In this issue:Your Heart and Money.......................Page 2

Green Team.....................Page 3

Trade in your Plastic...... Page 3

Safety Page.....................Page 4

HY Recipe Corner............Page 5

HEALTHFEBRUARY 2017

YourselfTaste of the Month: CajunUse these simple bases to create a winning Cajun flavor for a variety of meals:

• Olive oil• Onion• Garlic• Oregano• Thyme• Paprika• Red Pepper Flakes or

Cayenne

Mix and match with whole grains (try whole grain pasta, brown rice, or quinoa), veggies, and a lean protein of your choice (shrimp, fish, chicken, tofu).

App of the Month: LifesumIf you like the MyFitnessPal app,

meet its cooler, smarter cousin- Lifesum. Whether your goal is to get healthy, lose excess weight, or gain muscle, this app is a fun way to track your progress and inspire your goals. It offers meal plans, exercise tracking, and cheeky reminders to keep you on track for your goals. Very user-friendly and visually appealing.

May 31 All points or forms due to

Jess to qualify for FY18 discount.

April March February

Schedule appointments with your doctor and dentist NOW to avoid a mad dash in May. You do not have to wait a full year

from your last covered physical exam.

Remember if you are earning POINTS for the discount this year, we are NOT using the online health assessment.

Visit our website (see below) to learn what you can do instead.

It’s Heart Health Month- Let’s Celebrate!When  our  organiza-on  takes  the  culture  survey  every  year,  one  of  the  most  outstanding  results  is  our  employees’  dedica-on  to  serving  the  public;  at  CBJ  last  year,  93%  of  our  employees  responded  that  they  were  ‘focused  on  serving  the  public  with  integrity’  to  either  a  great  extent  or  a  very  great  extent.  Similarly  at  BartleH  in  2015,  86%  of  our  employees  responded  that  they  valued  customers  to  either  a  great  extent  or  a  very  great  extent.  

If  one  thing  is  certain...We’ve  got  heart  when  it  comes  to  serving  the  Juneau  community.  

In  order  to  con-nue  serving  the  public  with  heart,  we  need  to  take  care  of  our  physical  hearts.  Last  year  about  13%  of  the  members  on  our  plan  were  treated  for  cardiovascular  disease,  making  heart  health  second  in  costs,  following  joint  degenera-on.  While  financial  costs  can  affect  the  benefits  we  are  able  to  offer  and  also  affect  our  wellbeing  (see  page  2),  more  important  is  our  collec-ve  ability  to  con-nue  giving  heart  to  our  community;  at  work,  at  play,  with  our  families,  and  giving  back  to  neighbors  in  need.  

There  are  some  simple  steps  each  of  us  can  take  every  day  to  improve  our  heart  health.  At  a  very  basic  level,  we  can...• Eat  more  fruits  and  vegetables  and  good  fats  like  salmon,  avocados,  and  nuts• Move  more-­‐  try  to  get  20-­‐30  minutes  of  moderate  ac-vity  each  day• Get  beHer  sleep-­‐  running  on  empty  forces  our  bodies  to  work  harder-­‐  bumping  up  our  blood  pressure;  power  down  for  the  hour  before  you  go  to  bed  for  a  more  res[ul  sleep

• Reframe  stress-­‐  instead  of  fre]ng  over  too  much  stress,  view  it  as  an  opportunity  to  use  your  strengths  or  superpowers  (persistence,  op-mism,  humor,  kindness,  etc)

[Con-nued  on  page  3]

PAGE 2 HEALTHPage 2 YourselfYour Heart and MoneyAccording  to  an  American  Psychological  Associa-on  study,  the  number  one  stressor  for  Americans  today  is  money.  Chronic  stress  can  affect  the  health  of  your  heart;  increasing  your  blood  pressure,  while  decreasing  your  immunity  and  possibly  affec-ng  your  ea-ng  and  sleeping  habits;  all  of  which  can  take  its  toll  on  your  heart.  

More  than  60%  of  Americans  say  that  financial  worries  are  a  significant  source  of  stress-­‐  even  more  so  than  work,  family,  and  health  concerns.  What’s  more,  almost  3  in  4  adults  experience  stress  over  money  at  least  some  of  the  -me,  and  about  1  in  4  have  experienced  extreme  financial  stress  in  the  past  month.  

