Employee Wellness Newsletter

Our Employee Wellness and Support Services provides opportunities and resources for employees to develop and maintain healthy emotional, mental, and physical well-being through support and guidance, as well as promoting personal and professional productivity through educational engagement. Visit our website for more information about Employee Wellness and Support Services: Employee Wellness and Support Services

This newsletter will provide you with information on emotional, mental, physical and nutritional health. We will focus on how to help you be proactive about your health and well-being. The EWS Newsletter will also provide support & guidance resources that we hope will assist you in dealing with stressors and challenges.

Time to ask! Do you have questions that you want to ask regarding wellness? Send us your questions via email at iisdewsresources@irvingisd.net. We will anonymously post and answer your questions on our next newsletter.

It's been said that "laughter is the best medicine." We hope that our Jokes of the Month will provide laughter and maybe even lighten the mood and inspire a smile.

1. What is a banana's favorite gymnastic move?

2. Why doesn't the fisherman go to the gym?

3. Why did Waldo (from "Where's Waldo?) start psychotherapy?

*Answers will be at the end of the newsletter.

Consider these strategies to calm your nervous system.

1. Shift your diet. Consider whole foods, protein, and nutritious fruits/vegetables. Vitamins such as vitamin B, omega, potassium, and magnesium may be beneficial.

2. Drink water. You probably hear this all the time; however, drinking water can help flush the systems of toxins, restore pH balance, help with high cognitive functioning, and reduce pain.

3. Engage your senses. Aromatherapy helps improve mood as the olfactory nerve (smell) control emotions. For sight, slowly check your surroundings left to right. For sound, slowly close your eyes and listen carefully. Do you hear birds chirping? For taste, slowly bite in to your food and allow your taste buds to explore all the different flavors. These strategies will help you to feel more present.

4. Positive distraction. Do something new or different to refresh your mind.

5. Deep breathing. Take a deep breath in through your nose, and out with a sigh.

6. Connect with others. Connecting with like-minded thinkers can release oxytocin in the brain, which leads to calmness.

7. Help others. One strategy to direct feelings of hopelessness is to help someone else. In fact, helping others is rewarding and improves your mood.

Source: Psychology Today

Here are some tips that you can use to successfully reduce added sugars, sodium, and saturated fats in meals.

Reduce Added Sugars

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting added sugars to less than 10% of daily calories for those 2 years and older.

• Eat snacks with no added sugars. For example, flavor your low-fat plain yogurt with fresh fruit instead of purchasing flavored yogurt.
  
• Enjoy a cup of herbal tea without added sweeteners or fresh fruit as a post-dinner treat.
  
• Drink fewer sugar-sweetened beverages by drinking water flavored with fruit.
  

Reduce Added Sodium

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend consuming fewer than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day and less for children under 14.

• Use the Nutrition Facts label to compare sodium content of foods and purchase products with less sodium.
• Rinse canned foods or select those with no salt added.
• Buy fresh poultry, seafood, lean cuts of red meat and pork rather than processed meat and poultry.
• Flavor foods with citrus, herbs and spices instead of salt.

Reduce Added Saturated Fats

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting consumption of saturated fat starting at age 2 to less than 10% of calories per day and replacing it with healthier unsaturated fats.

• Use vegetable oils in place of solid fats when cooking.
• Eat foods that are natural sources of unsaturated fats including unsalted nuts, seeds and fatty fish such as salmon.
• Select lean cuts of meat or skinless poultry.
  
• Use oil-based dressing instead of creamy-based dressing on salads.
  

Source: Eat Right

1. GO Workout! challenge continues until April 18.

- Workout 0-5 times between March 14 - April 18 and earn a CG Unstoppable Towel!
- Workout 6-11 times before March 14 - April 18 and earn the CG Unstoppable Towel + a CG Keychain!
- Workout 12+ times before March 14 - April 18 and earn the CG Unstoppable Towel + a CG Keychain + get entered to win 1 of 6 NEW UNSTOPPABLE CG MATS!

2. Use the Move Tracker to prove to your CG Trainer that you're checking in!

3. The more you move, the more CG Swag to earn! I personally think you are capable of getting all 12 of those workouts in. That's only 2-3 workouts PER WEEK! You got this!

Sign up ✍ if you haven't yet!

- Use the following link to take advantage of the Irving ISD and CG partnership

- If you're already signed as CG BOLD (CG Member) THEN YOU'RE ALL SET!!

- LINK: https://bit.ly/CGIrvingISD

Consider staying physically active by participating in the Irving Marathon. There are several different dates that you can choose from. Additionally, there are many race day perks included in your ticket purchase such as a shirt, custom event bib, food, professional photos, marathon bag, and many others. Ticket sales help battle childhood obesity, bullying, school supplies, and more as Irving Schools Foundation is the main beneficiary. To date, 11,000 kids have benefited from this project. This is a great opportunity to stay active and support your school community!

You can register here at Irving Marathon Series.

Did you know that you can get rewarded for healthy living through Well On Target if you have BCBS as your insurance company? Did you know that you can buy a new TV, Apple Watch, and more with those rewards points? You can collect points by completing health assessments, joining a fitness program, completing progress check-ins, going to the gym, and more? Earn points to buy something you have been eyeing on for months. Your wallet can thank you as well as your health! Click here to find out how!

Source: BCBS

1. The splits.

2. He pulled a mussel.

3. He wanted to find himself.

Newsletter Questions/Suggestions/Comments?

Contact:

Jose Villasenor (Strategist) | Veronica Maples | Nedra Brown (Cluster Leads)

Jovillasenor@irvingisd.net | Vmaples@irvingisd.net | Nbrown@irvingisd.net

972-600-5249 | 972-600-3133

iisdewsresources@irvingisd.net

Employee Wellness Page