be. He helped me understand that crazy blood sugar is part of being diabetic, and that diabetes wasn’t something I did anything to deserve.” Kelly says this emotional support in the face of a taxing medical condition helped her approach self-care in a healthier, more positive way.
Diabetes Innovations That Are Changing the Game At the forefront of diabetes management progress are systems that use artificial intelligence to constantly adjust to a patient’s need.
Timothy E. Graham, MD of 40,” he says, “and so that creates an enormous amount of anxiety and fear for some patients, especially these type 1 diabetes patients who are a little trickier to manage. 85% of diabetes care in the state of Utah and nationally is performed at the primary care level, which is appropriate because it’s a chronic disease that can be managed in that setting. Even so there are patients within the diabetic population who have greater needs and therefore require more intensive visits and extra care in order to manage their condition. That’s the ideal role of a diabetes center in general, is for assistance with these more difficult patients.” When Kelly first visited Dr. Graham, her blood sugar was a bit out of control. With his help, with Kelly’s own adjustments, and better equipment, she feels confident about the future. That means she can step onto the stage or into the classroom with greater confidence. “Now I understand that physical activity isn’t something I need to worry about as much,” she says. Performing still can be a tad complicated, she says, but nothing compared to what it would be like with diabetes management like she had in her youth. She might have to have a juice box in between scenes, but she says with some planning and foresight, she can easily pursue her passions.
Type 1 diabetes, explains Dr. Graham, is often more difficult to manage than type 2 diabetes. He says he and his team at American Fork Diabetes & Endocrinology are set up to deal with all the concerns of those with more more complex diabetic cases.
“People who were on pump or multidose insulin in the past where typically having to monitor 4-8 times per day by pricking their finger and measuring their blood sugar,” says Dr. Graham. “Even though that seems like not a big deal to just have to prick your finger, to have to live constantly attached to that process definitely affects quality of life for people.”
“Poorly managed low blood sugar is the most common cause of death among diabetic patients who are under the age
Kelly says that self-education has also been a huge part of helping control her condition. Two people with diabetes, she
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“They can actually learn from a person’s intervention,” explains Dr. Graham. “Whenever the pump kicks in and starts working autonomously, the machine can monitor its own success and failure, and further hone its ability to do better next time. After a week or two, people are seeing more tightly controlled blood sugars.” Several patients at the center were recently transitioned over to these systems, and Dr. Graham says many of them have already shown dramatic improvement in their blood sugars, without developing low blood sugar, which is the goal.
Two Other Game-Changers • Artificial pancreas systems: The pancreas is what regulates glucose in a healthy person. Artificial pancreas systems are closed-loop systems that connect continuous glucose monitoring systems with an algorithm that drives an insulin pump, thus mimicking a healthy pancreas. • Smart insulins: These can be injected once per day, or applied to skin via patch. They respond quickly to the level of glucose in the body. They’ll be inactive until blood sugar shows up in the blood, and then they will become activated in the presence of blood sugar.
explains, can eat the same exact thing and do the same activities, and one may be drastically more affected than the other. She has to understand her individual condition. “The quality of my life improves the better I understand carbs, blood sugar, and everything else,” Kelly says. “The less I know, the worse I feel.”
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Diabetes and Endocrinology Intermountain’s American Fork Diabetes & Endocrinology Why a Diabetes Center? American Fork Diabetes & Endocrinology is a full service diabetes center that offers physician-based management, diabetes education counseling and expertise with insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring systems. It is an important resource for those struggling with their diabetes. Some may wonder why a diabetes center might be preferable to diabetes care through a primary care provider. As Dr. Graham explains, while primary care is sufficient for many diabetics, some have more complex cases that need more complex and involved care. Kelly is one such patient, he says. “In many cases, patients, like Kelly, can be very sensitive to the effects of insulin, and very prone to low blood sugars which can be life threatening,” Dr. Graham says. “And they can also bounce back and forth between extremes of low blood sugar and high blood sugar, making them a diagnostic challenge, and treatment challenge for many practices.” The center has the tools needed to help patients get their blood sugar under control. For example, they have Jodi Parker a registered dietitian, diabetes educator, and expert with diabetes pumps. The clinic also provides rapid cycling visits, seeing patients several times a week to get patients on the right track. They also use disposable continuous glucose monitoring systems (CGM) that can quickly fine tune insulin regimens for a patient over short periods of time. Then patients can transition to using their own CGMs. With CGMs, patients can learn when they may have eaten something without taking insulin before, or when a certain activity may have affected them. “The immediacy of the feedback is amazing,” Dr. Graham says. “When they get their own CGM, they can see in real time how their choices affect their blood sugar.” This technology can be life-saving. “Continuous glucose monitoring systems will alert a patient if they have dangerously low blood sugar levels, especially at night while they’re asleep,” says Dr. Graham. “It will wake them from sleep, to avoid the dreaded ‘dead in bed syndrome’ that can occur when insulin causes blood sugars to drop precipitously at night when someone is sleeping, causing them to go into a coma and then death while asleep.”
“When they get their own CGM, they can see in real time how their choices affect their blood sugar.” This technology can be life-saving. Dr. Graham Type 2 Diabetes: Avoiding Insulin Therapy Modern medication has been a game changer for diabetes care, says Dr. Graham, especially for those with type 2 diabetes. The progress affects how this population should be treated.
“Those who have type-2 diabetes and obesity and obesity-related conditions like high blood pressure, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, we tend to fast track these patients toward bariatric surgery,” says Dr. Graham, “since it’s essentially not only something that will control their weight, but most importantly for many patients it leads to a complete cure for diabetes.”
“While we never hesitate to start insulin in patients who need insulin for their safety and for their health,” he says, “due to several new classes of therapies type 2 diabetes, we can now keep many many patients off of insulin for years, who otherwise in the past would have needed insulin much earlier in their disease process.” Because several of these classes of medicines for diabetes can also cause weight loss, they also benefit patients who have diabetes due to insulin resistance related to their obesity, which is the majority of type 2 patients, Dr. Graham explains. American Fork Diabetes & Endocrinology also has close ties to several bariatric clinics, as bariatric surgery can be vital for the treatment and even cure of type-2 diabetes.
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P HOTO CRED IT: SAVAN N A SO REN SEN
SAVAN N ASO REN S EN .P HOTO S HELTER.CO M
Senior Clinic
A team approach for superior geriatric care The autumn of life shouldn’t be a sorrowful time; they’re called the golden years for good reason. But age brings health challenges, which can cloud otherwise happy times. The right medical care that honors the wishes of the patient is essential to quality of life in advancing years. The Utah Valley Senior Clinic in Provo understands that. They offer team-based geriatric care focused around the goals of patients and their families. “We are a specialized field,” explains Dr. Angel Kirkham, the newest member of the clinic, “but one that really cares for the individual.” The clinic is led by Dr. Erika Noonan, Dr. Kirkham, and Nurse Practitioner Damon Bell. The team, supplemented by a care manager, a psychologist, and additional nurses, is an excellent support to each and every patient. Both Dr. Kirkham and Dr. Noonan are geriatricians, meaning they’ve received extra training in taking care of patients that are
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older. Damon is a certified adult and gerontology nurse practitioner, and brings valuable experience from transitional rehabilitation centers, hospitals and adult ICUs. “Having a team approach brings in a wider scope and depth of knowledge, practice, and skill that can all be used as a tool for our patient population,” Damon says. This means that individual care improves, explains Dr. Kirkham, which is a high priority for the clinic. A dedicated senior clinic supported by a team also allows the providers to spend more time with each patient, which is essential when it comes to senior care, because doctors
must know each patient’s conditions and desires in detail. “We stay in pretty close contact with our patients,” she says. “We get to know them well, and get involved in their lives.” This communication is essential for providing care that patients want as they near the end of their lives. “We talk with patients and their families about what they imagine for themselves down the road,” Dr. Kirkham explains. “If it were to become hard to live at home, or they needed more care, we start trying to lay that groundwork before it becomes a crisis. A lot of people don’t consider these topics until they maybe have a fall or until something comes up that they have to consider them. We start the conversation, and open the door to thinking long term.” This relationship-based care is largely what drew Dr. Kirkham to geriatrics in the first place. As she went through her training, she realized how much she enjoyed working with older patients, and how much she liked developing relationships, not just with patients but with families and loved ones too. And she says the same can be said of her team. “We all really enjoy practicing that kind of medicine,” she says. “We’ve sought out geriatrics so that we can do that, so we can have more time to spend with people and really talk to them, but also really listen to them, and find out what’s important to them.” Damon, also a recent addition to the clinic, says he just enjoys working with the geriatric population. “I enjoy taking care of the patients that have chronic medical conditions, and I enjoy helping them navigate that process,” he says, “and helping them establish their goals and what we can do to help them improve their function and help maintain a high quality of life, however that’s defined by the patient, by us the provider, and by the team.” Taking each person’s background and personal wishes into account is one thing the Senior Clinic team is good at, Damon explains. “People have their own goals, their own desires especially in terms of end of life care,” he says, “and we think it’s important to sit down and have that conversation with the patient, as well as with the family, to know what that might look like for them, to learn what they find is acceptable and what isn’t acceptable, so that we can make a plan and an approach.”
