LiveWell Vermont

Sleep is incredibly complex and has an impact on virtually all systems of the body. Within a minute after falling asleep, notable changes start to affect both your brain and body. All of these changes that happen during sleep are connected with your physical, emotional, and mental health. You should get 7-9 hours of sleep each night to allow your body to properly cycle through the 4 stages of sleep: Stage 1 (shallow sleep): Your muscles start to relax, and your breathing slows. It is easy to wake up during this stage of sleep, and it lasts 1-5 minutes. Stage 2 (light sleep): Your breathing and heart rate continue to slow down. You spend the most time in stage 2 sleep throughout the night. This stage of sleep lasts 10-60 minutes. Stage 3 (deep sleep): Deep sleep is required to feel rested. You spend more time in stage 3 earlier in the night. This stage of sleep lasts 20-40 minutes. Stage 4 (Rapid Eye Movement/REM sleep): This stage is associated with heightened brain activity, quick eye...

  JOIN US FOR THE ANNUAL BCBS NATIONAL WALK @ LUNCH DAY! Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont is joining other Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies, employers and state legislatures across the country to encourage busy Americans to wear comfortable walking shoes on Wednesday, April 27 and participate in National Walk@Lunch Day . It’s a short walk, but it can make a difference in participating employees’ overall health. Tens of thousands of walkers nationwide participated in last year’s event and we hope your organization will help make this year an even bigger success. Participation is fun and easy. Regular brisk walking can help you: ·       Maintain a healthy weight ·       Prevent or manage various conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes ·       Strengthen your bones ·       Lift your mood ·...

“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” – Socrates   National and local government officials can open new doors by incentivizing their citizens, businesses, and institutions to create and innovate. They can create a fair global economic system to implement these innovations and changes without giving up their role to advance and protect the public’s interests in this transition.   Unless we act now, climate change will continue to deeply damage economies, increase scarcity, drain profits and job prospects, and impact us all. When it comes to climate change, money talks. Through regulations, incentives, and public/private partnerships, governments hold the keys to transform and build the green economy. Similar to the industrial and information revolutions, governments must incentivize their citizens, businesses, and institutions to build a resilient future. We have the ability to make a difference in every ind...

Sleep Health After a long day, you need quality sleep to repair and restore your body for a new day. Your memory, physical health, and mood are all affected by the quality of sleep you get each night. Your life can greatly improve in numerous ways when you get healthy amounts of sleep. Many of us struggle to get the quality sleep we need. Below are common issues that can impact your sleep. 1. Mental health.  Depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder can impact your sleep health. It is important to seek treatment for these disorders. 2. Caffeine . Although caffeine can offer a productivity boost, caffeine is a stimulant that makes it more difficult to sleep well at night. Caffeine also stays in your system for several hours after consuming it. It is best to discontinue caffeine intake at least 4-6 hours before bedtime. 3. Indigestion .  It is important to make healthy food and beverage choices throughout the day and before bed. If you need a snack before bed, choose milk, cheese...

  Today is National Gardening Day! Did you know gardening is: - great for stress relief - helpful for your immune system - a quick mood booster and has long lasting effects on general happiness - excellent exercise - friendly to your grocery budget - a foolproof way to eat a healthier diet - a way to connect to your community How will you celebrate this year?    - Host a plant or seed swap and ask guests to bring a fun or interesting plant - Create a garden scavenger hunt or treasure hunt - Enjoy dinner outside in the garden with each dish featuring a home-grown ingredient. - Meditate outside - Make seed bombs with the kids.   - Make nature or flower crowns   - Arrange flower bouquets and gift them to friends and neighbors

Stress Awareness Month has been recognized every April since 1992, but this year it seems particularly important. Learning to cope with our stress and finding healthy ways to deal with these situations can go a long way in living a healthy and positive life. What does stress mean to you? We all experience stress – yet we may experience it in very different ways. Because of this, there is no single definition for stress, but the most common explanation is a physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension. Stress is a reaction to a situation where a person feels anxious or threatened. Learning healthy ways to cope and getting the proper care and support can help reduce stressful feelings and symptoms. Common reactions to a stressful event can include: • Disbelief, shock and numbness • Feeling sad, frustrated and helpless • Difficulty concentrating and making decisions • Headaches, back pains and stomach problems • Smoking or the use of alcohol or drugs Affecting more than just your mind...

 Join Come Alive Outside for this Spring's Mile a Day Walking Challenge! To register, visit  https://comealiveoutside.com/mile-a-day/ Mile a Day is a walking challenge that encourages individuals and teams from different worksites to establish and track healthy walking habits. There has never been a more important time to get outside and spend time walking in nature. This spring, individuals can choose to participate in the 30 Miles, 30 Days program 3 different ways:   Using our NEW Mile-A-Day app Requesting a logbook be mailed to them by April 7th (while supplies last) Requesting a fill-in PDF by April 13, 2022 Children today spend over seven hours a day looking at screens and half as much time outside as they did in 1980.  The numbers are even worse for adults, and this replacement of time in nature with screen time is having a profound impact on our mental and physical well-being. Come Alive Outside is a 501c3 nonprofit founded in 2014 that works closely with...

Sleep Health Sleep is seriously underrated! Sometimes it feels like a passive activity that you get to when you have time. But like other positive lifestyle choices, it’s important to stay on top of sleep to make sure you start each day off on the right foot. Sleeping well can help support your physical and emotional well-being. Unfortunately, sleep doesn’t come easy for many people.  Consider using the tips below to help improve your sleep. Establish a sleep schedule Humans thrive on routine, so consistency is key when it comes to improving sleep. For starters, choose a time when you want to start getting ready for bed and a time when you will go to sleep. Next, choose a time when you want to wake up each morning. Make sure that your sleep and wake-up times allow you to get 7-9 hours of sleep per night, which is the recommended amount of sleep for most adults. Sticking to your chosen routine each day, even on the weekends, can help improve your sleep. Make healthy lifestyle choice...