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Insurance Trust

A Legacy…

“We are all teachers; we are all learners”.- P. Freire

The above concept has changed how I perceive and interact with my world. I definitely don’t know everything; I’m still learning! Even the old dog can still learn something new . . . Didn’t say it was easy! So what new thing will I learn today? How difficult will the lesson be? Will I see it when it comes? How will it change me? All of these are good questions for this side of the teaching/learning 2-sided coin.

How about the flip side? What will I teach today? Will it be the lesson I intended? Will others benefit from their “lesson”? Will it be truth or something else? Will I be proud of it? Will it occur when I intended or at an insignificant time in my day? . . . Are there any insignificant times in my day?

Our legacy is caught up in the teaching and learning process. If you are a co-worker, a boss, a parent, a son or a daughter, you will have learning and teaching moments – all the time. My legacy will be largely a measure of how well I learned and how well I taught. My kids and their kids will learn life in part from the legacy I live out before them.

Here’s to a life of good learning and teaching moments…

WELL~CONNECTED

FEATURESHealth & Safety 2Flu Season2011 WalkOn! ChallengeSetting Goals

Nutrition & Fitness 3RecipeHealth CoachDid You Know? Myth or Fact?

Healthy U! 4“Other Insurance”Healthy ByteHUSU Academy

Winter 2011

This newsletter is provided by Arizona School Board Association Insurance Trust, ASBAIT.

“A test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: If you’re alive, it isn’t.” – Richard Bach

2011 WalkOn! ChallengeHelping Kids Outrun Obesity

The Walk On! Challenge is a free, educational program available to fifth-grade classrooms around Arizona. It was designed to motivate kids across Arizona to incorporate healthy habits into their daily routines. Because one-third of all children in Arizona are either overweight or obese, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona created Walk On! in 2006 to help children fight obesity.

Initially the program focused on increasing the amount of exercise children were getting. New to the program this year is the expanded focus on nutrition. Using the formula 5-2-1-0, program materials will teach children the following four principles:

5 – Eat five fruits and vegetables every day2 – Limit screen time (TV, video games, computers) to two hours or less per day1 – Get at least one hour of physical activity each day0 – Avoid sweetened drinks, filling up on water instead

In February 2011, fifth-graders will be challenged to track not only their daily minutes of exercise, but how many fruits and vegetables they eat, how much screen time they get and how many sweetened drinks they have every day in the month of February.

The 5-2-1-0 formula provides a memorable way of learning the healthy habits that are essential for children to establish to avoid obesity. It’s essential because obese children are at risk for health problems during their youth and as adults. For example they’re more likely to develop heart disease and diabetes, which are two leading causes of death in the United States. They’re also more likely to get asthma, liver degeneration and sleep apnea. In fact, obesity is a leading cause of preventable death in the United States, second only to smoking, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In addition to these health problems, obese children also face psychological and social problems. Teasing and discrimination causes low self-esteem and impacts schoolwork and social skills, even into adulthood. And chances are overweight and obese children will stay that way as adults.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona cares about Arizona children and it is concerned about the alarming number of them who are affected by obesity. Walk On! is a positive program designed to help children learn healthy habits to reduce the incidence of obesity among children in the state.

If you’re a fifth-grade teacher interested in challenging your students to meeting the 5-2-1-0 goal, visit azblue.com/walkon for more information and to register by Dec. 18, 2010.

Page 2: Health

Flu Seasonwww.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/index.htm

What should I do to prepare for this flu season?

CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone as the first and most important step in protecting against this serious disease. While there are many different flu viruses, the flu vaccine is designed to protect against the three main flu strains that research indicates will cause the most illness during the flu season. The 2010-2011 flu vaccine will protect against three different flu viruses: an H3N2 virus, an influenza B virus and the H1N1 virus that caused so much illness last season. Getting the flu vaccine soon after it becomes available each year is always a good idea, and the protection you get from vaccination will last throughout the flu season.

In addition, you can take everyday preventive steps like staying away from sick people and washing your hands to reduce the spread of germs. If you are sick with flu, stay home from work or school to prevent spreading influenza to others.

How effective is the flu vaccine?

The effectiveness of the vaccine can vary and depends in part on the match between the viruses in the vaccine and flu viruses that are circulating in the community. If these are closely matched, vaccine effectiveness (VE) is higher. If they are not closely matched, VE can be reduced. During well-matched years, clinical trials have shown VE between 70% and 90% among healthy adults.

www.alliancewp.com

Setting Goals: Plan to Make Your Dreams Come TrueWe all know that achieving goals feels great. However, many of us also have memories of positive intentions, broken resolutions, unmet goals, and personal disappointment. Achievement and success don’t happen by accident. They require self-knowledge, careful planning, and diligent action, all of which are in your grasp.