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SAVAN N ASO REN SEN .P HOTO S HELTER.CO M
Senior Clinic
PH OTO CRED IT: SAVAN N A SO REN SEN
A B O U T T H E N E W P ROV I D E R S
Dr. Angel Kirkham Dr. Kirkham was recently married in Hawaii. Her husband is training to be a marriage and family therapist. They both enjoy traveling and the outdoors. She grew up in four states and three European countries, as her father was in military, but has strong Utah roots. As a physician, she is passionate about dementia care, healthy aging, and caring for patients at the end of life.
Having the patient, their family and the medical team all on the same page is essential, he says, so that when tough decisions come up, everyone is ready, and not feeling forced by circumstance. But being on the same page takes time and open communication. “People don’t make their end-of-life decisions in one moment or at one visit,” Damon says. “It’s not something that can be done in one conversation. Those are conversations that often require being fluent and fluid and having them frequently.” With this type of communication, the team is able to tailor treatment options to what patients want, so they can reach their goal, whatever that might be. “The biggest thing that we do is help people make decisions that support their goals of care later in life,” says Dr. Noonan. “Some people say they just want to remain in their home as long as possible, and avoid the hospital, and we can support them in that decision.”
Damon Bell
Nurse Practitioner Damon grew up in northern California. He is married with four kids, two girls two boys. He enjoys any family activities, including supporting his daughter at swim meets.
Dr. Erika M. Noonan Dr. Noonan has been at the Utah Valley Senior Clinic the longest. She graduated from the Saint Louis University School of Medicine in 2008. She is married with three kids.
Explaining the risks and benefits of certain treatments and tests is a big part of that, she says. For example, some patients wonder if they should get a mammogram. “If you found something on a mammogram would you want to pursue treatment, would you want to see doctors would you want to find out your options?” Dr. Noonan asks. “If the answer is no, then we don’t even do the mammogram.” It’s not about the doctor’s goals for a lab test, or the clinic’s goals for a blood pressure number, she says. If a patient wants to avoid hospitals and tests, the clinic understands. Dr. Noonan says she does lots of phone call medicine, or speaking with family members or home health nurses, so care is coordinated, and wishes are respected. “We really focus on the patient’s goals of care, as opposed to our own,” she says.
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POLITICS, THE PRESIDENT AND ELECTIONS Just acknowledge opinions, don’t contradict them. Family is more important than politics, and there are better places to discuss these things, especially when some family members are disinterested and feel excluded.
HOLIDAY PREPAREDNESS
HOLIDAY WORKLOAD Breakdowns often come because someone has been doing “all the work” while everyone else just watches football, eats and enjoys themselves. Be mindful of the amount of work required to throw a holiday party, especially when it comes to cooking and expenses.
AVOIDING ARGUMENTS AT FAMILY PARTIES
PAST GRIEVANCES It is a huge mistake to address grievances at your family or friend party, unless you want to ruin the atmosphere for some reason. Even if it isn’t a loud argument, everyone can feel the tension. Work things out before the gathering.
For some reason, family get-togethers are a breeding ground for fierce debate. Whether it’s dad bashing Obama or your cousin ripping on the wealthy, tension will find a way in. Here are some important things to remember to keep family gatherings joyful.
THE COMPLAINER Somebody at the party is going to want to complain about everything: money, dating, teens, you name it. If someone just has to complain, find a common enemy to complain about. Hunger, for example.
MONEY Money is a touchy subject, especially when various family members have different incomes and different views on money. Just leave money out of family parties.
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THE BEST FAMILY GAMES FOR KIDS BATTLE SHEEP
FIRE DRAGONS
2-4 players
2-4 players
Rubies spill out of a mountain and players scramble to roll the right number on the dice to collect the most. It is a cool game design that will intrigue youngsters.
This is a quick, simple, addicting strategy game where you move your sheep to get the biggest portion of the playing field. Games only take 15 minutes, which is great for anyone who gets bored easily.
RECIPE WEBSITES THAT ARE ACTUALLY USEFUL
FOR EVERYONE
5 SECOND RULE
Supercook.com Plug in what you have in the cupboard, and Supercook searches the web for relevant recipes. We like how easy it is to use.
SPLENDOR
3 or more players
2-4 players
You have five seconds to name three things in a category. This game is great for a laugh, and to get people excited.
This is a fast-paced strategy game of card and chip collecting. Gather gems to purchase mines that are worth points.
Epicurious.com We like this website just for being an excellent overall recipe center with great pictures. It gets us excited about cooking. It’s also great for those who want to keep recipes seasonal.
FOR TEENS AND ABOVE INIS
7 WONDERS
Experience captivating deeds of Irish myth as you explore the island’s enchanted landscape and claim territory for your clans. This strategy game’s elegant gameplay combine card drafting and area control to produce a system rich in strategic options and interpersonal interactions.
Create your own civilization that rules others. The fastpace progression and the power to build your own way make this an excellent choice for family parties.
2-4 players
2-7 players
Allrecipes.com Find thousands of recipes in an easily-navigated site, and even create a profile to save recipes you like. Foodily.com Foodily is a recipe network for friends. Join to find and share recipes from across the web. We also like how you can search for recipes “without” certain ingredients.
TOP TEN BOARD GAMES OF ALL TIME 10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Risk
Pictionary
Othello
Clue
Monopoly
Scrabble
Backgammon
Checkers
Chess
1957 game played on a board that divides the planet for world domination
1985 guessing game based on drawings from teammates
Trivial Pursuit
1883 strategy game for those with great observation skills
1949 deductive reasoning skills murder mystery game
1934 board game involving long hours and eventually ending in bankrupcy
1938 wordforming game
3000 B.C. (what.) Game involving strategy and probability, with a few tactics involved
3000 B.C. Game played by Homer and Plato using diagonal moves to capture opponent’s pieces
1200 board game played with 16 different pieces, each having their own abilities
1979 game discovered by two bored Canadian Journalists who lost key pieces needed to play Scrabble
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Healthy Magazine
STUFF
GIFT GUIDE 2017
Stadler Form OSKAR LITTLE Humidifier This beautiful little piece of machinery efficiently hydrates your space. An antimicrobially-treated wick filters to release just the right amount of purified moisture. With a water level window and pocket door cleverly hidden on the side, Oskar Little is easy to refill with a glass of water or watering can, alleviating the common strain of fitting a bulky unit beneath a water faucet. $159.99, stadlerformusa.com
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Mazama Tumalo Hydration Pack
Skullcandy Crusher Wireless Headphones
These packs are carefully designed to follow your movement, reduce torque and center the weight of the water. We found it to be a reliable, helpful and comfortable companion for outdoor adventures, be it hiking, skiing, or whatever.
These headphones make music more of an experience, isolating the sound and accentuating base. And we found the battery life to be spectacular; we used the Crusher every day for two weeks without having to recharge.
