Contact Us
Please contact us with any questions or comments.
January | February | March | April | May | June |
July | August | September | October | November
December
March
Wellness Tips:
- Encourage healthier eating by stocking the lunchroom and any on-site vending machines with healthy snacks rather than junk food.
- Hold regular office fitness competitions to increase employee fitness and promote workplace engagement.
- Avoid long chair time and exercise/stretch at your desk as much as possible; this can play a huge role in your health.
- Organize monthly Lunch and Learns, and pick a new health and wellness topic to discuss.
- Attend health and wellness workshops to learn how to maintain your own health, as well as, how to help your staff members.
Nutrition 'Myth vs. Fact'
by Health Services Dietitian Sandra Ace:
Claim: Beans are too gassy to eat regularly.
Evidence: One of the newest dietary recommendations made by Health Canada with the release of the updated Food Guide is to “choose protein foods that come from plants more often.” You’ll find legumes -beans, lentils and peas- at the top of the list of plant proteins for many reasons. In addition to protein, they are packed with other with nutrients, including fibre, iron, B vitamins, potassium, zinc and magnesium. A diet rich in legumes can help to help to lower blood cholesterol, control blood glucose (sugar) levels and keep your bowels regular. And if the health contributions aren’t enough of a reason to include these foods often, they are also cheaper and have less environmental impact than animal sources of protein.
It’s no secret though- legumes, and especially beans, have the reputation of being gassy for some people. This is the result of normal bacterial fermentation of undigested sugars in the gut. If you haven’t used beans or lentils much or avoid them because you find them too gassy, try gradually increasing the amount you eat over several weeks. Modifying the way you prepare them can help to reduce post-meal gas and bloating. Drain and rinse canned legumes thoroughly before eating. When using dried legumes, pre-soak them in water, drain, rinse well and cook them in fresh water. If you find that in spite of trying these suggestions, indulging in “the musical fruit” results in more than a tolerable amount of gas, you can try over-the-counter products that contain the enzyme alpha-galactosidase (like Beano®) which breaks down gas-producing sugars.
You may find some beans easier to digest than others. If you haven’t used a lot of legumes before, you might start with lentils, which are lower in fermentable carbohydrates so they may be easier for some people to digest. Try this inexpensive and flavourful recipe from Health Canada for Carrot Ginger Soup. Find more cooking tips and quick meals ideas here.
April
Wellness Tips:
- Provide healthy snacks and lunches for lengthy team meetings.
- Develop a smoke free workplace by encouraging employees to join programs to quit smoking.
- Have the 8 glasses of water challenge, where for 30 days employees track how many days they drank at least 8 glasses of water. The winner gets a prize!
- Try to take the stairs over an elevator to get those legs moving!
- Make your mental health a priority; if you need time off, talk to your manager.
May
Wellness Tips:
- Add some plants to your office; this will really change up the environment and freshen things up.
- Promote hydration by providing your team with company branded reusable water bottles.
- Have monthly healthy potlucks.
- Appreciate and praise your coworkers, employees, employers for their hard work.
- Start an office book club to promote long-term learning and meaningful conversations with your coworkers.
June
Wellness Tips:
- Encourage more face-to-face meetings.
- Create a healthy office cookbook, where employees share their favourite healthy recipes.
- Assess your ergonomics; make sure your workspace isn’t causing you any physical discomfort.
- Survey your employees to find out what is working and what is not.
- Have a 7 hours of sleep challenge, where for 30 days employees track how many nights they slept for 7 hours (winner gets a prize).
July
Wellness Tips:
- Organize stress circles every month to allow employees to de-stress.
- Coordinate outdoor activities with your staff such as hikes, skating, soccer, etc.
- Provide employees with flexible hours; this will build a relationship of trust.
- Many employees work more effectively with music. Make a playlist with all of the employees’ favourite songs and play them whenever possible.
- Organize attire themed days of the week. For example, each Friday set a new theme and get your staff to dress according to it.
August
Wellness Tips:
- Have scavenger hunts occasionally to just have something fun to do with the team.
- Give out gift cards upon major project completions; it will show the employee(s) that you appreciate their hard work.
- Celebrate an obscure holiday (ex. popcorn day; everyone can bring some in and have a popcorn party!).
- Send out some Monday motivation to get employees pumped for the week.
- Celebrate your team. Make your team members feel special on their birthdays, work anniversaries, etc.
September
- Hold a walking meeting! From Ring Road to indoor walking tours (pdf), consider moving the meeting outside of the office!
- Send out some Monday motivation to get employees pumped for the week.
- Have completely open brainstorms; consider all employee's ideas.
- Showcase employee success stories.
- If you see a co-worker struggling, offer to help!