Fire Up Food Safety

As we head into a holiday weekend, many are preparing to fire up the grill and enjoy outdoor dining with friends and family. Keep your loved ones safe from foodborne illness with a few simple guidelines from the USDA.

Thaw Safely

Completely thaw meat or poultry before grilling so it cooks more evenly. Use the refrigerator for slow thawing or thaw sealed packages in cold water. Thaw food using the microwave only if the food will be placed immediately on the grill.

Transport and Store Safely

Keep food cold when transporting to another location to minimize bacterial growth; use a cooler with ice packs to keep the food at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below.  Keep meat and poultry cold until it is ready to use.

Store perishable fruits and vegetables in a cooler to keep them at a temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below. Bag fresh fruits and vegetable separately from meat, poultry and seafood.

Keep it Clean

Thoroughly clean utensils and platters. To prevent foodborne illness, do not use the same platter and utensils for raw and cooked meat and poultry.

Prepare Safely

Wash your hands before handling produce and then wash all produce thoroughly before eating.

Cook Thoroughly

Cook all raw animal products to a safe minimum internal temperature to destroy harmful bacteria. Browning on the outside does not mean the food is safe to eat; use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature.

Adhere to Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures

• Whole poultry, poultry breasts and ground poultry: 165 degree Fahrenheit
• Ground meats: 160 degree Fahrenheit
• Beef, pork, lamb: 145 degrees Fahrenheit and allow to rest at least three minutes

Store Leftovers:

Don’t let food sit out for more than two hours, and on a hot day of 90 degrees or higher, don’t let food sit out more than one hour as bacteria can multiply quickly on food left out in warm weather. Store leftovers in a refrigerator or cooler.

Bottom Line: The holiday weekend is a time to enjoy friends and family, don’t waste a second of the festivities feeling ill. Promote food safety with these simple guidelines to have a healthy and happy holiday weekend. 

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Is Stress Contagious?

Everyone knows you can catch someone’s cold, but did you also know that you can catch their stress? Mirror neurons in your brain allow emotions to spread and help us empathize with those around us. Understanding how others are feeling can be positive as it helps us build relationships with family, friends, coworkers and even strangers, however, we can also pick up the feelings of stress and negativity from those around us.

Stress is defined as any uncomfortable “emotional experience accompanied by predictable biochemical, physiological and behavioral changes.” Stress can be beneficial when it provides the extra boost of energy to meet a deadline or the adrenaline rush to get out of a dangerous situation, however, chronic stress can lead to emotional and physical disorders including depression, anxiety, hypertension and immune system disturbance. It is not just our own stress that can lead to these emotional and physical disorders; evidence shows that empathic stress can negatively impact our health as well.

In a recent study that included 362 participants, researchers investigated the impact of empathic stress on the observer. Participants were paired with a loved one or a stranger of the opposite sex. One individual in the pair was exposed to a psychosocial stressor while the observer watched through a one-way mirror or via live video transmission. Results showed that 26 percent of observers experienced elevated levels of cortisol from watching someone who was stressed. When the body is stressed, the brain sends signals to produce cortisol and epinephrine, the “stress hormones.” The empathic stress response was strongest among observers paired with a loved one and those observing the stressful situation through the two-way mirror.

In a world where we are constantly connected, we are able to spread happiness, love and joy, along with stress, uncertainty and anxiety. An article in the Harvard Business Review gives a few suggestions to help thwart the negative effects of secondhand stress:

• Change your response. Research shows that creating a positive mindset about stress rather than fighting it can result in a 23 percent drop in the negative effects of stress. Try to focus on the benefits of stress such as greater mental toughness, heightened awareness, new perspectives and strengthened priorities. 
• Create positivity. Instead of returning a friend or coworkers negative comment or nonverbal cues, return it with a positive message or a smile. Rather than starting a conversation with “I’m so busy” swap it with a positive greeting such as, “It’s great to talk to you.”
• Build your self-esteem. When you feel capable of taking on any situation, you are less impacted by others moods or worries.
• Prepare. Before going into work or a stressful environment, practice positivity. This may mean writing a positive email or hand written note, meditating for five minutes, practicing deep breathing, writing down three things you are grateful for or exercising.

