For instance, did you know that men and women often experience heart attacks differently? Men are more prone to so-called “Hollywood heart attacks”—breaking into a cold sweat, experiencing chest-crushing pain often while having pain running down the left arm. However, according to The Mayo Clinic, women having a heart attack are more likely to experience a general sense of fatigue, pain in the neck, shoulder, back, or abdomen, shortness of breath, nausea, or dizziness/lightheadedness. Because their symptoms are more subtle and are not always recognized as signs of a heart attack, women tend to sustain greater damage from heart attacks. Their symptoms are more likely to be chalked up to indigestion or stress, because that’s what they initially mimic.

The Mayo Clinic also points out that changes in estrogen levels after menopause significantly increase a woman’s risk for heart disease. However, both sexes are at greater risk for heart-health issues if they are overweight, out of shape, smoke, or have certain unmanaged conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure. In addition, recent studies have shown that for both women and men, losing a loved one can increase the risk of a heart incident by as much as 21 times in the first days following the loss. The Mayo Clinic also finds that men and women respond differently to certain heart medications and other treatments, with some being more effective for men while others provide more benefits to women.

The best method of prevention for both genders is to reduce your risk factors. So if you need lose weight, start exercising, quit smoking, or manage conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, visit with your doctor to discuss the best way to improve those conditions, and educate yourself about what you can do and take the steps necessary to improve your heart health. Then hopefully you’ll keep your heart ticking for years to come and celebrate many more Valentine’s Days with the ones you love!

photo by Pink Sherbet Photography

Are you keeping your skills fresh and adding to your knowledge base?

One study found that few professionals keep their knowledge current once their formal training or education is completed. It’s easy to get caught up in doing your job and ignore your skills:  either you don’t have the time to pursue additional education, or you don’t see the value of it, or it doesn’t seem practical to your day-to-day performance in the workplace.

There are several reasons to keep your skills updated, however. In Three Reminders on the Importance of Learning, Travis Campbell points out the value of keeping your knowledge current. One reason is that learning is energizing. You probably got into your profession because it was something that interested you, something you were good at, or something you enjoyed doing. Updating those skills teaches you more about something that already interests you. Keeping your knowledge current also makes you a more valuable asset to your company and lets you add more abilities to your skillset.

There’s also the simple fact that the world isn’t stagnant and things are always changing.

For instance, business writing, a skill nearly every employee uses, has changed dramatically just in the past few years. Email and social media have both changed the landscape of business writing, and knowing how to correctly use these tools can make all the difference in how your business is perceived. It can also make the difference in how your own work performance is viewed.

Online training and professional development such as Business Writing Today can offer you the opportunity to hone, refine, and update your skills. Improving your communications abilities also adds a valuable instrument to your tool chest, since clear writing is an essential part of nearly every job.

Keeping your certifications current and staying on top of industry trends will help you gain energy, focus, and purpose in your profession. How will you strive for excellence this year?

USA Today featured a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine this week. The study followed patients of both genders, black and white, at a variety of ages, and measured them for the four major heart disease risks: smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. This information was then compared to their likelihood of having a heart attack or stroke by age 80. The findings were not surprising: the healthier your heart is when you’re younger, the less likely you are to have a heart attack later in life.

Midlife, in fact, seems to be a strong determining factor. If you have not developed high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and are a non-smoker at age 45, you are much less likely to have a heart attack or stroke by age 80 than your less-healthy peers, with only a 1.4% chance of having a cardiac problem. If you have just two risk factors at age 45, though, your chances of having a heart attack or stroke jump to 49.5%! These statistics held true regardless of the race or gender of the study participant.

Does this mean that if you’re past 45 and have risk factors that nothing can be done? Absolutely not! Another finding from the study is that heart health can be improved no matter what your age. The impact of any of the risk factors can be lessened with treatment and changes in lifestyle. And certainly, the younger you are, the earlier you can take charge of your heart and its health. The sooner you incorporate heart-healthy habits into your life, the better your long-term outcome. Starting now—whatever your age—to stop smoking, eat a healthier diet, exercise, and manage conditions such as diabetes, only increases the odds that you will not have a heart attack or stroke later in life.

So this February, take charge of your heart health! And let us know—what heart-healthy steps are working for you?

Photo by: wellunwell

In a related article, The San Antonio Express-News stated that it is much too early to celebrate the small victory that at least we are no worse. The article acknowledges that while we’ve seen shifts in society, policy, and education toward becoming more healthy, it will take a long time for those changes to filter down into the general population. It further observes that “…now is the time to double-down on how we prevent and control obesity, and how we interpret the results of those efforts.”

TheAcademy.com’s founder and CEO, Jay B. Rea, shares his insights on the importance of education-based health and wellness programs and their potential to change the perceptions of those needing to lose weight. In it Rea observes that there are five keys to any successful lifestyle change—including weight loss:

• Decide what to change
• Learn why to make that change
• Learn how to break the status quo
• Commit to a plan to make the change easier
• Get support and encouragement while making the change

In the case of obesity, you decide you are going to lose weight. You learn that being overweight can lead to a number of health problems that you’d rather avoid. You learn how to break your current habits so that you operate from a new mindset and perceive your choices and actions in a different way. Then you make a commitment plan to reinforce your new choices. Along the way, you let family and friends know of your decision and ask them to give you support in your healthier choices. Your five keys to success are in place!

