Simply Well - Summer 2020

SIMPLY WELL Wellness Tips and Encouragement from Health Alliance

W HAT ’S IN SIDE Keeping Diabetes Issues in Check—2 Make Summer a Move-More Season—4 Creamy Avocado Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad—5 Make Your Blood Pressure a Priority—6 Staying Safe from Sexually Transmitted Diseases—7 Stop Colon Cancer Before It Starts—8 Your Pharmacist is Your Friend—10 Breathe Easy This Summer—11

Keeping

Diabetes Issues

in Check

In addition to heart disease, stroke and nerve damage, diabetes can also cause problems with your eyes and kidneys. People with diabetes are at a higher risk for glaucoma, cataracts, retinopathy and kidney damage. To decrease your chances of developing these complications, it’s important to stay current on your preventive screenings and keep your blood sugar in check.

Diabetic retinopathy and other eye conditions often start silently, which is why it’s important to stay up to date with your diabetic (retinal) eye exam, even if

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you’re not experiencing eye issues. If you’re experiencing symptoms such as blurred vision, seeing double, eye pain or pressure, make sure to mention these during your eye exam. If you have an eye exam outside of your primary care provider (PCP), please ask that a copy of your records/results be sent to your PCP. High blood sugar levels can cause kidney damage.

Damaged kidneys can cause kidney failure, which requires dialysis or transplant. To help protect your kidneys, keep up on your checkups and screenings, and take steps to control your blood sugar and pressure.

Preventive Diabetes Screenings • A1C: Getting an A1C test at least twice a year will show your average blood sugar level over a given three-month span. The goal for most people is an A1C under 7%, but some people with other medical issues may have a goal of under 8%.

• Blood pressure: Your doctor will check your blood pressure at each visit and will work with you to keep it in check to help prevent complications like kidney, heart and eye problems. Your goal should be under 140/90 mmHg. • Cholesterol: Bad cholesterol can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke, so ask your doctor if you’re at risk. According to the American Diabetes Association, people over 40 who have diabetes should take a medication called a statin to lower their cholesterol.

• Eye exam: Get a retinal (dilated) eye exam once a year. If there are no signs of

changes related to diabetes, the exam can be performed every two years.

• Foot exam: Check your feet daily and tell your doctor about any changes. A complete foot exam once a year with a monofilament (a thin tube) to check your sensation is recommended. If high-risk foot conditions are present, have your feet checked at each doctor visit.

• Urine testing: Have your urine tested yearly for albumin, a type of protein typically found in blood that can indicate problems if found in urine. The test can catch kidney damage early in order to treat with medication. The results should be under 30 mg/g.

• Vaccines: These help you avoid and cut the spread of certain sicknesses. Get a flu shot yearly and the pneumonia vaccine as recommended by your doctor.

Visit HealthAlliance.org/Wellness for more information and resources on diabetes.

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Make Summer a

Move-More Season Warm weather is finally here to stay. What better time to commit to a move-more lifestyle? You have a great opportunity to improve your health and get in shape through fun outdoor activities and even some everyday tasks. Here are a few things you can do: Make the outdoors your treadmill.

There’s nothing wrong with hitting the treadmill or indoor track, but the outside world has so many beautiful jogging/running/walking areas to enjoy.

Check out your local park or see if you have any running trails close by, so you can enjoy nature while exercising. Any sidewalk or pedestrian zone will work too.

Exercise - and have fun - through sports.

If you’re into sports, they provide great opportunities to stay active, have fun and deepen bonds with others. Go outside and shoot hoops with your kids. Kick the soccer ball around or toss the football. Feeling competitive?

Challenge your spouse to a game of tennis.

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Ride your bike places.

Many of us drive our cars for even the simplest and shortest errands, but if you’re able to, why not ride your bike? Now, this depends on distance and safety, and if a bike commute is realistic. If it is, it can be a great way to work some exercise into your day.

Stay active at home.

Look for creative ways to stay active at home indoors and outdoors. Everyday chores like vacuuming, dusting and tidying up can still be great ways to get some exercise in. Outdoor tasks like mowing, weed eating and landscaping will also help you stay active and get some fresh air.

