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T H E W E L L N E S S C O U N C I L O F A M E R I C A P R E S E N T S

Keeping TheImmune System

Strong In TheFace Of Stress

StressThe

DietLow

about WELCOA

Wellness Council of America (WELCOA) was established as a national not-for-profit

organization in the mid 1980s through the efforts of a number of forward-thinking business and health leaders. Drawing on the vision originally set forth by William Kizer, Sr., Chairman Emeritus of Central States Indemnity, and WELCOA founding Directors that included Dr. Louis Sullivan, former Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Warren Buffet, Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, WELCOA has helped influence the face of workplace wellness in the U.S.

Today, WELCOA has become one of the most respected resources for workplace wellness in America. With a membership in excess of 3,200 organizations, WELCOA is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of all working Americans. Located in America’s heartland, WELCOA makes its national headquarters in one of America’s healthiest business communities—Omaha, NE.

This WELCOA feature article brings you the insights of National Stress Expert, Dr. Brian Luke Seaward. In 2010, Dr. Seaward addressed WELCOA members with a three-part training series on stress management. The information shared in this publication is basedon Dr. Seaward’s WELCOAwebinar presentations.

about Brian Luke Seaward phd

Brian Luke Seaward, PhD is a renowned and respected international expert in the fields of stress

management, mind-body-spirit healing and health promotion. His mission, as expressed through

his legacy of acclaimed books and public appearances, is to make this a better world in which

to live by having each of us reach our highest potential. Dr. Seaward is an award-winning author, photographer, teacher,

celebrated film director/producer and much sought after inspirational speaker.

Dr. Seaward is the CEO of Inspiration Unlimited, which began as a consulting company in the field of health promotion and

wellness, and provides the most current information on the aspects of mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness

for both personal and professional training and development. He is the author of numerous stress management books,

including “Stressed is Desserts Spelled Backwards.”

For more information about Dr. Seaward, visit: http://www.brianlukeseaward.net/index.html

PH: 402-827-3590 | FX: 402-827-3594 | welcoa.org Learn more about WELCOA’s free resources:http://www.welcoa.org/freeresources/

about David Hunnicutt phd

Dr. David Hunnicutt is the President of the Wellness Council of America. As

a leader in the field of health promotion, his vision has led to the creation of numerous publications designed to link health promotion objectives to business outcomes.

about Madeline Jahn

Madeline Jahn is the Communications Associate for the Wellness Council of

America. Her role is to coordinate the development of new publications and pool existing resources for WELCOA mem-bers, serving the mission of health promotion through marketing and planning support. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Creighton University, and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership from the Col-lege of Saint Mary. For questions about this publication, or to obtain permission for reprinting, please contact Maddy at [email protected].

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T H E L O W S T R E S S D I E T

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Thousands of companies are raving about their WELCOA Membership

More than four thousand

organizations across the U.S.

and Canada are members of

WELCOA. With the most com-

prehensive benefits of any

organization, WELCOA mem-

bership will save you time and

money in your quest to build

a results-oriented workplace

wellness program.

To become a WELCOA member simply visit: http://www.welcoa.org/store/

tress and stress management should undoubtedly be a top priority for your health promotion programs. After all,

excessive stress can increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and obesity over time. But stress-related diseases also affect the gastrointestinal (GI) tract—more so than any other physiological system in the body—and can bring about illnesses and conditions such as ulcers, acid reflex, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome and Chron’s disease.

In your efforts to help employees address and cope with stress, it is imperative not to overlook the important link between stress and nutrition. Stress affects all aspects of human nutrition. If your employees are stressed, their bodies are not going to digest food or absorb nutrients properly, and their metabolisms will suffer. Additionally, certain foods and eating habits can actually trigger the body’s stress response, resulting in serious health consequences.

The good news is that the reverse holds true—by choosing certain foods, changing their eating habits and making more conscientious nutritional decisions—your employees can reduce their stress and even reverse the harmful effects it has on the body.

S

“There is no other organization fully dedicated to worksite wellness. WELCOA is a leader in providing valuable, trustworthy resources. This niche is WELCOA’s alone.”





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“Once a single aspect of the immune system is affected, it’s not long before other negative reactions can occur. ”

The remainder of this article will offer more detail on just how stress affects human

nutrition, and vice versa, and look at the harmful effects of stress on the immune

system. We will also provide you ways to help employees prevent and overcome the

negative effects of stress with some easy-to-implement strategies for your workplace.

Stress, Diet & the Immune System: The Domino EffectWhen your employees are stressed, their immune systems suffer. And once a single

aspect of the immune system is affected, it’s not long before a whole chain reaction

of negative responses can occur. In other words, it’s a domino effect. The next

section takes a look at how and why these “dominoes” fall, and offers tips you can

use to teach your employees about managing their stress triggers.

