Tag: physical-well-being

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Check it out

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CHECK IT OUT

FEBRUARY 2023

Mammogram: What to expect

Approximately 13% of women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime.1 But there’s an effective first line of defense you can access at no cost through your medical plan: a mammogram. For women age 40 and older, a yearly mammogram helps detect breast cancer earlier, leading to less aggressive treatment and a higher rate of survival.

If you’ve never had a mammogram and are wondering what’s involved, check out this informative three-minute video. Then make an appointment for your free mammogram screening.

If you’d like to learn more about mammograms, breast cancer and other related topics, check out the Test Those Breasts! podcast series.

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1NIH National Cancer Institute. Cancer stat facts: female breast cancer.

Source: Resources For Living® Healthwise®. Mammogram: What to expect.

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Recipes

Healthy recipe

salmon fillet with rosemary and lemon garnish over asparagus

HEALTHY RECIPE

FEBRUARY 2023

Lemon rosemary salmon

Want to create the perfect romantic dinner for two? Pair this lemon rosemary salmon main dish with wild rice, salad and a loaf of crusty bread.

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Ingredients: 4
Prep: 10 min | Cook: 20min
Makes 2 servings
salmon fillet with rosemary and lemon garnish over asparagus
Ingredients:

1 lemon, thinly sliced

4 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 salmon fillets, bones and skin removed

Coarse salt to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil, or as needed

Directions:
Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Step 2

Arrange half the lemon slices in a single layer in a baking dish. Layer with 2 sprigs rosemary, and top with salmon fillets.

Step 3

Sprinkle salmon with salt, layer with remaining rosemary sprigs and top with remaining lemon slices. Drizzle with olive oil.

Step 4

Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until fish is easily flaked with a fork.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 fillet | Calories: 257 | Total fat: 18g | Saturated fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 1017mg | Total carbohydrates: 6g | Dietary fiber: 3g | Protein: 21g | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg | Potassium: 431mg

Source: AllRecipes

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Take the pledge

TAKE THE PLEDGE

JANUARY 2023

Start strong

What plans do you have for the new year? Will you work on taking more time for yourself? Save for a dream vacation? Start a healthy diet you can stick with? If you’re hoping for 12 months of personal growth, here’s a great way to get started: Take the 2023 pledge — and invite your spouse or domestic partner to join you.

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Why is the pledge so important?

When you take the pledge, you agree to get to know your Costco benefits. Learn what they can do for you. And use them to improve your:

emotional well-being icon

Emotional well-being

Reduce stress, improve relationships and build strength to find solutions for everyday challenges.

financial well-being icon

Financial well-being

Learn to make a budget, get out of debt, build your savings and safeguard your future.

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Physical well-being

Eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and stay on top of exams, screenings and vaccinations.

If this sounds overwhelming, don’t worry. Taking the pledge is the first step toward making real improvements in your well-being. Each month, you’ll receive an email summarizing the latest content here on your well-being portal, with links to new articles and videos that can help you improve your well-being. You’ll learn about your Costco benefits and hear from Costco employees who are using them to thrive.

Take the pledge and start growing!

To commit to your personal growth and get the most from your Costco benefits, visit your well-being portal and take the pledge.

Want to learn more about your 2023 Costco benefits? Check out the resources below.

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Take action

TAKE ACTION

JANUARY 2023

Put your well-being on the calendar

In January, the new year is still a blank canvas. If you’ve taken the 2023 pledge, you’re probably already thinking about your goals for your emotional, financial and physical well-being. You may also be thinking about all the ways you plan to grow this year.

Want to make the best possible start? Take the pledge (if you haven’t already) and encourage your spouse or domestic partner to join you. Then take out your calendar and start scheduling appointments that are essential for your well-being.

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Schedule these appointments in 2023

Here are just a few of the well-being appointments you should schedule for and put on your calendar. Check the resources below to learn more, including how to find a primary care doctor.

Annual physical

COST: $0*

During this exam, the doctor will check your vitals, like your blood pressure, heart rate and temperature, and will talk to you about your family’s medical history. Depending on your health background and history, your doctor might also do some blood work or further testing. Even if you’re young and in excellent health, it’s important for your doctor to get to know you, establish a baseline and be alert to changes in your health that may occur in the future.

Two dental exams and cleanings

COST: $0*

It’s important to get a dental exam and have your teeth cleaned every six months. Not only will your dentist monitor your dental hygiene, but they’ll also check for gum disease. And they’ll periodically take X-rays to check for tooth decay, impacted teeth or tooth movement. Remember, the earlier oral health problems are treated, the less costly and aggressive the treatment will be.

