Winter 2016
BalancedLiving When Your Child Says, “I’m Sick!” pg. 4 12 Ways to Keep the Holidays Stress Free pp. 8-9
...In this issue... Alcohol and Your Heart 5 Mealtime Survival Tips for Harried Parents MINES Eye: Mindfulness Dimensions
BalancedLiving Winter 2016
MINES & Associates 10367 West Centennial Road Littleton, Colorado 80127 800.873.7138 www.MINESandAssociates.com
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The Staywell Company, LLC ©2016 When Your Child Says, “I’m Sick” pg 4
Welcome to the Winter 2016 issue of BalancedLiving!
Just when we thought the winter might decide to pass us by this year, BAM! the frost is biting with a vengeance. But don’t worry we have some articles ready to go to help you tackle the holidays and make this winter a good one.
With the holiday season in full swing you may be interested in our article on alcohol’s effects on your heart (pg. 6), and tips on how to keep things as stress-free as possible (pg. 8). This time of year is a common time to get a cold, so check out “When Your Child says, ‘I’m sick’,” on page 4 for some tips to snuff out those pesky ailments and then head on over to page 5 for some time savers concerning preparing all those holiday meals. Need an idea on what too cook? Why not try a seasonal dish with one of our favorite ingredients, Quince, on page 11! As always, if you find yourself out in the cold and you need someone to talk to, we’re here for you! Your Employee Assistance Program is available 24/7 at 1-800-873-7138. To your health!
– The MINES Team
Five Mealtime Survival Tips for Harried Parents pg. 5 Alcohol and Your Heart pp. 6-7 12 Ways to Keep the Holidays Stress Free pp. 8-9 The MINES Team MINES Eye: Mindfulness Dimensions pg. 10 www.food.com Recipe: Quince Upside Down Cake pg. 11
2016 2016 is the year to get involved! Don’t worry MINES is here to help you do just that by highlighting important topics throughout the year, along with resources that will help you get involved with the issues that matter most to you, helping to not only enhance your own wellbeing but giving you the tools to get out and make a difference in your community. Total Wellbeing will continue to connect the dots and relate all topics this year to the 8 core dimensions of wellness: Physical, Occupational, Intellectual, Environmental, Financial, Social, Spiritual, and Emotional Wellness to make sure you have a crystal clear picture of how you can achieve your own Total Wellbeing.
Total Wellbeing Get Involved
Physical Spiritual Intellectual Social
Total
Emotional Financial Occupational Environmental
In 2016 MINES & Associates will be talking about the importance of getting involved with the issues that are important with you. MINES will be talking about national events, social issues, awareness months, and more to make sure you know whats going on in the world and how it connects to your wellbeing and what you can do to make a difference!
Enhancing Social Wellness Your Community Matters
The 8 dimensions of wellbeing don’t just apply to one person, they apply to our entire society. Social influence is a huge factor that contributes to each of our levels of wellness, but it all starts with the individual. With this in mind, our challenge to you in 2016 is to see how you can not only enhance your own wellbeing but those around you as well. Get out there, get involved, be well, and see if you can’t inspire your friends and loved ones to do the same. Game on!
Wellness Webinars
Support from the experts
Wellbeing
Join our partner, Brown Richards, for any of their monthly webinars. 2016 will cover great new topics ranging from organizing your life, facts about cancer awareness, productivity, communication, and much more! Visit our website to learn more, or register for upcoming events at www.minesandassociates.com/webinar.
Is there a topic you’d like to see us explore? We’d love to hear from you.
Shoot us an e-mail at communications@minesandassociates.com and let us know what you’d like to see.
www.MINESandAssociates.com | 800.873.7138
When Your Child Says, ‘I’m Sick’ What happens when your child says, “I’m sick”? Do you keep her home or send her off to school?
Following these steps can help you find out, decide, and care for your child. First, ask yourself these three questions: 1. Does your child have symptoms that could make other children sick? Examples of this is are a bad cough, cold, or vomiting. 2. Will your child need constant care from a grown-up?
3. Will the illness make it hard for your child to learn or play?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, keep your child at home. If you’re not sure, call your child’s doctor. Be sure to call the doctor if your child has a temperature of 102° F or more, taken with a mouth thermometer.
“If you must leave your child alone, call every few hours to see how they are doing. Make sure your child knows where they can reach you.”
Decide if your older child can stay home alone, if need be. Ask yourself these questions: 1. Is your child mature and old enough to stay home alone?
2. Has your child ever stayed home alone? If so, was your child good and did it go well ? 3. Does your child know what to do in an emergency?
