Save Your Business During Flu Season

No one likes to get sick.  Depending on how bad you feel, you could be out of commission for awhile.  That’s definitely not good if you’re a woman in business who is responsible for paying bills and feeding the family.

While the official flu season doesn’t start for a few months, the H1N1 flu is already hitting offices and classrooms. Although there isn’t an official flu-fighting diet, there are specific healthy nutrition recommendations that promote good health and wellnessand can help ward off infection. According to Dr. ReneMassengale, “There are specific foods and vitamins that work to boost the immune system and heal the body suchas vitamins C, B6 and B12, folic acid, and flavenoids. Glutathione is an antioxidant compound found in fruits such as watermelon, broccoli, collar greens and cabbage. Vitamins B6 and B12 are found in spinach,high-protein foods, and enriched cereal grains and minerals like selenium and zinc found in poultry, meat, beans, and peanuts.”

Save your business during flu season by eating healthy.

Rene Masengale, Ph.D. is professor of biotechnology at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. She holds degrees in microbiology and immunology and biology.

Leadership Affects Health & Well-Being at Work

Have you or someone you know on your job been experiencing some health issues lately that may have resulted in you having to take time off from work?  If so, it could be that your boss is making you sick.

Research evidence suggests that good leadership has positive effects on employee health and well-being, including decreased sick leave and disability.

Recent studies indicate qualities associated with good leadership included treating employees considerately and truthfully, providing social support, and providing inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation.

Workers with good leadership were 40 percent more likely to be in the highest category of job well-being (ie, with low rates of symptoms like anxiety, depression, and job stress).

There was also moderate evidence linking good leadership with reduced sick days and disability. Good leadership was associated with a 27 percent reduction in sick leave and a 46 percent reduction in disability pensions.

Some studies found that good leadership was associated with increased job satisfaction, although this evidence was relatively weak. There was no evidence showing a significant effect of leadership on measures of job performance.

Several characteristics of work can affect employee health. Studies have shown that factors like job control and support influence measurable health outcomes, such as sick leave. Leadership is thought to be one of the most important factors mediating the relationship between work and health.

The findings support the “job well-being pyramid model”: a theory suggesting that a strong foundation of leadership, healthy work environment, and good working conditions reduces worker health problems.

Where You Live Affects Your Weight

The age of your neighborhood may influence your risk of obesity, according to a new study from the University of Utah.

The study found that residents were at less risk of being obese or overweight if they lived in walkable neighborhoods—those that are more densely populated, designed to be more friendly to pedestrians and have a range of destinations for pedestrians.

The study found that neighborhoods built before 1950 tended to offer greater overall walkability as they more often were designed with the pedestrian in mind, while newer neighborhoods often were designed to facilitate car travel.

Demographer Ken Smith, co-author of the study and professor of family and consumer studies at the University of Utah, says that although individuals clearly make personal decisions that influence their weight, neighborhood characteristics also play a potentially important role in affecting residents’ risk of obesity.

“It is difficult for individuals to change their behavior,” he says, “but we can build environments that promote healthy behavior.”

The study found that a man of average height and weight (6 feet, 200 pounds) weighed 10 pounds less if he lived in a walkable neighborhood versus a less walkable neighborhood. A woman of average size (about 5-foot-5, 149 pounds), weighed six pounds less.

“The data show that how and where we live can greatly affect our health,” says Smith.

According to the study, during 2003-2004 roughly 70 percent of men and 61 percent of women in the U.S. were overweight. The study also notes that by 2030, about half the buildings in the U.S. will have been built since 2000. How this growth occurs will have a significant impact on the environment and on the health of the people living in it, Smith says.

“We have the opportunity, using evidence-based data on community design, to create neighborhoods that encourage less car driving, benefiting residents’ health and wallets and shrinking our own carbon footprint,” says Smith.

Neighborhoods with higher percentages of pedestrian traffic—something the study found is associated with less obesity among residents—can serve as models for future residential development and redevelopment. “Neighborhoods with higher fractions of residents that walk to work tell us that something beneficial about the neighborhood is promoting health,” notes Smith.

“We expect these results mean that residents find walking more attractive and enjoyable where there are other walkers, a variety of destinations easily accessible by foot and pedestrian-friendly street networks. People want to walk when it’s pleasant, convenient and when there is a destination.”

5 Tips to Help You Sleep Better

1. Maintain a regular bed and wake time schedule including weekends. Our sleep-wake cycle is regulated by a “circadian clock” in our brain and the body’s need to balance both sleep time and wake time. A regular waking time in the morning strengthens the circadian function and can help with sleep onset at night. That is also why it is important to keep a regular bedtime and wake-time, even on the weekends when there is the temptation to sleep in.

