Staff Wellness: Why It Matters and What Can Be Done

Wednesday, January 22nd, 2014

Staff Wellness

4 Steps to Staff Wellness

1.Survey the Staff

2.Enlisting support (Wellness Team, principal)

3.Develop Wellness Ideas

4.Start your first project!

2

Staff Wellness

Health & Wellness

3

BodyMind

Spirit

Staff Wellness

• Why are school employee wellness programs important?

According to the Alliance for a Healthier Generation:

More than 6.7 million people are employed by public school systems in the United States – about 3.5 million teachers and 3.2 million other employees. The conditions that affect the health of employees also influence the health and learning of students. Protecting the physical and mental health of school employees is integral to protecting the health of students and ensuring their academic success.

4

Staff Wellness

Wellness- is a state of optimal well-being that is oriented toward maximizing an individual’s potential. This is a life-long process of moving

towards enhancing one’s physical, intellectual, emotional, and social well-being.

5

6

What do they think?Survey!

Staff Wellness

7

Staff Health and Wellness

8

9

Who can help?Enlist support!

Staff Wellness

• What is a Wellness Champion? A Wellness Champion is an active member of the school community, such as a teacher, paraprofessional, nurse, parent, school partner, lunchroom manager, or resource coordinator, with a passion for and commitment to creating a healthier school environment for our students. A Wellness Champion will lead their school’s efforts to increase healthy eating and physical activity for students during the school day.

10

Staff Wellness

School Wellness Team

• It’s part of the Wellness Policy!“The principal of each campus shall be responsible for implementation of the local wellness policy and shall appoint a school-based team that includes parent/guardian membership to develop and implement an annual evaluation plan.”

• People to include:

– Principal ─ PE Teacher

– Parents, LSC ─ Non-profits

– School nurse ─ Students

– Dining manager ─ School Engineer

– Other committee members

11

12

Develop your idea and go!

Staff Wellness

Motivation

• “Be not afraid of going slowly, be afraid only of standing still.” Chinese proverb

13

Staff Wellness

Group Motivation

• Start a “Biggest Loser” contest

• Place informative information on vending machines

• Provide motivational quotes in mail boxes

• Find a workout partner

• Make healthy food available

• Start a walking club

• Share your favorite physical activity

• Suggest a list of songs you like to workout to

• Rewards-spa treatment, manicure, haircut, movie

• Provide tools and resources for co-workers. Make it impossible to say “No.”

14

Goal Setting

• Clarifies your ultimate vision- gives you clarity on what you ultimately want.

• Keeps pushing you forward- having a defined goal will serve as a constant reminder.

• Keeps you focused- allows you to center in on exactly where to spend your time and energy.

• Makes you accountable- accountable to yourself, no one else. Being accountable ensures you are staying focused.

• Be the best YOU- striving to achieve your goal will allow you to stretch, grow, and reach new heights.

• Live life to the fullest- goals with measures and deadlines ensures you are maximizing your experiences.

15

Staff Wellness

16

Get Started!

Staff Wellness

Free or Reduced-Cost Health Screenings

• CVS – Free Health Screenings January 2014

•Walgreens-Free Health Screening Voucher (expires 3/31/2014)

•Resurrection Health Care Spring Screenings - On-going

• Saint Xavier University Health Fair - March 21st

• American Diabetes Association Spring Expo – April 5, 2014

17

Staff Wellness

Health and Wellness Resources• YMCA-“The Y is the nation's leading nonprofit committed to strengthening communities through youth

development, healthy living and social responsibility.”-www.ymcachicago.org

• Cardinal Fitness-This local fitness center has locations throughout the city and offers personal training as

well as access to state of the art gym equipment. They also support health and wellness in their communities

and work with local organizations to promote healthy living. Rates at Cardinal start at $10 per month.

• Planet Fitness-This “diverse, Judgment Free Zone” is where you can create an active and healthy lifestyle.

Members can relax and get in shape without being subjected to the hard-core, look-at-me attitude that exists

in many gyms. Membership is reasonably priced and with locations all across the city, you shouldn’t have

any excuse not to go!

• Cross Town Fitness-High intensity interval training through a variety of drills that incorporate cardio

endurance, strength, flexability, agility and balance. CPS Teachers qualify for a 45% discount at their

downtown location!

18

Fit to Learn Resources

•http://healthyschoolscampaign.org/programs/fit-to-learn/resources

19

Staff Wellness

•Questions?

20

Review

• Survey the staff, find out what’s important to them

• Enlist the help of others

• Develop a program that is based on feedback from the staff

• Get started!

21

Staff Wellness

Made possible by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (Grant Number: 1H75DP004181-01) to the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Office of Student Health and Wellness, Healthy CPS. The views expressed in this presentation do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions and official policies of CDC.

BE A HEALTHY ROLE MODEL

BE A HEALTHY ROLE MODEL• Promote healthy lifestyles at school and school activities

• Well-nourished students have:

• Better academic performance and test scores

• Better attendance

• Better classroom behavior

BE A HEALTHY ROLE MODEL• Eat nutrient rich foods in front of students

• Drink water throughout the day

• If drinking a sugar sweetened beverage change containers

• Incorporate movement intervention into class time (See FocusWELL)

24

HEALTHY SNACKING

Snacks should be:

•High in fiber

•Choose foods such as: whole wheat crackers, whole grain bread, fruits, and vegetables

•High in protein

•Lean meats, beans, peanut butter, nuts, seeds, hummus, yogurt, milk, and cheese

•Low in fat

•Low-fat or fat free yogurt, milk, cheese

•Lean meats

•Limit processed foods

25

HEALTHY SNACKING

Protein and fiber combination

•Regulates blood sugar

•Keeps you fuller longer

•Helps you avoid overeating at meals

Nutrient Dense Snacks

•High in nutrients, low in calories

•Think an apple with peanut butter!

Energy Dense Snacks

•High in calories, low in nutrients

•Think potato chips!

HEALTHY SNACK IDEAS

• Hummus, vegetables, and whole wheat pita chips

• Fat-free yogurt, fruit, and whole grain graham crackers

• Low-fat/fat-free string cheese, granola bar, and apple

• Yogurt parfait: fat-free/low-fat yogurt, cranberries, granola

• Vegetables and low-fat Greek yogurt dip

• Banana and peanut butter

• ½ Peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a glass of skim milk

• Popcorn with little to no butter or salt added

27

HEALTHY BEVERAGES

Only 2 drinks our body NEEDS

•Milk

•Calcium for strong teeth and bones

•3 glasses a day

•Choose low-fat (1%) or fat-free (skim)

•Water

•60% of our body is made of water

•6 to 8 cups a day

•Keeps organs healthy

•Cleans our body

•Good for skin, eyes, and nails

HEALTHY BEVERAGES

Drinking unhealthy beverages impacts:

•Bone health: phosphoric acid

•Teeth: phosphoric acid and sugar

•Kidneys: sugar and caffeine

•Pancreas: sugar

•Heart: caffeine and sugar

•Stomach: acid and carbonation

•Weight: sugar

NUTRITION LABEL READING

SERVING SIZE & CALORIES

NUTRIENTS TO LIMITSaturated Fat:

SolidAnimal

Clogs arteries↑ cholesterol production

Unsaturated Fat:

Liquid

Plants

Heart healthyTrans Fat:

SolidManmade

Least healthy fat↑ “bad” cholesterol ↓ “good” cholesterol

“Hydrogenated”

NUTRIENTS TO LIMIT

2,300 mg/day

People ages 2+ that do not fit criteria for reduced intake

1,500 mg/day

African Americans ages 2+

Adults ages 51+

People ages 2+ with high blood pressure, diabetes, or

chronic kidney disease

NUTRIENTS TO LIMIT

1 teaspoon of salt = 2,300 mg sodium

2/3 teaspoon of salt = 1,500 mg sodium

Foods typically high in sodium:

Processed snack foods

Canned soups and vegetables

Pre-packaged meals/snacks

Frozen meals/snacks

NOTABLE NUTRIENTS

Fiber25g/day for women

38g/day for men

Use vitamin and mineral percentages as a guide for daily intake

Don’t judge a food by its

CARBS!

% DAILY VALUE

• Based on 2,000 calorie intake per day

• 5% or less is low • 20% or more is high• Use as a guide

INGREDIENT LIST

• Ingredients are listed in order by weight from largest to smallest

• Consider the number of ingredients

• Think twice if you have trouble pronouncing the majority of ingredients listed

PERCENT FAT

38

(Calories from Fat ÷Total Calories) x 100 = % fat

≥ 25% = HIGH fat food

Flamin’ Hots(100/160) x 100 = 62.5% fat!

PERCENT FAT

39

(Calories from Fat ÷Total Calories) x 100 = % fat

≥ 25% = HIGH fat food

Baked Flamin’ Hots(45/120) x 100 = 37.5% fat!

42

BEWARE OF HEALTH CLAIMS!

43

Low-Fat

Fat-Free

Low-Sugar

Sugar-Free

If something is removed from

a product something else

is always added to

balance taste!

OVERVIEW: KEY POINTS

• Be a healthy role model

• Choose healthy snacks for better and sustained energy

• Limit sugar sweetened beverages

• Choose water most often

• Look at serving size and servings per container

• Be mindful of ingredients to limit

• Be aware of health claims

• All foods in moderation

HEALTHTEACHER.COM

•Interactive health education lessons

•Can be integrated into mathematics, science, language arts, and social studies

•Align with Common Core Standards

To create an account follow the steps listed below:  

1. Go to www.healthteacher.com/activate

2. Our activation code is CPS-1

3. Create account

TARRAH DECLEMENTE, MPH, RD, LDN

NUTRITION EDUCATION COORDINATOR

TKDECLEMENTE@CPS.EDU

46