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Protect Your Business When Using Social Media

Posted on August 3, 2011 by in From our Newsletter

By the beginning of 2011, the social networking Web site Facebook had more than 600 million users. An estimated 200 million people use micro-blogging service Twitter. The business networking site LinkedIn has reported that it has more than 100 million members. In addition, the Internet hosts millions of blogs and tens of thousands of podcasts. These sites and media, popularly known as “social media,” have opened up new ways for people and businesses to communicate with each other. As the numbers show, they have become extremely popular. Consequently, businesses are increasingly using social media to reach current and potential customers.

However, use of these services presents risks along with the potential benefits. For example:

  • Employees making posts on these sites may make inaccurate statements, particularly when not all the relevant facts of a developing situation are known.
  • They may inadvertently release confidential information.
  • They may make statements that embarrass the company, such as negative remarks about racial or ethnic groups.
  • They may make statements that violate a person’s privacy.
  • Disparaging statements may provoke others to sue the company for libel. For example, if an employee of a restaurant posts on Twitter that a competitor’s stew looks and tastes like cheap dog food, the competitor may sue.
  • Blog posts that offer advice may expose the employer to lawsuits if others take the advice and get undesirable results.
  • Disgruntled customers, employees or competitors may post disparaging comments about the company.
  • Any of these situations can harm the company’s reputation.

The company’s general liability insurance policy might not pay for the costs of defending against these claims or paying settlements. For example, the insurance will not cover losses resulting from:

  • An injury caused by or at the direction of an employee when he knew that the action would violate a person’s right to privacy
  • An injury caused by or at the direction of an employee when he knew that a statement was false
  • Claims that the business’s products or services do not live up to statements about their quality
  • Injury arising out of statements made on Internet chat rooms or bulletin boards the business owns or over which it has control
  • Unauthorized use of someone’s name or product in a manner that misleads that company’s potential customers

In addition, the insurance only covers liability for certain types of injuries that are not bodily injuries. It will not cover a lawsuit filed by someone who suffered financially after relying on advice on the company’s blog.

To reduce the chance that an uninsured loss will result from the use of social media, businesses should consider:

  • Written procedures for employee use of social media, including
    • Who may post on the company’s behalf
    • Definitions of acceptable and unacceptable behavior
    • Employees’ personal sites should make clear that the employees are not speaking on behalf of the company
    • When a discussion should move offline and into the company’s regular workflow (for example, when a customer has a specific complaint that should be handled out of public view)
    • The consequences of non-compliance.
  • Company policies regarding employees’ ability to link to the company’s Web site on their personal social media pages. The policy should also address employees’ use of the company name, logo, or other advertising on their sites.
  • Company policies on the content that employees may post on blogs, both those of the company and others blogs where the employees post on the company’s behalf.
  • Purchasing special insurance to fill in gaps left by the general liability coverage

Social media offers exciting new opportunities for businesses to build relationships with customers. However, they need to approach it with care and proper planning if they want to reduce the risks.


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Is it Possible to Get Reliable Health Information Online?

Posted on August 3, 2011 by in From our Newsletter

Individuals have more access to health information than they’ve ever had before. A simple Google search on a specific health topic can yield advice from hundreds of different sources. While access to the information has improved with the inception of the internet age, the resulting concern is often the quality and reliability of the various information and contributors.

One recent survey discovered 60% of all adults have looked up health information online at least once. Meanwhile, another study reviewed multiple online health-related studies and concluded that online health information aimed at consumers is often biased, inaccurate, or otherwise flawed.

The Problem?

So why is it that so many health websites publish misleading and inaccurate information?

Some entities operating health-related sites have a hidden agenda behind the information they’re providing to the consumer. Drug companies often finance groups promoting awareness for previously unrecognized conditions to literally create consumer demand for their new, expensive drugs – a tactic known as disease mongering. For instance, according to Dartmouth Medical School researchers, restless leg syndrome didn’t become a diagnosed disease until a drug company first developed a drug to treat it. Furthermore, a recently published study in the American Journal of Public Health concluded that many health advocacy groups taking funding from drug companies fail to disclose this fact to consumers.

