AETNA BETTER HEALTH® OF NEW JERSEY

Fall/Winter 2017

Shovel snow the right way: Tips for safe snow removal It’s winter, and you know what that means: snow. And while it may be pretty to look at, snow can be a pain to shovel.

Every year, thousands of Americans are treated at hospital emergency departments, provider’s offices and clinics because they got hurt while shoveling snow.

Removing snow can be especially hard on back, shoulder and arm muscles because it involves a lot of bending and heavy lifting. It can also be hard on the heart: Older adults face an increased risk for having heart problems while shoveling. It’s not unusual for people to slip or fall— or get hit by the shovel— when shoveling snow.

Remove snow safely When it’s time to begin working on that snow-covered walkway or driveway, follow these suggestions for safe shoveling: • Dress appropriately. Wear

light, water-repellent clothing; a hat; gloves; and warm socks. Put on shoes or boots with good traction to avoid falling.

• Never use a shovel that is too heavy or too long.

• Clear snow early and often. It’s easier to remove a light covering of snow from the ground than it is to clear packed, heavy snow.

• Take plenty of breaks and drink lots of water.

• If you feel any pain, stop shoveling right away. If you have chest pain, get medical help right away.

• Push snow instead of lifting it.

• Avoid throwing snow over your shoulder or to the side because it can stress your back.

If you have any questions about your snow-shoveling fitness, you should talk to your provider. That’s especially true if you’re older than 40, don’t exercise regularly or have a history of heart problems.

Sources: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; National Safety Council

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Healthy eating during winter gatherings for people with diabetes Winter is a season of holiday celebrations, football playoffs, and other occasions when family and friends get together over meals and snacks. For people with type 2 diabetes, it can be a challenge to stick to a meal plan. Mouth-watering options such as honey-baked ham, buttery mashedpotatoes, and sweetened yams are popular for festive dinners, while chicken wings, cheesy nachos, and chips are among the favorites at football play-offs and other gatherings. However, you don’t have to completely avoid all of your favorite foods. The key is to make a variety of healthy food choices and limit portion sizes.

Follow these tips from the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) to help you eat healthy during gatherings throughout the winter season: • Eat a healthy snack. Eat a healthy snack before leaving home to prevent overeating at the party.

• Plan ahead. Check out the party food options before you begin eating, and make a mental note of what and how much you will eat.

• Bring a healthy dish. Bring a dish that fits into your meal plan and you can share with others.

• Move away from the buffet. Fix your plate, and then step away from a table of finger foods to avoid grazing while chatting.

• Savor the flavor. Eat slowly to reduce your chances of overeating.

• Drink water. Water is a healthy, no-calorie beverage. Drink plenty of it.

• Trim it down. Eat smaller portions of food. Trim off extra skin and fat from meat.

• Enjoy the party. Focus on family, friends, and activities rather than food. Stay active by participating in games or dancing.

Follow these tips if your goal is to serve healthy feasts to your guests: • Bake it. Broil it. Grill it. Keep meat low in fat by cooking without frying. Trim beef and pork of visible fat and choose skinless poultry.

• Increase fiber. Serve whole grain breads, vegetables, peas, and beans as part of your meals.

• Easy on the toppings. Lighten your recipes by using reduced-fat or fat-free mayonnaise, butter, sour cream, or salad dressing.

• Focus on fruits. Serve fresh or canned fruit (in its own juice or in water) instead of ice cream, cake, or pie.

• Serve low-calorie beverages. Offer your guests water instead of juice or regular soda.

• Family support is key. Support your family and friends by encouraging them to eat healthy

during the winter months and throughout the year.

More information about ways to manage your diabetes is provided in the NIDDK health topic, 4 Steps to Manage Your Diabetes for Life (www.niddk.nih.gov/health -information/health-topics/ Diabetes/4-steps-manage -diabetes/Pages/publicationdetail .aspx). Download or order the tip sheet and more free resources by visiting their online catalog (https:// catalog.niddk.nih.gov/ndep.cfm).

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) is jointly sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with the support of more than 200 partner organizations.

This information is not copyrighted. The NIDDK encourages people to share this content freely.

2

Lentil soup Makes 11 servings.

Ingredients 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 medium carrots, diced 2 medium stalks celery, chopped 1 small yellow onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon dried basil 1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 cups dry lentils

1 can (141⁄2 ounces) crushed tomatoes 2 cups vegetable broth 61⁄2 cups water

Directions• In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat.

• Add carrots, celery, and onion; cook and stir until the onion is tender.

• Stir in garlic, oregano, basil and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes.

• Stir in lentils and tomatoes; then add the vegetable broth and water.

• Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 1 hour or until lentils are tender.

• Serve. (Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated on the stove or in the microwave. The soup will taste even better the next day!)

Nutrition information Serving size: 1 cup. Amount per serving: 151 calories, 3g total fat (0g saturated fat), 0g cholesterol, 24g carbohydrates, 9g protein, 7g total fiber, 248mg sodium.

Source: National Institutes of Health

Turkey fajitas with baby spinach and red peppers Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

Seasoning marinade 1⁄2 teaspoon chili powder 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cumin 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder 1⁄8 teaspoon finely ground coffee 1⁄8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Filling 1⁄2 tablespoon canola oil 1 pound turkey cutlets or boneless

turkey breast, cut into 3⁄4-inch-by-3-inch pieces

4 taco-size (9-inch) whole-wheat tortillas

11⁄3 cups lightly packed baby spinach

1⁄2 cup salsa verde 2 (1⁄2-inch) slices red onion, halved crosswise

12 (1⁄2-inch) strips red bell pepper

Directions • In small bowl, whisk together chili

powder, cinnamon, cumin, garlic powder, coffee and black pepper.

• Place canola oil and turkey in mixing bowl and add dry seasoning marinade. Using a fork or your hands, mix to coat turkey evenly with marinade. Set aside for 20 to 30 minutes.

• Heat a medium cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Lay a large sheet of foil on your work surface. One at a time, heat tortillas in dry pan until they are flexible, about 1 minute, turning them after 30 seconds.

• Stack tortillas on foil, covering them with an inverted plate until all tortillas are warmed, then seal tortillas in foil, and set them aside.

• Heat grill-pan or stovetop grill over high heat until a drop of water flicked onto it dances. Using tongs, arrange seasoned turkey pieces in rows on grill, placing them 1⁄2-inch apart. This may require cooking turkey in 2 batches.

• Grill for 6 minutes, turning pieces every 1 minute so they cook evenly and to avoid burning. Transfer cooked turkey to serving plate.

• To assemble fajitas, place tortilla on a dinner plate, preferably warm. Arrange 1⁄4 of spinach in center of tortilla. Add 1⁄4 of turkey. Spoon on 1⁄4 of salsa, top with half an onion slice and 4 pepper strips. Fold in top and bottom of tortilla, then sides. Serve immediately.

Cook turkey to 165 degrees to help prevent foodborne illness.

Nutrition information Serving size: 1 fajita. Amount per serving: 317 calories, 6g total fat (less than 1g saturated fat), 31g carbohydrates, 34g protein, 2g dietary fiber, 492mg sodium.

Source: American Institute for Cancer Research

3

Seasonal depression Beyond the winter blues Winter days can be long, cold and dark. Feeling a bit blah is normal. If you find yourself feeling very sad or hopeless — and those feelings return year after year around the same time — you may have a form of depression called seasonal affective disorder, or SAD.

SAD is caused, in part, by less exposure to sunlight in the fall and winter months. The following tips could help you feel better: • Try to get outside during the day more. Sit near a bright window at home or work.

• Eat healthy. Craving sweets, overeating and weight gain can all be part of SAD. Be mindful of how often you reach for high-calorie goodies. And make an effort to eat nutritious meals.

• Get out and about. It can be a real mood booster to spend time with friends or family — even if you don’t feel up to it at first.

• Get help. Your provider may recommend treatments like light therapy or medication to help you feel better.

Source: American Psychological Association

Prevent lead poisoningLead poisoning in children can cause damage to the brain and the nervous system. Even low levels of lead can cause learning disabilities. Young children under the age of 6 are at a higher risk.

Lead can be found in: • Water and soil; • Imported candy, especially from Mexico;

• Toys; • Home remedies;

• Pots or containers made in other countries; and

• Some paints.

Some home remedies include: • Mexican or Central

American communities: Azarcon and Greta.

• Asian communities: Paylooah and Ba-Baw-San.

• Asian Indian or Middle Eastern communities: Ghasard, Bala Goli, Kandu and Kohl.

Protect your child:• Have your child tested for lead poisoning at ages 1 and 2.

• Wash children’s hands and toys often with soap and water.

• Feed your child foods with calcium, iron and vitamin C. These foods help prevent lead poisoning.

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Massachusetts Department of Public Health Bureau of Environmental Health

4

Parents: Talk to your college kids about drinkingYou’re the parent of a newly admitted college freshman. It won’t be long before you take your child to the dorm and drive away. But before you do, it’s important to make sure your child is fully aware of the risks of college drinking. They can’t be overstated.

Every year in the U.S., college drinking is linked to: •1,569 accidental deaths, including fatal car crashes.

•97,000 sexual assaults and date rapes. •696,000 assaults by another student who has been drinking.

About 1 in 4 college students report that drinking has hurt their grades. They’ve missed class and done poorly on exams and papers as a result of using alcohol.

Your role The good news: You can still affect your child’s choices, even into the college

years. Studies suggest that students who choose not to drink often make that choice because their parents talked about the dangers with them. So:

Speak up. Talk about the risks of drinking head-on with your child. Zero-tolerance messages appear to be the most effective at keeping kids from drinking in college.

Keep talking. The first six weeks of freshman year are a risky time for heavy drinking. Check in with your child often. It’s a way to show you care.

Be honest. If your child asks about your past drinking behavior, don’t lie. Admit to any risks you took. Just maintain that underage drinking is not OK.

Sources: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Trying to quit smoking? At Aetna Better Health of New Jersey, our goal is to help you and your family maintain a healthy lifestyle.

