Category Archives: IBX Healthy Steps

A running club can help you go the extra mile

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The best running advice I received was to join a running club. I remember thinking it was a good idea but was overwhelmed by the number and variety of clubs, and my fear of being the slowest runner of the group. Has anyone had a similar experience?

Blue Streaks Running Club

A few years ago I joined Blue Streaks, the corporate running club for IBX employees. Our current membership is about 175 and is a mix of seasoned veterans and beginners, long and short distance runners, and fast- and slower-paced runners who gather mostly on the weekends at races. Thanks to IBX’s investment in the health and wellness of associates, our club can offer race entries every month of the year for a low membership fee.

Our most popular race is in a few weeks when 150 Blue Streakers will lace up for the Blue Cross Broad Street Run. Many Blue Streaks members set a goal to cross that finish line for the first time and other members want to beat their previous race time. I always caution first-time runners that the finish line is another .25 miles after the gates to the Navy Yard.

Many charities benefit from runners who raise money in exchange for an entry to the Blue Cross Broad Street Run. This year, the Blue Streaks formed a “fund-racing” team to benefit the national nonprofit Back on My Feet, an IBX and IBX Foundation community partner. This year the Blue Streaks are celebrating 10 miles and our club’s 10th anniversary with a new campaign: $10. 10 miles. 10 shares. It is a really simple concept to donate $10 and share with 10 friends. With each $10 raised and 10 shares to friends, we’re helping men and women who are experiencing homelessness to build self confidence and self sufficiency.

Joining a running club is a lot like finding a training plan. It is incredibly rewarding to find one that fits your style of running. The Blue Streaks and our members live the mission of IBX – enhancing the health and wellness of the people and community we serve.

I’d love to hear about your club’s presence in the running community and what you’re doing to prepare for upcoming runs.

Goodbye Starbucks

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Hello, my name is Toni-Marie and I am a Starbucks addict.

It all started about 15 years ago, when a Starbucks opened in my hometown and I had my first taste of their delicious espresso drinks. I was hooked at first sip.

Frappucinos, macchiatos, lattes, mochas – I love them all. My daily beverage of choice was a venti non-fat caramel macchiato. Baristas in Starbucks (or the ‘Bucks as I call it) around IBC and my house knew me by first name. I no longer had to say my order. They would greet me with a “Hey Toni! Usual again?” And with a smile and a nod, my drink was ready in minutes.

The ‘Bucks and I had the perfect friendship. It was there for me when I needed that 8 a.m. (and sometimes 3 p.m.) caffeine buzz. I was there when it needed a strong profit margin. We were a match made in heaven.

The break-up

But like Jen and Brad, Tom and Katie, Seal and Heidi, this relationship was destined for a tragic ending.

In my quest to lose over 100 pounds, I’ve re-evaluated my diet. I needed to figure out what I should cut out and what I should modify with healthier options. In discussing this with my boyfriend, he mentioned to me that I should think about cutting back on the ‘Bucks.

At first I could not believe such blasphemy came out of his mouth. How could my faithful ‘Bucks be adding to my growing waistline? To prove him wrong, I looked at the nutritional facts of my venti non-fat caramel macchiato. I was shocked to learn that my morning espresso drink contained 240 calories and a whopping 42 grams of sugar. On days that I would have two of these, I was consuming 480 calories and 84 grams of sugar in just my coffee. If I’m trying to stick to a 1200 calorie-a-day diet, I would have consumed almost half my calories in coffee.

I knew then that if I was to be successful in my weight loss, I had to quit the ‘Bucks. I set up a 40 day challenge for myself: lay off the ‘Bucks for 40 days and hit the gym 5 days a week.

Almost there

It has been 34 days without the ‘Bucks, and to tell you the truth, I don’t miss it that much. I have replaced my sugar-filled espresso drink with either a cup of regular coffee or a fruit smoothie. (I put a teaspoon of sugar and skim milk in my coffee. My fruit smoothie is just a combo of fruit and ice.) As an added benefit, every day I transfer the amount of money I would have spent in Starbucks and put it in my savings account. As of today I have over $100 saved. I’m putting that money towards new clothes once I reach my goal weight.

Successful weight loss is a slow journey filled with sacrifice and rewards. I know in giving up my beloved ‘Bucks, I am cutting down on unnecessary sugars and calories in my diet. When my challenge is over, Starbucks will now be an occasional treat, not an everyday necessity.

Tell me, is there a certain food or beverage you have given up in order to be successful in weight loss?

You can do anything for 30 days … right?