Dermatology exam

COST: VARIES

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. Be sure to conduct monthly skin cancer self-exams. Plus, annual skin exams by a board-certified dermatologist may be recommended if you have a:

  • History of skin cancer in your family
  • History of blistering sunburns or tanning bed use
  • Large number of moles or a history of atypical moles
  • History of regular sun exposure

Vision exam

COST: COVERED UP TO $80*

The American Optometric Association recommends getting an exam at least every two years to have your eyes checked for things like cataracts and glaucoma. After age 40, you’ll want to get an eye exam every year.

Gynecology exam

COST: VARIES

If you’re female and over age 21, or are sexually active (whichever comes first), you need to start seeing a gynecologist. During this exam, your doctor will check your breasts, conduct a pelvic exam and possibly do a Pap smear (this is typically done every three to five years, depending on your age), where they’ll check your cervix to test for any cancerous cells or abnormalities. 

Mammogram

COST: $0*

A mammogram is a low-dose X-ray of the breast. Regular mammograms can help detect breast cancer at an early stage. They can often find breast changes that could be cancer years before physical symptoms develop.

  • Women under the age of 40 with family history of breast cancer, or who have discovered a lump.
  • Women between ages 40 and 44 have the option to start screening with a mammogram every year.
  • Women ages 45 to 54 should get a mammogram every year.
  • Women ages 55 and older can switch to a mammogram every other year, or they can choose to continue yearly mammograms. Screenings should continue as long as a woman is in good health.

Vaccinations

COST: $o*

Make sure to get your flu shot and any other vaccinations your in-network primary care provider (PCP) recommends. You’ll find a complete list of vaccinations the CDC currently recommends by age group here.

Financial checkup

COST: VARIES

A financial checkup looks at the current state of your finances and helps you determine any changes you need to make to meet your goals. It may include the following.

  • Reviewing your life changes. They can affect your taxes and financial goals.
  • Creating a budget to be intentional about spending, saving and investing.
  • Assessing, reducing and managing your debt.
  • Checking your credit score since it affects loan rates and terms you receive.
  • Revisiting your retirement plan to make sure it aligns with your goals.
  • Evaluating your estate plan so your loved ones are protected.

Get a free 30-minute financial consultation through Resources For Living® (RFL®)**.

*If you’re enrolled in a Costco medical plan.

**Resources For Living is available to all employees and members of their household, including children up to age 26 living away from home.

Sources: InStyle. The 6 doctors’ appointments you need to make this year.
American Cancer Society. American Cancer Society recommendations for the early detection of breast cancer.
Investopedia. How to conduct a financial checkup.

For more information on how your Costco benefits can support your efforts to enhance your emotional, financial and physical well-being, see the resources below.

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Articles

Learn more

LEARN MORE

JANUARY 2023

Stay safe and healthy this winter

When temperatures start to dip and icy winds begin to blow, will you be ready? Winter storms can be dangerous. But you can stay safe and healthy, whether your winter is snowy or steamy. Here are some practical suggestions to help you plan ahead.

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Prepare for emergencies

  • Stock food that needs no cooking or refrigeration and store water in clean containers.
  • Ensure that your cell phone is fully charged.
  • When planning travel, be aware of current and forecasted weather conditions.
  • Keep an up-to-date emergency kit in your home and car.
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Take precautions outdoors

  • Wear appropriate outdoor clothing: a tightly woven, preferably wind-resistant coat or jacket; inner layers of light, warm clothing; mittens or gloves; hat; scarf; and waterproof boots.
  • Sprinkle cat litter or sand on icy patches.
  • Work slowly when doing outside chores because your body is already working hard just to keep you warm.
  • Take a buddy and an emergency kit when you’re participating in outdoor recreation.
  • Carry a fully-charged cell phone.
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Do this when you plan to travel

  • Be aware of current and forecasted weather conditions.
  • Avoid traveling when the National Weather Service has issued advisories.
  • If you must travel, inform a friend or relative of your proposed route and expected time of arrival.
  • Follow these safety rules if you become stranded in your vehicle.
    • Make sure your vehicle is visible to rescuers and other drivers by turning on your hazard lights.
    • Move anything you need from the trunk into the passenger area. Stay with your vehicle unless safety is no more than 100 yards away.
    • Keep yourself warm.
    • Stay awake and stay moving. You’ll be less vulnerable to cold-related health problems. As you sit, keep moving your arms and legs.
    • Run the motor (and heater) for about 10 minutes per hour, opening one window slightly to let in air. Make sure snow is not blocking the exhaust pipe — this will reduce the risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.

Check on family and neighbors who are especially at risk from cold-weather hazards: young children, older adults and the chronically ill. If you have pets, bring them inside. If you can’t bring them inside, provide adequate, warm shelter and water to drink.

