MAR 2018 INFORMATION FOR KEEPING HEALTHY

march madness:
THE Y AXIS

Shoot Some Hoops for Better Health

Net the health benefits of basketball with a little hustle
Meaty Matters Are you combing through all the stats to
Where’s the beef? pick your March Madness NCAA basketball Each session included warm-up exercises,
That was the winners? You’re not alone. About 40 million shooting, dribbling, passing, and playing
slogan for an old
people bet on bracket winners, according the game. Think you could handle that?
fast-food restaurant
commercial. to the National Gaming Association.
Researchers found that playing
And millions more play for fun.
And it probably basketball helped:2
needs to be updated Even if you don’t follow college basketball, ✓ Improve cardiovascular endurance
to something like: how about shooting some hoops? It
Where’s the beef,
✓ Burn calories MORE
doesn’t really matter if you can’t dunk
lamb, pork, and a ball, hit every free throw, block ✓ Build lean body mass
Team sports like
processed meats? ✓ Lower blood pressure basketball boost
heavy hitters, or nail outside shots.
Why? If you want ✓ Strengthen bones mental health
to live longer and
Basketball is a great form of exercise. https://tinyurl.
A recent study measured the health ✓ Reduce body fat com/y7zxdygw
avoid cancer, heart
disease, stroke, benefits of basketball in a group of ✓ Improve resting heart rate
diabetes, and other people who were out of shape. Tip off March Madness with this piece of
health problems,
The people in the study played advice. You’ll have better luck improving your
these are the meats
you should avoid. basketball for about an hour three health by playing basketball than you will
times a week for three months. picking the team to win the championship.
In a recent study,
researchers found
that people who
eat the most red
meat are 26 percent
7 Ways to Cut Your Risk for Colorectal Cancer
more likely to die March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
from preventable
diseases.1
Before Sharon Osbourne got the news
Instead of red meat, about colon cancer, she had already made
eat more fruits, You can lower your risk for colorectal
up her mind. “Don’t be afraid,” she said. cancer with healthy habits such as:
vegetables, whole
“It’s essential to keep a strong, positive
grains, 1. Get preventive exams. If you’re over age
legumes, state of mind.” That’s how the reality-TV
star and wife of legendary rocker Ozzy 50, you should be screened for colorectal
nuts and
seeds. And Osbourne faced stage III colon cancer. cancer every 5 to 10 years. If you have a
drink family history of this type of cancer, you
She had two years of treatment. And may want to schedule a screening sooner.
plenty
of water.
she beat it. Then she went on to host
shows like The Osbournes, America’s Got 2. Maintain a healthy weight, or lose weight if you
Talent, and The Celebrity Apprentice. need to. About 40 percent of all cancers have one
thing in common: being overweight or obese.4
Every year in the U.S, about 135,430 people
COMMENTS? 3. Don’t smoke. Quit if you do.
are diagnosed with colorectal cancer.3 But
Send comments to it’s not all bad news. When detected and 4. Be more active. Aim for 30 minutes
the editor: treated early, 64.9 percent of people recover. of physical activity a day.
evan.jensen@
wellsource.com
 Munch & Crunch Carrots to Prevent Disease
Add this root vegetable to your list of healthy snacks

Ready for a road trip? Perhaps One carrot only has 25 calories.
you could plan to visit the Carrot And it’s a good source of vitamin A,
RECIPE Capital of the World. Every year fiber, potassium, phytochemicals,
Easy and the rural town of Holtville, Calif. and antioxidants.5 Munch and
hosts a 10-day event. It’s complete crunch your way through a carrot,
Healthy Black
with carrot chomping, cooking and you’re getting vitamins and
Bean Soup contests, and a country carnival. nutrients your body can use to:
Beans, beans, the • Support eye health and vision MORE
magical art…Ahem,
But it’s also a chance to help
you know the rest others bite down on the • Reduce inflammation Try these
health benefits of carrots. carrot recipes
of that rhyme. But • Strengthen the immune system http://www.
seriously, beans are If you’re looking for ways to eat more • Lower cholesterol carrotrecipes.net
good for you. They’re
actually low in calories
vegetables, try the carrot. Enjoy the • Help prevent diabetes
and a great source of orange-colored vegetable as a snack. • Reduce the risk for certain
fiber. Give this black Add purple carrots to a soup or salad. types of cancer Munch, crunch,
bean recipe a try:6 Or steam and serve red, orange, repeat for
• Support organ function
Ingredients or yellow carrots as a side dish. better health!
You can even sneak pureed carrots • Control blood pressure
2-15 oz cans black
beans, drained into sauces and fruit smoothies. • Improve heart health
and rinsed
2 C low-sodium broth
7 Ways to Cut Your Risk for Colorectal Cancer (continued from page 1)
1 cup salsa (mild,
medium, or hot) 5. Avoid or limit alcohol. 7. Eat more plant-based foods.
1 tsp cumin, ground No more than two drinks MORE
When you make the effort
4 T sour cream, per day for men. No more Learn more about
fat-free
to adopt healthy habits,
than one drink per day for Colorectal Cancer
2 T fresh cilantro, Awareness Month you can lower your risk for
women; zero if pregnant. colorectal cancer, and many
chopped tinyurl.com/yco8mb55
Directions 6. Avoid red meat. other types of cancer.
1. In a blender, lightly
puree one can of
black beans with References
broth, salsa, and 1. Etemadi, A., et al. (2017). Mortality from different causes associated with meat, heme iron, nitrates, and nitrites
cumin. in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study: population based cohort study. British Medical Journal, 357:1957. From:
2. In a medium http://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j1957
saucepan, combine 2. Randers, M., et al. (2017). Effects of 3 months of full-court and half-court street basketball training on health
pureed bean profile in untrained men. Journal of Sport and Health Science. From: doi: 10.1016/j.jshs.2017.09.004
mixture with 3. National Cancer Institute. (2014). Cancer stat facts: Colorectal cancer. From: https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/
remaining beans html/colorect.html
and heat through. 4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Cancers associated with overweight and obesity make up 40
3. Makes about
percent of cancers diagnosed in the United States. From: https://tinyurl.com/ydgwojfw
4 bowls.
4. Top each bowl with 5. Dias, J.S. (2014). Nutritional and health benefits of carrots. Food and Nutrition Sciences, 5:2147-2156.
1 T of sour cream. doi:10.4236/fns.2014.522227
Garnish with the
cilantro. 6. U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2017). Easy and Healthy Black Bean Soup. From: https://tinyurl.com/y7tyuldz

