HIDALGO COUNTYWELLNESS BEAT |
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The 2022 Hidalgo County Winter Wellness Fair is NEXT WEEK on Friday, December 9, and Saturday, December 10! Vendors, prizes, games, and children’s activities will be available! On Friday, December 9, join us IN- PERSON at the Precinct 2 Indoor Sports Complex at 3600 Athol Street, Pharr, TX 78577 from 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM or register below to attend VIRTUALLY!
On Saturday, December 10th, the event will be IN PERSON ONLY at the Precinct 2 Indoor Sports Complex from 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM. We encourage employees to bring dependents and family members to the event on Saturday.
Pre-register for the virtual event at the link below. Registration for the in-person event will take place on-site the day of the fair. |
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H-E-B Wellness Demonstration at Health Department |
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Photo: Dee Anna Guillon, H-E-B Registered Dietitian, presented to Health Department employees about easy-to-make healthy lunch options. |
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On Monday, the Employee Wellness Program hosted a Lunch & Learn Cooking Demonstration at the Health Department. Dee Anna Guillon, a registered dietitian from H-E-B Wellness Nutrition Services, prepared a chocolatey healthy snack for the group. |
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Guillon put together delicious no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies that consisted of natural peanut butter, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, oatmeal, and raisins. Enjoy these cookies as a chilled treat. These cookies are a good source of fiber and healthy fats, perfect for holiday chocolate cravings. View the recipe here. H-E-B dietitian services can be provided to Hidalgo County employees and their dependents who are covered by the county's medical insurance. |
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Holiday Health Maintenance Challenge |
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Photo: An employee from Precinct 1 Road and Bridge Department weigh-ins to participate in the winter wellness challenge. |
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Before Thanksgiving, the Wellness Program visited departments across the county to weigh-in participants for the Holiday Health Maintenance Challenge. |
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The 10-week challenge is aimed at maintaining participants' pre-holiday health measurements. The challenge will run until January 13. There is also a bonus challenge available for all employees to participate in as well. The bonus challenge consists of either logging 10,000 steps per week or attending two of the free fitness classes held at the Precinct 2 Indoor Sports Complex. Bonus challenge participants should be submitting their numbers at the end of each week to stay on track with the challenge timeline. |
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WELLNESS CHAMPION OF THE MONTHMarcella Castillo |
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"Sometimes it can be genetics. Lifestyle. Stress from work. We just need to break all those patterns and get help." After the death of her mother, Marcella underwent a procedure she believes saved her life. She shared with us how her wellness journey has improved her health physically and mentally. | | |
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Nominate a Potential Wellness Champion |
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Do you know someone who has made changes to improve their health and well-being? Nominate them below for a chance to be featured as the next Wellness Champion of the Month! |
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“Don't be pushed by your problems be led by your dreams." – Ralph Waldo Emerson |
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Discovering Unconscious BiasFriday, December 2 at 10 A.M. Unconscious bias, also known as implicit bias, poses a serious roadblock to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Either favorable or unfavorable, |
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unconscious bias occurs when people – usually without realizing it – make judgments and take mental shortcuts based on stereotypes about someone's race, gender, ethnicity, age, disability, or other factors. The aim of this session is to raise awareness of different types of unconscious bias and minimize its influence on workplace practices, policies, and processes. |
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Effective Stress ManagementFriday, December 16 at 10 A.M. Working under excessive pressure for a prolonged period of time can result in chronic stress which can have a significant adverse impact on our mental and physical health, in particular, long-term cardiovascular |
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problems due to the consistent and ongoing increase in heart rate, elevated levels of stress hormones and blood pressure. Without understanding the physical stress response, it can be difficult to develop healthy coping strategies to help us tackle stress in an effective way, causing a build-up of stress hormones in our minds and bodies which leads to more significant health issues such as burnout and/or depression. |
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Deer Oaks Employee Assistance Program Services |
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Challenges in life can happen unexpectedly. So it is good to know that Hidalgo County employees have access to Deer Oaks EAP Services that provide help for you, your dependents, and household members. |
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The county's employee assistance program covers short-term counseling sessions for its employees. Deer Oaks puts you in contact with licensed counselors to address personal concerns, such as stress, anxiety, grief, relationship issues, or addiction. Other services include legal and financial consultation, identify theft assistance, work-life services, child and elder referrals, and transportation reimbursement of up to $45 for ride fares (once a year per participant). Call the Deer Oaks 24/7 helpline at 888-993-7650 for more information about its services. You can also email them at eap@deeroaks.com to connect you with a specialist or visit deeroakseap.com and log in using "hidco" as both the username and password. |
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Wellness Podcast Recommendations of the Month |
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A fan of podcasts? We'd like to help you out with suggestions. Every month we will highlight a few podcasts that cover health and wellness topics. Take a listen on your breaks or commute to work and home. |
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Recipe – Balanced Meal of the Month |
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Banana Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal Cups24 Servings • 10 mins prep time • 25 mins cook time • 140 calories per serving | | |
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