Healthy Online Content Gets a Push from RunKeeper

By Alicia Benjamin, Social Media Manager

In social media, you look to your peers to help you discover new, interesting content. In health, you look to friends and family to support and encourage you. Now the two worlds are colliding in a new way as RunKeeper, a fellow Boston start-up, introduces the Healthy button.

MeYou Health is excited to be one of their first partners in rolling out this new way to share healthy articles and online content, like the small healthy actions in Daily Challenge. You’ll also find the Healthy button on Well-Being Wire and right here on our blog, where you’ll find tips for living well.


When pushed, the Healthy button will share content straight to your RunKeeper fitness feed. In a way, it’s like hitting the Facebook like button on a news article or fun video you enjoyed. Only instead of being a recap of the popular Puppy Bowl, you’ll be sharing health-specific information to inspire and motivate others. (Not that the Puppy Bowl isn’t good for well-being... I mean, who can resist smiling when the puppies are that adorable?)

Not a RunKeeper user? No problem. You’ll be prompted to sign up the first time you hit the Healthy button in Daily Challenge, or wherever else you spot RunKeeper’s new Healthy button.

What are some of your favorite sites for discovering new health stories and articles?

Recap of the White House's Games for Healthcare Summit

By Bill Sabram, Lead Game Designer

Last week, I had the amazing opportunity to visit the White House (yes, the real deal) to sit down with innovative- and creative-thinkers at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology to discuss healthcare and gaming.

Now, I’ve had some pretty terrific experiences since joining MeYou Health. Like speaking at last year’s Games for Health Conference and being invited to Amsterdam to speak at Games for Health Europe. Going to the White House tops it all. 

The summit was structured like this: a) identifying current trends in games, b) an idea storm, c) mapping opportunities and d) discussing the potential federal role as these ideas go forward. It was a lively discussion.

What a gathering it was! The room was filled to capacity with 25 participants from games (MIT, Microsoft Kinect, Schell Games) government (NIH, ONC, HHS), research (USC, IFTF, Pew), and healthcare (Yale University School of Medicine, CDC, Kaiser) among others. Our three hosts were Wil Yu, Director, Innovations at Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT and Senior Advisor CMS Innovation Center, who wants to change how people perceive healthcare; Lygeia Ricciardi, Senior Policy Advisor for Consumer e-Health HHS / ONC, who is a big supporter of improved patient and consumer engagement; and Constance Squire, White House Office of Science and Technology, who wants to coordinate “too much screen time” into action and liberate healthcare data.

The sunshine, blue skies and warmth of this 60-degree midwinter day in Washington D.C. matched the bright, optimistic atmosphere in the room. I was honored to be a part of it.

Here are some key takeaways from the summit --

• Games are returning to their roots. Internet connected games + apps are becoming increasingly “casual” + “social” as new technologies (especially mobile technologies) connect us with people we care about in an increasingly social world wide web. Our well-being will improve as social networks are transformed into support networks.
• Degrees in game design programs around the world are legitimizing the role of the game designer and providing opportunities for people to solve the world’s problems with games.
• A good computer game adapts to the player: it is personal, incremental and rewarding. Our healthcare system should also do these things. Lead with the fun and healthy outcomes will follow.
• Don’t overlook low-to-“no tech” game solutions. You don’t need giant budgets and the latest technology to harness the power and potential of games for behavior change.
• Game consoles and smart phones can link us to our health care providers. Today’s consoles and phones are powerful, affordable and easy to use.
• Since fun takes many forms and means different things to different people, it must be carefully applied. But it cannot be overlooked. The betterment of healthcare requires that we consciously craft tools with these qualities: wonder, joy, surprise and delight. Fun will not bloom and grow on its own.
• The actions of a player in a good game mirror the actions that we need in the healthcare space. You are your own agent of change. Games can motivate people to take charge of their health and well-being.

Before joining MeYou Health, I was the president of my neighborhood association for eight years. I used to joke that even the President of the United States gets a break after two terms :) I believe in the power of strong neighborhoods and neighbors working together to improve their collective well-being. Taking my commitment to communities to the federal government and contributing to this exciting dialogue about games for health is something that I will never forget.

This four-hour meeting held in the Truman Room was expertly facilitated, complete with an illustrator capturing our contributions as beautiful 3’ x 5’ posters. It was an honor to serve in this manner and I’m optimistic about the good that games can generate for all Americans.

