Wellness Initiative: Issue 1

To develop a long-term wellness strategy that combines health promotion and exercise. This is designed to facilitate positive lifestyle changes for members of the Dallas Sheriff’s Department.

Think Well, Be Well, Pass It On! Issue 1: November 2012 Sheriff’s Health and Wellness Initiative

Our mission:

Movement Awareness

3 Learn how to function better with more energy and less pain. Reasons why exercise is only moderately effective for weight loss.

Calendar of Events

…Get moving!

You’re Up! First I would like to congratulate Sheriff Valdez and the Wellness Committee Members for making the Health and Wellness Initiative a reality. I am honored to be the first to provide a testimonial challenge. Growing up, I had a poor understanding of how bad food choices could affect my health. After I began my law enforcement career, I tended to overeat and make poor meal choices even though I was consistently running five days a week. At one point in time, I had become overweight and I knew I needed to change my lifestyle and eating habits, but at the time I had little information (or the internet) to guide me.

My wife took an active role in changing my diet. She prepared lean cuts of meat or poultry, vegetables and other whole foods for our family to eat. This helped me lose weight. I turned to riding a bicycle as a form of exercise after knee and back injuries finished off my running career. Because cycling is a low impact exercise, I have the ability to ride long distances and this has also helped me reduce my weight. CONTINUE ON PG 2

Eating Behavior

4 Examine your relationship with food.

The advantages of eating fresh, healthy foods last a lifetime.

Health Briefs

5 November is American Diabetes Month.

The facts tell us that the masses need to be educated about risk factors and solutions.

A Chief’s Testimony

Lifestyle Insight

5 Help me help myself. Wishing for the wrong thing.

When we see the good things others have and wish it was ours, we miss the full picture.

Financial & Education Tips

6 Fall auto care tip:

When the weather outside is frightful, a little advance preparation can help.

Crack Yourself Up! Wall Of Encouragement

Also Inside…

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Issue #: [Date] Dolor Sit Amet

Join the movement.

Working for the Dallas Sheriff’s Department is rewarding. It also requires some self-sacrifice. I cannot be any prouder of the hard work and dedication everyone puts to ensure the safety of Dallas County citizens. It’s time we try harder in our efforts to take care of each other. After all, we are like a big family within this department and it’s important we stay healthy.

It is for that reason that I am proud to announce the official launch of the wellness initiative to help promote good health among us.

To ensure this initiative is taken seriously, the executive staff has committed themselves to the cause. Every quarter, one of the chiefs will partake in a friendly healthy wager. This could be with a few of the commanders, or an entire division, but the point it to encourage and help keep each other accountable.

The fact of the matter is it’s time we take care of each other. Healthy eating and some daily physical activity can ensure we all have more opportunities to truly enjoy life with our loved ones, and that is a reward within itself.

No ones says it will be an easy journey, but it certainly would be nice if we used each other as a support system.

The wide range in work hours and crazy daily schedules within the department make it hard to plan for a healthy meal or even to make time to work out. It is for that reason that this wellness initiative can help each of us get a little creative.

—Sheriff Lupe Valdez

From Sheriff Lupe Valdez

Sheriff Lupe Valdez takes part in the NAMI 3-Mile Walk along with Capt. Sheila Carter-Bass and Public Defender Lynn Richardson. The event raises funds for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. NAMI provides free educational and support programs for families impacted by mental illness.

CHIEF BLAISE CONTINUED

I really enjoy the camaraderie of being part of a cycling club and participating in the group rides, which allows me to stay motivated to ride in less than desirable conditions. I know that if I don’t show up for a group ride, my fellow cyclists will not let me live it down the next time we meet up as they tell the story of the epic ride I missed.

I wish to challenge those who do not have an exercise program to start one. I assure you it is never too late. If you are inactive, start by walking several times a week and set yourself a reasonable goal. Most exercise programs fail due to over doing it and then sustaining an injury. If you already walk or run, challenge yourself by entering a charity event or even a race. Include your family or friends and start teaching others the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

I would encourage you to enter the Dallas YMCA “Turkey Trot”. My family and I have participated for the last 12 years and it is an outstanding family event.

I also challenge those that are reading this newsletter to pass it on to other co-workers and begin the process of developing a network of like-minded friends who will work with you, and at times push you, to achieve the goals you set. You will also find information concerning healthy food choices throughout this newsletter. Eating healthy and exercising go hand in hand to create a healthy life style. Anticipate set backs, but work to overcome them. To quote the Chinese philosopher Laozi “The journey of a thousand miles begins beneath one’s feet.”

—Chief Blaise

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Learn how to function better with more energy and less pain.

