A Health Newsletter Serving the North Coast Schools Medical Insurance Group
Vol. 27, No. 2 | February 2019

In this Issue: Director’s Note | Heart Disease Can Happen at Any Age | Recipe: Stuffed Acorn Squash

Director’s Note

Stacy Lane, JPA Director

A few reminders for February:

The schedule for the 2019 Health Screenings is out.  Remember, you may attend a screening at whichever location works best for you.  Keep in mind the sooner you catch medical issues, generally the less it will cost you, both in terms of your health and your pocketbook.  This program is FREE for all members and includes many blood tests not normally ordered when you go to the doctor.  We offer free PSA tests for men 40+, when they are generally only ordered by a doctor for men 50+.  Also, last year we added the A1C test, which is a primary indicator for Type 1 & Type 2 Diabetes.  If your doctor orders these tests, they are subject to your deductible and copay.  If you do them through our confidential program, they are FREE!

You may have heard in the news several weeks ago that Walmart was not renewing their retail pharmacy contract with CVS Health. Please note that they have changed their mind and renewed their contract. This means you may still fill your prescriptions as normal at your local Walmart pharmacy.

Have you received a letter from Blue Shield asking if a claim was due to someone else causing your injury?  Don’t worry, you haven’t done anything wrong.  We have Blue Shield send these letters out on a regular basis to see if there is a source for the pool to recover funds if another person caused your injury.  For example, if you were in a car accident and the other party was deemed at fault, we would then use that information to have their auto insurance policy reimburse the pool for the claims that person caused you.  This is a standard process, commonly referred to as subrogation.  If someone caused your medical claims, and you have not received a letter from Blue Shield, feel free to give me a call and we can start the subrogation process through our office.

If you have any questions, please feel free to give us a call at 707-445-7126.

Heart Disease: It Can Happen at Any Age

Heart disease doesn’t happen just to older adults. It is happening to younger adults more and more often. This is partly because the conditions that lead to heart disease are happening at younger ages. February is Heart Month, the perfect time to learn about your risk for heart disease and the steps you need to take now to help your heart.

Heart disease—and the conditions that lead to it—can happen at any age. High rates of obesity and high blood pressure among people ages 35-64 are putting them at risk for heart disease earlier in life. Half of all Americans have at least one of the top three risk factors for heart disease (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking).

High blood pressure – Millions of Americans of all ages have high blood pressure, including millions of people in their 40s and 50s. About half of people with high blood pressure don’t have it under control. Having uncontrolled high blood pressure is one of the biggest risks for heart disease and other conditions, such as stroke.

High blood cholesterol – High cholesterol can increase the risk for heart disease. Having diabetes and obesity, smoking, eating unhealthy foods, and not getting enough physical activity can all contribute to unhealthy cholesterol levels.

Smoking – More than 37 million U.S. adults are current smokers, and thousands of young people start smoking each day. Smoking damages the blood vessels and can cause heart disease.

Obesity – Carrying extra weight puts stress on the heart. More than 1 in 3 Americans—and nearly 1 in 6 children ages 2 to 19—has obesity.

Diabetes –  Diabetes causes sugar to build up in the blood. This can damage blood vessels and nerves that help control the heart muscle. Nearly 1 in 10 people in the United States has diabetes.

Physical inactivity – Staying physically active helps keep the heart and blood vessels healthy. Only 1 in 5 adults meets the physical activity guidelines of getting 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity.

Unhealthy eating patterns – Most Americans, including children, eat too much sodium (salt), which increases blood pressure. Replacing foods high in sodium with fresh fruits and vegetables can help lower blood pressure. Diet high in trans-fat, saturated fat, and added sugar increases the risk factor for heart disease.

4 Ways to Take Control of Your Heart Health

Don’t smoke. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. Manage conditions. Work with your health care team to manage conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. This includes taking any medicines you have been prescribed. Make heart-healthy eating changes.  Eat food low in trans-fat, saturated fat, added sugar and sodium. Try to fill at least half your plate with vegetables and fruits, and aim for low sodium options. Stay active. Get moving for at least 150 minutes per week. You can even break up the 30 minutes into 10-minute blocks.

www.cdc.gov/features/heartmonth/

Recipe of the Month: Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients

• 4 large acorn squash (about 1 pound each),
  stemmed, halved and seeded
• 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the baking sheet
• 6 medium green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 small celery stalk, diced (about 3 Tbsp.)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, blueberries, currants or raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup dried apricots, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes, drained and diced
• 1 tsp. dried sage
• 2 1/2 cups cooked long-grain brown rice, such as basmati
• 1 1/2 cups cooked red, or white, quinoa
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed blood-orange juice (If not available, use tangerines).
• 1/2 tsp. salt, preferably sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°.
2. Lightly oil a baking sheet large enough to hold all the squash halves. Place the squash, cut-side down, on the prepared baking sheet, then transfer to the center of the oven. Bake until tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the squash from the oven and leave them on the baking sheet. Let the squash cool for 5 minutes. A wire cooling rack on which to place the baking sheet works best here.
3. About 10 minutes before the squash is done baking, warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the green onions and celery and cook, stirring often, until the celery is softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add the dried berries, nuts, dried apricots and sage. Cook, slowly stirring, until warmed through, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the rice, quinoa, blood-orange juice, salt and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring often, until hot, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. If your squash is not done cooling, cover the quinoa and rice mix to keep it warm.
5. Flip the squash over and transfer to a platter, or your dining plates. Stuff the quinoa and rice mixture into the squash to serve.

Serves: 4 | Total Time: 30 Minutes

Source: http://www.oprah.com/food/stuffed-acorn-squash-recipe