What are you doing to make healthy changes part of your life? Have you ever used one or all of the five keys to lifestyle change?

The best way to overcome the lack of motivation is to take action. You don’t have to fix everything at once, but taking any small step toward your goal can re-energize and revitalize your focus and get you back on track.

In an article featured this month in Corporate Health and Wellness Magazine,  we discuss the role education plays in meeting health-related goals. We know how hard it is to get motivated to quit smoking, lose weight or start an exercise program. Lifelong habits, favorite comfort foods, the desire to sleep in and instinctive reactions to stress seem like huge obstacles to overcome, and who has the time or energy to climb those mountains?

There are a myriad of programs that say “just do it,”—start this eating plan, wear this patch, join our gym. However, education specialists know that this only goes so far. Educational designers have shown that awareness of a problem is a key to changing it. That knowledge must be coupled with a plan of action, and is even stronger when there is some kind of reinforcement. But you must first be aware of the problem. Motivation often develops from understanding there’s an issue to be tackled and then being given the weapons to win the fight.

As you begin to meet your goals, the satisfaction you receive from that accomplishment becomes its own motivating factor. Before you know it, you’re making healthier choices on a consistent basis.

It doesn’t have to be rocket science. It can be as simple setting a reminder on your computer or smartphone to go to the gym after work (acknowledging the problem), making a commitment to get to the gym (a plan of action),  and seeing a more toned reflection in the mirror (positive reinforcement).

So what are you doing to beat the January doldrums? What has worked for you when you need to get motivated to do something?

Here’s to getting back on track and kicking those January blues!

Photo by designsbykari

You may have reached a point where you are so tired of hearing about resolutions that you don’t make one yourself. And that’s okay – it’s understandable.

Let’s look at it from another standpoint: how about deciding to put yourself first.

It is so easy in our day-to-day life to ignore ourselves. You start running on autopilot. You’ve got to feed the kids, get them off to school; take care of the house, pets, bills; support a spouse or partner; worry about job stresses. Before you know it, you have completely ignored yourself.

So why is it so hard for people to take care of themselves first?

Many people suggest that a sense of guilt takes over and you start to feel selfish for putting your needs first or taking care of yourself.  The result of this feeling is that you become over stressed, unhealthy, and truly not as helpful to your loved ones, friends and job as you could be.

So imagine how the problems compound if you are already overweight, have high blood pressure, smoke, etc…. The amount of stress you are putting on yourself only adds to the amount you eat, an increase in the number of cigarettes consumed, a reduction in the amount of exercise you get each week, or causes you a lack of sleep.

According to an article on SparkPeople, we all need to remember Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: human beings must meet their basic needs before they can move on to higher-level goals.

The author of this article offers a few guidelines to get started:

• Preserve your physical health with adequate sleep, exercise, and nutrition.
• Value your emotional health as much as the physical, with a support system of friends and a willingness to laugh—especially at yourself.
• Schedule fun activities on a regular basis—it’s just as important to plan pleasure as it is to plan work.
• Identify “busy behaviors” (or people) that drain your time and energy but aren’t really important, then dump ‘em, or at least minimize their hold on you.
• Kill two birds with one stone, combining family time with exercise, for example, which benefits everyone involved.
• Try to look at the problems in your life with new eyes to find solutions. If you’re a new mom, for instance, see if you can trade childcare with another new mom to get some time for yourself.
• Learn to say “No!” Your “yes” is valuable and should not be automatic. Instead, reserve it for the things that are most important to you.
• Don’t try to change every problem area in your life all at once. Start with one or two items, then expand as you get things under control.

Start with these baby steps to getting YOU back on track. Then arm yourself with the education you need to make your positive behaviors a habit that allows you to put yourself first.  Check back with us next week to learn more about how education can help you help yourself.

photo by: steven depolo

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

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?

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.

With budget restrictions easing, HR professionals will likely see increased volume on the recruitment side.  To help, building a database of resumes will allow HR to quickly gain access to qualified professionals when positions suddenly become available.  With the increased demand for qualified candidates, you may want to get the jump on bringing in viable candidates as soon as possible and shorten the usual amount of time the recruitment process takes.  Good candidates are likely entertaining offers from multiple organizations and if you are too slow, you may miss out on hiring the best candidate.  A company culture and work environment that provides a work/life balance and room for advancement within the company will be better positioned against the competition.

Does your organization currently have a succession planning process in place?  If not, now might be the best time to implement.  Look at your workforce and see who might be eligible to retire in the coming years.  Do you have a successor in place for that position?  You may also want to consider high-potential employees who might be considering jumping back into the job market and make efforts to retain them through investments in training and appreciation.  Keep those employees apprised of their future with your organization and communicate why you are investing in providing new skills to them.  Creating company loyalty and feelings of appreciation will go a long way in helping to retain your best talent.

Has your organization undergone a recent merger or acquisition?  Or are there plans on the horizon?  Integrating two organizations is never an easy process.  Some employees may need training or skills development to function in the new organization.  Provide employees with as much communication as possible to reduce the “grapevine affect” and keep your key people from jumping ship.

Finally, embrace social networking to find top candidates for recruitment.  LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and blogs will allow your organization to find talent that appreciates the company culture and may find passively looking talent who just happen to see your job postings or employee culture news.  Social media helps put a face on the company and may help promote your organization as a “great place to work”.