IdeaFestival, an annual event founded in 2000, includes presentations on a wide range of topics in the arts, science, technology, philosophy, education and business.
(Photo Courtesy of the IdeaFestival)

A diverse group of global thought leaders and innovators will gather in Louisville, Ky., from Sept. 19-22 for the 2012 IdeaFestival.

Given the need for a truly innovative and creative approach to address the nation’s significant health challenges, Humana and HumanaVitality are thrilled to be the title partners of the 2012 IdeaFestival because it offers an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to helping people take steps toward achieving lifelong well-being through unique programs that are fun, competitive and rewarding.

One of the ways Humana will showcase innovation and creative thinking in healthy living is by offering the “HumanaVitality Wellness Challenge” for IdeaFestival participants. The Wellness Challenge offers numerous ways for participants to engage in healthy activities, including:

• Getting a free pedometer to track their steps at the Walkit station;
• Playing a healthy game with other participants at the Xbox Kinect Station;
• Taking a walk on a treadmill; Finding out their BMI and getting nutrition tips from experts;
• And for HumanaVitality members, taking a health assessment onsite.

The 2012 IdeaFestival will be a great way to underscore how dynamic programs that make fun things healthy and healthy things fun can reverse many of the negative health trends we see in our society.

Connect with HumanaVitality on Facebook and Twitter to get updates on IdeaFestival activities. You can also follow the conversation on Twitter via the #IF12 hashtag.

Eight days, two cities and two political conventions add up to 2,583 rides taken and 1,849 miles pedaled.

Even a tropical storm and rainy weather failed to dampen enthusiasm for Freewheelin, the pedal-powered bus-cycle program provided by Humana at the Republican National Convention in Tampa from Aug. 26-30 and the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte from Sept. 3-6.

“While the RNC and DNC may have come to an end, we hope that all the delegates, media and visitors return home with the notion that taking small steps to improve their health can lead toward lifelong well-being,” said Mike McCallister, Humana’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Humana is thrilled with how Freewheelin was embraced at each of the respective cities and is delighted to leave behind pedal buses for both cities.”

Freewheelin brought a fleet of 20 open-air pedal buses to both cities and offered free rides in and around the convention sites.  The Freewheelin stations also offered complimentary fruit, water and biometric health screenings, such as blood pressure and BMI checks. Visitors to the stations participated in 667 blood pressure and health screenings, consumed more than 6,800 eight-ounce servings of water and ate nearly 2,100 pieces of fruit.

Even though the political conventions have ended, Freewheelin rolls on. Humana is donating five pedal buses and one fruit cart each to the Tampa Downtown Partnership and Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation in Charlotte.

Annual biometric screenings can help you develop a plan to make healthy behavioral changes.

As part of an ongoing effort to help people achieve lifelong well-being, Humana will offer a series of articles from personal health coaches and physicians, such as Dr. Thomas James, that offer suggestions and information that can help you develop a plan to live a healthier, happier life. Dr. James’ first article, which appears below, focuses on the potential benefits of undergoing annual biometric screenings.

More and more employers are offering biometric screenings so, like many of you, I recently underwent this annual testing. But what do the results really mean? Well let’s look at the specific areas that are measured and what those measurements can predict about our future health. These predictions are not hocus-pocus but are based upon studies and health histories of real people like me – and you. The screening results can help us develop a plan to live healthier, happier lives.

Tobacco use
I guess we all know that people who smoke are more likely to get lung cancer than those who haven’t smoked in the past six years. But smoking is also associated with other conditions such as stroke and heart disease, chronic lung disease, and multiple other cancers outside of lung cancer. If you add in obesity and diabetes, a smoker has a very high likelihood for heart disease.

