2009 - blue cross blue shield association · of successful losers: •maketimeforphysicalactivity...

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A Division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company,an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association

Slim down year-round

It’s a new year, and like many of us, you may have weight loss onyour list of resolutions.

You can achieve weight loss beyond that first month or twoof the year by incorporating lifestyle changes.

The tried and true formula of eating fewer calories and burningmore calories with physical activity is your ticket to successfulweight loss. And remember that a reasonable rate of weight lossis a pound or two each week.

Make this your best year ever by adopting these key behaviorsof successful losers:

• Make time for physical activityeach day

• Reduce calorie and fat intake

• Weigh yourself regularly

• Eat regular meals,including breakfast

• Don’t let small slips turninto large weight regainSource: U.S. Department of Agriculture;The National Weight Control Registry

Most people who keep track of their behaviors are more likely to take off weightand keep it off. Use weight loss tracking logs, customized menus and fitness plans —all available to you from the Personal Health Manager at Blue Access® for Members.With helpful online tools and resources, you can keep weight loss in gear all year!

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Februa ry


Do your heart good

Make it a goal this month to show your heart some love.

Now’s the time to make up your mind to take some control overyour future with lifestyle changes that can protect your heart.

Here are some simple tips to take:

• Don’t smoke, and if you needto quit, turn to a health careprofessional, friends and familyfor support

• Have your blood pressurechecked regularly

• Improve your eating habits bymaking heart healthy choices—cutting down on saturated fat,sugar and salt

• Be more physically active(check with your doctor if you’vebeen inactive for a long time)

• Maintain a healthy weight

• Learn to be more relaxedand positive

• Have regular medical check-ups

• Take your medicine, if needed,to control high blood pressure,high cholesterol or diabetes.

Source: American Heart Association

Have a change of heart with these healthier lifestyle choices that can help you feel great and look better, too.Visit www.bcbsil.com and check out the Personal Health Manager available through Blue Access® for Members —your wellness resource for a healthy lifestyle.


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• Emphasizes fruits, vegetables,whole grains and fat-free orlow-fat milk and milk products

• Includes lean meats, poultry,fish, beans, eggs and nuts

• Is low in saturated fats, transfats, cholesterol, salt (sodium)and added sugars

Group dynamicsfor healthier eating

The food choices you make every day affect your health — howyou feel today, tomorrow, and in the future. You may be eatingplenty of food, but not eating the right foods that give your bodythe nutrients you need to be healthy. Eating right isn’t just a diet —it’s the key to a healthy lifestyle.

The best way to give your body the balanced nutrition it needsis by eating a variety of nutrient-packed foods every day.

A healthy eating plan includes nutritious choices from all of thefood groups and:

Are you making dynamic food choices? With healthful eating habits, you may helpreduce your risk of many chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis,and certain cancers, and increase your chances for a longer life. Take charge of yourfood choices with the Personal Health Manager’s Eat Right resources—online nutritionsupport through Blue Access® for Members

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture



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April


Rules of the gamefor injury-free sportsAs the temperatures rise, so does participation in outdoor sports —and the injuries that can result from them. Common sports injuriesinclude sprains and strains, knee injuries, swollen muscles and fractures.

Some injuries are from accidents, while others can result frompoor training practices or improper gear.

Using these tips can help keep you or your child in the game:

Always stretch and warm-up beforeyou exercise or play any sport

Don’t bend knees more than halfway when doing knee bends

Avoid twisting knees whenstretching and keep feet asflat as possible

When jumping, land withyour knees bent

Cool down after hard sportsor workouts

Wear shoes that fit properly,are stable, and absorb shock

Don’t run on asphalt or concrete

Know your physical activity limitsand try not to overdo it

Prepare to be at the top of your game by learning properstretching techniques with virtual exercise demonstrations.Limber up your fingers and go to the Personal HealthManager’s Get Fit section available online throughBlue Access® for Members.

Source: National Institutes of Health


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Ma y


Active family timecan be child’s play

Are you a family of couch potatoes? Internet surfing, TV and videogames can easily steal away healthy active time from your family.

Most adults need at least 30 minutes of physical activity,above usual daily activity. Kids need at least 60 minutes

of physical activity, preferably every day.

Try these ideas for family active time:

• Schedule activities all familymembers can enjoy a few timesa month, like bike rides, hikesand bowling

• Play with the kids—kick arounda soccer ball, splash in a puddle,or dance to favorite music

• Join a walking group in theneighborhood or at the localshopping mall

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

• Take the whole family on a tourof a local museum or zoo

• Involve the whole family inhousehold chores and yard work

• Plant a vegetable or flower garden

Want your family to go from zapped to zippy?It’s easy when you carve out time for physicalactivity. Plan your family’s activity program withthe Personal Health Manager resources availablethrough Blue Access® for Members.

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture


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Source: American Academy of Family Physicians

Extinguish burnout

Burned out, run down and drained of energy? If so, stress may betaking its toll. When you are stressed, your body works overtime.This can make you feel anxious, afraid, worried and uptight.

Stress can also cause health problems or make problems worseif you don’t learn ways to deal with it.

Try these simple ideas for tension prevention:

Don’t worry about things youcan’t control, such as the weather

Be well-prepared for stressfulevents, such as a job interview

View change positively, notas a threat

Work to resolve conflicts withother people

Talk with a trusted friend, familymember or counselor

Set realistic goals at home andat work

Exercise regularly, eatwell-balanced meals andget enough sleep

Participate in non-stressfulactivities you enjoy

Use relaxation techniques,like meditating

Visit Blue Access® For Members and make stress management a top priority by usingthe Personal Health Manager’s Live Well section. You’ll feel yourself go from burnedout to chilled out.