The  health  implica-ons  of  these  sta-s-cs  go  beyond  just  an  increased  risk  for  cardiovascular  disease.  Of  lower-­‐income  Americans,  those  with  high  levels  of  financial  stress  are  more  likely  than  those  with  low  levels  of  stress  to  spend  excessive  -me  watching  TV  or  online,  and  are  more  than  twice  as  likely  to  overeat,  drink  or  smoke,  directly  affec-ng  their  cardiovascular  disease  risk.  

Moreover,  money-­‐related  worries  affect  whether  or  not  people  even  seek  medical  care  for  their  problems.  One  in  five  adults  said  they  skipped  or  considered  skipping  going  to  the  doctor  for  treatment  because  of  financial  concerns.  Consequently,  those  who  skip  preven-ve  care  or  early  treatment  are  likely  to  incur  greater  health  and  financial  costs  farther  down  the  road.

Make  a  move,  save  your  heart

If  financial  stress  is  wreaking  havoc  on  your  health,  it’s  -me  to  take  ac-on.  There  are  things  that  you  can  do  even  without  changing  your  income  or  expenses.  Being  knowledgeable  and  having  a  plan  are  proven  stress-­‐reducers,  so  the  more  you  learn  about  money  and  become  proac-ve  in  your  finances  the  beHer  you  will  feel.  

Consider  the  following  resources  to  get  a  grip  on  your  financial  concerns:

•ICMA-­‐RC  ReCrement  planning  and  invesCng:     Jeff  Spindle:  1-­‐866-­‐328-­‐4664  E:  jspindle@icmarc.org •Visit  our  EAP  portal  at  guidanceresources.com/  groWeb/portals/login.portal;  company  ID:  CITYJEAP2.  Topics  include:

•  Estate  planning,  living  will  and  testament  assistance•  Tax  informa-on•  Handling  a  medical  emergency,  divorce,  or  death  financially•  Planning  for  the  future,  re-rement,  and  more!

American  Psychological  Associa1on.  (2015).  Paying  with  our  health.  Retrieved  from  Apa.org

Stress Less this Tax Season!

1. Don’t procrastinate. If you wait to file until nearer the deadline, you may be so rushed that you miss a potential deduction or source of tax savings, and you increase your risk of making an error.

2. Realize that earning more money does not make you less stressed--but your attitude about money can.

3. Gather your records in advance, including W-2’s, 1099’s, and K-1’s before you begin. Have yours and your family’s personal information ready as well, including SSN, and tax id numbers for each individual on your return.

4. File for Free. Everyone has the option to prepare their tax return and e-file it for free. If you made $62,000 or less, you can use free tax software offered by the IRS. If you made more than $62,000 and are able to prepare your own return, you can use Free File Fillable Forms, the electronic versions of IRS paper forms. Visit www.irs.gov/freefile for options.

5. Don’t panic if you can’t pay what you owe. You can set up a payment plan- an IRS Installment Agreement- on taxes you owe, as long as your returns are filed up-to-date.

6. Quit the blame game and look forward with your spouse. Avoid ‘emotional thinking’ and stick to facts and areas you can each use your strengths to improve your finances in the next year.

7. Focus on what you can control; choose a simple action that you can implement immediately to renew your confidence- like selling an item on Craigslist, or increasing your pre-tax retirement contributions.

PAGE 3Page 3YourselfHEALTH

     Green  Scene  brought  to  you  by  CBJ’s  Green  Team

In addition to Heart Health Month, February is also Cancer Prevention Month. Luckily, most of what you can do to improve your heart health- like eating fruits and vegetables, shedding excess weight, and limiting consumption of alcohol and highly processed foods- also decreases your risk for cancer.

There are some other measures you can take to prevent cancer that happen to help the environment as well. By reducing your use of plastics- especially in relation to your food packaging, storage, and utensils- you can limit your exposure to harmful phthalates while simultaneously creating less plastic waste and decreasing pollution from the production of plastics.

