www.benefitoptions.az.gov/wellness
September is “Fruits and Veggies—More Matters” month.
The monthly observance is to encourage and inspire
consumers to eat more fruits and vegetables to improve
nutrition and achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
The Facts
Fruits and vegetables are part of a well-balanced
and healthy eating plan. There are many different
ways to lose or maintain a healthy weight. Using
more fruits and vegetables along with whole
grains, lean meats, nuts, and beans is a safe and
healthy one. Helping control your weight is not
the only benefit of eating more fruits and vegetables. Diets
rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of some
types of cancer and other chronic diseases. Fruits and
vegetables also provide essential vitamins and minerals,
fiber, and other substances that are important for good
health. To lose weight, you must eat fewer calories than your
body uses. This does not necessarily mean that you have to
eat less food. You can create lower-calorie versions of some
of your favorite dishes by substituting low-calorie fruits and
vegetables in place of higher-calorie ingredients. The water
and fiber in fruits and vegetables will add volume to your
dishes, so you can eat the same amount of food with fewer
calories. Most fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat
and calories and are filling. As people become less active,
their bodies need fewer calories. Even if you do not need to
lose weight, you may still need to reduce calories simply to
maintain your current weight. Here are some simple ways to
cut calories and eat fruits and vegetables throughout your
day:
Breakfast: Start the Day Right
• Substitute some spinach, onions, or mushrooms for one of
the eggs or half of the cheese in your morning omelet. The
vegetables will add volume and flavor to the dish with fewer
calories than the egg or cheese.
• Cut back on the amount of cereal in your bowl to make
room for some cut-up bananas, peaches, or strawberries. You
can still eat a full bowl, but with fewer calories.
Lighten Up Your Lunch
• Substitute vegetables such as lettuce,
tomatoes, cucumbers, or onions for 2
ounces of the cheese and 2 ounces of
the meat in your sandwich, wrap, or
burrito. The new version will fill you
up with fewer calories than the
original.
• Add a cup of chopped vegetables,
such as broccoli, carrots, beans, or red peppers, in place of 2
ounces of the meat or 1 cup of noodles in your favorite
broth-based soup. The vegetables will help fill you up, so
you will not miss those extra calories.
Dinner
• Add in 1 cup of chopped vegetables such as broccoli,
tomatoes, squash, onions, or peppers, while removing 1 cup
of the rice or pasta in your favorite dish.
September
2008
From the Arizona
Department of
Administration,
Benefit Options
Wellness Program
Page 1
To Help Manage Your Weight
The dish with the vegetables will be just as satisfying but have
fewer calories than the same amount of the original version.
• Take a good look at your dinner plate. Vegetables, fruit, and
whole grains should take up the largest portion of
your plate. If they do not, replace some of the meat,
cheese, white pasta, or rice with legumes, steamed
broccoli, asparagus, greens, or another favorite
vegetable. This will reduce the total calories in your
meal without reducing the amount of food you eat.
BUT remember to use a normal- or small-size
plate—not a platter. The total number of calories
that you eat counts, even if a good proportion of
them come from fruits and vegetables.
Smart Snacks
Most healthy eating plans allow for one or two small snacks a
day. Choosing most fruits and vegetables will allow you to eat
a snack with only 100 calories.
The fruits and vegetables in the box above all have about 100
or fewer calories.
Instead of a high-calorie snack from a vending machine, bring
some cut-up vegetables or fruit from home. One snack-sized
bag of corn chips (1 ounce) has the same number of calories as
a small apple, 1 cup of whole strawberries, AND 1 cup of
carrots with 1/4 cup of low-calorie dip. Substitute one or two
of these options for the chips, and you will have a satisfying
snack with fewer calories.
Remember: Substitution is the key
It’s true that fruits and vegetables are lower in calories than
many other foods, but they do contain some calories. If you
start eating fruits and vegetables in addition to what you
usually eat, you are adding calories and may gain weight. The
key is substitution.
