LiveWell Vermont

The bean is quite the super food: packed with calcium, iron, potassium, B vitamins, plus about a quarter of the protein and half the fiber recommended daily for adults - all in a single serving. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, beans may even lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels, which can help boost heart health. Beans also do double duty in the food pyramid as both a vegetable and a protein. Not to mention, beans are easy to cook with, widely available and inexpensive. Beans and legumes (such as soybeans, chickpeas and lentils) have been cultivated and consumed for centuries as a part of many world cuisines: Black beans figure prominently in Central American and Caribbean dishes, chickpeas are a staple of Middle Eastern cooking, lentils are common in Indian and Persian recipes, and white beans are a fixture of French and Italian cookbooks. Even though beans offer a slew of health benefits and culinary flexibility, they aren't a prominent staple of...

Everybody feels stress and knows it intimately, but very few of us think about what stress actually is. Stress is a thought. That’s it. No more, no less. If that’s true, then we have complete control over stress, because it’s not something that happens to us but something that happens in us. Try one of the strategies below to control your stress in a healthy manner. 1. Move.  The best way to burn off the stress hormones without having to change your thinking is to move and sweat. Run, dance, jump, ride, swim, stretch, or skip—do something vigorous and lively. Yoga is also fabulous, as it combines movement and breathing. 2. Breathe.  Most of us hold our breath often or breathe swallow, anxious breaths. Deep, slow, full breaths have a profound affect on resetting the stress response, because the relaxation nerve goes through your diaphragm and is activated with every deep breath. Take five deep breaths now, and observe how differently you feel after. 3. Bathe....

It’s Monday and the start of a beautiful week ahead! But if crashing on the couch starts to become one of your favorite things to do after work , eventually it gets a little old, especially if the sun is shining! Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is put down the remote and try something more healthy and useful. Check out this list of fun things to do after work  you can do with family and friends (or get in some alone time!). 15 Things to Do After Work Today Go for a walk on your favorite trail or park Try a yoga class or yoga DVD Cook a new recipe for your family Go for a bike ride Take a swim at the local community pool Daydream about your next vacation Read a book with your kids Plant a garden Start a blog Go for a romantic sunset walk with your partner Take a bubble bath Get a mani/pedi Take your dog out for a run Go out to dinner See a movie What do you think of this list of fun things to do after work – will one of these activi...

As we age, many of us have a fatal flaw that can lead to a fatal fall — we lose our balance, stability and coordination. Stephen Jepson says he can change that for everyone. And as a bonus, he believes it can help you build brain cells, develop neural pathways and prevent or delay Alzheimer’s and dementia. What is his prescription? Play! Stephen believes the key to never losing your balance — or your mind — is in the games and activities of our youth. Wait until you see his incredible playground! Taken from  www.growingbolder.com .

As much as we are huge advocates of exercise, exercise alone will not get you in shape and healthy. Your diet is a HUGE part of the equation. Some people could literally workout all day long, but then eat in a way that promotes body fat storage, leaving them seeing little or no results. While your dietary intake is probably not terrible, there are a few tips that will help you improve it even more. Tip #1: Don't eat late This is the most simple and effective way to preventing body fat storage and improving your body composition. Instead of eating less food late at night, simply don't eat late at all. Try these tips... Brush your teeth right after dinner. Once your teeth are clean, you've put an end to your consumption for the day. Change things up. If your evening routine revolves around food, find a new routine such as going for a walk, doing a little house cleaning or simply taking advantage of going to bed a little earlier! Let the habit fo...

Next Thursday, May 16th, is the annual Corporate Cup . A  5k race , like most distances, requires a proper understanding of how to distribute your energy and pacing through every mile of the race. It is important to properly train before your first 5k to prepare your body for the distance. The techniques below are great to implement during the race as well as during your training walks or runs.  Practice Breathing and Form :    Unlike lengthier road races, you won't have to spend much of your training building up high endurance, so instead focus on form and pacing. The distance of 3.1 miles is attainable for people of all backgrounds if they just take the time to understand their pace. Go for several very lightly paced runs or walks   of a few miles to develop your breathing technique. Focus on swinging your arms and keeping your balance. As you get comfortable, work up to the full 5k distance, and increase your speed for the middle and final stretches ...

