To a healthier NJ workforce

I have great news to report! The Family & Community Health Sciences Department at Rutgers Cooperative Extension has been awarded funding to develop NJ's Comprehensive Worksite Wellness Toolkit. The project will allow us to devise the toolkit and field test it in 21 NJ worksites throughout the state. Here we go doing the work that we do best!!!

A healthy snack for your family

Everyone in the family loves a crunchy snack! Take a bunch of fresh kale, wash and pat it dry, toss with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, then bake in a hot oven. In just a few minutes you will have a crunchy and healthy snack ready to eat. See the full RECIPE.

September Gets Moving!

This month is very exciting for our Get Moving Get Healthy NJ Workforce program: Warren County employees, Arc Atlantic County, Caregiver Volunteers of Central NJ, and Atlantic City employees launching in September! Thank you for your support and interest in maintaining a healthy lifestyle!!!

Simple strategies for maintaining good health...

Research shows that a few simple strategies can help you improve your good health. Here is a sampling of strategies:
- Wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds to reduce the risk of spreading germs.
- Protect your skin by seeking shade and wear sunscreen all year long for maximum protection.
- Buckle up in the car to lower the risk of vehicle injuries.
- Fight the urge to use tobacco.
- Know your numbers for blood pressure, cholesterol, and Body Mass Index (BMI)
- Drink water rather than sugar-sweetened beverages

 

Note to self: take a fitness break

Keep yourself energized and working healthy throughout the day by taking a brief 3-5 minute fitness break every hour. Make it simple: take a break by standing and stretching without leaving your work station. Aim for a total of 30 minutes during workday breaks and lunchtime. Make a note of it!

What is a healthy snack?

Most vending machine snacks are loaded with sugar, fat and sodium. The worst thing you can do is reach for one of those options when feeling hunger pangs while on the job. Here is one healthy option that is easy to make at home:
1-Prepare a simple hummus RECIPE made with chick peas (filled with protein and fiber).
2-Pack a small container with 1/2 cup hummus.
3-Slice a red or green pepper, or baby carrots, place in a small zip lock bag.
4-Take to work, store in the fridge, or in a small lunch cooler bag.
5-When hunger pangs attack reach for your healthy snack!

Meeting refreshment

Planning an office meeting and need an idea for a simple refreshing (and nutritious) snack for the participants? Here is the perfect solution:

Saving $$$

The Get Moving Get Healthy NJ Workplace program is saving money. This quote (yesterday) is from a program participant success story:
"At the beginning of this program I asked my co-workers not to include me when they went around the office to prepare an order for take-out lunch. Because I noticed when they asked, even if I brought my lunch, I would cave in and order something anyway! This way I was not tempted, I controlled my food intake and I saved money!"

Exactly what we are looking for...

After the success of Get Moving Get Healthy NJ Workplace in Atlantic County last year, we decided to pilot a follow-up 12-week series of healthy lifestyle information and strategies. Check out a success story reported by a program participant on the follow-up survey:

"Taking walks in the evenings, eating smaller portions, bring my lunch, reducing snacks, less salt and sugar, less caffeine, drinking more water, less soda"

Success story...

 I love the feedback we receive from Get Moving Get Healthy NJ Workplace participants. It looks like we are changing behavior to improve healthy lifestyle:

"The program kept me motivated! I've become much more calorie conscious and excited about meeting my daily goals! the phrase "empty calories" is a reminder for me when I even think about eating or drinking something! Learning how to relax and become stress free, too!"

Stress Less on the Job...and at home

Stress on the job can turn a productive day into a day that drags on and on. Try a few stress reduction techniques that can make the workday a breeze!

Stress Less on the Job Fact Sheet

Protect yourself from heat stress

Either on or off the job, it is important to protect yourself from heat stress and dehydration. A few simple strategies can make the difference between enjoying a great day or suffering through an unpleasant day! Take this link to the fact sheet:

Jersey Summer Shore Safety: Heat Stress & Dehydration

Website link!

Get Moving Get Healthy New Jersey now has a website link to our Get Moving Get Healthy NJ Workforce program. Check it out:

http://getmovinggethealthynj.rutgers.edu/workforce/

Workplace Wellness

Our blog has a new look! Our focus will be on Workplace Wellness as part of the Get Moving Get Healthy New Jersey...Workforce. Look for messages about sustaining a healthy lifestyle.

Healthy Herbs videos now available

Alice Henneman (University of Nebraska, Lincoln) and I have been working on a new video series that focuses on Healthy Herbs. The videos are being created for embed on the eXtension Families, Food & Fitness webpage.

Here is our video on using basil:


Enjoy,
Joanne