FEB 2018 INFORMATION FOR KEEPING HEALTHY

Score a Healthy-Fat
THE Y AXIS

Touchdown with Avocados

Discover the health benefits of avocados
Happiness Is … Even if you don’t follow football, you’ve Recipes abound for avocados that are
A Digital probably seen ads, commercials, and sales sliced, diced, mashed, and pureed
Media Diet for Super Bowl LII. The Philadelphia Eagles for fruit smoothies, ice cream,
will take on the New England Patriots on pudding, sandwiches, and salads.
You’re probably
reading this on a Feb. 4. Here’s what you need to know:
screen right now.
Health benefits of avocados
More than 70,000 fans will pack the U.S.
Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn. About Show up to the game-day party, and serve
Phone,
tablet, 100 million people will watch the game on up a little avocado wisdom. They have
computer? TV. And there’s at least one more stat you more fiber than any other fruit. And the
What’s your digital can announce at game time: Football fans healthy fats and antioxidants in avocados:3
diet look like? Maybe will consume about 128 million pounds • Reduce the risk for a heart attack or stroke
you’re in front of a of avocados on Super Bowl Sunday.2 • Lower blood pressure
computer all day,
check your phone Game-day party grub isn’t exactly known • Improve good cholesterol levels
often, or binge‑watch for being at the top of the healthy food • Lower triglycerides
shows after work. chain. But avocados deserve a little respect. • Support brain function
New research The green-colored fruit If you’re looking for a way to liven up your
suggests that as your has officially joined MORE
menu and be healthier, eat avocados. Super
screen time goes the ranks as a party Try these Bowl Sunday not required. Add diced
up, your avocado recipes
happiness
“must-have.” (Yes, it’s avocados to a salad. Use mashed avocado in
tinyurl.com/
level goes a fruit.) It’s used in ajh3yav place of mayonnaise on a sandwich or bagel.
down.1 salsa and guacamole. Or make your own guacamole, and enjoy.
In the study, happiness
started to go down
after just 1 hour of Can You Heal Your Heart with a Daily Dose of Exercise?
screen
time. Physical activity improves heart health
Maybe
you can’t Did you know someone can Getting treatment as soon as possible Your doctor may have
cut your screen time have a heart attack and not gives you the best chance for surviving. you take medication. And
down to an hour know it? That’s the case with there are other things you
on a workday.
Lifestyle medicine and heart health
one in five heart attacks. If can do, like don’t smoke,
But on the you see any of the warning Preventing a heart attack is ideal. lose weight if you need to,
weekend? Unplug. signs, call 911 right away: But your risk for a heart attack, heart and eat a plant-based diet.
Relax. Reconnect disease, or heart failure (https:// Taking steps to control
✓ Chest pains
face‑to‑face. Go on tinyurl.com/ycbfsf9t) increases as blood pressure, cholesterol,
a digital media diet. ✓ Pain in one or both you age. What should you do?
arms, the back, neck, and glucose can help, too.
And be happy.
jaw, or stomach But there’s at least one
COMMENTS? more lifestyle factor you
✓ Shortness of breath
✓ Or sometimes a cold can change to improve
Send comments to
the editor: sweat, nausea, or heart health as you
evan.jensen@ lightheadedness age. Be more active.
wellsource.com
 Food for Thought: What You Eat Can Make You Smarter
Healthy fats may improve brain function

In the science fiction movie tests all had something in

Limitless, Edward Morra (played common. They ate healthy
Spinach and by Bradley Cooper), feels like fats, or foods that contain
Mushroom his life is unraveling because of monounsaturated fatty acids.5
writer’s block. Then he pops a
Quesadillas The study helps explain how
pill, writes a law-school essay, and nutrition can impact thinking
Hungry for some pens a book. He learns several
healthy quesadillas? and brain health. Healthy fats
languages, and perfectly predicts may help improve networks in
Skip the restaurant
or take-out menu. the stock market to make a lot of the brain used to solve problems,
You can make your cash. All within a matter of days. improve focus, and handle tasks
own with spinach, No, a pill like that doesn’t exist. But that require attention to detail.
mushrooms, and a what you eat may make you smarter.
few other ingredients. Put this brain food on the menu
Salsa and hot sauce A recent study looked at brain So what foods are high in healthy
optional. Here’s images, blood tests, and intelligence fats? Follow a plant-based diet and MORE
the recipe:6 scores for a group of healthy adults. Boost your memory
eat these brain foods: Avocados,
Ingredients by eating right
It turns out that people who olive oil, nuts, seeds, tofu, and
10 oz. spinach, chopped tinyurl.com/ybxf4thr
scored the highest on intelligence even a little dark chocolate.
2 C shredded cheese
2 T butter or olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced Can You Heal Your Heart with Exercise? (continued from page 1)
2 sliced portobello
mushroom caps Take a daily dose of exercise MORE
“This dose of exercise has become my
4 10-inch flour tortillas A recent study found that 30 minutes prescription for life,” says Dr. Benjamin
Get more heart-
1 T olive oil of exercise four to five times a week Levine. He’s a University of Texas
healthy exercise
Directions can help strengthen your heart. tinyurl.com/ Southwestern researcher who helped direct
1. Preheat oven to Doing this may even help reverse y7dfta3q the study. “I think people should be able to
350 degrees. heart damage linked to aging.4 do this as part of their personal hygiene, just
2. Place tortillas on like brushing your teeth and taking a shower.”
flat baking sheet.
Sprinkle with 1/2 C References
of cheese. Bake
1. Twenge, J., et al. (2018). Decreases in psychological well-being among American adolescents after 2012 and links
5 minutes.
to screen time during the rise of smartphone technology. Emotion, 18:1. From: https://tinyurl.com/y83onbr7
3. Heat butter or oil in
2. Bellamore, T. (2017). From the Grove: All eyes east: Part two. California Avocado Commission. From: https://
a pan over medium
tinyurl.com/ycspyetq
heat. Stir in garlic
and mushrooms. 3. Harvard University. (2017). The truth about fats: the good, the bad, and the in-between. Harvard Health
Cook 5 minutes. Publishing. From: https://tinyurl.com/y8czjw86
Add spinach. Cook 4. Howden, E., et al. (2018). Reversing the cardiac effects of sedentary aging in middle age: A randomized controlled
another 5 minutes. trial. Implications for heart failure prevention. Circulation, 137:4. From: https://tinyurl.com/ychdvzmm
4. Spoon mixture on 5. Marta, Z., et al. (2017). Nutritional status, brain network organization, and general intelligence. Neuroimage,
to tortillas. Fold 161:241. https://tinyurl.com/y94a5xlm
tortillas in half. 6. Regale, M.S., Spinach and mushroom quesadillas. AllRecipes. From: https://tinyurl.com/ya422b37
5. Heat a little oil
in skillet. Cook
quesadilla for
3 minutes on
Monthly Health Challenge™

