WINTER 2024 Kern Legacy Health Plans More merry, less stress On behalf of Kern County Health & Wellness, we wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season. May it be full of laughter and cherished moments. Want to better handle stress any time of the year? We’re here to help. Visit our website at www.kerncountyhealthbenefits.com or call the phone number on the back of your Kern Legacy medical ID card for a list of contracted providers. With all the preparations, socializing and activities, seasonal stress can produce strong emotions. This holiday season, give yourself the gift of being merrier by reducing your stress. Are you quick to anger, or do you feel agitated, have tight muscles or rapid breathing, or get overly emotional? Choose calming activities like focused breathing, listening to peaceful music, getting outside, or doing stretches or yoga. Do you withdraw or feel depressed? Try stimulating physical activities like brisk walking, running or dancing. Do you feel immobile under stress? Reboot your nervous system. Stand up, walk around or do more vigorous exercise. Tap into your senses Try these tips to restore calmness, focus and alertness throughout the season. ● Hearing. Put on upbeat music and sing along or even dance. Listen to the sounds of nature outside or on a recording. ● Sight. Look at a cherished photo. Take a walk around your yard, a park or another natural space. Can’t go anywhere? Close your eyes and picture a place that feels peaceful and rejuvenating. ● Smell. Light a scented candle or some incense, or use your favorite cologne, perfume or essential oils. Get outside and breathe in clean, fresh air. ● Touch. Pet a dog or cat; wrap yourself in a warm blanket; give yourself a massage on your neck or hands; or wear soft, cozy clothing. Go for balance Treat yourself right. Eat healthy foods, exercise regularly and do a periodic stress check-in. Give yourself downtime. Avoid accepting every invitation and hanging out with people who might make you tense. Avoid for-sure stress. Stay away from hotbutton topics like religion, politics and other subjects that rev you (or others) up. Reduce your to-do list. Be realistic and cut out the “shoulds.” Instead, focus on the “musts.” Don’t forget to play. Give yourself permission to indulge in the season’s joys. Sources: American Heart Association; HelpGuide
How men can enjoy better health Could you be doing more to take care of your health? If you’re like most men, the answer is probably yes. On average, men are more likely than women to make some unhealthy choices in their daily lives and to avoid seeing a doctor like they should. Don’t be too hard on yourself if that describes you. Just know that it’s not too late to start taking care of your health, even if it’s been a while since you’ve seen a doctor or perused a produce aisle. What’s in it for you? For starters, feeling great and living your best. In the big picture, it’s also about having more years to spend in better health with the people and activities you enjoy. Start with a primary care provider If you don’t already have one, schedule an appointment with a primary care provider (PCP). That’s a doctor or other medical provider you see (usually once a year) for checkups and other preventive care. Preventive care includes things like physical exams and recommended vaccinations and health screenings. Checkups and screenings can help prevent some health problems from ever starting. And they can help your provider find some health problems early, when they’re often easier to treat. Get ahead of health risks There are many things men, working with their PCP, can do to help guard against a variety of major health risks, including these: High blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Even if you feel fine, you could have these conditions, major causes of heart disease, stroke and other complications. Having your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels checked (ask your provider how often) can reveal these hidden hazards. To help ward off these and other health risks: ● Get regular exercise. You can start with little steps, like taking short walks throughout the day. ● Eat a variety of healthy foods, including fruits, vegetables and whole grains; fat-free or low-fat dairy products; and lean protein such as poultry and beans. Use unsaturated oils, such as canola or olive, for cooking. Cut back on salt (sodium), added sugars, and saturated and trans fats. Colorectal cancer. Depending on your age and risk factors, it may be time to get checked. Screening can help prevent colorectal cancer by finding the colon and rectal polyps, which can be removed, that can lead to the disease. Lung cancer. If you smoke, ask your provider to help you quit. You may also need a lung cancer screening test if you’re at least 55 years old and have a history of heavy smoking. Prostate cancer. Talk to your provider about the pros and cons of being screened for prostate cancer if you’re a middle-aged person. Most prostate cancers may grow slowly, but some may spread if left untreated. Obesity. Unwanted pounds can lead to heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. Ask your provider what’s a healthy weight for you. Eating right and staying active can help you manage your weight. Every choice adds up. How about a side of veggies or salad instead of fries with your burger? Choose a piece of fruit instead of cake for dessert. Depression. Tell your provider if you often feel sad or hopeless or have lost interest in things you once enjoyed. There are effective treatments for depression. Sources: American Academy of Family Physicians; HealthInAging.org; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services For a list of contracted providers, visit www.kerncountyhealthbenefits.com or call the Member Services number on the back of your Kern Legacy medical ID card. Prior authorization for consultations or routine follow-up visits is not required.
