Small Lifestyle Changes Have BIG Health Impacts
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC) created a personalized A Healthier You™ Wellness Portal just for you!
It's a great place to find tools and support to both assess and improve the current state of your health, and the health of your loved ones.
Personalize your health with lifestyle coaching:
- Log on to MyBlueKC.com and click A Healthier You to get started.
- Click the My Assessments link to take your Health Risk Assessment (HRA). If your HRA results identify certain health risk factors, the My Coach link will appear on your portal home page where you can begin working with a Blue KC lifestyle coach to improve your health and quality of life.
- Enroll in self-directed coaching to help you get fit, eat well and feel better with a customized plan designed for you. Available to everyone, at any time, the online tools and check-in milestones will keep you accountable for your health!
For more information watch our Blue KC introduction video.
Are You a Clipper?
Clipping coupons and using shopper cards or e-coupons are a sure way to maximize your grocery savings. But the advantages and savings are only realized if you can plan ahead. Start saving and improve your eating habits with these tips.
Sign up for shopper cards. They're free and the savings can range from grocery products to the gas pump.
Clip only coupons you use. You may want to steer clear of popular brand savings, as store brands are generally 25% cheaper.
Stick to your healthy grocery list. Then match coupons to that list. If the item is currently on sale it doubles your savings!
Fresh is best. Spend the coupon savings on fresh produce. Frozen and canned are good alternatives with longer shelf life. Stock-up when you find a sale.
Check the shelves. More expensive items are eye-level; look above or below for less expensive. Check expiration dates.
Three-Apple, Gluten-Free Chicken Salad Recipe
Apples and celery are some of the best sources of fiber. Cut out the fat even more from this dish with fat-free mayonnaise and sour cream. Substitute canned tuna for a variation on this healthy recipe from health.com.
Ingredients:
- 4, 4-oz. skinless, boneless chicken-breasts
- 3/4 cup diced Gala apple
- 3/4 cup diced Red Delicious apple
- 1/2 cup diced Granny Smith apple
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
- 3 tablespoon chopped pecans, toasted
- 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon reduced-fat sour cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoon stone-ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Directions:
- Place chicken in a small saucepan and cover with water; bring to a boil. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand 15 minutes. Drain, cool, and coarsely chop chicken.
- Combine chicken, apples, celery, and pecans in bowl; toss gently to coat.
- Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, tarragon, salt, and pepper. Pour dressing over chicken mixture; toss gently to coat. Cover; chill at least 30 minutes.
Nutritional Information: (Yield: 4 servings, serving size: about 1 cup): Calories 246; Fat 12g; Protein 24g; Carbohydrates 13g; Sodium 287mg; Cholesterol 68mg
Is Freeze-dried Fruit a Healthy Substitute?
Doctors recommend a minimum of 5 fruit servings daily. While fresh fruit is best, it may not always be available.
Markets and grocery stores have begun stocking their shelves with a fresh fruit alternative – freeze-dried fruit. Look for fruit as the only ingredient, and refrain from those with added sugars. Also, only eat the recommended serving size.
It’s Never Too Late to Exercise
These seven exercises provide a great base to your fitness routine, and lucky for you, they can all be done at home or at a gym. If you haven't exercised for some time and you have health concerns, talk to your doctor before starting a new exercise routine.
- Walking: You can walk anywhere, anytime and the health benefits are numerous. All you need is a good pair of shoes.
- Interval Training: If you vary your workout intensity, instead of going at a steady pace, you burn more calories and increase the workout efficiency.
- Squats: These work several muscle groups and offer many strength benefits throughout your entire body.
- Lunges: This compound leg exercise benefits the major muscles of your lower body and improves balance.
- Push-Ups: A good exercise to work out your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core muscles.
- Abdominal Crunch: When performed safely, these core exercises improve balance and strengthen abdominals.
- Bent-Over Row: The resistance from this exercise works major muscles in your upper back and biceps.
For proper form and technique, visit this resource.
We Did It Again!
We received the highest score among commercial health plans in the Heartland Region by J.D. Power and Associates 2013 Member Health Plan Study!
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City received the highest numerical score among commercial health plans in the Heartland region (AR, IA, KS, MO, NE, OK) in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2012-2013 U.S. Member Health Plan Study℠. 2013 study based on 33,533 total member responses, measuring 11 plans in the Heartland Region (excludes Medicare and Medicaid). Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of members surveyed December 2012-January 2013. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com.