REASONS WHY EXERCISE IS ONLY MODERATELY EFFECTIVE FOR WEIGHT LOSS IN OBESITY

The most important explanation why exercise isn't effective for many people trying to lose weight is that exercise represents only a small percentage of the calories burned in any 24-hour period. Even a full hour of vigorous exercise in these people constitutes only about 10-30% of the total calories they burn up in a given 24-hour period. Contrast that to the Tour de France athlete who cycles at a furious pace for 6 solid hours, burning up as much as 9,000 calories in a single day.

Movement Awareness

In the average person, "routine daily activities" (vacuuming, raking, sweeping, running errands, etc.) are responsible for the largest share of the calories expended each day:

• Calories burned during daily activity: 65-75% of the day's total

• Calories burned during exercise: none if sedentary; up to 30-35% if exercise is vigorous and prolonged

• Calories burned during digestion: 5-10%

Unfortunately, obese people simply aren't as active as thinner people:

In 2005, researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that thinner people were more active than overweight people. The subjects wore a specially designed body suit that tracked physical movement throughout the day, including movements as small as toe tapping. Scientists call this "NEAT": non-exercise activity thermogenesis (Levine JA, et al. 1999). Assessments were made twice per second around-the-clock for 10 days.

The study showed that heavy persons sit about 150 minutes more each day than lean people do. This translates to 350 fewer calories burned each day by the obese person. (Levine JA, et al. 2005).

And claims of a "slow metabolism" are not relevant for the majority of people who are overweight or obese:

In 1992, a report appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine evaluating the metabolic rate of obese subjects (BMI > 27) who claimed to have a "slow metabolism" as their reason for being unable to lose weight. Subjects were monitored for 14 days. The study revealed that these self-proclaimed "slow metabolizers" actually underreported their true food intake by 47% and over reported their physical activity by 51% (Lichtman SW, et al. 1992).

Weight loss occurs if more calories are burned than consumed. But, even if a person exercises for an hour, they may not lose weight if they consume an excessive number of calories that day.

EXERCISE DOES WORK.

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SNEAKY SUGARS IN FOOD

Packaged foods are loaded with sugar

According to the USDA, most added sugars in the American diet come from regular (non-diet) soft drinks —about 33% of all added sugars consumed. Sweetened fruit drinks, candy, cake and ready-to eat cereal account for another 24%. But prepared foods, like ketchup, peanut butter, canned fruits and vegetables and "low-fat" products (where sugar has been added to make up for the reduction of fat) account for more than a quarter of the added sugar in the American diet.

Why do food manufacturers add sugar to products? Other than the obvious —to make foods sweeter— manufacturers add sugar to improve and maintain foods' color, texture and shelf life.

--Adapted from Health & Wellness Magazine

Honey Crisp Apple

A winning all-purpose apple, the Honey crisp apple offers a pleasingly crisp sweet-tart bite.

Weight Loss

• According to the Nutrition Journal, apple pectin promotes weight loss because it is low in calories and high in fiber. Having regular bowel movements helps rid the body of excess chemicals. Even though apple pectin is sweet it does not raise blood glucose, which is the amount of sugar in blood. If sugar spikes often, over time it can lead diabetes and other problems. Overall, apple pectin supplements help maintain balance in the body.

Eating Behavior

Examine your relationship with food; learn to prioritize your nutrition over your taste buds.

Farmer’s Market Tips:

Wall of Encouragement

“Others don’t follow what you say so much as what they watch you do.” (Wisdom of Generals)

—Investigator S. Franklin, Warrants

Crack Yourself Up There is joy in laughter.

The local sheriff was looking for a deputy, so Gomer - who was not exactly the sharpest nail in the bucket went in to try out for the job. "Okay," the sheriff drawled, "Gomer, what is 1 and 1?" "11" he replied. The sheriff thought to himself, "That's not what I meant, but he's right." "What two days of the week start with the letter 'T'?" "Today and tomorrow" He was again surprised that Gomer supplied a correct answer that he had never thought of himself. "Now Gomer, listen carefully: Who killed Abraham Lincoln?" Gomer looked a little surprised himself, then thought really hard for a minute and finally admitted, "I don't know." "Well, why don't you go home and work on that one for a while?" So, Gomer wandered over to the pool hall where his pals were waiting to hear the results of the interview. Gomer was exultant. "It went great! First day on the job and I'm already working on a murder case!"

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November is American Diabetes Month. Alarming facts about the health of the American public tell us that the masses need to be educated about risk factors and solutions to this growing crisis.

According to the National Institutes of Health, 58 percent of diabetic cases could be prevented with a healthier lifestyle. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States and affects approximately 25.8 million people.

These diabetes tips can help you and those you love:

Look closely at your family history.

Watch your weight and try to maintain a healthy weight.