$84.99, mazamadesigns.com
$199.99, skullcandy.com
GoPure Water Purification Pod Savannah Bee Honey Lotion We know there are a lot of lotions out there. This is one we recommend. Savannah Bee Honey Lotion is available in three scents: Lemongrass Spearmint, Orange Blossom, and Tupelo Honey, and also in an unscented version. All body lotions contain aloe vera, coconut oil and honey to nourish and hydrate your skin.
The pH level in average drinking water is often more acidic than is good for the human body. This eco-friendly water purifier balances your tap water to the optimal pH level. All you have to do is drop it into any water carrier and it immediately starts purifying and enhancing tap water through it’s patented technology. The pod, which is about the size of a wine cork, also removes impurities, and is great for the environment. One Pod lasts for up to six months, and replaces 2,000 plastic water bottles.
$10.99, savannahbee.com
$24.95, gopurepod.com
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Every single egg from Vital Farms comes from Certified Humane速 pasture-raised hens, meaning the hens each get a minimum of 108 square feet of pasture to roam. The hens keep the pastures fertilized themselves, and regular rotation keeps the pastures healthy and covered in fresh grass, meaning no harmful chemicals are needed. Available at Whole Foods, Target and Sprouts
Pereg Ka単iwa Baby Quinoa This little grain goes by many names including ka単iwa, quechua, ca単ahua, and baby quinoa (because it looks & tastes similar to its botanical relative: quinoa). It cooks up with a crunchy texture to make a nutrient rich, delicious breakfast or dinner. $4.70, pereg-gourmet.com
Up Mountain Switchel Apple Cider Vinegar These drinks combine apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and ginger, along with some other delicious flavors, like lemon and cayenne. Their ginger root is brewed fresh and in large quantities unlike most beverages with ginger out there. We believe in the health benefits of ginger and apple cider vinegar, and we love that the sugar comes from mineral rich maple syrup. $8.00, drinkswitchel.com
Beetology All five varieties (Beet + Lemon + Ginger, Beet + Veggie, Beet + Tropical Fruit, Beet + Berry, and Beet + Cherry) are 100% nonGMO, U.S.D.A. Certified Organic, and Certified Fair Trade. The 100% juice blends contain no preservatives, additives, artificial colors, or flavors. And they taste awesome. $3.99, health food, specialty, grocery, and kosher food markets
FOOD & DRINK
Vital Farms Eggs
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All Is Calm If You’re
A Bright
Planner W R I T T EN B Y J U DI T H R AS B AN D
“My days are getting shorter and shorter!” wailed my neighbor. Well, indeed they are, because we’re headed for December 21, the shortest day of the year. And I know, there’s so much to do between now and then as we prepare for the holidays. Often, we’re so busy doing all the things we think we’re supposed to do—decorate the house with a festive air, buy all those perfect presents, send all those clever cards, cook all those mouth-watering goodies—we never seem to personally experience the feelings of good tidings we’re trying so hard to spread. ‘Tis the season of extra stress. I’m one to tease, “Thank goodness for stress or I’d never get anything done.” But tense, tight muscles, pains in your stomach, a foggy or forgetful mind, and sleepless nights are symptoms that you’ve crossed the line from healthy stress to unhealthy stress. It’s no wonder many people feel overwhelmed and disappointed during the holiday season, then depressed when it’s all over.
Plan Your Precious Time With proper planning, you can keep stress levels low and spirits high all season. First of all, there are far too many things going on to try to keep it all in your head. Gather your family together and put everyone’s activities on the calendar, then refer to it diligently. Schedule shopping trips for morning, Monday being the lightest shopping day of the week. Set up a gift-wrapping station in some corner of the house. Maybe you’ve got a card table and chairs that can stay there through
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Christmas Eve. Plan light healthy meals for every night, right up to Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Now is the perfect time to remind ourselves what we often forget—the need to make time for ourselves. Maybe you’d benefit by taking a walk outdoors, or propping up your tired feet, closing your eyes and taking a ten-minute cat-nap. Enjoy the peace and security of the moment. Ten to 15 minutes does wonders to erase those worry lines from your face. What is important to your spirit? Good holiday music lifts my spirit. Try it, even for ten to twenty minutes. Regardless of how hard you are working, a ten-minute break in the middle of the merry madness can give you the lift you need to tackle the next must-do job.
Remember What Gives You Joy As you accomplish an essential task, allow yourself to feel the joy of a job well done. Give yourself a little reward. One of my favorite rewards during these busy afternoons is a cup of hot spiced cider sipped slowly while relaxed in my favorite chair. A friend of mine soaks her feet in a tub of hot, sweet smelling sudsy water—just the pickme-up she needs to pull her through the rest of her busy day. Twenty years ago, I rewarded myself with a red coat. Wearing it throughout December surrounds me with a feeling of joy. What reward might bring you joy? When you begin to feel burned-out, take a moment and weigh your priorities. Maybe you don’t really have to make a new wreath for the front door. Maybe you can order a fantastic fruit cake, Christmas cookies, and rolls, then freeze them till needed. Think of your freezer as your own personal “food bank.” Double up on hearty soups, casseroles, and meat loaves in November, ready in the freezer for December. Your hands work overtime during the holidays, so maybe a manicure will help present you feeling and looking your best for a party.
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Make Every Occasion A Special Occasion The word party reminds me, if you usually attend a number of holiday events or parties, plan your outfits ahead of the dates. Literally, buy and/or prepare them, ready to go weeks in advance.
• • • • • • • •
For her, buy a simple basic dress and wear a different jacket and jewelry to every event. Or top it with a trendy silky poncho from Chico’s online. For him, buy sharp looking slacks and leather jacket to wear with a different shirt to every event. Look to fashion catalogs for seasonal separates in a range of affordable prices. A burst of color signals special! Color is fun and festive. Go for red or burgundy, turquoise or teal, royal blue or emerald green and know you’ll look terrific! A snazzy handbag for women, embroidered, beaded, sequined, or otherwise embellished adds a lively punch to black satin or black denim pants. Drop dead earrings make a solid statement in gold or silver and shiny stone combinations. Charming Charlie’s is sure to have something smashing. Velvet is a no-brainer for both women and men—a velvet dress, skirt, or pants for her and a velvet blazer for him. If not buying this year, buy at end-of-season sales and be ready for next year. A fabulous wrap can finish off your outfit in style and ease. It could be a sheer chiffon evening drape or multi-colored fleece shawl for her and a red plaid muffler for him.
The point is to avoid momentary panic and feeling like you’ve nothing to wear. Plan what you and the family members will wear Christmas Eve and Christmas Day—dressy or relaxed looks. Lay the clothes out the morning or night before to eliminate potential fuss. And so, as you make your plans, remember to include yourself on your gift list this year. Before bed on many a night, sit in front of the tree and let the magical sparkling lights lift your spirit and fill your heart with feelings of peace.
Judith Rasband MS AICI CIM is CEO of the Conselle Institute of Image Management (Conselle. com. She works with the influence and expressive effects of dress and image on wellness and successful living. www.judith@conselle.com
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The Power of
DEFAULTS
We like to think that we critically analyze each choice we make. We like to think that the decisions we make are the result of our own volition and coming to our own conclusions. But you are caught in the trap of your own cognitive biases. A cognitive bias is the brain’s occasional tendency to lead us to make decisions that are not necessarily rational or logical, and these decisions are not even consciously made. One example of a cognitive bias is a default. Even if there are multiple options in a given scenario, there is often one option that is presented as the most common option—this is called a default. Consider a McDonald’s Happy Meal. Children are now given the option of choosing french fries or apple slices. There are options, but which one is the default? The french fries. If a child doesn’t specify which option he or she would like, then the child is given the default option—french fries. Think about other defaults you encounter every day without thinking about it: which search engine do you use when you want to find information? If you don’t turn to Google, you’re in the minority.
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Per the McDonald’s example, defaults are commonly found in the choices we make about our health. While there are many options for birth control, including birth control implant, copper IUD, birth control pill, and hormonal IUD, the birth control pill seems to be the default option. Have you ever been tested for certain health conditions at your routine yearly checkup? These tests are the defaults for a standard yearly preventative care visit. What plate size do you use when you dish up your dinner?