If you must leave your child alone, call every few hours to see how they are doing. Make sure your child knows where they can reach you.
If you stay home with your child, help them feel better. Try these tips: • Give your child plenty of fluids. This will help prevent them from getting dehydrated. • Comfort your child. Hold their hand and hug them. • Play with your child. Do a puzzle, color, or read. • Change your child’s bedsheets.
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Five Mealtime Survival Tips for Harried Parents You know that you and your kids need to eat right. But with your busy schedule, it seems tough some days to make sure everyone has nutritious meals and snacks.
Fast food is tempting, but the key is to incorporate healthy eating into your lifestyle. Here are some timesaving tips for preparing nutritious meals for the whole family:
1. Plan ahead
Create a weekly meal plan and post it on the refrigerator. This will help you plan trips to the grocery store and make shopping lists in advance so you’ll have the ingredients you need. Rachel Brandeis, R.D., a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association (ADA), suggests planning for at least three food groups per meal. “Think about how many food groups you can put on a plate,” she says.
2. Double up
Make twice the amount of each recipe, and freeze some for later. This can be as easy as making two batches of vegetable lasagna, soup, or chili, or grilling double the number of chicken breasts and saving them for salads or sandwiches. New microwave-proof, stackable plastic containers with lids that seal make storage quick and retain nutritive values and taste.
3. Think convenience
“The key is to use frozen vegetables,” Ms. Brandeis says. They’re almost as nutritious as fresh vegetables, but not as perishable. Buy prepackaged salad greens, prebaked whole-wheat pizza crusts, and prepared tomato sauce. For snacks, look for prewashed baby carrots, boxes of raisins, and low-fat yogurt. For lunch, cut up fresh fruits and vegetables, and prepare tuna or chicken salad at the start of the week (taking care to prepare them with food safety in mind and refrigerate them properly).
4. Get a good start
“Breakfast is truly critical for kids,” according to Sue Moores, R.D., another ADA spokeswoman. Make sure to have healthy cereals, yogurt, and fruit on hand so that they don’t skip breakfast or eat doughnuts or other sugary snacks at school.
5. Involve the kids
Take your children to the grocery store with you on the way back from school or soccer practice. Teach them about healthy ingredients as you cruise the aisles, and ask them to help design menus for dinner. Ms. Moores says this will get them more invested in eating healthy, “And it’s a great teaching opportunity.” M Winter 2016 Balanced Living 5
Alcohol and Your Heart The dire consequences of drinking - e.g., car accidents, broken homes, ruined lives - are well known. But there is also evidence that moderate alcohol use may help reduce the risk for heart disease, for some people. More than 100 studies over the last three decades have shown an association between moderate drinking and a lowered risk for heart attack, stroke, and heart disease, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.
But the research results lead to a kind of two-edged sword when it comes to alcohol, says Stephen Weinstein, Ph.D., clinical professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Philadelphia’s Thomas Jefferson University. “Alcohol may have some health benefits, but on the other hand, it may lead to more abusive drinking.”
If alcohol may be a heart tonic for some, but near poison for others, how do we best use this information?
Learn the meaning of moderation Moderate drinking is defined as no more than one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men, says the American Heart Association (AHA). A drink is considered 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80 proof distilled spirits. Moderation is different for men and women because, says Marschall S. Runge, M.D., chairman of the department of medicine at the University of North Carolina, a person’s height and weight are critical in alcohol absorption. The smaller and lighter you are, the more quickly alcohol is absorbed.
“People respond differently to alcohol for reasons that are not as obvious as height and weight. Because the liver metabolizes alcohol, people with diminished liver function are more sensitive to drinking. Certain medications may trigger adverse reactions when alcohol enters the body.”
Don’t start drinking to help your heart The AHA and other experts don’t recommend starting to drink if you don’t already do so. According to Dr. Runge, “In my practice, if someone has coronary heart disease and they drink one or two drinks a day, I tell them that’s OK, but I don’t tell them to start drinking to modify their risk.” The reason: There’s no sure way to know who will develop an abuse problem.
Know how you react to alcohol People respond differently to alcohol for reasons that are not as obvious as height and weight. Because the liver metabolizes alcohol, people with diminished liver function are more sensitive to drinking. Certain medications may trigger adverse reactions when alcohol enters the body.
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Additionally, people with a predisposition to alcohol abuse may not be candidates for moderation. Says Dr. Weinstein, “If you have a history of alcoholism, the danger of drinking is far greater than the possible cardiovascular help.”
