The winners have been announced for the Blues’ first Walkingspree challenge and the winners’ appreciation and excitement is electric! According to Blues News Direct, more than 1,700 employees met the Walkingspree challenge, accumulating at least 280,000 steps from October 24 to December 18, 2011. In October more than 4,000 employees signed on for Blue Cross Blue Shield’s call to step their way to better health. Almost half the participants succeeded in meeting the challenge goal of achieving 5,000 steps a day. Impressive, way to go, Blue!

I had an opportunity to talk with a few challenge winners. Check out what they had to say:

Winners of the first BCBSM challenge Congratulations to the 21 winners! To qualify for the drawing, participants had to walk an average of 5,000 steps a day between Oct. 24-Dec. 18. Grand Prize Treadmill winner Claudette Lee iPod Touch winners LaTanya Johns Monica Devette Philip Bone Eboni Gibbs Rita Makulski Patricia Wagner Deb Bronson Paul Mozak Katherine Martin Della Hall Wii Sports Resort Bundle and Balance Board package winners Jeffery Grant Gavin Manley Esther Sellman David Smiley Denise Smarch Zina Langford Melissa Babyak Cathy Gomes Nancy Howard Walter Epps

Pat Wagner
BCN SIU Liaison

I was so excited to win an iPod! To win the new one through the Walkingspree Challenge is an honor. Last May I had the Gastric Sleeve surgery to lose weight and walking is an integral part of my program for continued weight loss. For me walking is the foundation for exercising, so when the Walkingspree challenge came along participating was the perfect fit.  My goal was low, only 6,000 steps per day to start although for the most part I walked farther and I completed the challenge several weeks prior to the end date.  Since winning the iPod, I feel more energized and plan on joining a gym if only to use the treadmill during the winter months since people don’t shovel their walks. I will definitely enjoy using my iPod while working out! I have been at BCN for thirteen years. Thank you so much!

Paul Mozak
BCBSM Vice President Finance

I have exercised regularly for the past three to four years, and participated in a number of running events, including a several half-marathon and even a full 26.2 mile marathon.

The Walkingspree pedometer is great for tracking my activity during days when I don’t get to run (especially in the winter) and is a great compliment to setting other daily or weekly goals.  I believe that goal setting is critical to achieving any objective, including exercise and weight loss.  The social and competitive aspects of the Walkingspree site are great and I encourage others to use them and set friendly challenges.

Fellow employees should also check out the new Active Blue Employee Resource Network, a new group dedicated to combining sports with charitable activities at BCBSM.

Rita Makulski
BCN Clinical Support Coordinator

I was so happy when Blue Cross Blue Shield announced they were offering their employees a pedometer and the Walkingspree program. I never heard Walkingspree While I have always included exercise in my life I never really set any goals. The Walkingspree program gave me the tools I needed to set goals, track my progress, and have fun with co-workers by joining walking teams. I was able to see that I was not very active. I did not realize I was not even meeting the 5,000 daily steps the program recommended. I gradually increased my daily steps goal to 6,500 steps and my aerobic steps to 2,500. I plan to keep working to increase my daily and aerobic steps. I have found it much easier to reach my goals by spreading my steps out during the day; I now exercise before work, during my lunch hour and later in the evening. I won an IPod Touch from the challenge which I can use to listen to music while walking. I have worked for BCBSM for over five years.

Deb Bronson
Professional Provider Inquiry Team Lead

I won an IPOD Touch!  I was so excited I told everyone.  I will use it by listening to fast paced music for my cardio and weight lifting and slower music for my cool downs.  The challenge to walk 10,000 steps a day made me hit the gym more often.  I made sure to walk for at least half an hour up to an entire hour.  I added more weights and even encompassed the Hoola-hoop into my workouts.  It was fun to come to work and compare the amount of steps I had acquired with my team mates. It was a true motivator. I have been with BCBSM for sixteen years.

