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**LET'S TALK**

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| ####### FALL 2007 HEALTHY BODIES ● SOUND MINDS ● A SAFE PLACE TO WORK |
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**This Is the Reason \...Fall's a *Great* Season**

When there's just a bit of a bite in the air, it's time to get energized
and have some fun. Here are some ideas for activities this fall that
will get your family out and about.

**Fun activities**

**1** Give your kids a blank notebook so they can keep an "autumn
journal" to track temperature and weather changes. When did the leaves
first begin changing color? Provide crayons so they can make leaf
rubbings by placing a leaf under a sheet of paper and rubbing over it
with a crayon.

**2** While taking a stroll to enjoy autumn's splendor, give your
children a paper bag to collect treasures they find along the
way---nuts, leaves, etc.

**3** You also can preserve the season by making autumn place mats. Take
the leaves your children have collected and arrange them on a piece of a
paper with a photo. Include the date and other information before
laminating it with clear contact paper.

**4** Short, simple trips to farms and orchards also can be fun for
families. Kids can pick out their own pumpkins for Halloween and do the
carving themselves---with some help.

**5** There are plenty of family-oriented Halloween events in almost
every community, such as

haunted house tours. Or you can make your own haunted house.

**6** If there are apple farms in the area, a trip to one in the fall is
a great time to pick your own apples. Then come home and bake special
apple treats and mull some cider.

**Get More Done with Teamwork**

When people work together, sharing their talents and ideas, their
combined efforts accomplish more than the same number of people working
individually.

As a team member, you share the energy of your teammates, the excitement
of a shared mission, and the celebration of completing a successful
project. However, being part of a team has responsibilities as well
because every member plays an important part in the

team's success.

"There are a lot of little things you, as a team member, can do to
inspire

teamwork. They don't take much time, but they do require some effort and
positive intent," says Kristin Arnold, author of *Team Basics: Practical
Strategies for Team Success.*

Arnold recommends doing the following things that say to your teammates,

"I am going to be a good team player."

**Be prepared**

To win the trust of your teammates, come to meetings well-prepared.
Don't wait until the last minute to get your share done.

**Know your strengths**

Volunteer to do what you do best. It's the varied talents of the members
that make a team successful. Whatever you're good at, offering to do
those things will demonstrate

your capabilities, as well as benefit the team.

**Ask for help**

"Asking for help isn't a bad thing; it's a good thing," says Arnold.
"Many times, people avoid asking for help because they don't want to
look bad to their teammates. However, asking for help is not a sign of
weakness---it's a sign of maturity."

**Assume positive intent**

If other team members upset you, it's best to assume they don't mean to.
After you calm down, find a quiet time to talk directly with the person
about the situation.

"By being prepared and on time, by sharing your talents and asking for
help when you need it, and by practicing positive communication habits,
you'll be a valued team player, your team will get more done, and you'll
also have more fun," says Arnold.

Late-Breaking Health News

**\>\> U.S. tobacco companies increased the level of addictive
nicotine** in their cigarettes by 11 percent from 1998 to 2005, and did
so in a variety of ways, according to a Harvard School of Public Health
(HSPH) study.

The tobacco companies accomplished the increase not only by intensifying
the concentration of nicotine in the tobacco, but also by modifying
several design features to increase the number of puffs per cigarette
taken by smokers.

Increases in smoke-nicotine yields occurred in each of the four major
manufacturers and across all the major cigarette market categories,
including light and ultralight.

In analyzing major brand-name cigarettes, Harvard researchers found
increases in smoke nicotine per cigarette averaged 1.6 percent each year
over those seven years. Nicotine is the primary addictive ingredient in
cigarettes.

"Our analysis shows the companies have been subtly increasing the drug
nicotine year by year in their cigarettes, without any warning to
consumers," says Gregory Connolly, program director of the Tobacco
Control Research Program at HSPH.

***FALL 2007** 2*

**\>\> Avoiding trans fat can be a challenge.** Despite the fact that
many food manufacturers have reformulated their foods to reduce or
eliminate trans fat---which is

implicated in high risk for heart disease--- there's still plenty of it
around.

Food products likely to contain the fat include fast foods, especially
those that are deep fried; stick margarines; commercially baked cake and
cookies; prepared frosting; and

frozen food, especially fruit pies, chicken pot pies, and pizza.