Other entities operating health-related websites might be providing misinformation because they choose to disregard scientific evidence that disputes or contradicts whatever health belief they’re promoting. For example, despite the exhaustive research that led to the U.S. Institute of Medicine’s 2004 finding that there’s not a relationship between autism and childhood vaccinations, many supposed health websites are still scaring parents into thinking autism can be caused by vaccinating their children against potentially deadly diseases. One can run into a similar situation with Morgellons disease. Despite the current scientific consensus that Morgellons isn’t some new, unexplained dermopathy, but rather a manifestation of delusional parasitosis, many health websites are still making claims that the etiology is a parasitic infection.

The Solution

It’s simply not practical or affordable for an individual to make a doctor appointment for every health question they come across. So the solution isn’t to disregard the internet for health questions or information, but rather to use it selectively. Here are two tips:

1. Before trusting a health-related website’s information, ask yourself the following questions:

* Is the information current?
* Where did the information come from?
* Who’s contributing and controlling the website’s content?

2. Only use websites that have been certified by a quality rating organization, such as the Health On the Net Foundation (HON), or that have been otherwise deemed trustworthy. HON’s search engine will only show results from websites providing objective information that’s consistent with sound scientific evidence, such as by the Healthfinder.gov website. The nonprofit website FamilyDoctor.org, which is supported by the American Academy of Family Physicians, is another reliable source of medical information for consumers.

The internet can help individuals become more informed about their health and more capable in making some decisions about their health care, such as if they should get screened for a particular cancer based on symptoms they may be experiencing or their medical history. However, one should never use the information on any health website, regardless of its reliability, to self-diagnose and/or self-treat.

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Three Points to Consider Before Altering Your Employee Benefits Plan

Posted on August 3, 2011 by in From our Newsletter

Three Points to Consider Before Altering Your Employee Benefits Plan

Just like most employees, most businesses start to look at ways they can cut their expenses during difficult economic times. One common focal point of such is employee benefits programs, especially in the area of health benefits. Considering that health benefits are frequently the most expensive aspect of a company’s benefits program, this may seem like a reasonable, logical place for an employer to take cost-cutting measures. However, employers should carefully consider what the consequences will be from making cuts to their employee benefits programs; whether or not there are any alternative cost-cutting options available; and, if benefits cuts are a must, how they can lessen the impact.

The Consequences

Let’s say you, as an employer, decide to target your employee benefits program and make some significant cost shifts toward your employees with the idea you’ll cut costs and save money. If the cost shift involves higher deductibles and/or co-pays for employees, then they may procrastinate seeing a physician when they’re suffering symptoms of illness or injury, forgo or delay filling vital prescription medications, and do without wellness care. If the cost shift involves premium increases, then many employees, especially young and relatively healthy ones, might decide to drop coverage altogether. The exodus could leave your plan with a larger and more undesirable risk pool.

These types of cost shifts can very well cost the health plan more money over the long run. Furthermore, it can negatively impact your company’s financial bottom line when it comes to employee morale, productivity, disability costs, and absenteeism.

What’s The Alternative?

An alternative to cost shifts would be to focus your benefit dollars on the measures that will enhance employee well-being and overall health. Some ideas would include:

* Using incentives to motivate employees to participate in wellness activities, such as weight loss and fitness programs, tobacco cessation classes, and nutrition education and counseling.

* Using incentives to motivate employees to participate in activities that can screen and detect serious medical conditions, such as glucose level testing, blood pressure screenings, cholesterol testing, and completion of health risk assessments.

* Providing extensive preventive care coverage.

* Having an employee assistance program (EAP) available to your employees can be especially helpful during poor economic conditions since it can provide resources and/or referrals for things like financial counseling, crisis intervention, and stress management.