Bottom Line: A negative or stressful environment can impact your mood and performance. Take steps each day to create a positive mindset to improve your life, as well as the lives of those around you. 

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Digital Screen Time Impacts Vision

The negative health effects of sitting at a desk all day have been well documented and reported, but the negative consequences of the activity we often do while at our desk, something you are probably doing right now, are rarely discussed. Computer Vision Syndrome, also known as Digital Eye Strain, results from significant periods of time spent looking at a digital screen and can affect anyone who spends three or more hours a day in front of computer monitors or other digital screens. Worldwide, 70 million workers are at risk.

According to the American Optometric Association, Computer Vision Syndrome describes a group of eye and vision-related problems that result from prolonged computer, tablet, e-reader and cell phone use. While many individuals experience some discomfort and vision problems related to prolonged viewing of digital screens, the level of discomfort can increase and result in significant symptoms as the amount of screen time increases. Studies indicate 70 to 90 percent of people who use digital screens extensively have one or more symptoms of Computer Vision Syndrome, including eyestrain and blurred visions along with symptoms that are not vision-related such as chronic headaches, neck and back pain.

So what causes Computer Vision Syndrome? Viewing a digital screen is more difficult than reading a printed page because the letters on the screen are less defined, there is a reduced level of contrast between the letters and the background, and the presence of glare and reflections on the screen. Additionally, the presence of even minor uncorrected or undercorrected vision problems can further lead to eyestrain.

The American Optometric Association makes the following recommendations when viewing your computer to help alleviate eyestrain associated with digital-screen viewing:

• Set the computer screen 4 to 5 inches below eye level and 20 to 28 inches away from your eyes.
• Keep reference materials located above the keyboard and below the monitor or use a document holder beside the monitor. The goal is to position documents so that you do not need to move your head to look from the document to the screen.
• Position the computer screen to avoid glare from overhead lighting or windows. You may also want to consider an anti-glare screen.
• Chairs should be padded and conform to the body; adjust chair height so that your feet rest flat on the floor and adjust your chair arms to provide support while typing.
• Rest your eyes for 15 minutes after two hours of computer use; for every 20 minutes of computer viewing, look into the distance for 20 seconds to allow your eyes to refocus.

Bottom Line: Many people spend endless hours at work looking at a computer screen, only to go home and spend time in front of their phone screen or tablet. All of this digital screen time can significantly impact vision health. Reduce eye strain by taking 15 minute breaks from your computer every two hours and practice the 20, 20, 20 rule: every 20 minutes, look into the distance at least 20 feet away, for 20 seconds to allow your eyes to refocus. While you cannot necessarily control the amount of digital screen time you are exposed to at work, you can decrease your exposure at home by blocking off time throughout the evening to unplug and go screen free.

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Whole Grains Linked to Lower Mortality Rates

Carbohydrates have gotten a bad rap over the years and are often avoided by dieters looking for a quick-fix solution to weight loss. Unfortunately, very low carbohydrate diets often do not emphasize the difference between refined grains and whole grains, despite the fact that research shows all carbohydrates are not created equal. Whole grains increase satiety and may promote weight loss; furthermore, a new meta-analysis finds eating whole grains may contribute to numerous health benefits.

The recent meta-analysis, published in the online journal Circulation, looked at results from 14 studies that included health information from 786,076 participants. The researchers examined studies reporting associations between whole grain intake and mortality from all causes including cardiovascular disease and cancer. The results of the analysis demonstrated that people who consumed 70 grams of whole grains per day had a 22 percent lower risk of total mortality, a 23 percent lower risk of  mortality from cardiovascular disease, and a 20 percent lower risk of cancer mortality compared to those who ate little or no whole grains. The researchers note that multiple bioactive compounds in the whole grains may contribute to their health benefits. Previous research has established that the fiber in whole grains may lower cholesterol, support balanced blood sugar and promote satiety.