Claudette Lee
Unit Leader MPSERS Medicare Advantage

I just can’t believe that out of all the entries, I was the winner of a treadmill.   I am so excited about it!!  Winning the treadmill has really made me take a serious look at my lifestyle.  I have a stronger determination to live a healthier life.  I must do what my doctor says about my health.  I want to live to see my grandchildren grow up and I don’t want to be on high blood pressure medicine all my life.  As a single woman, eating healthy and consistent exercise is not a priority for me.  But you know there is a purpose for everything, and because I know better, winning this treadmill, will make me do better.  “What’s for me is for me!!” Thank you BCBSM and Walkingspree for my winning in this Walking Challenge!!!! I have been with BCBSM for twenty-seven years.

Monica DeVette
Claims Liaison/SIU

Whether it was walking, aerobics, lifting weights or yoga, I have always done some type of exercise throughout my life.  Still, it was easy to slough off and make excuses, too. Unfortunately, for the last four years I did just that. The feeling of sluggishness, tiredness not to mention my mid-section from sitting at a desk all day caught up to me. The sitting and inactivity took a toll on my body. I used Walking Challenge combined with our fitness allowance to take charge of my health. No more sitting around and no more excuses.  The challenge gave me that much needed incentive.  My goal was to walk 8 -10,000 steps per day no matter what. I was exhausted but I had my pedometer to keep me on track, and I had a goal to keep.  I started walking in October and completed the contest before the actual end date.   I won an IPod, wow!  Also, I feel great being on track again with my health and the benefits of keeping fit.  What a pay off. I now have more energy and a better well-being.  Thank you, Walkingspree.

Denise Smarch
BCN Claims processing adjudication

I recently won the Wii console and Wii fit bundle. The new console will give me more options for physical activity especially during the winter months. The walking challenge helped to keep me motivated and made me accountable.  I set a goal and could see how close I was to achieving that goal daily.  Wearing the pedometer reminds me to get up and get moving.  I like to see the 10,000 steps on my pedometer every day.

• Get your steps in the first half of the day. Waiting until later may make it more difficult to reach your step goal. A brisk walk in the morning or at lunch time is ideal. Select routes sheltered from the wind and elements where possible. Getting outside during daylight hours also increases levels of serotonin, a hormone that helps calm cravings.
• Dress warmly and feel comfortable. Wearing the right layers and clothing will make your walking experience more enjoyable. In cold weather, 20 to 60 percent of heat is lost through an uncovered head so wear a hat when the temperature drops.-. Your fingers, nose and chin get cold – quickly, so protect them with gloves and a scarf. Dress in layers to keep your body warm and dry. High-tech synthetic fabrics make a big difference in comfort so they’re worth the investment. You’ll be much happier and more energized if you’re warm and dry instead of sweaty and chilled. On windy days start your walk into the wind so you will finish with it at your back. This way, perspiration will not cool your skin and chill your body.
• Wear the right footwear for the right time of year. Wear warm, water resistant boots. You may want to try ice grips or traction devices on your boots. Select routes that are cleared of snow or ice or do not have standing puddles or mud slicks.
• Allow at least 10 minutes to warm up. When its cold, your heart and muscles need more time to get ready.
• Move your feet slightly apart as you walk. This will give you better support and balance. If the street is really slippery, bend your knees a little bit. You may feel that you look funny, but it’s worth it! When going down an incline, consider turning sideways. Do NOT cross one foot over the other, as you will have no balance while your feet are crossed. If the ground is steep, bend your knees.
• Take your workout indoors if there’s risk of frostbite (temperatures around -20 degrees F, including any wind chill) or if it’s too icy, or if you’d encounter dangerous traffic. Some indoor options include:
  – Mall Walking: Your local mall most likely has a mall walking program. Malls are generally open before stores open and can provide a great way to get in those steps. Also a great way to meet up with fellow walkers.
  – Indoor Track/Gym: Check with your local schools, community colleges and community centers to see if they have open hours for walkers. Some indoor skating rinks allow walking around the top outside row of bleachers.
  – Treadmill Walking: Treadmills and ellipticals are often an ideal way to get add steps to your day.
  – Creative Walking at Work and Home: See if your workplace has an indoor walking route or be creative and take the stairs, walk during conference calls, or go to tell a co-worker something instead of sending an email. A recent study found that stepping in place during commercials burned an average 148 calories and resulted in an average 2,111 steps in about 25 minutes.
• Stay hydrated. You need water in winter as much as in summer. Bring water along to stay hydrated.
• Share the cold. Walking with a friend, co-worker or even your dog provides company and mental stimulation. You not even notice the cold as you zip along on your winter walk.
• Reward yourself. Take a long, warm bath to take away the chill and relax your muscles. Or savor a warm mug full of hot cocoa, hot apple cider or hot beverage of your choice. And be sure to upload all those steps to your Walkingspree account weekly. You earned them so make sure they are counted.

