In this episode Lacy chats with Corporal Harold Estep, a State Trooper from the Texas Department of Public Safety. Corporal Estep shares his inspiring story about how he lost 50 pounds and kept it off for over 10 years. He talks about his passion for health and fitness and gives practical tips on how to stay in shape.

Key Takeaways:

• Harold’s Journey: Learn how and why Harold became a state trooper
• Harold's Health Transformation: lost 50 pounds and the steps he took to maintain his weight loss.
• Staying Motivated: Discover Harold’s strategies for staying motivated
• Coaching: Find out how coaching works and how you can support those around you with this process.
• Discover how Harold's Used Identity Reinforced his Habits: Harold shares how he started seeing himself as a fitness professional and that kept him on track. He wanted to be authentic!

Resources:

• DPS Fitness Wellness Unit Resources
• HealthSelect Behavior Change Programs

In this episode of the ERS Walk & Talk Podcast, host Lacy sits down with Alexis Schminke, a Senior Training Specialist at DPS in the Aircraft Division, and a Certified Holistic Nutritionist with a background in chemistry and exercise physiology. They delve into key takeaways from the book "Metabolical" by Robert Lustig and discuss strategies for understanding and reducing sugar intake for improved health.

Key Points Discussed:

• What is sugar? and how it's hidden in foods.
• How sugar gets processed in the body
• How sugar is hidden in foods and why juice isn't good for us
• The NOVA food scale- what is processed food
• Strategies to eliminate some sugar from our diets

Check out our full Sugar Savvy webinar for more info or read Metabolical for yourself!

Lacy interviews her own Airrosti (AIR-ROSTI) health care provider who has helped every member of her family with their injuries and pain over the years. Dr. Renfro talks about the most common types of pain he treats, like lower back, shoulder and neck pain, and some of the more interesting cases he’s treated. Airrosti’s unique approach to the recovery of soft tissue resolves most issues in roughly three visits. Find out what an hour of one-on-one, individualized patient care looks like with Airrosti providers, who are in-network (no referral necessary) to HealthSelect of Texas plan participants for a $25 copay.

Resources:

https://www.airrosti.com/

Lacy talks with Sarah Karnes, Director of Library Development and Networking at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) and Andrew Glass, Director of Records Management at ERS about the boundless resources available through state and local libraries!

Resources:
Texas State Library and Archives Webpage
Current Lobby Exhibit: Extra, Extra, Eyes of the World on Texas
TexShare Program
Find your Local Library

Lacy talks with Oscar Mendoza, Deputy Executive Director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, who experienced a profound shift in his leadership after experiencing profound grief and introspection. When he lost Warden Sergio Perez to a preventable health event that cut his life short in his forties, Mr. Mendoza started to ask himself how he, a longtime TDCJ employee and a leader, could be contributing to a culture in which an employee would prioritize work over their own health, and how he could change that by changing himself. He talks about how “we can still be committed, … but not at the cost of neglecting ourselves,” and what TDCJ is doing to shift agency culture to one that values not just the employee, but also the person.

Resources to help you prioritize your health:

• Order a VirtualCheckup home kit and complete your annual preventive exam
• Wondr Health
• Real Appeal
• ERS Wellness Webinars
• Free Virtual Fitness Classes

Lacy talks with Dr. Jonathan Singer, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology and director of the GRILL Lab at Texas Tech University, which studies and provides support around Grief and Response to Illness into Late Life (GRILL). Dr. Singer shares his scientific understanding about the grieving process (spoiler alert: it looks different for everyone), how long grief can last, ways we can prepare ourselves to face grief, and when it may be appropriate to seek professional help with your grief. You are sure to learn something new, positive and useful in this episode, including the free resources available to family caregivers of someone with life-limiting illnesses, such as cancer or dementia.
Jonathan Singer
GRILL Lab
HealthSelect Mental Health Resources
The Grieving Brain: the Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss by Mary-Frances O’Conner, Ph.D. (book)

Lacy talks with David Michel, CEO of Catapult Health, the provider of an exciting NEW benefit for those who want to stay healthy or improve their health – the Catapult Health VirtualCheckup®. By making it easy to get a check-up from the comfort of your home, David embodies the adage: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Hear about the personal journey that led him to his new purpose: to improve the lives of others.

You’ll also learn:

• what a VirtualCheckup looks like,
• top conditions that VirtualCheckups catch, helping you prevent a life-threatening health event.

Whatever stands in the way of getting your annual check-up with your doctor, you will want to get a VirtualCheckup after listening to this episode. HealthSelect plan participants pay nothing for VirtualCheckups.

Apply for your Virtual Checkup Kit

More Resources:

Virtual Checkup Flyer
Government Code Chapter 664- State Agency Wellness Policy

Lacy talks with thought leader Todd Whitthorne about the ways our environment is designed for us not to be healthy – to move very little, to eat processed food, and spend vastly more time passively consuming than actively connecting or creating. Because of our environment, it takes intention to act in ways that support our health and happiness. The first step is to be aware of what stands in our way… is it the distractions of your cell phone or the processed food that’s available everywhere? Is it living in a neighborhood that’s not “walkable”? Learn Todd’s favorite strategies for building a personal system for a healthy habit, like regular movement.

More resources to support your health and build healthy habits:

• Check out healthy lifestyle programs programs available to HealthSelect participants.
• Download our free habit tracker
• Join the Get Fit Texas! Challenge taking place between January 22-March 31st, 2024
• Watch a webinar on a health topic you are interested in.

Reach out with comments, questions and ideas to lacy.wolff@ers.texas.gov