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In my quest to keep things fresh and different in my life as well as my love of trying different diets, I decided to give the vegan lifestyle a go. After hearing about a vegan advocacy group through a coworker, I thought my diet wasn’t too far off from that so why not try it out?!

In the beginning

Upon vocalizing my decision to be a vegan for 30 days, many friends and family members cringed at the thought. Others (true vegans) got really excited for me. My little brother was the best with this gem: “How do you know if someone is a vegan? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you.”

At first, I thought that it was rude to inquire about ingredients in foods, but I found myself calling ahead to restaurants to make sure they could accommodate me and reading ingredient labels closely – there are so many things you wouldn’t think have dairy or animal products in them. The most horrifying discovery came when I reached for my favorite 3PM chocolate snack, only to discover that it was not vegan!

30 days later…

Fast forward through these 30 days and I’m feeling amazing with incredible energy. I should have realized this would happen because that’s how I usually feel doing detoxes, because typically they are similar to a vegan diet.

One of my friends commented that my skin looked amazing! My psoriasis on my face that I was freaking out about in my last post cleared up as did other patches on my skin. And on top of it all, I went to the doctor for a physical and for the first time in my 27 years, I am in excellent health – from weight to iron levels to blood pressure!

What’s next on my plate?

I love the effects my new vegan diet had on my body and energy levels, but I also love cheese and ice cream. I‘ve decided to continue to frequent Vedge, Hip City Veg, and Blackbird without a doubt. And, even if you aren’t vegan, you should check these places out, too! Basically, I’m going to eat what I enjoy (in moderation of course) and not label myself because I don’t really fit into one category.
Have you ever completed a month-long challenge?

Meet Toni-Marie!

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My name is Toni-Marie and I am eager to share my weight-loss journey with you. I have reached a point in my life where I have run out of excuses for why I am overweight. I have stopped talking about when I lose weight, and have actually started to lose weight.

I have struggled with my weight for my entire life. I have yo-yoed from super skinny to morbidly obese. I have worn clothing starting at size 6, all the way up to size 18. I also have a strong family history of heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer. Recently, I felt my health was becoming a ticking time bomb . I decided now was the time to do something about my weight before it is too late.

I have a little over 100lbs to lose to get to my goal weight. (Basically I have to lose an average 12 year-old). The road to my goal is going to be tough. I have a strong love for carbs and Oreo cookies. But like any other goal one has in life, getting there will not be easy, but it sure will be worth it when I reach the end.

I want to share my journey to show others that they are not alone in their weight loss. Keep checking back for my stories and updates. I would love to hear from you!

Short-term diet reboot

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A new favorite salad includes fresh spinach, sweet peppers, mushrooms, turkey, almonds, cherry tomatoes and avocado with a light vinaigrette.

So long, sugar. Later, legumes. Cheese and grains, I get teary-eyed thinking of our time apart. Beer, just go, don’t say a word.

As someone who’s leery of fad diets and self-proclaimed experts telling me how and what I should be eating, it goes against my personal belief structure to place too much trust in a program designed to change my life in 30 days.

But here I am, four days into the Whole30 diet.

Less a weight-loss plan and more a philosophy of short-term nutritional rebooting, the monthlong program aims to “restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, calm systemic inflammation and put an end to unhealthy cravings, habits, and relationships with food.”

Their words, not mine.

Yet when my wife told me about this diet, and how, since the birth of our son six months ago our healthy-eating express has consistently gone off the rails, I jumped right in with a positive attitude and an immediate commitment to join her in this experiment.

Well, I didn’t exactly jump right in. Being of sound mind with a well-developed cynicism, I researched what was involved, checked out sample meal plans and considered the impact to my life.

And you know what I came away with? The brutal truth is that I’ve developed some bad habits by throwing discipline to the wind in the recent past. I mean, just because we have a bag of organic mozzarella sticks in the freezer, doesn’t mean I need to eat all of them in one sitting. But I have. Oh, how I have.

And while eventually fitting into my 1969 slim-fit chinos is a motivation (I won’t lie), the bigger picture involves me relying less on convenience and ultimately connecting more with the food I eat and its impact on my life.

The diet essentially works like this: eat real food – meat, seafood, eggs, plenty of vegetables and fats from fruits, some oils, nuts and seeds – three times a day. What’s gone for 30 days are sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes, dairy, and processed foods.

Four days in and I feel good so far – I’ve had no real cravings other than a pack of Peanut Chews. And I did have an odd dream last night about White Castle burgers.

I’ll be sure keep you updated on my progress in my next blog post, but in the meantime, does anyone have any stories, positive or negative, about diet programs?

Stressing out over sports: Logical or loco?

