The Washington County Wellness Program

A Successful Summer & What’s Ahead

November 2013

By Stephanie Reitmajer

As the trees have lost their leaves for another season, and the air turns crisp I find myself reflecting on the success of this summer’s wellness activities. This past August was the first annual employee health and wellness week. A week filled with educational and fun activities to gain valuable health information. 97% of those who answered our quality survey responded that they were satisfied with the activities during employee health and wellness week.

This was also our first year for on-site biometric screenings. 99% of those who participated in the biometric screenings rated they were satisfied with the process. We knew employees were excited when over 100 registered for a biometric screening within hours of the announcement! We received reports from at least two employees who were grateful they had a screening. Their screening results showed evidence of a serious health concern. They were able to make a follow-up appointment with their physician to quickly turn it around. This makes all the hard work

and investment to bring the screenings to our employees well worth it. If you are interested in reading more about the results of the biometric screenings, and what employees thought about employee health and wellness week, click here: Executive Summary

From those who participated in the personal health assessments we were able to learn their top health priorities. The top three are weight, stress and blood pressure management. This information is valuable to the wellness committee who can focus their efforts in these vital areas. And, we are not wasting any time! Later this month you will have opportunity to sign up for our four session series on stress management. This program is sponsored through Kaiser Permanente and has been rated highly by other participants. So, if you find yourself stressed during the holidays, perhaps this program is for you.

Another frequent concern during the holidays is weight management. It

can be a struggle with so many extra goodies littering the break rooms. Not to mention holiday parties, Thanksgiving pies, Christmas cookies, eggnog… You don’t have to gain weight over the holidays. And, to help you keep your resolve toward maintaining a healthy lifestyle —join in the fun and take the Maintain, Don’t Gain Challenge. You’ll have opportunity to attend an educational session to learn tips on healthy holiday eating, and join with others to keep your motivation. We’ll have prizes for those who keep their resolve and maintain their current weight over this season of plenty.

Your wellness committee is planning programs for this next calendar year, and we are also making plans for next year’s employee health and wellness week. Stay tuned and join in. You have only your healthy self to gain rather than extra pounds!

An Employee’s Journey Inspiration for a healthy lifestyle is all around us. Why look to reality TV shows or celebrities when some Washington County employees are making inspiring transformations everyday?

Jolene Vice (Juvenile Department - 13 years), has traveled the road to a healthier lifestyle, managing to lose 100 lbs and keep it off for over five years. By making these changes she has been rewarded with:

•Increasedself-confidencetotakeonnewendeavorslikegettingherAssociatesdegree and completing her first 5k run

•Seeingherchildrenlearntomakehealthfulchoices

•Inspiringandmotivatingfellowemployees,thuscontributingtothecultureofwellness in her department

•Bondingwithnewfriendswhileengaginginhealthyactivities

•Theabilitytoacknowledgeandaccepthelpwhenneeded

Life Before Having grown up in a large family of modest means, Jolene learned early in life to eat any time food was available; usually resulting in eating more than necessary. Her vegetables consisted of the iceberg lettuce on her fast-food hamburger, which was washed down with soda or other sugar-filled beverages. These less-than-healthy habits lead to Jolene being overweight as a teen, where she began the exhausting cycle of yo-yo dieting and regaining weight.

Making the Change The tipping point came when she decided to stop trying to be skinny and focus on being healthy. “Witnessing family members’ illnesses makes one realize how precious health is. Damage could be irreversible, or take 2-3 times the effort to undo what could’ve been avoided.”

Jolene realized that being healthy required a lifestyle change and the power to change was hers and hers alone. “Instead of saying ‘I would give anything to be skinny’ as if it was in someone else’s hands, I asked myself ‘what am I willing to change to be healthier?’ It’s on me!”

How She Did It Looking to incorporate healthful changes to your lifestyle? Jolene advises making small sustainable changes over time, keeping a positive attitude and an open mind.

