“The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but instead will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.”

-Thomas Edison

Proper diet and exercise are the foundation for a healthy lifestyle.  While most of us know this, it is sometimes hard to get started.  The article above gives some excellent suggestions on diet, but where do you begin with exercise?  Below are some tips on how to get started:

• Talk to your doctor before beginning a new program
• Begin Gradually
• Be Patient
• Exercise with a friend
• Join a sporting club or fitness center
• Set realistic goals
• Choose a time and an activity that is right for you
• Focus on the activity itself

Click here for more tips

A couple of weeks ago the Salt Lake managers put a little twist on their managers meeting.  For lunch they were able to coordinate and make several dishes that are from our Tosh Health website!  The food was delicious!  They did a great job of picking healthy and interesting recipes. 

The menu included:

• Garlic Parmesan Flaxseed Crackers with Hummus and Cheese
• Cannelloni Bean Salad
• Spicy and Tangy Shrimp
• Cauliflower Pizza
• White Bean Soup
• Frozen Fruit and Yogurt Pops

Again, all of these recipes can be found at www.toshhealth.com.  There are MANY more

as well, so look them up and enjoy eating healthy!

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

 -Thomas Edison

“We do not stop exercising because we grow old-we grow old because we stop exercising.”

-Dr. Kenneth Cooper

            The first quarter of the Wellness Program is complete!  As a company, we have lost over 1200 pounds!  Congratulations to everyone for the amazing improvement we’ve seen.   There have been several questions over the past couple of weeks that we would like to address.  The following are answers to the most frequent questions:

• Vitamin D test results will be sent directly to the corporate office.  Kristi will review the results and Wellness incentives will be based on those levels.  Each employee will be emailed and given their vitamin D levels.
• Each employee/spouse will be given information showing their blood test results for this quarter (if applicable) and suggestions on how to improve if necessary.  While we will NOT be applying penalty for blood test results this quarter, those numbers WILL be applied next quarter.
• Gym usage reports and workout logs MUST be turned in by the end of the first week of the month at the end of each quarter.  If they are not sent to Kristi by that time, those reports will NOT be applied to the discount.
• Premium payments that are applied for both employee and spouse will be taken out of the employees’ paycheck over a 6 week period.  This means we will NOT be taking the full premium amount out of just one check.
• If the spouse of an employee is currently effective on the medical insurance and the employee is signed up on the Wellness Plan, the spouse MUST participate in the program or no discounts will be given to the spouse-meaning premium payments will be applied.  This does not apply to pregnant employees/spouses.

“The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win.”

-Roger Bannister

            Exercise is important.  You need to exercise.  But why?  It is commonly understood that exercise keeps you “in shape” and helps lose weight.  But what else can it do for you?  The following points are some benefits of exercise that are not as commonly known:

• Exercise Increases HDL cholesterol—when individuals go from a relatively sedentary lifestyle to moderate activity, they are able to increase HDL by approximately 5 points.
• Exercise decreases triglycerides—dropping triglycerides by up to 100 points is possible if exercise is sustained and consistent, especially when exercise leads to weight loss.
• Exercise decreases LDL cholesterol and LDL particle number—Reductions of up to 10% are common.
• Exercise increases LDL particle size—increasing LDL particle size goes hand-in-hand with raising HDL cholesterol.
• Exercise lowers blood pressure—blood pressure can decrease 2 to 4 mm when exercise is sustained and consistent.
• Exercise lowers blood sugar—individuals with a borderline diabetic tendency can increase sensitivity to insulin by consistent physical activity.
• Exercise helps control weight—Weight loss amplifies all of the above mentioned lipoprotein benefits and lowers blood sugar as well.

Click here to read more!