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THE HUMAN BRAIN IS BUILT TO AVOID CONTINUOUS DECISION-MAKING
To the brain, making deliberate decisions about every little thing would be too much work. For that reason, our unconscious makes most of our choices for us, like which road to take home, or where to place our mug on the desk. Making the same choice that has been made before is easier than exerting mental energy to make a new choice. Here’s the trick: now that you’re aware of the role that defaults play in the choices you make about your health, you’re ready to combat the unhealthy defaults and create your own healthy defaults. Create your own conscious healthy habits, and after some time, those conscious healthy habits will become defaults that you won’t even have to think about. As you go throughout your day, pay close attention to the choices you make about your health, record them, and make a note of whether it was a positive default (drinking a big, cold glass of water first thing each morning), or a negative default (automatically ordering a minipizza for lunch instead of a whole wheat sandwich with veggies).
HERE ARE SOME TWEAKS TO TRY IN YOUR OWN LIFE TO CREATE HEALTHY DEFAULTS:
• • • •
Begin each meal with a glass of water Use salad plates instead of dinner entrée plates Stand up during meetings at work Walk to the break room and back to your desk every hour • Switch your soda for a sparkling water • Order a small coffee instead of a large • Set an alarm on your phone to remind you to start getting ready for bed so that you get a good, full night’s sleep
How to Use Defaults to Have a Healthier Holiday Season DEFAULT: Saying yes to every holiday get-together invite
STRATEGY: Only say yes to events you really care to attend, such as those with close family and friends
DEFAULT: Drinking extra alcohol during the holiday season at parties and celebrations
STRATEGY: Only drink alcohol at every other event you attend
DEFAULT: Abandoning any exercise routine during the holiday season
STRATEGY:
W R I T T E N BY C A I T L I N S CH I L L E
Eschew “formal” exercise (going to the gym) in favor of little bits of exercise that fits your busy holiday schedule. Instead of driving to your next holiday event, walk there; stay standing during a holiday social hour; offer to help with the clean-up at holiday parties.
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UNMASKING
VILLIANS
These traditional holiday foods may sound like a healthier choice, but hidden behind the superfood in the title is a mix of sneaky sugar, fat, and sodium. 1. CREAMED SPINACH Spinach has been hailed as one of the best health foods with zinc, fiber, protein, and a range of vitamins and minerals. But pour cream, cheese and butter into the pan and even the healthiest food can get strangled by fat and calories. Boston Market’s creamed spinach contains 280 calories per serving and 75% of your daily saturated fat. Cut the extra calories by skipping the dairy and cooking your spinach in olive oil, garlic and black pepper. Or, if you love the creaminess of the classic dish, sub out the heavy cream for low-fat milk and the cheese for low-fat cream cheese.
2. CANDIED YAMS WRITTEN BY KRISTA BOWEN
BEHIND THE SUPER
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Yams are packed with important vitamins and potassium, but the name says it all: these are basically candy. Most recipes call for a whopping 6 cups of sugar, leading to about 38 grams of sugar per serving. The suggested daily sugar intake is 25 grams for women and 37 grams for men, according to the American Heart Association. Can’t go without your sweet yams? Change up your recipe to cubed sweet potatoes with olive oil and honey to cut out the refined sugar and butter. See our recipe for Honey Glazed Yams.
3. GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE When perusing the Thanksgiving feast, it may seem like a good choice to pile a large helping of something green onto your plate, but not everything is how it seems. Green bean casserole is loaded with butter, cheese, salt and fried onions. So, watch your portion size to avoid calorie overload, or find some healthy swap options like sauted onions for the fried onions on top.
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THE WORST RECIPES:
HOLIDAY HALL OF SHAME
Steer clear of these so-called-treats, because they just aren't good. 1. FRUIT CAKE
4. CRANBERRY SAUCE Cranberries are antioxidant rich and are linked to possible health benefits like a lowered risk of urinary tract infections. This superfood would be a great addition to your meal, except for a shocking 105 grams of sugar per serving in the average can of cranberry sauce. Opt-out of the canned stuff to make your own healthier version. Cut out refined sugar completely by boiling a bag of fresh cranberries and half a cup of honey in water.
5. GLAZED HAM
Ham can be a lean meat option, but this holiday main dish is often cured in salt and glazed in sugar. Six ounces of sliced glazed ham carries 1,760 milligrams of sodium and six grams of sugar. An uncured ham takes a little longer to cook, but will cut your sodium intake by hundreds of milligrams.
6. DARK TURKEY MEAT WITH SKIN Dark meat contains more iron than white meat, but dark meat with skin has three times more fat and 70 more calories per serving than white meat without skin. Turkey skin can have more than 40 grams of total fat alone. White meat without the skin has just as much protein as dark meat with the skin, so select white meat pieces for an easy health swap.
7. PECAN PIE Nuts can be a healthy snack, but pecans are one of the more high-calorie nuts with 196 calories per ounce. Pour in butter, sugar and corn syrup to make the calorie count go through the roof. One slice of pecan pie contains 500 calories, 37 grams of fat, and 26 grams of sugar. However, don’t feel like you need to forego dessert, there are better pie options that can help cut the calories. A traditional slice of pumpkin pie has around 300 calories, not exactly healthy, but it can slash your calorie count.
Dense, boozy and sickeningly sweet; fruit cake might be as traditional as Christmas treats come, but it’s not worth it.
2. CANNED YAMS We’ve established it’s not the holidays without yams, but please, put the can opener down! Yams can be great, but the mysterious mush that comes out of a can is not.
3. BOILED BRUSSEL SPROUTS The wonderful smells that drift out of the kitchen before a holiday feast set the mood for the whole celebration. But, nothing ruins the ambiance more than an overpowering smell of stinky feet coming from boiled brussel sprouts. Maybe enduring the stench would be worth it if they came out tasting great, but brussel sprouts taste about as good as they smell.
4. SNICKERS SALAD Whoever decided that a Snickers bar needed to be mixed into a whipped cream, apple, sour cream, and pudding mush should be ashamed. Snickers satisfies, at least that’s what the ads say, so just leave it be.
5. OYSTER DRESSING Sure, seafood can make for a delightful dish, but the strong seafood taste mixed with the mushy texture of stuffing can turn your stomach. It’s a mash-up that needs to go its separate ways.
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WRITTEN BY MIC HA EL RIC HARDSON
PAYING FOR Why healthcare coverage is often a meager blanket, and which alternatives are winning new followers
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Much of the healthcare debate revolves around the uninsured, but those with health insurance are facing a stark reality of their own: insurance is often not the security they need.
$7,000$8,000 What typical families with health insurance can expect to pay in a year before insurance starts contributing to medical bills. This includes premiums and the deductible.
Employer-sponsored insurance covers half of the non-elderly population, or about 150 million people. A Kaiser Family Foundation survey of employer health benefits over the last decade found drastic increases in what people and their employers today are asked to pay for healthcare. From 2006 to 2016, the survey found, annual premiums for family coverage went up by 58%, from $11,480 to $18,142. In 2006, the average worker contribution was $2,973, and the average employer contribution was $8,508. In 2016, by comparison, the average worker contributed $5,277, while the employer contributed $12,865 annually. Premiums have gone up consistently for the last decade, we get it. But at this point, the chunk coming out of a worker’s paycheck has escalated from an annoyance to a significant financial burden. And don’t forget that deductibles have also shot up in the last decade. In 2006, the average deductible for all covered workers was $303. In 2016, the average deductible was $1,221 for single covered employees. Deductibles for family coverage are generally more than double that. So consider this: someone who has family insurance through their work can expect to dish out about $7,277 per year for healthcare coverage ($5,277 in premiums, $2,000 for the deductible) before they actually receive any benefit. Oh, and the Kaiser report found that 67% of covered workers face a copayment whenever they visit a doctor, and 25% of covered workers have coinsurance, meaning that even after reaching the deductible, they pay for a percentage of care. So $8,000 is probably the more realistic number. Remember, this is after the employer has already forked out $12,865 for coverage for your family. Looking at numbers like these really grinds the gears of many Americans, especially those who are are younger and healthy. This nagging thought can’t help but come to mind: would I be better off without insurance? Even if a family incurred $5,000 in medical bills over a year, having no insurance would still be significantly cheaper than having insurance, which is insane. It’s not until you start talking about severe medical costs that insurance becomes the good guy. On one hand, a single surgery will probably make a family very grateful for insurance. On the other hand, a few years of never meeting your deductible likely means more than $15,000 in lost income. That’s a pretty expensive safety net.