As always, wear your pedometer from morning till night and keep stepping! Spring is just around the corner.

People don’t realize how much they are eating, according to Brian Wansink, PhD, whose research has focused on perceived consumption vs. actual consumption.

One study Wansink conducted found that something as simple as the shape of a glass increased the serving size. Even though both glasses had the same volume, people poured about 37 percent more liquid in short, wide glasses than in tall, skinny glasses.

“Most of us have too much chaos going on in our lives to consciously focus on every bite we eat . . . The secret is to change your environment so it works for you rather than against you,” said Wansink during a presentation at the American Psychological Association’s 119th Annual Convention.

So how do you make this work for you? By making these few changes, participants in a Wansink study lost up to two pounds a month.

• Eat off of salad plates instead of dinner plates
• Keep healthier food at eye-level in the fridge and cupboards, and keep unhealthy food s out of sight
• Eat in a dining area and not in front of the TV

It’s the middle of January already. As I mentioned in a previous blog, this is a hectic month at work. It seems I do little more than work and sleep. Despite the madness, I’m steppin’. How do I get it done? I just do because I’m a stepper and you know you’re a stepper when:

You wake up in the morning and the first thing you do is reach over to your nightstand and grab your pedometer and then your glasses.

You know you’re a stepper when you walk to the gym to work out.

You know you’re a stepper when you don’t care how you look dancing at the bus stop while waiting to be picked up.

You know you’re  a stepper when you go on break at work and you walk instead of sit.

You know you’re a stepper when it doesn’t feel natural not to walk.

What about you? You know you’re a stepper when…..

• Set a goal. You did it before, you can do it again. Your pedometer is a great tool for this so make sure you wear it from morning till night.
• Remember what got you started and embrace that energy again.
• Grab a buddy, someone who will spur you on, and in turn, you can encourage them.
• Exercise outside when the sun is shining. The natural sunlight can be a great motivator.
• Try journaling. Seeing what progress you made, or haven’t made, just might get you up and going.
• Change up your routine, or find a new one. Your local library has lots of exercise DVDs or maybe your community center has a drop-in zumba or yoga class you always wanted to try.
• Be nice to yourself. Getting out and exercising when you don’t want to is hard, so reward yourself.
• Set up a regular time and stick to it. You can get through anything if you know when it will end.
• Break down your walks to 10 minutes segments (about 1,000 steps) throughout the day. Before you know it you will have reached your goal.

In my house, our cat Patches rules. That is until I got a pedometer, remembered how much I love dancing and discovered Deep House Cat music. I’m a stepper and dancing is one of the most fun ways I boost my aerobic minutes. I’ve mentioned a few other sites and I’m introducing another because as much as I love steppin’ and the benefits of exercising, the reality is, I have to keep working out fun and varied or I lose interest (and the body becomes very efficient when it comes to aerobics so variety matters). If you haven’t given serious thought to music and how it impacts your workout, revisit the issue and while you’re researching the effects of music on working out, check out Deep House Cat music. Each podcast offers a different guest dj with club music that will keep you steppin’ for forty-five to sixty minutes. You can download podcasts from iTunes or Deep House Cat’s website.

