Living Well December 2014

10 Tips to a Great Plate Tips for Eating Healthy When Eating Out 10 Steps to Making A Financial Budget 12 Tips to Get Support as You Quit Smoking

Living Well Through Awareness

By Cathy Nedd Chief Operating Officer Michigan Chronicle

Table of Contents

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As a woman of a certain age, I have long-since realized that my body doesn’t quickly bounce back from over-eating. So, this year, I decided to start paying more attention to my health by exercising.

| Tips for Eating Healthy When Eating Out | 10 Steps to Making a Financial Budget | 12 Tips to get Support as you Quit Smoking

Publisher | Hiram E. Jackson Managing Editor | Tatiana Jackson Graphic Designer | Juan Sifuentes

Welcome to Living Well. Recognized as the single most credible source of fitness, health and nutrition information for African Americans, each edition is crafted to provide insight into health disparities impacting African Americans and methods on prevention and treatment.

There is a growing need for health awareness in our community. The mission of Living Well is to provide our readers with a wealth of information that enables them to live healthier and happier lives. In these pages you’ll find content on health issues, healthy lifestyles and relatable personal stories from people in our community.

| 10 Tips to a Great Plate

Top 10 New Year Resolutions • Lose Weight • Volunteer to Help Others

My exercise of choice…. Simple walking. I started walking in the fresh air of the out-of-doors while listening to self-help tapes every morning before I went to work. I discovered that even though walking doesn’t rank as one of the big calorie burners, the impact on my figure was overwhelmingly favorable and my mind benefitted too.

• Quit Smoking

Once daylight savings time kicked in, I stopped walking although others in my subdivision did not. And, believe me, I have noticed a marked difference.

• Get Fit

My New Year’s Resolution. In 2015 I vow to walk everyday whether it’s outside, on an treadmill, up and down stairs, or in place. I will walk for two miles everyday, because walking works for me.

• Manage Stress

My recommendation to you – pick something that works for you and that you enjoy. Decide how many reps, or much time you will commit to your exercise. Pick something and stick to it because it will work for you too.

Living Well isn’t just words on a page, it’s a lifestyle and the Michigan Chronicle takes pride in helping lead the way. Be healthy and live well.

2 LivingWELL • December 2014

• Get a Better Job • Save Money • Eat Healthy Food • Manage Debt • Drink Less Alcohol

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Tips for eating healthy when eating out

• As a beverage choice, ask for water or order fat-free or low-fat milk, unsweetened tea or other drinks without added sugars.

• Ask for whole wheat bread for sandwiches.

• In a restaurant, start your meal with a salad packed with veggies to help control hunger and feel satisfied sooner.

• Ask for salad dressing to be served on the side. Then use only as much as you want.

• Choose main dishes that include vegetables, such as stir fries, kebobs, or pasta with a tomato sauce.

• Order steamed, grilled or broiled dishes instead of those that are fried or sautéed.

• Choose a small or medium portion. This includes main dishes, side dishes and beverages.

•Order an item from the menu in stead heading for the “all you can eat” buffet.

If main portions at a restaurant are larger than you want, try one of these 4 LivingWELL • December 2014

strategies to keep from overeating: •Order an appetizer-sized portion or a side dish instead of an entrée.

•Share a main dish with a friend.

• If you can chill the extra food right away, take leftovers home.

• When your food is delivered, set aside or pack half of it to go immediately.

• Resign from the “clean your plate club.” Stop when you have eaten enough.

To keep your meal moderate in calories, fat, and sugars: • Ask for salad dressing to be served “on the side” so you can add only as much as you want.

•Order foods that do not have creamy sauces or gravies.

•Add little or no butter to your food.

•Choose fruits for dessert most often.

•On long commutes or shopping trips, pack some fresh fruit, cut-up vegetables, low-fat string cheese sticks or a handful of unsalted nuts to help you avoid stopping for sweet or fatty snacks.

Tips for increasing physical activity

Make physical activity a regular part of the day

C

hoose activities that you enjoy and can do regularly. Fitting activity into a daily routine can be easy, such as taking a brisk 10-minute walk to and from the parking lot, bus stop or subway station.

Or, join an exercise class. Keep it interesting by trying something different on alternate days. Every little bit adds up and doing something is better than doing nothing.

Make sure to do at least 10 minutes of activity at a time because shorter bursts of activity will not have the same health benefits. For example, walking the dog for 10 minutes before and after work or adding a 10-minute walk at lunchtime can add to your weekly goal. Mix it up. Swim, take a yoga class, garden or lift weights. To be ready anytime, keep some comfortable clothes and a pair of walking or running shoes in the car and at the office.