Know that women may have special concerns Although research has established that moderate drinking may protect you slightly from heart disease, remember that drinking has other health risks, such as an increasing risk for breast cancer. And if you’re pregnant, alcohol is not advised because of possible harm to the fetus.
“...there are 7 calories per gram, and that translates to between 100 and 150 calories for the alcohol in a typical beer, wine, or spirits drink.”
Learn how alcohol helps Alcohol’s benefit centers on its ability to slightly raise HDL (good) cholesterol, and inhibit the blood’s tendency to clot, the AHA says. The result: a lower incidence of heart disease and stroke. But alcohol doesn’t provide complete protection or compensate for negative health factors like smoking, which lowers HDLs and increases possible clotting. Moreover, the AHA says, regular physical exercise also can raise HDL. And excessive drinking can raise triglyceride levels, increase blood pressure, and raise the risk for stroke.
Consider alcohol’s caloric content There’s no fat in alcohol. That’s the good news. But there are 7 calories per gram, and that translates to between 100 and 150 calories for the alcohol in a typical beer, wine, or spirits drink. Add to that the calories in drink mixers, and drinking could be a set-up for weight gain. But, says Eric Rimm, Ph.D., associate professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, studies on the correlation between alcohol and weight gain are unclear. “It seems that calories from alcohol are not used as efficiently or burn differently, and that maybe you don’t get the same caloric values from other foods when you’re drinking alcohol.”
In other words, Dr. Rimm says moderate alcohol consumption, at least without all those mixers, may not actually contribute to weight gain but that further study is necessary. M
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12 Ways to Keep the Holidays Stress-Free The holidays are supposed to be a time of warmth, joy, and excitement. And for many people, they are. Still, the anxiety of having too much to do in too little time, the pressure of unrealistic expectations, and the tendency to overeat and overspend can easily overshadow holiday happiness. The following suggestions will help you enjoy the season to its fullest with a minimum of stress.
Eat smart
1. Don’t arrive at a party starving; you’re likely to overeat. Instead, before you leave home eat a piece of fruit, a small salad, or a cup of low-fat yogurt. Eating a healthful snack will prevent you from overindulging on mini quiches and other high-fat fare when you arrive. 2. Avoid handfuls of anything. At the appetizer table, fill your plate three-quarters full with fresh vegetables and fruit. Reserve the remaining quarter for anything you want, even if it’s high in fat, so you don’t feel deprived.
3. Don’t feel obligated to eat everything on your plate or to have dessert. And think twice before going back for seconds. 4. If you overeat, get right back into your normal routine the next day.
Shop smart 5. Give yourself plenty of time to complete your holiday shopping. Shop with an itemized list of what you’ll buy for each person and a ballpark figure of what you’ll spend.
6. Brainstorm for gift ideas. If you’re stumped on what to buy, consider what’s important to the gift recipient. To personalize a gift that isn’t personal, give the story behind it. For a book, write an inscription that explains why you’re giving it or mention specific pages the recipient may find interesting.
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“Cook ahead. On the day before your party, prepare salad dressings, stews, casseroles, cold sauces, soups, desserts, and dips. That way, during the party you can spend as much time as possible with your guests.”
Party smart 7. Keep parties simple by having a buffet instead of a formal sit-down dinner. Serve uncomplicated dishes (made with six ingredients or less) that you’ve made before.
8. Buy nonperishable party items days, even weeks, in advance. These include groceries, beverages, candles, napkins, and decorations. Save the day before to buy items with a short shelf life, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers. 9. Cook ahead. On the day before your party, prepare salad dressings, stews, casseroles, cold sauces, soups, desserts, and dips. That way, during the party you can spend as much time as possible with your guests. 10. Hire a helper. To make your party more manageable, employ a teenager or a catering waiter to help you serve during the party and clean up afterward.
11. Devise games guests can play to help spark conversation. For example, tape a piece of paper with the name of a movie character onto the back of guests when they arrive. Challenge them to guess who their characters are, with clues provided by the other guests.
12. Be sociable. Attending parties when you don’t know many people can be stressful. To break the ice, elect yourself the official introducer. If you see someone standing alone, go over and ask nonthreatening openers. For example, ask these questions at a corporate function: How do you fit into the company? Are you a spouse or an employee? What do you do? What does your spouse do? M
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MINESEye
The importance of staying mindful.
With MINES Eye we will focus on meditation techniques, basic yoga poses, and mindfulness practices to help you stay in control of your thoughts and expand the capabilities of your mind as well as body.
Mindfulness Dimensions
This winter’s edition of MINESEye will look at various dimensions or levels of mindfulness that you can practice on a daily basis. This is not a complete list of ways you can be mindful by any means, but should help get you started down the path to being aware of yourself in the moment and appreciating the beauty in everyday things and activities.
