LiveWell Vermont

Do you think you're eating healthy meals, but still question your methods? Have you been working on losing weight, and found it challenging or even seen a decrease in the amount of weight you're losing? If so, there's a good chance that you haven't been eating as healthy as perhaps you could be. There are 5 simple guidelines you can follow that will ensure your meals are both healthy and fitness-friendly. If weight loss is a goal for you, these steps may also result in a healthy weight loss! Five Simple Steps to a Healthy Meal: Step #1: Quality Ingredients Quality ingredients are the building blocks to a healthy meal. You most definitely don't need to dine in gourmet restaurants or shop at health food stores all the time, but it is important that you pay attention to the quality of the foods you eat. Choose foods that are : Fresh and organic (not all fruits and vegetables need to be organic. Visit the following website for a shopper's guide to the "dirt...

According to the Food and Drug Administration, "Diets rich in whole-grain foods and other plant foods and low in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers." A recent study conducted by Eating Well Magazine and the USA Rice Federation found that the majority of the respondents were confused as to what was and what wasn't a whole grain. Perhaps this is why only 10 percent of Americans get the recommended three 1-ounce servings of whole grains per day. Want to test your knowledge of whole grains? Take this quick quiz to see how you shape up: Which of the following foods are whole grains? A. Steel Cut Oatmeal B. Bran Cereal C. Brown Rice D. 100% Wheat Bread E. Corn Answer: A, C and E. If you guessed incorrectly, you're certainly not alone. Knowing which foods are whole grains can be tricky! The key to knowing whether or not a food is a whole grain is the ingredient label and the processing. You should look fo...

The past two weeks spent watching the Olympics have been so motivational and inspiring. The athletes we watched have spent years, even decades, training to to achieve their Olympic Dream. Although we may not ever have the chance to win a gold medal we ARE able to live our own personal dreams. One of the most important rules of happiness in life is to do what you love. But discovering that dream job and what you are meant to do in life isn't always so easy. Take a look at the happiest, most successful people on this planet: they are all doing something they love, creating something they believe in, living a life of purpose and passion. Do that, and it doesn't matter how much money you make. But what do you do if you don't know what you want to do? If you don't know what your dream is? This is a common problem, and many people wander through much of their life without discovering their passion, and go from job to job, unfulfilled and miserable. If that's you, don...

Ever struggle with what to eat during the day when trying to make healthier choices? Me too! That's why we've put together a sample day's worth of food to make at least one day of your life a bit easier. The following menu plan is designed for someone who needs are approximately 2,000 calories per day and is based on the OmniHeart Study, which found a diet higher in unsaturated fat and higher in protein cut heart disease risk the most when compared to any other diets out there. The menu plan is low in saturated fat, added sugars and salt, but is high in potassium, magnesium, and fiber. Breakfast 1 serving (look at the box-serving sizes vary depending on the type of cereal) Whole-grain cereal - look for cereals with sugar not in the 1st 5 ingredients and that says the words "whole grain" on the ingredient label 1/2 medium banana 1/2 oz unsalted nuts such as slivered almonds or crushed walnuts 1/2 cup skim milk or milk alternative (soy, rice, hemp, almo...

In many of our wellness classes we discuss integrating mindfulness into our lifestyle. But what does that really mean and how do we do it? First off, what does mindfulness mean? Is it some magical state of mind that only yogi's can reach? Thankfully, NOT ! Being mindful simply means being " aware ", paying " attention ", and being " present ". Sounds simple right? In today's age it is actually very rare for us not to being thinking about what happened earlier at today's staff meeting and what you have to take care of this evening once you arrive home. The best thing about practicing mindfulness is it can be done anytime, anywhere and is FREE! Now that is great and all but WHY in the world do I want to change and start practicing this "mindfulness". The benefits are endless.....decreased stress, improved eating, improved sleep, improved mood, increased efficiency, improved relationships and decreased anxiety. Those are just a ...

We all know that people tend to eat more when they're offered larger servings. The question remains whether it's being offered more food or bigger plates, bowls, bags or other containers that make the difference in how much people eat. To find out, researchers in Belgium offered 88 college students the option of choosing one of three bowls of M&M's to snack on as they watched a 22-minute TV show: a small (one-cup) bowl filled with  7 ounces of M&M's, a large (three-cup) bowl with 7 ounces of M&M's, or a large (three-cup) bowl filled with 21 ounces of M&M's. The students ate twice as much candy from the two large bowls (about 2 ounces, or 300 calories more) than they did from the small bowl (approximately 1 ounce, or 150 calories less). What's the lesson in all of this? Think twice about the size of your dishes at home. If your dishes are on the larger side and you're working on cutting down on your intake, it is most definitely wor...