Shortly before the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling on the health reform law, Humana’s Mike McCallister was interviewed on CNBC about the law. After the ruling was announced, Humana issued this statement about the ruling’s impact.

Humana associates take steps to improve their health by scheduling a 15-minute walk to recharge and refocus. This has become a recurring activity for them after forming a team for the 100 Day Dash, an internal step competition that, powered by Humanafit, uses pedometers to track the number of steps taken during a 100-day period. More than 13,000 associates have taken more than a billion steps since June 4, when the friendly competition began. Participants are inspiring each other to go that extra mile, earning HumanaVitality points, winning prizes and learning first-hand how much fun healthy activities can be.

LifeSynch, a Humana subsidiary, offers extensive health behavior resources, including behavioral healthcare, employee assistance program (EAP)/work-life services, behavioral pharmacy services, health coaches and Web-based wellness tools. As part of their commitment to change health behaviors and improve lives, LifeSynch’s health coaches will be contributing a series of articles that demonstrate how easy it can be to make a healthy change.

How often do you actually take a break during lunch? Enough time to warm up your meal in the microwave and get back to your desk to answer more email and phone calls?  Do you even remember to eat at all?   Studies show that taking some time during the middle of the day to recharge and refocus helps us work more effectively the rest of the day.

What do you eat?

Fueling your body during lunch is critical in helping you stay on track the rest of the day. If you don’t eat a filling and healthful lunch you will be reaching for snacks and caffeinated beverages (many times filled with sugar) the rest of the day to compensate. Here are some suggestions for easy lunches that can be prepared ahead of time and will keep you going.

• Wrap/pita bread: Pretty much anything can be put into a wrap or pita bread and become a delicious meal. Try leftover grilled or roasted chicken, hummus, rice, veggies, lean freshly sliced deli meat, or peanut butter and jelly.
• Energy-packed salads:  Lettuce, tomato, and cucumber with ranch won’t cut it.  Like wraps, anything can go into a salad. Add any leftover meat, bean, vegetable, cubed and toasted whole grain bread, tuna or sardines.   Add a few pieces of your favorite cheese, a handful of nuts or seeds, and you will have a delicious salad that will leave you energized.
• Tasting plates: This is a fun way to taste a lot of foods and leave you feeling satisfied and fueled. A great combination can include a handful of olives, a hardboiled egg, sliced pita bread with hummus or other healthful dip, a few bites of cheese, snap peas, a sliced apple and a few pieces of leftover prepared meat or tofu.
• Pasta salad: Use leftover whole grain pasta and a ton of chopped vegetables with a can of tuna and your favorite healthful salad dressing.  Think you will miss mayonnaise? Try mixing a little mayo with plain Greek yogurt for a high-protein, low-fat dressing.
• Rice bowls: Throw in leftover meats, vegetables and beans with a few drizzles of lime or lemon juice and olive oil for a balanced meal that fits into an all-in-one container.
• Add a social element: Talk to co-workers who have the same mindset as you about sharing the the burden of bringing lunch and try different things – maybe as easy as the tasting plates suggested above?

(more…)

Tonja Wilson and her daughter Sarayah Drew, 5, work together on design day in Charlotte, N.C.

Residents of Tampa, Fla., and Charlotte, N.C., are designing their own unique multigenerational playgrounds, which will be built in conjunction with the Republican and Democratic national political conventions that will be held in those two cities this summer.

The playgrounds are part of a continuing partnership between Humana and the nonprofit organization KaBOOM!, to create neighborhood legacies that promote healthy play and well-being. Each playground has senior and adult-focused elements, such as fitness stations to promote good posture, balance and flexibility, as well as traditional kid-friendly equipment and areas where families can gather for picnics and reunions.

The first step in each of the playground builds is to bring children, seniors and other community members together to compile a wish list and design the elements that will make the space unique and best-suited to their own needs.

Tonja Wilson and her daughter Sarayah participated in Charlotte’s design day on June 12. “This park means a great deal to me because my family will be part of the hands-on experience,” said Wilson. “My daughter will be able to look back one day and show her children what a great project she was part of. This project is a great deal to the kids and seniors. It will be something that they will be proud of for the rest of their lives and to call their own.”