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OTHER WAYS TO PAY FOR HEALTHCARE While some might opt to roll the dice without insurance, most won’t put their family’s welfare in jeopardy. More and more employers and individuals are finding alternatives to traditional options.
Cost Sharing With Religious Communities An intriguing option, especially for the heavily religious Utah community, are Christian cost sharing ministries. Members of these groups are exempt from individual responsibilities of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In fact, the ACA specifically protects these health care sharing ministries if they are nonprofits that existed before 1999 whose members share common ethical or religious beliefs. Several large organizations exist under this description. All members must be professed, practicing Christians. Depending on the group, members must not use tobacco, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs. In this way, religious people have united to create a more efficient population for insurance, meaning premiums are lower, and benefits are better. Members pay monthly for membership, similar to an insurance premium. For Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM), one of the largest cost sharing organizations, members of the gold program pay $150/month per person, and CHM shares 100% of the bills for any medical incident exceeding $500, up to $125,000. And these groups aren’t small or exclusive. CHM, for example, is in all 50 states, and has shared more than $2.5 billion in medical bills. The Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries, which consists of three ministries, has almost 900,000 members. The larger groups have open membership to any believer. Some groups to check out: Liberty Direct (libertydirect.org) Christian Healthcare Ministries (chministries.org) Christian Care Ministry (mychristiancare.org/medi-share)
Health Savings Accounts A Health Savings Account, or HSA, is a savings account that can be used to pay for qualified out-of-pocket medical expenses using pre-tax dollars. The most common route people take with HSAs is to have high deductible catastrophic insurance, and combine it with regular contributions to their HSA savings. This lowers the monthly premium, and allows them to build a tax-free savings account for future expenses. Whereas traditional insurance leaves no lasting asset for the insured, and HSA is a permanent fund that doesn’t expire.
Who Spends What On Healthcare?
$10,345
The average amount of money spent on healthcare for every individual in the United States.
This number comes from the estimated total healthcare expenditures in 2016 ($3.35 trillion) divided by the number of Americans. If this is the case, paying $5,000-$6,000 per year for insurance is a no-brainer, right? Well, consider this statistic:
5% OF THE POPULATION
(the most frail or ill) accounts for nearly half of the national healthcare spending in a given year. Half of the population has little or no health care costs, accounting for just
3% OF NATIONAL HEALTHCARE SPENDING. Source: Department of Health and Human Services, PBS.org
Utah’s per capita personal health care spending, 2014.
No Insurance / Savings Account
26% lower than the national average.
Another option is to just have a savings account set up for health insurance. Online bank accounts like Ally and others offer 1.2% interest. Of course, the big disincentive here is the chance of catastrophic medical expenses. In addition to the risk involved, the ACA sets a fee for not having insurance, which is 2.5% of your household income, though the fee maxes out at the cost of a yearly premium for the national average price of a Bronze plan. Or the the fee is $695 per adult, and $347.50 per child under 18, with a maximum of $2,085. You’ll pay whichever calculation is higher.
Source: Department of Health and Human Services
For example, if you make $65,000 in a year, 2.5% is $1,625. But, the individual mandate that is the lifeblood of the Affordable Care Act has a target on its back. Republicans are trying to find ways to get rid of the mandate and any associated penalties.
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MOLINA YOUR FAMILY AND COMMUNITY PARTNER SINCE 1997 How Molina Helps Its Members Molina provides members with guidance on medication, on seeing their primary care physicians, and much more. “They have the opportunity to really be guided, have their questions answered more clearly, and to make sure their medications don’t conflict,” says Dr. Patton. “We help them get the best care that they need.” The care Molina provides is measured by various quality standards, ensuring that government funds provide good care that people need. “We’ve been very good at meeting those standards, even exceeding the minimum standards,” Dr. Patton says. “We’ve always been ranked among the highest.” For example, Molina helps its members get important testing, like breast exams, colonoscopies, and eye exams, which are part of the quality standards. Additionally, surveyed Molina members consistently say they are satisfied with their care, which is another measurement Molina prides itself on. “Managed care system with Molina our members get quality care because they are treated like family,” Dr. Patton says.
Molina Healthcare A Community Resource for the Disadvantaged for Two Decades
Flu Shots: Why They Matter It’s flu season, and that means “get your flu shot” is a message you’ll be seeing a lot. As you consider getting a flu shot, however, remember there is a lot more at stake than avoiding a sniffle.
Since its founding, the mission of Molina Healthcare has been to serve the vulnerable and disadvantaged populations. When they expanded twenty years ago, that goal remained the same.
In the United States, influenza kills more than 250,000 people a year, according to the World Health Organization. While estimates vary, the flu kills thousands in the United States each year, largely among vulnerable populations like children, the elderly, and those with other health conditions.
“That’s been our focus from the very beginning, focusing on those who are elderly, or very ill or disadvantaged financially.” says Dr. W. David Patton, Ph.D., President of Molina Healthcare.
Unlike other vaccinations you may have received as a child, the influenza vaccination is needed each year. Why do you need a flu shot each year? It’s a nasty virus that is constantly changing so vaccines have to adapt as well. While you might be protected from one strain, you might be vulnerable to another.
Molina manages the healthcare for a third of the managed care Medicaid population, which is more than 80,000 people, including low-income adults, children and pregnant women, as well as elderly adults and those with chronic illnesses and disabilities. Molina also serves people who are on Medicare. In addition to serving government sponsored programs, Molina also provided insurance through the health insurance marketplace. Starting in 2018, they will be leaving the marketplace, focusing solely on Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program). For Molina members on Medicare and Medicaid/CHIP, coverage will not change in 2018. “We are dedicated to continue serving the Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP populations, and we’re working closely with the state to do that,” Dr. Patton says. “We’re as committed to the next 20 years as we have been for the last twenty years.” Those who have Molina insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace exchange will be able to switch to insurance plans to another provider during open enrollment, which is November 1 - December 15, 2017.
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There are some misconceptions about the flu shot, one being that it will prevent you from getting any cold or virus. While there are hosts of viruses out there, and the flu shot won’t protect you from all of them, the shot will protect you from certain strains of influenza. It protects you from the ravages of the serious disease by helping your body recognize the virus as an enemy. The vaccine also helps reduce the severity of influenza if you do happen to get sick from a strain of the virus. Furthermore, if a large portion of a community gets a flu shot, something called “herd immunity” takes effect. The virus has a hard time spreading because it can’t find viable hosts. So if you don’t care about getting really sick for some reason, get a flu shot for your family, neighbors and coworkers.
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The Flu (Influenza) is Different Than a Cold
sometimes it’s transportation. Other times it’s just getting away from the job.”
Dr. Karl Brown
Why Don’t People Get Flu Shots? Data shows the following about percentages of people who get flu shots, by age:
• • • • • • •
6 mos-4 years: 64.4% 5-12 years: 54.7% 13-17: 42.6% 18-34: 31.7% 35-49: 36.2% 50-64: 42.6% 65+: 59%
Among adults, about a third get a flu shot. If it’s known to be safe and effective, and excellent for the health of the community, why don’t more people get one? The biggest reason, says Dr. Karl Brown, chief medical officer of Molina Healthcare is access and convenience.
F A C T S
“Most people would actually like to be vaccinated,” he says, “but just have a hard time getting down to the doctor’s office, or getting to a place where that can be facilitated. Sometimes it’s cost,
More females get vaccinated than males, from the ages of 18-64 Influenza season runs from October to March There’s no live virus in the influenza vaccine shot There are three types of influenza — A, B and C — and there are also within-type subgroups of the virus.