**\>\> A low-fat diet may help prevent breast cancer recurrence.**
Researchers followed more than 2,400 women ages 48 to 79 who had been
treated for early-stage breast cancer and found that a low-fat diet made
a difference in the rate of cancer recurrence. The study, published in
the December 20, 2006 issue of the *Journal of the National Cancer
Institute,* found the rate of cancer recurrence after five years was 9.8
percent among women who ate a low-fat diet (about 33 gm of fat per day)
and 12.4 percent among those who ate a standard diet (about 52 gm of fat
per day).

The most significant risk reduction--- 42 percent---was noted in women
on the low-fat diet whose tumors didn't respond to the presence of the
hormone estrogen. In women whose tumors did respond to estrogen, the
risk reduction was 15 percent.

**Vitality-ON-Demand**

**A world of additional health information available via your
computer.**

You may think of this publication as just a newsletter. But would you
believe it's also an access index to one of the largest databases of
family health and personal self care

data around? With our free Vitality-on-Demand (VOD) service, you can get
all of the information you need any time you want it!

Visit *www.vitality.com* for more articles and to search for topics you
would like to

learn more about.

It's simple. And it's free.

**Via the Internet:** Visit our home page at *www.vitality.com* and
press the Vitality-on-Demand button to search by keyword. Or click on
Special Reports to access the articles listed below.

**Special report**

**119** Identity Theft

**120** How to Quit Smoking

**541** Sensible Weight Loss

**542** Lowering Your Cholesterol

**543** Reducing Your Stress

**544** Walking for Fitness

**545** Workstation Comfort

**546** Fixing an Aching Back

**547** Start An Exercise Program

**548** Controlling Allergies

**549** Lowering Health-Care Costs

**550** Living With Arthritis

**551** Dealing With Headaches

**552** High Blood Pressure

***FALL 2007** 3*

Walk Your Way to Less Stress

Walking can improve mental fitness as well as physical fitness. Using
meditation techniques during your walk can help you reduce stress,
tension, and anxiety.

"Your mind is constantly bombarded with noise, crowds, traffic,
telephones, television, and a thousand other forms of mind pollution,"
says Les Snowdon, coauthor of *Walk Aerobics.* "But when you walk---and
specifically when you use walking meditation exercises to calm the
mind---you can let go of all the clutter filling your thoughts and see
things more clearly."

If you become aware of the rhythm of your walking, "you will find you
become involved in a process---the flow of breath, the flow of the body,
the flow of the air around you," Snowdon says. "The action of walking
itself then slows and stills your mind and spirit."

###### Stress-reducing walks

Any kind of walk will reduce your physical stress, but these walking
meditation techniques will help reduce your mental stress.

▪ **Focus on your surroundings.**

Instead of thinking about your problems, focus on the world around you.
Pay attention to the different plants and trees along the path if you're
walking in the country. Note the different architectural styles along
your route if you're in the city.

▪ **Count your footsteps.**

"Counting your footsteps can help you take your mind off your problems,"
Snowdon says. There are numerous ways to count. For example: from one to
10, 20, or 100; backward from 100, 20, or 10 to one; or the number of
steps you take per block or section of trail.

▪ **Repeat a mantra.**

Repeat a simple word or sound with each step. Doing so will teach you to
focus your mind.

▪ **Let go of a problem**. Use your daily walk to sort out a stressful
problem. Begin by focusing on it as you do your warm-up and stretches.
Then, let the problem go when you start to walk.

"Walking meditation can help you relax, give you power over your mind,
and open up pathways to your better self," Snowdon says. "If you
practice it regularly, you can use the

creative insights you gain while walking to improve your life, work, and
relationships."

To learn more: The Walking Site, **www.thewalkingsite.com**

***FALL 2007** 4*

**Relax: How to Let Go of Stress**

You're familiar with the symptoms of stress---a pounding heart,
increased perspiration, tight neck and shoulder muscles, anxiety, and
fear. But you may not know how to prevent or

relieve these symptoms. Taking the following actions can help you manage
the negative effects of stress.

**■ Exercise**. A regular workout can release pent-up frustrations. The
American Heart Association recommends getting 30 minutes or more of
moderate exercise at least three or four times a week.

**■ Don't isolate yourself.** One of the best ways to fight stress is to
discuss your problems with a close friend or relative. Talking with
other people helps you realize you're not alone and can help you put a
difficult situation in perspective.

**■ Pay attention to your diet and health habits.** A sensible diet of
wholesome, healthful foods can help stabilize your moods.

**■ Make time for laughter and fun.** Surround yourself with positive
people who like to laugh. Watch funny movies instead of the news in the
evening. Engage in fun or silly activities.

Above all, take time for yourself, whether it's for a daily walk, a hot
bath, or a quiet night at home. Taking good care of yourself helps you
let go of stress.

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***FALL 2007** 5*