Each week, you will earn points based on your personal efforts as you track you're nutrition, exercise, sleep and water in-take. You can also earn bonus points each week by completing that week's bonus activity. This might be by participating in a specific physical activity, reading an on-line educational communication and answering a wellness related multiple choice question or completing an on-line exercise. If you complete the assessment by the week, you will receive a bonus point.
2013 UPDATES
WEEK 6 (November 24 - December 1)
"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." - Gandhi
Today marks the second annual “Giving Tuesday”, a social-media-powered day of philanthropy which has been adopted by 10,000 charitable partners worldwide to promote giving in all forms. Giving Tuesday was started in the hope of building a national movement to bring back the spirit of giving and help others. You don’t have to be a billionaire to make a difference—anyone can do it.
Let’s use “Giving Tuesday” as a kick-off to our own personal mission to give to others. This week’s challenge is to make a real effort to give in a way that is meaningful for you. Did you know that it has actually been scientifically proven that giving is good for your health? One large study found a 44% reduction in early death among those who volunteered a lot – a greater effect than exercising four times a week, according to Stephen G. Poist, PhD, a professor of Bioethics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. According to Professor Post, the “Helpers High” seems to gain dominance over the stress response. One of the outcomes is improved immunity due to increased levels of protective antibodies. And, it isn’t just that kind people also tend to be healthier and happier, or that happier people are more kind. Experiments have clearly demonstrated that kindness toward others actually causes us to be happier, improves our health and lengthens our lives.
To earn this week’s bonus ticket for the Challenge Bucket, make a commitment to giving back. This could be a financial contribution; a donation of your time or service or even just going out of your way to help someone else. Remember, volunteering and giving back is good for your health! (consider: food bank, donate blood, senior home, local school, etc.)
Record your daily wellness score: SIGN IN HERE
Eat healthy, drink healthy and get active!
Brittany
WEEK 5 (November 18 - 24)
Exercise is the magic pill," says Michael R. Bracko, EdD, FACSM, chairman of the American College of Sports Medicince's Consumer Information Committee."
Exercise is the Magic Pill
Exercise can literally cure diseases like some forms of heart disease. Exercise has been implicated in helping people prevent or recover from some forms of cancer. Exercise helps people with arthritis. Exercise helps people prevent and reverse depression. And there is no arguing that exercise can help most people lose weight, as well as look more toned and trim.
Your exercise options are numerous, including walking, dancing, gardening, biking - even doing household chores. The important thing is to choose activities that you enjoy. That will increase your chances of making it a habit. Both the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, such as walking, on most days of the week. Yet, according to Rita Redberg, MSc, chairwoman of the American Heart Association's Scientific Advisory Board for the Choose to Move program, "if you're getting less than 30 minutes, you're still going to see benefits".
[If you are just getting started with an exercise program, click on this WebMD article: Fitness 101: The Absolute Beginners Guide to Exercise
Regular physical activity is easier to fit in than you may realize. Here are the ACH Physical Activity Guidelines
Adults: Engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity, above usual activities, on 5 or more days of the week; 45 to 60 minutes is preferable.
(Moderate Activity is anything that makes you breath as hard as you do during a brisk walk. During moderate activities, you'll notice a slight increase in breathing, but you might not break a sweat. Vigorous Activities generally engage large muscle groups and cause a noticeable increase in heart rate, breathing depth and frequency, and sweating.)
Children and adolescents: Engage in at least 60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous activity for at least 5 or more days of the week.
Click here to find the calories burned by various exercise and activities of daily living by clicking on this link: Calories Burned Tool
HERE IS THIS WEEK’S CHALLENGE! Are you ready to get up and get moving? Visit your neighborhood high school track and walk, jog or run one mile this week to earn your FREE bonus ticket for the Challenge Bucket! Typically four laps around the track will equal one mile. If you don't have a track nearby, you can measure out your own course where you live. Too cold to exercise outside; consider walking at the local mall. Remember, the key to building healthy habits is “Small Steps”.
In addition, you can earn an extra FREE Challenge Bucket ticket if you pack a healthy brown bag lunch at least once this week. Here are the Healthy Lunch Options.
You can also earn an extra FREE Challenge Bucket ticket if you prepare at least one dinner from
Keep the Beat Recipes
Eat healthy, drink healthy and get active!
Brittany
WEEK 4 (November 11 - 17)
On average, Americans receive 30% of their calories from sugary beverages. Consider a simple solution: Quench your thirst with bottled water or sugar-free tea.
