LiveWell Vermont

Darn it...you did it again! Your efforts of living a healthy lifestyle had been going so well until you went to that Christmas party, caught a nasty cold, got busy at work, went on a luxurious vacation, school was canceled for your kids - basically, life got in the way. You CAN, however, get back on track after feeling derailed. Below are the best strategies to help you overcome the all-or-nothing attitude and recommit to the healthy lifestyle you are determined to live for the long-term: Jot It Down Studies show that keeping a log of your dietary intake and/or your physical activity is a tool - if not the best tool - for optimal weight maintenance  or adherence to a fitness regimen. If you have strayed from your usual healthy eating, recommit to recording what you eat each day. Plan your workouts in a journal or planner so you have an outline for each week's activity. You may find it helpful to record emotions or temptation triggers that steer you off track so you can identify ...

Don't let the rich flavor and mouthwatering moistness of these muffins fool you. You'll have a hard time convincing anyone, but this recipe was modified to include less fat and sugar than the original. This is a great treat to share at holiday parties!  Servings: 40 mini muffins  Ingredients 3 eggs, lightly beaten 2/3 cup raw honey 1 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted 7 oz. unsweetened applesauce 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 3 cups almond flour 1 teaspoon baking soda   1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1 cup shredded zucchini 1/4 cup chopped walnuts Preparation Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a mini muffin pan with paper baking cups, or use non-stick cooking spray. In a mixing bowl combine eggs and honey. Add pumpkin, melted coconut oil, applesauce, and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine all of the dry ingredien...

Christmas is a wonderful time of year to give back to others, have fun, and make lifelong memories. Every family seems to have their own traditions during this time of year – their own way of having fun and making memories. Here are a few Holiday traditions to consider teaching your children this Christmas: Christmas advent calendar.  Purchase or make a calendar that starts on the first of December and has pockets for each date through Christmas. Behind each date, place a small goodie for your children. It could be a small toy, an ornament for the tree or a little note from Santa. Your little ones will love checking the calendar each day as it gets closer to Christmas. Visit a tree farm.  Instead of putting up a fake tree, or just buying one from your local gas station, make it a tradition to take your kids to a tree farm. They will love visiting the farm and getting to help pick out and cut down their favorite tree. Make do it yourself ornaments.  Teach your k...

How many times have you gone through the motions of your exercise routine without being fully present? Our thoughts run wild, ranging from what we're going to eat after the workout to negative thoughts about the way we look or feel. When our mind if focused on something other than the present moment, we're not fully engaging in what our body is doing. If you workout five times a week or more, you're probably using your unconscious mind because you don't have to think about what you're doing. Your unconscious mind is the part of your mind that helps you drive a car or brush your teeth in the morning — almost like autopilot. Your conscious mind, however, is all about awareness. Being aware allows us to evolve our thoughts, emotions and actions. When we're not using our conscious mind to workout, we continue to produce the same results. It's not how hard you workout, it's how well you do it. Below are the three steps you can use during your workout rout...

From the bank-breaking gifts to the derailing parties, the Holiday season can easily go from being the most wonderful time of the year to being the most stressful. This year, stay calm and balanced by observing some of the following strategies and principles: Stay Close to Home. Does t he prospect of crazy, delay-filled holiday travel get you down? Do yourself a favor this year and stay home. Enjoy all of the local activities your area has to offer, or simply stay home, watch Holiday movies, listen to Christmas music and eat popcorn. What could be more festive? Know Your Limits.  Reducing holiday stress requires thoughtfulness and pre-planning. Before the main Holiday events even begin, set some limits for yourself, write them down, and pledge to keep them. As the Holiday season unfolds, take out your list, and remind yourself of your limits and why you made them. Whether it’s limiting yourself to attending only one New Year’s Eve Party or eating only one piece of ...

How much sleep did you get last night? If the answer is “not enough” you’re hardly alone. Studies show that almost half the people you’ll run into today are suffering from some level of sleep deprivation. To perform at our best, our bodies require rest—plain and simple. On days when we flourish, the seed has almost always been planted the night before. Since most of us can’t sleep later in the morning than we currently do, the only option is to get to bed earlier. And yet we don’t. So, how do you get to bed earlier and get more sleep? Identify an exact time when you want to be in bed. Be specific. Think about when you need to get up in the morning and work backwards. Try to give yourself 8 hours, meaning that if you’d like to be up by 6:45am, aim to be under the covers no later than 10:45pm. Next, do a nighttime audit of how you spend your time after work. For one or two evenings, don’t try to change anything—simply log everything that happens from the moment you arrive ho...

