DIY Corporate Wellness Programmes: 5 Things to Consider

If you’re wondering whether or not a corporate wellness programme might benefit your company, make sure you know what you’re doing! According to Joshua Love, the president of national corporate wellness company Kinema Fitness, ‘As the president of a corporate wellness company, Kinema Fitness, I have noticed a recent trend in the way companies are approaching employee-based wellness programmes. Namely, companies are taking employee wellness more seriously now. They are truly trying to figure out the right solution to combat rising health issues and healthcare costs. Unfortunately, too many companies are trying to implement wellness programmes with little to no experience or game plan for success. As a result, more programs fail than succeed.’

 

But where are these companies going wrong? Love notes, ‘Corporate wellness cannot be treated as a band-aid, and you definitely won’t be able to find it in a fitness app. Engagement, motivation, support and strategy are the keys to a successful programme. If employees are not involved in the solution, it’s difficult to succeed. Preventable wellness is a complete lifestyle and behaviour change and change takes time and commitment.’ So here are a few things to bear in mind when you’re designing a wellness programme for your company:

 

1. A Higher Level of Awareness is Essential: People ‘are becoming more and more health conscious,’ admits Love. ‘But due to higher stress, longer work days and constant multitasking, it is more difficult to find the time to act on wellness goals. Creating an on-site wellness programme is important because the majority of an employee’s time is spent at the workplace.’

 

2. Many Chronic Diseases are Preventable: Love points out, ‘According to the CDC, chronic diseases account for 75% of total healthcare costs. They are also the most preventable type of disease. Such illnesses include heart disease, stroke, cancer and obesity. The only way to prevent disease is with actionable steps to halt progression. When old habits are years in the making, you cannot expect behaviour change to happen overnight. However, when a person is able to commit mentally, emotionally and socially and on a conscious level, progress is possible. An employee wellness programme needs to address this through consistent education and layers of accountability.’

 

3. Be creative: ‘Corporate wellness shouldn’t be boring,’ Love asserts. ‘Creating unique and dynamic programmes that consistently evolve over time ensure the best possibility of long-term success. Human beings need to be challenged and stimulated in different ways and different means to create change. Challenge your programme to stay on the latest trends; it will help to appoint a wellness lead that takes direct responsibility over the operations.’

 

4. Combat Rising Healthcare Costs: ‘Healthcare costs are rising year after year,’ notes Love. ‘Employers, especially those at small companies, can simply not afford to take on this burden any longer. As a result, they are passing the costs on to their employees through higher deductibles. But healthier employees can actually help their own bottom line.  Some employers are now lowering employee’s contributions with rebates if they do participate in a wellness programme.’

 

5. Corporate Wellness is Complex and Long-Term: Love argues, ‘The success of corporate wellness is driven by the unique strategy behind it. It involves a framework that outlines short and long-term goals for the employee and the employer. Corporate wellness needs support, leadership, commitment from the vendor, employer and employees. A successful programme takes time and constantly evolves so it can be integrated into the fabric of the company’s culture. Corporate wellness is not just one solution. It is the culmination of many solutions that work together under one strategy. It involves layers of physical activity, education, communication, incentives, and a long-term commitment.’

Categories: Awareness, behaviour change, Chronic Disease, Chronic Diseases, corporate wellness, corporate wellness programme, Employee Wellness, healthcare costs, Long term, takes time

Could Fatty Fish Help You to Fight Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer is a health concern that affects the wellbeing of men and women alike, albeit occurring more often in females. According to wellness experts, maintaining a healthy body weight and following a healthy diet is essential for keeping breast cancer at bay, especially when that diet contains high amounts of fatty fish, fruits and vegetables.

 

According to Zone Diet founder Dr Barry Sears, a leading authority on the effects of diet on hormonal response, ‘A recent study found that women who gained 55 pounds or more after age 18 had almost 1.5 times the risk of breast cancer compared to those who maintained their weight, and a gain of 22 pounds or more is an increased risk of 18%.’ And the primary reason for this development, as well as multiple chronic diseases? Inflammation. ‘Increased inflammation causes the production of a wide variety of inflammatory mediators (hormones and proteins) to be released at the cellular level that lead to a depression of the immune system,’ says Dr Sears. ‘Excess weight gain is also driven by inflammation. The more obese a person is, the greater the levels of inflammation in the body that can depress the immune system.’

 

However, even if you’re one of the lucky ones who can eat whatever they want and stay stick-thin, you may not be so lucky after all. Even for people of a healthy weight, a diet high in unhealthy fat, sugar, calories and processed foods can lead to breast cancer. Dr Sears explains, ‘A poor diet can be defined as one that increases inflammation and it is inflammation that is the driving force behind breast cancer as well as most other chronic diseases.’ So not only is a healthy diet – high in fresh fruits and vegetables and fatty fish – helpful for weight loss, it will also aid in mediating inflammation throughout your body.

