Visit the Reshape The Nation Blogs

Reshape the Nation was developed as a model to teach, activate, and inspire over-weight obese individuals to a renewed life of health. RTN is a resource to guide you through your transformation and through every step of the weight loss journey. RTN teaches you how your body works in a fast, highly efficient, and fun way, to transform your health one pound at a time. This approach is about saving lives and is available to anyone willing to take the first step. Begin now by taking the time to review & read the daily lessons and real-life solutions offered by RTN. Learn to experience and understand your bodies energy levels, and pledge to share your success with others along the way. Promise?

Reshape The Nation

Follow Chris & David's journey

Wellness & the Grocery Isle, Safeway Model

Self-insured employer, Safeway focuses on prevention rather than disease treatment. Seventy percent (70%) of Safeway health care costs directly result from behavior, and greater than two thirds (2/3rds)of the costs are attributable to four chronic health conditions (cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity) and all four of those conditions are preventable by changing behaviors.

Safeway’s plan focuses on four areas: smoking, healthy weight, blood pressure and cholesterol, providing employees with premium discounts for maintaining condition specific bio-markers in a healthy range. In the past four years they have seen plateau in health care costs for the company, but also a workforce that has smoking and obesity rates that are a mere 70% of the national average.

Watch CEO Steven A. Burd, talk about the Safeway story:

Travel Nurse Across America

Today's severe shortage of nurses and allied health staff in the United States and around the globe has increased the need for these professionals in a variety of working environments and job roles. To enhance recruitment of qualified Registered Nurses, hospitals and travel nurse recruitment/staffing agencies are frequently offering exceptional incentives including higher pay, assistance with relocation, free housing or subsidies, fantastic health benefits, 401k's, continuing education and in some cases financial bonuses.

There are many reasons health care professionals may choose to travel including a higher wage, opportunities for professional growth & development, as well as a sense of adventure. If you've ever considered the idea of a travel assignment you may have also had some questions too. Check out this list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) and their answers. Traveling health care professionals typically select recruitment agencies to act as a liaison or go-between the traveler the recruiting hospital or facility, and other potential employer organizations. If you are looking for a travel nursing agency that works harder for you, contact Travel Nurses Across America

Travel Nurse across America is a national health care staffing agency that places nurses and travel therapists on multi-week travel assignments in client health care facilites in all 50 states.

World's Fastest Growing Disease

Are you at risk for the world's fastest growing disease?

Risk Factors:
• I am over 40 years old.
• I have (or have had) a blood relative with diabetes.
• I have had a baby weighing more than 4 kgs (9 pounds), or have had diabetes during pregnancy.
• I don’t exercise regularly (ie. Exercise less than half an hour per day, three days per week).
• My waist measurement is more than 100 cms (40 inches) for a man or more than 95 cms (37 inches) for a woman.
• My blood pressure is higher than 140/90 or I take blood pressure medication.
• I was born in Southern Europe, the Middle East, South East Asia; am Polynesian, or Asian Indian.
• I urinate excessively.
• I am always thirsty.
• I have just lost weight for no reason.
• I sometimes have numbness or tingling in my feet or legs
• I have blurred vision
• I’m always tired
• I have itching skin or I often have skin infections.

Find out more: >> http://bit.ly/EPlW4

CDC Health-e-Cards: Welcome

Encourage a Friend: Send a CDC Health-e-Card!

Select a CDC Health-e-Card and send a free, colorful greeting that encourages healthy living to a friend today. Each greeting promotes safe activities year-round, celebrates a health- and safety-related event, and may help your friend, co-worker or loved one stay healthy.

CDC Health-e-Cards: Welcome

Happy 4th of July 2009

Transformational Weight Loss, Charles Eisenstein

The book is subtitled "A personal revolution for food and body sanity," Charles Eisenstein describes a simplistic alternative to the virtual roller coaster ride many of us take everyday in terms of personal-denial, pain staking self-control, and the ongoing turmoil of dieting. He lays the ground work for finding freedom and self-acceptance via an in-you-face reality "that if trying hard hasn't worked, trying harder is only doing more of what didn't work in the past". A major focus repeated in the book relates to ones self-activation coupled with the fundamental acceptance and notion that the self is hard-wired for change and resilience.

If your looking for a text that answers all of your questions about diet and exercise this may not be your read. I say that because you may not be ready, because in many ways the answers are not found in any book, but from within, inside your body and your life. You are the one holding the keys to activating your possible & future self. Transformational Weight Loss underscores the fact that there are few if any rules about what to or not to do. Instead it presents a whole new way of thinking about your relationship with food (past, present & future), more of a self-healing and holistic approach to food, exercise, and the body.

