Employee Health

Employee Health Office:

Contact:    Carolyn Jenlink, Supervisor    973-4737
                Gladys Brooks, Clerk            973-4632

The Employee Health office assists district employees with issues regarding time away from work for health reasons; assistance with short-term/long-term disability leave; and information on EMPAC, the Employee Assistance program. The links below will provide more information for each of these programs.

EMPAC     Employee Assistance Program for district employees

FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE   For employees who need time away from work for family medical needs.

SHORT-TERM DISABILITY/TEMPORARY LEAVE  For employees who need extended leave from work.

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                2008-09 USD 259 Stepper's Challenge

Are you ready to get up and move? We are offering the Stepper's Challenge to ALL USD 259 employees. The only cost is $3.00 for a pedometer (purchased from the Risk Management office at AMAC). Wear your pedometer daily to track the number of steps you take toward your goal of 10,000 steps per day. This is a great way to add more physical activity to your day without purchasing expensive workout equipment!
Log your steps every day, and each week report your total steps at this website. USD259 Challenge

Some Healthy Tips from the Sedgwick County Health Department

Health Tips:

The federal government recently issued its first-ever Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. The main idea behind the guidelines is that regular physical activity over months and years can produce long-term health benefits. According to the guidelines, for adults, most health benefits occur with at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking. Additional benefits occur with more physical activity. To read more about the new guidelines go to this link: http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/default.aspx.

A recent study found that nine out of 10 food advertisements shown during Saturday morning children's television programming are for foods high in fat, sodium or added sugars, or low in nutrients.

Researchers also report that children eat more after a food commercial than after an advertisement for a toy. Help balance your child's diet by complementing one less nutritious cereal or snack with three healthy foods. Healthy choices include fruits, veggies, whole-grain pretzels or crackers, yogurt, peanut butter in moderation, or popcorn.

Safe and Healthful Tailgate

Fall weekends are usually filled with food, festivities and fun - not to mention football. Whether you are having your tailgate party at home or at the field, here are some tips for a safe and healthful tailgate.

Have a small snack before going to a tailgate party. Going to a party hungry often results in overeating.
Stick to a strategy for eating. Don’t let your eating be dictated by the pace of the game.
Use a plate for even the smallest snack. You’ll eat less.

Hosts, serve your fellow fans fresh vegetables with low-fat dip, fruit kabobs, popcorn, pretzels with mustard dip, baked tortilla chips and salsa, whole-grain breads and a variety of lean meats for sandwiches. You’ll score points with your guests and help guarantee your tailgate get-together will be a hit right up until the final whistle. If you plan to set up camp at the game, load the cooler, pack the picnic basket and get ready for an afternoon of food, drink and football.
For healthy appetizers at your tailgate, bring tortilla roll-ups made with flour tortillas that are filled with leafy greens, salsa, refried beans and low-fat cheese. Try hummus with pita chips or veggies with yogurt dip. For the main meal, pack lean meat or tuna sandwiches on whole-grain bread or three bean chili. Add lots of vegetables to your chili and serve it with crusty, whole-grain bread. For a sweet ending just before kickoff, bring fruit and angel food cake. And if you plan to fire up the grill at your pre-game gathering, keep in mind that fun and successful grilling all come down to proper food safety.

www.eatright.org
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Nutrition Tip
Teaing it up. You will achieve a much higher intake of the beneficial polyphenols found in tea by drinking freshly brewed tea rather than iced tea. The reason: The polyphenols (mostly flavonoids) in tea leaves are readily extracted by hot water. Also, iced tea is usually consumed in a more dilute form and stored and served over several days. Polyphenols break down over time.

Fitness Tip
Fitness may protect the brain in and from early Alzheimer’s. Exercise helps keep your brain from cognitive shrinkage. A recent study found that people with early Alzheimer’s disease who were less physically fit had four times more brain shrinkage when compared to normal older adults who were more physically fit.

Health Tip
Healthy habits can cut your stroke risk. A healthy lifestyle has been known to cut your risk of heart disease and other cardiovascular disease as well as diabetes but until recently less has been known about the relationship between a healthy lifestyle and stroke. While it makes sense, this landmark research study suggests the same healthy habits that help protect your heart (not smoking, a BMI of less than 25, moderate to vigorous exercise at least 30 minutes daily, consumption of one-half to one drink of alcohol for women-two for men, and eating a healthy diet and taking a multivitamin for at least 5 years) can reduce your risk of stroke, too.

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