On my early morning walks, I often listen to classical. For the treadmill or the bike, it’s rock. During lunch or my break, I tap on my Nano and select one of my Deep House Cat mixes. It’s twenty minutes of pure dancing pleasure.

Depending on intensity and goal for a walking session, I choose a different tempo and style of music. What about you? What moves you?

The study focused on ectopic fat – the unhealthy fat that builds up in the abdomen and liver, around the heart, and in muscles. It is more dangerous than the subcutaneous fat found under the skin. Excess fat in the liver also increases risk of liver disease.

Researchers at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark asked 47 participants to drink either a liter of water, skimmed milk, diet soda or regular soda every day for six months.

Results showed that the regular soda drinkers had more than double the amount of fat in their liver and muscle tissue compared to the other participants. The regular soda drinkers also had higher amounts of abdominal fat and increased cholesterol and triglycerides in their blood.

The study noted skimmed milk drinkers had no negative effects on the fat in the liver, muscles, abdomen or blood. They also noted that the diet soda had almost the same effect as water.

The study’s conclusion: Drinking regular soda every day increases your risk of diabetes and heart disease; therefore you should keep your intake of these drinks to a minimum.

So, before you grab that regular cola, consider switching to a club soda (carbonated water) or unsweetened iced tea or even a tall glass of icy cold water.

Hello fellow steppers, recently I had an opportunity to talk with another Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan stepper. When BCBSM launched its first challenge in October, it quickly became evident that Blue participants were committed to making a real difference in their lifestyles by getting healthier by walking. At BCBSM, top steppers log as many as 50k steps a day. Today, I want to you to get to know more about one of those lead steppers, Walter L. Epps.

While Walter has been with the company less than a year, it’s clear, that his values align with Blue Cross Blue Shield’s commitment to advocating and promoting a healthy lifestyle. To date the single, 42-year-old Detroiter averages 38k steps a day. Since October 24th he has trekked 2.2 million steps or over a thousand miles. He says he gets in most of his steps after work. He runs two miles a day and walks everywhere, every chance he gets. He’s in the Navy Reserve so staying fit is a must. Walter says he’d classified his fitness level between fit and athletic. He works out at home and when he’s not walking, he’s lifting weights or participating in casual pick-up sports.

Walter works in Corporate & Financial Investigation. He’s been with the company for nine months.

Okay, less of me giving you a summary; I’ll let Walter tell you more.

LaTonya: Why did you choose to participate in the challenge?

Walter: I was asked by a co-worker, who motivated many of us in the office to participate.

LaTonya: Your stats are amazing: Over 2 million steps and you’re regularly in the top five on the leader board. What do you attribute your success to?

Walter: I have to admit it was tough especially towards the end. The key factors that kept me going was one, making myself comfortable by wearing the proper clothing; I even went out and bought new shoes. Two, dedication to the walk! I was very dedicated. I gave up a lot of personal things that I’m used to doing like going to the movies. All I did was walk, walk, walk.

A typical day for me after work would commence with a hard two mile run, then a walk. I walked the treadmill, the River Walk and Jefferson Avenue and all around the city (of Detroit) and the malls. I walked with friends and sometimes I was the lone stepper. I concentrated on increasing my steps, stamina and endurance. For me it wasn’t walk for a certain point, it was to walk within a certain time frame. Because I did not have the opportunity to do much walking during business hours, I would have to hump. Gradually, I was able to reach an average of about 40k steps or about eighteen to twenty-one miles a day according to the pedometer; I often thought I had actually walked more than that sometimes. On weekends, I really tried to boost my numbers. My best day was about 73k steps but that was out of pure desire to keep up with the diehard walkers at BCBSM.

LaTonya: Okay, let’s talk about food. I’ve had some real challenges in this area. What about you?

Walter: In this area I was bad. I noticed that my appetite really increased. I was always hungry! I drunk a lot of water, but I ate just about everything I could get my hands on with the exception of candy. I ate everything though that would be considered a dieter’s nightmare.

