M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 8 1

well Live

EPILEPSY FOUNDATION WELLNESS INSTITUTE NEWSLETTER VOLUME 1 | ISSUE 3

STAYING HEALTHY WHILE TRAVELINGSummer is coming! For many of people, that means increased travel time ahead. While visiting new places is exciting and adds to your emotional health, it also can have a negative impact on your physical health if you aren’t attentive.

Motionless hours in a car or plane seat, can cause your muscles and joints to tighten and even result in pain. In different environments, you may experience change to your normal routine, which can affect the healthy habits you have worked so hard for at home. In public transport, you breathe recirculating air that is full of germs and toxins. When traveling to different times zones, your circadian rhythm is compromised and can affect your sleep.

Whether your adventure is for work or for pleasure, you can take precautionary measures to keep yourself healthy.

Below, we have listed some strategies that can help lessen the negative effects, so you can fully enjoy your trip and return home healthy as a whip.

• Stay hydrated: Drinking water helps line your nose and throat with mucus that can help keep the germs out. If you’re on a plane, rather than getting coffee or soda,

JOIN THE 2018 26-DAY SUMMER FITNESS CHALLENGE!Athletes vs Epilepsy has partnered with the Wellness Institute for the Summer Fitness Challenge 26-day Challenge! We have taken all the guess work out of planning what to do and how to do it so that you can make an IMPACT in the health and wellbeing of yourself and those around you living with epilepsy! Plus, it’s Just 26 days! You can commit to that! ! Each day you will receive a daily workout video designed by Jenny LaBaw to help you move towards a healthier you!

For more information and to register visit: www.athletesvsepilepsy.com/events/SFC

M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 8 2

ask for water. If you’re in your car or ground transportation, keep a water bottle with you.

• Wash your hands: Traveling is dirty! Door handles, seat buckles, public bathrooms and other people are full of germs. Keep your hands clean and away from your face to help prevent the spread of germs to you and others.

• Eat healthy: Typically, when we travel, we indulge a bit more than when we are home. And we should, that’s part of enjoying new places. However, try to limit high sugar and processed foods. Try to choose meals with quality protein and veggies like you would when you’re at home. Feeding your body quality nutrients will help you fight infection and keep you feeling good for your entire trip and return home.

• Don’t overbook: Go enjoy yourself, but try not to get too far out of your normal routine. Try to get to sleep and wake up around the same time you would at home. Also, keep stress levels down if possible to avoid compromising your immune system.

• Exercise: Just as when you are home, you should move your body every day. That may mean hitting the hotel gym, going for a walk, exploring nearby parks, or just doing a basic stretching routine before you go to bed. Below is an example of a workout you can do anywhere as well as a basic stretching routine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9T7Z3ywWFE&t=78s

For information on traveling and epilepsy: https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/managing-your-epilepsy/adapting-plans-travel

Every trip may not allow you to be perfect in all of these strategies, but even incorporating one or two can reduce the negative effects that travel can have on your physical health. Be aware of your choices and attentive to your surroundings so this summer’s travel leaves you feeling recharged in all dimensions.

DID YOU KNOW?

Diet sodas are terrible for you. You may think that you’re being healthier by opting for a diet soda rather than a soda made with sugar. However, research (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3465626/) has shown that artificially sweetened beverages fool the body into craving more sugary foods. While sodas aren’t great for you, if you want one, avoid the fake sugar.

Most non-diet sodas contain more than nine teaspoons of sugar in each 12-oz. can. Here are some healthier alternatives to sodas:

• If you want the caffeine, pick an iced tea or coffee, where you control the amount of the sugar.

• If you want the fizz,, drink carbonated water.

• If you want the fizz and the sweetness, mix carbonated water with a fruit juice like cranberry or orange. A 1/3 juice to 2/3 water ratio works well.

NATIONAL WALK RECAP

On April 14, walkers and volunteers headed to the National Mall and raised over $1 million. More than 2,400 people participated in the walk. The weather was gorgeous, despite rain on both the days before and after. Wellness Institute Program Manager Jenny LaBaw led the crowd in cool-down exercises after the walk.

Wellness Institute Program Manager Jenny LaBaw and Epilepsy Foundation Social Media Coordinator Ryan Brown-Kohalmy do squats at the Wellness table.

