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OCTOBER 2023
HEALTHY, WEALTHY,
& Wise
1 Denver Federal Center Building 45, Entrance E-9, Room 1050 Lakewood, CO 80225
HOW TO KEEP YOUR COOL IN ANY SITUATION What’s the Difference Between a Reaction and a Response?
When you’re confronted by bad news, sudden change, or information you’d rather not hear, there are two ways you can communicate: by reacting or responding. This is the latest in my continuing series on lessons I’ve learned throughout my years, and it might be one of the most challenging! You’re driven by immediate emotions and instinct when you react to a situation. What we say or do as a reaction is often done without thinking or filtering. The result? We say or do something we’ll probably regret! Meanwhile, when we are driven by logic, information, and facts we are responding to a situation. A response is not instinct. It’s a statement or action that’s a conscious decision. Choosing when to respond rather than react can make all the difference in how we communicate with others, make decisions, and process new information. I’m sure you can remember a time you should have responded instead of reacted! It happens to all of us. I haven’t perfected this practice, but I am still trying. Whether you’re in a group setting or one-on-one conversation, when faced with a situation, ask yourself these three questions: • Does it need to be said?
in the whirlwind of our fast-paced lives. As a result, we can slip up and let a reaction out instead of a response. Have you ever had a reaction that wasn’t even true to yourself? Sometimes, you can just be in the wrong mood or tired, and you let slip a few words or actions that you’ll regret later! This is particularly true as a parent. I’m sure every parent has had a reaction to their child they wish they could take back. Even when our children become adults, we want to react and redirect them even though it’s no longer our place. As a parent, practicing responding instead of reacting is one of the best ways to support your family. Logic and thoughtfulness don’t have to be relegated to the office! Responding isn’t something you can master overnight. I’ve been working on this for years! I’m sometimes told how calm I seem amid tense situations. The truth is that while I may be upset, I pause to craft my words into a meaningful response! I’ll be the first to say that when you ask yourself those three questions and answer yes, go ahead and speak your mind. Holding back your reactions isn’t about being timid but determining the proper response for a situation. Bad news or unpleasant information may seem like the end of the world. But I can promise you that nothing is as bad as it seems
• Does it need to be said by me? • Does it need to be said now? That simple pause you give yourself to answer these questions reveal how your words might impact the situation. We react and spit out words that can worsen it, negatively affecting someone or hindering our true intentions.
at any given moment! Slow down, take a moment to examine your perspective, and decide how much it will matter in the future.
When you can do this, you can ensure that those around
you will always receive from you a response that is true to your heart and benefits the situation at hand. Good luck! –Ann Vanderslice
It can happen anywhere — in the workplace and our personal relationships!
I know we live in a hurried world where we can easily get caught up
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STRENGTHEN YOUR HEART WITH THESE FOODS
Your cholesterol levels directly impact your heart health, and with heart disease being the leading cause of death in the U.S., we should all be working toward improving our cholesterol levels. Your LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol is the “bad” type that can lead to a higher risk of heart disease. The best way to control our LDL cholesterol is through the foods we eat. If you want to keep your cholesterol levels in check and your heart healthy, add more of these foods to your diet.
also crammed in these crunchy snacks. Nuts have shown significant heart-healthy benefits in numerous studies, including one which proved that just 2 ounces of nuts per day can decrease your LDL cholesterol. Greens Not every green is a health-boosting superfood, but dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, and bok choy all contain lutein and carotenoids, antioxidants that reduce the risk of heart disease. These greens help
compact the bile acids in your body and remove cholesterol from your system.
Berries Delicious and versatile, berries are filled with fiber to help lower cholesterol. Berries also contain numerous antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that can benefit your body in countless ways. All fruit is excellent for your health, but berries pack the punch needed to support healthy cholesterol levels. Legumes If you’re seeing a common trait here, you realize that soluble fiber is the key to making these foods beneficial for your health! Legumes, which include beans, peas, and lentils, all contain a significant amount of soluble fiber, protein, and minerals.