Source: Center of Disease Control & Prevention,
www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov
About 100 Calories or Less
• a medium-size apple (72 calories)
• a medium-size banana (105 calories)
• 1 cup steamed green beans (44 calories)
• 1 cup blueberries (83 calories)
• 1 cup grapes (100 calories)
• 1 cup carrots (45 calories) or broccoli (30
calories) with 2 tbsp. hummus (46 calories)
www.benefitoptions.az.gov/wellness
Benefit Options Wellness is offering FREE screenings to all benefits eligible employees and
members to prepare for the Mayo Clinic Health Assessment August 11 through January 30. The
schedule above is not a complete list of screening locations, and will be expanded. Please visit
the Wellness website at benefitoptions.az.gov/wellness for program updates and a complete
listing of screening events. NO REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR THESE SCREENINGS.
September
2008
Page 2 Upcoming Events
Date Time Day Agency City Address
2-Sep 7:30-11:30am Tues DEQ Phoenix 1110 W. Washington
3-Sep 8-10am Wed DES Tucson 5441 E 22nd St Ste 101
4-Sep 8-10am Thurs DOR Chandler 3191 N. Washington
5-Sep 7-10am Fri VA Phoenix 4141 N. 3rd St Phoenix
8-Sep 6-8am Mon DOC Douglas 6911 N. BDI Blvd
8-Sep 9:30-11am Mon AHCCCS Sierra Vista 484 E. Wilcox
9-Sep 7-10am Tues DES Phoenix 3443 N Central Ave
10-Sep 11:30am-1:30pm Wed DOC Eyman 4374 E. Butte
11-Sep 7-10am Thurs DOA Phoenix 100 N. 15th Ave Lobby
12-Sep 8-10am Fri DES Nogales 1843 N State Dr
12-Sep 7-9am Fri PSPRS Phoenix 3010 E Camelback Ste 200
15-Sep 7-10am Mon DHS Phoenix 1740 W Adams
15-Sep 8-10am Mon DES Casa Grande 401 W Marshall
17-Sep 8-9:30am Wed AHCCCS Flagstaff 3480 E Rte 66
18-Sep 8-10am Fri DOT Safford 2082 US Hwy 70
19-Sep 7-9am Sat Multiple Tucson 400 W. Congress
22-Sep 8-10am Tues DES Gilbert 2288 W. Guadelupe Rd.
22-Sep 8-10am Mon DOT Kingman 3660 E. Andy Devine
23-Sep 8-10am Tues DPS Heber US 260 5mi. W of Heber.
24-Sep 9:30-11am Wed DES St. Johns 395 S. Washington
25-Sep 10-11:30am Thurs DES/AHCCCS Show Low 2500 E Cooley
26-Sep 7-10am Fri DHS Phoenix 2500 E Van Buren
September www.benefitoptions.az.gov/wellness
2008
Page 3
Upcoming Events
The DES Cafeteria at 1789 W. Jeffer-son
is implementing the Healthy Ari-zona
Smart Choice Program Pilot as
part of a collaborative effort between
DES, DHS, and DOA to promote
healthy eating away from home. Re-search
has well established that nutrition plays an
important role in both immediate and long term
health status. Many State employees utilize agency
cafeterias and vending for meals, snacks, or drinks
during work hours and the pilot project team has de-veloped
strategies to promote better eating choices
and improve the health of our employees.
The pilot will be September 8th through December 12th
and will feature healthy menu options and Smart
Choice food labeling. The DES cafeteria already offers
a number of health conscious items including: a salad
bar with low fat dressings, a daily health plate, grilled
vegetables containing no added fat or sodium, and
more. Based on the expressed interest of customers,
the cafeteria will label these and other menu items to
indicate “Smart” calorie, fat, and sodium choices. The
additional marketing will help customers identify
healthy food choices.
Join us for giveaways, drawings, nutrition
products, and a special menu.
