It was great to talk with you. Thank you for your interest in. I hope you find this tip sheet helpful. Please give me a call if you have more questions about this or other topics. As your UPMC Health Plan health coach, I am ready to help in any way I can. Do you have a chronic medical condition? Talk with your doctor and health coach about making healthy lifestyle change a part of your treatment. A healthy lifestyle may: Prevent or delay your need for other treatments. Make other treatments work better. Let you reduce your dose of certain medicines or even stop taking them. Help prevent complications of your condition. This may save you money. It may also help you avoid or lessen treatment side effects. Below are five examples of healthy lifestyle changes. For each one: Check the chronic conditions in the second column that apply to you. Move to the third column in those rows. Review the ways that lifestyle change can help. Keep in mind that a healthy lifestyle has many other rewards too. It has been shown to: Prevent many chronic diseases. (The role of a healthy lifestyle in prevention is not the focus of this tip sheet. Talk with your health coach and doctor if you have questions about prevention.) Help you feel better overall, have more energy, and improve your health in general. Help you live a longer life. A healthier life is life on is the on line the for you! line for you! CMN13-0926-10(a) UPMC_14_0036 Copyright 2013 UPMC Health Plan, Inc. All rights reserved C ON C C20130826-05 (MCG) 12/09/13 PDF
Page 2 of 7 Healthy Weight How a Healthy Weight Can Help Reach and keep a healthy weight and waistline. Lose 5-10% of your weight, if you are overweight or obese. That is about 10-20 pounds for most people. Eat about 500-1000 fewer calories per day to lose an average of 1-2 pounds per week. Be active. See below. For men, aim for a waist of 40 or less (36 for Asian men). For women, aim for waist of 35 or less (32 for Asian women). stroke, heart Reduces stress on muscles and joints. Reduces inflammation. Losing extra pounds reduces asthma symptoms and flare-ups. Are you underweight with? Reaching a healthy weight can help you fight infections. It also supports your breathing muscles. This makes breathing easier. Reduces stress on the heart. Lowers blood pressure. May allow you to reduce your dose of or even stop taking a blood pressure medicine. Lowers bad cholesterol and triglycerides. Type 1 and Type 2 Improves the way the body uses its own or injected insulin. May allow you to reduce your dose of or delay taking insulin or other medicines. Reduces your risk of blindness, kidney disease, heart attack, stroke, amputations, and nerve damage.
Page 3 of 7 Be Active Get regular exercise. Move throughout the day. Do 30-60 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week. Examples are brisk walking, biking, or swimming. Have you been inactive? Start slowly. Increase minutes over time. Do muscle strengthening on two days a week. Examples are lifting weights or using resistance bands. Talk to your doctor before choosing more vigorous activities. Move as much as you can throughout the day. Sit less. Important: Ask your doctor for an exercise plan that is right for you. Due to your medical condition(s), your doctor may advise you to avoid or limit certain forms or amounts of physical activity. Depression and anxiety Dementia Overweight and obesity Type 1 and Type 2 How Being Active Can Help Strengthens muscles that support your joints. Reduces joint and muscle stiffness. Lessens the frequency and severity of asthma flare-ups. Strengthens the muscles that help you breathe. Helps you have fewer respiratory infections. Helps you reach and keep a healthy weight. Improves breathing and helps you walk further (in ). Reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety. Boosts feel-good brain chemicals, such as serotonin and endorphins. Triggers the growth of new brain cells and connections. Improves oxygen levels in your brain. Helps slow memory loss. Can lower your blood pressure in just a few weeks if you haven t been active. Lowers bad cholesterol and triglycerides. Raises good cholesterol. Burns calories. Is essential for keeping off the weight you lose. Helps keep your blood sugar at a healthy level. Helps you reach and keep a healthy weight. Reduces your risk of blindness, kidney disease, heart attack, stroke, amputations, and nerve damage.
Page 4 of 7 Quit Tobacco and Avoid Second Hand and Third Hand Smoke If you use tobacco, quit. Stay away from second hand smoke. That is smoke from others who smoke around you or from a burning cigarette, pipe, or cigar. Stay away from third hand smoke. That is smoke that lingers on clothes, hair, furniture, and so on. Osteoporosis Type 1 and Type 2 How Quitting Tobacco Can Help Improves circulation and oxygen delivery to your muscles and joints. Lessens muscle, joint, and back pain. Helps rheumatoid arthritis medicines work better. Removes one of the most common asthma triggers. Improves lung function or slows the rate of decline (in ). Lowers blood pressure. Lowers bad cholesterol levels. Improves blood circulation. Your heart and blood vessels receive more oxygen. Lessens blood clotting. Prevents damage to cells that line your arteries and blood vessels. Burns calories. Is essential for keeping off the weight you lose. Helps keep blood sugar levels stable. Reduces your risk of infection. Reduces your risk of blindness, kidney disease, heart attack, stroke, amputations, and nerve damage.
