s arITE OUR BES T YOU.

A MONTHLY HEALTHLETTER FROM THE WELLNESS COUNCIL OF AMERICA

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance in your cells and bloodstream, and it has many important functions.

But too much can be downright dangerous. High cholesterol can clog your arteries_ If your arteriesbecome clogged, blood can't flow through your body properly, which can cause serious conditions like

a heart attack or stroke. Because of these dangers-and no matter how old

you are-it's critical to know your cholesterol numbers_

••4 Numbers You,,-

Absolutely Mustelow20~mg/dl Desirable~

~- -...::- ---200-239mg/dl Borderlinehigh

240mg/dlandabove High

Knowing your cholesterol levels

can help you prevent major health

issues like heart attack and stroke.Here's what the numbers mean:

It's Easy To CietScreened!

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Do '10~kY\o~'10~Yy\~W\~eys?

--

-------The Four Numbers You Need To Know

1. Your LDL. Low-density lipoproteins (LDL)or "bad" cholesterol."High levels of LDLcan lead to a buildup in the arteries and result inheart disease.

The Magic Number: Your LDLshould be under 100-and maybe under 70.

2. Your HDL. High-density lipoproteins (HDL)or "good" cholesterol reducesthe risk of heart disease and stroke.

The Magic Number: Your HDL should be 60 or above.

3. Your triglycerides. Triglycerides are a type of fat found in your blood. Excess calories, alcohol,or sugar are converted into triglycerides and stored in fat cells throughout your body.

The Magic Number: Your triglycerides should be below 150.

4. Your total cholesterol. Your total cholesterol is a measure of LDLand HDL cholesterol andother lipid components.

The Magic Number: Your total cholesterol should be below 200.

r

~------------------If your numbers don't fall in the ideal range, discuss strategies for lowering your

LDL and triglycerides and increasing your HDL with a health care professional.For many people, lifestyle changes such as eating better, losing weight and

exercising are enough to lower cholesterol. Read on to learn more.

Yours in good health,

t>-~Dr. David Hunnicutt

Executive Editor

High

Veryhigh

HDL Cholesterol

Poor

Source:MayoClinic

-- --=--- -( ~elow 100mg/dl Idealforpeopleat riskof

'---- heartdisease----;.=- -"'--

100-129mg/dl Nearideal

130-159mg/dl Borderlinehigh

160-189mg/dl High

190mg/dlandabove Veryhigh

spark16NUTRITION

Th~ Iv\ottHi~Homemade

Try this! Eat your cereal or oatmeal out of a small,clean coffee mug for a quick and healthy way to

control your portions. For even more vitamins andfewer carbs, fill the mug with your fruit first, and thentop it off with whole grain cereal or oatmeal.

-

••I.I~IIII

EatYOIY"

LoseWeight!"Ihere are several important reasons to eat breakfast, but did youknow that one of them includes losing weight? Believe it Ot not,eating a healthy breakfast every day will help you to lose weightand keep that weight off. According to participants in the NationalWeight Control Registry (the nation's largest database for long-term weight loss), and studies in the Journal of the AmericanDietetic Association, there is ample evidence to back this finding.

Why Your Morning Meal MattersAlthough you might think that you can cut calories and loseweight by skipping breakfast, according to researchers, this maynot be your best choice. Here's why. By mid-morning and lunch,breakfast-skippers are usually starved and replace calories duringthe day with mindless snacking or binge eating. Because of that, it'srecommended that you eat a healthy breakfast every single day.

Making The Perfect Breakfast-Four Great OptionsEating a healthy breakf..lS((as opposed to one that contains donutsor sugary cereal) is the key. The ideal healthy breakfast has threecomponents: (I) a whole grain for healthy carbohydrates, (2) a low-fatdairy or high-calcium food for protein and (3) a fruit or vegetable forvitamins, minerals and fiber. There are countless options that fit thebill, but here are just a few ideas to get you started:

Ormon 1: High-fiber multi-grain cereal with low-fatmnk and fresh fruit. Healthy breakf..st cereal is a quick andnutritious way to start your day.

In fact, a recent government-funded study found that those whoate (healthy) cereals regularly had fewer weight problems thaninfrequent cereal eaters.

Option Z: Oatmeal with fruit and cinnamon and acup of low-fat milk. Opt for steel cut oats or rolled oats as thewhole grains provide just the right amount of carbs to fuel yourmuscles and brain for the entire morning. Cinnamon and fruit addflavor as well as a nutritional boost.