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Prepare your vehicle

  • Service the radiator and maintain the antifreeze level.
  • Check your tire treads or, if necessary, replace tires with all-weather or snow tires.
  • Keep the gas tank full to avoid ice in the tank and fuel lines.
  • Use a wintertime formula in your windshield washer.
  • Prepare a winter emergency kit to keep in your car in case you become stranded.
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Prepare your home

  • Install weather stripping, insulation and storm windows.
  • Insulate water lines that run along exterior walls.
  • Clean out gutters and repair roof leaks.
  • Have your heating system serviced professionally to make sure it’s clean, working properly and ventilated to the outside.
  • Inspect and clean fireplaces and chimneys.
  • Have a safe alternate heating source and alternate fuels available.
  • If you don’t have a working smoke detector, install one. Test batteries monthly and replace them twice a year.
  • Prevent carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning emergencies.
    • Install a CO detector to alert you of the presence of the deadly, odorless, colorless gas. Check or change the battery when you change your clocks in the fall and spring.
    • Learn the symptoms of CO poisoning: headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain and confusion.
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Here’s what Costco employees are saying about 98point6®:

“It was easy! And when someone is sick, it takes all their strength to get out of bed, dressed, to their car…”

98point6 gives you on-demand, text-based access to board-certified physicians, 24/7.

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What if your winter is hot and sunny?

Even if your region is known for its year-round beach weather, you can still benefit from being prepared. Make sure you’re ready for tropical storms, hurricanes and power outages. And when you go to the beach, stay hydrated and take your sunscreen.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Stay safe and healthy in winter.

To learn more about staying safe and healthy during the winter months, and where to go when you do need medical care, see the resources below.

Categories
Recipes

Healthy recipe

HEALTHY RECIPE

JANUARY 2023

No-cook overnight oatmeal

Start your day with a healthy breakfast, rich in vitamin C, calcium and antioxidants. It’s easy to make, takes no time and is ready when you wake up in the morning. You can use almost any fruit. But bananas, peaches or any variety of berries works best.

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Ingredients: 7
Prep: 5 min | Refrigerate: 8 hours
Makes 1 serving
jar filled with oatmeal topped with blueberries
Ingredients:

⅓ cup milk

¼ cup Greek yogurt

¼ cup rolled oats

2 teaspoons honey

2 teaspoons chia seeds

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ cup fresh blueberries

Directions:
Step 1

Combine milk, yogurt, oats, honey, chia seeds and cinnamon in a 1/2-pint jar with a lid; cover and shake until combined. Fold in blueberries.

Step 2

Cover and refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 279 | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 10g | Total fat: 10g | Saturated fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 69mg | Potassium: 249mg | Fiber: 6g | Total sugars: 22g

Source: allrecipes

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Recipes

Healthy recipe

spanakopita

HEALTHY RECIPE

DECEMBER 2022

Easy spanakopita appetizers

Talk about the perfect holiday appetizer! These one-bite beauties have it all. They’re tasty, nutritious, easy to nibble while socializing and simple to make. In fact, you can assemble them well in advance of your party and freeze them, then pop them in the oven right before guests arrive.

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Ingredients: 11
Prep: 45 min | Cook: 15 min
Makes 2 ½ dozen
spanakopita
Ingredients:

2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons snipped fresh dill

3/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

15 sheets phyllo dough (14×9-inch size)

1/2 cup butter, melted

Optional: tzatziki sauce, lemon wedges and fresh dill sprigs

Directions:
Step 1

Preheat oven to 425°. In a large bowl, mix the first 9 ingredients. Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough on a work surface; brush with butter. Layer with 2 additional phyllo sheets, brushing each layer. (Keep remaining phyllo covered with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.)

Step 2

Arrange 3/4 cup spinach mixture in a narrow row along the long end of phyllo to within 1 inch of edges. Fold bottom edge of phyllo over filling, then roll up. Brush end of phyllo dough with butter and press to seal. Repeat 4 times with phyllo sheets, butter and the spinach mixture. Place rolls on a parchment-lined 15x10x1-inch baking pan, seam side down.

Step 3

Cut rolls diagonally into 2-inch pieces (do not separate). Brush tops with remaining butter. Bake until golden brown, 12–15 minutes. If desired, serve with tzatziki sauce, lemon wedges and dill sprigs.

Freeze now, bake later

Why wait until the afternoon of your party to start cooking? Simply cover and freeze the unbaked appetizers on a parchment-lined baking sheet until firm. Transfer them to a freezer container and return them to the freezer. To serve, bake the appetizers on a parchment-lined 15x10x1-inch baking pan in a preheated 375° oven until heated through and golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 piece | Calories: 96 | Carbohydrates: 5 g | Protein: 2 g | Fat: 8 g | Saturated fat: 4 g | Cholesterol: 29 mg | Sodium: 155 mg | Potassium: 508 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 1 g

Source: Taste of Home

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Articles

Take action

person stressed at bountiful dinner table

TAKE ACTION

DECEMBER 2022

Mindful holiday feasting

The holidays can be a challenge if you’re trying to stay healthy or lose weight. Surrounded by eggnog and sugar cookies, latkes and sour cream, roast beef and all the trimmings, it’s not easy to celebrate and maintain a healthy relationship with food. But it is possible — if you remember to eat mindfully.

