SLEEP!!  How many hours do you get and how many do you really need…what’s your “magic” number?  Everyone’s “magic” number will vary because we all have different sleep needs. The general rule of thumb is to attempt to get 6-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep to be able to perform at your level best.  I realize some of you just read “6-9 hours” and laughed because you can’t remember the last time you achieved that many hours of sleep…in a row.  Well, I hope you choose to take advantage of the information sent out during this challenge to help you figure out what your magic number is and how to achieve it.

Here’s the challenge.  For every night you are able to sleep between 6-9 hours in a row, you will earn 1 point.  The challenge will begin on Monday, December 3rd and end on Monday, December 31st (so you can stay up ALL night on New Year’s Eve if you want!).  Choose one person on your team to keep track of your points.  The team with the most points at the end of the month will win a catered lunch!!

If you’re interested in figuring out how many hours of sleep you really need, start tonight by following the steps below:

Start a sleep journal, keep it by your bed and take notes of the following:
~ the time you lie down to fall asleep (not to read a book or watch TV)
~ the time you wake up, answer the below questions:
~ how many times did you wake up
~ are you awake before your alarm sounds
~ how many time did you hit the snooze button
~ are you still sleepy or energized
~ what time do you start to feel sleepy in the evening

If you’re waking up sleepy, start out by going to bed an hour earlier.  I realize this is an obvious solution, but it really can make the difference between having a so-so day and having a GREAT day :

 

 

12-06-12

I found this great article that I would recommend everyone take some time to read BUT I realize you may not get around to it right away, so I will highlight two points I feel are important.

“How Running Affects Sleep (and Vice Versa)”:

1. Your body NEEDS sleep in order to be repaired.  REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM (non-rapid eye movement) should sound familiar to you.  These are the 2 cycles your body alternates between, each lasting 90min.  Your body repairs itself throughout the duration of your sleep but particularly during your REM aka deep sleep.

2. People who exercise regularly have reported falling asleep quicker and being able to stay asleep making it easier for them to experience that “deep sleep” we require.

If you are having trouble sleeping and do not participate in an exercise regimen currently, start one today!  It could make all the difference.

Do your best to find some time to read this article, it’s very informative!  Email me with any questions 🙂

http://runningresearchnews.com/News_And_Events.php?cid=1&iid=157

 

Give this a try!

One of our fellow employees brought this to my attention earlier this week.  It’s a sleep app he has used and thought may be useful to some of you :).  The app is called Sleep Cycle (for the iphone).  You put your phone on the edge of your bed at night and it uses the internal gyroscope in your phone to measure how often you move at night and how restful your sleep is. It also tracks how long you were asleep and some other statistics.  Click the link below to view the app.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sleep-cycle-alarm-clock/id320606217?mt=8

 And the winning team is….

Team Traver!!!  Congratulations!!

 

For this challenge we will be focusing on getting active and staying active.  The challenge will be called the “Workout Challenge”.  You will earn 1 point for every 20mins of exercise or activity you do daily.  Whether you are playing a fall sport, working out at the gym or at home, running or walking outside or participating in a class, you’re goal is to get active for at least 20min 3-5 days/weekly.

If you are choosing to workout at home, I have been filming 20min workouts that you can use as a guide.  If after the 20mins you feel you could do more…DO IT!!  Add on a few more sets to make it a 30-40min workout.  You can find those workouts on the Grapevine under “Weekly Workouts” or you can go straight to my youtube channel “Mer12906”.

If you want to go to a gym whether your doing your own workout of looking for a class to join, LA Fitness offers McKinley employees a discounted rate of $25 down and $29.99/monthly.  If you are interested in joining, please email me and I will send you the e-voucher you will need to take in with you when you sign up.

10 reasons to get active!
1. Good dose of endorphines
2. Helps combat osteoporosis and type 2 diabetes
3. Strengthens your heart
4. Weight loss!  With a good combo of strength training and cardio you will be able to drop the fat and keep as much lean muscle mass as possible
5. Helps fight mild depression
6. Improves sleep quality
7. Promotes mind power
8. Increased energy levels
9. Boosts self-image
10. Relieves stress!!!!

The Workout Challenge will begin in Monday, October 8th 2012 and end on Monday, November 5th 2012.  The team with the most points will win a catered lunch!  Choose one person from your team to keep track of the points and make sure you give your designated person your point totals at the end of each week. Email me with any questions.  Have a wonderful afternoon 🙂

 

Congratulations to the Asset Management Team a.k.a. the “Dude, where’s my gut” team for winning the Workout Challenge!!

Are you ready for the next challenge?!  This month’s challenge is called the “Meal Frequency Challenge”.  There is no question we all lead extremely busy lives which many times is the cause of missed meals.  When we eat very little through out the day we tend to over eat at the end of the day.  This is bad because we are typically less active in the evening which means our bodies will be storing most of those calories as fat 🙁

Our last challenge was the Breakfast and Water Challenge.  Everyone should fully understand the importance of jump starting the metabolism by eating breakfast.  It’s even more important to keep the metabolism running at a steady pace so we can avoid starvation mode and our bodies hoarding calories.  The best way to do this by eating small meals every 2-3 hours.  I understand at first this will seem impossible, inconvenient and maybe even a little counter-productive depending on what your goals are.  For some of you the challenge will be for you to consume more calories, more frequently throughout the day.  For others the challenge will be to simply split up your calories into 5-6 small meals instead of 2-3 big meals.  If you choose to take this challenge on, one of the first things you will notice is how much easier it will be for you to make healthier food selections.  Why?  You won’t let your body get to the point of starvation so you will be able to make food decisions with your brain instead of your stomach.