The body’s nutrients are depleted. When your employees are stressed, they

should know that important nutrients will be used up much faster as the body kicks

into its “fight or flight” response. In the stress-response process, the body utilizes

more nutrients than it might normally use during a resting state, including vital

minerals like magnesium, calcium, potassium, zinc and copper. These minerals

are utilized by the body in about 15 different metabolic processes. If these critical

nutrients are depleted, employees’ metabolisms suffer because they do not have the

“fuel” they need to function properly.

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Unhealthy “quick fixes.” When people are stressed, good eating habits tend to

go out the window. Stressed individuals will gravitate toward comfort foods, junk

foods and highly processed foods. Moreover, when people are stressed, it’s hard to

find time to prepare foods or cook, so it’s easy to turn to frozen dinners, fast food or

take out. Your employees ultimately need to know that most prepackaged and fast

foods are prepared at the lowest cost possible, and with little to no regard for health

and nutrition quality. These foods are usually stacked with processed sugar, salt, fats

and various other substances that tend to please your taste buds, but wreak havoc on

the rest of your body.

Poor food choices trigger the stress response. Much like putting gasoline on

a fire when you’re trying to put the fire out, many foods that employees will turn to

when stressed tend to promote the stress response even further. Foods that induce

the body’s stress response include anything with refined sugar, processed flour or

white flour, salt and caffeine. Foods containing these substances trigger the release

of epinephrine and norepinephrine into the bloodstream, which increase heart rate,

blood pressure and metabolic activity. When individuals are already stressed, this

food-induced trigger only adds to the problem.

“…foods that employees will turn to when stressed tend to promote the stress response

even further.”







The immune system becomes

compromised. Specific foods can also

compromise your employees’ immune

systems. For example, certain types of fat,

such as saturated fat, cannot be taken in

through the bloodstream easily. As a result,

people who eat diets heavy in saturated fats

put undue stress on their bodies because their

digestive systems have to work harder to break

down these foods and then get them transported

throughout the rest of the body. In addition, foods

with refined sugar can compromise the immune

system, because they decrease the number of white

blood cells, thus affecting the functionality of the immune

system. So in essence, the more sugar your employees

consume, the more they suppress their immune systems. It’s as

simple as that.

Nutrition Tips That Promote A Healthy Immune SystemAlthough we certainly can’t eliminate stress from employees’ lives, we can offer

them information, tips and strategies to effectively cope with it and keep their

health intact. The following nutrition guidelines are intended to help your

employees adopt practical eating behaviors that will enhance their immune systems

when the body is under stress.

“People who eat diets heavy in saturated fats put undue stress on their bodies because their digestive systems have to work harder to break down these foods.”







When implementing these guidelines, keep in mind that there is not a one-size-

fits-all diet, simply because everyone’s physiology is different. The low stress diet

detailed below does not focus on losing weight—although that may certainly

happen. These strategies are designed to help employees keep their immune systems

functioning when they’re dealing with stress at optimum levels.

The Low-Stress Diet:

Eat a variety of food colors. Within the past 10 years, researchers

discovered compounds called bioflavonoids, which are plant substances

that give fruits and vegetables their color and contain antioxidant properties. More

recently, researchers discovered that bioflavonoids can help fight cancer or the

growth of cancer cells.

It’s important to note to your employees that they can only benefit from these proper-

ties when they eat fresh fruits and vegetables with naturally occurring bioflavonoids.

Processed potato chips or diet sodas, while they do have color, do not contain the same,

nutritionally beneficial compounds. Encourage your employees to maximize the bio-

flavonoids they are taking in by eating a variety of vibrant colors. Red peppers, green

apples, blueberries and green, leafy vegetables are some examples for a healthy range.

Choose foods that are high in antioxidants. Help your employees get

familiar with the concept of free radicals. Free radicals are oxygen mol-

ecules, and when they enter the body, they work hard to destroy healthy cells, cell

membranes, mitochondria, and RNA and DNA. This is clearly a bad thing, but the

good news is that the dangerous effects of free radicals can be counteracted by con-

suming foods rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants can essentially destroy free radicals,

and can be found in a variety of fruits and vegetables.

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…This article is based on the work of National Stress Expert, Brian Luke Seaward, PhD.

Dr. Seaward is among the most

notable experts on stress man-

agement and sleep disorders in

the United States. His insights

in the field of health promotion

have contributed to numerous

WELCOA publications and pre-

sentations on such topics. Dr.

Seaward is an award-winning

author, photographer, teacher,

celebrated film director/pro-

ducer and much sought after

inspirational speaker.