Seventy grams of whole grains is equal to about four servings per day. Whole grains contain all three parts of the grain seed -- the bran, endosperm and germ -- along with all of their naturally occurring nutrients. Refined grains are stripped of the two most nutritious parts of the grain, the germ and bran, during processing.

Bottom Line: Very low carbohydrate diets may discourage the intake of all grains, however, evidence confirms that there are significant health benefits associated with eating whole grains, including reduced risk of premature death. There are many types of whole grain foods and flours including oats, quinoa, brown rice, wild rice, farro, barley and rye. Not sure if a product is made with whole grain? A yellow whole grain stamp can be found on many products containing whole grains. If the product does not have a stamp, check if the first ingredient listed contains the word “whole” such as “whole wheat flour” rather than just “wheat flour.” And don’t be tricked by those “multi-grain” products; “multi-grain” does not indicate the product contains whole grains. For more tips and tricks for spotting whole grain products, check out the Whole Grains Council Website.

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A Cup of Joe Cannot Replace Adequate Sleep

If you didn’t get enough sleep last night, you may be relying on a cup of Joe (or two) to get you through the morning. Instant, percolated or pressed – with cream, sugar or just plain black – coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world, and we are counting on it to perk us up.  How exactly does it work? Sleepiness comes from a brain chemical called adenosine; adenosine builds throughout the day, giving you that tired, sleepy feeling. When you finally get some sleep, adenosine is removed from your system and the cycle repeats. So what do you do when that 2 pm slump hits and you can’t stop for a nap -- drink a cup of coffee and ward of sleepiness. The caffeine in your cup of Joe helps repel adenosine molecules from reaching the brain’s receptors, preventing that tired, sleepy feeling. New research, however, finds the even the magic of caffeine may have its limits.

A recent double blind, placebo-controlled study looked at whether caffeine is sufficient to prevent performance decline after long-term sleep restriction. The study included 48 healthy individuals. The participants were randomly assigned to two groups: the intervention group and the control group. Participants in the intervention group were administered 200 mg of caffeine twice daily, while participants in the control group received a placebo twice daily. Participants in both groups restricted sleep to five hours per night for a total of five days. Participants underwent cognitive testing six times per day throughout the five-day period. Testing included a psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) test (measures reaction time), Profile of Mood States (POMS) and the Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS).

Results showed that relative to the placebo, caffeine significantly improved PVT performance during the first two days, but not the last three days of sleep restriction. Lead author Tracy Jill Doty, PhD, states, "These results are important, because caffeine is a stimulant widely used to counteract performance decline following periods of restricted sleep. The data from this study suggests that the same effective daily dose of caffeine is not sufficient to prevent performance decline over multiple days of restricted sleep.”

Bottom Line: The recommended amount of sleep is seven to eight hours per night, but as many as 40 percent of Americans are getting less than seven hours of sleep. With a packed schedule, sleep often moves to the bottom of the priority list. This study is an important reminder that adequate sleep should be considered a necessity, not a luxury. While that cup of coffee may add pep to your step over the short term, your performance may start to suffer if restricted sleep becomes a habit. If you’re not currently getting the recommended seven to eight hours, try setting a consistent bed time for yourself that is at least 30 minutes earlier than when you typically hit the hay. Use that thirty minutes to unwind and unplug to promote a restful night’s sleep.


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Vegetarian Diet Helps Balance Blood Sugar

Well-balanced vegetarian diets have been proven to provide many health benefits, including improving glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. There are many different types of vegetarian diets; a vegan diet is a type of vegetarian diet that includes only plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, seeds and nuts. A recent study compared the effect of a vegan diet and conventional diabetic diet on glycemic control.

