It’s that time of year.  Cold, dark, dreary.  A vacation seems like it may be just what the “doctor” ordered!

If you’ve gone somewhere warm and sunny anytime in January or February – I wish I could have joined you!

If, like me, you haven’t been able to get away – don’t despair!

Whether you’ve been away or only away in your mind, it is possible to make the good feelings you get on vacation last – and get you through these hard months before spring arrives.

The afterglow that a fabulous vacation brings on can be quickly dissipated with the time-crunch of deadlines, stress of co-workers and make you feel like you’ve never gone on vacation.

Here are some suggestions for making the vacation afterglow last – or helping you feel like you have gone on vacation.

1.  Thank those people around you.  Research shows that gratitude helps enable people to feel better about life.  Send a thank you note so someone who may have brightened your day.  Make it your goal to say thank you to at least 3 people every day this week – and reap the good feelings that brings!

2.  Pursue skills you might only think about during vacation.  If you normally take walks or yoga classes during your vacation, try to do those things now.  The same applies to reading a novel for fun – what sorts of books do you read on the beach or at a ski chalet?  Buy one of them now (Amazon has great deals on used – like new books)!  Then dedicate one hour to just sitting down and enjoying that book!

Any other suggestions?  I’d love to hear them!

Warmly,

Dr. Mudge-Riley

I hear it all the time.

“I know I am supposed to exercise; I want to exercise; the problem is that I don’t have the time to exercise!”

Why don’t YOU have time to exercise?

Do you have kids?  Do you work a full time job?  Maybe you work two jobs – and have kids?

There is good news for you – no matter what your reason.

An annual survey by the American Council on Exercise (ACE), found the trend in 2010 was to do quicker, more intense workouts.  These sorts of workouts have also shown to be more effective in burning fat and calories.

So how do you fit in your workout AND make it more productive?

Streamline prep time: Keep your gear in a separate space in your drawer so you won’t be looking for it – or better yet, pack your gym bag or lay out your workout clothes the night before.  Once you get to the gym or the park, keep a clear path in mind of what you plan to do and then just do it so you don’t waste time deciding which equipment to use or start to talk yourself out of it all.

Exercise in the AM: There is no “right” or “wrong” time to exercise.  If you can manage to get it in the first part of your day, there is less chance that something will happen to preempt your exercising.  This also helps you get around the feeling at the end of the day that you are too tired to possibly work out.

Choose multipurpose moves: Choose exercises that target more than one muscle group, like the elliptical machine with the moving arms or a treadmill on an incline.  No matter which machine or sport you choose, try to mix some slower intervals with faster ones to keep your motivation high and to help your body burn even more.

How do YOU fit exercise into your busy day?  E-mail me a comment!

Warmly,

Dr. Mudge-Riley

How do you handle the ice on your front porch and driveway?

For my own wellness and the wellness of my family, I recently did some research into sand vs. salt to de-ice our front entry way. 

Although safety was my primary concern, I found some useful information to help me make the decision about the safest way to melt ice.  Chemical deicers are convenient but they don’t always work.  Sand makes things less slippery, but it takes a lot to work. 

Here’s the scoop on the two:

Salt-based chemical deicers: These form a brine when they come into contact with moisture – that is what melts some ice/snow and prevents it from bonding to the pavement.  All that salt can be damaging to plants, pets and concrete.  Chemical deicers can pull moisture from plants, sicken pets who lick it off their paws and cause concrete surfaces to crack.   Salt can also stain the carpets and floors as it is tracked inside.

Sand: Sand is an abrasive, used to create friction between the icy/snowy surface and your shoes or car tires.  Sand can work at lower temperatures than chemical deicers.  However, sand can build up in the soil, also causing trouble for plants in the springtime and it can lead to a huge mess in your hallway floor as it is tracked inside.

So what should you do?

Try mixing the two!  That way you get the pros and cons of each.  Just be sure to also wipe their paws when pets come inside to prevent them from becoming sick.

Have you found a better way?  I’m interested to know what works!  Post a comment below.

Stay warm,

Dr. Mudge-Riley

Who isn’t?

It’s hard to get away from it.  There are constant updates on the news, speculative stories in the papers and updated comparisons on blogs and social media sites like LinkedIn.

The topic is so vast and covers such a wide array of issues, it’s hard to stay up with all of it.  There are decisions that would affect large employers, small employers, physicians, employees, the Medicare population, the Medicaid population, the working underinsured, the middle class, executives, the uninsured….the list goes on and on.

Something of particular interest caught my eye the other day in terms of wellness programs.

Did you know that both the Senate Bill (H.R. 3590) and the House Bill (H.R. 3962) contain provisions regarding grants to small employers for wellness programs?  Here are some specifics between the two bills:

Senate Bill: Provides grants for up to 5 years to small employers that establish wellness programs.  Provides technical assistance and other resources to evaluate those programs.  Permits employers to offer employees rewards – in the form of premium discounts, waivers of cost-sharing requirements, for up to 30% of the cost of coverage for participating in a wellness program.

