6 Healthy Habits to Give Your Brain a Boost

As far as physical fitness goes, most people have a general idea about what needs to be done to stay in good shape. It’s certainly no secret that eating right and getting some exercise tends to provide a number of health benefits.

But what about our brains? What can we do to stay mentally sharp? The brain is an awesomely complex organ—there are 100 billion information-transmitting neurons up there—but poor health habits can lead to mental sluggishness, forgetfulness, and other symptoms of sub-optimal functionality.

Here are six tips for keeping your brain healthy and active:

Drink water - You should drink 6 to 8 cups of water every day. This will improve memory, concentration, and mental quickness.

Eat healthy foods- A good diet aids the brain as well as the body.

Get some sleep - Seven to eight hours per night will improve mental alertness and concentration.

Be social - Maintaining good relationships with others will help lower stress and enhance brain health.

Exercise - Try for 30-60 minutes per day. Exercise releases endorphins that relieve stress, anxiety, sleep problems, and depression.

Solve puzzles - Sudoku and crosswords can boost your mental health. Researchers have shown that these types of games lower the risk of age-related memory decline. 

Check out the infographic below for more information:

How to Take Care of Your Heart (Literally), Part 2

February is here, which is a reminder to take a little time to think about your heart. We don't just mean romance, either. This February, let the international day for lovers be a reminder that there's more to heart health than just who you come home to after a long day at work. Heart problems like high cholesterol, hypertension, and high blood pressure are a serious health risk to many people. In order for them not to become even bigger problems, take the time to give your heart a little extra care.

Last time, we started a list of things you can do to help your heart stay healthy. Here are even more health tips you should take advantage of this Valentine's Day: 

·       Work with your hands – Heart health isn't solely a matter of exercise and diet, although they are important factors. But stress can also have a serious negative health impact on your heart, including increased chance of heart disease and heart attack. Finding ways to reduce stress isn't just good for your mood; it's good for your whole body. One method of reducing stress is to do activities that involve the hands. Knitting, crocheting, and other hand-heavy activities have proven stress-reducing capabilities. Even something as simple as putting together a jigsaw puzzle, building a model, or painting can all be good for your heart.

·       Find time for romance – Turns out that a healthy love life and a healthy heart do overlap! While dieting, exercise, and healthy living habits are all essential for heart health, studies have shown repeatedly that sexual activity lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of heart disease. This Valentine's Day, spend some quality time with the one you love. It's good for your heart in more ways than one. 

Want more wellness tips for February and beyond? Contact Wellsource's corporate wellness experts today by calling 800-533-9355.

 

How to Take Care of Your Heart (Literally), Part 1

February is the month of Valentine's Day, which means it's a time when most people decide to spend extra time thinking about matters of the heart. While love and romance are an important part of life, there's a lot more to maintaining a healthy heart than sharing cards and giving the gift of chocolate to your special someone. This February, take some time for health assessment as well, and give a little more attention to how you treat your heart (literally). That way, you can be sure to celebrate many more Valentine’s Days for years to come. 

In honor of Valentine's Day, here are some great heart health tips for everyone: 

·        Learn your heart health numbers – If you want to get serious about heart health, then you need to know the state your heart is currently in. Making a guess isn't good enough; only a biometric test can give you accurate numbers for different heart statistics, like the level of good cholesterol and bad cholesterol in your blood, your triglyceride levels, and other important figures. This February, schedule an appointment with your doctor and get an accurate assessment of the state of your heart health.

·        Start an exercise regimen – The state of your heart is usually reflected in the state of the rest of your body, and one of the easiest ways to a healthier heart is to get more exercise. Losing weight, in particular, reduces stress on the heart, improves lipid levels, and lowers blood pressure. Focus on aerobic exercises like walking, jogging, swimming, or cycling – anything that gets you moving and your heart rate up. Your heart will thank you! 

Be sure to check out the next entry for even more healthy heart February tips! 

For a comprehensive corporate wellness consultation, speak with a Wellsource representative today at 800-533-9355.

 

 

 

 

Healthy Snacks You Can Eat at Work

One of the best ways to create a healthy workplace is to encourage employees and coworkers to bring snacks to work that are both flavorful and healthy. Donuts, chips, and other fatty, greasy foods are often popular, but they can also have a negative health on both health and productivity. Instead of those less healthy munchies, bring these healthy snacks to work and encourage your coworkers to do the same:

 

·       Apples, bananas, and other fruit – Fruit like apples, bananas, grapes, and other fruits are a great snack to eat at work. They take up little space and can sit on your desk without being noticed, and, when you feel like munching on something, you'll have a snack that's full of vitamins and low on carbs, fats, and other unhealthy ingredients. Small, bite-size fruit like grapes are an especially great choice, as they can be eaten easily without having to stop working or making a mess.

