Wellness

Well Wisconsin Webinar – Managing Time, Managing Stress

What better season to talk about stress and time management than around the holidays? Stop feeling excess pressure, anxiety, and stress, and be in control of your life with ideas you can implement now. It’s about you this holiday season.

Learn about:ThanksgivingBusy

  • The effects of long term stress on our health
  • Stress and time management techniques
  • How to manage holiday stress

Date: Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Time: 12:00 to 12:30 p.m.

Location: Cofrin Library, 7th floor, room 735

No need to RSVP – just mark your calendar to join us, and bring your lunch!

You could also participate in this webinar at your workstation if you prefer – please visit wellwisconsin.staywell.com and go to Wellness Webinars to register.

All webinars are recorded and available to Well Wisconsin Program participants on the StayWell wellness portal after the event date.

To access the StayWell wellness portal, you must be an employee, retiree, or spouse enrolled in the State of Wisconsin or Wisconsin Public Employers Group Health Insurance Programs.

 

Red Rosemary Vinegar

IngredientsVinegar

  • 1 quart red wine vinegar
  • 1 handful rosemary sprigs
  • 2 thoroughly clean 16-ounce jars with plastic lids

Directions

  1. Wash and dry rosemary.
  2. Crush lightly to release fragrance, then divide into 2 jars.
  3. Pour vinegar into a nonreactive pan (almost anything but aluminum) and bring just to the boiling point (about 8 to 10 minutes at medium-high heat).
  4. Pour vinegar into jars and put caps on jars. Let sit for 2 weeks.
  5. To prepare a gift, strain vinegar into pretty bottles. Add a fresh sprig of rosemary to the new bottle. Seal and present.

Note: Vinegar’s acidity makes it safer than most home-canning projects. But if your flavored vinegar starts to mold or show signs of fermenting (bubbling, severe cloudiness, or sliminess), throw it out!  (Gluten-free)

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC

Flip Around Your Mattress Today for Better Sleep Tonight

Bed

Most manufacturers recommend flipping and rotating your mattress every so often in order for it to last its full life expectancy, but you’re not alone if you tend to skip this chore. Tonight is the night. If you want to sleep better, don’t put it off any longer. You deserve to rest on a mattress that’s comfortable and supportive.

Newer mattresses only have one “sleeping side,” so there’s no need to flip them over. But rotating your mattress on a regular schedule is just as important. You should rotate your mattress every three months. And don’t forget your box spring. It should be rotated, not flipped, every six months. You may just find that new spot on the mattress is just what you needed for a better night’s sleep.

Article from the StayWell Company, LLC

Pork Chops with Savory Apples

IngredientsPorkChopApples

  • 2 medium apples
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • 4 pork chops, about 3/4-inch thick, with bone (about 1-1/2 pounds total)
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup fat-free sour cream

Directions

  1. Quarter and core apples. Peel if desired.
  2. Cut onion in half and then slice it.
  3. Use a large frying pan with a lid. Heat oil over medium-high heat and add pork chops and garlic.
  4. Brown quickly, about 2 minutes per side.
  5. Add cut-up apples, onion, and water.
  6. Cover and turn heat to low. Let cook for about 15 minutes, until pork is cooked through (internal temperature of 145°F with 3 minutes of rest) and apples are soft.
  7. Remove chops to a warm serving platter.
  8. Bring pan juices to a boil and turn off heat.
  9. Stir in sour cream and pour over chops. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 (gluten-free)
Each serving contains about 271 calories, 24 g protein, 13 g fat, 71 mg cholesterol, 13 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, and 75 mg sodium.

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC

Avoid Late-Night Eating

FridgeNightTossing and turning while everyone else is asleep? Maybe that late-night meal is to blame. Heavy foods too close to bedtime can leave you restless in bed. What’s more, eating large meals late at night may also lead to packing on unwanted pounds. If you find yourself hungry before bedtime tonight, don’t reach for that leftover pizza. Instead, have a light snack. For instance, try yogurt, carrots with hummus, a banana, or a handful of almonds. Avoid indulging in greasy and spicy foods.

Still not convinced? Eating too much before you hit the hay can also lead to acid reflux and indigestion. For a more satisfying slumber, think twice the next time you consider having that “fourth meal,” and opt for a small amount of lighter fare instead!

Article from the StayWell Company, LLC

 

 

Fresh Cranberry Applesauce

IngredientsCranApple

  • 1 pound apples (3 medium-sized)
  • 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
  • 1 tablespoon sugar, or 2 packets artificial sweetener
  • 1/2 cup water

Directions

  1. Peel and core apples.
  2. Chop apples and put into a microwave-safe dish with cranberries. Add water.
  3. Cover and microwave on high for 4 minutes.
  4. Stir in sugar (or sweetener) and mash with a fork to desired consistency.
  5. Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve cold.

