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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October 5, 2015 - In This Issue:
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As we near the open enrollment season there are many options to consider with regard to your health coverage.  Let us help you analyze to determine the most cost effective solution for your household.  If applicable, you'll want to consider your employer group plan or your spouse's employer group plan compared to the individual opportunity that exist only during this open enrollment season.  Turning 65?  We have solutions to help you navigate Medicare as well.  Give us a call at 217-234-6428.
5 Ways to Reduce Your Breast Cancer Risk
American Cancer Society
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1. Watch your weight
- women who are overweight have higher insulin levels
  
2. Exercise regularly
- causing a 25% risk difference
  
3. Limit time spent sitting
- 6 hours spent sitting vs. 3 can increase risk by 10%
  
4. Limit alcohol
- 3 glasses of wine a week can increase your chances
  
5. Avoid or limit hormone replacement therapy
  
Warning: Sitting Too Much Is Affecting Your Health
The Dangers of Sitting Too Much
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How much of your day is spent sitting? Your drive to work, your 8 - 10 hour workday at the office, and the couple of hours you spend in front of the TV or computer when you get home all add up to some serious sitting time.
  
According to Dr. James Levine, professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic, "Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV, and is more treacherous than parachuting. We are sitting ourselves to death."
  
  
Ways to Protect Yourself
American Cancer Society
  There are a number of factors that can influence your chance of getting cancer. Staying healthy, active, and getting recommended screening tests are all options to increase your number of birthdays.
 
paper_cutout_family.jpgCarcinogens or cancer-causing agents are in the environment around us. What types of carcinogens are in our home, workplace and can they be found in other places?
Learn more about this here.
  
Do you know what your Body Mass Index is? Even a small weight loss can lower your risk of several diseases. The chance of having high blood cholesterol, stroke, diabetes and cancer all increase when someone is overweight.
  
How dependent on nicotine are you? Nicotine dependency will vary for each person. The key to success in kicking the habit is to learn more about your dependency.
Chocolate  Zucchini Bread
Prep Time: 10 Mins
  
Cook Time: 65 Mins
    
This healthy chocolate zucchini bread is amazingly simple to make and uses several healthy substitutions, like coconut oil and applesauce.
  
 
  
Save Money on Gas
GasBuddy App
gas_station.jpg Save money every time you get gas.  Go to GasBuddy.com or download the free app  to see what gas station has the cheapest prices. You can search by type of gas or distance from you. Are you visiting a friend, or in a new town, you can search by zip code or current location.  Enter in the current gas prices to earn points use those points to enter in drawings to win gas.  
What do you know about Breast Cancer?
Covenant Health
Can you use deodorant on the day of your mammogram? Are more than half of breast lumps cancerous?       Take the full quiz here
  
If you missed any of our past newsletters view them  here.  Have you not signed up for this newsletter yet, or do you know someone who would like to receive this newsletter?  Sign up for our newsletter here
"Cancer woke me up to my health, and
I feel like I have been given a second chance."
- Lorraine Hutchinson
2014 Susan G. Komen honorary breast cancer survivor