Oatmeal Oats contain a significant amount of
soluble fiber, which decreases cholesterol absorption into the bloodstream. Start the day right with warm oatmeal, overnight oats, or Cheerios, which are surprisingly made with oats, not wheat! Add fruit on top to boost your fiber intake even more. Nuts Nuts like almonds, walnuts, and peanuts are rich in monounsaturated and other heart-healthy fats, but minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium are
While these foods are incredible for your body, those seeking to lower their cholesterol levels should speak with their doctor first to discover the best course of action for protecting their heart. DON’T GIVE UP ON YOUR HEALTH THIS SEASON From Balancing Feasts to Booking Your Doctor Visits
We’re entering the final quarter of 2023, and now is the perfect time to look back at New Year’s resolutions you made in January. While this might not have been an ideal year, it doesn’t mean we should throw all our health goals down the drain! With gravy-filled holidays on the way, it might seem like the natural route. But it’s never too late to right our wrongs, improve our health, and end the year strong! As you prepare for the cold months’ most beloved celebrations and holidays, be sure to consider the following: Don’t overdo it! Balance is critical when it comes to relishing the season’s treats. No one can tell you to avoid turkey stuffing and pumpkin pie! You should enjoy these delicious foods, to a healthy extent of course. Overindulging will just make you feel worse so incorporate nutritious foods on days surrounding your holiday family feasts. Instead of depriving yourself, focus on balancing your nutrition. Wake up early and get fresh air. The upcoming fall and winter months may be filled with clouds, but you should try your best to get fresh air.
On gloomy days, plan your walks and take advantage of the sun while it’s out. Light exercises like walking, stretching, and jogging along with the added benefits of vitamin D, can significantly impact your health. Take advantage of fall’s seasonal produce. Remember balance? Getting your fill of the season’s best fruits and vegetables is the best way to do that! Fall and winter offer ripe apples, pumpkins, Swiss chard, squash, and more. Ensure you meet your daily fruit and vegetable intake amid your festive feasting.
Prepare for benefits enrollment season and book your appointments. Lastly, don’t forget that benefits enrollment season will begin next month! This is the time to find the health, vision, and dental plans that fit your unique needs. Benefits enrollment season begins on Monday, Nov. 13, and continues until Monday, Dec. 11. This may be important for federal employees as it could help you secure benefits at a lower cost.
Practicing these tips may help get you back on track towards reaching your health goals!
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THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF LUCCA, THE EXPLOSIVE-DETECTING DOG WHO SAVED LIVES
Sometimes, dogs are more than just a man’s best friend — they are heroes. When the Israel Defense Forces brought Chris Willingham, a Marine specializing in training military dogs, a small German shepherd and Belgian Malinois mix puppy in 2006, he knew she was special. Willingham named her Lucca, and in 2008, the pair deployed for their first tour in Iraq, where they spent countless hours together searching for improvised explosive devices or IEDs. When Lucca smelled a bomb, she’d lie down and wait for Willingham, an action they repeated so many times that the pair seemed to read each other’s minds. In fact, the duo became so successful that when platoons suspected they were heading into especially dangerous territory, they requested the team by name. After returning from their second tour in Iraq, Willingham received orders that the Marines were restationing him at the Marine Security Guard School. But before he had to leave, he was allowed to choose a new handler for Lucca. Willingham chose Corporal Juan Rodriguez, whom he sensed was the perfect match for Lucca. And he was right.
Lucca and Rodriguez picked up where she and Willingham left off until one day in 2012. The pair were four hours into their patrol in southern Afghanistan when Lucca located her second IED of the day. However, when she moved closer to the device to lie down — it exploded. Rodriguez quickly ran to Lucca, where he discovered she had lost one of her front paws in the explosion. He applied first aid, a tourniquet, and called for a medevac, never leaving her side. She had suffered burns to her neck and torso, and doctors had to amputate her front left leg. However, in less than a month, Lucca was back to running around with the same spirit as before her injury but was now retired from her day job. She was reunited with Willingham and lived the rest of her days with him and his family peacefully until her passing in 2018. Lucca led more than 400 patrols during three combat tours in her career. She found 40 confirmed insurgents and countless explosives, and she never had a single human casualty during her six years of service.
