In spite of the statistics, there are some healthy things you can do while celebrating to stay in control of your eating and drinking.

• Do not leave the house on an empty stomach; you will overeat once you arrive at a party because you are starving. Instead, have a healthy snack before you leave the house, such as a piece of fruit, a handful of nuts or low-fat yogurt.
• Avoid standing or socializing near the food table.
• Fill your plate with healthy foods such as salad, fresh fruit and vegetables. Then, leave the remainder of your plate for small portions of less healthy foods that you really love.
• Making mingling a top priority by keeping yourself occupied in conversation and away from food.
• If you are in the mood for something sweet, eat a piece of fruit rather than a piece of cake.
• Limit your alcohol intake. It increases hunger and also reduces your willpower to refrain from overeating. Also, some mixed drinks, such as eggnog, have as many calories as many desserts, so be wary before taking a sip.
• Drink a glass of water or seltzer between alcoholic beverages and order mixed drinks with diet soda.
• When you start to feel full, stop eating!

The battle of the bulge is not limited to holiday parties and celebrations. If you get food as a gift, take a small taste and then bring the rest to work for your coworkers to enjoy. Or, donate unopened foods to a local food bank.

via Yahoo! Finance by Jeanine Skowronski

Salad is a healthy choice, but most dressings are loaded with calories – try this delicious dressing as a light alternative.

• 1 bulb garlic, separated and peeled
• ½ cup water
• 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• ¼ tsp. honey
• 1 tbsp. virgin olive oil
• ¼ tsp. black pepper

Place the garlic cloves in a small saucepan and pour water to cover them. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until garlic is tender (about 15 minutes). Reduce the liquid to two tablespoons and increase the heat for three minutes. Pour the contents into a small sieve over a bowl, and with a wooden spoon mash the garlic through the sieve into the bowl. Whisk the vinegar into the garlic mixture; incorporate the oil, honey and pepper. Yields 4 servings at 33 calories per serving.

Source: National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute

Hectic schedules mean that convenience often trumps nutrition when it comes to meals. But if you choose wisely, eating out doesn’t have to bust your diet. Whether you’re grabbing fast food or sitting down at a restaurant, remember these tips:

• Choose water to drink instead of soda, juice or alcohol.
• Order your food without dressing or sauces, such as mayo, cheese and sour cream. Or, ask for the dressing on the side and use just a little.
• Watch out for words like deep-fried, pan-fried, batter-dipped, breaded, creamy, crispy and au gratin – these dishes tend to have more calories.
• Choose leaner meats, such as chicken or turkey instead of beef. Substitute a side salad for fries, or ask for vegetables instead of potatoes. Opt for whole wheat for bread or pasta.
• Split a dinner portion with someone or ask the server to wrap up half of your meal right away – so you aren’t tempted to consume the giant portion served to you.
• Don’t add salt – restaurant food tends to already be high in sodium, especially fast food.

It’s not pleasant to think about, but if you died unexpectedly, could your family cope financially without your income? Life insurance protects your loved ones in the event of your untimely death, but many people don’t realize its true value. Ask yourself:

• Are you the primary household income?
• Do you have a mortgage, college loans or other debt?
• How would your family support themselves if you died?
• Could you (or your family) afford tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills and/or funeral costs?
• Who would have the burden of paying any debt or other financial responsibilities that you leave behind?
• If you do have a policy, does it pay out enough to cover all of these financial responsibilities for your loved ones?

Whether you are young and single, middle-aged with a family or nearing retirement, having adequate life insurance is vital. Speak with a financial adviser about your needs and coverage options. You may think you can’t afford another monthly premium, but can your family afford it if you don’t?

Feeling pain or soreness in your back? These tips can help you reduce your pain and prevent it in the future:

• When lifting, bend your knees, not your waist.
• Invest in a good mattress – it can make a world of difference in your pain level and your sleep quality.
• Sit up straight! Good posture reduces the strain on your back.
• Strive to reduce your stress level. Stress can increase tension in your body and cause back pain.
• Always warm up before doing a physical activity.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and represents one in every three cancer deaths, according to the Lung Cancer Alliance. November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, making it a perfect time to shine a spotlight on the risk factor that causes about 87 percent of lung cancer cases: smoking cigarettes.

After you quit smoking, your body experiences positive changes within hours. Body function improves and health risks continue to decrease for several years. Ten years after quitting, your risk of dying from lung cancer is half that of a current smoker.

If the medical reasons aren’t enough motivation to quit, think of all the money you’ll save. A pack-a-day smoker could save over $200 a month – imagine all the ways you could spend that money.

And don’t forget to consider your loved ones. If you smoke in your home or car, you are endangering your family, friends and pets. Secondhand smoke can cause a variety of health conditions and diseases, and causes thousands of deaths each year in nonsmokers.

Ready to quit? Nov. 17 is the Great American Smokeout, a day when smokers around the country quit smoking together. This year, take the steps you need to stop smoking for good!

Start planning now. Mark the date on your calendar and tell family and friends of your plan to make sure you follow through. Tell your doctor about your plan to quit and consider using a prescription quit aid.

Prepare for the challenges you will face after quitting. You may need to change your routine or activities to avoid situations that worsen your cravings. Make a list of times you may feel tempted to smoke, and come up with coping methods. For instance, you may want to keep gum or healthy snacks handy to occupy your mouth.

For additional advice and support, visit www.cancer.org/Healthy/StayAwayfromTobacco/GuidetoQuittingSmoking/index.

Substance abuse is the unhealthy use of alcohol, drugs or other substances that negatively interfere with a person’s functioning or well-being. People can experience the negative effects of substance abuse in their physical or emotional well-being, significant relationships, educational achievements, financial situation and in other parts of their lives. Substance abuse problems also affect productivity, workplace safety and health care costs.