Creamy Avocado Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

Servings: 4

Ingredients – – – – –

3 cups cooked shredded chicken 1 ripe avocado, mashed 1 tablespoon finely diced red onion 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped 1 tablespoon lime juice

– – – –

2-3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt 3/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon salt

Calories: 200; Total fat: 10 g; Saturated fat: 2 g; Cholesterol: 56 mg; Sodium: 246 mg; Total carbohydrate: 3 g; Dietary fiber: 3 g; Sugars: 3 g; Protein: 26 g. Source: Healthy-Liv.com

Directions

1 2 3

Stir together the cooked shredded chicken, mashed avocado, plain Greek yogurt and lime juice.

If mixture seems dry, add another spoonful of Greek yogurt.

Add diced red onion, salt, pepper, garlic powder and cilantro. Stir to combine. Taste to adjust spices to your preference.

Serve on wheat bread or a sandwich thin, with crackers or wrap in a lettuce leaf.

Tips You can use a small rotisserie chicken to save time. To tell if an avocado’s ripe, gently squeeze it.

It should feel just slightly squishy.

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Make Your Blood Pressure a Priority High blood pressure, or hypertension, is caused by narrowing of arteries. The narrower your arteries are, the more resistance there is to blood flow. More resistance causes higher blood pressure, and over a long period of time, this can lead to higher risk of lifethreatening problems like heart disease, stroke, kidney damage, blindness and more.

High blood pressure typically develops over several years and is often caused by unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and excessive alcohol and tobacco use. High blood pressure usually occurs silently, but in severe cases you may experience symptoms such as shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, visual changes and blood in the urine.

There are many ways to treat and lower high blood pressure. Prescription medication can be used to lower pressure. Lifestyle changes also play a big part.

Cardiovascular exercises such as walking, jogging, bicycling and swimming can help lower pressure and make your heart stronger. Likewise, regularly eating

a healthy diet will do the same. A diet made up of vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy and moderate amounts of whole grains, fish, poultry and nuts can be especially effective for lowering blood pressure.

Early detection of high blood pressure is also important. Regular checkups and blood pressure readings will help you and your doctor notice any changes. Keep track of your pressure, and if it seems unusually high at one of your visits, ask your doctor to retake it.

You can also learn how to take your blood pressure at home with a blood pressure machine (these are not covered under your insurance plan). Don’t let numbers scare you – it’s easy to check your blood pressure at home. Take your blood pressure twice a day, once in the morning before eating and again at nighttime.

The systolic is just the fancy name for the top number your monitor displays, and the diastolic is the bottom number. Use this chart to see if you have a normal, elevated or high reading.

BLOOD PRESSURE CATEGORY

SYSTOLIC mm Hg (upper number)

DIASTOLIC mm Hg (lower number)

Normal

Less than 120

and

Less than 80

Elevated

120-129

and

Less than 80

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) Stage 1

130-139

or

80-89

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) Stage 2

140 or higher

or

90 or higher

Hypertensive Crisis (consult your doctor immediately)

Higher than 180

and/or

Higher than 120

Visit HealthAlliance.org/Wellness for more information and resources on high blood pressure.

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Staying Safe from Sexually Transmitted Diseases Taking the necessary steps to prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or treat them early is very important. If you’re a parent of a young adult, educating them on STDs is also critical. The two most commonly reported STDs are chlamydia and human papillomavirus (HPV).

Chlamydia • Symptoms can be mild or absent, but if left untreated can have long-term consequences (prostate infections, pelvic inflammatory disease, reproductive damage and even infertility).

• If a pregnant woman has untreated chlamydia, the baby may be at risk for pneumonia, eye infections and blindness.

• Treatment: Antibiotics Human papillomavirus (HPV) • Symptoms can be mild or absent, but HPV is far from harmless – it’s a major cause of cervical cancers.

United States become infected each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• Prevention: Vaccinations Both chlamydia and HPV can be easily avoided or eliminated with the right prevention and education: • If sexually active, get regular screenings from your healthcare provider. This will help ensure early treatment can be given if infection does occur, which will help prevent larger issues.

• If sexually active, use condoms. They don’t completely eliminate the risk of infection, but they do reduce the risk.

• Limit your number of sex partners or abstain from sex.

If you’re a parent of a young adult, be sure they have the knowledge needed to keep themselves safe.

