## Let's Talk

**J**

# Holiday Stress

THE HOLIDAYS --- a time of festivities, shopping, entertaining,
religious observances, family gatherings, decorating and ...stress!
Between the extra demands we place on ourselves and the expectations of
the season, is it any wonder that most of us feel some stress during the
holiday season? The articles in this edition of *Let's Talk* address
stress and happiness and provide some helpful hints to help manage the
holiday season.

Understanding the Stress/Health Connection

**STRESS EXISTS IN YOUR MIND** --- but it's also evident in your
stomach, heart,

muscles and even your toes. "In fact, stress may affect every cell in
your body," says Ronald Glaser, Ph.D., a researcher at Ohio State
University Medical School. During stressful times, your body produces
various chemicals, including cortisol, an immune-suppressing hormone.
The more cortisol produced, the weaker your immune cells become and the
more susceptible you are to illness. "A one-day stressor isn't going to
make a big change in your risk of getting a cold, for example," says
Glaser. "But a chronic stressor that lasts a few weeks could dampen your
immune response and create a risk of disease." Migraine headaches, sleep
disorders, backaches, skin rashes, fatigue, irritability, headache,
depression, worry,

mood swings, chest pain, anxiety, upset stomach, ulcers and high blood
pressure

are common reactions to stress. By gaining a better understanding of the
stress/disease connection, you can reduce your stress and, in turn,
improve

your health and well-being.

**Keeping Stress in Check**

No one can avoid all stress --- and a certain amount actually is good
for you. But it's best to keep unhealthy levels in check. The following
steps can help you control everyday stress:

▪ **RECOGNIZE YOUR STRESS SIGNALS.**

Once you're aware of your stressors, you'll have a better idea of when
you're stressed and can take steps to reduce them.

▪ **EXERCISE.** Aerobic workouts can release pent-up frustrations while
producing

endorphins, brain chemicals that counteract stress.

▪ **EAT A HEALTHFUL DIET.** A balanced diet can help stabilize your
mood.

▪ **COMMUNICATE WITH FRIENDS ANDFAMILY.** Social ties relieve stress and

contribute to a positive attitude.

▪ **SPEND TIME ENJOYING YOUR HOBBIES.** Doing so allows you to focus on

a pleasurable activity instead of your problems.

▪ **AVOID ALCOHOL AND DRUGS.** Using alcohol or other drugs to relieve
stress

only masks symptoms and can worsen stress in the long run.

▪ **TRY RELAXATION TECHNIQUES.** Meditation, visualization,
deep-breathing

exercises, yoga and listening to relaxation tapes can help you relax.

**H E A LT H Y B O D I E S • S O U N D M I N D S • A S A F E P L A C E
TO WOR K W I N T E R 2**

in the know

Late-Breaking Health News

\>\> **Super-sized fast-food meals present a significant obstacle** to
overcoming America's growing obesity problem. "Bigger is rarely better
when it comes to food. The true price of larger portions is larger
calorie and saturated-fat numbers--- and larger waistlines," according
to a report by the National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity, a
coalition of groups that promote health and fitness.

The report found a large order of fries at McDonald's comes with 157
percent more calories than the smaller size. A Classic Cinnabon cinnamon
roll packs twice the calories (740) and three times the fat as a
Minibon.

Nationwide, 60 percent of adults are overweight, and an estimated
300,000 people a year die from illnesses caused or worsened by excessive
weight.

Diabetes is linked to obesity, and overweight people are also at greater
risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, kidney failure and
several forms of cancer.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group
in Washington, D.C., recommends fast-food restaurants be required to
post the calorie content of their meals next to the prices.

\>\> **Cigarette smoking turns the body into a breeding ground for
infections,**

which can lead to artery-clogging plaque. Current and ex-smokers who had
common chronic ailments --- such as bronchitis, ulcers, urinary-tract
infections and gum disease --- were more than three times as likely to
develop early atherosclerosis than people without such infections,
according to a study in *Stroke: Journal of the American Heart
Association*. Infections also promoted artery disease in people exposed
to secondhand smoke.

**\>\> TEENAGERS ARE LESS LIKELY TO START HAVING SEX if their mothers**
are involved in their lives, they have a close relationship with them
and the moms stress the importance of education, according to a survey
published in the *Journal of Adolescent Health*. The results were most
consistent among younger teens in the eighth and ninth grades.

But simply warning teens about the dangers of early sex or telling them
they shouldn't have sex wasn't enough to stop them from being sexually
active, according to the survey. Besides talking to their children,
parents need to know their teens' friends and speak with their friends'
parents. The survey also found many mothers'

takes on their teens' sex lives were inaccurate. When teenagers reported
they

hadn't had sexual intercourse, almost all their mothers had made the
same assessment. But only 50 percent of moms knew their children were
sexually active.

*See your physician for guidance and advice regarding a specific health
condition.*

#### 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
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need any time you want it!