Serves 6 (gluten-free)
Each serving (with sugar) contains about 42 calories, 11 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 0 g protein, 0 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, and 0 mg sodium.

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC

Healthy Potluck held October 23rd

 

SmilesCrop

Healthy food, laughter, and good conversation were shared on Tuesday, October 23rd during the Annual Healthy Potluck!  We enjoyed delicious food such as linguini salad, taco soup, spaghetti squash chow mein, broccoli salad, chili, turkey tacos, butternut squash soup, mulled spiced apple cider, apple crisp and vegetable soup.  Thanks to everyone who came and to Lisa Schmelzer for organizing this event!Broccoli Kathleen KathleenLine Linguini SarahLine VeggieSoup

Pumpkin-Cranberry Gift Loaves

IngredientsPumpkinCranberryLoaf

  • 1 29-ounce can pure pumpkin (about 1-3/4  cups)
  • 1-1/4 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs or 3/4 cup egg substitute
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
  • 2-1/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
  • 2 cups fresh cranberries

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray 6 baby loaf pans (about 6 inches long) with cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, use a whisk to combine pumpkin, sugar, eggs, and vegetable oil.
  3. Add dry ingredients, stirring until everything is combined. Stir in nuts and cranberries.
  4. Bake at 325°F for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
  5. This is a very moist quick bread. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove to rack and let cool completely before wrapping.

Serves 4 (per loaf)
Each serving contains about 165 calories, 2 g protein, 6 g fat, 27 mg cholesterol, 24 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, and 130 mg sodium.

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC

Communicate your way to less workplace stress

MtgWhether you work in a warehouse or a boardroom, the most important part of being a team leader is communication.

More projects fail because of poor communication rather than because of a bad plan. So if your career goals involve team projects, learn these four important aspects of team communication today for more success and less stress:

1. Set clear goals and expectations. It may sound like a no-brainer, but the only way to get your team to do what you want is to tell them exactly what you want. Explain to your team members how you want meetings to run or how to ask for help. Make it clear what the project’s goal is. You can hold big meetings or informal one-on-one chats, send emails, or set upconference calls—just make sure you’re communicating clearly.

2. Bring your team together. Get to know the members of your team and help them get to know one another. Talk about what you like to do outside of work. If possible, try getting the team together for a happy hour or coffee break. If your team members feel comfortable talking with one another socially, there may be fewer miscommunications when it comes to working ont he project.

3. Prepare to resolve conflicts. Personalities can sometimes clash at work. As the team leader, it may fall to you to smooth things out. You may be able to handle most situations by getting the parties together and talking through possible solutions. But it’s also helpful to know when outside help is needed to resolve a conflict—for example, when a problem keeps recurring or if legal issues arise.

4. Don’t be afraid to talk about failure. No project is going to go 100 percent smoothly all the time. At some point, you may find your plan isn’tworking as well as you thought it might. Learn to talk openly with your team about what may be going wrong—that way, you can identify any problems and, more important, find a good solution.

Article from the StayWell Company, LLC

 

Southeastern Fresh Ginger Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

BrothAsianSoup

Ingredients

  • 1 fresh chicken, about 4 pounds cut up (remove giblets)
  • 2-inch piece of fresh ginger
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 cloves garlic

Directions

  1. Put chicken in a big soup pot. Cover with water.
  2. Peel ginger and slice diagonally into four pieces. Add to pot.
  3. Peel onion and cut into quarters. Add to pot.
  4. Peel garlic and smash with the flat side of a chef’s knife. Add to pot.
  5. Bring soup to a boil and then turn down heat to simmer. Skim off any foam. Let simmer for an hour.
  6. Remove chicken from pot and discard skin and bones. Cut meat into bite-sized pieces for soup.
  7. Strain broth, reserving pieces of ginger.
  8. Refrigerate broth until needed for soup. Fat will rise to the top and can be skimmed off.

Soup

Ingredients

  • 8 cups chicken broth (see recipe above)
  • 2 cups cooked chicken
  • 2 cups snow peas (½ pound)
  • 2 stalks lemon grass
  • 1 cup fresh mung bean sprouts
  • 2 cups dry cellophane noodles
  • Optional: Asian fish sauce boosts flavor but adds sodium

Directions

  1. Soak noodles as directed on package and divide among four bowls.
  2. Combine all other ingredients in soup pot.
  3. Heat thoroughly. Pour soup over noodles and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings
Each serving contains about 342 calories, 8 g fat (4 g saturated fat, no trans fat, 53 mg cholesterol, 203 mg sodium, 53 g carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, 3 g sugars, and 29 g protein.

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC