LiveWell Vermont

Tis the season to celebrate (and eat) pumpkin! Here’s a muffin that isn’t sugary, starchy and devoid of nutrients – like the muffins at your favorite coffee shop. These muffins are rich in beta-carotene and contain half an egg’s worth of high quality protein. The delicately sweet flavor will satisfy and have you coming back for more. Servings: 12  Ingredients: ½ cup coconut flour (find at natural foods store) 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground cloves ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt ½ cup canned pureed pumpkin 6 eggs, beaten 3 Tablespoon coconut oil, melted ⅓ cup honey 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 12 pecans for topping Preparation: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Oil muffin pans. In a medium bowl, combine the coconut flour, spices, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, place the pumpkin puree then add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add melted coconut, honey and vanilla and mix until well combined

Fall is the perfect excuse to utilize your creative energy! There are so many cute "Fall Inspired" crafts. Use this time as a mental escape from a hectic schedule or host a "Craft Club" and make an event out of it! Nourishing your inner spark is a mental act as much as it is an emotional and spiritual one, offering up the opportunity for you to honor, expand and be in the flow of your creative gift moment to moment! DIY FALLING LEAVES GARLAND You’ll need a bag of artificial leaves, which you can purchase from the Dollar Tree or any craft store. Next use a paintbrush to apply Elmer’s glue to each leaf and then sprinkle glitter over the leaf. Let the glue set and then shake off the excess glitter. Next punch a hole at the top of each leaf and attach a ribbon that you can tie to a large ribbon strand. These leaves are so shimmery and will add a festive sparkle to your home for the upcoming months. It would also be a great project to do with kiddos!

Feel Great ! Wellness Challenge October 5—November 1, 2015 One Life. Live it Well! MOVE, BREATHE, RELAX REGISTER TODAY! Challenge Goals Log 600 minutes of physical activity (all activities count!) Complete weekly tasks Contact:  Jessica Moore Jessica.moore@vermont.gov 802-828-2846  

Food cravings. We all get them every now and then, but what matters most is what we do about them. Sometimes after a long day at the office, you might think, "Boy, I could really go for a big bowl of pasta," or a juicy burger or whatever it is that tempts your taste buds. Rather than seeing these occasional cravings as a negative, that must be controlled, beaten back or caved into, try to see your cravings for what they often are - a means of communication. Think of it as your body telling you what it needs, not simply what it wants. Cravings for sugar may mean you're not eating often enough during the day (as no body actually needs sugar), a desire for a burger may signal that you're low on iron. A chip attack may actually be your body saying it needs a little sodium, or simply some crunch. Regardless of what your body may actually be running a bit low on, the good news is you can "give in" to your cravings more frequently than you think-as long as you do

There are days we find ourselves super productive at work, while other days we struggle to keep our head off the desk and our mind focused on the task at hand. We have all had those, scattered, unfocused days where it seems that no matter how hard we try to buckle down, our minds are all over the place. Below are some simple tips to helping you to stay focused and productive day in and day out: Make a list of goals.  If a task seems daunting, create a list of what accomplishing it will mean for you. Will it get you closer to a promotion? Will you finally be able to relax in your home once it’s organized? Will you finally have some free time? Focusing on the outcomes of your hard work can make it easier, and even more exciting, to complete. Eat small, frequent meals during the day. It's nearly impossible to stay focused if you're hungry. Healthy nutrition begins with a sound breakfast, so be sure not to skip it! Include fresh fruit, healthy protein sources and whole grai

We are very excited to kick off the 2015 Live Well  Vermont Flu Clinic Program!  Live Well  Vermont has partnered with ClearChoiceMD and is offering quadrivalent vaccine at all 2015 clinics! Please share with all coworkers and encourage them to register for their appointment. Register online*:   http://livewellvermontflu.com/ Register by phone*: (802) 922-9236  Mon-Sun 8 am—8 pm * Active Employees:  Have your employee ID # available   Retirees:   Have your Medicare # available For more information, visit:   http://humanresources.vermont.gov/salary/wellness/flu_program

Have been struggling to lose unwanted weight regardless of how much you exercise and watching what you eat? Well, it just might be the sugar hidden in the foods you're eating. As a society, we've been eating more and more sugar over the past 200 years, which has led to rising obesity numbers. In 1822, the average person ate only 6.3 lbs of sugar per year, compared to 130 lbs of sugar in 2012. That’s more than 20 times as much sugar in our modern diet! No wonder we are bigger than ever before… Why Is Sugar So Bad? Not only does it promote rapid fat storage, here are sugar’s other dirty little secrets: Sugar Weakens Your Immune System Sugar Causes Insulin Resistance Sugar is As Addictive As Hard Drugs Sugar Speeds Up the Aging Process Sugar Raises Your Risk of Disease Sugar Is Empty Calories One of the reasons that your diet is filled with so much sugar is that some form of refined sugar is included in virtually every single processed food. This is yet another reaso

You’re healthier than most. You exercise regularly. You watch what you eat. You keep up-to-date on the latest health concerns. You don’t binge on sugar. And you never - ever - eat fast food. Well, almost never. But you do have a few unhealthy skeletons in your closet – ones that you probably aren’t even aware of. The following 5 Unhealthy Habits are frequently committed by health conscious people. Once you break these bad habits, you’ll find that achieving your health and wellness goals just became a whole lot easier. 1. You’re Dehydrated It has been said that 75 percent of the population is chronically dehydrated. Would you disagree? When was the last time that you actually drank 8 glasses of water in a day? Dehydration occurs when more fluid leaves your body than is taken in. Symptoms include: fatigue, irritability, headaches, nausea, rapid heart rate, and, in extreme cases, even death. Dehydration also slows your metabolism, which hinders weight loss. You shouldn’t wait u