We all know that diet and exercise are important when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle, but it is possible that you may be overlooking other critical, yet simple, techniques for improving or maintaining your health. Turn the following 13 simple tips into habits and watch as your energy levels soar and your health improves! 1) Eat a Smart Breakfast. Most people load up on carbohydrates and simple sugars for breakfast. Most cereals, pastries, smoothies and juice are all poor choices when it comes to starting your day off right. Center your breakfast around protein and healthy fat, and you'll have energy for hours. Try one of the following: a protein shake made with your choice of fruit, skim milk (or milk alternative), ice and protein powder; eggs with a cup of mixed fruit; lean breakfast meat, toast and fruit; or a handful of nuts and an apple. 2) Get More Sleep. If you're not getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night it is quite possible you could use more sle...

Green Up Day is this upcoming Saturday, May 4th. The first Green Up Day was April 18, 1970. It was started by Governor Deane C. Davis. In 1979, Green Up became a non-profit organization. Green Up Day is about mainly about picking up litter, but many communities provide refreshments, breakfast, picnic lunch or bbq, dinner and even live music and entertainment.  Contact your town coordinator  to see what the local traditions may be. Over 15,000 people volunteer annually in picking up litter on Green Up Day. Over 40,000 bags of trash are collected annually. For those new to Green Up…check out our Green Up Guide for history information, the basics of organizing Green Up Day in your town, and safety tips. Click here to download PDF. . Green Up's mission  is to promote the stewardship of our state's natural landscape and waterways and the livability of our communities by involving people in Green Up Day and raising public awareness about the benefits of a li...

Attention cyclists! The National Bike Challenge is starting May 1st! Before we get into the details, let’s do a little victory dance.  In case you didn’t hear:   Vermont WON the National Bike Challenge in 2012!   We had more points per capita than any other state.   And with your help, we’ll do it again this year! The Challenge is an exciting health and wellness initiative that encourages people to bike for transportation and recreation. It is open and free to anyone who lives in the U.S. In addition to improving our health, saving money and helping the environment, the Challenge is a fun way for participants to meet other riders in the online community and to win prizes.  The Challenge is a five month program that begins May 1, 2013 and ends September 30, 2013.  Get started by joining today! Log on to www.nationalbikechallenge.org , click “Join”. It’s quick and easy!   Make sure to enter “State of Vermont” as your employ...

It all boils down to the Law of Attraction. Everything that's coming into your life you are attracting into your life. And it's attracted to you by virtue of images you're holding in your mind. The idea is simple and very general: whatever it is that you focus on, think about and occupy your thoughts with will appear in your life. Humans, in this way, are like magnets. We attract into our lives whatever it is that our emotions, beliefs and thoughts focus on. While stress and negative emotions can certainly contribute to illness, things aren't always so black and white. Be sure to never be hard on yourself about being sick. No one ever deserves it, and it is never helpful to be hard on yourself. Many people worry about getting cancer and don't, there are people who are afraid of getting sick and do not get sick, and then there are people who live a very "clean" lifestyle and are quite stress-free who do get sick. The Power to Avoid (or Attract)...

Our modern round-the-clock lifestyles, plus caffeine, alcohol, lack of exercise, stress and a myriad of other factors have conditioned our bodies to stay awake. At times, sleep seems like the impossible dream and staying up is wearing us out. So is there hope for the bleary-eyed? Is a good night’s rest even possible these days? Absolutely! But first, you’ll need to brush up on your sleeping skills and make a few simple daytime changes so you can sleep better tonight. Here’s where to start: 1) Get into a sleepy-time groove. Getting up and going to bed around the same time, 7 nights a week is one of the most important things you can do to establish good sleep habits. Waking and sleeping at regular times reinforces a consistent sleep rhythm and reminds the brain when to release those all-important sleep and wake hormones. 2) Lost sleep is lost. Going to bed extra early Sunday night after Saturday night’s debauch won’t help you “make up” for lost sleep. Instead, it’ll throw...

These DIY Reusable Dryer Sheets are all natural and they’re super cheap to make! They are fantastic for helping you  save money on laundry  since they actually use less vinegar per batch than I would use in one load of using just straight vinegar per load. Plus, you’re keeping trash out of the dumpster by recycling old t-shirts to use for dryer sheets. If you don’t have enough old t-shirts to use, you can use old towels or sheets as well. DIY Reusable Dryer Sheets You will need: (1) old t-shirt, towel or sheet (1)  Mason Jar with lid 3/4 cup  white vinegar 1/4 cup water 3-4 drops  essential oil  of your choice   To start, grab a size  large or X-large t-shirt . You can use a smaller size if that is all that you have on hand, but be aware that if you do, you’ll very likely need more than one. Cut your shirt into around (16) 6×6″ pieces. You don’t have to be exact with the measurements, but try to get clos...