WELLNESS 2022: "Teamwork Makes the Dream Work" ESHCA Wellness Newsletter December 2022 The shareable link (printable) for this issue: https://conta.cc/3XTb8kf For complete member services visit us at: www.eshca.org

Fall Nutrition Challenge (PowerPoint): $50 Incentive

"Take Action": Participate in the Fall ESHCA Nutrition Challenge!!! Watch PowerPoint Presentation and fill in the Worksheet Available: Now - 12/31/22 (Note: this is not a newsletter challenge, all members and their member-spouse are eligible to participate!) 60% of Americans have 1 or more chronic diseases! Including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and low back pain. 80% of chronic disease can be managed or cured through lifestyle! Good Nutrition, Sufficient Exercise, Quit Tobacco "Let Food Be Thy Medicine and Medicine Be Thy Food" (Hippocrates) Drinking 64 ounces of water per day reduces risk of heart disease 41% in women and 54% in men, Lean Proteins (chicken, fish, eggs) repair tissue damage and control blood sugar, 3 stalks of celery per day lowers blood pressure, Almonds reduce cholesterol and control blood sugar, Blueberries are loaded with antioxidants, -and- Broccoli lowers your risk of cancer!

Click Here to Take the Challenge!!!

2023 Wellness Checklist: 5 Steps

Time to work on your 2023 Wellness Calendar! The following 5 steps have been identified by the Wellness Committee to improve our chances of lowering health insurance costs: 1) Schedule your Preventative Appointments ($0 copay) Includes: Annual Physical, Dental Cleanings, and Vision Checkup Incentives: 2022 Annual Physical Incentive ($200) offered through May 2023, get your paperwork in!

2) Register for Gia (MVP Virtual App) What services does Gia offer? ID Cards, EOB's, Virtual Urgent Care, Virtual Mental Health, Virtual Nutrition Counseling, and much more! Incentive: make sure you receive your $25 incentive.

3) Sign-up for the Monthly Online Newsletter If you are reading this, you are most likely already signed up. Please take a minute each month to "open" and review. Also, "spread the word", encourage work colleagues and family members to participate!

4) Collect "Wellness Bucks": Review the Wellness Platform (www.eshca.org) "Wellness Bucks" encourage, motivate, and reward members for "practicing" a healthy lifestyle! Participating members can receive up to $450 in incentives per year! Review the "2023 Wellness Platform" for details!

5) Chronic Disease Management: "Take Action"

It is advantageous for members to take an interest in their health. Chronic Diseases are responsible for 80% of healthcare spend nationwide! If not managed (diet, exercise, and medication if necessary), they can turn into "high-cost claims" which greatly affect EHSCA Health Premiums. What can one address to lower the risk of chronic disease onset? 1) Weight Management Maintain a healthy BMI (Body Mass Index) between 18.5 and 24.9 There are several BMI calculators online: input your height and weight Measure your waist Body fat (visceral fat) that accumulates around the waist is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Tools: scale and tape measure 2) Blood Pressure Ideal: systolic < 120 and diastolic < 80 Why monitor at home (article)? Tools: Monitors for home use are inexpensive and available at local drug stores. 3) Count your steps (measure general daily activity) - BE ACTIVE! The November Newsletter referenced research stating "8,200 steps per day reduces the risk of chronic disease". Tracking steps may not be beneficial for a laborer on a job site, but it is useful for someone who spends several hours behind a desk or maybe someone operating equipment. Tools: How can you measure your steps? Pedometers that simply measure steps are inexpensive and a useful tool, most smart phones come equipped with an app. More advanced "Smartwatches" are a bit pricier but provide additional information including heart rate, monitor sleep, etc. 4) Get your Heart Rate up a few times per week - EXERCISE! Again, you can buy a "smartwatch" that will measure your heart rate, or you can use the old-fashioned measure, "Perceived Rate of Exertion". PRE: Are you slightly winded and a bit sweaty 5-10 minutes into your exercise session? 5) Be attentive to good Nutrition - EAT HEALTHY! Nutrition can be overwhelming, keep it simple and 80% of the time (8 out of 10 meals) stick to the following: 1) Drink Water Avoid soda (even sugar-free), sports drinks, fruit juice (read labels, high in sugar) 2) Eat 5+ servings of produce per day 3+ vegetables and 2+ fruits Replace processed foods (high in sodium, sugar, and fat) with produce 3) Prepare your own food (avoid excessive eating out) Restaurant meals are high in sodium, sugar, and fat 4) Fast (probably not what you think) It can be very easy to do, for example, avoid late night snacking Eat dinner at 6pm and then do not eat again until breakfast at 6am, a 12-hour fast is proven to have significant health benefits including weight control and healthy glucose levels! 6) "Know Your Numbers" - GET YOUR ANNUAL PHYSICAL! Blood work from your Annual Physical: Blood pressure, blood sugar (glucose), cholesterol, and body weight are good indicators of present and future health. Discuss results with your doctor annually and take lifestyle steps to manage them! Note: Looking for help? Gia provides Nutrition Counseling ($0 copay)! 

$25 Monthly Challenge - Review the 2023 Wellness Incentive Platform Wellness Incentives are provided to motivate, educate, and reward members (and the member-spouse) to take steps toward lowering health care spend. The Wellness Incentive Platform is divided into 4 categories: A, B, C, and D; members can participate in all or one of the categories! Follow the steps to review 2023 incentive offerings: 1) Step 1 - visit the ESHCA website (www.eshca.org) 2) Step 2 - click on the "Wellness" link 3) Step 3 - click on the "Wellness Incentive List" link, then click on "2023 Wellness Incentive Platform" and email me the "Secret Phrase" verifying you found and reviewed the Platform. 4) Step 4 - I will send you a $25 gift card for participating! Challenge notes: All members of the household are encouraged to participate, however, only one incentive can be issued to each member-household with the exception that more than one employee-member lives in a household. Each member-household is limited to 6 incentives per year, if you participate in more than 6 newsletter challenges your company will be given additional participation points toward the "Golden Boot" award, recognizing the ESHCA Wellness Company of the Year!  Special offer: Get your crew involved!!! Take the lead, be a "Wellness Champion". Encourage the members of your crew to participate, have a group discussion and review the 2023 Wellness Incentive Program as a group. Record the "secret phrase" on a single sheet of paper with all the names (print clearly) of those that reviewed it and send it in. Reminder: only members will receive the incentive.