Have an early night, relax and read a book
It’s not the knowing, it’s the doing
Ah, the holidays. The fun, the family, the friends, and…the food. Now we could talk about having a “colorful plate,” or “being mindful at parties,” but, trust me, it doesn’t work. Anybody who has been paying even an ounce of attention already knows, for the most part, what we’re supposed to be eating – real, whole foods and a lot less processed junk. Diet after diet talks about what not to eat, but never discusses HOW not to eat it. Enough! The problem isn’t the knowing, it’s the doing. When there’s a pint of ice-cream in the freezer, the knowing you shouldn’t eat it doesn’t really help.
Most of us, don’t overeat because we’re hungry. We overeat because we’re tempted.
We try and try to manipulate what we eat with no attention paid to our environments that make us eat.
Of course there are food environment issues at a societal level, but if you don’t want to wait for the government, the food industry and/or cultural norms to change, you have to start focusing on your personal food environment.
To outwit the ice-cream, don’t try yet another diet that tells you not to eat it. Focus on a strategy that removes it from your environment.
As the year rounds out, try focusing first on your home environment by clearing out every single processed food that tempts you. Leave nothing but ingredients in the house. No one is a match for 24/7 temptation. Quit asking that of yourself. Then, you can relax in those environments (like a holiday party) that you can’t necessarily control 100%.
In environments that you can’t physically control, mental separation is the next best thing. Distract yourself! Go for a walk, leave the room, play a game, talk to a loved one. Oh, and spread the word. Maybe there are others in your environments that would like to change things too!
Recipes:
Are you ready to live tobacco free?
Medication and/or nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) can help and here are some points to consider:
- Using medicines and nicotine replacement products (patches, gum, lozenges, and inhalers) can double your chances of quitting smoking1. They can relieve nicotine craving and withdrawal symptoms.
- Getting counseling, along with using medicine, can increase your chances of quitting even more.
- If you smoke fewer than 10 cigarettes a day, you may not need medicines to help you quit smoking.
- It’s rare for someone to get addicted to nicotine medicines, because the nicotine is released slowly at low levels into your bloodstream.
- Nicotine replacement products may cause some side effects, such as problems with sleep or red and itchy skin with the patch. Medicines in pill form can cause nausea, dry mouth, and trouble sleeping. For most people, the side effects aren’t bad enough to make them stop using the products.
- Nicotine medicines have less than half of the nicotine of cigarettes. And by itself, nicotine is not nearly as harmful as smoking or vaping. The tars, carbon monoxide, and other toxic chemicals in tobacco cause the harmful effects.
- N Good Health offers online and in-person tobacco cessation workshops to aid in your tobacco free journey.
- Norton Healthcare will pay for all of the cost of NRT as well as all or part of the cost of medicines used to help you quit smoking. Printable vouchers for free NRT available in the N Good Health online cessation workshops to be picked up at any Norton pharmacy.
1 Stead LF, et al. (2012). Nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (11)
Get into the holiday spirit with 25 days of Fitbits!
| In the holiday spirit of giving, N Good Health will give away 25 Fitbits during the 25 Days of Fitbits. Go to NGoodHealth.com and complete Step 1 (Health Risk Assessment) by Dec. 25. You’ll be entered to win a Fitbit fitness tracking device. Winners will be drawn daily Dec. 1 through Dec. 25. If you have questions, call (502) 629-2162 or submit a service request by selecting N Good Health under Departments on Nsite and clicking Contact Us. |
Week 3 Winners of Fit For Fall Challenge
Congratulations to this week’s Fit for Fall Challenge winners.
The winners of $25 this week for reaching a daily steps of 7,500 are:
Lynda Kelly – Lab Project Coordinator, Norton
Brandon Peters – Polysomnographic Analyst
Lisa Hafendorfer – Medical Assistant ,NOS NWCH
Brittany Allison – Office Coordinator, NWCH
The winners of $50 this week for reaching a daily steps of 10,000 are:
Samantha Hall – Program Coordinator, Employee Experience
Jeremy Labriola – Clin Eng Spec-Sterilizer
The winner of $75 this week for reaching a daily steps of 15,000 is:
Daniel Spidle – Sr Security Officer
All winners will see their winnings on the November 15th pay voucher!
In the last week of the N Good Health Fit for Fall Challenge, 589 Participants walked 32,616,210 steps for a total distance of 14,225 miles!
Research proves that those who are physically active have lower stress levels, maintain a healthier weight and prevent or manage various conditions like heart disease of type 2 diabetes.
If you enjoyed Fit for Fall, you will love Holiday Hop! Sign-ups start November 4th, and challenge runs Nov. 18 -Dec. 16.
Mexican Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Mexican Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes, cooked
1lb chicken breast (antibiotic free), cooked, shredded
1 tbsp. olive oil
2oz diced green chilies, drained
1 packet taco seasoning
1/3 cup water
Guacamole
2 medium avocados
1/3 cup Rotel, drained
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic salt
½ tsp lime juice
Optional: top with sour cream and jalapenos
Directions
In a skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add chicken, green chilies, taco seasoning and water. Sauté until warmed and seasoned through.
While simmering chicken, mix guac ingredients.
Layer ½ sweet potato, seasoned chicken mixture, guac and toppings
*Recipe by Erin Wiedmar, Clinical Nutritionist, N Good Health
Week 2 Fit for Fall Challenge Winners
Congratulations to this week’s Fit for Fall Challenge winners.
The winners of $25 this week for reaching a daily steps of 7,500 are:
- LaShan Lewis- EMR Informatics Specialist
- Brittany Bernhagen – RN, Neonatal ICU – NCH (3W)
- Cheri Nicolson- Asst Nurse Mgr, ICU
- Monicca Carter-Customer Service Rep
The winners of $50 this week for reaching a daily steps of 10,000 are:
- Justin Scott- Physicians Secretary, NCI
- Rae Mills- Engineering Co-Op III-Reg
The winner of $75 this week for reaching a daily steps of 15,000 is:
- Marlon Baranda- Pharmacist, NCI Pharmacy
All winners will see their winnings on the November 15th pay voucher!
In the second week of the N Good Health Fit for Fall Challenge, 589 Participants walked 31,426,527 steps for a total distance of 13,863 miles!
Research proves that those who are physically active have lower stress levels, maintain a healthier weight and prevent or manage various conditions like heart disease of type 2 diabetes.
Make sure your steps are syncing each day to be eligible for the weekly prize drawings.
Start earning healthy action points with EAP!
Your physical health is only part of your overall wellness journey. N Good Health is excited to partner with the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) by Wayne Corp. to offer healthy action points for in-person visits to support your mental well-being as part of Staying Balanced with EAP. You can earn 30 points per visit (up to 90 points) towards step 4 when you make an appointment with EAP.
Receive support in areas such as:
- Emotional difficulties
- Marital conflicts
- Stress
- Alcohol or drug problems
- Relationship issues
- Parent/child/family conflicts
To make an appointment, contact EAP by calling Wayne Corp. at (502) 451-8262 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST.
The Employee Assistance Program and N Good Health abide by all HIPAA standards and do not share any health information. No personal or appointment information will be shared between the EAP and N Good Health. To receive N Good Health points for using the EAP, submit a tracker to N Good Health.