The 12-week study included 93 participants with type 2 diabetes. The participants were randomly assigned to follow either a vegan diet or a conventional diet recommended by the Korean Diabetes Association. The vegan diet consisted of whole grains, vegetables, fruit and legumes. The patients in the vegan group were asked to avoid white, processed foods and all animal products. The participants were educated on which vegan foods to include and avoid but the amount, frequency, energy intake and portion size were not restricted over the twelve weeks.

Participants in the conventional diet group were asked to restrict their energy intake based on weight, physical activity and need for weight control. Their total caloric intake was comprised of 50-60 percent carbohydrate, 15-20 percent protein and less than 25 percent fat. Daily energy requirement and proportion of food categories were distributed into three meals and snacks between meals.

Results showed that both the vegan and conventional diets were effective at significantly reducing hemoglobin A1C levels (average blood sugar control over past two to three months) among participants. However, compared to the conventional diet, the vegan diet appeared more effective for glycemic control. In particular, the vegan diet group with high compliance showed a markedly decreasing trend in hemoglobin A1C levels. Additionally, this benefit was seen even after adjusting for energy intake and waist circumference over the 12-week period between the two groups. This indicates that a vegan diet may have additional benefits beyond low energy intake and weight loss. 

Bottom Line: Following a vegan diet was more effective for glycemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes than the conventional diet recommended by the Korean Diabetes Association. However, compliance for the vegan diet group was lower than the conventional group. Dietary choices are personal and there is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to nutrition. While a vegan diet may not be the right fit for everyone, research shows that incorporating more plant based foods into one’s diet may help improve glycemic control for patients with diabetes and offer additional health benefits such as lower risk for obesity, coronary heart disease and high blood pressure.

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Are Your Employees Financially Fit?

Employers report more financial challenges among employees today than five years ago, and many are recognizing the impact this situation can have on an employee’s job performance and productivity. According to a newly released study from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP), employees struggle with financial issues that include:

• Debt (66%)
• Saving for retirement (60%)
• Saving or paying for children’s education (51%)
• Covering basic living expenses (48%)
• Paying for medical expenses (36%)

With nearly half of organizations rating their workforce as only a little bit or not at all financially savvy, many employers are putting programs in place to help workers get a better grasp on their finances and alleviate financial stress. Popular programs include benefits literacy education; retirement security education; and financial literacy education with topics on investments, savings, insurance, budgeting and identity theft, as well as retirement-focused issues such as retirement plan benefits, pre-retirement financial planning, retirement plan distributions and retiree health care.

The IFEBP study notes that two-thirds of organizations offering financial education rate their programs as successful, with free personal consultation services, voluntary classes and online resources reported as the top three successful methods. Ten percent of organizations provide participation incentives for financial education and an additional nine percent are considering adding incentives.

If you are considering the implementation of a financial wellness program, contact us to find out more about the programs we offer. We have helped a number of organizations increase their employees fiscal fitness and reduce stress and anxiety over financial issues.

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At One Organization, It Pays to Sleep

Do you know how much sleep your employees are getting? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than one-third of American adults don’t get seven hours of sleep a night.

Lack of sleep has been associated with heart disease, diabetes and stroke. While there’s no data directly linking sleep and profitability, sleep is related to many other factors that might impact a business' bottom line, such as job satisfaction, unethical behavior, leadership, work injuries, employee mood and “cyberloafing”—whittling away the day on social media rather than working.

What can you do to help your employees get enough sleep? Integrating sleep programs into your overall wellness initiative is a good start. Recently, Aetna communicated the value that well-rested employees add to its operation by incorporating a unique perk into its wellness program – paying employees to get enough sleep.

The company’s incentivized solution provides employees with $25 for every 20 nights they sleep for seven hours or more. That comes out to $1.25 a night. The reward is capped at $300 a year. For Aetna, adequate sleep is a driver of productivity. In an interview with CNBC, Mark Bertolini, Aetna chairman and chief executive officer said, “You can get things done quicker if people are present and prepared. You can’t be prepared if you’re half-asleep.”