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Picture this: I’m in Hoboken, New Jersey, on October 23, 2010, visiting my friend who lives there. We are in a bar called the Wicked Wolf. If I was in a bar in Philly, I’d easily be wearing my Chase Utley shirt, with my hair in a pony tail, and comfortably sitting among hundreds of other Phillies fans. But in Hoboken, it’s Yankees/Mets country. And the other patrons in the bar are happily rooting against my beloved Fightins. You may remember this game … Ryan Howard struck out looking, sending the San Francisco Giants to the 2010 National League Championship Game.

As the crowd cheered as if the Yanks had just won the Series, I wanted to throw the table across the bar. Why? Because I was so angry I couldn’t see straight. I could feel the blood in my veins boiling. My stress level had to be through the roof. I know this is completely ridiculous. There are more important things in life than a baseball game. But in my world, there aren’t many.

Stressing over sports is silly … I know that

I may look sweet and innocent, but you wouldn’t recognize me while watching a Phillies or Flyers game. A Philadelphia loss will literally ruin my day. I’ve been known to throw pillows, scream at the TV, and may have even tried to punch a wall or two. A loss that really means something will fester inside me for weeks, sometimes years. It’s 2013 and that NL Championship loss still annoys me.

But I know it can’t be good for my health. Stressing out over work, money, and relationships are common, so why do I pile on more stress over a silly little sporting event?

Misery loves company

I know I’m not alone. Stressing out over a baseball game or any other sporting event is pretty common in today’s day and age. My Facebook feeds are flooded during Philadelphia sporting events. If we’re winning, the happiness exudes. If we’re losing, Facebook is the most depressing place in the world. If you think this is just a Philly thing … think again. I recently saw a video of a Baltimore Ravens fan, a grown 40-something-year-old man, cry, roll around on the floor, curse, and scream, in front of his wife and children, because the Ravens scored a touchdown. (I’ve never been that ridiculous… )

It’s only a game

One thing I definitely need to work on this year is cutting down on my stress. At work, I won’t let my perfectionist tendencies take over me when a project doesn’t go out on time. I will be better at resolving conflict in my work and personal life. And I will really, really try to not freak out because the Flyers lost their first three games of an already short season because of a stupid lockout.

It’s a work in progress.

I’m curious, do you stress out while watching your favorite sports teams?

Don’t lose sight of getting preventive care

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There are some things you know you should do but don’t get around to doing because they aren’t urgent. This normally applies to me when it comes to routine preventive care, such as an eye exam. If it’s on my calendar I’ll go, but I don’t really think about it until the appointment reminder pops up.

Well, when a friend went through a run of bad luck with his vision – lost his glasses at a concert, then dropped a contact lens down the drain a few days later – I realized maybe it was time that I had a spare pair of glasses and some backup contacts.

My vision is important, but it’s not an expense I’m always prepared for. So while I wanted to be proactive, I didn’t want to spend an arm and a leg. My previous experience getting new glasses included the hard sell, the expensive frames, feeling forced to buy all the bells and whistles – special coatings, breakage insurance, and other tactics. Until it became too much, and I just walked out of the store.

This time I decided to try Visionworks*, a new chain of eyewear stores in the Philadelphia area. They offer a huge selection of frames plus some really great deals for IBX members and the general public alike. I walked in and was greeted by the staff. I was worried they’d follow me all around the store, but after being given the general overview of the store and the pricing, I was free to look around as I pleased and try on whatever frames caught my eye.

My biggest issue became picking just one pair of frames that I liked. There were so many to choose from, and in a variety of price ranges. I finally settled on three pairs but had a question about the lenses. My vision is very poor, so my lenses are very thick. I wanted to make sure that the frames I picked out would work with my Coke-bottle lenses. The Visionworks employee was a great asset in helping me narrow down my selections to the best option.

I can’t wait for my new glasses to be ready in a few days … and I’ll be extra careful that I don’t lose a contact down the drain in the meantime.

*Visionworks is a wholly owned subsidiary of HVHC Inc., a Highmark company.

Keeping up with psoriasis

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Regular workouts, like the Lithe Method, can help reduce stress.

Dieting, work, social commitments, family, bills, friends, et cetera. Pretty much anything could be a cause of stress depending on your situation and I think we can all agree that less stress is better.

I feel fortunate that I can usually control my stress, but recently I’ve noticed random spots of psoriasis on myself, which is typically triggered by stress. Psoriasis is a common skin condition that causes skin redness, flaky white patches, and irritation. Now, thanks to Kim Kardashian, who freaked out about psoriasis on one of the many Kardashian reality shows (yes, I’m ashamed to admit I watch too much reality TV), more people are becoming aware of psoriasis. It’s nice in the sense that I’m not constantly asked how I fell and scraped my knee or elbow but it’s a little sad that Kim K. is a part of the reason behind the increased awareness.