More ways to increase physical activity At home: •Join a walking group in the neighborhood or at the local shopping mall. Recruit a partner for support and encouragement.

•Push the baby in a stroller.

• Get the whole family involved. Enjoy an afternoon bike ride with your kids.

• Walk up and down the soccer or softball field sidelines while watching the kids play.

•Walk the dog.

•Clean the house or wash the car.

•Walk, skate or cycle more, and drive less.

•Do stretches, exercises or pedal a stationary bike while watching television.

•Mow the lawn with a push mower.

•Plant and care for a vegetable or flower garden.

•Play with the kids — tumble in the leaves, build a snowman, splash in a puddle or dance to favorite music.

•Exercise to a workout video.

•Join the office softball team or walking group.

At play: •Walk, jog, skate or cycle.

•Swim or do water aerobics.

•Take a class in martial arts, dance or yoga.

•Play golf (pull cart or carry clubs).

•Canoe, row or kayak.

•Play racquetball, tennis or squash.

•Ski cross-country or downhill.

•Play basketball, softball, or soccer.

•Hand cycle or play wheelchair sports.

•Take a nature walk.

Most importantly, have fun while being active.

This information is courtesy of Choosemyplate.gov.

For more information on how you can stay active, At work: visit www.choosemyplate.gov/physlcal-activity/in•Get off the bus or subway one stop early and walk crease-physical-activity.html. or skate the rest of the way.

•Replace a coffee break with a brisk 10-minute walk. Ask a friend to go with you.

•Take part in an exercise program at work or a nearby gym.

LivingWELL • December 2014 5

10 steps to making a financial budget 1. Budgets are necessary. They are the only practical way to get a grip on your spending, and to make sure your money is being used the way you want it to be used.

2. Creating a budget generally requires three steps: Identify how you’re spending money now. Evaluate your current spending and set goals that take into account your long-term financial objectives. Track your spending to make sure it stays within those guidelines.

3. Use software to save grief. If you use a personal-finance program such as Quicken or Microsoft Money, the built-in budget-making tools can create your budget for you.

4. Don’t drive yourself crazy. One drawback of monitoring your spending by computer is that it encourages overzealous attention to detail. Once you determine which categories of spending can and should be cut or expanded, concentrate on those categories and worry less about other aspects of your spending.

5. Watch out for cash leakage. If withdrawals from the ATM machine evaporate from your pocket without apparent explanation, it’s time to keep better records. In general, if you find yourself returning to the ATM more than once a week or so, you need to examine where that cash is going.

6. Spending beyond your limits is dangerous. But if you do, you’ve got plenty of company. Government figures show that many households with total income of $50,000 or less are spending more than they bring in. This doesn’t make you an automatic candidate for bankruptcy, but it’s definitely a sign you need to make some serious spending cuts.

7. Beware of luxuries dressed up as necessities. If your income doesn’t cover your costs, then some of your spending is probably for luxuries, even if you’ve been considering them to be filling a real need.

8. Tithe yourself. Aim to spend no more than 90 percent of your income. That way, you will have the other 10 percent left to save for your big-picture items.

9. Don’t count on windfalls. When projecting the amount of money you can live on, do not include dollars that you cannot be sure you will receive, such as year-end bonuses, tax refunds or investment gains.

10. Beware of spending creep. As your annual income climbs from raises, promotions and smart investing, do not start spending for luxuries until you are sure that you are staying ahead of inflation. It is better to use those income increases as a reason to save more.

This information is courtesy of CNN Money.

Step 1: Evaluate Your Debts Collect all of your financial documents and print out your free annual credit reports from https://www.annualcreditreport.com to see exactly where you stand. This is an important step toward debt recovery and one that people are often scared to take.

Write down the balances, interest rates and monthly amount due for each of your debts. Include your auto loans, personal loans, payday loans, credit cards and other debts. You should also make note of any annual fees on your credit cards. You don’t need to include your mortgage loan or student loans at this time. These loans have relatively long terms and low APRs, so it is better to focus on paying off your other debts first.

Step 2: Look at Your Budget After you have collected the information about your debts, you should take a look at your monthly budget. Write down your monthly income after taxes and subtract your rent/mortgage payment from this amount and other monthly expenses such as childcare, student loan payments, insurance, utilities and groceries. Once you have subtracted all of your expenses, calculate how much you have left to pay off your debts. If this amount is too small, look for ways to reduce your spending. Consider turning off your cable subscription or carpooling as ways to cut back temporarily.

The more you can pay towards your debts each month, the sooner you will be debt free.

Step 3: Make a Plan Now that you know all about your financial situation, it is time to create a plan for reducing your debts. Subtract your minimum debt payments (Step 1) and monthly expenses (Step 2) from your monthly income after taxes. The remaining amount should be used to pay off the debt with the highest interest rate and the highest balance.