If You Must…

Despite the negative consequences, you might feel that cost-shifting is your only feasible option. If so, make sure that you do everything possible to soften the blow to your employees. Here are some ideas:

* Offer voluntary benefits to your employees. This will cost you little, if any, money. While the employee will be responsible for most to all of the cost, they’ll benefit from group rates, convenient payroll deductions for the premiums, and the ability to personalize their coverage selections to meet their own unique needs.

* Offer flexible spending accounts (FSAs), which will let employees pay for health care expenses with pre-tax dollars and get the most of their health care dollars.

* Offer employees consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs). These plans can be combined with reimbursement plans such as HRAs and HSAs for an overall savings.

All of the above options have a commonality in that they each require an employee to get more personally involved in their own health and the management of their health-related benefits. Whether the change makes the employee more vigilant in scheduling preventive care visits, participating in wellness activities, or budgeting future health care expenses, the employee is assuming more responsibility for their health care and its management. Individual responsibility on the part of the employee can be one of the best long-term cost-management tools available to an employer.

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Employee Handbook Serves as a Vital Communications Tool

Posted on July 7, 2011 by in From our Newsletter

An employee handbook serves as a vital communications tool between a company and its employees. When well prepared, it informs employees about their employer’s mission, its employment policies and perks, and the consequences of not following the rules-all in a tone appropriate to the reading audience. A comprehensive, clearly written employee handbook also can be a protective shield for an employer to use in a lawsuit or less formal employee confrontation situation.

Set the tone for your handbook by opening with a bit of history about your company, what are its goals and mission, and how employees fit in to this. Your employees, and the products they produce or services they provide, are the face of your company, and your handbook should inspire them to strive for excellence, both individually and as a team. Review the process for employee evaluation and opportunities for employee advancement.

Your handbook should summarize the benefits provided to employees. Briefly describe the health, disability, life, other insurance and retirement benefits plans your company offers, along with work/life programs, absence, vacation and leave policies, and government-mandated benefits. Only brief summaries are appropriate, as the employee handbook is not intended to provide the level of detail found in a summary plan description.

Safety in the workplace is important for all companies, regardless of industry. Guidelines ensuring workplace safety belong in an employee handbook. Rules regarding building security, drugs and alcohol, weapons, and workplace violence should be covered, along with issues specific to the line of work your company is in that impact safety, such as workplace chemicals, protective gear, etc. Also let employees know the procedures to follow in case of an emergency.

Your employee handbook should also cover workplace rules that comprise what amounts to an employee code of conduct. These include, for example, policies on harassment, discrimination, any dress code, and the like.

The handbook is also the place to inform employees of the consequences of not following company rules, whether they be regarding attendance, company property, workplace decorum or job performance. Clearly spell out grounds for firing, along with procedures for disciplinary action, including warnings, probationary periods and termination.

Advances in technology-and its availability in the workplace-have added new layers to employee handbook content. In addition to the topics covered above, today’s employee handbook needs to address appropriate uses of technology in the workplace, and what employees can and can’t do while on the job (blogging, visiting Facebook and Twitter, online shopping, etc.). Parameters of email communications also should be addressed, including transmission of chain mails and links to inappropriate Web sites.

The process of writing the handbook can be farmed out to a firm specializing in employee communications, or undertaken in house. Templates are available that can be used for this purpose; they contain the basic information common to most employee handbooks, and beyond this can be customized to your company. If using the template approach, be sure to run the finished product past your company legal counsel or human resources professional for a final review.


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Keeping your best employees when the economy improves

Posted on July 7, 2011 by in From our Newsletter

Employee job dissatisfaction is running high these days, meaning that, as the economy recovers, they are more likely to seek new employment opportunities. This finding, from a MetLife survey, indicates employers would be well-advised to work now on strategies geared toward improving employee loyalty and retention down the road.

