LiveWell Vermont

2014 is fast upon us! Join Live Well Vermont: State Employees' Wellness Program's "21 Days of Happiness" Challenge and get your new year off to a bang. "Train your brain in 21 days" to be more positive and happy. Register HERE by Tuesday, December 31, 2013. Every day you will practice: Gratitude: Write three new things for which you are grateful. Journaling: Write about one positive thing you have experienced. Exercise: Accumulate 30-minutes of physical activity. Meditation: Sit still with your eyes closed in silence for a minimum of 5 minutes. Random Acts of Kindness: Consciously do something kind for someone else.

During the Holidays, most people find it challenging to stay on track when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. Our time becomes limited and our reserve energy reaches its limit. This often leads to neglecting ourselves in subtle ways such as no longer working in exercise, failing to pre-plan our meals, no longer keeping a journal of our dietary intake and beginning to eat more high calorie, high fat foods. Take control this Holiday season using the following tips and strategies: The Importance of Planning Ahead: If possible, write down what you plan to eat before the meal and stick to your plan. Determine what foods you will allow yourself to eat and those you will pass up. We recommend avoiding any foods you find tricky to eat in moderation. For example, in the past you would consume almost a whole bowl of nuts or M & M's because they were there. Plan ahead of time what competing behaviors you will use to stay away from your problem foods. Promise yourself that you

Are you looking for the perfect gift for someone who lives a healthy lifestyle or who is working on making healthier choices? Are you working on staying motivated in reaching your health and wellness goals in the New Year and making a wish list? Check out these Holiday gift ideas that are sure to motivate you and your gift recipients and help in making it easier to stay on track. Your friends and family are sure to love one of these gifts and you'll also benefit if you're the one on the receiving end! The Vermont State Employees’ Wellness Program does not favor or endorse any specific brands. Any listed are only examples and may be substituted with a similar product. Cookbooks A  vegetarian cookbook  to try a few meatless days or for anyone who prefers meat-free meals! A  slow cooker cookbook  for when saving time is of the essence. A  vegetable cookbook  to help add more delicious veggies into meals. A  low-cal cookbook  to help lighten up favorite foods. A  soup coo

Have you been trying to make healthier eating choices and finding your eating chicken at almost every meal? If so, it may be time to spice up your diet. Here are 10 quality protein sources to shake things up!  1.  Greek Yogurt  - A quick and easy snack or meal, Greek yogurt packs twice the protein of regular yogurt. Be sure to choose the plain variety to avoid added sugars and sweeten with a packet of stevia or truvia (or other natural sweetener) if you'd like. You can also try adding unsweetened frozen fruit for a naturally sweet treat. Let sit for 10 minutes or so and mix well. Yum! 2.  Beans  - Another quick option if you're grabbing the canned varieties. Just be sure to rinse well to limit your sodium intake. Choose from black beans, kidney beans, red beans, navy beans, black eyed peas, lentils and many others. Beans are the least expensive protein source in AMERICA (and probably every other part of the world as well). They are low glycemic and very high in fiber. Add t

Are You Ready to Get Fit We know that weight gain can be a big concern when quitting tobacco, which is why we are now offering Get Fit Vermont: A FREE and PROVEN fitness, nutrition and  weight-management program offered to Vermonters,  based on personal goals and willingness to change. This self-paced 52-week program includes access to a website that tracks  your activity and calorie consumption. You also get an experienced health coach that works with you to exercise more, eat the right foods, and manage your weight!  Features & Incentives Create and achieve personal and achievable weight goals. Create healthy eating plans to help you manage your weight better. Use Get Fit’s 52 Healthy Steps with the help of a personal phone-based health coach. Access an online social support network and online forums. Receive your own digital scale and activity monitor. Earn points that can be redeemed for gift cards to Starbucks, Home Depot, Barnes

Between pies and cross-country travel, it can be pretty tough to stay active during the holiday season. A cornucopia of family obligations, work parties and last-minute shopping means that hitting the gym often gets delayed or crossed off the schedule altogether. Not this year! We've come up with 15 smart strategies, tips, tricks and motivational techniques to make fitness part of the celebration all holiday season long. Read on to learn how to keep up your exercise routine this winter, Christmas cookies be darned. 1. Get Out There Snuggling under the blankets with a mug of hot chocolate is fine and dandy, but it probably won't help you out in the fitness department. Instead of baking cookies or playing board games, pass the time with an active pursuit like snowshoeing, hiking or even building snowmen or igloos. 2. Set A Challenge Each year, Runner's World magazine challenges readers to run every day (logging at least one mile per day) between Thanksgiving and New Ye

For many people, a sandwich or a salad is the typical mid-day fare. Ever wonder which is better? Here's some facts about both options for you to "chew" on... In most cases, a salad beats a sandwich as it tends to have far more nutrients than the carb-laden sandwich. You do, however, need to choose your salad wisely. For comparison sake, we have compared sandwiches and salads from Panera, which seems to be a popular lunch spot these days. The Sandwich Option: Most Panera sandwiches (with the exception of the half sandwich in a "You Pick 2") and paninis start out with 300 to 500 calories just from the ciabatta, french baguette, focaccia, tomato basil, honey wheat, or three cheese bread. That's a lot of white flour in one sitting and more than most of us need. The Sierra Turkey on Asiago Cheese Focaccia, for example, gets 690 of its 820 calories from the focaccia (510) and the chipotle mayonnaise (180). Only a few breads, such as the sour