Employer Role

Employers can play an important role in lowering the social and financial burden of substance abuse and guiding the development of a healthy and productive workforce. Employers should consider whether official policy, sanctioned activities or common practices create a culture that embraces prevention messages, encourages alternatives to substance abuse and supports healthy lifestyles. Substance abuse is preventable and treatable, with recovery rates comparable to other chronic health problems like diabetes and asthma. If employers incorporate prevention messages and activities, assist employee access to treatment and support employee recovery from substance abuse, they can help create healthier and more productive employees, workplaces and communities.

Resources for Preventing Substance Abuse

• Provide materials and messages about substance abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery with brochures, fact sheets, paycheck stuffers, intranet, health fairs, posters and signs.

• Provide resources for self-screening.

• Encourage the use of telephone help lines.

• Provide information about the appropriate disposal of prescription medications, including publication of prescription drug disposal drop-off locations and times in your community.

• Evaluate or reevaluate the workplace alcohol environment.

• Create and support a substance abuse prevention-, treatment- and recovery-friendly work environment that provides accommodations for medical or therapy appointments when needed.

• Advocate for insurance companies to provide screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment services.

• Create policies that provide guidance to supervisors on signs or indicators of substance abuse issues and improve their skills to intervene or supervise an employee who is experiencing or in recovery from substance abuse.

• Provide training for supervisors, business leadership team or management that supports prevention, treatment and recovery messages.

• Review policies and practices concerning employee privacy, accommodation, return to work, HIPAA and ADA guidelines.

• Provide employee assistance coordinators to help obtain information about supportive resources in the community. Offer an employee assistance program.

• Provide and maintain comprehensive health insurance coverage, which includes substance abuse treatment resources as part of the employee benefits package. Offer referral mechanisms to connect employees to substance abuse treatment services.

Source: Wisconsin Worksite Wellness Resource Kit

Over 11.4 million Americans are currently covered by a health insurance plan that is paired with a health savings account (HSA), according to a recent census by America’s Health Insurance Plans. This number is over 14 percent more than a year ago, as these plans have grown heavily in popularity over the past few years. The census also found that between January 2010 and January 2011, large group coverage was the fastest growing market for HSA plans, increasing by 26 percent.

HSA-style plans pair a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) with a health savings account, empowering employees to make smarter use of their health care dollars. The spike in popularity is due to the savings employers can realize with these plans. In addition, employees often save money through informed health spending, plus have the savings account as a potential investment tool.

Implementing an HSA plan type can be challenging. Consider the following steps if you are switching to an HSA plan type.

Determine your level of involvement. Will you contract with a bank to offer the HSA or will employees have to do that themselves? Will you offer payroll deductions for contributions? Will you contribute any funds to employees’ accounts?

Create your HDHP. Answer questions such as:

• Will this be the only plan you offer?
• Does the vendor require minimum participation?
• When will you start the HDHP?
• What will be the deductible and out-of-pocket maximum be? (Remember, you need to satisfy statutory limits.
• Will you need to make changes to other plans to accommodate the HDHP/HSA?

Choose an HSA Provider. Seek information from a number of providers before making your choice. Look at enrollment requirements, fees, services available, investment options, etc.

Communicate the Plan. Educate management about the new plan, and brainstorm the best ways to promote to employees. Start educating employees well in advance of enrollment. Employees are often confused by a switch to an HSA plan type, so the more education you provide, the easier the transition will be. Explain what an HDHP/HSA plan is, how it works, what the benefits are, and contribution and distribution rules. Continue HSA education throughout the plan year, particularly in terms of how to use the plan, as it will differ significantly from traditional plans employees are familiar with.

One concern industry experts have about HSAs is the impact of health care reform. One provision already in effect prohibits HSA funds from being used for over-the-counter medications, except with a prescription. Other provisions may also affect HSA plans. Arvak Insurance Group will keep you up to date on future health care reform developments and provisions going into effect.

There were many developments regarding health care reform this year, as provisions took effect, guidance was announced and it was challenged in the courts. Here is a summary.

W-2 Reporting Requirements. The provision for employers to report the aggregate cost of their group health coverage on employees’ Forms W-2 was delayed for large employers (250-plus employees) until the Forms W-2 for the 2012 tax year (to be issued January 2013). The rule has been made optional for smaller employers until further guidance is issued.

1099 Reporting. The requirement to expand 1099 reporting was repealed by Congress.

Preventive Care for Women. The law mandated that certain preventive services be covered for patients at no cost, for non-grandfathered plans. New guidelines added several women-specific services to that requirement.

Summary of Benefits and Coverage. Health plans are required to provide a summary of benefits and coverage no later than March 23, 2012. Regulations were proposed, but no final guidance has been issued.

Claims and Appeals Requirements. These requirements are already in effect for non-grandfathered plans, but amended guidance was released to help health plans achieve full compliance.

Early Retiree Reinsurance Program. Employers may no longer apply for this program, but plans that were approved to participate may continue to submit claims.

Annual Limit Waivers. For plans that were accepted into the annual limit waiver program, reapplication each year is no longer necessary. Waivers already granted will apply until the first plan year on or after Jan. 1, 2014.

Insurance Rate Reviews. Final regulations were released to establish an annual process to review large health insurance premium increases

Health Insurance Exchanges. Proposed regulations were issued to help states design and implement their required health insurance exchanges.

Free Choice Vouchers. A requirement for employers to offer free choice vouchers for employees to buy coverage through an exchange was repealed by Congress.

Court Decisions. Several legal challenges to the law have been filed, primarily regarding the constitutionality of the individual mandate. Federal circuit courts have issued conflicting opinions about the issue, making it likely that the Supreme Court will ultimately settle it.