LiveWell Vermont

There are no known cures for colds and flu, so cold and flu prevention should be your goal. A proactive approach to warding off colds and flu is apt to make your whole life healthier. The most effective way for preventing the flu is to get the flu shot. It works better than anything else. But there are other strategies you can employ as well. Here are 8 tips you can use to help prevent colds and the flu naturally: #1 Wash Your Hands: Most cold and flu viruses are spread by direct contact. Someone who has the flu sneezes onto his or her hand and then touches the telephone, the keyboard, a kitchen glass. The germs can live for hours only to be picked up by the next person who touches the same object. So wash your hands often. If you can't get to a sink, rub an alcohol-based hand sanitizer onto your hands. Wipe down surfaces you touch frequently with an alcohol-based sanitizing wipe and avoid sharing things like pens, dishware and telephones. #2 Don't Cover Your Sneezes ...

Rowing, one of the oldest sports around, is rapidly gaining popularity in the fitness world. Indoor rowing classes are popping up at many local fitness centers and receiving rave reviews. The good news is that rowing is not just a trend but a very effective exercise. Why Try Indoor Rowing?   Anyone Can Do It -- Indoor rowing classes are designed to bring the benefits of rowing to the masses. Participants range in age from 10-94, consist of all different body types and athletic abilities.   Total Body -- The biggest myth about rowing is that it is an upper body workout. Rowing works 9 major muscle groups: quads, hamstrings, glutes, lats, core, shoulders, triceps, back and biceps. In addition rowing is an amazing cardio workout.   Low Impact – Rowing is great for injury prevention, rehab and runners because it is a low impact alternative to other activities. For those who are overweight, the sliding seat displaces ones weight so the load ...

You've Got the Power! May people who struggle with their weight feel powerless to cravings. Have you ever experienced this? When the urge to eat something bad comes over so strongly that you feel you have no choice but to give in?  Then, when it's over, you feel awful that you've eaten all those calories and set yourself up for further weight gain. So you're good for a couple of days until another craving comes over you…and so the cycle continues.  The truth is, you hold the power to change this viscous cycle. And it's not as hard as you think.  Most of us have specific trigger foods that send our diets into a tailspin. The goal is to identify your trigger foods and replace these with more wholesome, real food substitutions in order to break the cycle.  What's a Trigger Food? Trigger foods are foods that when eaten make you crave more of it, or cause you to eat more food in general. These foods are eaten out of habit, not out of hunger. Your trigger food ...

Tomato gratin A traditional gratin recipe is any dish topped with cheese or breadcrumbs mixed with butter, then heated until browned. This healthier version has plenty of garden-fresh tomatoes and herbs, a touch of full-flavored cheese and a crispy crumb topping. Enjoy! Servings:   6 Prep Time:   20 mins Total Time:   30 mins Ingredients 4 slices whole-grain bread, torn into quarters 1 Tbsp minced garlic 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1/3 C finely shredded Pecorino Romano, or Parmesan cheese 4 medium tomatoes, sliced 1/4 C chopped fresh basil 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper 1/4 tsp salt Preparation Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Coat a shallow 2-quart baking dish with nonstick spray. Place bread in a food processor and pulse until coarse crumbs form. Add garlic, oil and cheese; pulse to combine. Spread the seasoned bread crumbs on a baking sheet and bake until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, layer tomato slices in...

Hip and leg strength is essential for many daily activities like bending down to pick up an object or young child from the ground, walking up stairs or simply getting up from a seated position. Strengthening your lower body is also essential in reducing your risk of back injury. Integrate 1-2 of the exercises below to start strengthening these important muscles. Perform 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions. Rest approximately 45 seconds between each set. Add additional resistance once you feel comfortable with each exercise or need more of a challenge. Glute Bridge Performed on either a floor or bench, glute bridges use the hip extensor muscles in a position that is safe for both the back and knees. To increase the level of difficulty, place a weight across the bony part of the hips. For best results, focus on pushing your heels into the floor and lifting your hips up to the ceiling while keeping your low back stable.   Hip Hinge This is a safe exer...

Use the following four strategies with every meal for a healthier and happier you! 1) Choose a Healthy Cooking Method The way a meal is cooked determines how many calories, how much added fat, and the number of nutrients that survive. This simple factor can make or break the health of your meal.  Avoid foods prepared like this: Fried and battered Processed and packaged Doused with cream sauce Sauteed Opt for foods prepared like this: Grilled Baked Broiled Steamed 2) Include a quality source of protein Choose a quality source of protein with each meal. With the first guideline in mind, these should also be healthfully prepared.  Good choices of protein include: Fish Chicken Turkey Eggs Lean red meat Beans Lean Pork Whey 3) Include lots of fiber Fiber is a huge part of eating healthy and being lean. Fibrous foods will fill you up while delivering vitamins and nutrient in low-calorie packages. Fill at least one third of your plate with fibrous, n...

The school year is back in full swing and it's a great time to boost their brains and  growing  bodies with nutritionally packed foods.  We all want the best for our children, but we often overlook that fact that their nutrition is one of the most important components of living a healthy, happy life. What our children eat has a direct impact on motivation and how they think, feel, act, and react to every day situations.  Take these simple tips and transform your child’s diet into one that is packed with nutrition and good health: 1) A d d   C o l o r   Adding bright and colorful fruits and veggies to your child’s plate will get their diet on the fast track to health. Fresh fruits and veggies are filled with fiber, vitamins and minerals that are essential to good health.  If your kids are resistant then make it fun. Serve veggies with salad dressing as a dip. Cut fresh fruit in the colors of the rainbow and place them on a skewer. Serve a color t...