Monthly Health Challenge™

Prevent Diabetes

CHALLENGE
Adopt lifestyle
habits to prevent
How much do you know about type 2
diabetes? Take the quiz to find out.
T F
Take the March Health Challenge!
Prevent Diabetes: Adopt lifestyle habits to prevent or control diabetes
or control 1. n n About 1 in 10 adults in the U.S.
have pre (type 2) diabetes.
diabetes
2. n n Type 2 diabetes is the leading
cause of kidney failure.
Requirements to complete 3. n n Diabetes is the seventh leading cause
of death in the United States.
this HEALTH CHALLENGE™ 4. n n Healthy lifestyle habits can help prevent
1. Read “Prevent Diabetes.” or control type 2 diabetes.
2. Make healthy lifestyle choices daily to 5. n n The best way to find out if you’re at risk for type
develop habits to prevent diabetes. 2 diabetes is an A1C blood test. This measures
3. Keep a record of your completed health challenge in blood glucose levels over a three-month period.
case your organization requires documentation. How did you do? If you answered any of these statements
incorrectly, you could benefit from learning more about

Ask the Wellness Doctor:

W hen Paul Donnelly turned
40 years old, he knew he was a
little overweight and out of shape. He
how to prevent diabetes. About 1 in 3 adults in the U.S.
have pre (type 2) diabetes, and most don’t even know it.
Answers. 1. False. 2. True. 3. True. 4. True. 5. True.
didn’t think it was that big of a deal. So
when his employer offered a free health
screening, he figured it couldn’t hurt. Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes

© Wellsource, Inc.
But he wasn’t prepared for Are you at risk for type 2 diabetes? If you are,
the results. He was more than the sooner you find out, the sooner you can take
overweight. At 238 pounds, he was obese. His blood steps to prevent or reverse the disease. Risk factors
pressure was dangerously high. And the news that for developing type 2 diabetes include:2
really struck a nerve? His blood sugar was high.
✓ Too much body fat
Paul had type 2 diabetes. It was so advanced that Take
✓ Age 45 or older the Type
permanent nerve damage, vision loss, and insulin injections

All Rights Reserved.

✓ A family history of diabetes 2 Diabetes
to control blood sugar levels were just around the corner. Risk Test
✓ High blood pressure
He left the clinic with a prescription for seven tinyurl.com/

This month Dr. Joe Raphael answers the question:

medications, and resolved to change his ways.
Did you know about 84 million adults in the United States
have pre (type 2) diabetes? Most don’t know they have it.
And 29 million are already living with type 2 diabetes.1
Left unchecked, type 2 diabetes can cause nerve
damage, poor circulation, kidney failure, and vision
loss. It can increase the risk for a heart attack or stroke.
And it’s the primary cause of all limb amputations.
But it can, for the most part, be prevented.
Take the month-long health challenge and adopt
healthy lifestyle habits to Prevent Diabetes.
✓ High triglyceride levels ychn7ton
✓ Low HDL (good) cholesterol levels
✓ Not physically active
✓ History of heart disease or stroke
✓ History of depression
✓ Diabetes during pregnancy
✓ History of polycystic ovary syndrome
✓ Race and ethnicity: African American, Hispanic/Latino,
American Indian, Pacific Islander, Asian American
If you have any of these risk factors, talk to your
doctor about getting tested for type 2 diabetes.

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