Look for this symbol **VOD 000** throughout the newsletter for topics
you would like to learn more about. Placing your VOD order is simple.
And it's free.

Via the Internet: Visit our home page at *www.vitality.com* and press
the Vitality-on-Demand button. Enter the three-digit VOD number from
this newsletter, or you can search by keyword.

##### SPECIAL REPORTS

540 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

vita data

2003 Vitality's Annual Wellness Test

WELCOME TO our annual Personal Wellness Test. Rate your wellness by
adding up your points and comparing the total with the rankings at the
end of the test. You can improve your score and reduce your health risks
by gradually making positive changes.

+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+---------------+
| #####           | **(For example: | **9. How would  | **13. Do you  |
| # [RATE YOUR DI | using stairs    | you             | always wear a |
| ET]{.underline} | instead of an   | characterize    | seat belt     |
|                 | elevator and    | your alcohol    | when in a     |
| **1. Do you eat | walking instead | use?**          | moving motor  |
| 6 to 11         | of driving      |                 | vehicle?**    |
| servings of     | short           | □ I drink no    |               |
| bread, cereal,  | distances.)**   | more than two   | □Yes --- 8    |
| rice and        |                 | drinks a day    |               |
| pasta**         | □ Often --- 6   | --- 6           | □Sometimes    |
|                 |                 |                 | --- 4         |
| **every day?**  | □Sometimes ---  | □ I often have  |               |
|                 | 4               | more than two   | □ Never --- 0 |
| □Usually --- 6  |                 | drinks a day    |               |
|                 | □Never --- 2    | --- 0           | **[RATE YOUR  |
| □Sometimes ---  |                 |                 | SELF-CARE]{   |
| 4               | **6. How much   | **10. How would | .underline}** |
|                 | time do you     | you             |               |
| □ Never --- 0   | spend           | characterize    | **14. Do you  |
|                 | exercising in a | your drug       | schedule      |
| **2. How many   | typical week?** | use?**          | regular       |
| times a week do |                 |                 | medical       |
| you skip a      | □ 90 minutes or | □ I don't use   | screening     |
| meal?**         | more--- 8       | illegal drugs   | tests as      |
|                 |                 | --- 8           | advised by    |
| □One or fewer   | □60 to 89       |                 | your          |
| --- 6           | minutes --- 6   | □ I use illegal | doctor?**     |
|                 |                 | drugs --- 0     |               |
| □ Two or three  | □1 to 59 --- 4  |                 | □ Yes --- 6   |
| --- 4           |                 | **11. How would |               |
|                 | □ None at all   | you             | □No --- 0     |
| □ Four or more  | --- 0           | characterize    |               |
| --- 0           |                 | your sleep      | **15. Are     |
|                 | **7. Do you     | habits?**       | your          |
| **3. How many   | regularly       |                 | immunizations |
| of your lunches | perform         | □I almost       | up to date?** |
| and dinners are | stretching and  | always get      |               |
| meatless and    | flexibility     | seven to ten    | □Yes --- 6    |
| low in fat in a | exercises?**    | hours of sleep  |               |
| typical week?** |                 | --- 6           | □ No --- 0    |
|                 | □ Yes, every    |                 |               |
| □Six or more    | week --- 4      | □ I sometimes   | **16. Do you  |
| --- 6           |                 | get seven to    | self-treat    |
|                 | □ Yes, once or  | ten hours of    | minor health  |
| □ Four or five  | twice a month   | sleep --- 4     | problems,     |
| --- 3           | --- 2           |                 | such as       |
|                 |                 | □ I hardly ever | headaches,    |
| □ None --- 0    | □ No --- 0      | get that much   | colds and the |
|                 |                 | --- 0           | flu, instead  |
| **4. How often  | **[RATE YOUR    |                 | of going to   |
| do you choose   | HEALTH          | 12\. Do you     | the doctor?** |
| nonfat and      | HABITS          | work out,       |               |
| low-fat food    | ]{.underline}** | practice        | □ Usually --- |
| products        |                 | relaxation      | 4             |
| instead of      | **8. How would  | exercises, call |               |
| high-fat ones   | you             | a friend or     | □Sometimes    |
| at the          | characterize    | family member   | --- 2         |
| supermarket?**  | your tobacco    | or take other   |               |
|                 | use?**          | corrective      | □Never --- 0  |
| □ Almost always |                 | steps when      |               |
| --- 6           | □ I've never    | under stress?   | **TOTAL       |
|                 | smoked or       |                 | SCORE**       |
| □Occasionally   | chewed tobacco  | □ Always --- 6  | \             |
| --- 4           | --- 8           |                 | _\_\_\_\_\_\_ |
|                 |                 | □ Sometimes --- |               |
| □ Never --- 0   | □ I quit        | 4               |               |
|                 | smoking two or  |                 |               |
| **[RATE YOUR    | more years ago  | □Never --- 0    |               |
| FITNESS         | --- 5           |                 |               |
| ]{.underline}** |                 |                 |               |
|                 | □I'm trying to  |                 |               |
| **5. Do you     | quit smoking    |                 |               |
| look for ways   | --- 4           |                 |               |
| to get more     |                 |                 |               |
| exercise while  | □ I presently   |                 |               |
| going about     | smoke --- 0     |                 |               |
| your daily      |                 |                 |               |
| routine?**      |                 |                 |               |
+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+---------------+

