E-Cooking Video

Vinaigrette Cooking Video

Laughing Board

http://www.arcamax.com/familycircus/s-853978-582984

Laughing Board

http://www.comicstriparchive.com/tag/family-circus

Laughing Board

http://www.arcamax.com/familycircus/s-862846-804372

Laughing Board

http://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/2011/04/09/

Laughing Board - Science Project

http://www.gocomics.com/peanuts

World Health Day

Today, April 7 is World Health Day. Visit the World Health Organization website for more information. 


http://www.who.int/world-health-day/en/


http://www.who.int/world-health-day/2011/WHD201_FS_EN.pdf

Laughing Board

THE PERFECT HUSBAND!

Several men are in the locker room of a golf club.A cellular phone on a bench rings.A man engages the hands-free speaker function and begins to talk. Everyone else in the room stops to listen.

MAN: "Hello"

WOMAN: "Hi Honey, it's me. Are you at the club?"

MAN: "Yes."

WOMAN: "I'm at the shops now and found this beautiful leather coat.It's only $2,000; is it OK if I buy it?"

MAN: "Sure, go ahead if you like it that much.

" WOMAN: "I also stopped by the Lexus dealership and saw the new models.I saw one I really liked."

MAN: "How much?"

WOMAN: “$90,000."

MAN: "OK, but for that price I want it with all the options.

" WOMAN: "Great! Oh, and one more thing... I was just talking to Janieand found out that the house I wanted last year is back on the market. They'reasking $980,000 for it."

MAN: "Well, then go ahead and make an offer of $900,000. They'll probablytake it. If not, we can go the extra eighty thousand if it's what you really want."

WOMAN: "OK. I'll see you later! I love you so much!" MAN: "Bye! I love you, too."

The man hangs up. The other men in the locker room are staring at himin astonishment, mouths wide open.

He turns and asks, "Anyone know whose phone this is?"
 

Physical Activity Tracker through Healthy Utah

Healthy Utah has so many resources for PEHP covered employees that they are probably not aware of them all. For this activity promote Healthy Utah's online physical activity tracker. Employees simply log in to their myHealthyUtah account, then on the left side click the Physical Activity Tracker "Track Activities" button. This feature calculates your calories burned and provides you information like total calories burned for the month.

Sit right!

Many people come through our testing sessions and report with disappointment that yes, they do sit for most of their workday. Well, if you've gotta sit, do it right. The following tips come from Porter Shimer's book Keeping Fitness Simple:

1. Don't slump - sit as upright as possible, trying to keep as much of your back in contact with the back of your chair as you can. Slouching or hunching over not only restricts breathing, but also impedes circulation and may put undue pressure on the heart. It can also increase pressure on the discs of the lower back by as much as 15-fold, studies show.

2. Don't cross your legs - crossing your legs chokes off blood flow to the calves and feet, and can misalign the pelvis and put extreme pressure on the lower back. Keep your feet flat on the ground OR for variety put one food ahead of the other in a slightly raised position on several phone books or a small stool. If you must cross your legs do so only at the ankles.

3. Opt for a chair with armrests - they can reduce pressure on the lower back by as much as 25 percent. They also alleviate pressure (pulling) on shoulders and neck.

4. Stop sitting on your wallet - or your checkbook, car keys, or anything else that could be tipping your pelvis. That could be the key to lessening your back pain if it's a habit you have.

5. Do not sit for more than 30  minutes at a time - get up and move for at least 60 seconds. This will improve your comfort and measurably improve your concentration.

 

5 for 5 Challenge

Take the 5 for 5 Challenge—five flights of stairs, five times a day.

Walking up and down the stairs is great exercise and burns calories. You can burn about 300 calories for 30 minutes of walking the stairs depending on the intensity of your workout. But, beware, 30 minutes is a lot of time to spend walking up and down stairs. It is hard work.

The advantages of walking the stairs?