And, of course, some people just don’t like needles. But another big barrier to getting more people vaccinated against the flu is misconceptions regarding side effects, Dr. Brown says. Some people experience pain or swelling at the injection site. Others experience general malaise or fatigue, which can feel like the flu itself. “But you don’t really have it,” Dr. Brown says. “Your immune system is just ramping up to that foreign substance, as if it was seeing the flu, but without a live flu virus.” The flu shot is actually very safe for almost everyone, despite the potential side effects. And the tradeoff is well worth it, explains Dr. Brown. “There are many of us who have seen the benefits of the flu shot, and seen that it does save lives,” he says, “and we have personally taken care of people who have gotten the flu, who did not get their flu shot, who had a real hard time struggling with the health consequences of full blown influenza, including pneumonia.”
Protecting Susceptible Populations There is definitely a social responsibility when it comes to influenza vaccinations, says Dr. Brown. “When we’ve identified a virus that does causes a significant amount of harm like influenza, the more people who are vaccinated, the less the virus spreads, and cuts down on people who are going to experience significant illness, like the older population, or younger children, or those on medication that is affecting their immune system,” he says.
An influenza vaccination will not protect you from all the flu viruses out there, but it will protect you from the most common flu viruses for the current flu season, says Dr. Brown. “When people get sick, frequently we hear quote on quote ‘I got the flu,’” he says. “Most of the time it’s not the flu. It’s another respiratory virus. And there are many many types. There are many more of those than there are types of flu virus.” Most people who get sick have a general cold, not the flu (influenza viral infection). The flu shot isn’t going to protect you from all virus infections. It’s meant to protect you from the influenza virus, which can be a really severe infection.
flu shot, don’t. No living virus is actually placed in the vaccine. The flu shot is safe for almost everyone, excluding those with severe documented egg allergies.
Access There are many ways to get your flu shot. Health Clinics, CVS, Walgreens, and Department of Health facilities. Flu shots are covered for those with Medicaid and Medicare. Some who are homebound may have difficulty obtaining their vaccinations, including the annual flu shot. This is where managed care from Molina can be beneficial. Members can contact Molina and ask about the best ways to get a flu shot.
People can die from influenza. And death aside, the flu sends many people to the hospital every year, especially among the immunocompromised population. A significant amount of that would be decreased if everyone got a flu shot, says Dr. Brown. For children, current recommendations say that children 6 months old and older can get flu shots. Babies and infants are a vulnerable bunch, so flu shots for young ones is a good idea.
Molinahealthcare.com
If you’re worried about the safety of the
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HOW TO
Get Mental Health Care
WHEN YOU’RE BROKE W R I T T E N B Y EMI LY RO L L I N S
A
s science progresses, we understand more and more that the brain and body are intimately connected. Unchecked stress and unresolved traumas can haunt us for years, undermining our health and our relationships. One in four people will be affected by mental illness at some point in their lives. And as conditions like anxiety and depression are becoming more common, we need to be more proactive than ever about our mental health.
If you rely on public health insurance: Medicare: This insurance covers the elderly as well as some folks with disabilities. Medicare part B does cover mental health services like seeing a psychiatrist for medications or a clinical social worker for therapy. Medicaid: This insurance covers low-income children and their families. Medicaid is more complex than Medicare, and it can vary according to individual need and situation, but according to the “Alternative Benefits Plan” portion of the program, mental health and substance abuse services are covered.
If you are uninsured, or if you have insurance with a high deductible, you may need to explore new options:
The problem is, if you are one of the 33 million Americans who don’t have health insurance, or if your insurance doesn’t cover mental health services, then you may not be able to afford therapy. Let’s be real here—therapy is expensive! Some therapists charge up to $300 per session and the people who can’t afford therapy are usually the ones who need help the most.
Don't be afraid to bring up cost: It can feel uncomfortable to mention money (or a lack thereof) to a therapist, but many therapists and counselors regularly work with low-income clients. In fact, plenty of community mental health centers and individual counselors will offer a "sliding scale” based on your income and ability to pay. For example, if you have little to no income, you may only owe $10 per therapy session or the sessions may even be free.
Fortunately, there are plenty of resources to help close the gap between needing help and finding it:
Look for local resources: A quick Google search using the phrase "low-cost counseling" along with the
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FINGERS WON’T
STR AIGHTEN? WHAT IS IT?
Dupuytren’s (doo-puh-trens) Contracture is a condition involving the palm and fingers. Connective tissue (aplmar fascia) just under the skin in the palm begins to thicken and shorten, which causes development of contracted cords and nodules. The fingers then curl down toward the palm. The ring and little finger are most commonly affected.
NO SURGERY! Now there is a simple, quick non-surgical medical treatment available in the Salt Lake market by Doctor David Kline. This technique was developed in Paris by Doctor J. L. Lermusiaux in the early 1950’s. Dr. Kline had his own hand treated by Dr. Lermusiaux, then studied the procedure and brought the technique to the U.S. in 2002.
ACCEPTING
· No surgery NEW PATIENTS · No scars · No pain · No rehab · Recover in days instead of months · As little as 1/20 the cost of surgery · Immediate use of hand/fingers · Back to work quickly
BEFORE
AFTER
Under local anesthetic, Dr. Kline uses a small hypodermic needle to divide and release the contracting bands in the diseased areas of the palm and fingers. THE EFFECTIVENESS IS OUTSTANDING! Patients are able to open their hands immediately.
COMING SOON TO SALT LAKE CITY! 430 N 400 W
SALT LAKE CITY
801-364-0880
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DR KLINE AND NEEDLE APONEVROTOMY VISIT:
DUPUYTRENSCENTER.COM
45.1%
name of your city may reveal options that you didn't know existed. There are many government funded and non-profit community organizations that can direct you to affordable counseling.
The number of telemental health visits grew on average 45.1 percent annually among rural Medicare beneficiaries, from 2004-2014.
Consider graduate students: If you live in or near a town with a university, you may be in luck! Students who are working on the last year of their master’s degree in psychology or clinical social work often need experience working with real-life clients. Many colleges have a counseling center that's open to the public. The students get clinical hours and the clients get affordable mental health care; it's a win-win! Check out churches: Some people may find comfort in talking to a counselor who works through a church office. Often these types of counselors specialize in grief counseling as well as marital counseling. If you are looking for someone who will take your spiritual needs into account during therapy, then a church counselor may be the right fit. Community senior centers, Veterans Associations, and youth centers may also be able to point you in the right direction.
Source: Health Affairs
Consider telehealth: Telehealth, meaning medical care provided via phone or video chat or other technology, is a rising trend. Because telemental health visits don’t require a physical location, they are often much cheaper than in-person visits. Some options are: • • • •
Suicide Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK Crisis Text Line: Text “Help” to 741741
MDLive (mdlive.com) Quartet (quartethealth.com) Teladoc (teladoc.com) Local Hospitals With Telemedicine Services
NAMI Helpline:
(for questions about mental illness)
1-800-950-6264
Your mental health matters: so be brave, take charge, and find the care you need. You deserve it!
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CONTACT LENS HYGIENE:
WHO CARES?
W R I T T E N BY M I CH A EL RI CH AR DS O N
Recent surveys show that 6 out of 7 contact wearers report at least one behavior that puts them at risk for eye infection, be it anything from sleeping with lenses in, swimming with contacts, or not replacing lenses enough. This general disregard for eye health is cause for concern among medical professionals, in part because there are 30 million people in the US who wear contacts. Keratitis, a painful eye infection that is often tied to the improper use of contacts, leads to about a million doctor and hospital visits annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Some infections are so bad they can be blinding.
Of course, we can throw dozens of horror stories out there to scare people into taking contact lens hygiene seriously. One woman in Taiwan left her contacts in for six months, resulting in a devastating infection of amoebas, leaving her blind. An Australian rugby player was blinded by an eye infection caused by cleaning his contacts with his mouth. Drama aside, most people won’t go blind from a contact lens mistake. But red, painful eyes and infections are no fun, nonetheless. Research shows that 25 percent of all eye infections are caused by modifiable factors like sleeping in lenses or wearing lenses for longer than prescribed. Sleeping in any type of contact lens increases by 6 to 8 times the risk of getting a serious type of corneal infection called microbial keratitis.