The MetLife survey, its 9th Annual Study of Employee Benefit Trends, reports that upwards of one in three employees hopes to be working elsewhere in the next 12 months. The specific percentage varies from 34% to 38%, depending on company size. Given this inclination to bolt from their current employers, it’s not surprising to see that the percentage of employees who express a very strong sense of loyalty to their current employer has dipped below 50% (now 47%, compared with 59% in 2008). The percentage of employees who feel their company has a very strong sense of loyalty to them has dropped to 33% (from 41% in 2008).

Employers, understandably focused on recession-related business issues, remain unaware of this change in employee perception. From 2008 to 2010, a consistent 57% say they have a very strong sense of loyalty to their employees, and half consistently say their employees have a very strong sense of loyalty to them.

Employers need to be aware of changing employee sentiment, and act now to avoid having to face significant retention issues when the economy improves. As the economy rebounds and business picks up, companies can least afford to lose staff, particularly top performers. Consider a few of the following steps that companies can be taking today to address this:

  • Identify top performers and other employees who, for various reasons, you would hate to lose.
  • Make whatever tweaks you can afford to the compensation packages of these employees.
  • Employee loyalty isn’t created by money alone. Nurture an “all for one and one for all” attitude, by providing access to owners and executives, fostering teamwork, and making corporate strategies and mission a shared vision to the extent possible.
  • Look for non-monetary ways to compensate employees, like offering more flexible schedules where possible.
  • Show employees that their company appreciates them, through individual and group recognition.
  • Make the workplace a place where employees want to be, by cultivating a positive, mutually supportive corporate culture.
  • Invest in employee training, giving workers the opportunity to advance and your company better and more productive performers.

As the MetLife survey states, “A loyal and satisfied workforce is part of the foundation of business growth. Widening cracks in this foundation may force employers to pay a price in reduced retention and productivity when the job market improves.” Avoid this potentially expensive price tag for your company tomorrow, by attending to issues of employee loyalty, satisfaction and morale today.

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Five Tips to Keep Your Most Precious Cargo Safe on a Summer Road Trip

Posted on June 8, 2011 by in Benefit Statements, Benefits Education, Employee Communications, From our Newsletter

As the warmer summer months arrive, many families blow the dust off their suitcases and hit the road for a much-needed vacation. Of course, you should go through the normal checklist for your vehicle, such as checking your oil levels and air in your tires. But, for those traveling with babies and children, there may be some additional precautions to take before heading out on vacation.

Most parents are accustomed to the usual disturbances and distractions caused by children crying, spilling snacks, and fighting with their siblings in the backseat. Such incidents may be unavoidable, especially during lengthy road trips that test a child’s ability to sit still. However, there are a few tips to help you keep your focus on the road and ensure your family safely arrives at the destination. Add the following to your pre-takeoff checklist:

1. Check all child seats in the vehicle.

Even if you feel certain that your child’s safety or booster seat has been properly installed, double check it. You might have unknowingly made a mistake during the installation or after quickly moving it from one vehicle to another. According to the National Safety Belt Coalition, incorrectly installed car seats and misuse are responsible for the serious injuries and deaths of children in car accidents everyday. You may even consider taking your vehicle to an expert that can show you the correct way to use and install a booster or child safety seat. You can find a listing of certified child passenger safety technicians in your area at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) website.

2. Invest in a child safety mirror.

Such mirrors have become popular with parents that find themselves frequently traveling with their children. Most of these special mirrors are inexpensive. They are also easy to install; you just attach it to your rear view mirror. Now, you can occasionally see what your children are doing in the backseat without actually turning around and taking your eyes off the road. Your children will be less likely to get into mischief when they see that your mirror is essentially like having eyes in the back of your head.

For smaller children and infants in rear-facing car seats, you can use an infant mirror that attaches to the back seat’s headrest or rear window. It will be positioned so that you can see the baby when you look into your rear view mirror. Plus, your baby may be less fussy along the trip if he’s preoccupied with the entertainment of his/her own reflection.