Continue this cycle each month until the debt is paid off and then move on to the next highest rate/balance account. This may seem like an odd process, but it is the fastest way to reduce your debts.

During this time, you should not add any

new charges to your credit cards. Also, try to 6 LivingWELL • December 2014

increase the amount you pay toward the most expensive debt each month.

Step 4: Start Negotiations

While you are starting to follow your repayment plan from Step 3, you should contact your creditors and lenders to see if you can improve the terms on your debts. You may be able to lower your interest rates or negotiate a reduced settlement on some debts by speaking with the customer service department. It is especially easy to negotiate the terms of debts that are charged off (dismissed) by the creditor or in collections already. Also, think about moving some of your credit card debts to new accounts with lower interest rates. Moving a balance to a credit card with a 0% introductory rate for 6 to12 months can help you save a lot on interest. Just be sure to keep each of your credit card balances below 35% of the credit limits to avoid damaging your credit score. During this time, investigate if consolidating your debts into a personal loan or home equity loan could help too.

Step 5: Follow-Through Your Debt Reduction Plan

Do your best to meet your repayment goals each month. It is okay if the amount you put toward your most expensive debt each month varies. Just try to consistently put as much as possible toward your debts. Signing up for an automated payment system and keeping a chart of your progress on the refrigerator can help you stay on track.

When you reach major milestones, be sure to celebrate your success. Before you know it, you’ll be debt free!

This information is courtesy of Credit.com.

G

etting support from the important people in your life can make a big difference as you make the big move to stop smoking. In fact, two out of five former smokers felt that support from others mattered a lot in their success.

Remember that you are not in this alone. Your friends and family are there for you.

Follow these 12 tips to get the support you need: 1. Surround yourself with people you trust.

Think of the people you trust the most, people you can talk to about anything and who have been there for you when you needed them. They could be friends, significant others, parents, coworkers or other family members. Whoever they are, spend more time with them.

2. Focus on people who can help.

If a friendship doesn’t feel right anymore, it might be time to let it go. Don’t be afraid to try a little distance with people who aren’t giving you the support you need. Letting go can be hard, but it is sometimes for the best.

Focus on spending time with people who make you feel good about yourself and want you to succeed.

3. Invest in your relationships.

Make a point to invest time and effort to important relationships. People are more willing to provide support when they know you are there for them. You will also feel more comfortable calling on them for support if the relationship is strong.

4. Ask for help. You might like to solve problems on your own, but the truth is we all need a little help from time to time.

Ask the people you trust. It doesn’t mean you are weak. Your true friends will be there, ready and willing to help. Also, do you know an ex-smoker? Ask them why

and how they quit.

5. Be specific about your needs.

Your friends and family will not always be able to predict what you need during your quitting process. Be clear on what support you need. Tip: Feeling stressed after a long day at work and craving a cigarette? Tell a friend and ask them to help plan a smoke-free night out to distract you.

6. Say thank you.

Don’t let acts of kindness go unnoticed.

Tell your friends you appreciate them.

Saying thank you does not take a lot of time.

7. Avoid stressful situations.

Steer clear of the things that add unneeded stress to your day and look for more positive things to do. Identify what stresses you out and come up with ways to deal with that stress because it can make you feel like you need to smoke.

8. Grow your social circle. Give your social circle a boost by connecting with other people who share your interests.

Start by thinking about the things you like to do. Then look for ways to get more involved in them. Talk to people around you and chances are you will find you have things in common. Tip: Strike up a conversation with someone new at work, join an intramural sports league or volunteer. You never know who you will meet.

9. Be approachable.

How you present yourself to others is a big part of branching out and strengthening friendships. Make yourself approachable by making eye contact when talking with others. Smile.

Sit and stand straight. Give compliments.

People will be drawn to your confidence and positive attitude. Say hi and smile to co-workers.

10. Be hands-on.

Don’t wait around for others to come to you. Create opportunities to spend time with friends by suggesting things to do. Join in conversations. Reach out to the people you care about. Have lunch with a coworker or friend. Invite friends over to your place for a game night.

11. Listen.

This is a great way to strengthen and build friendships. Get people to open up by asking questions that cannot be answered in one word.

Let them talk. Resist the urge to interrupt.

12. Support others.

Support is a two-way street. If you want others to be there for you, you have to be there for them. Check in with your friends and help them out when you can. Sometimes small favors mean the most.

Do something small to brighten someone’s day. Make a friend smile by e-mailing or texting them a joke, get someone a small treat for their birthday or call a family member to see how they are doing.

For more help on quitting smoking, please visit smokefree.gov.

This information is courtesy of Smokefree.gov.

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