They are many:

• You can walk the stairs anywhere there are stairs – offices, homes, stores
• We all know how to do it, no special training is needed
• No special equipment is needed, though if you are going to walk up multiple flights as exercise you need good shoes. I used to walk the stairs at work in high heels, but it was only for a floor or two. I had some scary moments, especially going down stairs where I almost catapulted myself over the edge a few times.
• You can do this exercise in short spurts. If you only have time to run a report up to a colleague two floors up from you that still counts as exercise even if you do not take the stairs again for another couple of hours. 
• Stair climbing will exercise your legs particularly your quadriceps (front of the thighs) and your butt.
• Your heart will get a good workout.
• It is low impact and safe for your knee joints

But…

• Beware if you have knee problems, walking down stairs may cause pain. If your knees bother you going down stairs you can take the elevator down and walk back up or walk down one flight and walk around the floor, go down another flight and walk around that floor, etc. Giving yourself a little break every few minutes is easier on your knees than running down the stairs in one spurt of activity.

After your stair walking make sure you stretch your quads, hamstrings and calves. Those are the parts of your body that will work the hardest climbing stairs. You will be surprised by what good exercise it is and just keep thinking about all those calories you are burning.

http://www.discoverwalking.com/blog/burn-more-calories-take-the-stairs.php

Couch to 5K or 10K—2nd Quarter Incentive

April 1-June 30; Incentive will officially kick off at the “Pay It Forward 5k/1 mile Challenge” April 2. Track your progress on the log. You can run, walk, bike, stroll, or just exercise. Contact Sarah for the program information. Turn-in your log to Sarah by July 7 with at least 80% completed (meaning you exercise 5 days a week). If there is enough interest, an employee & family 5k/10k will be scheduled for the end of June. 

The Information about both the Couch to 5k or 10k is available on the Wellness website or by email. 

Understand Your Metabolism

Resting Metabolic Rate

Did you know that your body never truly rests?! Even when you are sleeping or sitting quietly, your heart is beating and your body is carrying out other functions that you are entirely unaware of (making new blood cells, detoxifying, etc.) This all requires energy. The amount of energy needed (as measured in calories) to carry out all of these bodily functions is referred to as metabolism. Because these functions continue 24 hours a day, even when you are asleep, this is also referred to as your "Resting Metabolic Rate" (RMR).

It slows down as we get older. For some of us, it may never have been very fast to begin with. You likely know your metabolic rate and weight loss are related, but do you know how?

Weight loss and metabolism: intimately related

When you restrict your calories to an amount less than your resting metabolic rate your body fights back. When you cut back too much, your body thinks it's starving. So it kicks into conservation mode, hanging on to all those calories and burning them at a slower rate (by lowering your metabolism). This all happens as an attempt to prevent you from starving to death. Think of it as The First Commandment of Weight Loss and Metabolism: If thou eat too little, thou will burn even less!

Boost metabolism with factors you can control

1. Build lean body mass (muscle) though exercise. Did you know that 1 pound of muscle burns up to 50 calories a day? Build Muscle = boost metabolism. All you need to develop is a habit of regular physical activity.

2. Eat smaller, more frequently meal (less junky food). Don’t skip meals. Pre plan your meals and snacks to help you keep on track.

http://www.personal-nutrition-guide.com/boost-metabolism.html

The Benefits of Walking

The Mayo Clinic reports that 30 minutes a day has many health benefits:

• Lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol)
• Raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol)
• Lower your blood pressure
• Reduce your risk of or manage type 2 diabetes
• Manage your weight
• Improve your mood
• Stay strong and fit

And check this out:

According to the May Clinic, "You can forget the 'no pain, no gain' talk. Research shows that regular, brisk walking can reduce the risk of heart attack by the same amount as more vigorous exercise, such as jogging."

Could you form a walking group at work? Could you go for walks after dinner with family members or friends? I enjoy it because it helps me get out and appreciate my surroundings, and it helps me disconnect from technology and spend quality time with people I love. Being physically active can be as simple as walking. Go for it!