7 Ways to Show Yourself a Little Love this Valentine’s Day

This is a guest post written by Elizabeth Jarrard,  a Boston-based nutritionist and soon-to-be Registered Dietitian  

 "You, yourself, as much as anyone else in the universe, deserve your love and respect." -Buddha

Valentine’s Day. A day to exchange sweet nothings with your loved ones, shower them with roses and chocolates and hope for another year of love. A day to make and remember important, wonderful traditions and memories. But did you ever stop and tell yourself that you loved you? Have you shown your body the respect it deserves today?  

While we worry about the life we create and the people we share it with, sometimes our inner dialogue can be quite mean: “I hate my hips/butt/thighs/arms/you name it!” “I feel so guilty for eating that.” “I shouldn’t have eaten dessert last night.” This negative self-dialogue is self-defeating, and it brings down your self-esteem every time those thoughts cross your mind. And there’s nothing less attractive than negative self-hate.

7 ways to show yourself a little self love this Valentine’s Day --

1. Appreciate your body for what it does, rather than how it looks. Instead of bemoaning your stomach as you get dressed, rejoice in the strength of your core, legs and arms.
2. Write a list of 5 things you love about yourself today.
3. Learn to say no to things that don't help or support you and your journey.
4. Take at least 5 minutes out of today to do something for yourself. Take a relaxing bath, go for a walk, get a massage.
5. Leave comparison at the door. Comparing yourself to others in a negative light won’t help them and can only hurt you.
6. Focus on health, strength, joy and energy rather than weight. Eat healthfully and engage in physical activity that makes you feel great, rather than tired and drained.
7. Stand tall and project confidence. Confidence is sexy. Embrace it!

This Valentine's Day, as you give some love to your parents, siblings, friends and companion, share a little bit of love with yourself. Allow yourself to fall deeply in love with yourself. Give yourself the gift of accepting the person you are today and love all of you this Valentine’s Day and every day after. 

Question: What do you love most about yourself?

Elizabeth Jarrard is a nutritionist based in Boston, MA. With a B.S in Nutritional Sciences from Boston University she hopes to heal her clients’ relationships with food and their bodies. You can find her running on the Esplanade, sweating in hot yoga, cooking in the kitchen, or exploring. Follow Elizabeth on Twitter @ElizabethEats or read her two blogs: Guiltless and Don’t (White) Sugar Coat It.

HEALTH IN FOCUS: Aging in America Ain’t Pretty

By Alicia Benjamin, Social Media Manager

This morning, I found yet another gray hair. I can still remember how I felt when I discovered my very first, like it singed my fingers with its alien concept: aging is inevitable. I was in my twenties.

Today I looked at the tiny hair the same way I looked at my first: in a state of puzzlement. Maybe the light was playing tricks on me?

I’ll never forget my older sister’s joke, “Just wait until you turn 30. Your body falls apart.”

Well, I’m past 30. I do notice small changes. I’m not as resilient on little or no sleep. My hands more closely resemble my mother’s – the tendrils of veins an unexpected inheritance I’ve grown to appreciate. I’ve tossed out many a high heel in lieu of flat-bottomed comfort.

I love my TOMS.Getting older gives us the opportunity to grow into our own. I mean, do we forever want to be who we were at age nineteen? And kinks and aches aside, with aging comes wisdom. I can only hope to reach the day when I’ll be able to bounce my great-grandchild on my knee and tell him stories about what his great-granny accomplished in her life.  On a lighter note when I'm in my 70's, I may still be persnickety about Footloose being unnecessarily remade. C’mon, it’s Kevin Bacon! (He’s aged quite well, hasn’t he?)

Regardless of how I feel about my own grays, there’s no debating that we’re experiencing what’s known as “the graying of America.” Just four short years ago, nearly 108 million people in the U.S. were over the age of 45, comprising over 40% of the population at that time. By 2022, the population of 50- to 64-year-olds will grow by 50%, and the 65+ population will grow by 32%. Gray, as the saying goes, will be the new black.

Unfortunately, the concept of getting old in America has a lot of negative perceptions and connotations. There’s a tendency to deny the fact that we’ll all get older. Instead, we search for miracle tonics and spend more billions ($10B in 2009!) on plastic surgery. Even researchers are trying to find a drug that will slow down the aging process.