For more information about Dr. Seaward:

http://www.brianlukeseaward.net/index.html

! While you’re there, don’t forget to pick up your copies of his best-selling books!









Choose organic foods whenever possible. You may see your employees

roll their eyes and hear complaints that organic foods are expensive.

And there is certainly truth to that—organic foods are more expensive than

conventionally grown foods, because they have been grown or raised on soil that has

been clean of residue from herbicides, fungicides, pesticides and fertilizers for at least

three years. Organic foods don’t have those potentially harmful substances—that’s

what the certified organic label means.

Employees should be encouraged to choose organic foods whenever possible. Of

course, they may ask, “Can’t we just wash our fruits and vegetables? Won’t that get

rid of those substances?” Although some chemicals can be removed by washing

food, it is important to note that most harmful substances are actually in the soil

and get taken up through the root system, which means they’re not only on the

foods; they’re in the foods as well.

If possible, try to offer organic fruits and vegetables at company meetings, in the

cafeteria and elsewhere throughout your organization. Make sure employees know

the foods are organic, and why you have gone the extra step to provide them with a

more pure, nutritious food.

“If possible, try to offer organic fruits and vegetables at company meetings, in the cafeteria and elsewhere throughout

your organization.”

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12WELCOA Offers National Workplace Wellness Certifications

As part of our mission, WELCOA

is dedicated to providing a

variety of training opportuni-

ties each year. Drawing from

the latest science as well as best

practices in the field, WELCOA

offers dynamic and nationally

recognized seminars, webinars

and certification opportunities

that engage workplace well-

ness practitioners, business

leaders and health profession-

als all across the country.

To Check Out This Year’s Schedule, Visit: http://www.welcoa.org/consulttrain/about.php





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Drink filtered water. Water is the ideal drink of choice at the worksite,

but bottled water isn’t always best. There’s no regulation of bottled water,

and a lot of it, these days, is just tap water. Furthermore, research shows that

across the country, our water systems retain much of the runoff from herbicides,

fungicides, pesticides and fertilizers, and although there are filtration systems

throughout our country’s water treatment plants, it appears that they’re not

doing the job properly. Traces of everything from steroids to birth control pills to

antibiotics are showing up in drinking water. So, if you can install a water filtration

system at your workplace and encourage your employees to do the same in their

homes, you can help ensure the water they’re drinking is healthy and pure.

Reduce caffeine consumption. Caffeine tends to trigger the stress

response. If employees are stressed, excessive caffeine consumption

can only make this worse. While you don’t have to suggest that your employees

completely avoid caffeine, you should try to make them aware of how much they

consume. For some people, drinking 14 to 15 cups of coffee a day is just the norm,

but they need to realize the harmful effects that that amount could have when stress

compounds on top of it. Also, remind your employees that caffeine is not just in

coffee, but it’s also found in sodas and chocolate.

“While you don’t have to suggest that your employees completely avoid caffeine, you should try to make them

aware of how much they consume.”

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Avoid or minimize genetically modified foods. When a gene from a

flounder fish is spliced into a tomato so that the tomato can withstand

frost, you now have a genetically modified organism (GMO). Genetically modified

foods contain a variety of compounds and chemicals that aren’t naturally in their

DNA. Employees should know that corn, soy and tomatoes are the most heavily

genetically modified foods.

We’re beginning to see fairly significant problems associated with genetically

modified foods and the chemicals used to grow them. A large increase in food

allergies has emerged as one of the biggest problems. The increase in food allergies

directly corresponds with the introduction of GMOs into our national food chain.

There used to be only three significant food allergies—eggs, milk and peanuts.

Now, however, many people have serious allergies to over 40 or 50 substances,

and this is thought to be the result of GMOs. Moreover, most food allergies are

due to an overactive immune system. The bottom line is to avoid these foods as

much as possible by eating organic—a label that protects your food from genetic

modifications and harmful chemicals.

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“Employees should know that corn, soy and tomatoes are the most heavily genetically

modified foods.”







Incorporate fresh herbs and spices into meals. Fresh herbs and spices not

only make foods tastier, but they also have anti-microbial properties. An

anti-microbial is a substance that kills or inhibits the growth of micro-organisms,

such as bacteria and fungi.

Another tip your employees should know: the reason a fresh herb or a spice is

healthy is due to its essential oils. Yet, many people store their herbs and spices,

dried, on a rack right above the stove, which ultimately evaporates out all the

essential oils. So, the fresher the herbs and spices your employees are eating,

the better.

Consume free range meats. “Free range” means that the animals are

not factory animals, and are free of chemicals that are typically found

in conventionally produced meats, including synthetic hormones, antibiotics,

pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and synthetic fertilizers. These potentially

dangerous compounds are created in the laboratory, but eventually get into the food

chain when the animals ingest them, and then people ingest them through their

meat. This is a very problematic cycle. The best thing your employees can do is to

make sure that the foods they eat are as clear of these substances as possible—which

is why eating free range meats is best.

