SUPERTRACKER PUTS MYPLATE TO WORK

Just in time to help Americans keep their New Year's diet and exercise resolutions, the USDA has released a new nutrition SuperTracker at the ChooseMyPlate website.  The free online tool highlights the second in a series of themed consumer messages supporting the MyPlate icon: "Enjoy Your Food, But Eat Less."  SuperTracker lets consumers:

• Personalize recommendations for what and how much to eat and amount of physical activity.
• Track foods and physical activity from an expanded database of foods and physical activities.
• Customize features such as goal setting, virtual coaching, weight tracking and journaling.
• Measure progress with reports ranging from a simple meal summary to in-depth analysis of food groups and nutrient intake over time.
• Put the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines into practice.
• Support family and friends by adding their individual profiles.

Check it out at http://www.ChooseMyPlate.gov.

WEIGHT WATCHERS BENEFIT

OEBB members and their dependents (age restrictions may apply) are eligible for up to four 13-week Weight Watchers sessions per calendar year at no cost.  This no-cost participation applies only to OEBB-covered employees and retirees and their enrolled dependents – if you waived or opted-out of coverage you are not eligible for the no-cost participation.  This benefit applies to local meetings, At Work meetings or a Weight Watchers Online subscription.  

To enroll to attend community meetings in the Eugene area, call the local Weight Watchers franchise at 541-342-5386 and press 0 when prompted.  You will be asked to provide some basic information, including your unique member ID on your ODS insurance card (the E number).  Weight Watchers will verify that you are eligible for this benefit and will mail you a welcome packet that includes either an At Work pass or your 13 weeks of vouchers.  A pocket guide and member materials will be given to you at the first meeting. 

To enroll in Weight Watchers Online, call 866-531-8170 and place your order.  You’ll receive a promotion code, which you’ll enter on the Weight Watchers Online sign-up page:  https://signup.weightwatchers.com/SignupVersions/Online/StepOne.aspx.  Select the three-month subscription length, then follow the remaining sign-up instructions for setting up your account.

If you attend at least 10 of 13 classes, you’ll be able to sign up for subsequent sessions at no cost.  If you do not meet the participation requirement, you’ll need to pay 100 percent of the cost for your next session.  If you complete that session and meet the 10 of 13 class requirement, you can then sign up for the following session at the 100 percent covered rate.

If you have questions, or would like additional information regarding how to set up a meeting at your worksite, call 866-531-8170.  The OEBB website is also a great source for information: http://oregon.gov/DAS/OEBB/WeightMgmt.shtml

 WEIGHT WATCHERS AT WORK

Have you already set up a Weight Watchers meeting at your work site?  Would you like to open it up to others?  Send me the details (meeting day/time/place, weigh in time, contact name and phone number and/or e-mail) and I can help spread the word.

 RETIREMENT NOTIFICATION DEADLINES REMINDER

When you have made your decision to retire, you must give 4J Human Resources a written commitment, which specifies a retirement date. You can send this notification via e-mail to Janis Brew (brew_j@4j.lane.edu). 

You will need to send your notification at least 60 days before your intended retirement date.  If you are a Plan A retiree (hired in 4J before July 1, 1998 and continuously a bargaining unit member until the date of retirement), you must send your notification by April 1 if you intend to retire during the period from April 1 through November 15.

For additional details regarding retirement benefits and notification language, please refer to article 4.10 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

 UNDERSTANDING YOUR LAB TESTS

If you have lab work done and want help understanding all those pages of results, the best resource is, of course, your medical provider.  However, there is a great website if you want to do a little extra digging on your own:  labtestsonline.org.  The site is sponsored by clinical laboratory groups and several diagnostic companies, but it is noncommercial and written for consumers.  It’s also available as an app for mobile devices:  LabTestsOnline-M.  If you can’t remember what the 7.6 result of your WBC from your CBC means, this site can help.

 SLEEP HYGIENE

Practicing good sleep hygiene doesn’t mean you need to change your sheets on a daily basis.  Sleep hygiene refers to a variety of different practices to have quality nighttime sleep and full daytime alertness. 

A quick search of the web offers these tips to practice good sleep hygiene:

• Maintain a regular sleep and wake pattern seven days a week. 
• Spend the appropriate amount of time in bed – not too little or too much.  If you have trouble with daytime sleepiness, you may need more hours in bed.  If you have difficulty sleeping at night, you may need to limit your hours in bed.
• Avoid napping during the day; it can disturb the normal pattern of sleep and wakefulness.
• Avoid stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol too close to bedtime.  While alcohol is well known to speed the onset of sleep, it disrupts sleep in the second half as the body begins to metabolize the alcohol.
• Exercise can promote good sleep.  Vigorous exercise should be done in the morning or late afternoon.  A relaxing exercise, like yoga, can be done before bed to help initiate a restful night's sleep.
• Food can be disruptive right before sleep; stay away from large meals close to bedtime.  Also dietary changes can cause sleep problems.  If you are struggling with a sleep problem, it's not a good time to start experimenting with spicy dishes.  And, remember, chocolate has caffeine.
• Ensure adequate exposure to natural light.  This is particularly important for older people who may not venture outside as frequently as children and adults.  Light exposure helps maintain a healthy sleep-wake cycle.
• Establish a regular relaxing bedtime routine.  Try to avoid emotionally upsetting conversations and activities before trying to go to sleep.  Don't dwell on, or bring your problems to bed.
• If you find your mind racing, or worrying about not being able to sleep during the middle of the night, try getting out of bed and doing a quiet, non-stimulating activity, such as reading a book.  Keep the lights dim so as not to cue your body clock that it’s time to wake up.  Also avoid screens of any kind—computers, TV, cell phones, iPads—as the type of light they emit is stimulating to the brain.  A light snack or herbal tea might help relax you, but be careful not to eat so much that your body begins to expect a meal at that time of the day.
• If you wake during the night feeling anxious about something, make a brief note of it on paper and postpone worrying about it until the next day when you are fresh and it will be easier to resolve.  Similarly, if a brainstorm or great idea is keeping you awake, make a note of it on paper and fall back to sleep knowing you’ll be much more productive and creative after a good night’s rest.
• Associate your bed with sleep.  It's not a good idea to use your bed to watch TV, listen to the radio, or read.
• Make sure that your sleep environment is pleasant and relaxing.  The bed should be comfortable, the room should not be too hot or cold, or too bright.

Good sleep strategies are essential to deep, restorative sleep you can count on, night after night. The key is to experiment to find the sleep strategies that work best for you.