EVALUATE YOUR SCORE

+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+
| **80 to 100     | **50 to 79      | **20 to 49      | **19 points and |
| points**        | points**        | points**        | below**         |
|                 |                 |                 |                 |
| Well done. Your | Good job. You   | You're headed   | To improve your |
| wellness        | have good       | in the right    | health, take a  |
| profile is      | health habits   | direction, but  | hard look at    |
| above average.  | and take pretty | several crucial | your health     |
| You have        | good care       | wellness        | habits and      |
| excellent       |                 |                 | overall         |
| health habits   | of yourself.    | areas need your | lifestyle, then |
| and take good   | Review your     | immediate       | commit          |
| care of         | wellness test   | attention.      |                 |
| yourself. Keep  | answers and     |                 | to making       |
| up the good     | identify those  | Review your     | positive        |
| work and avoid  | areas in which  | answers and     | changes. Check  |
| known health    | you scored      | determine your  | with your       |
| risks, and you  | lowest. A       | weaknesses,     | doctor or your  |
| should live a   | little          | then take       |                 |
| long and        | fine-tuning     | appropriate     | company's       |
| healthy life.   | could get you   | action to       | health-care     |
|                 | in great shape. | improve your    | administrator   |
|                 |                 | health.         | if you need     |
|                 |                 |                 | assistance.     |
+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+

*Vitality's Wellness Quiz is based in part on the Public Health
Service's Healthstyle Self-Test.* Winter 2002

### For your information

####### Complementary Health-Care News

**\>\>Including almonds in a healthful diet may help reduce cholesterol
levels.**

Adults who substituted 74 gm. Of almonds (about 2 oz.) for other foods
reduced their LDL ("bad") cholesterol by nearly 10 percent after one
month. Adults who consumed fewer nuts also saw their cholesterol levels
decline, researchers report in *Circulation: Journal of the American
Heart Association.*

However, adding nuts to a diet already sufficient in calories and fat
could lead to weight gain, so be sure to reduce calories elsewhere.
Adults who ate 2 oz. of almonds also lowered their ratio of LDL to HDL
("good") cholesterol by 12 percent after one month.

**\>\>A CUP OF BLUEBERRIES A DAY MAY KEEP "SENIOR MOMENTS" AWAY.** In a
study at the Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, the fruit
reduced age-related brain damage in rats and also prevented mental
decline in mice genetically engineered to develop Alzheimer's-like
plaques in their brains.

The findings, coupled with early results from a human study, suggest
eating blueberries can help prevent the mental decline that often
accompanies aging.

Free radicals, cell-damaging products of normal metabolism, can injure
brain tissue. Antioxidants --- found in high doses in blueberries ---
help prevent this damage. But some researchers believe blueberries'
brain-protecting power seems to directly influence the way neurons
communicate in the brain.

######## DIGEST

**The right kind of fat can be good for your heart.** Eating the
polyunsaturated,

omega-3 fatty acids found in seafood may reduce your risk of a heart
attack, according to recent studies. What's more, middle-age and older
people may

reduce their risk of heart disease shortly after adding one or two
servings per week of fatty fish such as salmon, herring and mackerel to
their diets. **VOD** **571**

*University of Washington Health Science and Medical Affairs, Seattle.*

**Cool noodles to room temperature** before adding fresh herbs and
vegetables to a pasta salad --- so heat doesn't cause them to wilt. *The
New Food Lover's Tiptionary by Sharon Tyler Herbst,William Morrow & Co.,
2002, \$16.95.*

**Eat at least two and a half hours before doing yoga.** All the
twisting can upset a full stomach. *Self, 350 Madison Ave., New York, NY
10017, monthly, \$15/yr.*

**Home boys.** More than half of single American males ages 18 to 24
live at home with one or both parents, compared with 43 percent of
single females in that age group.

*U.S. Census Bureau, Suitland, MD.*

**Dentists recommend women on the Pill** have teeth pulled during the
last week of their menstrual cycles. Those using the Pill had a 31
percent incidence of painful dry socket when they had extractions done
during the first 22 days of their cycles, one study found.

*Ladies' Home Journal, 100 Park Ave., New York, NY 10017, monthly,
\$19.95/yr.*

**Wool gives weight** to the construction of business suits and ensures
wear ability for years. Even suits worn in summer usually contain some
wool fabric.

*Professional Image by Ann A. Cooper, South-Western, 2003, \$13.95.*

**VOD**

DIGEST

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