Consider the UK woman who lost sight in one eye after her contact lens became infected by a microorganism commonly found in tap water, seawater and swimming pools. It took months to get the infection under control, by which time her vision was blurred from scarring. Multiple corneal transplants did not resolve the issue, and now she has no vision in one eye.
HERE ARE THE TOP MISTAKES CONTACT LENS WEARERS MAKE: • • • • • •
They don’t wash their hands before handling the contacts. They wash their contacts in water. They sleep in their contacts. They don’t replace their contacts enough. They don’t properly rub, rinse and replace their contact lens case. They top off their contact lens solution instead of replacing it.
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WHY DO CONTACT LENSES LEAD TO INFECTION? One reason why infection can be prevalent among contact lens wearers is that contacts limit the supply of oxygen to the corneas. When the cornea’s oxygen supply is limited, it can swell and tiny cracks can form. This can give access to harmful microbes. Sleeping in contact lens can dry out the eyes, making it hard to remove the lens. This increases the chances that you scrape the cornea trying to remove the lens. This can lead to a corneal ulcer, an open sore on the cornea, allowing bacteria to enter.
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BY THE NUMBERS
30 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE U.S. WEAR CONTACT LENSES
31 YEARS OLD
The Average Age of contact lens wearer is 31 years old
Blindness Affects 1 out of every 500 Serious infections can lead to blindness & affects 1 out of every 500 users.
2/3 FEMALE
WEARERS ARE
6 to 8 times THE risk OF INFECTION
Sleeping in contact lenses increases the risk of getting a serious type of corneal infection by 6 to 8 times.
1 MILLION VISITS FOR KERATITIS
Keratitis, a painful eye infection often linked to improper contact lens use, leads to 1 million doctor and hospital visits annually.
December 2017
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WELLNESS
ADHD
UNDERSTANDING ADULT
WRITTEN BY STEPHEN V. FARAONE, PHD
58 HEALTHY MAGAZINE zines.com
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YOU’VE HEARD ALL SORTS OF MISINFORMATION ABOUT ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD), WHETHER FROM FRIENDS, THE INTERNET, OR UNINFORMED PRESS ARTICLES. “ADHD IS NOT REAL.” “PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES INVENTED ADHD TO MAKE MONEY.” “I’M JUST A LITTLE ADD.” “NATURAL SOLUTIONS ARE THE BEST FOR ADHD TREATMENT.”
ADHD in Adults—a Partnership between SUNY Upstate Medical University, the American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders, the National Alliance for Continuing Education, and InQuill Medical Communications—sets the record straight, with evidence-based information and education for both healthcare professionals and the public. ADHD was identified in the late 1700s as a disorder primarily among hyperactive boys. It was thought to “disappear” when their hyperactive tendencies subsided with maturity. Medications are still discontinued in the teenage years because some professionals believe ADHD has disappeared. Because of this belief, statistics now show that there are at least 10 million ADHD adults in the United States alone, 90% of whom are undiagnosed or untreated.
WITH DILIGENT RESEARCH BY THE MEDICAL PROFESSION BEGINNING IN THE 1970S, WE HAVE LEARNED SEVEN IMPORTANT CONCEPTS: 1. ADHD is documented worldwide in a consistent 5% of the population. 2. Sixty-seven percent of ADHD children grow into ADHD adults and seniors. ADHD is heritable, runs in families, and is impacted by physical environment and familial lifestyle. 3. Rates of ADHD are the same in females as males, but are expressed differently. 4. ADHD coexists and is often masked by a number of other disorders—anxiety, depression, spectrum bipolar and autism disorder, substance abuse, alcoholism, obesity, risky behaviors and disorganized lives, working memory deficits, and significant executive dysfunctions that effect personal, social and work success. 5. ADHD medications (stimulants and non-stimulants) are the most effective treatments for ADHD symptoms. Psychological support/training designed for ADHD, and lifestyle modifications, are important adjuncts to medicine. 6. ADHD costs the U.S. economy more than $100 million annually in lost productivity and accidents. 7. ADHD is diagnosable and safely treatable in trained primary care practices.
How do you know if you have ADHD? Evaluate your life against the seven concepts above. Then get screened and diagnosed thoroughly by a primary care physician who knows about ADHD. Personal, work, and family lives are improved with treatment. Research and technology in ADHD improve all the time. There’s also a new ADHD screener that is even more accurate in predicting the presence of ADHD in patients. It should be completed and brought to a qualified healthcare professional for intake and diagnosis.
Stephen V. Faraone, PhD, is Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience & Physiology at SUNY Update Medical University and a global expert on Adult ADHD.
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December 2017
59
WELLNESS
THE
EFFECT
CHANGING THE WAY YOUR MIND WORKS
I
t’s a terrible feeling, trying to go to sleep, only to find that your mind can’t stop thinking about the Super Mario levels you’ve been playing on your phone all day. You see the blocks, the turtles and the coins, and cannot empty your mind. You regret wasting your time on that stupid game. Cheer up! It turns out that this annoying phenomenon might be able to teach us something about developing a healthier mindset.
Pathways of the Mind This video game symptom has some cousins. Stare at a bright light for too long, and you can see even when your eyes are closed. Listen to a song one too many times, and it will not leave your head. While these all seem negative or meaningless at best, think of this: the effects of repetition are at work in many other parts of your life. In fact, over the course of your life, the way you think about things, your perspective on the world and life, has solidified because you’ve thought along the same lines for so long. The problem is, many of us have unknowingly sunk into negative thought patterns over the years, and when the lights go out, it’s all we see. For example, some have repeatedly thought negatively about their figure, their career, or their relationships.
“I don’t like the way I look.” “I just don’t think I’ll make it in another career.” “I’m not naturally a considerate person.” “I’m not satisfied by my life.” These destructive attitudes are like the video game hangover, but exponentially worse. The problem evolves until it’s not just certain things we have a negative attitude about, but life in general. We begin to see ourselves and life through a darkened lens.
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Can we actually change how we see the world? One Harvard psychologist famously said that by the age 30, “the character has set like plaster.” While our neural pathways do become solidified over time, modern research shows that we can indeed create new patterns of thought. This takes work, however. You’ll have to start using your brain in ways that you’re unused to. You’re trying to form new neural pathways, and that can take time. Like learning a new language or a musical instrument, developing a new mindset takes a dedicated effort, time, and patience.
Repetition “The Tetris Effect” refers to a study done by Harvard psychologists where they had a group of people play Tetris for many hours over a three day period. Five of the participants suffered from amnesia. As researchers surveyed participants, they found that even the amnesia patients saw spinning blocks in their minds while trying to go to sleep, even though they didn’t remember playing the game. The point is, what we spend a lot of time thinking about profoundly affects our brain. Repetition is essential to developing a new mindset. Like the Tetris players in the study who played over and over again, you’ll need to do things again and again until new neural pathways are formed, and you begin to think differently without effort.
Here are some things that you might need to start doing: • • •
List three things you are grateful for every day. Praise those around you three times a day. List three achievements of your week, every week for a month.
As you exert mental effort toward these new activities, your brain begins to rewire. Eventually, you’ll start to do these things without any mental decision or effort. It will become who you are, to think about life in terms of positive attributes and achievements.
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December 2017
61
WELLNESS
COLOR
SWAP HOW TO GIVE YOUR HOME A NEW COLOR SCHEME
With the new year just around the corner, you may be itching to make some home improvements. Picking a new color scheme is a great way to update the look of your home, but it can be easy to become overwhelmed if you don’t know where to begin.
1. Start small Avoid the beginner’s panic that comes from finding colors for all the rooms at once and start with one room. Just one. There is no sure rule about what room it should be, so pick a room that inspires you. It could be the biggest, most centrally located room like the living room or kitchen. Or you could pick a room that you want to paint the boldest color. Whatever room you choose, it should get you excited about your new project.