Dimension 1: Breathing
The first dimension we will explore is your breathing. Breathing is a great place to start when it comes to mindfulness as your breathing can often be highly connected to your mental and physical state. When you are excited, stressed, or in a hurry, your breathing may be rapid and shallow while when you are relaxed, or at an “at-rest” state, your breathing will be slow and deep. Try to relax yourself with a 1-minute breathing exercise. Simply breath in and out slowly making each inhalation and exhalation last 4-6 seconds. Make sure to focus on each breath as it flows in and out. You will slow your heart rate and begin to relax. Go for longer than just a minute if you wish.
Dimension 2: Observation
Next, you would be surprised how powerful the act of observation can be in bringing you back into the moment. If you find your mind wandering, simply find a quiet space and choose an object from your natural environment to focus on. This can be a tree, an animal, or even a park bench or a piece of furniture. The important thing is that you take a moment or two to focus on this object and try to take in everything about it. What does it look like? How is light reflecting of it? What small details do you notice? Does it have an aroma? How is it placed in relation to other things around it?
Dimension 3: Awareness
The next dimension we will explore is that of awareness. This is an area of mindfulness that you can practice all day no matter what you are doing. To practice mindful awareness you need to simply focus on the details of whatever you may be doing in a given moment. It can be the way your hips and back twist as you pull open a door, the specific way you hold your pen while writing, or your stance while you wait in line at the store. These small details you will begin to notice about yourself will help you be mindful of the moment as well as give you an opportunity for self-reflection.
Dimension 4: Listening
We’ve talked about mindful listening before here at MINESEye. Mindful listening is much like observation only you will be using your ears rather than eyes. Pick a favorite song or sound in nature -- such as a stream flowing or rain falling. The main principle is to let the sound fill your attention and narrow your focus to be fully-occupied by this sound. Try to notice anything and everything you can about this sound. Try combining this with your mindful breathing if you wish.
Dimension 5: Immersion
The idea behind this one is to take a normal everyday task and immerse yourself into the subtle details of that task. As you go through your day, try and focus on what you are doing. If you are writing, think about how the pen feels on the paper or the way your writing sounds on the paper. If typing, think instead of the way your fingers move from key to key, or the satisfying sound of the keyboard chatter. The goal here is to find new details in routine tasks that you didn’t notice before.
Dimension 6: Appreciation
Finally, we will wrap up our mindfulness with a moment of appreciation. This one is simple in that all you need to do is take a few moments and think of 3-5 things, people, places, or any other routine entity and make a point to learn something new about those things. Research these things or contemplate how they relate to the other aspects of your life. Through this expanded understanding of these everyday details, your appreciation and of the small things in life will grow. M
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Winter 2016 Balanced Living
SEASONAL RECIPE
Quince Upside Down Cake
Ingredients: • • • •
For the fruit and caramel 2 tablespoons butter or 2 tablespoons margarine 1/2 cup sugar (brown if possible) 1/2 cup sour pitted cherries (optional) 2 -3 quinces, poached
• • • • • • • •
For the cake 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 1/2 cup sugar (brown if possible) 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1 cup flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup milk, at room temperature 1/3 cup quince poaching liquid (or other juice or milk)
Directions: 1. Melt the butter in a pot. Add the brown sugar and cook while stirring, until the sugar is melted and begins to bubble. 2. Remove from heat add quince slices stir once until coated, then arrange the fruit in the bottom of a greased pan, taking care with the pattern and remembering that this will end up being the top of the cake. Add in the cherries and set aside. 3. Preheat oven to 350°F. 4. With a food processor or whisk combine sugar and butter until fluffy. Add eggs and mix again. 5. In a separate bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. 6. Stir half the dry mixture into the wet mixture. 7. Now add milk and quince poaching liquid and combine. 8. Fold in the remaining dry ingredients, and then pour mixture over the fruit. 9. Bake in pre-heated oven for 45 mins – 1 hr or until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. 10. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for about 20 mins, then turn cake out onto serving plate. All done, enjoy! Makes approximately 8 - 10 servings Nutritional analysis (per serving): 317.1 calories; 16 g fat (9.7 g sat); 85 mg cholesterol; 41.1 g carbohydrates; 25 g from sugars; 3.7 g protein; 0.9 g fiber; 190.6 mg sodium. M Winter 2016 Balanced Living 11
Helping you keep
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Your Employee Assistance Program is here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week It’s confidential, FREE, and available to you and your family. For information or confidential assistance call 1-800-873-7138