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November Body Bulletin and online Personal Best newsletters are now available

The November issue of the Body Bulletin newsletter is being distributed to Laboratory employee mail stops and the Personal Best is now online.

Both newsletters have essentially the same content, however additional or expanded articles are included in the online Personal Best.

November is American Diabetes Month and the Occupational Medicine (HSR-2) Health Promotion team is co-sponsoring a diabetes support services expo with Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico. There will be several screenings offered (blood glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol, foot screenings) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesday in the Otowi Building side rooms at Technical Area 3. Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico also will be giving away coupons for free blood glucose monitors and raffling off prizes hourly. This month's issue of Personal Best has more information on evaluating risks for developing type II diabetes and how to reduce those risks.

The cover story this month features winter safe driving tips. As winter approaches, rain, wind, snow, freezing temperatures and darkness can make roadways hazardous. Use common sense and a lot of caution when driving in stormy conditions. Read Personal Best for more tips on staying safe on the road, including what to do if you begin to skid or get stranded. An item list for a travel rescue kit is included.

Increased darkness during the winter months can cause many people to have the winter blues, or what is known as seasonal affective disorder. This form of depression is related to the reduction of daylight during winter. Seasonal affective disorder is most common in women and younger people. Read more about the symptoms and what to do about it if you are experiencing symptoms or have been diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder.

"High Stress in Caregivers" caused by managing the daily needs of loved ones with chronic illness or disability is well documented. New research shows this type of chronic stress can impair the caregiver's immune system – enough to reduce the effectiveness of a flu or pneumonia vaccination. November is National Family Caregivers Month so give a caregiver a break by lending them a hand this month.

As women enter menopause, usually in their early 50s, estrogen levels drop dramatically, culminating in the cessation of ovulation and monthly periods. With declining estrogen, women face increased risk of heart disease; bone and muscle loss; weakened pelvic muscles; joint stiffness; and weight gain. Exercise can help to prevent future medical problems as well as reduce typical menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and sleep disruptions. Read more in this month's issue.

In your 40s or 50s and feeling a dull pain in one or more joints? The incidence of osteoarthritis rises sharply at this age, but is now not believed to be a normal part of aging. The Arthritis Foundation views osteoarthritis as a degenerative process that can be set in motion by an injury and aggravated by overuse. Personal Best has suggestions on what to do if feeling joint pain.

Still smoking and want to quit? Thursday (Nov. 20) is national Great American Smoke-out Day and a good time to quit. Forty-seven million American adults still smoke, and 45 million have quit already. About 50 percent of Americans who smoke will die prematurely from smoking, the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. Amy Anderson of the Lab's Employee Assistance Program, part of HSR-2, has tips on how to get started in giving up the nicotine habit. She can be reached at 7-7339.

The average child in America spends six hours a day in front of a screen, be it a television, computer, video game, the Internet and movies. This total exceeds time spent in school. While they're watching, children will have witnessed 200,000 violent acts and 16,000 murders on television alone by age 18. Children learn by observation, and the effects of media violence have been found to be long lasting, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. This month's Body Bulletin outlines the statistics and provides advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics for media viewing for kids.

The recipe of the month is turkey hash.

Also in this issue: the night shift and family relations; healthy portions; exercising with family or friends; trans fatty acids; a dog's life as a good example; hepatitis facts; kitchen safety; indigestion with age; and risks for Alzheimer's Disease.

Body Bulletin and online Personal Best are published by Scott Publishing in Edmonds, Wash., and are part of the Lab's Positive Health Directions program in HSR-2 and Benefits and Employment Services (HR-B).

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