Wellness Archive – JHMB HealthConnect

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Healthy Recipes

Each month, the WellPATH Program shares healthy recipes via the biweekly email newsletter. We invite you to review past recipes shared by visiting the respective newsletter linked in the recipe titles below.

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August 2022: What is the Deal with the Flu Shot?

It’s no secret that the Flu Shot can be a controversial subject. We all know people that say the flu shot makes them sick. We all know people that swear by it every year. We are not here to solve that argument, but we do believe that knowledge is power.

So, we are going to shed some light on a short history of the flu shot, how it is made, and the explanation behind why flu shots are important to public health.

August is immunization awareness, so you will also find some information regarding other common immunizations and how to find out if any of them are needed for your health.

July 2022: Summer Safety

Summer is here! The sun is shining, days are longer, and many people are taking advantage of being outdoors in the pool, at the lake or hosting barbecues. With the increase in outdoor activities it’s important to remain safe this summer. This month, we will highlight summer tips on staying hydrated, preventing sunburns and avoiding heat related illnesses.

We all know that nobody likes to be lectured on safety. So, we are not going to lecture anyone in this month’s spotlight. We are simply going to provide some information on how you can be safer in the attempt to prevent injury, sickness, and potentially death for several situations that may arise during the summertime.

June 2022: Men Don’t Need to Go to the Doctor…

…And if you’ll buy that, I have some ocean front property for sale in Arizona. There is a strong trend of men avoiding doctors. Mike Gnitecki is a firefighter and paramedic who recently told Healthline he’s had male patients initially refuse transport to the hospital even while in the middle of an active heart attack. A recent study showed that nearly two-thirds of respondents avoid going to the doctor as long as possible.

Why is this?

With June being Men’s Health Month, we thought this was the perfect time to dive deeper into this issue. If you are curious about this and what we can do about it, then we invite you to check out this month’s spotlight.

May 2022: Essential Nutrients Your Body Needs and Why

There are so many reasons why regular physical activity boosts your health. We know that staying active is one of the best ways to keep our bodies healthy. However, staying fit is more than just being active, it’s also about supplying your body with the right amount of nutrients to recover, build and maintain muscle, and prevent disease. Essential nutrients are compounds that the body can’t make or can’t make in sufficient quantities. According to the World Health Organization, these nutrients must come from food, and they’re vital for disease prevention, growth, and good health. While there are many essential nutrients, they can be broken into two categories: macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients are eaten in large amounts and include the primary building blocks of your diet — protein, carbohydrates, and fat — which provide your body with energy. Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients, and small doses go a long way. Review this month’s spotlight to learn about the six main groups of essential micronutrients and macronutrients.

April 2022: What You Consume, Consumes You

You may have heard the phrase “You are what you eat”, or “you are a sum of the 5 people you hang out with the most.” How about “what you consume, consumes you?”

There has been a focus on mental health over the last couple of years. A lot of people are talking about the fact that more people are struggling mentally in these abnormal times. There are so many things going on that are stressors that we do not have control over. That makes it all the more important that we focus on what we can control. So, what are the things that we can control? Check out this month’s spotlight to learn how to focus the mind on that which you can control.

March 2022: Three Words You Never Want to Hear

“You have cancer.” Most of us know someone who has heard this phrase. These words are dreaded and cause sleepless nights, stress, and fear. What if you could do something to keep from hearing those words. What if you have some power and control over the likelihood of that phrase? While nobody can predict the future, and we can’t fight genetics or avoid every carcinogen in our environments, there are several of our habits that we have control over to help mitigate the risk of cancer.Fresno Unified School District’s medical plans not only cover preventive care visits, but your health plan encourages you to have them done! In this month’s WellPATH Spotlight, we outline some of the other things you have control over, as well.

February 2022: Primary Care, Telemedicine, Preventive Care, Oh My!

Living a healthy lifestyle requires that you keep up with your preventive care. We have an obligation to ourselves to be advocates in our healthcare and keep up on preventive screenings. Sometimes that can be difficult because the world of insurance and healthcare can be very complex to navigate.

In this month’s spotlight, we assess your options regarding telemedicine and a Primary Care Physician, as well as how they relate to preventive care, including:

How do you know if you should go to a doctor or just call Teladoc?
Can a Teladoc provider be my Primary Care Physician?

Read the spotlight to take a deeper dive to clarify some of these questions.