Consume an adequate amount of fiber. The key word here is adequate.

The World Health Organization recommends that individuals consume

between 30 to 40 grams of fiber per day. However, the typical American tends to

eat less than eight grams of fiber a day. Why is fiber so important? In very blunt

terms, fiber acts like a broom that cleans out the GI tract. So, if your employees are

not taking in fiber, they’re not sweeping out that GI tract. This is problematic,

especially since colon cancer is on the rise. Research suggests that this is

largely due to inadequate amounts of fiber in the diet.

Employees need to know that the best sources of fiber include

fruits and vegetables, and that little to no fiber is available

through a diet high in processed and prepackaged foods.

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WELCOA Presentations Are Perfect For Employee Wellness Seminars!

Now Available At No Charge...

The Low Stress Diet: Eating

For A Healthy Immune System

In a Stressful World

Because stress and nutrition

are very closely related, many

illnesses of the digestive

system are induced by stress.

This WELCOA presentation by

national expert, Dr. Brian Luke

Seaward has many practical

tips, conveyed in a beautifully

illustrated format that will

capture the attention of your

employees.

To access your copy simply visit this link: http://www.welcoa.org/freeresources/index.php?category=20





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Include omega-3 oils in a proper diet. It’s very important that your

employees know the sources of omega-3 oils in the foods that they eat.

Certain eggs, fish and flaxseed are all great sources of omega-3s. The human

body cannot naturally make omega-3 and omega-6 oils—these substances are

only available from external sources—and the average American diet tends to be

extremely heavy in omega-6 oils, and lacking in omega-3 oils. Inflammation is a

major symptom in people who don’t get an adequate amount of omega-3s, and this

can have negative effects on the entire body.

Preparing fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are a great source

of nutrition, but your employees should know how to prepare them, so

they can benefit from all of the vital nutrients. This especially applies when cooking

vegetables in water. When vegetables are dropped into hot or boiling water, the

water leaches out most water-soluble vitamins and minerals, meaning most of the

good nutrients go down the sink, instead of on the plate. Your employees should

steam their vegetables to avoid this problem, and maximize the nutrition benefits

from their food.

Additionally, cooking with Teflon-coated cookware is problematic because research

is showing that people who cook with Teflon consume some of the plastic and the

petro chemicals that rub off from nonstick surfaces. You can help your employees

be more conscious of how they prepare their foods, so they can gain the food’s full

benefits and be safe from harmful byproducts.

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Help your employees cope with stress, with, In Tune, a new comprehen-sive incentive campaign on stress management

This 6-week stress-manage-

ment campaign from WELCOA

and TAVi Health is designed

to help your employees take

charge of their stress. With in-

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teach participants how to iden-

tify and change their response

to everyday stressors, this ex-

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planning guides to implemen-

tation tools—and takes the

work out of workplace wellness!

This incentive campaign—a $200 retail value—is FREE to WELCOA Members. To access your copy, simply log in here:http://infopoint.welcoa.org/index2.php

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Choose supplements wisely. In most cases, the best source of vitamins

comes from their natural source, which mainly includes fruits and vegetables

and other natural, whole foods. Supplements shouldn’t be completely ruled out, but

employees do need to be aware of the nutrients their body really needs, and the best

ways in which they can attain those nutrients.

When it comes to vitamins and supplements, the real question is: what are you

eating? What are you lacking? It’s important to teach your employees about the

body’s natural shedding process—that if you can’t use, or already have enough of a

certain vitamin or mineral—it will just be eliminated through the digestive process.

Encourage careful selection of supplements and make sure your employees know to

buy only the vitamins they actually need, instead of throwing money down

the toilet.

Coping with Stress One Bite at a TimeWe’ve given you 12 practical eating and nutrition tips that can help your employees

combat the harmful effects of stress. While not impossible, it may be somewhat

unreasonable to assume that employees will immediately adopt all 12, so, we’ll leave

you with one last piece of advice:

Simply encourage your employees to eat at least one meal a day that is nutritionally

designed for their immune system. Just one meal! If they can incorporate any of

the tips above into that one meal, they will be doing pretty well, because by and

large, most people today are not eating any meals for their immune system. Get

them started with one, and soon, hopefully they will gravitate

towards much healthier eating-habits and lifestyle changes, and

maybe take your advice to heart for all of their meals.

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“Simply encourage your employees to eat at least one meal a day thatis nutritionally designed for their

immune system.”







PH: 402-827-3590 | FX: 402-827-3594 | welcoa.org


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