LiveWell Vermont

As the temperatures slowly warm up we are starting to get outside more for our runs, walks or bike rides. Safety is key and it is always helpful to review road safety guidelines. Please share this information with your friends and families. Remember it is just as important to practice these principles when you are driving your vehicle! Share the Road Principles: Bicyclists and pedestrians have a legal right to be on Vermont's public right of ways (also known as roads). Here's some tips on Sharing the Road for any mode: BICYCLISTS have the responsibility to obey traffic laws and ride safely on the right with other traffic. By law, bicycles have the rights and responsibilities of vehicles. WALKERS and RUNNERS should should face traffic (on the left). Where crosswalks are provided, pedestrians should use crosswalks. Drivers are legally required to exercise due care, even if a walker or jogger is not obeying the law. DRIVERS should respect bicyclists and ped...

VERMONT STRONG FITNESS CHALLENGE APRIL 6—May 17, 2015 By age 60, the average person will have lost one third of their muscle mass. Strength training can REVERSE this!   Let’s get PUMPED!   Challenge Goals: * Log 900 minutes of physical activity (all activities count!) * Complete weekly tasks focusing on strength training   Visit Live Well Vermont Wellness Portal to register by Monday, April 6, 2015 Contact: Jessica Moore Jessica.moore@state.vt.us 802-828-2846  

This chicken and veggie dish is light and delicious. Yogurt and curry flavors blend for an enjoyable new chicken experience. Enjoy it as a tasty lunch or a protein packed dinner.  Servings: 2  Ingredients: 5 oz. boneless raw chicken breast, diced 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth 4 teaspoons cornstarch 5 cups raw mushrooms, sliced 4 teaspoons olive oil 2 cups red bell pepper, chopped 2 cups snow or sugar snap peas 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt 2 teaspoons curry powder Preparation: Put 2 teaspoons olive oil and the diced chicken in a non-stick pan. Cook chicken until browned, then add chicken broth, yogurt, curry powder and cornstarch, stir constantly. Heat until thick sauce forms. Simmer for 5 minutes. While chicken is cooking put 2 teaspoons olive oil, mushrooms, bell peppers, and snow/snap peas in another non-stick pan. Cook until the vegetables are tender. Place an equal amount of vegetable on 2 plates and top with equal amounts of chicken. ...

Exercise machines are simple -- too simple, in fact. Most machines isolate a single muscle, meaning you'll burn fewer calories and gain less muscle mass rep for rep. Most importantly exercise machines can lead to injury. Even with their adjustable seats and pegs, finding the proper position can be close to impossible -- and even then the movements just aren't natural. Free weights and bodyweight exercises allow your body to move in a natural range of motion. Here, are five exercise machines with an alternative exercise that will give you better, faster fitness gains. The Machine: Lying Leg Press Your legs are strong (after all, they carry your body around all day), so if you lie down with your legs above your head for a leg press, you have to load more than the equivalent of your bodyweight onto the machine to achieve significant resistance. Problem is, all that weight goes straight to your lower back, which flexes under the pressure. The risk? A herniated disk. Plus...

Trail mix can be a quick and nutritious snack to have in your car, at work or at home. This recipe provides your daily dose of vitamin E, antioxidants and important trace minerals to keep you fueled throughout your day. Ingredients: Nuts: Source of Vitamin E, protein, fiber and healthy fats (important for muscle recovery and optimal energy) 1/2 cup almonds 1/2 cup pecans 1/2 cup roasted soy nuts (can omit if you are trying to avoid soy) Fruit: Loaded with health-building antioxidants 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1/2 cup dried blueberries 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (if desired) Seeds: Packed with trace minerals 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds 1/4 cup sunflower seeds   Directions: Combine nuts, dried fruit, soy nuts, seeds, and 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (if desired). Store in a plastic container with a tight lid. Keeps for 6-8 weeks in a cool, dry place away from light or in the fridge. Nutrition Facts Per 1/3 cup serving: Calories: 180 k...

You may have heard that sitting for prolonged periods is not the best habit for our health. The more we can get up and move our bodies the better. In reality,  most of us find ourselves in situation that may require sitting for some amount of time. When this happens, the best thing we can do is make sure that we are sitting in the best position for our bodies. Check out the tips below on proper alignment when you have to take seat. Head and Neck Eyes should be about level with the top of the computer screen or the top third of the monitor. You eyes drift down naturally when you need to glance at the bottom of the screen without straining your neck. It's also important to face the screen straight on. This can be a challenge for those who work with two monitors; always try to be aware of keeping your shoulders and hips in alignment. Arms and Elbows Leaning on an arm rest can help keep you from slouching but can also cause you to painfully scrunch up your shoulders. Arm rests s...

Eating is no longer an activity only experienced around the table with friends and family. Think about it. How many times this past week have you eaten on the run? Our time is strapped and we need food that’s easy to grab ‘n’ go. During this mad-chaos of finding food on our way out the door, one detail is easy to forget – making sure that the choices we make are healthy. Unfortunately, the unhealthy stuff usually falls into the "fast" and "easy" categories – chips, candy bars, sodas, etc. Well, what if we took a few moments each week to make our own healthy snacks portable and easy for on-the-go eating? Think about things that can fit into the top drawer at work (not jelly beans or Kisses!) or snacks prepared ahead of time that can be popped into a lunch bag. Yes, some of these items WILL require some thinking ahead. Some might even require refrigeration or special containers. But they are fast, simple, and easy. Most take less than 5 minutes to prepare. You’...

What's good for your body is good for your brain. That means eating a balanced diet with lots of fruits and veggies and not much sugar, saturated fat or alcohol, as well as getting enough exercise and sleeping about eight hours a night. But evidence is accumulating that a whole host of other activities can help keep our brains young even as we advance in chronological age. There is no one magic activity that you need to take on, but trying a handful of the following will help. Take Dance Lessons:  Seniors who danced three to four times a week -- especially those who ballroom danced -- had a 75 percent lower risk of dementia compared with people who did not dance at all. Why? Dancing is a complex activity, it's aerobic so it improves blood flow to the brain which has been shown to improve brain connections. It also provides mental challenges. e. Play An Instrument:  Whether it's the saxophone, the piano, or a ukulele, researchers found that playing an instrument for 1...

Noise. It exists all around us, ranging from external forms such as traffic, cell phones and television, to internal noise such as from our constant thoughts. Experts are now finding that silence can be a way to improve healing, speed up recovery and contribute towards greater overall health. Noise - both external and internal - contributes to a greater risk of heart attack, anxiety, depression, fatigue, back pain, stomach upset, headaches, heart disease, cancer and more. Quieting Your Mind One way to silence negative thoughts is through relaxation exercises. Relaxation helps you get in touch with the quieter levels of your mind, relaxes your body and lowers levels of stress hormones. Many scientific studies have confirmed relaxation's beneficial effects, which include: Boosting the immune system Lowering the risk of cancer and heart disease Lowering blood pressure Improving concentration and sleep Relieving headaches Faster recovery after surgery While you may be...