Set aside time for leisure activity such as walking and any form of exercise for at least 30 minutes, five days a week.

Learn to read labels on food and choose healthy foods.

Things that are recommended for diabetes prevention are also used in treatment.

When you visit your doctor, ask him or her about screening if you are African American, Hispanic, or Native American, for you are at an increased risk.

Remember, lifestyle is your major risk outside of your family history.

Change Your Lifestyle

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Health Briefs

Lifestyle Insight Help Me Help Myself.

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What You Expect From Your Children, You Need To Be Yourself

We all have aspirations and expectations for our children. But if you want your children to be something, there’s little point in telling them, you need to show them.

If you want them to be healthy and to fight off childhood obesity, they need to see you eat healthy and exercise regularly. If you want them to be in control of their emotions, you need to show them how you control your temper when things don’t go your way. If you want them to have a love of learning, they need to see you reading and studying. If you want them to develop healthy relationships, you need to show them what it means to be a great husband or wife. If you want them to be hard workers, they need to see you living diligently (sorry, but wondering why you’re always working late in the office doesn’t count). If you want them to live optimistically, you need to be able to display resilience during the bad times and be able to smile in the face of adversity. If you want them to have a healthy spiritual life, you need to role model the disciplines of your faith and live by your beliefs.

Sometimes as a father, I get frustrated when my kids don’t listen to me. And then I remember that they may not be listening, but they sure are watching. It’s harder to be a role model and I wish that I could just tell them what to do. But that’s not how it works. We may be able to fool people from outside our own families, but our kids see everything and know what we’re really like. So they need to see the best of us as often as possible. So stop telling them how to live, show them!

(Adapted from the Feb. 27, 2012, Parenting Issue)


Financial & Education Tips

Winter car care tips

Batteries: The #1 Cause of Roadside Breakdown.

Why do so many batteries die during the winter? I know a few people that have had car batteries die, two of them because the cables came loose. Is this just a coincidence or is it a result of the cold?"

Winter is tough on batteries, for two main reasons. The engines are far harder to turn over because all the oil inside them has turned to molasses. This demands much more current from a battery, and to add insult to injury, that battery cannot produce its normal amount of energy because of the cold. The chemical reactions that generate electricity are slower at lower temperatures. Your point about cables loosening is partially related. The huge current demands of the starter motor—200 to 400 amps—can cause the battery clamps to heat up if the connection at the clamp to post isn't perfect. When the car starts, the connection will cool off. And that leaves a poor connection. And a poor connection can prevent the battery from getting fully charged. A discharged battery, unlike one that's fully charged, can freeze, damaging it internally. That said, while more cars won't start on cold winter mornings, more batteries actually fail during the summer months, when intense heat cooks out the electrolyte, boiling the battery dry.

Most batteries last only 3-5 years in ideal driving conditions. Do you know how old yours is

If you're not sure —or if you suspect your battery might be failing— stop in your local Auto Zone for free battery testing.

Calendar of Events

⇒ Sat. Nov. 10th @ 8 a.m. The 2012 Out of the Darkness Walk-North Texas @ Reverchon Park, in Dallas. Benefits the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Foundation of Texas.

⇒ Sat. Nov. 10th @ 10 a.m. Dallas-Fort Worth Walk to Defeat ALS @ QuickTrip Park, Grand Prairie. Celebrate life while supporting a great cause.

⇒ Sun. Nov. 11th @ noon. Best Buddies Texas Dallas 5K Friendship Walk @ White Rock Lake (Tee Pee Hill). ⇒⇒⇒ TTThhhuuurrrsss... NNNooovvv... 222222,,, 222000111222 @@@ 999 aaa...mmm... DDDaaalll lllaaasss YYYMMMCCCAAA TTTuuurrrkkkeeeyyy TTTrrrooottt ... VVViiisss iii ttt ttthhheeettt rrrooottt ...ooorrrggg tttooo rrreeegggiiisssttteeerrr ...

⇒ Sat. Dec. 8 @ 8:15 a.m. (5K Walk/Run) @ 9 a.m. for One Mile Kid’s Run @ the Automobile Building – Fair Park (FREE, NO COST). The KwanzaaFest “Beat Obesity” 5K Walk/ Run & 1 Mile

Kid’s Run. Visit johnwileyprice.com/kwanzaa-5kwalk.html to register.

⇒ Sat. March 16th @ 8 a.m. AIDS Walk South Dallas 2013 @ The St. Philip’s School and Community Center. C.U.R.E. and Walgreens present AIDS Walk South Dallas, formerly known as South Dallas AIDS Walk.

We welcome your ideas, any article suggestions and general feedback. Contact [email protected]

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Wellness Initiative: Issue 1

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