BMI (Body Mass Index)
A BMI less than 25 is probably normal, but anything above that would be classified as overweight. In fact, anything above 30 is, frankly, obese. Why does this matter? Think about it: We are asking our hearts to work overtime – and too hard – if it has to pump blood through more tissue than nature intended. It will wear out faster. That’s why people who are obese have a greater chance of an earlier heart attack. Many of us have a tendency to think this is all something to worry about in the future, so we tell ourselves it’s OK to go ahead and eat that tempting treat today because we’ll exercise and eat better tomorrow. But a lot of my patients have second thoughts about delaying making changes when they begin to understand how much their unhealthy lifestyle may be affecting the ones they love. How does it affect them? For starters, it can cause them to worry, increase family health-care costs, limit participation in fun family activities and could ultimately reduce the amount of time we have with our loved ones. If creating a healthier life for yourself is not incentive enough, remembering what it could mean to your loved ones may be the extra push you need to make changes today. It’s never too late – or too early – to exercise and eat a more healthful, balanced diet.

Cholesterol
Medicine used to think that heart disease was all about cholesterol. A total cholesterol level over 200 was bad news. But now we know that total cholesterol is only part of the story. There are those who have high HDL (High Density Lipoproteins or “good cholesterol”) that is so dense it doesn’t stick well to the sides of the blood vessels and less likely to cause hardening of the coronary arteries. On the other hand, the LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein or “bad cholesterol”) can set up inflammation in the blood vessels that makes coronary artery disease more likely. But it is what we cannot measure in the blood that counts the most. That is your genetic tendencies. If you come from families where everyone ate fried chicken and French fries and lived to be 100 then you come from a family with a genetic background that gives you more latitude in what you eat. I don’t. My family has a history of earlier atherosclerosis, so I do pay attention to my total cholesterol, LDL and HDL levels. For that reason, I also try to keep working on my diet, exercise, and weight. Why further stack the cards against myself?

Blood sugar
If we figure that 8 percent of Americans—that is one in 12 of us—have diabetes, and only half of them know it, then that means that there are some 4% or 120,000 people who have diabetes and don’t even know it. The complications of diabetes may take five, 10 or even 15 years to develop once a person starts having high blood sugars. But all of us who see patients know people who have lost vision, had to go on dialysis, or had an amputation. This is not to scare people, but we all should be aware of our risk factors and prevent major problems before they happen.

The knowledge we gain by taking a few minutes to get a biometric screening each year leaves us better equipped to make behavioral changes that allow us to live healthier, happier and longer lives. That is good news for us – and for our loved ones.

Dr. Tom James is Corporate Medical Director for Humana’s National Network Operations. He also chairs the Health Plan Council for the National Quality Forum and is a work-group participant for the AQA,  AMA-PCPI, and MAP Work Groups on Patient Safety and the Dual Eligibles.  Dr. James, who is board certified in Internal Medicine and in Pediatrics, received his undergraduate degree from Duke University and his medical degree from the University of Kentucky, and served his residencies at Temple University Hospital, Pennsylvania Hospital, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He remains in part-time clinical practice of internal medicine-pediatrics and has nearly 30 years of experience in health benefits having served as medical director for several companies, including HealthAmerica, Maxicare, Sentara, Traveler’s Health Network, and Anthem, in the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and South.

Take advantage of walking paths in your local parks and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine while you exercise.

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.

Summer is nearing a close, but there is still a lot of warm weather ahead so make the most of it by taking your workout outdoors and enjoying the fresh air and sunshine while you exercise. A change of scenery can make your exercise routine more enjoyable and inspire you to increase your workout time.

Practice your morning yoga or aerobics workout in your backyard or a local park. Or take a break from your indoor treadmill or elliptical and use walking/running trails in your community. You can use park benches or monkey bars to add in some arm exercises.

It is usually easy to find a 5k to participate in during the summer months. Challenge a group of your friends to do it with you! A tool like Humana fit can help you track your workouts, map new routes, find a training group with common goals and fitness levels or calculate calories used.

Many typical summer activities are not only fun, but are a great way to burn a lot of calories. For instance, did you know that, depending on intensity level and distance, a 150-pound female can burn:

• 310 calories by swimming for 45 minutes
• 446 calories by cycling for 45 minutes
• 135 calories by water skiing for 20 minutes (if you are lucky enough to have family or friends with a boat!)

While it adds a new element of fun to participate in outdoor activities with friends and family, you need to be cautious of the sun and heat. Whether you’re running or playing a pickup game of volleyball, take care when the temperature rises, and use common-sense precautions to prevent heat-related illnesses. Carry water with you at all times and rest in shady areas.