Train Your
BRAIN!
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
INGREDIENTS
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour • 1 tsp baking soda • 1 tsp salt • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 2 large eggs • 2 cups (12-oz package) semi-sweet chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. 2. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. 3. In a large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until creamy. 4. To creamed mixture, add eggs one at a time, beating until blended. 5. Gradually beat in flour mixture. 6. Stir in chocolate chips. 7. Arrange dough in rounded teaspoonfuls on ungreased baking sheets. 8. Bake 8–10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; move to wire racks to cool completely.
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Do You Respond or React? PAGE 1 Eat Your Way to a Healthy Heart Let’s End the Year Strong! PAGE 2
Lucca, the Explosive-Sniffing Dog The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies PAGE 3 Step Into 536: ‘The Worst Year to Be Alive’ PAGE 4
Pg2 article references: www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/cholesterol/ art-20045192, www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/11-foods-that-lower-cholesterol, www.healthline.com/nutrition/13-foods-that-lower-cholesterol- levels#TOC_TITLE_HDR_7. Pg3 article references: www.blog.togetherweserved.com/2022/11/22/four-legged-military-hero-mwd-lucca/#:~:text=Lucca%20 is%20among%20the%20most,of%20explosives%2C%20saving%20countless%20lives, www.sandiegouniontribune.com/military/sdut-lucca-camp-pendleton- dog-dickin-award-2016apr11-story.html, www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucca_(dog). Pg4 article references: www.knkx.org/knkx-public-radio/2020-05-22/ why-the-eruption-of-mount-st-helens-dramatically-altered-temperatures-but-not-for-long, www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/colossal-volcano- behind-mystery-global-cooling-found, www.britannica.com/event/plague-of-Justinian, www.science.org/content/article/why-536-was-worst-year-be-alive
3 REASONS 536 WAS THE WORST YEAR IN HUMAN HISTORY
When Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980, it poured so much dust into the sky that the sun over Eastern Washington went dark. Ash drifted overhead, traveling into neighboring Idaho and forcing temperatures down by as much as 15 degrees F. Locals spent a few weeks scared and shivering under dull skies. They had no way of knowing it, but they were experiencing a tiny fraction of the horror humans felt back in 536 — a time that Harvard University historian Michael McCormick once called “the worst year to be alive.” For decades, the year 536 was a historical mystery. Records showed that it was a terrible time, stricken by the triple threat of: 1. Unexplained, unending darkness 2. Unseasonably frigid weather 3. Crop failures and famines Those horrors and the economic and political instability they brought ravaged the globe from Ireland to China. Although 536 was arguably the worst year, things didn’t get better for more than a decade. In fact, they got worse in some areas! In 541, the Plague of Justinian — the first bubonic plague pandemic — appeared in Egypt and spread through Europe, killing roughly one-third of the continent’s population.
For decades, archaeologists and historians have puzzled over the tipping point in 536. “What went wrong,” they wondered, “to make the sun go dark and trigger snow in summer?” It was a head-scratcher until 2018. That year, researchers finally solved the mystery with help from, of all things, a Swiss glacier! The glacial ice was riddled with volcanic glass. Further study revealed enormous volcanic eruptions in 536, 540, and 547 likely caused “The Dark Ages.” It wasn’t just metaphorically dark — it was literally dark thanks to ash blotting out the sun and coating people’s homes, skin, and clothing. Scientists have traced the 540 eruption to Ilopango, a volcano in El Salvador that’s currently inactive, but they’re still hunting for the source of the 536 eruption. As we write this, volcanoes in Iceland and Alaska are the most likely candidates.
We’ve already survived a pandemic this century, so for everyone’s sake, let’s hope both regions stay quiet until at least 2100. We all deserve a break!
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