Jolene’s 5 tips for success: 1. Eat smaller meals several times a day with emphasis on vegetables and lean protein

2. Cut out sugary drinks, instead drink plenty of water

3. Be mindful of why you are eating—boredom and emotions can lead to overeating

4. Take every opportunity to be physically active—walk during breaks, go to the gym, take the stairs, walk the dog, hit the track during the kids’ sports practice

5. Get support from family, friends, and co-workers

Jolene struggled along the way, and still does at times. Occasionally complacency creeps in and it’s easy to forget to be mindful and purposeful about food choices and physical activity, and of course there is chocolate. But the benefits of sticking with smart choices every day far outweigh the challenges. Rather than renovating her habits over night, she made small sustainable changes over time, incorporating them into her daily routine. This formula has brought lasting success not only for Jolene, but for her family, friends, and co-workers who have been inspired by her journey to wellness.

By JoEll Cherry

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Maintain—Don’t Gain ChallengeStudies show that most Americans gain an average of about one pound during the holidays. To help you beat the odds this year, the Washington County Wellness Program is sponsoring an eight-week “Maintain Don’t Gain” challenge to help you keep off those extra pounds (or even lose some!).

Visit Horizons on Monday of each week for tips to succeed, helpful resources and a link to keep track and log your weekly progress. This will help you stay focused on healthy eating and active living to assist you in being successful in maintaining your weight over the holidays.

Here’s how it works:

1. Sign up for the challenge

2. Record your starting weight

3. Commit to weighing yourself once a week

4. On Monday each week, visit Horizons to see tips and resources for success

5. Click on the link provided on Horizons to log your progress

This is a voluntary program and is based on the honor system. To make the challenge fun, motivating and rewarding, we will conduct weekly prize drawing* to celebrate successes for the week. And at the end of the challenge, we will have more prize drawings*! Ready to begin? Sign up to participate at Employee Wellness

*Participants must sign up and log their progress on-line using the links provided throughout the challenge to be eligible for prize drawings.

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Your Health Your Choice Practicing Prevention at WorkPrevention can be practiced many ways on the job. Whether you’re fending off stress, germs or injury, there are simple tips to help you stay healthy—and happy—on the job.

How to prevent the spread of germs

•Washyourhands.It’sthesimplestwaytostopthespreadofgerms.

•Cleanyourworkspace.Someresearcherssaythatyourdeskhas400timesmore germs than a toilet seat.

•Sanitize—withcaution.Cracksinyoursuper-sanitizedskinaretheperfectentryways for germs to sneak in. Use sanitizer and also use moisturizer.

•Stayhome.Ifyou’resick,don’tcometowork.Yourcoworkerswillbegratefulifyou keep your oozy self home until the coughing, sneezing and runny nose all have abated.

How to prevent workplace injuries

•Liftproperly.Bendingattheknees—notthewaist—andkeepingyourbackstraight.

•Arrangeyourequipmenttofityourbody.Makesureyourchairisagoodfitforyour desk and computer height.

•Takebreaksinbetweenlifting.Restandstretchyourmusclesandlessenstress so you can come back focused on the task at hand.

•Cometoworkwell-rested.Gettingadequatesleepcanhelpyoubealertatwork,and can reduce the risk of errors, misjudgments and missteps.

How to prevent eye, back and neck strain

•Monitoryoursettings.Adjustingyourmonitor’sbrightnessandcontrastcando wonders for your eyes, as can cleaning the monitor surface.

•Positionyourmonitorproperly.Itshouldbedirectlyinfrontofyou,anarmlengthaway to avoid neck and back strain.

•Don’tsitstill.Standupandstretcheveryhour.

•Find a comfy chair. Adjust the backrest to support your lower back. Think about using a pillow, rolled towel or lumbar pad to support your lower back.

How to prevent stress in the workplace

•Movemore.Takeadvantageofopportunitiestostandupandmove.

•Makegoodfoodchoices.Eatfrequentlyenoughtoavoidadropin blood sugar—and a dip in mood.

•Getmoresleep.Sleepiscriticaltohelpingrechargeandreset your brain.

•Ditchthenegativethinking.Channelyourenergyintowhat’sgoing right and give yourself a pat on the back for your accomplishments, however small.

•Don’tovercommit.Distinguishbetweenthe“shoulds”andthe“musts” and be realistic about your workload.

Adapted from Practicing prevention on the job can keep you healthy—and happy.