With flu season quickly
approaching, Benefit
Options Wellness is
once again offering
FREE influenza
vaccinations to all State
of Arizona employees
and Benefit Options
Members (retirees, spouses, and dependents
over 9 years of age). The Center for Disease
Control is not anticipating a flu vaccine
shortage this season. Therefore, all eligible
individuals can receive FREE flu
immunization beginning October 1st.
All eligible individuals may receive a flu shot
from Healthwaves’ public clinics, State
worksite events, a large centralized event, or
a family day clinic. Individuals wishing to
receive a flu vaccine should bring the
Employee Identification Number (EIN) of the
primary insured, Benefit Options insurance
card, and a photo ID. Healthwaves’ public flu
clinic sites and schedules will be posted on
their website at www.healthwaves.com.
Specific dates and times for work site events
will be available on the Benefit Options
Wellness website www.benefitoptions.az.gov/
wellness at the end of September. Please
review the websites frequently as schedules
are subject to change.
For other flu vaccine questions, call the
Benefit Options Wellness line at 602-771-9355
to speak with a member of the Wellness team.
Expect a flu vaccine reminder in the mail late
September!
SCREENING SERVICES STATUS:
Screening contracts were awarded on
June 17th. Wellness is currently taking re-quests
for screenings at State worksites
EDUCATIONAL CLASSES STATUS:
Wellness is currently working to re-implement
the following services by Sep-tember
30th:
• Chair Massage
• Weight Management Series
• Educational courses
Thank you for your patience during the
contracting period
www.benefitoptions.az.gov/wellness
Balancing Work, Family, and Self
September
2008
Page 4
wellness information
Created and published by ADOA, Benefit Options Wellness
Program
100 N 15th Ave, Suite 103 Phoenix, AZ 85007
www.benefitoptions.az.gov/wellness
email: wellness@azdoa.gov, phone 602-771-9355
Persons with a disability may request accommodations by
contacting the ADOA Benefits Office. If you need this issue in
“Early detection is the best defense we have
at this time for catching breast cancer in its
earliest stages,” says Catherine Midgette, Ex-ecutive
Vice President of MOM. “If we find the
cancer in its earliest stages, the patient has a
97 percent survival rate.” Mobile On-Site
Mammography (MOM) travels to perform
mammography screenings at worksites across
Arizona.
MOM will directly bill insurance. Benefit Op-tions
health plan members do not have to pay
a copay at these events. (Other insurance
plan members may have a copay. Check with
your insurance’s member services department
for more information.)
Call MOM at 480-967-3767 to schedule
your appointment.
This service is generally provided on a re-quest-
basis. Call MOM at 480-967-3767 or 1-
800-285-0272 to schedule this service at
your worksite. There is a minimum of 25 peo-ple
required. The MOM van will be parked
outside the following locations:
Sept 15 — Phoenix, DOR
1600 W. Monroe
7:30am-5pm
Sept 22 — Phoenix, DHS
150 N. 18th Ave
8am-5pm
Sept 23 — Phoenix, DES
515 N. 51st Ave
8am-5pm
What Services & Programs are
Offered by Benefit Options Wellness?
The Wellness website has the complete list of
screenings, classes and other programs
available to be requested and scheduled at
State worksites.
Wellness events are requested and coordinated by
State employees at worksites. Most programs are
available throughout Arizona. If you are interested in
hosting a program at your worksite, visit the
Wellness website to view what is available and learn:
How To Request and Schedule
Worksite Events
Event requests must be submitted online. Complete
the brief form, including contact information and the
event requested and hit “submit!” A Wellness team
member will reply to your request.
A nurse practitioner or physician’s as‐sistant
with Banner Occupational Health
will perform a FREE assessment to
check for suspicious lesions and will provide skin
cancer prevention education. The screening takes
about 10 minutes, and participants will not disrobe.
APPOINTMENTS REQUIRED. Call Wellness at 602‐
771‐9355 for site contact information.
September 9 — AHCCCS, Phoenix
701 E. Jefferson
8am-2:30pm
September 16 — Game & Fish, Phoenix
5000 W. Carefree Hwy
8am-2:30pm