·       Nuts – On top of being small and easy to manage, nuts are full of protein and heart-healthy fats. You definitely don't want to eat too many of them (almonds, peanuts, and other similar foods are full of calories and often covered in quite a bit of salt), but if you're looking for a quick energy boost while sitting at your desk, grabbing a small package of nuts is always a good option.

·       Celery and peanut butter – Vegetables are an essential part of a balanced diet, but many people overlook them when it comes to snack food, in favor of something more flavorful (and usually much less healthy). A nice way to make those vitamin-rich but not very exciting celery sticks more appetizing when snack time arrives is to spread a bit of peanut butter in the grooves. Peanut butter adds a lot of flavor, and is much more healthy than ranch or other fatty vegetable dips. 

Want more great tips on how to improve health and happiness at your workplace? Speak with a Wellsource representative today about all our great wellness programs at 800-533-9355.

 

 

Transition of Care documents: Easing the burden

In a recent HITECH Answers post, Meaningful Use expert Jim Tate draws attention to the major stumbling block presented by “Transition of Care” (TOC) requirements.

In Stage 2 of Meaningful Use, TOCs became a core requirement. Meeting the measure requires that an eligible hospital/CAH or eligible professional “who transitions their patient to another setting of care or provider of care or refers their patient to another provider of care” produce a summary care document for each transition or referral.

To that end, EHs (Core Measure #12) and EPs (Core Measure #15)  each have three measure thresholds which they must meet:

• Summary of care record for > 50 percent of transitions and referrals.
• Summary of care record for > 10 percent of transitions and referrals by one of two methods
• Choose one of two criteria: (1) Conduct at a least one successful electronic exchange of TOC; or (2) Conducts at least one successful test with the CMS designated test EHR during reporting period

As Tate writes, EHs in particular see meeting these measures as the major obstacle in achieving Meaningful Use.

Transition of Care, while challenging to incorporate into existing workflows, need not be the "real killer" in MU2. For a Hospital on 2014 Certified Software, sending a TOC CCDA to another physician should be as easy as a few clicks.

Ideally, EMR Systems can capitalize on the ease of the DIRECT standard, making the movement of TOC documents between physicians to be as fluid as e-mail.  Partnering with an Accredited HISP such as MaxMD makes DIRECT practical for most any workflow.

MaxMD’s SendAnywhere offers functionality similar to that of a web mail portal:

• TOCs – and other confidential health information – can be sent any email address on the web
• Direct mdEmail users can communicate securely beyond their network
• Recipients who may not be “Direct-enabled” can still view/download TOC documents

ConnectEHR allows Direct Send to run in the background and broker exchanges of critical healthcare information. So there’s no need for trepidation about navigating the waters outside your EMR.

The Top Foods For Boosting Brain Power

One of the biggest part of any employment wellness plan for your business will be encouraging employees to eat healthy, nutrient-rich diets. Like the old saying "you are what you eat" implies, diet can have a big impact on energy, mood, and overall health -- all of which affect an employee's performance and relationships in the workplace. 

If you want your company to have healthier, happier employees, a good place to start is to encourage them to eat these brain-boosting foods: 

·        Broccoli – Lots of people spent their childhood years trying to avoid having to eat their broccoli. But when they learn about that veggie's brain-boosting power, they'll probably wish they hadn't. Broccoli is high in choline, a B-vitamin that prevents memory loss and boosts cognitive ability. Broccoli also helps boost the body's detoxification process, an added bonus.

·        Whole Grain Bread – Not only is whole grain bread more flavorful than its white bread counterpart, its high glucose content provides a steady stream of energy throughout the day.

·        Blueberries – When you're ready to snack on some fruit, reach for blueberries. Studies have shown that blueberries boost short-term memory, making them a great food for anyone trying to stay on top of their game at work.

·        Salmon – Salmon is rich in omega-3 fats, which scientists have found has a positive impact on memory and brainpower. People with higher levels of omega-3 in their bodies regularly have better memories, and omega-3 has also been shown to increase the functionality of parts of the brain. Wild Alaska Salmon is one of the richest sources of omega-3 fats, making it a snack that's both tasty and healthy. Trout, mackerel, sardines, and other types of oily fish also have high omega3 content. Vegetarians can take omega-3 supplements to gain similar benefits. 

For more great corporate health tips, call your Wellsource representative today at 800-533-9355.