House Bill: Provides grants for up to 3 years for small employers for up to 50% of the costs incurred for a qualified wellness program.

Stay tuned!  And if I can do anything to help you be well positioned to take advantage of some of these benefits once the reform bill passes, please send me an e-mail at mmudgeriley@managedbenefits.com.

Warmly,

Dr. Mudge-Riley

Last post I discussed New Year’s Resolutions. 

How are you doing with yours?

An informal poll around our office revealed that some people were having trouble with healthy eating – specifically, healthy lunchtime choices. 

Some of us thought eating at a “healthy” restaurant meant consuming fewer calories.

Not necessarily. 

Consider this: According to the Berkeley Wellness Letter, those eating at Subway (considered a “healthy choice”) underestimated calories because of the “health halo effect”. 

What is the “health halo effect”?

The phenomenon relates to people being more likely to order calorie-rich side dishes, larger drinks and indulging in dessert, all the while underestimating the calories of their main meal because it is considered, “healthy”.  In fact, a 12-inch turkey sandwich from Subway has as many calories as a Big Mac from McDonalds – and several hundred MORE calories if you add cheese and dressing. 

That can lead to substantial weight gain – and a lack of motivation towards eating healthy.

Here are some tips for making smart choices at lunch and avoiding the “health halo”:

1.  Plan and prepare your lunch the night before.  It can take less than 5 minutes to put a couple slices of turkey on a flat wrap (or skip the wrap and use lettuce leaves for bread if you want a low-carb choice), choose a lower-calorie cheese (like mozzarella), add a piece of fruit (whatever is in season – it’s cheap!) and a veggie (like some carrots, a cucumber or a pepper).  A carton of unsweetened yogurt (sweeten it yourself and it will have fewer calories than those junk-laden “fruit yogurts”) or cottage cheese can serve as a good mid-afternoon snack and these choices are easy to pack the night before.

2.  A good way to reduce your caloric intake at dinner and lunch is to take half your dinner and save it for lunch the next day.  You can look forward to it and the portion size is right.

3. Don’t avoid going out to lunch all together – you are more likely to eat too much when you do finally give in to the temptation.  Just take the lunch you buy and double what you believe to be the caloric estimate.  Then save half for dinner….or lunch tomorrow!

I’d welcome your ideas!  How do you eat healthy at lunchtime?

Warmly,

Dr. Michelle Mudge-Riley

Are you one of the 85% of Americans who has made a New Year’s Resolution?

Have you kept it? 

Most people will not keep their New Year’s Resolutions past January.

How can you increase your chances for permanent positive change?

Here are some good tips:

1.  Examine your motivation for change.  Why do you want to eat better/less/more vegetables?  Do you just want to fit into those jeans or a May wedding dress?  If you are willing to accept that something like better nutrition or exercise can’t be based solely on an outcome you are more likely to be successful.

2.  Focus on the behavior change more than the goal.  What is required to help you eat better or get more exercise or to stop smoking?  By focusing on portion control, reducing your sugar intake, walking or going to the gym 30 minutes three times a week or talking to your doctor about smoking cessation aids, you empower yourself and increase your chances for long term success.

3.  Allow for imperfection.  I don’t know anyone, even the most motivated of my friends and colleagues, who is perfect 100% of the time.  Uncontrollable circumstances, the weather, a sick child, your own sickness or just a bad day can throw off the best laid plans.  Do yourself a favor and don’t worry about the one, two or ten times you get derailed from your goals.  Tomorrow is a brand new day and a brand new beginning.

Warmly,

Dr. Michelle Mudge-Riley

This time of year can be tough. 

It seems like stress is coming from all different directions.  There’s the gift buying, the crowds, the in-laws, your family, the food…..

A perfect recipe for people to get sick. 

Germs from different parts of the country congregating together during family gatherings, coupled with high emotions can spell disaster.

But you can keep a smile on your cold and flu-free face.

Here are a few tricks to help you ward off those impending germs:

  1.  Tune in to music – Research from Harvard University found that those patients who listened to certain music had lower blood pressure and higher levels of hormones that stimulate healing.

  2.  Drink – Not the alcohol or sugar-laden punch, but just plain water.  Try to get at least 3 glasses down between breakfast and lunch and 3 more between lunch and dinner. 

  3.  Sweat – Not because your mother-in-law is questioning you about that touchy subject AGAIN.  Instead, GET MOVING.  This will help your body release exercise-induced antibodies.  Take a walk, pop in an exercise video, pull out the Wii or just take a break and get away to the gym or YMCA.

  4. Make friends with probiotics – This is the good stuff found in yogurt that helps good bacteria in your body grow and fight off the bad bacteria.  You can also swallow your probiotics in pill form.

Looking forward to talking to you in January!