November BeneBytes
November is Diabetes Awareness Month
Diabetes Awareness Month brings awareness to your choices to ensure you live a healthy life. Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. It affects about 37 million Americans, including adults and youth. Diabetes can damage the eyes, kidneys, nerves, and heart, and it is linked to some types of cancer.
Taking charge of your health may help you prevent diabetes health problems.
What can you do?
- Drink water as your primary beverage - Drinking water instead of sugary beverages may help manage blood sugar and insulin levels, reducing your risk of diabetes.
- Be more physically active - Getting active can lower your risk of type 2 diabetes. It can also help you manage any type of diabetes. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week, like walking fast or biking.
- Eat healthy - Eating healthy can help you control your weight — and help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. Choose foods low in saturated fats, added sugars, and sodium (salt).
- Lose extra weight - Losing weight can help lower your risk for type 2 diabetes. Eating healthy and getting active are great ways to help you lose weight.
Visit the Rice Rec Center!
Membership in the Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation Center is available for purchase for faculty and staff.
The mission of the Recreation Center is to encourage a lifetime of health and wellness for the students, faculty, and staff of Rice University by promoting the physical, social, and emotional benefits of physical activity. A wide array of recreational programs and services have been created and offered to increase knowledge about and provide opportunities for developing healthy behavior patterns.
You may sign up for payroll deduction by logging into iO and choosing the Rec Center icon.
Visit the Membership Rates page for more information on the costs.
The section below is for benefits-eligible employees:
Virta
Virta provides everything needed to lower your blood sugar, lose weight, and reduce or eliminate the need for diabetes medications. Virta members receive testing supplies, medical oversight, and individualized health coaching needed to succeed, all at no cost to you.
Click on the link below to check your eligibility.
WeightWatchers
November Newsletter - For weight loss to work, it has to work for you.
WeightWatchers help you overcome obstacles that get in the way of weight loss.
Are you living with diabetes? WW’s Diabetes-Tailored Plan, developed by nutrition and behavioral experts and backed by a multi-center clinical trial, is designed to help you lose weight and lower your blood sugar — and discover a supportive community.
For more information, please visit our website.
New Hire Benefits Information Sessions
Rice University offers a wide range of benefits to all benefits-eligible employees. However, maneuvering and understanding all available options can sometimes be challenging. The benefits team now has new hire sessions every other Tuesday and Thursday to answer any questions or concerns you may have. Please have a look at the link below to see the dates and times for these sessions. We highly encourage your new employees to register.
To register for this month's sessions, click here.
Thank you,
Your Benefits Team