Most successful people are ordinary people. They achieve success because they desire it. In addition to desire, those who achieve their goals possess other common characteristics:

• They’re optimistic, focusing on positive outcomes and maintaining an “I can do it” attitude.• Instead of waiting for success to knock on their door, they take immediate action.• Often what we want is also what we fear. Those who succeed overcome this fear.• They enlist the support of others, realizing that success requires the help of many people.• They persist and show determination to do what it takes for as long as it takes.

Think about what you really want out of life and what you really like to do—that is, the ambition and values that you deem important. Once you do so, identify your stated desires and these become your goals.

“If you don’t know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else.” ~Lawrence J. Peter

Your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is designed to help you deal with life’s stresses and a variety of personal problems. For confidential services that are offered at no cost to all employees and their families, call and ask to speak to a counselor. Please call toll free at 1-800-343-3822; TDD 1-800-448-1823; EAP Teen Line 1-800-334-TEEN(8336).

Ask the Health Coach!

Q: I have been trying to get up early to exercise before leaving for work. I am successful for about four days but then I am back to my old habit of getting up with just enough time to shower, dress, eat and drive to my job. I really do want to make morning exercise work because I can’t exercise during lunch or after work.

A: It sounds like you have very real reasons to get up early to exercise. I’m wondering if you are making allowance for the early rising time by going to bed earlier than normal and getting your 7-8 hours of sleep? That would be one area I would look at. Another possible exploration is that the exercise you have chosen may be boring and you may need to find something more fun to do. The most important thing for anyone trying to start a new exercise routine is to focus on what makes exercising worthwhile. Do you feel more energetic during the day? Does exercising in the early a.m. give you a more peaceful feeling? Are you more able to handle crises? Are there other benefits I haven’t mentioned? You might use these benefits to motivate yourself to get up earlier than you otherwise would.

Good Luck!The Health Coach

Did You Know? During your lifetime you will eat about

60,000 pounds of food… that’s the weight of about 6 elephants.

Myth or Fact? Myth: Chewing gum will stay in your body for seven years when swallowed.

Fact: Actually, chewing gum is largely indigestible, but it will make its way through your digestive system at the same rate as anything else you consume.

Page 3: Nutrition & Fitness

Tex-Mex Ground Beef SkilletIf you’re a fan of Tex-Mex fare, you’ll love the pleasing combination of flavors and textures in this quick skillet dinner. While this recipe calls for ground beef, options might be ground turkey or ground venison.

Prep time: 10 minutesServes 4; serving size: 1 ½ cups.

Ingredients¾ lb extra lean ground beef round1 medium green pepper, seeded and diced1 large celery stalk, sliced½ cup mild salsa¾ cup water1 cup frozen corn kernels1 cup canned chickpeas, washed and drained1 ½ tsp chili powder¼ tsp salt½ cup uncooked quick-cooking rice¾ cup shredded fat-free Cheddar cheese.

Preparation1. In a large nonstick skillet, cook the beef, green pepper, and

celery over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the beef is browned, about 6 to 8 minutes.

2. Add salsa, water, corn, chickpeas, chili powder, and salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer 10 to 12 minutes stirring occasionally.

3. Bring to a boil. Add the rice, and stir it into the sauce. Cover, remove the pan from heat, and allow to sit until the rice is tender, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle on cheese and stir into mixture.

Copyright 2007 American Diabetes AssociationFrom One Pot Meals for People with Diabetes, 2nd EditionReprinted with permission from The American Diabetes Association

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eginssoon!

The mighty bean is a high-protein superstar.

• One cup of cooked beans supplies between 12-25g of protein.

• A rich source of vitamins and minerals• High in fiber• Low in sodium and fat• A pound of almost any kind of bean can be

purchased for less than a dollar.

Healthy Byte: Beans

Page 4: Healthy U!

We welcome your input. Please e-mail all comments and suggestions about this newsletter to well-connected@edwardsrisk.com. All information in this publication is meant to complement the advice & guidance of your physician and/or safety professional, not replace it.

© Edwards Risk Management, Inc. 2011

Whetheryouareaseasonedveteranorarawrecruit,

Spring 2011 ASBAIT HUSU Academy

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ASBAIT HUSU Academy

“Other Insurance” Update Request

It’s that time of year again! Every January AEI mails requests for updated information regarding “other insurance” that you may have. All members who cover their spouse and or their child(ren) will receive a letter annually in January. This is a proactive approach to receive the information that we need prior to any claim being submitted on behalf of your family members. If your dependents have any other insurance coverage please provide the information on the letter you will receive. AEI must coordinate benefits with the other carriers when one exists. It is imperative that AEI receives the updated information from you in order to ensure that your claims are paid accurately and in a timely manner allowing you to receive the maximum benefits possible from both policies. Upon receipt of this form (even if you do not have other insurance coverage) please complete, sign and return so there will be no delay of your 2011 claim payments. A copy of the letter pictured here will be mailed to you. If you do not receive yours by the end of January contact AEI Client Services at client.services@aeitpa.com.