10-hour Tip #3

Enjoy 10-hour Workdays

Tip #3- Turn off the lights.

The CDC recommends that American adults (even the elderly) get 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Set a bedtime for yourself and stick to it! Not a time that allows you to watch your favorite show and still catch a few good hours of sleep, not after you finish dishes and laundry and whatever else is left on the to-do list… Turn off the TV and avoid caffeine and alcohol at least 45 minutes before bedtime. “But wine helps me fall asleep”- while wine may help you fall asleep quickly, sugar and alcohol work as stimulants and keep you from falling into deep REM sleep (which is what our bodies and brains need to recharge). On non-working days try stay close to your weekday sleep schedule. According to an article published in the Huffington Post, “dramatically altering your sleep and wake times on your days off can throw your body clock out of whack, a phenomenon experts call "social jet lag." Research suggests "recovery sleep" might not be doing your brain any good.” 

For more tips and information, visit these links:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/23/sleep-habits_n_4145681.html 

http://www.cdc.gov/sleep/index.html 

  

(Diet) Soda & Your Waistline

For some people, weight/body composition isn’t their primary reason for making healthy behavior changes. However, almost half of Americans (45%) worry about their weight "all" or "some of the time". So if you knew how much exercise it would take to burn the calories in your soda- would you be motivated to make a different choice?

Results from a study conducted at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health suggested that showing teens how much walking or running they would have to do in order to burn off the calories in a soda or other sugary drink helped motivate them to choose lower-calorie beverages. Signs were posted in stores that informed consumers that a 20-ounce bottle of regular soda, sports drink or fruit juice contains 250 calories and 16 tablespoons of sugar, which would require 50 minutes of running or 5 miles of walking to burn off. When teens were interviewed after their purchase, 59 percent said they believed the information on the signs and 40 percent said they changed their purchases as a result.  Water purchases also rose from 1 percent to 4 percent. 
                                                                                                                            
“But diet soda doesn't have any sugar or calories, so I am making a healthy choice by choosing diet instead of regular.” It is true that you are avoiding the added sugars and calories found in regular sodas, but research suggests that artificial sweeteners used in diet drinks may disrupt the brain's sweet sensors. "If you consume artificial sweeteners, it makes the brain think you are less satiated or full, and as a result you eat more," says Sara Bleich, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Diet soda drinkers- take 2 minutes and WATCH THIS VIDEO! http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/diet-soda-wont-help-you-lose-weight-new-study-says


Read more about the study at Johns Hopkins University here- http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-long-will-it-take-to-burn-off-that-soda/ 

Enjoy 10-hour Workdays- Tip 2

Enjoy 10-hour Workdays

Tip #2- Take a break.

Prolonged sitting can increase your risk for diabetes, heart disease, back pain, neck pain and much more. Throughout the day take 2-3 minutes to stand up and stretch or walk the hallway. If you have time, take a 10-minute walk and maybe climb a few flights of stairs. With increased blood flow your brain will receive more oxygen and your quality of work may improve!

Dr. Matthew Sleeth is the author of “24/6: A Prescription for a Healthier, Happier Life.” These excerpts are from an article published by CNN in 2013 (read the full article here- http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/11/health/sleeth-take-day-off/).

CNN: Why do you think taking one day off a week is so important?
Sleeth: We go 24/7 now, and I think it's having health consequences. I think more and more, there's a consensus that it leads to depression and anxiety.

CNN: You write about incorporating a "stop day" into your weekly schedule. How do you think that can extend and enrich your life?
Sleeth: A "stop day" is a day you really cease from your labors. I don't try to define what rest is for a person, but I ask you to figure out what work is for you, and don't do it one day out of the week. A lot of people "go" and never know when it is that they're going to come to rest.

So why should you plan a day of rest each week?
Sleeth: I have many people that I've talked to now that have said that keeping one day of rest a week has been the single best thing they've done for their marriage, their family and their spiritual relationship.

Enjoy 10-hour Workdays- Tip 1

Coming soon (*to some MCC employees):

 

Fridays OFF!

Take 30 seconds to celebrate and let that soak in… now consider the 10-hour workdays that it will take to earn those happy Fridays. We’re going to share tips to help you “Enjoy 10-Hour Workdays”.

Tip #1- Plan ahead.

Take a few hours on a non-work day to catch up on laundry and plan your outfits for the week. If you’re responsible for dressing kiddos, lay their weekly wardrobe out so both of you know where it is.

Know who needs to go where, how they will be getting there, and what time to be up and out of the door for the entire week. Do this by Sunday evening so that there are fewer questions to answer and problems to solve early morning and mid week.

Plan and prepare meals and snacks on a non-work day (which also requires an organized trip to the grocery store). This will help reduce the amount of decisions you need to make early in the morning and the amount of shopping and cooking that needs to be done late in the evening. Instead of eating out, visiting the vending machine or drive through, you’ll be more motivated to stick to your healthy eating goals and save a few dollars.

Need ideas for healthy, affordable and yummy workday snacks? Check out this link for 15 healthy 200-calorie snacks!

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1988#_a5y_p=3722897 

Stay tuned for Tip #2- Take a break.