Truly transformational, in that is delves deeper into the emotions baked into the micro nutrients of food-experience, with a hefty dose of common sense. I have books galore on my shelves about diet, nutrition and exercise however this book is a refreshing re-frame, especially for anyone who is truly ready to transform themselves as well as the many levels of mental, emotional, and spiritual self-activation and re-education that go along with it."



Thank your Charles for sharing "real food", and helping to turn food back into what it is meant to be - simply nourishment - and getting people to move beyond the emotional hurdles and baggage that may stand in their way every time they go to eat something.

But "real food" is about much more - its about a genuine sense of connectedness to the many associations that we invite into our lives, and the unique relationships that we build around the feelings, energy and activation that are unleashed as a result of being open to exploring new concepts and horizons in our life long journey.

Rod's Health Care Story

Rod's Health Care Story

Dear Mr. President:

I'm not sure if you will ever get this note, but I wanted you to know that I am a proud supporter of your plan - especially as it relates to affordable health care for all, and more importantly an expansion of preventative health care outreach and wellness promotion services in our nations workplaces and schools.

As an occupational health nurse and clinician with twenty plus years of experience in the field, I work with citizens of all ages everyday across the great state of Oregon who struggle with managing their chronic health conditions and how to pay for their prescription medications. I'm keenly aware of a fragmented health care system that is broken, as well as the obvious signs of a looming social and fiscal crisis that we may face as a nation and society if we fail to swiftly intervene in health care cost containment, enhanced access to care strategies & health promotion policy investments today.

The system in many ways needs to be tipped on it's head. Today nearly ninety seven cents of every dollar is being spent on 10 - 15 % of the nations population with acute & chronic conditions for reactive treatment and support. This leaves 85% of the even larger next generation, both aging boomers and our unhealthier youth poised for tipping into this ever expanding moderate/high risk space simply because they lack adequate screening programs, health promoting physical environments and preventive services.

Though I am working feverishly to drive health promotion programing for workplace wellness (diabetes, cardio-metabolic decease, respiratory disease and depression, and our youth's escalating overweight & obesity issues) I have yet to see funding from the recovery & stimulus plan to aid in proactive outreach and intervention efforts.

- Department of Health and Human Services Prevention and Wellness Fund - $1,000,000,000

- Prevention and Wellness Fund immunization program - $300,000,000

- Prevention and Wellness Fund evidence-based clinical and community-based prevention strategies - $650,000,000

- Prevention and Wellness Fund reduction in incidence of health-care-associated infections - $50,000,000

I want to help, but know I can make much more of a difference in the trenches, with workers, their employers, our states educators/teachers, parents/families and the youth in our schools. "We need to seize this crucial moment in time to make the promises of change in health care for our great nation a reality"

The manner in which society supports it's people, through nurturing, investments and personal engagement, will be a strong determinant to the future progress, productivity and durability of this society. Research has shown that intentionally meeting our citizens health care needs and supporting the factors that protect them is the best way to equip them to overcome life challenges.

It's my opinion that local community partnerships along with broad-based state & regional coalitions will be critical pathways to this end. Let people like myself and other health professionals at the grass-roots give this movement a voice. Together I believe we will. A shining example of programs that truly touch people where they live, work and in this case play is the We Can! campaign http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/

Best,

Rod Hart RN, COHN - Newberg Oregon

cc: Offices of Governor Ted Kulongoski, Senator Ron Wyden, Kate Brown, Secretary of State, Congressmen Earl Blumenauer

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Complete Guide to Physical Activity for a Healthy Heart (NHLBI)

From the NHLBI:

About 60 percent of U.S. adults do not get the recommended levels of physical activity, yet research suggests that regular physical activity is essential for maintaining a healthy heart. To help people jump-start and maintain a physical activity program for their heart, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has developed a new publication.

“Your Guide to Physical Activity and Your Heart” presents comprehensive and easy-to-understand information on the impact of physical activity on your heart, as well as the power of physical activity to keep you healthy overall"

In addition to providing information on protecting your heart, the guide also addresses the many other benefits of regular physical activity like burning extra calories, building stamina, improving balance, strengthening your lungs, and boosting the way you feel. It deals with the myths and motivational barriers associated with physical activity, while providing practical advice and suggestions for getting the most health benefits from a physical activity program.

The new guide is the latest in the NHLBI Your Guide to Better Health series. The series provides easy-to-read science-based health information and features compelling testimonials from people about their real-life experiences with improving their health. Other Guides include Your Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure With DASH; Your Guide to a Healthy Heart; Your Guide to Lowering Your Cholesterol With TLC; Your Guide to Living Well With Heart Disease; and Your Guide to Healthy Sleep.

The guides can be downloaded for free from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/phy_active.htm or can be ordered through the NHLBI Information Center, (301) 301-592-8573 or 240-629-3255 (TTY) or online at http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/yourguide/.