3. Get some road trip entertainment for the kids.

Any parent knows that a bored child is typically much more likely to act up and get into trouble. This is a distraction that can be alleviated by packing your kids some new, fun activities to keep them entertained and out of trouble. Think about what your child may enjoy – books, games, puzzles, coloring books, a travel diary, movies, video games, and so forth. If your vehicle doesn’t have a DVD player, you may consider purchasing a portable one.

4. Give the kids frequent breaks.

Whether it be at a restaurant, rest stop, park, or even a local attraction, try to stop every two or three hours for a break. Pit stops may extend your overall travel time, but letting your kids burn off some energy and stretch their legs will be well worth it during long road trips.

5. Reassess your insurance needs and coverage.

About two weeks before your travel date, assess your auto insurance policy to make sure it’s congruent with your needs and offers sufficient financial protection. Most parents, especially new ones, don’t think about reviewing their auto insurance plan before they head out on vacation with a child in the backseat. However, raising a child is a huge financial responsibility that could prompt an increase to property damage or liability coverage.

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Don’t Let Unfounded Fear and Lack of Understanding Hold Employees Back From Participating in HRAs

Posted on June 8, 2011 by in Benefits Education, Employee Communications, From our Newsletter, Healthcare Refrom

When employers were faced with rising health care costs, the obvious initial choice was to attempt getting the costs under control. However, as costs have continued to rise and actions like plan redesigns and cost shifting haven’t yielded the desired results, many employers have since shifted their focus to how they could better engage their employees to actively manage their own health.

Some experts believe that health risk appraisals, or HRAs, are one of the best first steps employers can take to engage their employees in their own health management. An HRA is a simple tool that gathers information about various aspects of an employee’s health, such as weight and body mass index, lifestyle choices, exercise habits, and personal and familial medical histories. The information is generally gathered from an online questionnaire that’s provided by either the company’s insurer or wellness program provider. The HRA is often accompanied by blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol screenings. After the HRA information is gathered, it will provide feedback to the employee on their health status, suggestions on how to make improvements, and any appropriate follow-up medical care and interventions. For example, the HRA may specifically recommend an employee enter a disease management program or see a nutritionist.

Even though HRAs are a very logical method to get employees more involved in their own health management, many employees choose not to participate. Sometimes this participation reluctance stems from employees being unsure how the information they provide will be used and what their employer’s motives are in offering the HRA to them. For example, an employee might be concerned that the information they’d share on the HRA wouldn’t be kept confidential. Employees are also commonly concerned that their answers could result in them paying higher insurance premiums. Of course, such fears aren’t the reality of HRAs.

To address employee fears, employers need to ensure that their employees fully understand that the HRA information they provide will be protected under their HIPAA privacy rights; the HRA information will be for their own use and benefit, not for their insurer or employer; and that their health information will be protected from disclosure.

In addition to addressing employee privacy concerns, employers need to effectively communicate what the employee will get from participating in the HRA. To do this, HRA communications to employees should include the following key points:

* Knowledge is one of the best tools you can arm yourself with to stay healthy, and you will gather important information about your health by completing an HRA.

* What you gather from participating in an HRA can give you an early warning about any health issues you’re in the early stages of or are prone to developing. Knowing this can help you get the disease management, preventive care, or screenings you need.

* By staying healthier, you can usually lower your health care costs over the long run. Generally, treating a health issue at the early stages will both cost less and afford you more treatment options.

Offering incentives for their participation can provide employees with some additional encouragement to complete an HRA. In fact, a recent Watson Wyatt Worldwide and the National Business Group on Health survey found that over half of those participating offered their employees some sort of financial incentive if they completed an HRA. Only 12% of the respondents didn’t offer any incentive. The survey also found that incentives in the form of deductible or premium credits were most effective, as 67% of the respondents offering deductible credits and 73% of those offering premium credits reported that more than half of their employees participated in an HRA.