2. Look at what you’re stuck with You might want to take on a total makeover of the room, but odds are you don’t want to replace all the furniture or remodel the permanent features. The colors of cabinets or couches should be taken into consideration before you select your color scheme.
3. Think about how you want to feel Color can be a powerful tool, effecting your mood and even your taste. Choosing the wrong color can influence people to feel irritable, but the right color can encourage communication or creativity.
4. Get out your color wheel Yes, those things your art teacher had you make in school can be very useful when selecting a set of colors. Color wheels organize colors to show how colors can be used together in different color schemes, which come in handy when selecting a color pallet for your home. Some common color schemes are:
Monochromatic: Select shades of one color
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Complimentary:
Select colors across from each other on the color wheel
Analogous:
Select colors that are next to each other on the color wheel
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5. Take 5 No, we don’t mean take a break. An easy way to pick a color scheme is to find a color palette of five colors. These five colors will balance out the room and create the feeling you’re looking for. 1. White: This is for baseboards, moldings, doors and windows for your whole house. Not all whites are the same some have sheen and some are matte - so decide before you start.
2
4
3
2. Neutral: It can be gray, tan or a subtle shade of a color like blue or yellow that will act as a base.
5
3. Saturated: This will be your strongest color, so make sure you love it the most.
1
4. Color Scheme Extension: Now look back at your color wheel. If you are looking for a monochromatic color scheme, go a few shades off of your saturated color. If you want a complimentary color scheme, look across the wheel from your saturated color. If you want an analogous color scheme, use a color next to your saturated color. 5. Accent: This color may or may not have a strong presence in your room, but it will add contrast.
Color psychology is the study of how color impacts your emotions and behavior. Here are quick tips to get you started. Bright colors: Bright shades of yellow, green, orange or blue can encourage conversation and happiness. How to use: Use vibrant colors in your living room or kitchen to create a welcoming atmosphere. What to avoid: Don’t overpower your rooms with these colors. Make sure to balance out with neutral colors. A small amount of bright shades goes a long way in any room. Dark colors: Using reds, purples and dark shade of green and blue tend to have a mood dampening effect. How to use: Use as an accent color in a room with good lighting, like a red vase or dark green couch. The contrast of dark colors in a light room can convey security and groundedness. What to avoid: Using too many dark shades can leave a gloomy feeling, and reds can cause irritation. Avoid using them in a child’s room or playroom. Warm colors: Warm hues like yellow and orange cause an increase of energy. How to use: Warm colors have the incredible effect of raising the perceived temperature of the room, so use them in north facing rooms or in the basement. What to avoid: Because warm colors inspire activity, avoid using them in rooms where you want your brain to unwind and relax, like a bedroom. Cool colors: Greens and icy blues have a calming effect. How to use: Cool shades can help you relax and get a good night’s sleep, so they are perfect for bedrooms. What to avoid: Navy blue has been linked to inhibiting conversation, so avoid using it in living rooms and dining rooms.
Some digital tools for making a palette from an inspiring photo: • • • •
Adobe Capture (app) Colourlovers.com (website) Coolors.com (website and app) Paletton.com (website)
6. Try it out Once you’ve selected a color scheme don’t immediately go out and buy all the paint you need for the entire room. Test your colors by buying sample sizes and painting swatches onto your walls. For best results, paint large swatches in the light and dark corners of the room to see how the light effects the color throughout the day. Remember, light changes everything.
7. Go from there Once you’ve settled on the colors for the first room, move out from there by following the steps above. Any space you can see from the room you started in needs to work with the original color scheme to avoid clashing. Find color schemes that tie the space together. If you don’t want the adjacent rooms to be too matchy, take your saturated color and pull out your color wheel again. If you chose a complementary scheme for your main room, perhaps try an analogous or a monochromatic scheme. For a more bold transition, you could use the saturated color as the accent color in the next room to tie them together. Source: rd.com
December 2017
63
FITNESS
3 GREAT
HIIT
WORKOUTS
That Won’t Bore You To Death High intensity interval training (HIIT) has many advantages over other forms of exercise. Possibly its largest advantage is that HIIT can be performed with just about any piece of exercise equipment that you can think of, including your own body.
This means that there is no reason at all why your exercises should become stale and repetitive. If you are constantly doing the same HIIT workouts over and over, at some point, boredom will set in. Let’s go over 3 HIIT workouts that won’t bore you to death.
1. Recumbent Bike HIIT Workout This will be the only workout mentioned that will require you to go to a gym or own a large piece of equipment. Nothing gets boring faster than a piece of stationary equipment unless you spice it up with a great HIIT workout. Working out on a recumbent exercise bike has one important benefit: it’s a great way to perform HIIT workouts without the high impact on your lower back and joints.
EXERCISE
TIME
High Intensity
10 Seconds
Low Intensity
30 Seconds
High Intensity
15 Seconds
Low Intensity
30 Seconds
High Intensity
20 Seconds
Low Intensity
30 Seconds
High Intensity
30 Seconds
Low Intensity
60 Seconds
Repeat 3-5 times
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2. Resistance Band HIIT Workout EXERCISE
TIME
Jumping Jacks
30 Seconds
Rest
10 Seconds
Squat and Band Row
30 Seconds
Rest
10 Seconds
Band Plank Row
30 Seconds
Rest
10 Seconds
Squat and Band Pull Apart
30 Seconds
Rest
10 Seconds
High Knees
30 Seconds
Rest
10 Seconds
Band Push Up
30 Seconds
Rest
10 Seconds
Band Wood Chopper
30 Seconds
Rest
10 Seconds
Mountain Climber
30 Seconds
Rest
10 Seconds
To perform this HIIT workout, the only equipment you will need will be a resistance band. Resistance bands take up very little space, which makes this a great workout to perform while traveling or outdoors.
3. HIIT Sprint Workout This may be a little more of a challenging workout for some, or just what you are looking for to give your workouts a shot of excitement. Sprinting workouts are a great way to burn calories, improve your conditioning, and even build some muscle. No equipment is necessary, but you will definitely need some space to run. A low-traffic area, preferably on a track or grass would be ideal.
Repeat 2-3 more times
EXERCISE
TIME
Jog
60 Seconds
Sprint
10 Seconds
Repeat 10 times, then walk for 5 minutes
HIIT?
HIIT is a period of high intensity exercises that is immediately followed by a period of low-to-moderate intensity or even complete rest. A common ratio of work to rest is 2:1. An example of this would be jumping jacks for 20 seconds, then resting for 10 seconds. Aside from being an excellent way to save time, awesome benefits of HIIT are: • • • • •
Improve endurance High rate of calorie burning Increase energy Build muscle Improve heart health
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recipes
HEARTY BEEF, BARLEY & LENTIL SOUP MIX INGREDIENTS 1/2 pound lean ground beef or stew meat 7 cups water 1 Tablespoon beef bouillon granules 1 Teaspoon black pepper 2 Tablespoons dried minced onion 2 Tablespoons dried minced celery 1/4 cup dried carrots 1/2 cup barley 1/2 cup lentils 1/4 cup imitation bacon bits (optional) parsley for garnish
DIRECTIONS: 1. 2. 3.
Brown meat in a soup pot. Add water and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for about 45 minutes or until lentils, barley, and vegetables are tender.
MAKE IT A MIX: 1. 2.
Dry ingredients can be combined and stored in pint jars or ziplock bags to make dinner easy any night of the week. Add other dried veggies for a more colorful and flavorful mix. My favorite is the red and green bell pepper mix.
Source: livewellutah.org This recipe was contributed by Suzanne Prevedel, family and consumer sciences educator for USU Extension in Duchesne County.
HONEY GLAZED YAMS Preheat oven to 400o Line a baking sheet with tin foil
INGREDIENTS 6 large red yams 1/2 cup honey 1/3 cup olive oil 2 tablespoon cinnamon optional pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, or ginger
DIRECTIONS: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Cube yams into 1-inch cubes Mix honey, oil, cinnamon (and optional seasonings) Spread coated yams in a single layer onto a baking sheet Bake for 20 -25 minutes and flip yams Return to oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until you can pierce with a fork
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