To help you achieve your health goals, you may be eligible for over-the-counter (OTC) smoking cessation products including: • Nicotine gums. • Nicotine lozenges. • Nicotine patches. • Other products.

If you need help getting smoking cessation products, call Member Services. You can call us at 1-855-232-3596 (TTY: 711), 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Remember, if your teen is smoking, talk to them about quitting.

5

What you need to know about opioids It’s tough to live with chronic pain, but millions of Americans do. That’s one reason why prescription opioids are so common.

These medicines relieve pain in the short term. They also help people receiving hospice or palliative care.

But taking opioids comes with some serious risks, including the risk of addiction, unintentional overdose, and death.

As many as 1 in 4 people who take opioids for a long time become addicted to the medications (a condition known as opioid use disorder), and more than 165,000 people in the U.S. died from opioid overdose between 1999 and 2014.

Names to know Well-known brand-name painkillers, like Vicodin (hydrocodone) and OxyContin (oxycodone), are opioids. So are generic drugs, such as:

•Buprenorphine. •Codeine. •Fentanyl. •Hydromorphone. •Methadone. •Morphine. •Oxymorphone.

Finding solutions To help curb opioid addiction and overdose deaths, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued new guidelines for prescribing the drugs to treat chronic pain. The guidelines encourage providers to start low and go slow when prescribing opioids in order to reduce the risks linked to long-term use. (The guidelines don’t apply to cancer patients or those receiving hospice or palliative care.)

If you’re living with chronic pain, talk with your provider about the risks and benefits of taking opioids. Be honest about any personal history of drug or alcohol

addiction. Also discuss other ways to help manage your pain, such as physical therapy, exercise and nonopioid medications.

If your doctor does prescribe an opioid, be sure to: •Never mix the medication with

alcohol, and don’t take it with other substances or medications without your provider’s okay.

•Never take more of the medication than prescribed.

•Never share the medication with friends or family. Keep it locked away and well out of reach of curious children and teens.

Alert your doctor if you experience side effects from an opioid—such as constipation, nausea, vomiting, dry mouth, sleepiness, confusion or decreased sex drive—or if you need to take more of the medication to obtain pain relief.

6

Start your kids on a heart-healthy pathYou’re there to help your children with their homework. You remind them to brush their teeth. Have you helped them do something good for their hearts lately?

You may think that only grown-ups need to worry about heart health. The fact is, it’s a good idea at any age.

Here’s why: Even though kids rarely get heart disease, the process leading to adult heart disease — the gradual buildup of fat, cholesterol and other substances in arteries — can begin in childhood. This can put kids at future risk for a heart attack, or even a stroke, when they grow up.

The chances of that happening increase when kids develop heart disease risk factors such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure.

Share the love February is American Heart Month. Why not take the time this month to make changes that can help the whole family prevent heart disease? Give these tips a try:

Serve up good eats. Saturated fats and trans fats can raise the risk of heart disease. When shopping for your family, choose foods that are lower in saturated fat — such as lean meat and low-fat milk, yogurt and cheese — and limit foods that have trans fats — such as cookies, cakes, crackers and frozen pizza.

Also aim to serve five fruitsand veggies a day, and cut back on sweetened

drinks. Make sure plenty of healthy food choices are available at home.

Invite your kids into the kitchen. Let your kids help you prepare healthy meals. It’s a great way to teach them about good food choices.

Encourage exercise. Kids who are 6 years and older need 60 minutes of daily activity. Make being active a family affair. Go on walks

or bike rides; play sports together; or engage in fun, active games (hoops, anyone?) with your kids.

Get your children check­ups. Along with assessing overall health, a provider can check a child’s weight, blood pressure and cholesterol. Be sure all the adults in the family get their check-ups too.

Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics; American Heart Association; UptoDate

7

Screen your teen The teen years are a time of change: Changing skin, changing bodies and changing health needs.

They are also a time for questions — questions your teen may not want to ask you.

For these reasons and more, teens should have an annual health check-up. This is the time when teens can have important health screenings and talk to their providers.

Here are some of the things a teen may be screened for: •Skin cancer risk •Obesity •Substance abuse

Providers also make sure teens are caught up on vaccinations, like hepatitis and measles. In particular, these vaccinations are recommended for teens who didn’t get them as preteens: •HPV (human papillomavirus)

•Tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis

•Meningitis

Teens also need a meningitis booster shot at age 16. And they need a flu shot every year.

Many providers now talk to teens about health and safety. Do they wear a seat belt? Do they use

tobacco? Are they dating? Teens who are having sex may be tested for sexually transmitted infections.

Screenings help parents and health providers guide teens as they prepare to become adults.

The provider will probably meet with your teen alone for part of each appointment. They want to build a trusting relationship with them. And they want teens to feel free to discuss anything on their minds.

Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

This newsletter is published as a community service for the friends and membersof Aetna Better Health® of New Jersey.

This is general health information and should not replace the advice or care you get from your provider. Always ask your provider about your own health care needs.

Models may be used in photos and illustrations.

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