I’ve had consistent patches of psoriasis on my knees and elbows since high school. None of the creams prescribed have worked for me. The only times I remember my skin being completely clear was when I was laying on Bondi Beach daily while living in Sydney, Australia (best study abroad ever) and while doing juice cleanses.

Since I cannot live in Australia or afford to do weekly juice cleanses, here are some of things I’m doing to reduce my stress:

  • Leave work at work. I used to check my work email constantly, even right before bed, but now I save it for the next morning when I get to work.
  • Put my phone on silent when I go to bed. I sleep so much better now that I’m not waking up every time I get an email or text.
  • Work out. Getting in my daily Lithe Method class relaxes me and boosts my mood.
  • Plan out my meals for the week. If I plan my meals on Sunday, then I’m less stressed on my way home from work, wondering whether I need to make something or pick something up.

Finally, my new thoughts about social engagements revolve around an Italian phrase that my former roommate introduced me to: Poi Vediamo! It means “later, we see.” It’s helped me to realize it’s okay to say no to plans and do what I want. It’s my life and I’m the one who needs to be happy with my choices.

Hopefully sticking with these things will clear up these sporadic patches of psoriasis. ::fingers crossed:: Do you have any suggestions of how I can de-stress? Or, do you know of any home remedies that help psoriasis?

Lace up those skates!

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Folks looking for even bigger savings than the BOGO coupon should mark their calendars for the Independence Blue Cross 75th Anniversary Open House at the RiverRink on February 27. From 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., all visitors can skate for free, grab some snacks and watch local junior champion skaters on the ice. IBX President and CEO Dan Hilferty will make opening remarks at 6 p.m., followed by an open skating session until 8:30 p.m.

Winter fun for our family includes ice skating right there at the top of the list.

For me, growing up near a private pond meant low-budget hockey action nearly every day of the winter, weather permitting. Sure, the ice was bumpy, goals were makeshift and there was no windbreak, but it never stopped us from skating after school until dinnertime.

With little ice time for me the past 15 years, it was awesome to get my kids skating for the first time last year. And skate we did: we frequented every rink in the area to find the ones with the best ice, least crowds and best snack bar.

While I’m not giving away our go-to spot, I will say it’s not far from the Blue Cross RiverRink, which we checked out for the first time at the beginning of February.

Thanks to the current buy-one-get-one-free coupon being offered on Facebook, bringing the crew out on a Saturday afternoon for a two-hour session was a no-brainer. The kids got a big kick out of skating with a backdrop of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge and the Delaware River. And, according to my 6-year-old daughter, the skates were “not too pinchy.”

When we needed a break, the snack area afforded us a warm spot to enjoy some hot chocolate and watch other skaters on the big screen.

On the ride home, “pinchy-skate girl” told me she’s ready for figure skating lessons next year.

What’s your favorite winter activity?

40 days towards better health

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Rather than “give up” for Lent, consider adding something healthy like a family bike ride for 40 days.

Lent, which began last week, is the 40-day period leading up to Easter when Christians pray, fast, abstain, and give penance to honor Jesus. In my house, it sets off 40 days of my eight-year-old son asking “why do I have to give something up?”

So this year I decided to take another approach. As opposed to giving something up for 40 days, like dessert or video games, I decided to add something for 40 days – exercise and better eating habits. While my family is generally active, we tend to hibernate and stay inside during the cold winter months, so it isn’t as easy to exercise. Well, that is going to change this Lenten season.

Here’s the plan

On Ash Wednesday, my son and I have started exercising together four days a week and the other three days we cut out dessert. I am not suggesting that either of us sit on the couch the days we aren’t exercising or eat in excess the days we aren’t passing on dessert, but I also know that like any behavior change, you have to set realistic goals so you don’t get discouraged. Our plan is to take baby steps.

I’m looking forward to the time together of just the two of us, with no distractions. We can go on bike rides or take a walk or go in the driveway and shoot some hoops. As for skipping dessert, both my son and I have a sweet tooth, so this might be harder than the exercise, but we will be there to support each other (and hey, if I shed a pound or two all the better)!

When the 40 days are over, I am hoping that my son will have adopted some of our Lenten habits and want to go for a bike ride with Mom instead of playing his Wii, or realize that he doesn’t want (or need) dessert after every meal. But what I hope he values more than anything is that we did something beneficial for our mind, body and soul – and we did it together.

Is there something you’ve decided to do (rather than give up) for Lent?