Learn about America's Hidden Drinking Problem
In the beginning there was water---abundant, refreshing and providing everything the body needed to replenish fluids. Humans relied on it as their only beverage for millions of years. With agriculture and domestication of animals, milk came next and then beer, wine, coffee and tea - all providing taste and pleasure as much as fluids. Soft drinks are relatively new, when you put it in perspective. The newcomers, sports drinks and energy drinks, offer hydration--but with hefty a dose of unnecessary calories that the body may have difficulty regulating. Harvard School of Public Health studies show that many of these newer options have unexpected effects on health. With so many choices and marketing messages, it's easy to be confused about the "best" beverages for health. I think it's pretty clear that most experts agree that, when it comes down to determining your best option for a healthy beverage...the winner is WATER.
Possibly the best and easiest change you can make to improve your health is to focus on drinking water as your beverage of choice. Make the commitment to reducing your in-take of sugary beverages. It's that simple! You don't have to stop completely for now; just make a real effort beginning this week by drinking only healthy beverages for at least one 24 hour period. If you meet the challenge, you will earn another FREE ticket for the Challenge Bucket!
In addition, you can earn an extra FREE Challenge Bucket ticket if you pack a healthy brown bag lunch at least once this week. Here are the Healthy Lunch Options. You can also earn an extra FREE Challenge Bucket ticket if you prepare at least one dinner from Keep the Beat Recipes
Eat healthy, drink healthy and get active!
Brittany
WEEK 3 (November 4 - 10)
Workday Lunches That Save Time, Money and Calories
Taking a healthy lunch to work is one of the simplest ways to trim your budget. If you make this a regular habit, the savings over a year can regularly add up. But, even beyond the cost savings, most meals packed at home are healthier than foods at restaurants. When we eat out, we're often faced with whopper portions and fattening extras--like the French fries that routinely come with sandwiches. When you pack your own lunch, you control the portions and choose healthier ingredients.
So now that we have made the point that you will save money and you will eat healthier, the big question is will you do it and will you make it a lifetime habit? One of the biggest obstacles for most people is running out of creative, inexpensive and easy to make lunch options. WebMD asked the experts to recommend some great options. Here is a link to Healthy Lunch Options
Your challenge this week is to pack your own healthy brown bag lunch at least once. Even better make it a habit to bring your lunch a few times every week. If you meet this challenge this week, you will earn another FREE bonus ticket for the Challenge Bucket!
Eat healthy and get active!
Brittany
Its not too late to join us in the ARHD Wellness Challenge! (Registration is open)
WEEK 2 (October 28 - November 3)
Record your daily wellness score: CLICK TO SIGN IN HERE
Here is your opportunity to increase your chances to win prizes. Just below the Wellness Log, let us know if you have completed the Health Risk Assessment. You still have until Monday, midnight to do so. If completed, let us know by clicking the appropriate box when you sign-in to update your points. This will earn you one FREE ticket for the challenge drawing bucket.(?) You can earn another FREE ticket every time you participate in an approved Healthy Lifestyle Challenge activity.(?)
Here is the link to the baseline screening: CLICK TO GO TO BASE LINE SCREENING.
Monday, November 4th is the first day of week 2 of the challenge. We are introducing two challenges for WEEK 2.
You can earn one extra bonus ticket by completing the on-line HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT(HRA) offered by WebMD. A Health Risk Assessment (HRA) will help you identify those habits that are putting you at risk and help you begin to understand how to change them. The HRA does not replace the need for a regular visit to your doctor. It should also be understood that the HRA is completely confidential and only you, and anyone you share it with, will have access to your personal results. Next Monday, you will be provided with a link where you can record your completion of this challenge. If you complete the assessment, you will earn one more FREE bonus ticket for the Challenge Bucket weekly drawings.
Your second opportunity to earn another bonus ticket will focus on healthy eating. We challenge you to visit the link to a special healthy cookbook put out by the National Institutes of Health. CLICK HERE FOR THE Keep the Beat Recipes This on-line cookbook was developed by NIH and showcases new dishes that were created especially for the NHLBI by a Culinary Institute of American-traned chef/instructor. The appendix is loaded with information on meal planning, cooking, and nutrition for families and children. Once a week, starting with WEEK 2, by making and enjoying one of these recipes, you will have this second opportunity to earn another FREE bonus ticket. We will award you with another bonus ticket on top of this, if you also take a picture of yourself or of you and family members enjoying your prepared NIH cookbook meal. You can email your picture to brian@wepromotehealth.org
Eat healthy and get active!
Brittany
Its not too late to join us in the ARHD Wellness Challenge! (Registration is open)