CommonHealth Wellnote 

November 21, 2024 / Get Well

How can your  Virginia State Employee Wellness Program help? CommonHealth’s programs and campaigns cover a variety of health topics and are available in a range of formats to meet the needs of different workplaces. Highly skilled Wellness Consultants provide the latest on stress, sleep, nutrition, exercise, and more for faculty/ staff meetings, special events, conferences, benefit fairs, safety meetings, lunch and learns, etc. They provide traditional, in-person presentations and displays as well as virtual presentations, on-demand videos, and seasonal health-related challenges that are fun and engaging. Visit the website to see how CommonHealth can help you.  If you’re looking to book an event in December or January, connect sooner rather than later to ensure you get a date that works for you. 

Click here to view this week’s CommonHealth Wellnote. Check out this week’s highlights below.

The Great American Smokeout is Today, November 21, 2024
According to the American Cancer Society, smoking remains the single largest preventable cause of death and illness in the world. Smoking causes an estimated 480,000 deaths every year, or about 1 in 5 deaths. While the rates of cigarette smoking have declined over the past several decades, from 42% in 1965 to 14% in 2019, the gains have been inconsistent. Some groups smoke more heavily or at higher rates and suffer disproportionately from smoking-related cancer and other diseases. 

No matter your age or how long you’ve been smoking, quitting improves health both immediately and over the long term. Becoming smoke-free is a journey, and it can be hard, but you can increase your chances of success with a good plan and support. Getting help through counseling and, if warranted, medications doubles or even triples your chances of quitting successfully.

Doing the Great American Smokeout? 

    • Monday Campaigns Quit and Stay Quit can send you Weekly Monday tips and check-ins to help you stay on track. 
    • CommonHealth Tip: Try brushing your teeth or munching on apple chips (see below) if you get the urge to light up.

Try It This Week: Apple Chips & Cinnamon Yogurt Dip
Autumn is apple season! Apple chips are a fabulous treat because they offer the crunch so many seek in a snack! 
Depending on the apple you use, they can be sweet or tart. Apples provide fiber and the yogurt adds protein (get even more if you choose Greek yogurt). Get the recipe here.
Learn more about special pricing available to benefits-eligible employees, their spouses, and adult dependents at WW.com/CommonHealth.

Benefits Buzz: Tobacco Cessation Programs  
All of our employee health benefits plans offer tobacco cessation programs. Each plan offers a form of coaching (health, wellness, lifestyle) that can offer support in quitting tobacco use. 

  • Anthem: 844-507-8742 
  • Aetna: 855-414-1901 
  • Kaiser Permanente: 866-862-4295 
  • Sentara: 866-513-2507 

Other lifestyle coaching topics (e.g.: nutrition, fitness, sleep, etc.) are also available.

CommonHealth’s 2024 Turkey Trot Challenge- It’s week 3- Mindful Movements! Whether you’ve joined the CommonHealth 2024 Turkey Trot Challenge or not, remember the power of daily movement. Aim for at least 20 minutes of activity each day to improve your health and well-being.

VDH Offers a 6-Week Historic Walking Trail Challenge: Walk with Ease and Explore Virginia.  Explore Virginia’s historic sites this fall with the Virginia Department of Health’s Virginia Arthritis Walk with Ease program, running until  Dec. 20. Complete the challenge for a chance to win a Virginia State Park Pass! Additional details and instructions can be found here!  If you have any questions regarding the challenge, please contact VDH Program Administrator Mona Burwell.

For questions regarding this week’s communication or the CommonHealth program, please reach out to your respective campus coordinator below:

Image: Light blue background with a photo of an unlit cigarette surrounded by a circle with a slash through it. Black text on a lighter background, CommonHealth Wellnote

Submitted by:
Faith Redd-Walker, Office of Employee Wellness and Wellbeing, employeewellbeing@nvcc.edu