Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce

Health & Wellness Newsletter
January 2016
Welcome to the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce Health & Wellness Newsletter
 


We are very excited to announce our second edition of the quarterly Health & Wellness Newsletter - "A New You in a New Year"  

Our goal is to bring you easy access to today's top apps, the latest wellness information, healthy recipes and top exercise trends with a focus on giving you and your employees the tools and resources to stay happy and healthy.

Why are we doing this?  
  • The healthiest employees are three times more productive than unhealthy employees.
  • Healthy workers are also nine times less likely to be out sick.
  • A healthy, productive workforce means....
    • Fewer sick days
    • Less employee turnover
    • Better focus on the job
    • Higher job performance
    • A more POSITIVE work attitude
All our best to you and yours in 2016, and we hope you enjoy the quick articles and tools to kick start a fantastic year!

 Sincerely,

The MCCC Healthcare Council Steering Committee
Healthy Eating on a Budget

ChooseMyPlate.gov provides practical information to individuals, health professionals, nutrition educators, and the food industry to help consumers build healthier diets with resources and tools for dietary assessment, nutrition education, and other user-friendly nutrition information.

Eating healthy doesn't have to be expensive.  Click on the link provided for tips and materials to make healthy choices while staying within your budget.   - See more at:  www.choosemyplate.gov.
10 Sure Ways to Keep Your New Year's Resolutions

Another year is ending and many of us are gathering up our willpower for a brand new set of New Year's resolutions. But have we learned from past experience? A large number, if not the majority of previous resolutions were probably broken in weeks, days, or even hours.

So, how to make this time around more successful? Well it's not as hard as you might think - there are some really easy ways to set yourself on the path to success, and the first is:   For more information visit  psychcentral.com
Issue: 2
In This Issue
Featured Recipe


Slow Cooker Classic Pot Roast


 
Featured App



The Johnson & Johnson Official 7 MINUTE WORKOUT
 
Featured Exercise



Got Back Pain?  
Check Your Posture
 
Featured Event

Join the Women's Business Alliance event for a fun "PaintNite"

Click here for more information.
 
A Member's Story

Reality TV to Healthier Workplace
Experience at Hospital for Special Care
 
In an attempt to pursue a healthier and more productive workforce, Hospital for Special Care took advantage of the popularity of reality TV's "Biggest Loser" program . We all understood the benefits associated with keeping employees healthy but the challenge was how to effectively implement programs they would actively participate in.
Although starting wellness activities that are well attended can be difficult, we have found a program that employees seem to enjoy. The Biggest Loser provides our employees an opportunity to increase awareness for their health and well-being while having fun doing so.  Hospital for Special Care's version of The Biggest Loser just completed its ninth season.  The program runs twice yearly and averages 80 to 100 participants. After each season we re-evaluate for opportunities of improvement.   Click here for more information

If you have a successful wellness story you would like to share, please let us know!
Apps to Make Life Easier...

Fooducate





Fooducate  helps you shop and eat healthy by allowing you to quickly pull up nutritional information about food products from barcodes, as well as by helping you make sense of nutritional labels. 

The app displays a letter grade from A to D, along with a quick summary of nutrition information in plain language, as well as healthy alternative suggestions. If users cook their own meals or eat out, you can also manually enter a meal's nutritional information. 

In addition, the app also doubles as an intake, calorie and exercise tracker. A pro subscription removes ads and unlocks additional features.
MyFitnessPal





Losing weight isn't easy - we know. But with a membership to MyFitnessPal.com, you'll get the tools you need to successfully take weight off - and keep it off. And best of all, you can signup for free, no strings attached. So put away your credit card - you'll never have to pay a cent.

Study after study has confirmed the benefits of keeping track of the food you eat and the activity you do. It's simple - the  more consistently you track your food intake, the more likely you are to lose weight. That's why every successful weight management program suggests that you keep a food diary and/or an activity log. But recording everything you eat without the right tools can be tedious at best, or simply impossible at worst.
Coach.me - 
Instant Coaching




Coach.Me helps you positively change your life by supporting you to create any habit you wish. And it's absolutely free!

With it you can easily keep track of how many times a week you are "checking-in" into your new habit, and see insightful graphs about your performance. The app also allows you to set reminders for yourself, on a per-habit basis.

What is most interesting is the community of people who form around each habit. Let's say you want to start doing meditation, or writing your blog. Each day when you "check-in" you can see other tens of people (sometimes hundreds or thousands) checking in on the same habit, which is very motivating. The community will also support you by giving you "props", as well as answering your questions.


If you have a successful wellness story you would like to share, please let us know! 

Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce
www.middlesexchamber.com                  [email protected]            (860) 347-9504