Carmen Fowler, community manager of The Village of Rosedale, where the Charlotte playground will be built on Aug. 4, said the close-knit community often holds social events. “The residents are excited for an area they can all enjoy as a family together,” she said. “The playground will be a wonderful addition.”

Tampa residents met on May 31 to design their customized playground, which will be built Aug. 11 at the Ragan Park Community Center in advance of the Republican National Convention, which will be held Aug. 27-30. The Democratic National Convention will be held Sept. 3-6 in Charlotte.

In addition to the playground builds, Humana is excited to be working in Tampa with the Republican National Convention, Host Committee team and Mayor Bob Buckhorn, as well as in Charlotte with the Democratic National Convention, Host Committee team and Mayor Anthony Foxx, to bring a new version of Humana’s Freewheelin’ program to the 2012 national political conventions. After plans are finalized with each city, Humana will announce details about the program, describing how convention visitors and local residents will be able to have fun, exercise and get around each downtown during the conventions utilizing the Humana Freewheelin’ program.

Related Videos

• Volunteers from Humana, KaBOOM! and the local community team up to build a multigenerational playground in Metairie, La.
• In this video, the residents of the desert community of Thermal, Calif., who named their playground Mirage, explain what it means to them and how it helps build hope for healthier, happier days ahead.
• This playground in Sanford, Fla., gives Midway Safe Harbor Community Center, a new way to actively demonstrate the benefits of an active lifestyle.

Lucy Pereda, host and producer of the long-running and top-rated home magazine syndicated TV series “En Casa de Lucy,” which airs in 18 countries in Latin America and in Portugal.

The Humana Well-Being Tour is making a special stop this week – alongside an international television star – at the 19th annual Hispanic Business & Consumer Expo in Orlando, Fla.

The Well-Being Tour, a national mobile health initiative, displays a variety of interactive Humana innovations aimed at spreading the message of well-being and demonstrating fun ways to be healthy. This week’s stop, June 8 – 10, will include an opportunity to learn health and wellness tips from Lucy Pereda, host and producer of the long-running and top-rated home magazine syndicated TV series “En Casa de Lucy,” which airs in 18 countries in Latin America and in Portugal.

Other highlights include:

• Free biometric screenings; demos of the Humana-sponsored game “Your Shape” on an Xbox Kinect; and learning the importance of water at Humana’s Hydration Station
• Lucy Pereda will offer a healthy cooking demo and raffle cookbooks, as well as makeup tips
• Performance and autograph signing by the Orlando Magic Silver Stars dance squad

The Hispanic Business & Consumer Expo is the largest business expo targeting the Hispanic market in the nation and has attracted more than 20,000 attendees during the past two years. To get more information, visit their Facebook page.

Homemade cleaning products reduce the toxic chemicals in your home.

LifeSynch, a Humana subsidiary, offers extensive health behavior resources, including behavioral healthcare, employee assistance program (EAP)/work-life services, behavioral pharmacy services, health coaches and Web-based wellness tools. As part of their commitment to change health behaviors and improve lives, LifeSynch’s health coaches will be contributing a series of articles that demonstrate how easy it can be to make a healthy change. The first, written by Lacey Starkey, offers tips for decreasing the use of toxic chemicals and enjoying a healthier home.

Many homes have cabinets full of toxic chemicals in the form of cleaning products. While you may  believe that you are simply cleaning your home and removing germs, remember that you are also spraying toxic chemicals that your family may inhale. The pine fresh scent of your favorite cleaning products may be covering up the strong chemical smell. Not ready to give up your favorite cleaning products? Consider using chemical-free homemade cleansers for most of the time and your favorite very infrequently — with the windows open. Once you make the switch to natural cleansers, you may realize you don’t miss the chemical-laden products at all. And as a bonus, you may gain cabinet space because you won’t need to store multiple cleansers. Most of the ingredients in the “recipes” that follow are usually basic staples found in most kitchens and have a variety of uses.

(more…)