 

So that’s why you need to fight inflammation through your diet, but how do you go about it? Like Dr Sears’ Zone Diet, anti-inflammatory diets reduce your glycaemic load by making fruits and vegetables your primary source of carbohydrates. These diets also include adequate amounts of low-fat protein sources such as chicken and fish, and primary use of olive oil. All these factors have been clinically demonstrated to have an anti-inflammatory effect in the body, and, at the other end of the scale, vegetable oils rich in omega-6-fats can, when consumed in excess, have been shown to increase inflammation. This is why Dr Sears strongly recommends the exclusion of omega-6-fats from your diet, wherever possible.

 

Unlike omega-6s, omega-3s are vastly beneficial to your wellness, being long extolled as a source of heart-healthy fat, as well as inflammation reduction. According to one of many studies, published June 2009 in the medical journal BMC Cancer, both pre- and post-menopausal women can greatly reduce their risks of breast cancer by eating a high amount of omega-3 fatty fish. Moreover, omega-3s can even improve your breast cancer treatment efficacy. This is the finding of an April 2009 study, reported in the peer-reviewed online journal Cell Division, which showed that an omega-3 fatty acid reduced systemic inflammation, oxidative stress and leukocytosis, and also augmented the effects of chemotherapy drug cisplatin.

 

So why are omega-3s so beneficial for fighting breast cancer? Whether they are found in oily fish or fish oils, omega-3s dilute the omega-6 fatty acid arachidonic acid, which is the primary mediator of inflammation in the cell membrane. Dr Sears comments, ‘Increased levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the cellular membrane make it more difficult to produce inflammatory hormones derived from toxic omega-6 fat. Omega-3 fatty acids can also suppress overactive cellular inflammatory responses that are also important in the development of breast cancer.’

Categories: anti-inflammatory, breast cancer, Chronic Diseases, diet high, dr sears, fatty acid, fatty acids, fatty fish, omega 3s

Frightening Fats: Does Your Diet Put You at Risk of Disease?

You may not realise it, but your diet plays a huge role in your wellbeing. Sure, you know about foods that affect your weight and energy levels, but what about those that put your wellness at risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and arthritis? Luckily, author and registered dietician Elizabeth Somer is here to explain all.

 

According to Somer, author of Eat Your Way To Happiness and Eat Your Way to Sexy, there are two types of inflammation in your body; acute and chronic. While the former is actually useful, chronic inflammation is the root of many diseases. ‘Inflammation is the body’s natural response to healing,’ she explains. ‘Acute inflammation works great for healing a cut finger or a bumped head. The white blood cells and their chemicals get in, do their job and get out. But too much of a good thing leads to problems. Chronic inflammation damages, rather than repairs, tissues. When inflammation is too intense or prolonged, it produces diseases instead of healing.’

 

But where does your diet come into it? Somer asserts, ‘The wrong diet or lifestyle choices sets up a constant irritant in the body, damaging arteries, which can lead to heart disease or dementia, or inflaming tissues, which can lead to cancer, diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis.’ A scary thought, but the more concerning thing to note is that you may not even notice when you do have chronic inflammation. Somer warns ‘You won’t feel it, but you can check for markers. If any part of you is inflamed, a marker called C reactive protein or CRP, will be high in your blood. If your value is more than 1mg/L, you are at risk.’ Her advice? Get it checked.

 

The best treatment for any chronic disease is prevention, and Somer argues that this starts by avoiding dietary triggers. These include:

 

• Saturated fats in meat and fatty dairy products


• Trans fats in processed and fast foods


• Omega-6 fats in oils


• Sugar


• Refined grains


• Potatoes


• Fried foods


• Palm or coconut oils


• Pastries


• Processed meats like hot dogs and deli meats

 

Fats make up the first three items on this list and with good reason. Somer comments, ‘Saturated and trans fats damage blood vessel walls, which triggers the immune response associated with inflammation and encourages blood fats, like cholesterol, to stick and become imbedded in the artery walls, leading to atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of heart disease, stroke, and even some forms of dementia.’ And what about omega-6? ‘The fats in safflower or corn oil are called omega-6 fats and they promote inflammation,’ Somer points out. ‘A specific omega-6 fat, called arachidonic acid, found in meats, is a particularly potent inflammation promoter.’

 

So, that’s what you get rid of, but what should you include in your anti-inflammatory diet?

 

1. Whole grains: ‘Make them chewy, not fluffy,’ Somer suggests. ‘This means breads with hunks of whole grain, old-fashioned or steel-cut oats, brown rice and pasta cooked al dente.’

 

2. Colourful fruits and vegetables: Somer notes, ‘The more phytochemical-rich fruits and vegetables you eat, the more you boost your body’s defenses against disease. Aim for at least nine servings a day.’

 

3. Anti-inflammatory fats: ‘Include one or more omega-3-rich foods in your daily diet, preferably fatty fish or foods fortified with a sustainable, algae-based omega-3 DHA, and use only olive oil,’ Somer recommends. ‘You can also take supplements.’