According to one semi-recent Aveeno study, women aged 45 and older are increasingly likely to say that they feel "less beautiful" with the ticking of the clock. Less beautiful – despite what they may have accomplished or experienced in life. Nearly 60% of women admitted that the effects of aging have some level of importance in their lives, with nearly a quarter saying it's very important to them. So what are they most afraid of? Sagging skin, wrinkles, and gray hair.

Here I am (left) with my older and beautiful sister. I can attest to that. Finding another gray hair rooted me in the truth: I’m not getting any younger. Of course, this realization can take me down two different paths: panic or acceptance. I strive for the latter by acknowledging the value of the important lessons of my youth but also by knowing that there’s still so much of life in front of me.

No matter if you’re 30, 50, or 70, your body doesn’t have to fall apart. (Sorry, sis.) Nor does your view of yourself have to be less of anything. Why can’t it be more?

The Aveeno study focused solely on American women, but what about the women of the rest of the world? In many countries, the older generation is not judged by their looks or Medicare dependency. Instead, it’s about honor and legacy.

Elders in many other cultures are the most revered members of the family. They are both the heart and nucleus. They’re viewed as knowledgeable, experienced, and compassionate. For example:

• In American Indian families, the grandmother is the heart of the family; as she ages, the family cares for her in return for her years of devotion.
• Latino cultures hold their elders in high regard because of their inner strength. When they can no longer care for themselves, it is expected that their children will care for them.
• In the Japanese culture, age represents authority and wisdom, and elders act as family advisors.
• In India, the elders are figures of authority and control the wealth of the family.

Photo source: Talking Eyes Media

Americans can learn a lot from other cultures. Aging doesn’t mean you’ll become helpless or incompetent. How you view getting older is your choice, and to dread or resent aging is to set oneself up for a long walk of misery.  Not only that, older Americans who adopt stereotypical views of the elderly are more likely to fulfill them. More so, young people who stereotype the elderly may be at risk of heart disease many years down the road. 

Of course, embracing the idea of getting older may be easier said than done. Connie Goldman, author of The Ageless Spirit, has some advice for us: 

• Concentrate instead on what you gain, such as wisdom, patience, insight, and a slower pace.
• Celebrate the fact that you continue to grow. Growth is far more important than youth. (We don't look or think the same way we did when we were younger, nor should we.)
• Ask yourself, "Who am I now that I'm not who I was?" Quit living in the past and recognize the wonderful gift of reinvention. We should grow whole, not old.

In other words, we can’t stop the clock or nix achy knees altogether, but we can do something else: switch up our perspective. Goldman advises us to look at “youthing versus aging” and recognize the part we play in perpetuating the negative feelings people have about getting older. After all, only we can change our own perspective and, in turn, influence how others in our lives think about aging.

I hope by the time I’m pinching my great-grandchild’s cheeks and wearing out my Footloose DVD, we have created a new way to describe getting older. Let’s not call it aging anymore. Let’s call it living.

Daily Challenge Member Spotlight: Meet Aaron R.

I joined Daily Challenge because… I wanted to have something that "needed" to be completed each day. Something to get me going for the day like a psychological breakfast. It was only later that I discovered the joys of having connections and getting support from people all over the country.

My dream vacation is… at the moment, a long trip traveling through Europe, though Hawaii and Australia are next on the list.

If I could go back and say one thing to my teenage self, it would be… stay active/exercise (even if you don't think you need it)

To me well-being means... that I am balanced in mind, body and Spirit; that every day I wake up with aspirations and the energy to accomplish my goals. Well-being means that even if something unwanted or unsavory happens in life, I am able to continue with any commitments (social or otherwise) I've made with minimal detriment to my emotional state.

 On the weekends I like to… Depending on the weather, a walk around the city, a trip to a museum, a drink at a local pub or a movie are all possibilities. Then there are the activities in which I partake which are not the usual for most people such as FireWalking and Arrow-breaking.

My proudest moment was … auditioning (for Harold Prince and about 15 other Tony award winners to play the lead in a Broadway show at 17 years old.

I am inspired by… Courage, Creativity and a positive attitude.

Favorite Song: my two favorite classical pieces are L'après-midi d'un faune by Debussy and the original piano version of "Pictures at an Exhibition" by Mussorgsky

 My favorite thing about Daily Challenge is… the challenges themselves, although I am greatly enjoying being inspired and inspiring others.

Would you like to be in our member spotlight? Click here to learn how.