Ormon 3: Plain nonfat yogurt with fresh berries anda s~iceof whole wheat toast. Plain, nonfat yogurt offers a lot

NUTRITION

jt't,

It\is never toolate to be what youmight have be~n"

- George Eliot

of protein for few calories(most single-serving yogurtsare around 100calories).

Protein is essential,as it satisfies hungerand helps curb yourappetite.

O~on 4: Eggs,whole wheat toast andfresh fruit. Science hasproven those who starttheir day withpoached,boiledorscrambledeggs can lose up totwo-thirds more weight thanothers. Eggs make you feel more fullfor longer when compared to many otherfoods. Add fruit or veggies and a whole grain side tocomplete a perfect breakf..st.

~ Switch to generics. If, for example, you're~ raking rhree brand name prescriprionmedicarions and swirch to rhe generic form,you can save abour $4,500 a year.

~ Ask for samples. Doctor's offices are usually filled wirh sample~ medicarions, and you can save hundreds by simply asking for one.

Shop around. Differem healrh care faciliries charge differem prices. Forexample, an in-nerwork MRI ar a hospiral cosrs around $1,145, while an MRI ar

n independem radiology faciliry cosrs around $560.

~ Ask your doctor about changing your dosage. If you rake a••• 20 mg pill rwice a day, ask your doctor if you can insread rake a40 mg pill once a day. This lowers rhe number of pills you need ro buyand could save you hundreds in a rypical year. (*Seek professional advicebecause nor all medicarions can be alrered.)

Consider mail-order medications. Mosr largedrugstore chains offer mail-order services rhar can

provide a rhree-monrh supply of meds for rhe same price as aone-momh supply ar a local pharmacy.

O Ask about price and cashdiscounts. If you ask aboutcash discounts, chances are you'll ger one. Many healrh

care providers offer up to a 20% discounr for paying rhe bill in cash.

OMake a listof your nearby Urgent Carefacilities. For non life-threatening conditions,

an in-network Urgent Care center can save youhundreds (compared to the ER).

~1f!'IIJi.Double check your medical bills. According ro Medical Billing Advocares of~ America, 80% of doctor and hospiral bills conrain errors. Review your bills ro

ensure you're only charged for rhe services acrually performed.

•

1.:.-:-:-;< < : ;' ........•

Get a flu shot. It's nor fun ro wasre your vacarion days or sick pay when you ger rhe Au.Prorecr yourself wirh a Au shor e"ery year for around $25.

~ Get screened every year. Annual checkups and prevemive screenings are essemia! ro~ prorecring your healrh and can save you big in rhe long run. Mosr insurance plans cover"ell visirs and preventive checks.

Wash your hands. Americans spend 100son cold and Au remedies, bur rhe besrprevemive medicine is soap and warer. Scrub your hands for 20 seconds before earing

and afrer using a resr room or being in comacr wirh someone who's sick.

~ Cash-in on rebates. Some major drugsrore chains offer rebare programs rhar give you~ cash back on various pain relievers, viramins, skin-care producrs and or her goods. Oneexample is riteaid.rebateplus.com.

Look closely at your health care plan. Your healrh plan may offervaluable extras like discoums on gym memberships or weighr-Ioss

programs. Visir your plan's websire or ask your benefirs coordinaror.

~

Get a loyalty card. Many~ pharmacies offer loyalty

programs in whichyou can receive rewards and r

discounts for your purch

~ Expand your vision. You don'r have ro buy expensive~ glasses or comacrs from your oprometrisr. Federal lawrequires rhem ro give you a copy of your prescriprion so youcan buy lenses anywhere you like.

~ Visit a dental school. Many demal schools offer low-cosr~ demal care performed by srudents who are supervised by rhefaculry. Call a nearby universiry ro see if any discoumed services areavailable.

spark16PHYSICAL ACTIVITY Small Steps

The moment you get active,you reap the benefits.You may know that exercise is good foryou, but did you know that its healthbenefits begin the very moment youtake your first step? That's righr. Withone step, a whopping 200+ musclesincluding your large leg muscles andabdomina Is contract ro keep youbalanced. Taking that first step tellsyour body [0 fire up the engines thatburn fuel in the form of calories. Keepraking steps, and you'll begin [0 feelbener as your hearr and lungs flushaway carbon dioxide and increase youroxygen intake. Even small amounts ofphysical activity offer significant andimmediate benefits-check out whatthe recent research teveals:

Exercise puts you in a good mood.Physical activity can improve yourmood right away. How? The momentyou get moving, your body increasesits production of" feel good" chemicalssuch as dopamine and sero[Onin, bothof which are associated with feelings ofpleasure and mood stabilization.

