The trucking industry is no place for a weakling. The physical demands that are required to be truck drivers are underestimated by non-truckers to say the least. There are ways to get around some of these demands without becoming a bodybuilder, but physical strength is a part of driving truck. However having physical strength is not more important than having strength of spirit. Those in this industry face some very stressful days and situations. You must be strong willed and have “thick skin” to work in it. Use the time you spend alone to build your strength. We can help you with your workout. Give us a call. Click here to comment.

Stress is a normal part of life. Your body is conditioned to produce cortisol, a naturally-occurring hormone, to help you manage stressful situations. The daily stresses that are constantly bombarding people, from dealing with the dangers of traffic to managing money and family relationships, cause your body to overproduce cortisol, and this overproduction can put your health at risk. The effects on your body include:
• Heart Disease
• Sleep problems
• Digestive problems
• Depression
• Obesity
• Memory impairment
• Skin conditions such as eczema

Learning healthy ways to cope with stress can help alleviate stressors. Here are a few things you can do to help:
• Eat a healthy diet; get regular exercise and plenty of sleep.
• Practice relaxation techniques; take deep breaths, release slowly. Stretch your body while breathing in deeply and releasing.
• Focus on a peaceful scene; if you are not around nature, look at pictures.
• Develop healthy friendships; having someone to talk to helps release stress. Visit one of our chapels for a friendly, listening ear.
• Have a sense of humor; most of the time, things really aren’t that bad.
• Remember that laughter really is the best medicine!

Following these tips can improve your overall health and combat the effects of stress. If you still have problems or need help with achieving stress management, visit DriversWellness.com and click on the Lighthouse Network button. Also, take time to visit one of our chapels – our chaplains are always ready to listen. Click here to comment.

After a long day of driving, you pull into a travel plaza, looking forward to a delicious meal. What kinds of food are appealing to you? Do you head for the salad bar, the grill, or some fast food? And more importantly, do you shovel it in to appease your hunger, or do you take time to savor the wonderful flavors and textures of your meal?

Hopefully, you will take time to enjoy your meal. Rushing through a high caloric, low nutrient meal and washing it down with caffeine fills your stomach, but later your body crashes because you haven’t given it what it needs to function. This leads to more eating, even if you just ate, because your body is craving nutrients.

Food choice is just as important as relaxed dining. Did you know that some food items can contain as much as a full day’s worth of calories and sodium? Serving sizes have grown in the last twenty years. What appears to be a single food item is often a serving size that can feed two people! For instance, twenty years ago, a cheeseburger had 330 calories. Today that same “super-sized” burger can contain 590 calories. Add to that fries, soda, and dessert, and you could end up eating an entire day’s calories in one sitting.

And have you noticed the size of bagels these days? According to a brochure from the National Institutes of Health, twenty years ago, a bagel was three inches in diameter and had 140 calories. Today, the bagel has grown to six inches and contains 350 calories.

Everyone likes tasty foods. However, a study conducted by The Center for Science in the Public Interest found that foods advertised as stacked, stuffed, and topped, are the worst offenders. These foods, sold at national restaurant chains, can have as many as 2,000 calories, 68 grams of saturated fat, and as much as 3,000 mg of sodium!

The next time you stop for a meal, remember to look for food items that contain omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, tryptophan, folate, and other B vitamins, as well as low glycemic foods. These food items go a long way to satisfy hunger and keep your stress levels low. Watch your portion size and remember to eat slowly.

Here are some tips you can use:
• Have some avocado on your salad; it is a good source of fatty acids (the GOOD fat).
• Poultry (chicken and turkey) contains tryptophan, a mood stabilizer.
• Low glycemic foods (not full of sugar and starch) help you avoid sugar crashes and keep your mood even.
Search the Internet for a listing of these foods.
• Vegetables and fruits are great sources of fiber and minerals.

Here are some tips to cut your calorie consumption:
• Switch from whole milk to 2%, 1%, or non-fat.
• Use lettuce, tomato, onions, and pickles on your burger and eliminate the cheese.
• Split a bagel with someone, or eat an English muffin.
• Leave the croutons off the salad and use a vinegar/olive oil mixture instead of heavy dressings.
• Have steamed vegetables instead of starchy potatoes or pasta.
• Eat the pie filling and leave the crust.

The book Eat This, Not That is a good source of information in making better choices at restaurants and grocery stores.

Try these healthy eating tips for a week and see how you feel. Are you more energetic? Less stressed? Sleeping better? Let us know! Click here to comment.