The long, warm summer days won’t last much longer so take advantage of it while you can.

Ramona Cash, a site administrator for the personal health coaching program for LifeSynch, a subsidiary of Humana, has a bachelor’s degree in health education and a master’s degree in health science. She is also a certified health educator. In her spare time, she enjoys riding her bike, going to the farmer’s market, and cooking healthy recipes for her food blog, “Keep It Fun and Healthy.”

Humana’s Freewheelin pedal-bus program at the national political conventions continues to draw crowds. By Wednesday morning, more than 550 rides had been taken, covering more than 540 miles in Charlotte, N.C. Watch the video above and read the article below to learn more about Freewheelin activities at the Democratic National Convention.

A young guest holds buttons at the Freewheelin pedal bus kickoff event at the Democratic National Convention on Monday, Sept. 3, in Charlotte, . Humana is providing complimentary pedal buses for convention-goers throughout the week. (Photo by Jason E. Miczek/Invision for Humana/AP Images)

Freewheelin welcomed big crowds and enthusiastic riders to its opening day in Charlotte, N.C.

“We’re so pleased by the response we’ve gotten here in Charlotte,” says Freewheelin organizer Susan Jones of Humana’s Innovation Center. “It’s a real source of pride for Humana to be able to give people here the opportunity to experience well-being in motion.”

The streets of Charlotte were especially lively on Labor Day due to an outdoor festival known as CarolinaFest and the Democratic National Convention (DNC), which opened Monday. Between events, hundreds of riders took advantage of the opportunity to take a tour through Charlotte’s hilly downtown on Freewheelin pedal buses. Each of the 20 open-air bus cycles is staffed with a professional driver and designed to hold as many as eight passengers, six of whom can pedal.

Among the comments overheard by Freewheelin riders on day one in Charlotte:

•  “It’s cool… a great way to combine being healthy and seeing the sights.”
• “Oh, I love this… what a great idea!”
• “We’re not worrying about pollution, we’re also burning calories – so it’s serving more than one purpose at the same time.”
•  “I’m having a ball… I’m sure I’ll be tired by the time I get off!”

During the rides, passers-by would sometimes inquire about the pedal buses and how much the rides cost. Pedal bus rides are free, of course (that’s why it’s called Freewheelin).

On its Facebook page, the Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee posted a picture of a Freewheelin bus in motion and encouraged visitors to “Hop a ride.”

As in Tampa, site of last week’s Republican National Convention, Freewheelin stations in Charlotte are offering complimentary fruit, water and biometric health screenings, such as blood pressure and BMI checks. Both the bus-cycles and the stations are shaded so riders can take a moment to cool off.

The DNC ends on Thursday, but Freewheelin will continue in Charlotte. Humana will donate five pedal buses along with a fruit and water cart to Mecklenberg County Park and Recreation.

Related resources
• Freewheelin Facebook
• Freewheelin website
• Freewheelin Twitter
• Freewheelin YouTube
• Freewheelin Flickr
• Freewheelin Fact Sheet
• Freewheelin at the conventions: How It Works
• Pedaling Toward Better Health: Humana to Provide Freewheelin Pedal Buses at 2012 Republican and Democratic National Conventions
• Humana leaves legacy in Charlotte, Tampa

Lisa Gullans, of Tampa, points to the leader board after she was the 1000th rider of the Freewheelin pedal bus on Thursday, Aug. 30, in downtown Tampa during the Republican National Convention. Humana is providing complimentary pedal buses throughout the week at both the RNC and DNC. (Photo by Scott Iskowitz/Invision for Humana/AP Images)

Even with Tropical Storm Isaac keeping visitors indoors for much of Sunday and Monday, 1,250 rides were taken and 542 miles were logged on Freewheelin’s pedal buses this week in Tampa during the Republican National Convention. The RNC has come to an end, but the fun of taking a spin on the pedal buses lives on Sept. 3-6 at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C.

As the Republican National Convention wrapped up, Freewheelin’s pedal-powered buses were getting a lot of attention in Tampa.

A Wall Street Journal article about Freewheelin asked, “Just what are those politicians pedaling?”

USA Today said, “Some Republicans who have been tough on tax breaks for electric cars … appear to have an even more fuel-efficient alternative when it comes to getting around Tampa.”