 

4. Antioxidants: ‘Extra-virgin olive oil, fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, nuts, soy, whole grains, green tea and certain spices, such as turmeric and ginger, prevent tissue damage that otherwise triggers the inflammatory response,’ Somer urges. ‘These foods are the best dietary sources of antioxidants, such as vitamin C and beta carotene, as well as thousands of phytonutrients, such as flavonoids. Antioxidants block highly reactive oxygen fragments called free radicals that otherwise damage the genetic code, cell membranes and proteins, [which can lead] to heart disease, cancer, dementia and more.’

Categories: anti-inflammatory, cancer diabetes, Chronic Diseases, Chronic inflammation, disease cancer, heart disease, inflammation somer, olive oil, saturated fats, somer, trans fats

Which Supplements Are Vital for Your Bones, Baby and Belly?

Nutrition is vital to female wellness, whether you’re working on the wellbeing of your bones, belly or future baby. The good news is, with a healthy, balanced diet you’re already getting everything you need, says Women’s Health Nutrition Expert and Registered Dietitian Keri Glassman : ‘We get a wide variety of nutrients from eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats, often in perfect proportions. We rarely over or under do it.’

 

Still, sometimes you need a little extra nutrient power here and there, and that’s where supplements come in. You might need to take certain vitamins or minerals if you’re unwell, pregnant or a vegetarian, or as an insurance policy for those times you eat a bag of doughnuts for breakfast instead of your usual whole-wheat toast. According to Glassman, ‘When considering supplements, women need to think bones, babies, and bellies. Sufficient bone density is needed to prevent osteoporosis, an adequate store of folate is essential for fertility and foetal development, and a healthy waistline lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases. Women must also load up on the nutrients that are essential to prevent chronic diseases in the future.’

 

Bones – As you were told as a kid, calcium is vital for keeping bones strong, but your need for it doesn’t stop just because you’ve stopped growing. Mary Ellen Camire, PhD, a nutrition professor at the University of Maine at Orono, explains, ‘Women start losing bone density in their twenties. Calcium is your single best defence, and you should start taking it now.’

 

Babies – If you’re pregnant, folate is absolutely essential. A deficiency in this B vitamin can lead to serious complications, such as your baby being born prematurely or with neural tube defects. Taking 600mg of folate when pregnant can reduce your baby’s chances of neural tube defects by 72-100%!

 

Belly – As the most studied and most active antioxidant in green tea, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) may help reduce your waistline by fighting weight-causing free radicals. Plus, the antioxidant properties of green tea work to lower your cholesterol (which reduces your heart disease risk) and may help prevent the development and growth of skin tumors.

Categories: Baby, bone density, bones, calcium, Chronic Diseases, folate, green tea, nbsp, neural tube, Supplements, tube defects, Women

Exercise is Best Medication for Ageing – But Take it Easy!

Exercise does so much for your wellbeing, but what about your anti-ageing wellness? Exercise can prevent diabetes, osteoporosis and even cancer, and  ward of wrinkles and keep your skin younger for longer – but you have to know your limits.

According to cosmetic physician Dr Van Park, ‘If you want to look young, don’t become a marathon runner. One marathon (or Tough Mudder or triathlon) every now and then is OK, but long term excessive exercise can hasten ageing. Just look at the faces of regular marathon runners.’ She notes that high-level exercise can put your body under extreme stress, which is what brings on premature ageing. Cortisol is released when we’re highly stressed and high levels can lead to depression, memory loss, abdominal weight gain, insomnia and premature ageing.’

Dr Van Park explains. ‘We are not 100% sure of the effects on collagen, but we suspect increased cortisol breaks down collagen and elastin which fast tracks ageing. Add to that free radical damage, ongoing sun exposure and a high-protein diet which often goes with excessive exercise, and men and women who exercise intensely over a long period do age faster. In addition, it’s well documented high stress levels cause symptoms of hypothyroidism, and critical neurotransmitters such as glutamine, dopamine and 5-HTP are effected and can cause depression and even chronic fatigue, none of which is great news for your skin, body or face.’

Rob Newton, foundation professor of exercise and sports science at Edith Cowan University, comments, ‘Currently we know of no other “medicine” with greater benefits for slowing or even reversing the effects of ageing on the body than physical exercise. The most significant benefit is in extending life by preventing the progression of chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes and Alzheimer’s. Exercise is also critical for maintaining muscle mass and helping to maintain a healthy level of body fat and this plays a major role in our immune function and metabolic health.’

Professor Newton adds, ‘Muscle is also a major moderator of chronic low-level inflammation in the body. This chronic low-level inflammation, present in people who are sedentary – whether they are overweight or not, is one of the main ageing mechanisms and the main driver for our current chronic disease epidemic as it causes cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and even macular degeneration.’

Categories: Chronic Diseases, exercise, muscle mass