LiveWell Vermont

  Summer travel can be fantastic, but long hours of driving can also take a toll on your body. Ensuring proper driving ergonomics is key to a comfortable and safe journey. Take regular breaks. Every two hours, stop to stretch and walk around. This boosts circulation and prevents stiffness, and can be especially helpful for stressful driving. You can also boost your comfort by staying hydrated and choosing comfortable, breathable clothing. How to Adjust the Driver's Seat - full instructions from CCOHS here   Seat height  - raise the seat as high as you can but still be comfortable. This height will optimize your vision through the windows. You should be able to see at least 3 inches over the steering wheel.  Seat forward/back position  - move the seat forward until you can easily push the pedals through their full range with your whole foot, not just your toes.  Seat cushion angle  - adjust until your thighs are supported along the full length of the cu...

  A favorite at our house, this recipe meets the key requirements for busy days: fast, healthy, and tasty! Feel free to double if hungry, or scale up further if feeding the family. Ingredients 1 large egg 2 tablespoons whole-milk plain Greek yogurt, or a dairy-free substitute ½ whole-wheat pita ¼ cup baby arugula 2 tablespoons halved cherry tomatoes 3 pitted Kalamata olives, chopped 1 tablespoon crumbled feta cheese (optional) ¼ teaspoon za'atar (or your favorite seasoning) Directions Cook that egg however you like - poached, scrambled, fried. Spread yogurt inside pita, and sprinkle in a little za'atar. Fill the pita with arugula, tomatoes, poached egg, olives and feta.  This recipe was adapted from Eating Well's Feta, Egg & Olive Pita . 

We all have habits, both good and bad, that shape our daily lives and impact our overall well-being. Whether it's the habit of hitting the snooze button one too many times or consistently making time for exercise, our routines play a significant role in determining our success and happiness. The good news is that you can work on your habits to improve your life. Today, we'll explore some strategies to help you cultivate the habits that are best to serve you and make your life better. Choices: Assess which habits you are willing to change. Not sure? Try the Decisional Balance Worksheet. Clarity: Write down details of a habit you want to adopt including what, how, when, where, why. Be thorough, putting in effort here helps with success later. Implement a system to help get it done consistently. Consider an alarm,  habit stacking , or setting an appointment with someone else to do it together. Help it happen with the 20 Second Rule !  Understand the connection between your habits...

Often, it is easy to glorify extreme workouts and overlook the virtues of gentler training. However, mindfulness and mobility play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy, functional body. Mobility training, especially when combined with a mindful approach, can help individuals achieve long-term physical well-being, prevent injuries, and enhance their overall quality of life. Mobility training involves exercises and stretches designed to promote both flexibility and control through deep ranges of movement. When done well, the result is improvement in the way your body moves, helping you perform everyday activities with greater ease and efficiency. In the heat of summer, this can be a way to continue to work toward your goals without risking heat exhaustion. To maximize the benefits of mobility training, it's essential to approach it mindfully. Use the tips below to guide you: Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to how your body feels during each exercise. If you feel pain or discomf...

Whether you have diabetes or not, these ideas can help you to feel your best and have more stable energy throughout your day. 1. Take a 2-minute walk after meals The 2-minute walk was shown to significantly improve blood sugar levels. Take the walk within 60-90 minutes of finishing your meal. If you can walk longer than 2 minutes, great! If you only have 2 minutes to walk, that alone can make a big difference. 2. Include protein and fiber in each meal and snack Protein and fiber both slow down how quickly you digest your food, and slowing down digestion can slow down how much sugar gets released into your blood at a time. This can even out the spikes and dips that can make you feel icky or tired between meals. It can also help you feel more satisfied and focused between meals. For snacks, try: Yogurt + berries Cheese + whole grain crackers Veggies + hummus Fruit + peanut butter Popcorn + almonds For meals, try to include 3 food groups, and choose whole grains or starchy veggies as you...

  Money and love can be messy. That’s a big reason why many people try to keep the two topics separate. Of course, strong relationships have both romantic and financial components, and they’re often intertwined. That’s why I sat down with an expert to mitigate some of the messiness of money and love. Abby Davvison is a social innovation leader and career development expert. She co-wrote the book  Money and Love: An Intelligent Roadmap for Life’s Biggest Decisions . I’m going to review five of her top strategies to strengthen your financial relationship as a couple. Improving money and love with your partner Did you know that many of us follow scripts in our relationships? In fact, many of us grow up either consciously or subconsciously believing that romantic decisions are made with your heart whereas other life decisions are made with our head. This script shapes much of how we do or don’t deal with money and love. If you’re someone who prefers to keep them separate, Abby say...

We all know that sleep is a crucial component of self care.  Did you know that not getting enough quality sleep can raise your blood pressure ?? But sometimes, drifting off can be difficult even when you have the ability to get into bed on time. Try these ideas to help you next time you're laying awake! 1. Brain Dump Can't sleep because too many thoughts are swirling around your head?  Maybe you're repeating your to-do list over and over so you don't forget what you have to do the next day. Maybe you're replaying a difficult conversation from earlier in your head.  Stop the swirl by releasing your thoughts onto paper!  Keep a small journal by your bedside, and "dump" all the thoughts from your brain into it before lights-out.  If you're worried you'll forget to do something, keep it safe on paper overnight, and give your brain a break from holding onto it.  If you're processing something that happened earlier, writing it down can help you organ...

  With longer days comes more outdoor fun... and ticks. These little troublemakers can cause big problems if they bite us. To stay safe, we can follow some simple tips: Wear light-colored clothing so ticks are easier to spot. Use insect repellent, such as DEET. When hiking, stick to the center of trails and avoid tall grass and bushes where ticks like to hide. When you are done outside, check your body and clothes for ticks, especially in warm, moist areas like behind your knees and in your armpits. If you find a tick, don't panic! Use tweezers to gently remove it , pulling straight out without twisting. Contact your doctor if you notice any unusual symptoms, like a rash or fever after being outside. For more detailed prevention tips, please check out the Department of Health's Tick page .