An HRA is a practical first step to take in engaging employees on their health management, and it can even serve as an entrance for other wellness programs. Do keep in mind that the employee and employer alike benefit when the employee maintains better health and lowers their health care expenses.

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Study Finds That Employees Value Benefits, But Still Don’t Understand The Costs

Posted on June 8, 2011 by in Benefit Statements, From our Newsletter

Whether an employee is old, young, male, or female, they most likely already understand the value and importance of benefits like dental insurance, health insurance, and 401(k)s.

That said, the consulting and research firm LIMRA surveyed 1,500 U.S. employees and found that 40% of them didn’t know the cost of their health insurance. Furthermore, of the 60% that felt they did know the cost of their health insurance, only 15% could actually state a reasonable cost estimate.

The results of the survey, which were published in LIMRA’s What Is $1 Billion an Hour Worth? Employee Perspectives on Benefits research report, were weighted to be representative of the U.S. labor force, including employer size, private/public company, male/female, and full/part-time employment. Here are some of the key findings:

* While employers frequently have the common misconception that younger employers don’t value benefits as much as their older employers, the survey suggests that younger employees actually value benefits almost as much as their older counterparts. It appears that the different values an employee places on benefits has more to do with life experience than it does life stage, education level, or salary level.

* LIMRA’s survey showed that U.S. employees generally significantly underestimate the health insurance premium percentage covered by their employer -and- the premium percentage they pay for non-medical benefits.

* Participants were asked what their number one factor would be when considering two similar job offers, each with comparable salaries. Benefits, such as dental, medical, and retirement plans, were the number one factor for 62% of the participants. Other important factors included: an employer’s stability (59%); paid leave (52%); competitive increases in salary (50%); the work environment (42%); an employer’s location (38%); fulfilling, rewarding, and challenging work (37%); an opportunity for personal growth (33%); an employer’s reputation (32%); a fair balance between personal life and work, such as telecommuting and flex time (31%); the growth potential of the employer (27%); monetary bonuses (26%); and an employer’s size (8%).

* While it’s clear that most employees value benefits, the research found that the majority didn’t understand the costs and didn’t know how much their benefits were worth. Such can often make it difficult for employees to make informed, knowledgeable decisions as they decide who to work for and what benefits to select.

* Considering that around 60% of employers have indicated that they plan to continue shifting the skyrocketing costs of benefits toward their employees, employees must know their benefit package’s price components and any potential lifestyle or financial changes facing them if any of these price components were to change in the future. The survey found that an employee’s decisions about their benefit package as a whole was impacted when they understood how much their benefit was currently costing and any projected cost increases for the future.

* According to the survey, most employees say they’re open to paying higher premiums to retain a current benefit plan that they’ve used regularly, such as their dental, vision, or medical coverages. However, a third of the respondents said that they found it difficult to pay for their benefits. Households with less than $25,000 in annual income found it particularly difficult to pay for benefits, but households with twice that amount of income also reported struggling to afford their benefits.

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Do Your Employees Appreciate Their Benefits and Make the Connection to Their Total Compensation?

Posted on May 4, 2011 by in Benefit Statements, Benefits Education, Employee Communications, From our Newsletter, Open Enrollment

Do Your Employees Appreciate Their Benefits and Make the Correlation to Their Total Compensation?

It’s just a fact that employers, especially those in highly competitive industries, must have a striking benefits package to remain competitive in attracting and retaining the best employees. You probably spend a great deal of time and money providing your employees with an attractive benefits package, but do they actually appreciate what you’ve invested? Do they even have the slightest idea of how much it costs you to provide them with it?

Sadly, most employers will find that their employees have no idea what they invest in providing good benefits. In fact, a number of surveys have shown that most employees vastly underestimate how much their employer contributes toward their benefits. These surveys also typically find that employees tend to have a negative attitude about the benefits their employer offers. Most employees tend to focus more on elements like cost-sharing methods and uncomfortably rising premiums.