Being well and living a healthy life doesn't happen by chance. It happens by the culmination of each and every decision you make. It's not the one time you decide to go for a walk that makes you healthy, but rather the act of regular exercise along with all the other choices you make on a day-to-day basis that determines how fit and healthy you are.  What you eat for breakfast, whether or not you will exercise today, what you eat for lunch, whether you take the elevator or the stairs, what you eat for dinner, and whether or not you’ll eat that dessert are all choices. These are all choices, but  each and every small decision that you make throughout your day will add up to the state of your fitness level and health. They also have the potential to positively change your life forever... Food for thought:   If 80+ percent of small decisions are made with fitness in mind, then your body will show it in the most attractive way! Simple Dessert Do you have a sweet...

SHARE YOUR SUCCESS STORY! How have you improved your health and wellness?   Live Well Vermont is looking for employees who have made postive health and wellness changes in 2014!   Have you quit smoking, lost weight, decreased stress or improved any other aspect of your wellness?   We want to recognize your achievement and share your success to inspire others.   SHARE YOUR STORY HERE!  

Even though you might not be providing day-to-day care, you can still serve a very important role.   Here are some ways you can help: Offer to assist with finances, money management, or bill paying Arrange for in-home care—hire professional caregivers or home health or nursing aides Provide emotional support   Create a plan and get paperwork in order in case of an emergency Read the National Institute on Aging’s tip sheet Long-Distance Caregiving—Getting Started for more ideas how to help. This online-only tip sheet includes ways to stay connected and suggestions for how to be helpful during a visit.  As a VT State employee, InvestEAP can provide you/household members with support and assistance whether elder care is at a distance or near to home. Contact them at 1-888-834-2830 or visit them at www.investeap.org Password: vteap

Have you ever felt lethargic, unable to focus, craving carbohydrates and sugars, weak or even dizzy when it has been a while since you've eaten? These are the initial signs and symptoms you'll get when skipping meals or going too long without eating. Your body may be able to adapt over time to this behavior, but what is happening within your body is silent and much worse. So many of us skip meals in an effort to cut back on calories, boost weight loss or because we run out of time. In reality, however, we’re really working against ourselves. Let’s start by understanding what happens to your body when you skip meals. There Is A Lot Going On Behind The Scenes When you skip a meal it starts to cause your hormones to become imbalanced. Sure, one meal won’t cause much harm, but when you continue to skip meals over a prolonged period of time it begins to cause dramatic effects internally. Not only is there significant hormonal imbalance, but you are also affecting your metabol...

Use leftover turkey from your Thanksgiving meal to make this quick and tasty turkey soup! It’s high in fiber, packed with protein and is comforting and delicious - especially with the Winter weather we've been experiencing. Enjoy the leftovers as a quick lunch or at dinner. Servings: 8 Ingredients: 2 teaspoons olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 bunch of carrots, chopped 2 onions, chopped 1 bunch of celery 1 fennel bulb 1.3 lbs cooked turkey or lean ground turkey 4 cups veggie broth 1 (14.5oz) can stewed tomatoes 4 ears of corn, kernels sliced off cobb 3 Tablespoons tomato paste 2 teaspoons dried basil Dash of salt and freshly ground pepper Preparation: In a large skillet heat the olive oil. Add garlic. Add chopped carrots, cover for 5 minutes. Add onions, celery and fennel. Sauté until soft. If you don't have leftover turkey, you can use lean ground turkey. In another ski...

Unplug, shut down, get together with friends and family face to face, and be thankful for this crazy life. That's what the holidays are about -- celebrating life and those close to us who put the color in it.  We are busier than ever, and those rare moments that allow us to slow down and actually experience life are worth celebrating. So here are our top five ways to live thankfully this November. Host a "Gratitude Dinner": With so many friends traveling into town to see family during the holidays, throwing a potluck-style dinner party is a great way to celebrate with them before everyone goes their separate ways. Have everyone bring their favorite dish to share takes the stress out of hosting. You can also make grateful cards and envelopes to share with your friends, letting them know why they are special to you and what you are most thankful for. Host Friendsgiving: Just because you can't make it back home to see your family doesn't mean you can't ce...