The company’s program collects sleeping time automatically for employees who wear devices such as a Fitbit, but employees can also enter the information into the company system manually. The sleep program, which is part of Aetna’s larger workplace wellness initiative, incorporates social media to get the message out to its employees: tweets remind people of the importance of sleep; a Tumblr post advises employees on ideal sleep posture, and a YouTube video shows stunt performers knocking over coffee cups and struggling to make sandwiches under conditions supposedly similar to sleep deprivation.

Sleep initiatives can be incorporated into a new or an existing workplace wellness program. Wellness Workdays works with employers to develop sleep programs as part of an overall wellness initiative. Contact us to learn more.

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Nutrition Label Gets a Makeover

The U.S. Food and Drug administration recently revealed that the nutrition label will be getting a makeover with updated nutritional information on packaged foods sold in the United States. The changes were made in an effort to increase awareness among consumers about what is in their food and help people make informed choices about what they feed themselves and their families. The Nutrition Facts label has been a resource for Americans for more than 20 years, providing information on calories, fat and other nutrients. The updated label has some improvements that make it even easier for consumers to make healthy food choices.

Most manufacturers will be required to use the new label by July 26, 2018. The key updates of the label include:

• The new design will highlight “calories” and “servings” and the requirements for servings sizes will more closely reflect the amount of food people typically eat. The last serving size requirements were published in 1993 and the amount people eat and drink has changed significantly since then.

• Certain food products will now have “dual column” labels; one label will provide “per serving” nutrition information while the other will provide “per package” nutrition information. “Dual columns” will be used for products with multiple servings, such as a pint of ice cream. Packages that are between one to two servings, and which people typically consume in one sitting (such as a 20-ounce soda), will be labeled as one serving.

• Daily values for nutrients will be updated to remain consistent with the Institute of Medicine recommendations.

• Vitamin D and potassium will include actual gram amount in addition to percent daily value since deficiencies of these nutrients are common.

Bottom line: The nutrition label has been a valuable resource to consumers for more than 20 years, but it is no secret that what we eat and the amount we eat has significantly changed over time. The updates will more accurately provide nutrition information based on typical serving sizes and will help further guide people to make healthier choices for themselves and their families. And remember, the healthiest foods, such as fruits and vegetables, don’t need a nutrition label at all!

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Benefits of Bikram Yoga

Bikram yoga isn’t your typical hot yoga. Brought to the United States in the late 90’s, this type of yoga is practiced at 105 degrees Fahrenheit and 40 percent humidity. The class consists of 26 repeating, structured poses, which are done in a ninety minute session. These vigorous movements require lengthy, forceful and well-controlled contractions of all major muscle groups. Over the years, the practice of Bikram yoga has gained popularity and its potential benefits have caught the attention of researchers.

A study from Colorado State University published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, sought to determine whether Bikram yoga has any short-term effects on muscular flexibility, endurance, cardiovascular health and weight loss among healthy young adults. The study included 22 young, healthy adults who were split into two groups: the yoga group and the non-yoga control group. The yoga group practiced Bikram yoga for eight weeks, three times per week; the control group did not practice any yoga. All subjects were assessed for muscular endurance and flexibility, cardiovascular health, and body composition before and after the eight weeks.

Results of the study demonstrated that Bikram yoga promotes muscular strength, greater flexibility in the lower back and hamstrings, and a small but insignificant decrease in body fat and increase in lean body mass compared to the non-yoga control group. Surprisingly, the results did not show any decrease in blood pressure or improved cardiorespiratory health with the practice of Bikram yoga. Researchers concluded that cardiovascular benefits can potentially be observed if Bikram yoga is practiced over a longer period of time.

Bottom line: Bikram yoga targets major muscle groups that tend to become less flexible as we age, and regular practice promotes both strength and flexibility. Additionally, Bikram yoga may increase lean muscle mass and improve body composition. If yoga in a hot, humid room is not your cup of tea, research shows that practicing yoga without the heat is still a great way to promote physical fitness and overall health. Remember to check with your doctor before starting any new exercise regimen. 

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