LiveWell Vermont

How often do you find yourself saying something like, "I need to stop eating so much sugar!" You might be successful for a day or a week, or you might experience even worse sweet cravings! A lot of the time, when we tell ourselves we can't have something or can't  do something, we start to crave it more. When we are trying to avoid eating or doing something, it can take over our brainspace to be all that we think about! Putting something - chocolate or alcohol or cigarettes or even social media - into that category of "forbidden" makes it very shiny and appealing, and we start to want it even more.  Instead, try to make peace with having treats once in a while .  If we allow that treat to take a healthy place in our routine, we might start to think about it less and actually end up eating it less.  If we are successful in removing the sparkle from the treat by normalizing it in our routine, it can start to lose its power over us. This can be very hard to do,...

Type 1 diabetes is an often misunderstood disease. This National Diabetes month, c heck out some facts about this condition that affects  around  1.6 million Americans, including about 200,000 kids less than 20 years old. True or False? Type 1 diabetes is also called juvenile diabetes because it only affects children. False! Type 1 diabetes can be diagnosed at any age, and there is no cure, so it persists into adulthood. True or False? Type 1 diabetes is caused by lifestyle factors, like poor diet and not exercising.  False!  Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that occurs when a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin, the hormone that controls blood-sugar levels. T1D develops when the insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells are mistakenly destroyed by the body’s immune system. The cause of this attack is still being researched, however scientists believe the cause may have genetic and environmental components. True or False? Having type 1 diabetes means...

We at LiveWell are grateful for our amazing team of Wellness Ambassadors, our wellness program participants, our BCBSVT partners, cube neighbors vs WFH pets -- and, yes, even we are grateful for a few days off to spend with family.  See what our Wellness Ambassador team is grateful for! 

Fall baking season is still here!  Every Tuesday in November, we'll go over a few ideas to make your homemade baked goods HEALTHIER than store bought!  Making your own treats at home gives you so much control over them and increases how satisfying they are. It is so much more enjoyable when you know you have put in the love that results in a delicious treat! This week, we are looking at portion sizes. Have you ever gone to a bakery or deli and seen cookies bigger than your face? That is certainly not a single serving, yet most people will eat the whole cookie themselves in one sitting! Thankfully, if you are making them yourself you can decide exactly how big the portion size is- for any treat!  Portioning out your treats into single servings can help regulate how much you eat at one time.  If baking in smaller portions, adjust the time down accordingly, and you may have to decrease your oven temperature as well for certain items .  Begin checking for donen...

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month  This year's focus is on prediabetes and preventing diabetes. What is Prediabetes? Prediabetes is when your blood sugar levels are elevated above normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes.  Your doctor can do a blood test called hemoglobin A1c, which is a measure of how much sugar sticks to your hemoglobin cells in your blood. This can give a rough estimate of what your blood sugar has averaged for the past 3 months.  If your HgA1c number comes back between 5.7 and 6.4%, you may have prediabetes.  If it is over 6.4%, your doctor might decide to run more tests to see if you have diabetes. Take this  quiz  to determine your risk for type 2 diabetes! LiveWell Vermont's top three actions to reduce risk of diabetes especially if you have been told you have prediabetes: 1. Move more!   Cardio exercise (like walking, biking, or dancing) utilizes the glucose that is digested from our ...

  Mark Twain put it well when he said "Quitting smoking is easy. I've done it hundreds of time." Join the Great American Smokeout and make your plan to quit. Every year on the third Thursday in November, the American Cancer Society encourages people to seek out resources to quit smoking.  Check out these resources for quitting NOW: Vermont Resources  -802 Quits is your place for support, free nicotine replacement, free fun habit replacements, tips for cravings, and how to make YOUR quit plan. Reasons to quit  and how to quit   from the American Cancer Society  How much money will you save from quitting smoking?  A BIG perk!!! LiveWell Vermont Wellness Coaching  The LiveWell Vermont Wellness Coaches can help with providing accountability and helping you make your quit plan, as well as support other healthy habits around nutrition, physical activity, and mental wellness. Email us at dhr.LiveWellVermont@vermont.gov for more information about Wel...

We love fall baking season! Every Tuesday in November, we'll go over a few ideas to make your homemade baked goods HEALTHIER than store bought!  Baked goods should be eaten in moderation because of their high calorie content and low nutrient density. This means that they provide a lot of calories without providing much protein, fiber, or vitamins.  A 500 calorie salad with chicken, beans, cheese, and tons of veggies can keep you full for hours, but a 500 calorie muffin may not fill you up at all, and you'll likely be hungry again relatively quickly. In this example, the salad has high nutrient density and the muffin has low nutrient density for the same amount of calories.  Many of the calories in baked goods come from sugar (which is 4 calories per gram) and fat (which is 9 calories per gram).  Reducing the fat in any food can significantly bring down the calorie content. But fat has many functions in our food and in our bodies! 1. Flavor and satiety Fat carries fla...

  November is National #DiabetesMonth! Prediabetes is a serious health condition affecting more than 1 in 3 U.S. adults. Follow these tips from the @National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) about how to manage and even reverse your prediabetes: ·          Start with small changes to your lifestyle. · Move more. · Consume healthier foods and drinks. · Lose weight and keep it off. · Seek health support from your doctor. · Stay up to date on vaccinations. See more here! People who have prediabetes have a 50% chance of developing diabetes over the next 5 to 10 years. This National #DiabetesMonth, learn how to prevent diabetes by managing or even reversing your prediabetes from the @National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).  Food for thought: What is the role of the community in preventing diabetes?

  You're Sweet Enough! Every Tuesday in November, we'll go over a few ideas to make your homemade baked goods also HEALTHIER than store bought!        Remember that our bodies adapt to what we give them. After reducing your intake of sweets for a time, some foods will taste sweeter - your taste buds adjust! Cut down just a little      In most recipes, you can reduce the sugar by up to 1/3 without compromising taste or texture! If the recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, try reducing to 2/3 cup, or anywhere in between 2/3 and 1 cup. Experiment with your favorite recipes to see what you like (or where you can even tell the difference). Fruit      Add sweetness using fruit. Mashed ripe bananas adds sweetness and a nice dense texture, mixing in dried fruit gives a pop of sweetness and flavor, and cooking fruit-based treats (like apple crisp!) are always a hit. You can use fruit juice as some of the liquid in certain recipes as wel...

  Do you have a loved one with Alzheimer's disease? Do you know anyone caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease?  Support  is available.  Download a PDF copy of this infographic and see other tools and resources to raise awareness this month here .

Baking season is arguably the best part of these cool weather days. Filling your home with warmth, spicy smells, and celebration is such a nice comfort. The alchemy of turning a pile of ingredients into something delicious can give you lots of pride - knowing that you created something that will bring joy and nourishment to you and your loved ones!  Even if your baked goods don't turn out perfectly, they're still miles better than anything store-bought! Warm and fresh win every time.  Every Tuesday in November, we'll go over a few ideas to make your homemade baked goods also HEALTHIER than store bought! Week One: Pump up the fiber Fiber is great for digestion and can help regulate blood sugar, lower cholesterol, reduce risk of certain types of cancers, and increase satiety to help you stay full between meals.  1. Add fruits and vegetables Choose recipes for produce -packed baked treats.  Banana bread, zucchini bread, and pumpkin bread all fit this bill!    ...