Plastics contain phthalates- which are a group of endocrine-disrupting chemicals commonly used to render plastics soft and flexible. You absorb phthalates through your skin and the food you eat, where they then disguise themselves as hormones to disrupt the natural functions of your body. High levels of phthalates have been associated with proliferation of cancerous cells, weight gain, diabetes, and reproductive issues. Some simple ways to cut phthalates include switching to glass food storage, cooking meals from whole foods, and bringing your own cloth produce bags to the grocery store. For more information, visit hsph.harvard.edu or breastcancerfund.org

We want to help you stay healthy. Trade out your plasticware for glass with

Health Yourself 2/22- 2/28

[Heart  Health  Con-nued]Once  you’ve  got  the  basics  of  everyday  heart  health  down...  Let’s  tune  into  something  a  liHle  more  advanced;  Hear[ulness.  Hear[ulness  is  a  type  of  medita-on  that  focuses  your  aHen-on  on  your  heart.  This  type  of  medita-on  has  the  poten-al  to  lower  blood  pressure,  and  increase  heart-­‐rate  variability  (HRV)-­‐  or  your  heart  muscle’s  ability  to  effec-vely  return  to  a  normal  rate  aner  an  eleva-ng  event.

To  prac-ce  this,  find  a  quiet  place  to  sit  comfortably,  perhaps  set  a  -mer  for  5,  10,  or  15  minutes,  and  gently  close  your  eyes.  Focus  your  aHen-on  in  your  heart  space  as  much  as  possible.

Imagine  that  there  is  a  light  in  your  upper  chest  near  your  heart,  growing  brighter  with  each  breath,  radia-ng  pure  light.  Breathe  slowly  and  deeply,  filling  your  lungs  with  air.  Now  let  the  light  have  a  nice  steady  glow.  Let  it  become  more  radiant  and  begin  to  surround  your  whole  body.  Tune  in  to  the  sensa-on  in  your  heart  space-­‐  what  does  it  feel  like?  Imagine  this  glowing  light  growing  larger  and  larger,  encompassing  the  whole  building,  town,  and  beyond.  

Keep  breathing  into  your  heart  space  as  long  as  you  like  or  un-l  your  -mer  ends.  

Visit  Heartmath.org  for  more  informa1on  on  HRV  and  medita1on.

PAGE 4 HEALTHPage 4

!

!

YourselfA Note from your Safety Officer, Andrew Migel

Answers  Across

1.  ALCOHOL  8.  PRESSURE  9.  REACTION  11.  POSITIVE  12.  PRIORITIES  13.  BLAME  14.  CONTROL

Answers  Down

2.  LAUGH  3.  HELP  4.  SECURITY  5.  PERSONAL  6.  EXERCISE  7.  DEPRESSION  9.  REST  10.  MUSCLE.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Across1. Using  ____  is  a  nega-ve  reac-on  to  stress.8. Physical  reac-ons  to  stress  include  increased  blood  ____.9.  Even  when  you  can’t  change  a  situa-on,  you  can  change  your  ___  to  it.  

11. Stress  can  be  _____  or  nega-ve.12. You  can  reduce  stress  by  se]ng  ____.13. Don’t  try  to  place  ____  on  yourself  or  others.14. Feeling  you  lack  ____  over  your  job  can  cause  stress.

Down2.  ____  at  situa-ons,  yourself,  or  a  joke.3. If  you  feel  overburdened  by  constant  stress,  get  ____.4.  Concern  over  job  ____  can  cause  stress.5.  Work  stress  can  have  greater  impact  if  combined  with  ____.  6.  ____  clears  the  head  and  relaxes  muscles.7. Repeated  stress  can  cause  ____.9. Your  body  needs  enough  ___  to  recover  from  stress.10.  One  physical  reac-on  to  change  can  be  _____  tension11.  Accept  that  no  one  is  _____.  

PAGE 5HEALTH Page 5

Health Yourself Recipe Corner

Coconut Scented Barley & Lentils with LimeFrom  Canadian  Len-ls  at  len-ls.orgPrep  -me:  5  minutes;  Total  -me:  35  minutes;  Servings:  6

Ingredients•1  Tbsp  coconut  oil  •  ¾  cup  finely  diced  onion  •  1  Tbsp  minced  fresh  ginger  •  2  cups  vegetable  stock  •  1  can  reduced-­‐fat  coconut  milk  •  ¾  cup  green  len-ls  •  ¾  cup  dry  pearl  barley,  rinsed  &  drained  •  half  lime,  zest  &  juice  •  2  Tbsp  chopped  fresh  cilantro  (reserve  some  for  garnish)  •  1⁄3  cup  toasted  unsweetened  coconut  flakes  (reserve  some  for  garnish)  •  ½  tsp  salt  •  ½  tsp  ground  black  pepper