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The benefits of mindfulness

Mindfulness is the act of being focused, present and engaged in whatever you’re doing right now. Mindful eating is being aware of what, when and why you eat, as you eat. It can help you learn about and control your eating habits. Mindful eating can help you stay healthy. Rather than “inhaling” your meals, mindfulness encourages you to really taste your food and notice how you feel while you’re eating. It helps you enjoy each bite and listen to body signals that tell you when you’re satisfied. You tune in to your body and the experience of eating.

There are many benefits to mindful eating. For example, it can help you:1

  • Lower stress by slowing you down
  • Pay attention to times you use food for reasons other than hunger — like self-soothing or boredom
  • Enjoy your meals and snacks more by noticing and appreciating them
  • Learn about your eating habits by helping you focus on how each type of food makes you feel while eating and afterwards
  • Feel full sooner, eat less and digest better
  • Eat in a healthier, more balanced way

Mindful eating during the holiday season

Holiday gatherings include lots of people and food. It can be easy to graze away on snacks and goodies. You might eat while chatting with other guests. Or you might eat out of anxiety if parties make you nervous. You might not even realize what or how much you’re eating. That’s where mindfulness comes in. Here are a few tricks to help you eat mindfully during the holidays:

  1. Don’t go to parties feeling ravenous. Have a healthy snack right before leaving home.
  2. Check in with yourself during a party to gauge whether you’re eating because you’re hungry or just to be social.
  3. If you feel full, switch to drinking water or eating veggies.

You can celebrate without unhealthy eating and extra calories. Being mindful can help you make good decisions and enjoy this special time of year. 

1Mindful eating. Accessed October 2021.

Source: Resources For Living. Mindful eating during the holidays

For more information on how to maintain healthy habits and enjoy the holidays, see the resources below.

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Thanks for everything

wrapped gift with big bow and card that reads " 2022: what a year!"

YOU’RE THE BEST!

DECEMBER 2022

Thanks for everything

Another eventful year is coming to a close. You brought your best every day. And thanks to your dedication, hard work and collaborative spirit, Costco is a great company.

You also made strides in your well-being journey. During 2022, more than 103,109​ of you, along with your spouses or domestic partners, took the We’re in This Together pledge to improve your emotional, financial and physical well-being. You explored your Costco benefits and learned how they can help you reach your goals. And more than 182,000 of you received our monthly well-being emails.

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Get ready to grow

Are you ready to make 2023 your best year yet? Starting in January 2023, you and your spouse or domestic partner can pledge to continue working toward your emotional, financial and physical well-being goals.

In April, you can also join your fellow Costco employees in our first-ever quarterly Well-being Challenge. It’s a great opportunity to set a short-term goal, form a healthy habit and reap the rewards. At the end of the year, you’ll receive a digital well-being toolkit to help you continue the good work you’ve started.

Throughout the year, your well-being portal will also feature audio podcast interviews with Costco employees. Learn how they’ve used their Costco benefits to improve their well-being. And get insights you can use in your own personal growth. And, each month, you’ll hear from a fellow Costco employee about their experience with one of our many Costco benefits. Their testimonials can help you learn more about a resource that could enhance your well-being, too.

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The health and well-being of our employees is a top priority. That’s why we remain committed to providing our employees with exceptionally valuable benefit programs that we regularly review and enhance when appropriate. Because of this, we feel it is important that you are familiar with the benefit programs that are available to you so that you and your family can get the most out of them. The best way you can do this is by participating in the We’re in This Together pledge. By participating, you receive important information that is tailored to your needs.

Thank you for the important role you play in making Costco a great company. My best wishes to you and your family for a healthy 2023!

Craig Jelinek, President and CEO

Craig Jelinek
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Learn the basics

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LEARN THE BASICS

DECEMBER 2022

Video: 7 ways to create a new habit

January 2023 will be here before you know it and so will your annual list of New Year’s resolutions. Will you start exercising regularly? Get to bed by 10:00 p.m. every night? Lose 20 pounds? Stop drinking soda?

If you’ve tried and failed to keep resolutions before, don’t be discouraged. Just take a minute to watch this video — and learn some tips that can help you succeed.

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Source: The Mayo Clinic. 7 ways to create a new habit.

Ready to create some healthy new habits in 2023? Your Costco benefits can help. Check out the resources below for more information.