6 important screenings for women Women, don’t let medical conditions sneak up on you. See your doctor for an annual well-woman exam, also known as a preventive health checkup. Screening tests, which play a major role in this appointment, can help catch health issues in their early, most treatable stages, before you even notice symptoms. Here are six tests your doctor may perform or discuss with you during your visit: Blood pressure Diabetes detection Breast cancer Colon cancer Lung cancer Cervical cancer Which screening tests do you need? It depends on your age, sex, and personal and family medical history. Call your provider to schedule a preventive health appointment. For a list of contracted providers, visit www.kerncountyhealthbenefits.com or call the phone number on the back of your Kern Legacy medical ID card. Health problems after menopause Life after menopause differs from the years before it in some ways. One obvious change is that you won’t have to manage menstrual periods anymore. Less obvious: Some health risks can rise for women, partly due to the lower levels of estrogen hormones that exist after menopause. Health risks to watch for include: Heart disease. Before menopause, women generally have a lower risk of heart disease than men do. After menopause, as the protective effect of estrogen (which may help keep coronary arteries healthy) declines, a woman’s risk of heart disease starts to climb to a level similar to that of men. Stroke. A woman’s risk of stroke rises sharply around the time of menopause. Lower estrogen levels may play a role here also. Osteoporosis. Bone loss accelerates after menopause. That puts women at greater risk of osteoporosis, a bonethinning disease that makes people more prone to fractures. Lead poisoning. The lead that builds up in everyone’s bones over a lifetime may be released into your bloodstream more readily, due to the rapid breakdown of bone after menopause. Higher lead levels in the blood can contribute to health issues, such as high blood pressure and thinking and memory problems. Unwanted weight. Metabolism (the rate at which the body burns calories) slows down as we age. That’s one reason many postmenopausal women gain weight that may put their health at risk. Urinary incontinence. Accidental leakage affects about half of postmenopausal women. Low estrogen levels may play a role here too. Some of your best years are yet to come It’s never too early or too late to focus on staying healthy. For example, do your best to exercise regularly (brisk walks can help!), follow a balanced diet, maintain a healthy weight and avoid smoking. Ask your doctor if you should take supplements, like bone-healthy calcium and vitamin D. Get checkups and recommended screenings, too, including blood tests and screenings for osteoporosis and breast, cervical and colorectal cancers. Speak up Do you have any concerns about your health? Are you experiencing hot flashes or other discomforts? Ask your primary care provider what you can do. Sources: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry; American Heart Association; Endocrine Society; Office on Women’s Health
7 facts about prediabetes 1 About 1 in 3 U.S. adults has prediabetes. That’s millions of people—and many don’t realize they have it. 2 Prediabetes usually has no symptoms. You’ll need a blood test to know for sure. 3 Being diagnosed with prediabetes doesn’t mean that you’ll definitely develop type 2 diabetes, particularly if you change your lifestyle. 4 Prediabetes can be reversed by eating healthy foods, getting moderate exercise on a regular basis and taking your medication properly. 5 A healthy meal plan for people with prediabetes and diabetes includes plenty of non-starchy vegetables, limited added sugars, whole-grain foods instead of refined grains and whole foods instead of highly processed foods. 6 Sugary drinks have been linked to type 2 diabetes. A 12-ounce can of regular soda has the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar. 7 Exercise makes your cells more sensitive to insulin. That lowers blood sugar levels and helps to reverse prediabetes. Aim for 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week. Concerned about prediabetes or diabetes? Contact your health care provider. That way, you can make changes today to prevent or reverse this disease. Sources: American Diabetes Association; National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases If you have been diagnosed with prediabetes, you’re far from alone. Roughly 1 out of every 3 Americans—96 million of us—has prediabetes. This health condition is often silent, but it can pave the way for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and other health complications. Prediabetes: The inside story With prediabetes, blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes—yet. Carbohydrates in the food we eat get turned into glucose, or sugar, which is the main fuel for our cells. The pancreas—an organ near the stomach—produces insulin, a hormone that carries glucose into our cells. With prediabetes, your pancreas still produces insulin, but your cells begin to stop responding to it. In turn, your pancreas may pump out extra insulin to try to keep up with the increased blood sugar demands. Over time, however, this strategy fizzles out. Your pancreas can’t keep up, and your blood sugar rises, hovering at a level that’s higher than normal. Fasting blood sugar levels between 100 and 125 mg/dL might signal prediabetes, but your medical provider should make that determination. Defeat prediabetes The good news? Having prediabetes is a chance to reverse course by making lifestyle changes. These three important steps may help prevent or delay prediabetes from developing into type 2 diabetes: 1 Tweak your diet. Eating a healthy diet can help you keep your blood sugar in check. The time is ripe to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and fiber-rich whole grains, such as oatmeal and brown rice, and to limit sweets and sugary foods and beverages. 2 Guard against weight gain. If you’re overweight, shedding as little as 5% to 7% of your body weight—that’s just 10 to 14 pounds if your starting weight is 200 pounds, for example—can make a big difference in managing blood sugar. 3 Take action. Physical activity helps lower blood glucose. Try to exercise at least 150 minutes per week—that’s just 30 minutes per day, five times a week. You can raise your heart rate with brisk walking or something similar. Change can be challenging Work with your medical provider to create a prediabetes management plan that can help you make these healthy lifestyle changes stick. Contact your medical provider if your condition worsens. Sources: American Heart Association; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Institutes of Health Understanding prediabetes