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Pick your poison prevention plan

Did you know that on average, poison centers handle one poisonexposure every 13 seconds? That’s over two million reportedpoison exposures each year.

Keep your local Poison Control Center telephone number,(800) 222-1222, on or near your telephone.

Prevent needless poisonings by following these tips:

• Keep potential poisons in theiroriginal containers

• Read and follow the directionsand caution labels on householdand chemical products beforeusing them

• Never mix household andchemical products together

• Never sniff containers todiscover what is inside

• Read and follow the directionsand warnings on the labelbefore taking any medicine

• Be aware of potential drugand food interactions

• Never share prescriptionmedicines

• Keep medicine and householdcleaners out of children’s reachSource: American Association of Poison Control Centers

Looking for additional safety tips andpreventive measures? Check out the onlineHealth Encyclopedia from the Personal HealthManager at Blue Access® for Members.


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Calling the shots

It’s always better to prevent a disease than to treat it—that’s whyimmunizations are so important.

Vaccinations help prevent infectious diseases and save lives.

While vaccines have a high success rate, there is some publicconcern about their safety. Vaccines, like prescription drugs, aren'tcompletely free of possible side effects. But most effects are minorand temporary, such as a sore arm, mild fever or swelling at theinjection site. If you have concerns, talk to your health care provider.

The health benefits of vaccines far outweigh the side effectswhen you consider:

• Outbreaks of vaccine-preventablediseases still occur

• Without protection from vaccines,the vaccine-preventable diseasesthat have nearly been eliminatedare likely to return

• Many other countries don’t haveimmunizations available as we doin the U.S., and they continue tohave disease outbreaks — dangerousdiseases could be only a planeride away

Safeguard your and others’ health by sticking with a regular vaccination schedule.The Personal Health Manager’s Family Management feature allows you to keep track ofimmunizations — another helpful health resource available through Blue Access® for Members.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


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A Division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company,an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Associationwww.bcbsil.com

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September


HDL vs. LDL cholesterol:Keep it up…and down

When it comes to your cholesterol, you have to consider thegood with the bad.

If you haven’t already, call your health care providerto schedule a cholesterol screening.

High-density lipoprotein, HDL cholesterol, is known as “good”cholesterol because high levels of HDL seem to protect againstheart attack. On the other hand, too much low-density lipoprotein,or LDL (bad) cholesterol, circulating in the blood can clog yourarteries, increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Follow these tips to keep HDL up and LDL down:

• Eat foods low in saturated andtrans fats and cholesterol

• Achieve or maintain a healthy weight

• Take medication, if needed,as prescribed

• Get regular physical activity

• Follow your health careprofessional’s recommendations

• Commit to improve and maintainyour health

By keeping up a proactive approach,you can keep total cholesterol down.Use the Personal Health Manager’s features totrack your cholesterol test results —available to youthrough Blue Access® for Members.

Source: American Heart Association


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Asthma relief is in the air

Asthma is a chronic lung disorder that makes it difficult to breathe.Symptoms include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, chesttightness and an overproduction of mucus.

Asthma can be a life-threatening condition if not properly managed.

Common asthma triggers to watch for include:

• Infections in the airways

• Viral infections of the ear,nose, and throat

• Other infections (such aspneumonia)

• Things in the environment(outside or indoor airyou breathe)

• Cigarette smoke

• Irritants in the air (air pollution)

• Cold air, dry air

• Sudden changes in the weather

• Allergens, pollens, moldand dust

• Animals

• Exercise

• Emotional stress

If you suffer from asthma, online support is just a click away. Log on Blue Access®

for Members and use the Personal Health Manager’s Ask A Nurse feature for answersto your asthma questions.

Source: American Lung Association;American Academy of Pediatrics


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November


Are you the type 2 diabetes type?

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. In type 2diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or thecells ignore the insulin. Insulin is necessary for the body to be ableto use sugar.

There are 20.8 million children and adults in the United Stateswith diabetes—and more than one-third of them don’t know it

(about 6.2 million people).

One way to guard against type 2 diabetes is to know your risk factors.

You may be at risk if you:

Are overweight

Don’t get enough exercise

Have a parent or siblingwith diabetes

Are 65 years of age and getlittle or no exercise

Are a woman who has hada baby weighing more thannine pounds at birth

Source: American Diabetes Association

Want to be the healthy type? Regular exercise, good nutrition and weight control area smart approach whether you’ve been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or want to prevent it.Visit Blue Access® for Members and receive additional preventive or diabetes management tips fromthe Personal Health Manager’s Ask A Nurse feature.


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30 31With careful holiday planning, you can bethe life of the party and help save lives, too.Need additional advice? Get it through thePersonal Health Manager’s Ask A Life Coachfeature that’s available to you throughBlue Access® for Members.

Don’t be a “Party Crasher”

December is the year’s most deadly and dangerous month due toalcohol-related crashes. And since the late 1990’s, alcohol-relateddriving deaths have steadily increased.

Just a couple of drinks can impair your driving—“buzzed”driving is drunk driving, too.

When celebrating the holidays, heed these simple precautions:

• Plan ahead and always designatea sober driver before the party begins

• Don’t even think about gettingbehind the wheel of your vehicleif you’ve been drinking

• If you are impaired, call a taxi,use mass transit or get a soberfriend or family member tocome and get you

• Stay where you are and sleep it offuntil you are sober

• Take the keys and never let afriend drive while impaired

• If you are hosting a holiday party,remind your guests to designatetheir sober driver, always offeralcohol-free beverages and makesure all of your guests leave witha sober driver

Source: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA)


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2009 - blue cross blue shield association · of successful losers: •maketimeforphysicalactivity...

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