 The National Journal described the pedal buses as a cross “between a bicycle and a Flintstones car, with a very low carbon footprint.”

Humana President Bruce Broussard took a pedal bus ride on Wednesday and noted Freewheelin’s growth since the program’s debut during the 2008 Democratic and Republican conventions. “When Freewheelin began four years ago, our focus was on being eco-friendly, social, and at the same time, being fun and healthy. We’ve taken the social aspect to an all new level with the pedal buses. They make it easy to get around, and you can enjoy the community with your friends and still get great benefit to your health. I feel privileged to be here in Tampa with Freewheelin and really enjoy being part of this program.”

Related resources

• Freewheelin Facebook
• Freewheelin website
• Freewheelin Twitter
•  Freewheelin YouTube
•  Freewheelin Flickr
• Freewheelin Fact Sheet
•  Freewheelin at the conventions: How It Works
• Pedaling Toward Better Health: Humana to Provide Freewheelin Pedal Buses at 2012 Republican and Democratic National Conventions
• Humana leaves legacy in Charlotte, Tampa

Humana is providing pedal buses for free use during the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla. (Photo by Scott Iskowitz/Invision for Humana/AP Images)

On the first full day of activity at the Republican National Convention, Humana’s Freewheelin project is up and rolling in Tampa.

Watch brief video stories about Humana donating some of the “bus-cycles” to the Tampa community after the conventions, about the program getting underway, and about the impact Tropical Storm Isaac had on Freewheelin over the past two days. It’s all on our Freewheelin YouTube channel.

Related resources

• Freewheelin Facebook
• Freewheelin website
• Freewheelin Twitter
• Freewheelin Flickr
• Freewheelin Fact Sheet
• Freewheelin at the conventions: How It Works
• Pedaling Toward Better Health: Humana to Provide Freewheelin Pedal Buses at 2012 Republican and Democratic National Conventions
• Humana leaves legacy in Charlotte, Tampa

The Caballero family of Tampa takes a spin on a Freewheelin pedal bus at the Republican National Convention.  Front row Marcos, Andres, 10, Marcos 17.  Back row Alex, 14, and Melissa.  Humana is providing pedal buses for free use by convention-goers for the week.  (Photo by Scott Iskowitz/Invision for Humana/AP Images)

A tropical storm may have forced Humana’s fleet of pedal-powered “bus-cycles” under cover, but the future of Freewheelin still looks hopeful in Tampa and Charlotte.

As Tropical Storm Isaac approached Tampa on Sunday, Aug. 26, a decision was made to temporarily move many of Humana’s Freewheelin bus-cycles to safety. (Watch the video.) Even as the storm approached, Humana hosted a launch event to formally welcome Freewheelin to the Republican National Convention.

“We were really excited about getting Freewheelin started on Sunday, but given the forecast, we decided we needed to pack our bikes and bike stations away until the weather improves,” said Susan Jones of Humana’s Innovation Center.

The Republican National Convention cancelled Monday’s events in response to Isaac, which is expected to reach hurricane status as it moves across the Gulf of Mexico and makes an expected landfall near New Orleans on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Before the storm hit Tampa on Sunday, Freewheelin organizers managed to take a few local residents and visitors on a ride around downtown.

“Even though we were only able to take the buses out for a short while, we were really encouraged by the response we got from folks on the streets. People would honk their horns or roll their windows down and ask where they could get a Freewheelin ride,” said Debbie Henry of Humana’s Public Affairs department.

Within hours, photos and descriptions of the green Freewheelin buses started showing up on the Facebook pages of Tampa-based organizations like these:

• 83 Degrees Facebook post: “These ‘pedal pushers’ may be the best way to get around downtown Tampa this week.”
•  Rock the Park, Tampa: “Check out these cool Freewheelin Pedal Buses cruising the streets this week! Looks like Humana is going to leave them behind for us Tampa folks to use!”

Humana announced on Sunday that Freewheelin will donate five of the bus-cycles to the City of Tampa after the political conventions end early next month.

“It’s going to be a great addition to downtown, and I really want to thank Humana for thinking of us and providing this service,” said Christine Burdick, president of the Tampa Downtown Partnership.