It lowers your blood pressure.Believe it or not, Just one bour ofphysical activity can have a positiveeffect on your blood pressure. Ofcourse, [0 sustain long-term benefits,you need to exercise on a regular basis-but remember the benefits last only aslong as you continue to exercise.

It increases your HDL-cholesterol.An increase in HDL cholesterol is good!HDL cholesterol gets rid offree radicalsin the blood, which are associated withatherosclerosis (the fany white substancethat clogs your arteries).

• spark16PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

More Info:Check out the CDC'sphysical activity

recommendationswww.cdc.gov/physicalaclivity/

everyone/guidelines

4. How Much, How Long & How Often?

Tick ... tick ... tick ...There are 168 hours in a week and you only need 2.5 of those hours toreap the health benefits of exercise. For health benefits, it's recommendedthat you do moderate-intensity physical activity (i.e., brisk walking) for 30minutes a day, five days a week.

If 30 consecutive minutes a day seems like a lot of time, try to incorporate just10 or 20 minutes a day. Take the stairs whenever you can or park your car fartheraway from your office.

But don't forget ...More health benefits come with more physical activity, so the more exercise you canincorporate into your daily routine, the better!

Spark76 is designed to help you, but is not intended as a substitute for medical advice.If you have concerns about a health issue,it's important that you talk with your doctor.

It can save your life. Perhaps best of all, studiesdefinitively snow tnat even light or moderateintensityphysical activitylike walkingor cycling cansubstantiallyreduce the riskof early death.Now, that'sdefinitely worthgetting out ofyour chair for.

It improves your pain tolerance. A recent studyconducted at the Cleveland Clinic Chronic PainRehabilitation Program took various measurementsof participants before and afrer they took a lQ-minutewalk on a treadmill. They found rhar these briefsessions immediately improved participants' moodand perception of pain and exertion.

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sLcoark16R.'TE YOUR BESTYOU

In every issue you'll find 16 ridiculously simple ways to stay healthy!

IN THIS ISSUE DIDYOU Kf\OJV?

THE AMOUNT OF TIME YOUSHOULD BEACTIVE EVERYDAYTO MAINTAIN YOUR HEALTHAND OPTIMAL CHOLESTEROLLEVelS.

» Your Cholesterol-What You Don'tKnow Could Kill You

» Can Eating Breakfast~

FOR LESSTHAN $100, A SIMPLE BLOODTEST TElLS YOU FOUR VITAL NUMBERS

Make You Thinner? YOU NEED TO KNOW TO PROTECT YOURHEALTH: YOUR TOTAL CHOLESTEROL,

SaveThousands OnHDL, LDL, AND TRIGLYCERIDE LEVElS.

» .~..Your Health Care ........... ..

» DoYou Know TheQuickest Way ToGet Healthy?

When &How To Get YourTested

Believe it or not, there are no signs Ot symptoms of highcholesterol, which only underscores the importance of getting itchecked. To test your cholesterol levels, you need to see a doctor orhealth care professional who can administer a simple blood test.

The American Heart Association encourages all adults age 20 orolder to get a &sting lipoprotein profile-which measures totalcholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglycerides-once every five years.

Cholesterol testing is frequently done as part of an annual physical,which is often covered by health insurance. Call the numberor visit the website on the back of your insurance card to findour what your plan covers. Some walk-in clinics also providecholesterol testing for around $50 to $100.

Narrowed ArteryDue To High '.Cholesterol ••••••

What's InA Number?

•• WE LCOA Informatiofl is reviewed by a prestigious Medical Advisory Board comprised of physicians dnd heallhcare professionals and is intended to help you make smart health decisions for yourself and your family. Although editorial content is.baSl'd on sound medlcdilOformatlon, we ask that you consulta heallhcare profeSSional for all matters ofcoflcern. We also encourage you to keep your copies to bUild a handy home-medical reference or recycle issues to fnendsand family

Cl2013Well ness Council 01America, 17002 MarcyStret't, Suite 140, Omaha, NE68118; phone402.8173590; fax 401.8173594; visit our Web site a! wwwwelcoo.orgAlirightsreserved.I$$N1$49-9367.Executive Editor: David Hunnicutt, PhD; Vice Presidem of Operalions: Brittanieleffelman;OirectOf of Mcrketing: William M. Kizer, Jr.; Multimedia Desigr'PE'r:Adam Paige; Director of User Experience: Graden Hudson; Graphic Designer: Briltany Stohl; Contributing Editor: Cari(' Maguire. Information ITIdY not be reprodllCed, copied, cited, or circulated in any printed or electronic formwithout wrillen permission from the publisher