Stress Management Four part seriesStress and anxiety tend to increase during this season for a variety of reasons; the lack of sun, difficult family memories (and members!), holidays without loved ones, and financial difficulties are just a few of the things that can stir uncomfortable emotions. In this four part series a professional health coach will lead the group through the Managing Stress Workbook. The Cultivating Health® Managing Stress Kit, a workbook, resource guide and relaxation CD, is designed to provide skill development to help each of us live happy and healthy lives.

Come find out about stress, anxiety, and how best to cope during the holidays and beyond. A short self assessment will be completed to determine where you are on the stress continuum. We will then begin to discuss strategies and where to start in order to manage our daily stressors.

Wednesdays 11/27, 12/4, 12/11 & 12/18

12 – 1 p.m. PSB 270 – Sequoia Room

Email EmployeeWellness@co.washington.or.us to register.

Space is limited to 25 employees and priority will be given to those who commit to participating in all four sessions of the series. Please indicate your commitment when requesting registration. You will receive a confirmation email.

For more details, including a brief agenda and the pre- and post-assessments, visit the Employee Wellness web page.

Your Wellbeing

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Support Employees with Healthy MeetingsAs a meeting planner, manager, or administrative assistant, you’re used to bringing people together to achieve a common goal. One of our goals is to create a culture of health—encouraging employees to eat well, move more, and make healthy long-term decisions for themselves and their families. It’s a lot easier to make the right choices when we’re supported by a healthy environment, so let’s team up to give our coworkers the support they need to be at their best every day.

Meetings are a great opportunity to take a healthy step forward—and a simple way to ease our team into thinking about long-term health. By starting to encourage good habits at your meetings, you can help your coworkers stay more focused and engaged throughout the workday. It can be low-cost, flexible enough for small events, and easy to do. Even just including a quick stretch break at your daily team meeting is a healthy start.

In July, Guidelines for Healthy & Sustainable Meetings were approved by Washington County Administrative Office. By incorporating sustainability and health considerations in meeting and event coordination decisions, the County hopes to promote practices that conserve resources, improve employee well-being, and encourage responsible behaviors.

When planning your next meeting or event use the Healthy Meeting Guidelines and Sustainable Meeting and Event Guidelines, which can be found on the Employee Wellness web page, to create an environment that will help your coworkers feel healthier and more energized so they can perform their best. Thank you for taking such a central role in supporting the overall health and well-being of Washington County employees.

Healthy Eating New Web PageAs our wellness program continues to expand, we’re happy to announce the addition of a new resource for our employee wellness web page! The Washington County Farmers Market has been an important part of employee wellness for years.

Now you can visit the Washington County Farmers Market web page to find information about the market, recipes, vendor information, nutritional information, and links to helpful healthy eating resources.

Visit the Farmers Market every Thursday from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. in the South Courtyard of the Public Services Building!

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ashington County Wellness Program

Hillsboro, Oregon

Making the Effort to Care About Me My entire life I was the “Skinny Minnie”, a pet name given to me as a child who was always underweight and over tall; a beanpole in a family of “big-boned” people. I ate seconds and thirds and never put on pounds. Genetics may have played in my favor, but I also lived on a working farm and was constantly active and eating homegrown food as there wasn’t any money for or access to McDonald’s or Taco Bell.

Fast forward to age 30. I’ve been in the military, I’ve run a marathon and I’m still very accustomed to being thin. Throw in a divorce, full-time single parent and full-time employee and crazy me, add full time college student to the mix. I no longer had the time or the willpower to shop or prepare healthful meals. Everything came from a drive-thru window and the majority of every day for six years was spent sitting…at work…at school…in my home office doing

By Heather Blackwell

homework…or sitting on my couch in a zombie-like state staring at the TV because I no longer had the energy to do anything else.

Now I am staring 40 in the face and I am unhappy and exhausted. I am 60 pounds overweight. No one really noticed it until I hit 50 pounds overweight. Again, I am tall and my fat spread out slowly and evenly from head to toe. But I feel it. EVERY SINGLE OUNCE. And I am miserable. The problem with weight creep is that once you own it, it’s so very difficult to find the energy and strength to fight back and to care. But I have to.