Now that I have resumed my regular workout routine,I eat much more sensibly. I eat cereal for breakfast, a light lunch and a pretty light dinner closer to 7:00 PM. I cook meals for myself, but I am conscientious mostly not to eat a lot of sweets, and I minimize my intake of sugar-based drinks, not too much soda pop or juices.

LaTonya: What did you gain or learn from participating?

Walter: I’ve learned a lot about my physical self since I started walking. I guess I had gotten use to running everyday, so my body was pretty efficient at running. But after I started walking, I noticed my body changed in a good way: my breathing and my form improved. I learned that my body responds well to walking. While I probably always took walking for granted in the past, I have come to respect the WALK, and I do intend to walk ten times as much as I’ve done before this challenge. Walking is now part of my workout regimen.

LaTonya: Any parting words?

Walter: I walked so much, I drove everyone around me crazy. It was really hard to motivate others to walk. Some did walk, but only for a short time. I’m really impressed with the way BCBSM encourages their employees about the importance of good health. Now we have to spread the word!!!

LaTonya: Walter, you’ve encouraged me. You keep me going. Thanks for taking time to share with us.

Tea contains antioxidants, has less caffeine than coffee and actually keeps you hydrated.

It is the second most popular beverage in the world, behind water. All tea – be it white, green, black or oolong – comes from the same plant and all varieties are beneficial. The difference is in the processing. For example, white tea is harvested from young plants. Green tea is made from unfermented leaves and has more amounts of polyphenols than black or oolong tea.

Research shows that the amount of polyphenols in 4-6 cups of green tea a day can lower risks of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. But do not add milk to your tea. German researchers have found that milk blocks the beneficial polyphenols in tea.

Tea has no calories plus it has a third less caffeine than coffee, about 30 milligrams. Green tea may even help boost your metabolism slightly. In a small study, participants burned about 65 more calories a day when they drank tea as compared to an equal amount of water. The study also reported a significant increase in fat oxidation (turning fat into energy) with tea over water.

Drinking 4 cups of tea not only hydrates as well as a liter of water, but is a great antioxidant, protects the immune system, guards against a variety of cancers and even boost your metabolism.

And with flu and cold season upon us, there is nothing more soothing than drinking a cup of hot tea.

Brewing the perfect cup of tea

Take your pick – white, green, black or oolong – and brew a pot of refreshing and healthy tea. The key to a great cup of tea is in the brewing time – longer does not make it better, it makes it bitter. Follow these simple four steps to a great cup of tea.

1) Place one bag or one teaspoon of leaves for each 8 oz. cup of water in your cup or teapot.

2) Heat the water in a kettle, boiling for black tea, hot, not boiling for white or green tea.

3) Pour over the tea and step away from the cup or pot. Resist all temptation to dunk the bag or stir the leaves during the brewing process.

4) Keep an eye on the clock – it only takes a few minutes.

Suggested brew times:

• White: 4-5 minutes
• Green: 1-2 minutes
• Black: 2-3 minutes
• Oolong : 3 minutes

S – Specific. Define exactly what you want to accomplish. Walk 10,000 steps a day? Great, increase your average daily step count by 20 percent. When you’re comfortable with that, increase that amount by 20 percent. Keep doing this until you reach your goal.

M – Measurable. Upload your steps once or twice a week and use the tools on the Walkingspree website. Monitoring your progress will encourage you to keep going.

A – Adjustable. Be flexible and have a backup plan in case you are not able to get out for your regular walk or catch a cold. Adding 1,000 or so steps a day (about 10-15 minutes more walking time) may be all you need to get back on track.

R – Realistic. Make sure the goal reflects what is attainable for you and not based on comparing yourself to others. This is a lifelong commitment, not a horse race.

T – Time based. Set a deadline, and remember long term changes are achieved when you invest the time.

There will always be days that you don’t meet your goals, but it’s like brushing your teeth. If you forgot one night before bed, you wouldn’t say “I give up. I’m never brushing my teeth again.” Fitness and health is the same way, get back up the next day and start all over again.