• HPV is very common. More than half of sexually-active adults will be infected during their lifetime, and approximately 6 million people in the

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Stop Colon Cancer Before It Starts Colon cancer, or colorectal cancer, affects hundreds of thousands of Americans. According to the American Cancer Society, it’s one of the most common cancers – but also curable when caught early.

It’s never been easier to screen for colorectal cancer. In fact, there are multiple tests available, including ones that are non-invasive. A fear of tubes, scopes or fasting is no longer a reason to avoid a potentially life-saving screening.

Here’s a brief look at your options. Ask your doctor what’s best for you.

Colonoscopy

Fecal occult blood testing

In this screening, your doctor inserts a tube with a light and tiny video camera into your rectum to look for anything abnormal, such as polyps.

If needed, polyps or abnormal tissue can be removed through the scope and tissue samples can be taken. Colonoscopies are recommended every 10 years beginning at the age of 50.

Sedation is usually needed.

This type of screening looks for blood in your feces. If blood is found, your doctor will then find the source of the bleeding to diagnose and treat. These tests are less invasive and easier, but need to be done more often. There are different types of these tests, including kits you can buy and take-home kits from your doctor.

Fecal immunochemical testing (FIT)

Sigmoidoscopy

This tests for hidden blood in your feces, which can be an early sign of cancer. It’s often used to find bleeding in the digestive tract when no other symptoms are present. These tests are easy and don’t require a special diet, and must be repeated each year.

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This is similar to a colonoscopy, except it’s quicker and less complicated. Sedation is typically not needed and the procedure is usually done every five years.

Discuss with your doctor which test option is best for you.

Other ways to reduce your risk of developing colorectal cancer: • Maintain a healthy weight.

• Eat a diet high in fiber, including plenty of fruits and vegetables.

• Get regular exercise.

• Don’t smoke.

• Limit consumption of saturated fats and alcohol.

For more information on colorectal health and colon cancer, visit Cancer.org.

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Your Pharmacist is Your Friend Whether you’re dealing with a short-term or long-term health issue, it’s important to always take your medication as prescribed by your doctor to overcome illness. We know life gets hectic and it’s easy to miss a pill here and there or forget to refill your prescription. Your pharmacist is here to help.

If you’re dealing with an ongoing health issue, you can set up automatic refills and reminders.

Your pharmacy will let you know when your prescription is ready for pickup, so you won’t miss out on the medicine you need. At many pharmacies, you can also refill your prescription online or have your medication sent to your home. Talk to your pharmacist about their refill options and how they work, or visit their website.

Your pharmacist is available to answer any questions you have about your prescriptions, including side effects and correctly taking 10

medications. Here are a few key questions you can ask: • Can I get automatic refills or reminders, and if so, how do they work?

• How can I refill my prescription online?

• Can I get my medication delivered to my home, and if so, how?

• Are there any side effects I should know about?

• Will you go over the directions for taking this drug?

If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to ask your pharmacist. And if you have any questions about your Health Alliance™ pharmacy support and options, please call our pharmacy department at (800) 851-3379, option 4, or visit HealthAlliance.org.

y s a E e th Brea

This Summer

Summer – it’s a time of beautiful weather, campfires and outdoor physical activity. While the season brings so much joy, it can also be hard for those with asthma.

Below are tips on how to “breathe easier” this summer.

Exercise and play outdoors Even with asthma, you can take advantage of sunny days and the opportunity to get moving this summer.

According to the American Lung Association, pick exercises or sports that mix in periods of inactivity, rather than those that require long periods of non-stop motion. Also choose activities that have gradual warmup periods. Most importantly, talk with your doctor to see what he or she recommends, and ask whether you should use pre-exercise medications.

Enjoy campfires – wisely Smoke will trigger your asthma, but you can still enjoy summer campfires. Consider building a “faux bonfire” with logs and LED lights – you can even bring premade s’mores! If you can’t go without a real fire, sit upwind of the smoke and at a safe distance.

Be aware of air quality Air pollution is a common summertime nuisance for those with asthma. Particles and ozone can irritate your lungs and trigger an attack. Check your city’s air quality on AirNow.gov before heading outdoors. Plan activities in the morning before ozone levels rise.

This summer, don’t let asthma keep you from enjoying the season’s beauty. For more information and resources, visit HealthAlliance.org/Wellness and Lung.org.

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