The Wellness Institute had its own table in the Epilepsy Foundation tent. Partici-pants could spin the wheel and answer a question or do a task to earn a prize. Many of the questions were not designed with a right answer but, instead, to get

M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 8 3

Change is hard, but sustaining that change is even harder. Have you made a change to improve your overall wellness in the past year and stuck to it? We’d love to share your success stories in an upcoming issue of our newsletter. Email us at wellness@efa.org.

SHARE YOUR TIPS! you thinking about wellness. Check out a sample of the questions below.

Questions to Get You ThinkingSleep

1. What is your sleep routine? What do you do to get ready for bed each night?

Diet and Nutrition

2. What is your favorite healthy food to eat?

Physical Activity

3. How do you motivate yourself to exercise?

Social Relationships

4. Who helps you through your epilepsy journey?

Stress Management

5. What three positive things happened to you today?

Education and Employment

6. What positive steps have you taken to improve your education or work life?

Independent Living

7. What do you do at home to keep yourself safe in case of hav-ing a seizure?

Emotional Health

8. What strategies do you use if you’re struggling with mood or depression?

General Wellness

9. When was the last time you had a complete physical?

Quiz Questions

1. Which of these may cause sleep difficulties?a. Stressb. Poor Dietc. Lack of Exercised. Side effects from Seizure Medica-

tionse. All of the above

2. Which of the following is not a long-term effect of sleep deprivation? a. High blood pressure b. Heart attacks c. Increased productivityd. Obesity e. Depression

GEAR UP FOR EPILEPSY

Join Athletes vs Epilepsy Gear Up for Epilepsy and create your own cycling trek to help contribute to the miles ridden and funds raised in support of the 3.4 million people living with the challenges of epilepsy and the families of the 3,000 people who die every year from sudden unexpected death from epilepsy.

It’s simple. If you have a bicycle, even a stationary bike...you can raise funds, awareness, and miles to help lead the fight against epilepsy.

Gear Up for Epilepsy will launch May 15th! Visit http://www.athletesvsepilepsy.com/signature-events for more information

M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 8 4

Live Well is a bimonthly publication of the Epilepsy Foundation Wellness Institute.

StaffManaging Editor

Petrina HollingsworthContributing Editors

Patty O. Shafer, RN, MNJenny LaBaw

DesignMiesha Dennis

ReviewersKatherine H. Noe, MD, PhD

David Taplinger, MDEditors

Judy GretschElizabeth Dueweke

For more informationepilepsy.com/wellness

wellness@efa.org

WELLNESS INSTITUTE NEWS

Facebook Live

Check out the Epilepsy Foundation’s Facebook page (facebook.com/EpilepsyFoundationofAmerica/) for videos of our wellness-related live chats. In May, Wellness Institute Program Manager Jenny LaBaw will answer questions on healthy living with seizures. Learn more about this Facebook Live event at https://www.epilepsy.com/article/2018/5/health-living-seizures.

Visit our Facebook page for more upcoming Facebook Live wellness events

3. Which statement is false?a. Friendships can help you live longer.b. True friendships can give us a sense of purpose, making us

more motivated to take care of ourselves.c. Social support can make health treatments, such as chemo-

therapy, more effective.d. Friendship is overrated.

4. Which of the following are not effective stress management techniques?a. Meditationb. Stress eatingc. Yogad. Talking with friends

5. Which of the following have been shown to reduce the number of school days missed by students with epilepsy?a. Parents who affirm the necessity of regular school atten-

dance, b. Parents who avoid overprotectionc. Families that have successfully adjusted to their child’s epi-

lepsy d. Positive family-school relationshipse. All of the above

6. Who might benefit from a seizure alert device? a. People who live aloneb. People who have seizures primarily at nightc. People who lose consciousnessd. People who want more independencee. All of the above

7. What measures and options help people live independently a. Medical alert devicesb. Service animalsc. Home health aidesd. Access to transportatione. All of the above

8. If you’re consistently feeling down or depressed, what should you do?a. Assume that it’s just part of life and do nothingb. Consult your health care provider

9. True or False: Depression is more common in people with epi-lepsy?

10. When is it okay to text or use a smartphone when you’re in a car?

11. How often should you wear a seatbelt when you’re in a car?

Answers: 1e, 2c, 3d, 4b, 5e, 6e, 7e, 8b, 9 True, 10 when you’re a passenger, 11 always