Freewheelin will take its message of well-being in motion to the Democratic National Convention next week in Charlotte, N.C. As for this week, weather permitting, the program will be in operation from Tuesday through Thursday in Tampa before moving on to Charlotte.

Related resources

• Freewheelin Facebook
•  Freewheelin website
•  Freewheelin Twitter
•  Freewheelin Flickr
• Freewheelin Fact Sheet
•  Freewheelin at the conventions: How It Works
• Pedaling Toward Better Health: Humana to Provide Freewheelin Pedal Buses at 2012 Republican and Democratic National Conventions
• Humana leaves legacy in Charlotte, Tampa

A little planning and creativity will help you maintain a balanced diet – and a balanced budget.

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.

Eating healthy and staying on a budget is difficult even before you throw in a crazy schedule that we all seem to keep. The following suggestions might make it easier for you to maintain a balanced diet and a balanced budget.

1. Buying from bulk bins can be a cost-effective way to go. It wastes less food and packaging than prepackaged products. It is also a great way to try new things. For instance, buy a cup of grain that you have wanted to try. If you find you are not a fan of it, you will not have wasted food or money on a whole bag.
2. If a recipe calls for 1 pound of meat, try only using ¾ of a pound and add rice, diced mushrooms, peppers, or almost any vegetable you have on hand. It will be healthier and cheaper.
3. Making your own bread is not as difficult as it sounds or looks. Flours, a little oil and sugar, and yeast are virtually all you need for homemade bread. Baking your own is cheaper and can be healthier.
4. Have a small amount of leftovers from last night’s dinner? Don’t throw them out. Even a small amount of diced meat or vegetables will work well when mixed with eggs to create a quiche or frittata, which make simple, filling and inexpensive meals.
5. Use more dry beans. Think it’s too much trouble and time-consuming? Dry beans need to be rinsed and soaked in water overnight, but that only takes a few minutes to set up. If you don’t have time to simmer them for a couple of hours the next day, put them in the crock pot to cook for the day. Since beans freeze really well, consider making a huge pot and freezing half to use another day.
6. Only buy enough fruits and vegetables for one week. Food waste is a big issue in the United States. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, the average American throws away several pounds of food – and a lot of money – each month.
7. Plan ahead. If you don’t plan for the week then you will be constantly running to the store for one more thing to complete a meal or will decide it’s too much trouble, you don’t have time or are too tired and wind up going to a restaurant, which is usually not the most cost-effective or healthy choice. Make a grocery list for the week, go to the store, and prep as much as you can on the weekend.
8. Don’t throw away “scraps.” Have part of an onion and broccoli stalk left from a meal? These two ingredients are important in many soups. Multiple websites offer a variety of ways to use these and other ingredients to make delicious, cheap and filling soups.
9. Keep your grains and dry beans in clear glass jars. This will inspire you to actually use them!
10. When your frozen vegetables start getting a little frosty, it is time to use ‘em or lose ‘em. A couple of times of year have a pantry and freezer cleanout week. Purchase the bare minimum from the store that week and force yourself to get creative with things that need to be used. Even if you save only a few dollars each time you do this, it will add up over time. Do you have some frozen vegetables that are getting a little frosty? Don’t throw them out. Eat them with a frozen pizzza or toss them into soup.
11. Make smoothies. If you have fruit that is close to becoming overripe, don’t toss it in the trash – toss it in a blender with milk, yogurt, almond or soy milk or juice. It’s quick, easy and delicious.
12. Fresh herbs can make a big difference in many recipes and may even be required to make it taste just right. But they can also be expensive – unless you grow your own. If you have extra, whether you grew them or bought them, chop up whatever you don’t use immediately, place in ice trays, pour water over the top, and freeze. These can be used in soups and stews.

Do you already incorporate some of these suggestions into your regular routine? Or do you have others that work? If so, share them with others in the comment section below.

Lacey Starkey, a learning facilitator and personal health coach/mentor at LifeSynch, a subsidiary of Humana, has a bachelor’s degree in wellness science and a master’s degree in health education. She is also a certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor. In her spare time, she enjoys being outdoors, exercising and staying active in her local community garden.