Costco Connection - February 2011

health for your

Managing work with L.O.V.E.

By Gabriela Cora

DO YOU WORK eight hours,
enjoy recreational activities
eight hours and sleep eight
hours every day? Probably
not. Life-work balance is a
myth. Instead, busy employ-
ees, business owners and
executives ought to focus on managing work
in life with L.O.V.E.

Lifestyle strategies. Too busy to exercise? Many people cut down on exercise when they experience increased work demands. Others fast through long hours at the job, while their companions binge on any junk they can get their hands on. Many sleep less to work more. Let’s rethink a formula that works: To keep a healthy lifestyle, eat nutritious food at regular intervals, exercise at least 30 minutes daily, find ways to relax and make sure your sleep refreshes your busy mind.

Organize your day. Like to be spontaneous? That’s wonderful, but keep the surprises for special occasions. For everyday responsibilities, the busiest folks succeed by planning, prioritizing and organizing their hectic schedules. Many struggle with overlapping responsibilities. When this happens, healthy lifestyles and important activities with the family are pushed to the bottom of the list. Keep your priorities in check: Plan ahead so you will be efficient within your time constraints.

Values. Do you say you cherish your significant relationships, but in reality spend dwindling time with loved ones? What you think and say doesn’t match your actions. You are not in alignment if you say you value excellence but submit sloppy work or if you say you love spending time with your kids but never make the time. Sometimes people get so busy they forget to revisit their true motivation to work to create better lives for the people they love. Take the time to find out what’s truly important to you.

Enjoy. Do you wake up thinking you will
have an amazing day or do you make a list of
the bad things that will probably happen?
Your outlook on life may be predisposing you
to win or lose. Perhaps you are working like
two or three people at work, you just lost your
main account and your family talks to you
only when they need something. How about
making a list of what you enjoy from work, of
the people who love your products or ser-
vices, and the cherished times when you and
your family laugh together? Have the inten-
tion to enjoy each and every day. C
Healthy Heart
Month

UNDENIABLY, A HEALTHY lifestyle is the best defense against heart disease. Lifestyle choices in your control can keep you on a heart-healthy path.

The Mayo Clinic ( www.mayoclinic. com) offers a concise set of strategies for implementing a heart-healthy lifestyle.

1. Quit smoking

When you give up smoking, your risk of heart disease drops dramatically within just one year. No matter how long or how much you smoked, you’ll start reaping rewards as soon as you quit.

2. Stay active

Guidelines recommend that you get at least 30 to 60 minutes of moderately intense physical activity most days of the week. Gardening, housekeeping, taking the stairs and walking the dog count toward your total time. You don’t have to exercise strenuously to achieve benefits.

Gabriela Cora works with people who want to be healthy while they become wealthy. She is the author of Leading Under Pressure (Career Press, 2010).

Delivering hope

THE U.S. POSTAL Service is known for delivering mail and packages throughout America, but did you know it is the largest contributor to the National Marrow Donor Program’s (NMDP) Be The Match Registry?

Thousands of people with leukemia, lymphoma and other life-threatening blood diseases need donor matches for bone marrow or blood cell transplants, yet there is only a 30 percent chance of patients finding matches within their own families. The Postal Service leverages the country’s second-largest civilian workforce by delivering hope that a lifesaving match can be found.

Postal Service employees and their spouses and dependents, ages

18 and older, are eligible to participate through the Delivering the Gift of Life campaign at no cost for type-testing of tissue.

Any person of any race or
ethnicity who is 18 to 60 years old
and meets donation health guidelines can
become a potential volunteer donor. Inter-
ested postal employees who are not cur-
rently part of the registry can send an e-mail
to marrowcampaign@usps.gov. Others who
want to help or become a part of the Be The
The Postal Service receives no
tax dollars for operating expenses,
and relies on the sale of postage,
products and services to fund its
operations.

Match Registry can go to www.bethematch. org for more information.

3. Eat for your heart

Heart-healthy eating isn’t all about cutting back; it’s about watching what you eat. Most people need to add more fruits and vegetables to their diet, with a goal of five to 10 servings a day.

Limiting certain fats is also important. Of the types of fat, saturated fat and trans fat increase the risk of coronary artery disease by raising blood cholesterol levels.

A heart-healthy diet also means drinking alcohol only in moderation—no more than two drinks a day for men, one a day for women.

4. Watch your weight

Reducing your weight by just 10 percent can decrease your blood pressure, lower your blood cholesterol level and reduce your risk of diabetes.

5. Regular health monitoring

High blood pressure and high cholesterol can damage your heart and blood vessels. Screening can tell you what your numbers are and whether you need to take action. (Note: Costco Pharmacies offer screening clinics; check with your local warehouse for schedules.)