2. Establish a regular, relaxing bedtime routine such as soaking in a hot bath or hot tub and then reading a book or listening to soothing music. A relaxing, routine activity right before bedtime conducted away from bright lights helps separate your sleep time from activities that can cause excitement, stress or anxiety which can make it more difficult to fall asleep, get sound and deep sleep or remain asleep. Avoid arousing activities before bedtime like working, paying bills, engaging in competitive games or family problem-solving. Some studies suggest that soaking in hot water (such as a hot tub or bath) before retiring to bed can ease the transition into deeper sleep, but it should be done early enough that you are no longer sweating or over-heated. If you are unable to avoid tension and stress, it may be helpful to learn relaxation therapy from a trained professional. Finally, avoid exposure to bright before bedtime because it signals the neurons that help control the sleep-wake cycle that it is time to awaken, not to sleep.

3. Create a sleep-conducive environment that is dark, quiet, comfortable and cool. Design your sleep environment to establish the conditions you need for sleep — cool, quiet, dark, comfortable and free of interruptions. Also make your bedroom reflective of the value you place on sleep. Check your room for noise or other distractions, including a bed partner’s sleep disruptions such as snoring, light, and a dry or hot environment. Consider using blackout curtains, eye shades, ear plugs, “white noise,” humidifiers, fans and other devices.

4. Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex. It is best to take work materials, computers and televisions out of the sleeping environment. Use your bed only for sleep and sex to strengthen the association between bed and sleep. If you associate a particular activity or item with anxiety about sleeping, omit it from your bedtime routine. For example, if looking at a bedroom clock makes you anxious about how much time you have before you must get up, move the clock out of sight. Do not engage in activities that cause you anxiety and prevent you from sleeping.

5. Finish eating at least 2-3 hours before your regular bedtime. Eating or drinking too much may make you less comfortable when settling down for bed. It is best to avoid a heavy meal too close to bedtime. Also, spicy foods may cause heartburn, which leads to difficulty falling asleep and discomfort during the night. Try to restrict fluids close to bedtime to prevent nighttime awakenings to go to the bathroom, though some people find milk or herbal, non-caffeinated teas to be soothing and a helpful part of a bedtime routine.

Does Your Male Doctor Really Know For Sure?

Women and men doctors have some divergent views about women and depression, according to a recent survey conducted by the Society for Women’s Health Research, a Washington, D.C., based advocacy organization.

Women doctors are more likely than their male counterparts to believe that women are specifically susceptible to depression during two key times of hormonal transition in a woman’s life: puberty (67.5 percent to 48.2 percent) and perimonpause (92.8 percent to 67.5 percent). There was no difference in the beliefs of male and female doctors about the risk of depression in the postpartum or post menopause periods.

When asked what the major symptoms of depression are, female doctors were significantly more likely to mention lack of motivation or giving up easily and being unable to concentrate. Trouble sleeping, lack of energy or fatigue, not feeling well, feeling sad, crying, changes in appetite, and a loss of interest in friends, activities or social life were the leading responses for both sexes.

“The beliefs of female and male doctors about women and depression are pretty consistent,” said Jo Parrish, vice president of communications for the Society, “but our survey does reveal a few areas where female doctors may be more in tune with the changes women undergo and the feelings they experience, which is not unexpected.

“The survey findings are a good reminder for all of us, both patients and doctors, to communicate carefully and clearly with one another about health so that we can get the right diagnosis and the right treatment for each patient, regardless of sex. It is easy to fall into the lull of thinking that our doctors have all the information and know everything they need to know, when in fact what we tell them and how well that information is received has a tremendous impact on our health and health care outcomes.”

On the topic of risk factors for postpartum depression, female doctors were considerably more likely to mention difficult or complicated pregnancies or deliveries; lack of support or help with the baby; and difficulty dealing with a newborn, including sickness. In general, female doctors were more likely to attribute a woman’s sense of being overwhelmed as a source of postpartum depression.

“Women doctors, many of whom are mothers themselves, are likely more sensitive to the immense burden that new mothers can place on themselves for the health and care of their new baby,” Parrish said. “When things go wrong, women can blame themselves, which can lead to sadness or feelings of guilt and contribute to depression. It is an issue about which women need to talk openly and doctors need to be mindful.”

The survey did find consensus among male and female doctors on several issues. Almost identical percentages of women and men doctors, about 84 percent, agree that women are at higher risk than men of ever having major depression. Strong majorities of women and men doctors also believe it is safe for women to take medication for depression in the postpartum period and under the right circumstances during pregnancy, opinions not as strongly shared by women in the general population.