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You can't eliminate the stress that your employees bring to work - but you can offer them these guidelines to help manage workplace stressors on their own: Prioritize, streamline, delegate, and discard. When facing a task, ask if it's really necessary to do immediately. Break things up. Take two - to three - minute breaks every hour and commit to doing at least one fun thing every day. Make time. Build time into your schedule for creative expression, healthy eating, moderate daily exercise, hanging out with friends, and enjoying nature. Be on time. Build in cushion time between appointments to allow for traffic and the unexpected. Send negativity flying. If a co-worker is on the warpath, visualize an airplane with an ad banner over the person's head, with each negative word floating up into the banner and out of view. Relax and watch what happens. Do mini-meditations or mindful breathing while you're between tasks or in line at the cafeteria. Get essential nutrients. Go beyond vitamins and begin to think about daylight and laughter as integral parts of your daily life. Consider what you're consuming. Sugar, caffeine, and alcohol can increase stress levels. Watch your words. Don't let negative internal chatter and self-recrimination distract and demoralize you. Be kind. Do something nice for a different co-worker every day until it becomes second nature to reduce stress for others. Sleep on it. Sleep deprivation a major culprit in stress is Try to get restful, restorative slumber every night, and watch your stress level decline.

Playing outside isn't just for kids. It has tons of benefits for adults. One of the unexpected ones may be that it can lead to lower life insurance rates. It's not always easy to make yourself go outside and exercise, but knowing that the effort can keep you healthy and save you money can be enough for you get off the couch. The more fun you have exercising, the better the results will be. Benefits of Exercise Exercise burns calories and improves your health. Since life insurance rates are based on your health risk factors, regular physical activity can help lower your life insurance rates. These are some of the benefits of exercise. * Lower risk for heart disease and stroke. * Lower blood pressure. * Lower blood sugar levels and risk for diabetes. * Stronger bones. * Better mood. * Clearer mind. Make a Commitment to Exercise Set aside some time to exercise most days of the week. Aim for 30 to 60 minutes, but even 10 minutes is better than nothing. The trick is to find some activities that you love, and any activity that is fun and gets you moving is a good choice. These are some options. * Walk, jog, bike, swim laps, or hike. * Join a local sports league. On the days your league doesn't meet, train for your sport by doing drills, lifting weights, and getting in some cardio. * Take Zumba, boot camp or kickboxing in the park. * Go surfing. Take Advantage of Your Kids! If you have children, they're probably a significant reason why you have life insurance in the first place. Why not use them to help you get in shape? They'll keep you laughing while you exercise. * Play Tag, Follow the Leader, or Hide-and-Seek with younger children. * Play catch, shoot hoops, or kick a soccer ball with older children. * Walk around the field at your children's sports practices, and run to chase any stray balls. Everyone can find an activity that they love as long as they keep searching for it. Keeping yourself in shape will give you more energy and can keep your life insurance rates down.

