LiveWell Vermont

GLUTEN! What is gluten? It is a protein found in wheat and certain other grains. Some people live their whole lives and don’t think about foods that contain gluten, but for those that have an intolerance it is important to know where you will find this protein. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, about 1 out of every 141 Americans has celiac disease. Celiac is more than an intolerance to gluten, it is a digestive disorder caused by an abnormal immune reaction to gluten. In an effort to focus on the more positive side of life, here are some foods that generally do not contain gluten: fruit, vegetables, beans, seeds, legumes, nuts, potatoes, eggs, dairy, corn, rice, soy, buckwheat, fish, chicken, seafood, oil and vinegar. As this wheat protein grows more popular, you can find many gluten free options in stores and online. If you have any gluten sensitive or friends with celiac, keep this in mind next time you invite them over for din...

Fasting: Intermittent fasting is a popular topic. Some people use it to regulate their body's functions and others use it for weight loss. Fasting has been a practice throughout human evolution. Ancient hunter-gatherers didn't have supermarkets, refrigerators or food available year-round. Sometimes they couldn't find anything to eat. Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating not specific foods you should eat.  The following are only the most popular: 16 off/8 on method: Fasting for 16 hours then eating for 8. An example of this would be only eating from noon to 8pm. This would allow a 16 hour fast between the hours of 8:01pm and 11:59am. 5:2 diet: With this method, you consume only 500–600 calories on two non-consecutive days of the week but eat normally the other 5 days. An important thing to note when fasting is the importance of liquids. Water, black tea, herbal tea and black coffee are generally the only l...

Does your thirsty Thursday beverage have ELECTROLYTES?? Electrolytes are minerals in your blood and other body fluids that carry an electric charge. Electrolytes affect the amount of water in your body, the acidity of your blood (pH), your muscle function, and other important processes. Electrolytes are lost when you sweat, and must be replenished by drinking fluids or consuming foods that contain electrolytes. Electrolytes include: Calcium Chloride Magnesium Phosphorous Potassium Sodium Peach, celery, watermelon, beet, banana, cucumber and cherries are all on the list for increasing electrolytes.   So what about the sport's drinks, don't they have electrolytes? Yes they do! Typically the primary electrolytes in sports drinks are potassium and sodium. When choosing a sports drink, keep an eye on the serving size and the amount of sugar in your drink of choice. Don't forget the primary ingredient in most sports drinks is water and you can replen...

We are taking a break from our alphabet programming to share the 2nd corporate challenge of the year! The winter blues are real. Scientist have a name for it: seasonal affective disorder. Fortunately, practicing mindfulness can help lift your spirits when the days are shorter. Mindfulness is simply being fully aware of the present moment and what you’re experiencing. Join Live Well Vermont in:    Beat the Winter Blues! Challenge Dates: February 24- March 25 Registration is open now and closes on March 2nd . During the next 30 days, try practicing mindfulness at least 5 minutes every day. See if it doesn’t improve your mood and create a more positive attitude. Let’s power through the rest of this winter together!   The challenge ends on March 25th. There is a grace period for tracking until March 28th. Please note: if you are backtracking within the grace period you must make sure you track all days between February 24 - March 25. Are you ready to ...

Let’s dive right into the DASH diet. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The DASH diet main goal is to help treat or prevent high blood pressure. The DASH diet is a dietary approach to lower blood pressure without using medication. Increasing fruits and vegetables and lowering sodium. There are 2 courses of action with the Dash Diet: Standard DASH diet.  You can consume up to 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day. Lower sodium DASH diet.  You can consume up to 1,500 mg of sodium a day. Both versions of the DASH diet aim to reduce the amount of sodium in your diet compared with what you might get in a typical American diet, which can amount to a 3,400 mg of sodium a day or more. The DASH Diet is unique because it also meets the dietary recommendations to prevent osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes! It is also unique in the sense that it does not give you a list of foods ...

Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in your blood. Your body needs cholesterol to build healthy cells, but high levels of cholesterol can increase your risk of heart disease. With high cholesterol, you can develop fatty deposits in your blood vessels.  Recommendations are as follows: Total Cholesterol: Less than 200mg/dL HDL (“good cholesterol”): >40mg/dL in men, >50mg/dL in women LDL (“bad cholesterol”): <129 mg/dL Triglycerides: <149mg/dL Ratio Total Cholesterol: ≤ 3.5  How do you hit those numbers? You guessed it! Diet and exercise are the MVP of this game. Exercise is the #1 way to support increase in HDL. Increase regular aerobic exercise to at least 30 minutes, 5 times per week. This also helps individuals maintain a healthy weight. Generally, the higher your weight, the lower your HDL levels. Weight loss, using a combination of reducing processed foods and eating healthy fats, as well as exercise can greatly improve your good choles...

Check out these February Heart Health Tips!

“You need a healthy blood pressure!” Fabulous, but what does that even mean? If you have ever seen a blood pressure reading you know it looks like a fraction, for example: 120/80mm Hg. The top number of this important fraction is your systolic pressure. Systolic pressure refers to the amount of pressure in your arteries during the contraction of your heart muscle. The bottom number measures when your heart is in between beats, your diastolic pressure. Here are 3 tips to support healthy blood pressure:  Reduce sodium. When you can, avoid heavily processed food and try to reduce or eliminate adding any additional salt to your meals. Sodium has been linked to increasing blood pressure. Managing stress is another great way to maintain a healthy blood pressure. Stressors can often cause blood pressure to increase. If you find that you are someone who has a spike in blood pressure in stressful situations, consider yoga or meditation. Exercise supports so many avenues of health and...