Enter Nutrisystem. In the past this would never have been an option. It’s not cheap and when you are feeding others in a family and on a restricted budget, the unhealthy fatty affordable options are the go-to for meals and the grocery budget is the one thing you can trim in tough times. But, I am now halfway

through my life and it’s time to make myself a priority. I have now been on Nutrisystem for 7 weeks. The first 3 were the toughest. I was hungry and cranky and having just bought a house and not unpacked yet, I hadn’t had time to stock up on “free food”, veggies and such. Now I am in a rhythm. The numbers are going down on the scale, I am no longer ravenous and I’m saving money by not eating out. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t all fun and games. I’ve cheated a couple of times and had comfort food. But I’ve been able to respect reality, forgive myself and get back on the wagon the very next day. Week 7 has me at 15 pounds lost—a quarter of the way to my goal already. I don’t see it yet, but I feel it and I’m proud of myself for making the effort to care about me.

Interested in how your co-workers lead a healthy lifestyle? Visit Employee Wellness to read additional Employee Success Stories.

Calendar of EventsNovember Thursdays (except 11/28) 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Farmers Market PSB – South Courtyard

23rd, 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. Pilates for a Healthy Spine 233 SE Washington St, Hillsboro Register at Facebook Events

25th, 12 - 1 p.m. Healthy Eating During the Holidays PSB 270 – Sequoia Room

27th, 12 - 1 p.m. Stress Management Series* PSB 270 – Sequoia Room *Four part series-see page 3

December Thursdays (except 12/26) 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Farmers Market PSB – South Courtyard

4th, 11th & 18th, 12 - 1 p.m. Stress Management Series* PSB 270 – Sequoia Room *Four part series-see page 3

4th, 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Food & Mood with Dr. Hoffman www.kp.org/healthtalks Also available to non-Kaiser members

January Thursdays (except 1/2) 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Farmers Market PSB – South Courtyard

8th, 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Health Talks Online – Topic TBD www.kp.org/healthtalks Also available to non-Kaiser members

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Moving More Take a Two Minute WalkPutting your best foot forward at your job isn’t just about bringing your best to the work you do. It’s also about literally putting one foot in front of the other while you’re on the job—in particular if what you do requires a large amount of sitting. And before you defend yourself by saying that you get plenty of exercise—before work, on your lunch or after work—you’ll want to hear this: even if you do get regular daily exercise, sitting for extended periods of time without moving reduces your life expectancy. Seriously.

The recently published results of a study noted that for every hour of sedentary behavior, you shave 22 minutes off your life. Smoking one cigarette, by comparison, shaves 11 minutes off your life. It’s not the only study out there. One after the other reports the same thing: sitting for long periods of time is hazardous to your health.

What’s the solution to being sedentary? Move more. Simple, yes, but if we’re not thinking about how to move more, chances are we’re still sitting in one place for too long. When you change your behavior, you change the way your body responds to all that sitting. According to New York Times columnist and author Gretchen Reynolds, standing up once every 20 minutes can keep your body from falling prey to the ills of sitting still. There are plenty of other ways, too, that can help keep your body, heart and mind performing well on the job:

Take your phone calls standing up. When the phone rings, let that be a signal to get on your feet.

Set your alarm to wake up your legs. If you’re the type of person who just won’t make it a habit unless it’s forced upon you, then set your phone alarm to remind you to stand up.

Meet in person—not on the phone. We email or call colleagues who are less than 10 feet away from us because we can.

Have a walking meeting. If your meeting doesn’t require a PowerPoint or any other kind of supporting materials, take it to the café, or outside.

Fidget more. When you do more of this incidental moving around, you improve your cardiorespiratory fitness.

Walk on your lunch. Take a break from the rigors (and stressors) of work, and to stretch and energize your body (and mind).

Adapted from Take a Two Minute Walk Break Every Hour

Health & Wellness Videos and PodcastsAccording to Dr. Robert Sallis, “the relationship between exercise and a healthy life is really dramatic. Diseases like diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, heart disease, are all dramatically reduced in patients who exercise regularly.”

Discover the benefits of exercise. Dr. Robert Sallis will inspire you to get moving and have fun in his short Exercise for Life video.

Visit Health videos and podcasts, available to all employees, for additional health information and inspiration.