AP9 Articles

PremierHealth PlusSM Wants Consumers to Stay Fit During This Holiday Season

Food is an essential part of the holiday festivities. Along with presents and tender family moments, though, people may take something else from these joyful days: a couple of extra pounds. PremierHealth Plus, a leading healthcare savings program offered by Adaptive Marketing LLC^®, reminds consumers that one day of overeating won’t make or break their diet, but balance and moderation are good ideas anyway.

Temptation is always around during the last two months of the year: coworkers bring leftover brownies or cookies, party hosts offer enough food to feed an entire army, and in some cases the emotions, whether joyful or nostalgic, increase the yearning for tasty treats. Premier Health Plus advocates for a healthy approach to food during the holidays. It’s not necessary to overindulge or to deny the desire to eat —or skip a couple of invitations— but it’s important to be aware of eating patterns and to plan ahead. Consider the following tips for enjoying the holidays without gaining weight:

--Leave the diet for later. Holidays are not the right time to start a new diet. The focus during these weeks should be to maintain one’s current weight, and that can be a challenge by itself. Losing weight can be a New Year’s resolution, but even then, it might be smart to wait until the second or third week of January, when life is usually back to normal and it’s easier to focus on a new eating and exercise regimen.

--Stay active. The most common excuses people use to neglect their usual exercise routine are the cold weather and the extra activities around the holidays. Unfortunately, this is the worse time of the year to stop exercising. Even just 20 minutes of moderate physical activity a day — especially aerobic exercises such as walking or cycling — will help to release stress, regulate appetite and burn extra calories.

--Make a food journal. There is no need to jot down exact quantities or to bring a notepad and pen to every party. What’s important is to keep track of all the things eaten, for two specific reasons: one, to be consciously aware of the amount and type of food consumed; two, to know when to cut back and balance out the day in a healthy way.

--Reduce the fat in recipes. Cookbooks and online sites are excellent resources for low-fat and sugar-free holiday recipes. Use those ideas to take control over homemade treats and dishes prepared for family gatherings.

--Practice portion control. Moderation is a good rule to follow when it comes to holiday eating. Choose to be served on smaller plates, and be selective when going down the buffet line: add more vegetables than fried food, and stick with the tried, true and preferred instead of making a point of sampling a little bit of everything.

PremierHealth Plus members enjoy discounts on a wide range of healthcare needs, with access to a nationwide network of 300,000 healthcare providers. Benefits include chiropractic care services and other alternative medicine treatments. No matter what season it is, the whole family can take advantage of the benefits offered by PremierHealthPlus.

PremierHealth PlusSM Suggests Consumers Take Precautions Before Cold and Flu Season Begins

Fall has started, and with the turn of the leaves and the change of colors also come the signs of cold and flu season. Taking safety measures to keep the entire family healthy is the best thing parents can do before winter reaches its peak, recommends PremierHealth Plus, a leading healthcare savings program offered by Adaptive Marketing LLC^®.

Some cold viruses reproduce better with the cool, drier conditions of winter, and since everyone tends to stay inside — clustered at home, school or the workplace — there are more chances for those viruses to spread from one person to the other. PremierHealthPlus encourages consumers to take a proactive approach by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and using all available resources to keep cold viruses out of their home.

PremierHealthPlus offers some anti-cold and flu tips to keep in mind:

-- Wash your hands. During winter, people spend more time together in enclosed spaces, sharing the same organisms and bacteria through surfaces such as tables, doorknobs and handles, so it’s essential to wash these bacteria off to prevent their spread. Another good tip is to use a hand sanitizer every so often while visiting places such as school, the supermarket, and the ATM, among others.

-- Get plenty of sleep. A tired body won’t fight viruses and bacteria as well as a well-rested one. People who are under stress and struggling with allergies or fatigue are more susceptible to colds, so a good night’s sleep is a great way to boost the immune system and help prevent one.

-- Exercise regularly. Aerobic exercise is highly recommended during cold and flu season; it speeds up the heart, makes you breath faster and pumps more blood and oxygen through the body. Any kind of exercise, but particularly aerobic exercise, increases the body's natural virus-killing cells.

-- Go outdoors. Contrary to what one might thing, breathing fresh, cold air during winter helps the body feel stronger. Throughout cold months, people tend to stay indoors, which creates a better environment for germs to spread; central heating dries out the body and makes it more susceptible to viruses.

-- Eat healthy. Along with proper rest, good eating habits are a key to maintaining a cold-free body. Include red, yellow and dark green fruits and vegetables in your diet, along with whole grains and yogurt. A more natural approach suggests increasing the consumption of vitamin C, zinc and echinacea. Although there’s no scientific proof that these elements have a protective effect against cold and flu, it has been shown that they do help decrease the symptoms of common colds. Along with a good diet, drinking a lot of fluids is highly recommended. Liquids help you flush out your system, washing out bacteria that you might have gotten from someone.

-- Stay home. Germs are everywhere, and sometimes it’s just not possible to avoid them. In case you do get the flu, stay home and take care of yourself. You don’t want to feel lousy while interacting with coworkers, and you certainly don’t want to be responsible for making everyone else in the office sick.

PremierHealthPlus members can access a nationwide network of 400,000 healthcare providers and enjoy discounts on a wide range of healthcare needs, including chiropractic care services and other alternative medicine treatments. The whole family can take advantage of the benefits offered by PremierHealth Plus.