Feast on Fiber

CHALLENGE
Eat more fiber-rich
How much do you know about
fiber? Take the quiz to find out
Take the February Health Challenge!
each side.
T F
foods to improve

Feast on Fiber: Eat more fiber-rich foods to improve your health

1. n n The average adult in the U.S. only
your health eats 15 to 18 grams of fiber per day.3
2. n n For best health, women should eat
25 grams of fiber per day. Men should
Requirements to complete get 38 grams of fiber per day.4
3. n n Fiber is only found in plant-based foods.
this HEALTH CHALLENGE™
4. n n Eating a lot of fiber may help reduce
1. Read “Feast on Fiber.” the risk for stroke, high cholesterol,
2. Plan out your meals for a day or a week at heart disease, obesity, diabetes,
a time, and include foods high in fiber. and certain types of cancer.5
3. Keep a record of your completed health challenge 5. n n One cup of split peas has four times as much
in case your organization requires documentation. fiber (16 grams) as one cup of oatmeal.
How did you do? If you answered any of these statements

W hen Michigan resident Bree

Ask the Wellness Doctor:

Maloney went to work at a
desk job, she usually packed a lunch
or went out to eat.1 And even though
her choices were relatively healthy,
her stomach didn’t seem to agree. She
felt bloated. She was tired most of the
incorrectly, you could benefit from learning more about
the health benefits of fiber. If you don’t know how much
fiber you eat in a day, read food labels, and keep track.
Once you know where you are, simple changes to your
diet can help you get more fiber and improve your health.
Answers. 1. True. 2. True. 3. True. 4. True. 5. True.

© Wellsource, Inc.
time. And she was gaining weight.
Bree wasn’t always chowing down on fast food, soft drinks,
Health Benefits of Fiber
and sugary snacks like the typical American office worker. If you think the classic childhood lecture, “Eat
But there was one specific nutrient she was missing. Fiber. your fruits and vegetables,” was just a ploy to
get you to follow the rules, think again. Foods
“I decided to ditch the processed junk,” says Bree. “I started
high in fiber are good for your health in many
incorporating more soups, beans, roasted veggies, fruits, and
ways and help prevent disease. (It’s OK. Call
salads into my workplace diet. And I noticed an enormous

All Rights Reserved.

your mom, and tell her she was right.) Research
difference. I had more energy, slept better, felt lighter,
shows that eating a fiber-rich diet can help:2
and more importantly, I had not as much belly bloat.”

This month Dr. Joe Raphael answers the question:

✓ Reduce the risk for heart disease
How much fiber do you eat in a day? If you don’t
know, you’re not alone. But if your diet looks anything ✓ Prevent stroke 10 simple
ways to
like typical fast-food fare, you’re probably not getting ✓ Lower blood pressure increase fiber
enough. Fortunately, a few changes to your diet in your diet
✓ Improve absorption of
can fix that. Take the month-long health challenge tinyurl.com/
and Feast on Fiber to improve your health. nutrients from food y9yvgbpq
✓ Control or prevent diabetes
How Much Fiber Do You Need? ✓ Support weight loss and weight management
Fiber is only found in plant-based foods like fruits, ✓ Improve digestion
vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes. And it’s
likely you need to eat more of it. The American ✓ Control cholesterol levels
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends:

What can I do to keep my heart healthy?

✓ Strengthen the immune system
1. Women: 25 grams of fiber per day
✓ Prevent certain types of cancer
2. Men: 38 grams of fiber per day