DirecIons1 HEAT  oil  in  a  medium  size  pot,  and  add  onion  and  ginger.2 STIR  in  stock  and  coconut  milk.  Add  len-ls  and  barley,  s-r,  and  bring  to  a  boil.  Turn  heat  down,  cover  with  

a  lid  and  simmer  for  25-­‐30  minutes,  or  un-l  the  len-ls  and  barley  are  tender.  S-r  every  few  minutes.3 ONCE  cooked,  add  the  lime  juice  and  zest.  S-r  in  cilantro,  coconut  flakes  and  season  with  salt  and  ground  

black  pepper.4 PORTION  and  garnish  with  cilantro  and  coconut  flakes.

This  recipe  is  brought  to  you  by  Angie  Plaggemeyer-­‐  a  new  die--an  to  our  BartleH  team.  If  you  feel  you  would  benefit  from  a  die--an  consulta-on,  ask  your  provider  for  a  referral  to  one  of  our  fabulous  BartleH  die--ans.

Yourself

How  are  lenIls  heart  healthy?

EaIng  more  lenIls  can  lower  blood  cholesterol  and  reduce  blood  pressure

LenIls  are  low  in  saturated  fat  and  are  free  of  trans  fats

PAGE 6

UPCOMING

ACTIVITIES

HEALTH YourselfPage 6

Healthy Steps Training Program: 2/13- 3/5; get ready for our spring CBJ vs BRH walking challenge. Borrow a Fitbit from Health Yourself or use your own device for 3 weeks- if you are able to either show 20% improvement each week or 7 visits to the field house you can keep the fitbit to use in the walking challenge (or receive a massage gift certificate if you already have a tracker). Contact Jess Brown for details. 10 HY points.

ComPsych Webinar “Staying Connected: Keeping the Spark Alive in your Relationship”: Monday, 2/13, 12-1. Register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3747800112144526337 Attendees will earn 5 HY Points.

Spring Cooking Classes: Enjoy a lesson in healthy cooking, and a tasty meal too! Classes will be held at Zach Gordon Youth Center, $15 each. Watch for full list of spring classes and registration on 2/6.• Sunday, 2/19, 12-2pm with Loren Jones- a heart healthy meal with chicken, eggplant apps, tomato sauce from

scratch, and beet salad.• Saturday, 2/25, 10-12pm with Jess Brown- a heart healthy breakfast with a unique smoothie recipe, smoked

salmon omelet, a new twist on grapefruit, and a surprise baked good.

Family & Friend Climb: Friday 2/24, 5-6:30 @ The Rock Dump. No experience or equipment necessary. All CBJ & BRH employees are welcome to bring their family or a friend to come climb for free. Attending will earn you 5 HY points.

7 Habits Refresher: Tuesday, March 7th, 12:15- 12:45 in BRH admin classroom 203b. All past 7 Habits of Highly Effective People participants and family are welcome to join in as we refresh ourselves on the 7 Habits, one at a time. This month is Habit 4- ‘Think Win-Win’. Join us to refresh your effective habits and earn 5 HY points.

5.3.1: Mondays & Wednesdays, 3:15-3:30, downstairs from CBJ HR; Mondays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays at noon in the BRH meditation room. Take a quick break from your workday to unwind and refresh yourself with meditation, gratitude, and acts of kindness. Attending 5 in one month will earn you 10 HY points. Health benefits of these practices include better sleep, improved immunity, boost in mood and energy, and even deepened relationships.

Heart to Heart Challenge: Feb 1st- 28th. February is Heart Health Month. Use the Heart to Heart Challenge to focus on improving your heart health. No need to register, just start it in February. Do a couple, most, or all of the activities; completing at least 21 of the activities will earn you 15 HY points. Anyone who completes at least 7 of the activities will be entered in a prize drawing.

Other heart health activities: • Blood pressure readings at worksites throughout the month• Swim pass giveaways• Heart healthy cooking classes (see below)• Heartfulness meditations • Volunteer opportunities to grow and exercise your heart

• 2/6: Registration opens for Spring Cooking Classes

• 2/20- 2/27: Turn in Shonda Rhimes Challenge to qualify for points and prizes

• 2/27: Registration for the spring CBJ vs BRH Healthy Steps Challenge opens