Page 5 of 7 Eat three regular meals and one-to-two healthy snacks per day. Do not skip meals. At meals, make about half your plate fruits and vegetables, ¼ lean protein foods, and ¼ grains. Make at least half your grains whole grains. Replace solid fats (saturated and trans fats) with small amounts of oils. Get three servings of nonfat or 1% dairy foods (milk, yogurt, cheese) per day. Eat fish twice a week. Eat plant proteins often. Eat a variety of colors of fruits and vegetables. Limit sodium, added sugars, and solid fats (saturated and trans fats). Limit calories and portion sizes to reach and keep a healthy weight. (If you have and are underweight, add calories by increasing portion sizes of healthy foods.) Drink plenty of water. Avoid sugary drinks. If you do not drink alcohol, do not start. If you do drink, limit it to no more than one drink a day for women and for men older than age 65. Drink no more than two drinks a day for men age 65 and younger. Dementia Depression and anxiety Overweight and obesity Osteoporosis Type 1 and Type 2 Eat Healthy How Healthy Eating Can Help Reduces inflammation: fish, fruits, vegetables, and replacing solid fats with small amounts of oils. Fights infections. Helps keep lungs working well. Helps you lose extra weight, which reduces asthma flare-ups. If you have and are underweight, helps you gain weight safely by increasing portions of healthy choices. Lessens symptoms. Helps prevent malnutrition. Helps keep blood sugar and energy level stable, which improves mood. Can lower blood pressure in just a few weeks. Limiting alcohol, solid fats, refined grains, and added sugars; eating fish; and replacing solid fats with small amounts of oils lowers triglycerides. Limiting solid fats, eating more fiber, and eating plant proteins lower bad cholesterol. Helps you lose weight if you limit calories and portion sizes. Helps you lose weight if you include: Nonfat dairy products Lean protein throughout the day Foods rich in water and fiber, which help you to feel full on fewer calories (such as fruits, vegetables.) Limiting empty calories from solid fats, added sugars, and alcohol. Fortified nonfat dairy products provide calcium and vitamin D for bone health. Fruits and vegetables provide potassium for bone health. Helps keep your blood sugar at a healthy level. Helps you reach and keep a healthy weight. Reduces your risk of blindness, kidney disease, heart attack, stroke, amputations, and nerve damage.
Page 6 of 7 Manage Stress Spend time with people you enjoy, doing things you enjoy. Reach out for support when you need it. Keep a good sense of humor. Be optimistic. Avoid what triggers stress when you can. Learn to change thought patterns that lead to stress. Practice ways to relax when under stress. Examples: Take slow, deep breaths. Listen to calming music. Take a walk. Manage your time well. Get enough sleep. Get plenty of physical activity. Limit caffeine, alcohol, and added sugars. Important: Ask your doctor for an exercise plan that is right for you. Due to your medical condition(s), your doctor may advise you to avoid or limit certain forms or amounts of physical activity. Depression and anxiety Dementia Overweight and obesity Type 1 and Type 2 How Stress Management Helps Lessens muscle tension and pain. Flare-ups happen less often and are less severe. (Stress is a common asthma trigger.) Improved breathing. (Stress can make you feel short of breath. This can lead to anxiety and faster breathing. It often becomes a vicious cycle. Fewer respiratory infections. Lessens symptoms of depression and anxiety. Helps prevents future depression. Triggers the growth of new brain cells and connections. Improves oxygen levels in your brain. Helps slow memory loss. Lessens increases in blood pressure due to stress. Reduces stress eating. Many people eat high-calorie foods such as high-fat snacks and sweets in response to stress. Being active to manage stress also supports reaching and keeping a healthy weight. Improves blood sugar levels. (Stress hormones raise blood sugar.) Makes it easier to take care of your.
Page 7 of 7 Take Action 1. Choose one lifestyle change you would like to focus on now to help treat your chronic condition(s): Reach and keep a healthy weight and waistline. Be active. Eat healthy. Quit tobacco and avoid second hand and third hand smoke. Manage stress. 2. Write down one small step you can take this week to begin to make that change. Be specific. For example: On Saturday I will buy apples and oranges to eat for my afternoon snack next week. 3. Talk with your doctor and health coach about how you can continue to build on what you do this week. Keep in mind that UPMC has many resources and tools to support you.