January 2022: Healthy Resolutions: Tips for Success in 2022

Have you ever made a New Year’s resolution thinking this would be the year it would stick, then within a few days, weeks or months, your motivation has diminished and the goals set are now a thing of the past?

If so, you are definitely not alone! In a typical year, only about 7-8% of people that set a New Year’s resolution actually keep it for the entire year. So, what is the secret to success?

Read our Spotlight to learn expert tips and tricks for keeping a healthy resolution all year long!

December 2021: Stigma: Breaking Down the Barriers

“I don’t need to talk to anyone, I’m just a little stressed.” “I’m fine.” “It’s embarrassing.” “I feel ashamed.” “It will go away.”

These are just a few things people say to themselves when their mental health is not in a healthy state. The truth of the matter is there is a stigma around mental health. In recent years, there has definitely been some progress in removing that stigma. However, there are still a lot of people embarrassed to talk about when they are feeling a little depressed or anxious, or they are too ashamed to reach out for help. Maybe, you grew up during a time when you were supposed to “suck it up”, or you are just a very private person.

Mental health is just as important as our physical health, and, in fact, it is connected to our physical health. Have you ever noticed that when you are feeling down that you are more tired? Foggy brained? More susceptible to getting sick? When it comes down to it, Mental health is a part of physical health.

Review this month’s spotlight to learn more about:

What is stigma?
What can we do to reduce the stigma of mental illness?
What should you do if you are or think you may be suffering from a mental illness?

IF YOU’RE OVERWHELMED BY STRESS, ASK FOR HELP FROM A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL
Sometimes the distress you are experiencing is not something you feel comfortable talking to your friends and family about. Sometimes the distress you are experiencing is something that a professional clinician should be helping you with. Check out this month’s article for resources resources available to you through the District as well as through the community and nationally.

November 2021: Type 2 Diabetes: Preventable and Manageable

Diabetes is an epidemic. This is how the National Institute of Health (NIH) classifies diabetes. We all have heard of this condition. If you live with it or know someone that does, you understand how this chronic disease can disrupt someone’s quality of life. There are 2 really important things that need to be noted about diabetes:

1. It can be prevented or delayed, and
2. It can be managed.

If you are at risk of developing diabetes (which is the majority of Americans), or if you have already been diagnosed, please read on. You may learn something that could help you!

If you have diabetes, your blood sugar levels are too high. With type 2 diabetes, this happens because your body does not make enough insulin, or it does not use insulin well (this is called insulin resistance). If you are at risk for type 2 diabetes, it is important to know that you might be able to prevent or delay developing it.

Review this month’s spotlight to learn more about diabetes symptoms and risk factors.

October 2021: Cancer Prevention: Lost in Transition

Do you know where your keys are right now? Have you ever missed a hair appointment? Miss your Tee time because you lost track of time? Sometimes we lose track of things. We all do! Some things we lose track of make a very small impact on our lives. There are other things that can be detrimental if we lose track of them.

Need an example? An example of a minimal impact lost sight would be missing your tee time with your best friend. An example of a detrimental lost sight would be missing your tee time with your boss and “the biggest potential client in the history of your company.”

Losing sight of cancer prevention screenings falls into the latter. Read this month’s spotlight and we’ll tell you why.

Complete the monthly quiz for a chance to win a $25 gift card!

September 2021: Cholesterol Affects Your Lifeline Tunnels

We bet you are wondering what a lifeline tunnel is! Close your eyes for a second. Wait, then you won’t be able to read. Instead, turn on your imagination for a second and paint the following picture in your head as you read. You are in a subway station looking through the tunnel that a very important train travels through. This train is full of doctors trying to get to the places they work to heal people. But, there is a problem with the tunnel the train travels through.

Unfortunately, there has been junk deposited all along the tunnel. The trash is starting to pile up along the walls of the tunnel and in some places, the trash and junk is so bad that the train has to slow down and push its way through the mess to get where they are going. Because of this, some of the doctors are late for their healing duties, and in some cases when the trash is too bad, the doctors can’t even get where they are going because the tunnel is impassable!

Who is responsible for this trash build up? How do we stop it from getting worse? Is there any way to clear out the trash and make it easier for the doctors to do their jobs? After all, this tunnel is a lifeline that carries healing to people.

This month we discuss lifeline tunnels (another way of saying “arteries”), cholesterol, and answer the following questions:

Who/What is responsible for high cholesterol?
Can we stop plaque buildup from getting worse?
Is there any way to reverse high cholesterol?