New Year Health & Safety Tips

Only a few more days until the calendar turns to 2012. Have you made your New Year resolutions? We at

1.) Wash your hands often.
You hear it everywhere, you read it everywhere, now it’s time to put it to practice. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you should wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.

2.) Cover your cough and sneezes.
This simple tip could help stop the spread of the flu virus.  Try to cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, and then put the tissue in the trash. If this isn’t possible, then cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or crook of your elbow – not into your hands as this just spreads the germs further.

3.) Manage stress.
The holidays can be a stressful time for people, and can take a toll on your health. As you enter the New Year, resolve to create work/life balance. Learn to say “no” and try to keep a relaxed and positive attitude. And don’t forget to catch your zzzz’s!

4.) Quit smoking.
Probably one of the most obvious tips, yet one of the hardest for people to do. If you need help getting started, you can start with our Guide to Health on stopping smoking. Of course, when in doubt contact your health care provider.

5.) Eat healthy. Stay active.
More than 60% of Americans are overweight or obese, and of that group only 59% exercise more than once per week. Being overweight increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, breast cancer, stroke and more. Losing weight and maintaining a consistent exercise program is probably one of the best things a person can do for their total body and mental health.

Happy New Year from TheAcademy.com!

Photo by Alan Cleaver

Holiday Overindulgence = New Year’s Resolution!

We’re knee-deep into holiday season and it seems like a marathon of endless parties, social gatherings, cookie exchanges, office gifts and goodies everywhere you look. It’s just a little bite, taste or sip—it would be rude to say no, right?!? So you toss your “diet” aside and before you know it, those little bites, tastes and sips add up to a higher number when you step on the scale.

According to a recent Weight Watchers article on holiday weight gain, of the people who regularly watch their diet and exercise, close to 40 percent still gain at least 2 pounds during the holidays.  And the first thing they do on Jan. 1—resolve to take the weight off.

Do New Year’s Resolutions Work?

Yes, they do!  According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, people who made New Year’s resolutions had higher rates of success than people who did not make resolutions.

Getting healthier—especially losing weight—starts with deciding to make a lifestyle change (setting that resolution).  However, change can be difficult for many people and it’s easier just to maintain the status quo.

Here are four tips on how to break the status quo:

• Have the understanding of how to do it
• Make the commitment
• Have a plan
• Keep the resolve until the job is done.

Resolution Made – Now What?

After you have set your intention (goals), the best way for a person to lose weight is to get educated on how to reach those goals. Gather the needed tools and techniques, and then create a plan.

In other words, if an education program is put in place first, and then the tools and opportunity to put the education into place are provided, there will be a greater chance for success.

So, enjoy the holidays! And then make that resolution to get back on track with your diet and exercise and lose those extra couple of pounds. Arm yourself with the how-to, coupled with the desire, and you have a winning combination!

What are your New Year’s Resolutions?

New Studies Show Obesity Can Lead to Breast Cancer

It is common knowledge that obesity is a leading indicator for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, sleeping disorders, bone and joint problems, but did you know that it is now being linked to breast cancer?

A recent study conducted by San Antonio-based doctors Andrew Brenner and Linda deGraffenried of the UT Health Science Center suggests that both diet and lifestyle choices correlate to both your risk of getting breast cancer, as well as the progression of the disease.

Doctors deGraffenried and Brenner found that 50 percent of post menopausal patients with breast cancer were obese, another 25 percent overweight, and the remaining 25 percent of normal weight, proving that obesity and breast cancer are linked. Their full findings will presented at the 34th Annual Breast Cancer Symposium in San Antonio.

These statistics are significant when you consider that according to a 2010 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association that one third of US adults are obese (having a BMI of >30). Of the female population, this equates to 35.5 percent.

Researchers at Oxford University found that obesity had a greater influence on oestrogen and testosterone levels (cancer-triggering hormones) than alcohol consumption and heavy smoking.

On average, obese women (as defined above) had oestrogen levels 50 per cent higher than those of normal weight. Testosterone levels were 16 percent higher. More on this study can be found here.

Now, researchers and doctors understand that there are more risk factors involved in breast cancer than just a woman’s weight. You of course have to look at, amongst other factors, family history, age, reproduction history and menopause date.

I think we can all agree that controlling your weight is one of the easiest things we can do to avoid breast cancer, as well as numerous other health problems.

Need a guide to helping you start losing weight, eating healthy and exercising more? We can help. Contact us or leave a message below.