Stress is your body’s built-in response to events, situations and people. While you can’t control many of these factors, you can control how you react to them. Learning stress management is worth the effort: You’ll feel better in the short term and could also protect your long-term health. Negative effects of stress There are two types of stress: ● Acute stress happens in response to something short-lived, such as a traffic jam or an argument, and it subsides quickly. ● Chronic stress happens when you have persistent stressors in your life, such as financial trouble, unhealthy relationships or racism. You may feel powerless to change these circumstances. Both types can affect your physical health and emotional wellbeing. Acute stress can make it difficult to think clearly and get enough rest. Over time, chronic stress can increase your risk for cardiovascular disease, weight gain, digestive problems, depression, anxiety and more. Learn to manage stress Stress management starts with determining what causes you stress. Ask yourself: ● What are your biggest stressors? ● How do you react physically and emotionally to stress? ● Do you accept stress as unavoidable or blame it on others? To avoid unnecessary stress: Limit your exposure. When possible, steer clear of stresstriggering people, places and conversation topics. Trim your to-do list. Reduce tasks, responsibilities and free-time activities. Practice saying no. Being choosy about what you say yes to can lighten your load significantly. Reach out. Talk to a trusted friend or family member who’s a good listener. Strive for stability. Aim for a healthy balance between work, relaxation, time with others and solitude. When you can’t avoid stress, learn to adapt: Reframe your thoughts. Look at the situation rationally. Things may not be as bad as they seem. Go easy on yourself. Seeking perfection is a surefire way to increase stress. Learn when “good” is good enough. Let go. Many things are beyond your control, like the weather, other people or the stock market. Focus on what you can control. Be grateful. Each day, think about what you’re grateful for, including your own abilities. Look for the positive. Stress can be a useful tool for personal growth. Consider what your reaction to stress can teach you. Sources: American Psychological Association; HelpGuide SEEK HELP If you are experiencing an emergency related to mental or emotional strain, call 988 to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If you are not experiencing an emergency but would like help managing your stress, call your Employee Assistance Program. EAP counselors are available 24/7 at 844‑416‑6386. Or you can visit www.anthemeap.com and enter “County of Kern” to log in. Take steps to manage stress
Standard U.S. Postage PAID Yakima, WA Permit No. 157 KERN LEGACY HEALTH PLANS 1115 Truxtun Avenue, First Floor Bakersfield, CA 93301 A LEGACY OF GOOD HEALTH is published as a community service for the friends and members of KERN LEGACY HEALTH PLANS, 1115 Truxtun Ave., First Floor, Bakersfield, CA 93301, telephone 661-868-3182. Information in A LEGACY OF GOOD HEALTH comes from a wide range of medical experts. If you have any concerns or questions about specific content that may affect your health, please contact your health care provider. Models may be used in photos and illustrations. 2024 © Coffey Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Kern Legacy Health Plans Roll up your sleeve for the flu shot Getting a yearly flu shot is one of the best ways to protect yourself from the flu. A flu shot is recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older, including women who are pregnant. This year’s flu shot contains an updated influenza A (H1N1) component to match the flu viruses predicted to be circulating in the community. Don’t worry—you can’t get the flu from the shot. The flu vaccine contains an inactive form of the virus to help your body build immunity. What to know about the flu shot Here are some key flu shot facts: The flu shot is effective. Getting a flu shot can significantly reduce your chances of getting the flu. If you still get the flu, your symptoms will likely be less severe. Last season, people who were vaccinated against flu were 40% to 70% less likely to be hospitalized because of flu illness or related complications. High-dose shots offer more protection for older people. Getting a flu shot is especially important for people at increased risk of developing serious flu complications, including those age 65 and older. A higher-dose flu vaccine is recommended for this age group. These enhanced vaccines can offer greater flu protection for older people. The flu shot is safe for those with severe egg allergies. Most flu vaccines contain a small amount of egg protein, which is involved in the manufacturing process. Starting this flu season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention no longer recommends any additional safety measures for people who have egg allergies. Flu shots are now available at your local retail pharmacy or by visiting your contracted primary care provider. For a full list of contracted providers, visit www.kerncountyhealthbenefits.com or call the phone number on the back of your Kern Legacy medical ID card for information. Sources: AARP; American Osteopathic Association; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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