The arrival of summer means days at the pool, family barbeques, picnics, sports and other outdoor activities. Follow these tips this summer to keep your whole family happy and healthy: Staying active in the summer months The arrival of spring and summer means days at the pool, family picnics, baseball and other outdoor activities. Here are some tips to keep your family physically active in the warmer months: Hydrate! Drink plenty of water before, during and after physical activity to avoid dehydration. For low-calorie flavor, add slices of your favorite fruits such as melon, oranges, berries or even cucumber or mint to a pitcher of water and refrigerate for two hours. Protect your family from the sun: wear wide-brimmed hats, always apply water-resistant sunscreen with at least SPF 15 and reapply sunscreen every 2 hours. Heat safety: avoid intense activities between noon and 3 p.m. when the sun is at its strongest. Dress for the heat: wear lightweight, light colored clothing, choose light, breathable fabrics such as cotton, and wear sunglasses to protect your eyes. Head indoors: when the heat gets unbearable, try indoor activities at your local YMCA or rec center like basketball, swimming, yoga or racquetball. Heart-Healthy Cookout Ideas Warmer weather may mean it’s time to break out the grill, here are some tips and ideas for a healthier grilling cookout: Go fish! Fish, especially oily fish like tuna and salmon have great nutritional benefits including omega-3 fatty acids. Rub a fillet with lemon juice and parsley or rosemary for enhanced flavor. Make a better burger: if you’re grilling burgers, be sure to buy lean or extra lean beef, drain off the excess fat after cooking and avoid making huge patties – remember that a serving of meat is about the size of a deck of cards (3 oz). Add finely chopped green pepper to your beef to get in some veggies. Baked fries: Slice white or sweet potatoes into sticks, lightly spray with olive oil cooking spray, pepper and paprika and bake on a cookie sheet for 40 minutes at 375 degrees. Veggie kabobs: load up skewers with mushrooms, peppers, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash or other veggies. Spray lightly with olive oil cooking spray and grill until slightly blackened. Try grilled corn on the cob: leave the husks on, and grill for about 30 minutes over medium flame, rotating occasionally. Remove from grill, let cool for about 5 minutes, remove husks and enjoy! Healthy Road Trip Road trips can take a toll on everyone – here are some ideas to keep things healthier while on the open road: Make “rest breaks” active: pick a road stop or park and get the family out of the car to take a brisk 10-minute walk and move around. Not only will it burn off some energy, but it can also help the driver feel rejuvenated and more alert. Pack healthy snacks: finding healthier snacks at road stops can be difficult. Pack apples, grapes, raisins, whole grain fiber-rich crackers or another favorite low fat, low sodium healthy snack to take with you. Pack to play: plan to incorporate regular physical activity into your daily routine while you’re away from home. Pack a football, soccer ball, Frisbee, or paddle balls so that you can be physically active throughout your downtime. Reach for water: sitting in the car for long periods of time can make it tempting to drink soda, which has extra calories and added sugar. Pack water (flavored or regular), fat free or lowfat (1%) milk and small portions of 100% juice to quench your thirst. Summer Snack Ideas Try some fun and refreshing summer snacks that the entire family can enjoy: Fruit pops: Homemade freezer pops are an easy, fun treat for kids to make. Mash up fruit like peaches, grapes, berries or watermelon and put them in paper cups, insert a popsicle stick, freeze overnight and enjoy! Cool and crisp: keep a variety of colorful veggies on hand that stay cool and crunchy for   a refreshing treat – baby carrots, cucumber slices, and celery sticks are just a few ideas. Fruit smoothies: blend your favorite fresh fruits with fat-free or low-fat yogurt and ice for a refreshing drink or freeze and eat with a spoon like a frozen ice chill. Mix it up: make your own trail mix using your favorite unsalted, oil free nuts, seeds and dried fruits (just be sure to keep your servings to 1.5 ounces or 1/3 cup). Just slice and serve: summer months are peek season for most fruits, just slice and serve – the whole family will enjoy the refreshing natural sweetness and juices just the way nature made ‘em! Enjoy your summer, the healthy way! Content provided by https://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Summer-Tips-for-a-Healthy-Heart_UCM_303868_Article.jsp

1 9 -to-10-pound bone-in fully cooked smoked ham (butt or shank half) 2 tablespoons whole cloves (optional) 1 1/2 cups glaze Directions Remove the ham from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Trim off any skin from the ham. Use a sharp paring knife to score through the fat in a diagonal crosshatch pattern without cutting through to the meat. Insert the cloves into the ham (if using), placing them at the intersections of the cuts. Put the ham, flat-side down, on a rack in a roasting pan. Pour 1/4 inch water into the bottom of the pan. Transfer to the oven and roast until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the ham registers 130 degrees F, about 2 hours, 30 minutes (about 15 minutes per pound). Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Pour half of the glaze (see below for glazes) over the ham and brush to coat. If the water in the bottom of the pan has evaporated, add more. Return the ham to the oven and roast, basting every 10 minutes with the remaining glaze, until glossy and well browned, about 45 more minutes. Total Time: 3 hr 55 min Prep: 40 min Cook: 3 hr 15 min Yield:12 servings Level:Easy Ham Glazes: Apple-Maple Glaze Directions Boil 2 cups apple cider in a saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low; add 1/2 cup each apple jelly and maple syrup, 1/4 cup whole-grain mustard, 1/2 teaspoon allspice and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Mustard-Orange Glaze Mix 1 cup light brown sugar, 3/4 cup dijon mustard and the grated zest and juice of 1 orange in a bowl. Recipe and image provided by: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/classic-glazed-ham-recipe.html