The good news is that most employees don’t have this attitude because they’re ungrateful, but rather because they really just don’t realize how much it costs you to provide them with their benefits. Considering you want and need a return on such a major investment, you are left with figuring out how to better educate your employees on your side of the story. Total compensation statements are one way you can show and tell the compensation story and help employees better appreciate their benefits.

Give Employees a Total Compensation Statement

If you asked your employees to write down their total compensation, they’d probably write down their gross income. Even though what you pay toward an employee’s benefits makes up a substantial portion of what you’re paying to keep them, an employee rarely considers what you’re paying toward their benefits as compensation.

You can illustrate the value of total compensation by breaking it down into various parts charts and graphs like the ones myBenefitStatements uses when they create a total compensation statement.  When considering benefit total compensation statements, be sure to include any other compensation perks, such as employer-paid license fees, tuition reimbursement, on-site childcare, and so forth.

Include Cost as Part of Your Benefits Education

Most employers, whether it is during orientation for new employees or during annual enrollment periods, will provide at least one setting for employees to learn about their benefits. Employers shouldn’t miss out on the opportunity to also emphasize the value of the benefits being offered and to remind employees that benefits are part of their total compensation. myBenefitStatements is now partnering with a number of employer groups to provide total compensation statements during annual review time to show the total cost of benefits; what you, the employer, pays; and then the portion that the employee pays as well as pay increases and incentives paid throughout the year.

It will be impossible for you to capitalize on your investment in benefits if your employees don’t appreciate what you’ve invested. Remember, total compensation or benefit statements can go a long way to improve how your employees view their benefits.

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Think Past the Peel and Give Your Health a Chance

Posted on May 4, 2011 by in From our Newsletter

It’s nothing that your parents haven’t told you a million times, and if you’re a parent, that you haven’t told your own kids – eat your veggies. It may sound like a broken record at times, but the simple fact is that you decrease your susceptibility to almost every major disease when you incorporate veggies into your daily diet.

Of course, given that you don’t load them down with dips, butter, and sauces, vegetables are low in both fat and calories. However, one of the most important benefits is from the antioxidant properties of vegetables. Antioxidants are substances that have been found to protect your cells against the damaging and disease-contributing effects of free radicals.

If you think veggies are boring, that you don’t like them, or just don’t know what to do with them, then try these tips:

* Start gradually – you might set a goal for how many servings of veggies you’ll eat each day. One or two servings per day is a good place to start.

* One new veggie each week – incorporate a variety of veggies into your diet. Don’t be afraid to branch out. It can be a fun project to discover the best way to cook new veggies. You may even find some unique substitutions to make, such as spaghetti squash for pasta.

* Liquid veggies – drinking your freshly juiced or stocked veggies is one of the easiest ways to squeeze in your veggies. You can always mix and match fruits and veggies, such as carrot and mango juice, for a little added natural sweetness.

* Do a green lunch – the greener the leaf, the more antioxidants. Try a kale, mixed lettuces, and spinach lunch salad.

* Have a rainbow in your plate – colorful red, yellow, orange, and purple veggies fight heart disease.

* Starchy veggies aren’t the enemy – healthy carbohydrates, such as russet potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, corn and peas, are healthy inclusions.

* Bad breath, good health – freshly chopped garlic and onion make great seasonings for your veggies. Plus, they’re full of phytochemicals.

* Go raw – with the exception of a few veggies, such as cooked carrots, raw veggies that haven’t had their nutrients destroyed with heat, water, and air exposure are the most healthy. Grilling, steaming, stir frying, and even short periods of microwaving are better cooking methods than boiling and baking.

* Be creative – if you just don’t like the taste of some veggies, you can always sneak them into the foods you do like; veggie pizza or veggie stew, for example.

Like a car, your body needs fuel to keep going. Think of veggies like the premium grade of fuel, and your body will certainly love you for it.

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