LiveWell Vermont

 Feeling overwhelmed? It's easy to get lost in a task or stressed about a meeting or phone call.  When that happens, try this quick mindfulness exercise to reset, ground yourself, and bring yourself back into the present moment. Mindfulness is defined by Merriam-Webster as:  the practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one's thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis You can this exercise: sitting or standing silently or aloud alone or with a partner/ group quickly or slowly  eyes open or closed  Take 5 Mindfulness Exercise      Take a deep breath. As you breathe out slowly, think of  5 things you can see      Take a deep breath. As you breathe out slowly, think of  4 things you can hear      Take a deep breath. As you breathe out slowly, think of  3 things you can feel      Take a deep breath. As you breathe out slowly, thin...

It's hard to say "see you later" to the beloved green of our Green Mountains. The firey explosion of fall colors is short lived, and the period between foliage season and the first snow can be rather drab.  Nature has mood-boosting benefits and some of that comes from filling up our eyes with pretty green leaves, grass, and trees. When the green is replaced by browns and whites, it can take a toll on our mental health. Enter- HOUSE (or office) PLANTS! Bring nature inside to YOU! Bringing some GREEN into your living and working space is a great way to boost your mood, focus, and productivity.  Bonus: houseplants help to clean the air in your home, some more than others. Check out this list of favorites! Pick any of the following to boost your mood during this shoulder season: Take this as an invitation to treat yo'self to a new plant friend for your desk. Trim a clipping, propagate a succulent, or transplant a baby (plant, of course) and give it to a friend or coworker...

 Ahh, yogurt, fruit, and granola... a satisfying snack or a balanced breakfast!  But it's always fun to try a new spin on a classic favorite.  Many of our snacks and breakfasts these days lean sweet, which can be tiring for our palate. Eating too many sweet snacks can make us less sensitive to sweet tasting treats, which makes us crave more sugar.  Instead, try swapping out your typical yogurt routine with savory flavors! This Mediterranean-inspired snack can shake up your routine-your taste buds might throw a party. Base: Plain Greek yogurt (non fat, low fat, or full fat) be careful to not use vanilla yogurt! Toppings: fresh cut veggies like tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, radishes, carrots Flavor: try garlic and onion powder , or experiment with spice blends such as Zaatar, ras-el-hanout, baharat, or even taco seasoning  Crunch: nuts or seeds (sesame seeds, walnuts, pine nuts, almonds, etc), or  roasted crispy chickpeas Dress it up: add a drizzle of ext...

Now that the days of fresh summer vegetables are sliding into the rearview mirror, it can be hard to get in your recommended 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies!  Root vegetables are generally harvested near the end of the growing season, and store well during the cool months! Root veggies are high in fiber, potassium, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and vitamin C.  (Pictured: candy cane beets before cooking.) Comment below: How many of these root veggies have you tried? How many do you still have to learn to like? -Sweet potatoes -White potatoes -Onions -Garlic -Ginger -Turnips -Rutabaga -Beets -Radishes  -Carrots -Parsnips -Celeriac  Tips for Trying:  Pair new or unfamiliar flavors with foods you already know and like. For example, if you know you love carrots, sweet potatoes, and onions, but aren't sure if you like turnips, roast together mostly the veggies you like and add a little bit of just one new one. The flavors will balance and play off each other and yo...

When was the last time you washed your hands? While we at Wellness have always been big fans of handwashing, the simple habit has gotten worldwide attention over the past year and a half. We couldn't be more thrilled that one of our favorite healthy habits has been promoted to the spotlight! As we arrive into cold, flu, and virus season, handwashing becomes more important every day. Wash yours hands before and after: eating and drinking or preparing food  touching your face coming into contact with high-touch surfaces changing diapers and after using the restroom touching trash touching animals Regular handwashing keeps germs at bay and helps keep us from picking up sicknesses.  Now that deserves... a hand.  Try out following the WHO guidelines to get your hands extra clean!  Check out this infographic  about worldwide statistics and efforts to increase handwashing.  For more, visit  Global Handwashing Day | The Global Public-Private Partnership for Ha...

  Welcome, Fall!   It’s a new season  and the leaves are changing. With the temperatures dropping, that means it’s time to get ready for cooler temps, especially  making sure we are safe in our homes when it’s time to turn on  our heaters. Get cozy,  and stay alert for carbon monoxide poisoning.   Make sure you have carbon monoxide alarms installed  in the hallway outside of every sleeping room. T est they are working properly   and change the batteries  twice per year. If the alarm sounds, leave the house and call the fire department.    Have your heating system serviced yearly. If you haven’t done so yet, now is a good time to get that  upkeep  scheduled!     K now the signs of carbon monoxide poisoning:   Dull headache   Weakness   Dizziness   Nausea or vomiting   Shortness of breath   Confusion   Blurred vision   Loss of consciousness   If left untreated, carb...

  Happy fall, y’all! PSL season (that’s Pumpkin Spice Latte for all the Team Summer folks out there) is upon us! If you are a die-hard PSL drinker who waits all year for the coffee shops to announce the unofficial start of fall, we’ve made it! This is the signal that it’s time for peeping colorful leaves, enjoying cooler temps, and … possibly drinking a lot of sugar in liquid form. It's very easy to consume way more sugar from drinking than when eating, as you may not notice how sweet something is when you’re sipping. Sugar is also absorbed much more rapidly in liquid form, which could lead to blood sugar spikes and then dips. In a 16 oz Starbucks PSL, there are 50 g sugar. In a medium DD PSL, there are 55 g sugar. That is roughly about the same amount of sugar as a regular Coke. It’s about equal to 13 teaspoons of table sugar, or about 20 Hershey’s kisses. Annoyingly, there is more sugar than pumpkin in the typical pumpkin spice latte. Treating yourself to a pumpkin...

  Most of us have been affected by breast cancer in someone we know. Each October, we take time to promote awareness of the importance of regular screenings and raise funds for research and treatment. Leave a comment on this post to honor or memorialize a loved one affected by breast cancer.  You can get wellness points for logging your mammogram under preventative health screenings in your portal! For more on national efforts, visit  Breast Cancer Awareness Month - National Breast Cancer Foundation Closer to home, check out VDH's screening program for eligible participants:  You First | Vermont Department of Health (healthvermont.gov)