LiveWell Vermont

  I don't know about you, but too much sugar can really bother my stomach. This Halloween, I plan to take care of my body with some fun spooky options.  Ideas below to enjoy the season without the tummy ache. Enjoy! Monster Wraps Witchy Guacamole Spooky Spider Deviled Eggs Halloween Roast Veggies Halloween Banana Popsicles

Lots of people love fall: the colors of the trees, apple picking, pumpkin spice everything, sweater season... But many of us view this time of year with trepidation. If fall signals to you the beginning of a cold, dark, and difficult season, you're not alone! For those of us who struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder, now is the time to prepare. Getting your routines really stable before things get difficult can help you survive and THRIVE this winter! Over the next few weeks, we'll share some strategies to winterize your self-care practices to help combat the winter blues!  Week 1: Build Resilience with Reflection Try out the following practices to build a mindset of resilience to carry you through this winter.  Embrace Your Feelings You might be starting to experience feelings of grief right now for sunlight, sprawling green mountains, warm days at the swimming hole, and creemee stands. It's okay to grieve the end of summer! In fact, sitting with our feelings is a way...

  As the weather gets cooler it can be tempting to stay inside more and move a lot less.   If you find that getting outside is helpful for your mental health, and keeps you moving, there are techniques to keep the good times rolling.  First, try scheduling in ways to get out there that are fun.  If you are enjoying an activity, it is much easier to prioritize it. Second, try to schedule items with others.  This social contract can help you stay committed. Volunteering opportunities incorporate both of these, with the added benefit of doing something productive in your community. This can help you stay engaged in outdoor activities. Check out the following ideas, or share one of your own with us: Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports – this disability friendly group has opportunities to volunteer or play, and offers programming in several areas of the State. Green Mountain Club – Get together with others that love the outdoors!   A variety of opportunit...

Friendly reminder: pumpkin seeds are very delicious! Save the seeds from your baking pumpkins to create a tasty snack!   Cook time 20 minutes Total time 25 minutes Ingredients 2 tablespoons   olive oil 1 / 2  tablespoon   salt 1 / 2  tablespoon   garlic powder Seeds from one medium to large pumpkin Steps Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Rinse the pumpkin seeds, and remove any stringy pumpkin pulp. Dry the seeds thoroughly. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients until all the pumpkin seeds are evenly coated.  Spread the seeds onto a baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown, stirring halfway through.  Remove from the oven and cool before enjoying!  This recipe was taken from the USDA website.  Check out the full recipe and others here!

  Staying active is important, as physical activity has benefits to your health and can provide great stress relief. However, during some seasons of life we find ourselves crunched for time.  If you are finding yourself with minimal time at this point in your life, having a few short workouts to fall back on can be instrumental in maintaining strength and functionality in your body.  Try aiming for 15 minutes.  This is a time increment you could squeeze in on your lunch break, before or after work. If you can get in more than one, great! If you can't, appreciate what you did for your body. 15-Minute Yoga Routine Gentle Stretch and Strengthen Options 15-Minute Core Workout: Includes a Yoga Ball 15-Minute Full Body Workout: Includes Resistance Bands To increase physical  activity, it can also work well to combine movement with other needs, for a “two birds, one stone” approach. Consider: Family activity like hiking, tag, Twister Social sports like pick...

Stress can get us at any time! It's up to our unique set of coping skills how we handle it.  Having effective coping skills can help us: feel more in control of the situation reduce the risk of stress related consequences, like loss of sleep, indigestion, high blood pressure, or irritability  better support those around us when times are stressful for everyone recover from stressful situations faster For your coping skills to work at their best,  Identify what activities work best for you BEFORE you are stressed Practice them when you are NOT stressed Which of these have you tried? Which work, and which don't really do it for you? Which of them do you want to experiment with next? Cardio Exercise - get your heart pumpin' and sweat it out!  Talk a walk or jog, hop on your bike, or sign yourself up for a cardio dance class (or find one on Youtube). Your endorphins will fire up and you'll feel awesome. Resistance Exercise - fire up those muscles Get to the gym, grab you...

 Remember how our homes used to be cozy retreats from physically demanding jobs? Those days, we could unwind and recharge because our work already kept us moving. But now, most of us have jobs that involve sitting for long periods. That means our homes need to change too, becoming spaces that encourage us to move and be active. Imagine this: hanging a punching bag in your living room. It might sound strange, but it's a creative way to remind yourself to stay active. Just like that, your home can become a place that nudges you towards healthier habits. The idea is to make it easier for you to move around and take care of your body. Let's break it down even further. Think about setting up a designated area for simple exercises or stretches. You don't need to overhaul your home – just a few tweaks to make it more movement-friendly. The goal isn't to be perfect, but to take steps towards a healthier lifestyle. So, let's reimagine our homes as allies in our quest for bet...

  This blog post is intended to make you feel good. As you read each of these, imagine the sensation for yourself: The smell of falling leaves Pumpkin spice The golden explosion of leaves A crackling campfire Crunching through fallen leaves  Putting on a sweater for the first time Wool socks Pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin muffins The first cup of hot chai tea Write your own bliss list!  You can write it looking forward, like a to-do list of experiences you want to cultivate. Or you can write it as a record, keeping track of the bliss you've experienced recently.

Who wants to eat the same thing all the time? Not me! Who wants to save time and money by using up leftovers? Me, me! A couple nights ago, I made this really yummy  Mediterranean Style Chopped Salad  from The Kitchn (but I swapped out some of the ingredients for things I already had on hand).  For greens, I used kale from my garden + a head of red leaf lettuce from the farmstand down the street.  Instead of 1/2 cup of farro (which I ADORE), I'm trying to work my way through a truly giant bag of quinoa I bought, so I cooked 1 1/2 cups of quinoa, planning to feed 4 people and have leftovers to use later in the week.   Instead of plain red onions, I made a jar of my favorite  pickled red onions  to add some pizazz to the rest of the week (It takes like 5 minutes, I promise!) We've been eating it for days, and while it's been wonderful to have delicious food ready to go, I'm ready for a change of flavor!  Enter: Southwestern Quinoa Breakfast Bowl...