The challenge will work like this.  For every meal you eat you will earn 1 point.  For every meal that includes fried food and for every dessert consumed you will lose 1 point.  I will provide a list of foods/meals/snacks to give you an idea of what your small meals will look like.  I will also provide some simple guidelines to follow when choosing your food.  The challenge will begin on 7-16-12 (in 1 week) and end on 8-13-12.  You do not need to sign up for the challenge.  The teams will be split up according to properties and departments.  Designate one person on your team to keep track of your points.  At the end of each week I will send an email out requesting a tally of your teams points for the week. 

 

Here are some great examples of food to choose from for the “Meal Frequency” challenge.  If you have specific questions regarding a certain food or portion size, please email me 🙂  Do your best to have a healthy combo of carbs, protein and fat every time you eat.  Everyone’s combination will be slightly different depending on what your trying to accomplish but if you’re not sure what a healthy combo looks like, here’s an example: 40% protein, 35% carbs and 25% fat.  I’m not going to suggest you have to start counting calories (although it can be helpful) but here is an example of a daily calorie breakdown based on a 2000 calorie diet:
Breakfast = 500cal                                        Breakfast = 400 cal
Snack = 250 cal                                            Snack = 400 cal
Lunch = 500 cal                       or                  Lunch = 400 cal
Snack = 250 cal                                            Snack = 400 cal
Dinner = 500 cal                                           Dinner = 400 cal

Click the link below if you are interested in calculating how many calories you personally need:
http://grapevine.mckinley.com/?p=206

You choose what will work best for you.  The link below has the list of breakfast options from last month and I still recommend starting your day with one of those options.
http://grapevine.mckinley.com/?p=757

To be successful with eating smaller meals more frequently it helps to prepare some meals ahead of time (Sunday’s are usually a great day for this), or make a larger portion for dinner so you can take the left overs to work the next day.
Try these!  You can find the recipes on the Grapevine under “Cooking Smart”:
~ tuna salad, chicken salad, mini meat loafs (made in muffin tins), rice, cheddar and spinach pie (made in muffin tins), no bake energy bars

Here are some other foods you might want to keep at work:
-carrot sticks, celery sticks, cucumbers, peppers, Reduced fats wheat thins or triscuts, baked pita chips, sliced tomatoes, Rice cakes or crackers, Dry Cereal (whole grain or gluten free), Oatmeal, Hummus, 1/3 less fat cream cheese, low fat string cheese, low fat salad dressing, lunch meat (turkey, ham, chicken…great source of protein), Greek yogurt, Almonds, pastachios, peanuts, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, Natural peanut butter, Apples, Pears, Plums, Grapes, watermelon, blueberries, oranges, bananas, Hard boiled eggs, soup (avoid the cream based soups)

If you nee some guidance when it comes to dining out, click the link below:
http://grapevine.mckinley.com/?p=557

If you frequent fast food restaurants, I encourage you to check out the nutrition facts on line of the foods you order.  If it exceeds the amount of calories you should be consuming at one time try choosing once of the healthier options.

 

We are going to start a new series of challenges called the “Healthy Habit Challenges”!  The purpose of these challenges will be to help you create some long lasting healthy habit’s that will benefit you greatly!  Even though the focus of these challenges will not be on weight loss specifically, don’t be surprised if you drop a few pounds or have an easier time maintaining your weight in the process!

The first challenge will be the “Breakfast and Water” challenge.  I am finding there are too many people who have been starting their day with either no breakfast at all, a cup of coffee or an energy drink.  Most of you understand the importance of eating breakfast but for those of you who don’t know I will tell you.  There are many great reasons you should eat breakfast but the most important is so you can jump start your metabolism!  I will send out more info about the importance of eating breakfast this week 🙂

The other bad habit that will be addressed in this challenge will be the amount of coffee, pop, and energy drinks consumed.  These 3 types of beverages dehydrate…not hydrate.  They do provide a quick boost in energy, but that’s it….a QUICK boost.  Eating the right types of food will give you the long sustained energy flow that we all want!  I will be sending an email out later this week with a list of breakfast recipes, breakfast cereals and “on the go” food, and healthy restaurants you can stop and grab breakfast from on your way to work.

Here’s how the challenge will work.  This series of challenges will be Property/Department against Property/Department.  You do not have to sign up.  The challenge will be based on points.  Below you will see how the point system will work:

For every person who eats breakfast = +2 pts
For every 8oz of water = +1 pt

For every 8oz of coffee, pop or energy drink = -1pt
(keep in mind, most energy drinks are 24oz so that would be -3pts)

Congratulations to the HR Department for winning the Breakfast and Water Challenge!!