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Healthy Hint #33
Barbecuing in the great outdoors is fun, relaxing and brings people together. But it also means you have to be extra careful when you prepare food.
Some studies suggest that eating food charred by high-heat techniques, such as barbecuing, grilling, frying and broiling, may raise your risk for cancer. To make sure your cookout stays safe:
- Don’t leave meat or poultry cooking over a high-heat source, like an open flame or hot metal surface, for too long.
- Remove any visible fat that can cause flare-ups.
- Precook meat and poultry in the microwave before putting it on the grill; this releases some of the juices that can drop on coals.
- Keep turning meat or poultry over, so no one part gets burnt.
- Don’t eat charred pieces of meat or poultry.
- Throw out the gravy from meat drippings.
With these basic precautions, you can fire up that grill with peace of mind!
Healthy Hint #32
You can’t do much without healthy bones, joints and muscles. As you age, it’s especially important to protect your “moving parts” with aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercises.
These activities can slow the loss of bone density that makes you weaker and more likely to get hurt as you get older. They also lower your risk for arthritis and osteoporosis down the road. You may not be able to look young forever, but you can help yourself feel young for many years to come.
Healthy Hint #31
Getting motivated to work out on your own can be hard. But having friends join your activities makes them more fun! Exercising in groups has lots of great benefits. Two or more people can energize and support each other to keep moving. They can also help make fitness part of each other’s daily routine.
Plus, when you meet your health goals, it’s nice to have cheerleaders applaud your success and encourage you to set new ones. And another person can make you feel safe if you’re nervous about walking or jogging alone. So find a buddy and get active!
Healthy Hint #30
It’s easy to stray off the healthy eating path. When you don’t plan your meals, you’re more likely to go to a fast food drive-through or microwave a chicken pot pie.
If your schedule makes it hard to find time for food shopping or cooking, try creating a weekly menu of healthy recipes you can select from. This menu should include food that’s simple and quick to prepare; has healthy protein choices, such as lean meats or poultry; uses whole grain and vegetable ingredients; and stays yummy as leftovers. Shop in bulk and, for perishable items, pick frozen or canned options with no salt added. Then, when it’s time to whip up a meal, you’ll have everything you need.
Healthy Hint #29
When it comes to matters of the heart, there’s usually hope. Lifestyle changes can dramatically lower your risk for most kinds of heart disease, including the most common type, coronary artery disease (CAD), which can lead to a heart attack.
To help protect your heart:
- Eat foods that are high in fiber, and low in saturated fat and cholesterol.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Stay active.
Avoid smoking and alcohol.
Healthy Hint #27
Eating out can be great – especially when you don’t have time to prepare a meal or want to celebrate a special occasion without the work. The problem is that ordering can feel like a guessing game if you’re watching your diet. But there are ways to stay in control and keep your restaurant visit healthy. Start by ordering water, unsweetened tea or other sugar-free drinks. Then, fill up on low-calorie appetizers, such as salads and grilled vegetables, instead of bread and creamy soups.
For the main dish, choose broiled, grilled or steamed foods over fried ones. The same goes for sides: Say no to fries and yes to baked potatoes. You can also ask for smaller portions or share your meal with your fellow diner(s). If it’s still too much food, get a container before you begin eating and put half away to take home. Finally, choose fresh fruit for dessert.
Healthy Hint #25
Do you always have excuses when it comes to physical activity? Not enough time? Bad weather? No fun?
Being active is important to your health, so it’s time for you to look at why you can’t fit it into your day – and then find ways that you can! Have to work through lunch? Try taking three 10-minute walks throughout the day instead. Raining outside when you want to jog? Find an indoor track, or power walk in the mall. And if you hate the idea of “exercise,” make what you love work for you. You can garden, dance, do yoga or play running games with your kids and pets. Just get moving.
Anthem Blue Cross Supporting People Affected by California Wildfires
Anthem is taking action to help people affected by the wildfires in Lake, Mariposa, Mendocino, Napa, Riverside and Shasta counties by revising medical and pharmacy guidelines that will help ensure members can continue care and access needed prescription medications. The items pertaining to pharmacy apply to Anthem’s relationship with Express Scripts. It’s important that our members know what Anthem is doing for our members in the above mentioned areas during this critial time.
For impacted members, Anthem is:
- Relaxing time limits for prior authorization, pre-certification and referral requirements – there will be no late penalties.
- Suspending early refill limits for prescriptions.
- Allowing replacement of medical equipment or supplies.
- Extending filing deadlines for claims.
These medical and pharmacy guidelines are effective from July 26, 2018 until August 25, 2018, unless further extended.
For additional questions, members should call the phone number on the back of their membership card as associates are standing by to help.
HealthyCPA – August 2018 :: Embrace Variety
The eMagazine dedicated to improving members’ well-being
- Why diversify exercise?
- Vaccines for preteens and teens
- Mystery weight gain
- Choosing digital fitness
- 6 ways to save on flights
In each issue you will find information and inspiration to help you with your health and wellness goals.
Healthy Hint #24
It’s hard to make healthy choices when you’re stressed. If you never seem to have time to take care of yourself, you might need to look at your priorities.
Where does your time go? Are you enjoying life and staying active? Or do you find yourself mostly staring at a screen or running errands? An activity log is a good way to track what you do throughout your day. Try it for a week to see what happens to all those precious hours. Then, work on scheduling the important stuff, like family meals, exercise and relaxation. It’s okay to pencil in a “break” for 10 minutes here and there. After a while, life should feel less stressful and more balanced.