LiveWell Vermont

There's still time to register for your flu shot. Be a super hero this flu season! While registering ahead is preferred, we do accept walk-ins. VT State employees/retirees register for your flu shot! For Schedule, FAQ, Directions and Vaccine Info Sheet, click  HERE .

Feeling tired? Did you know there's still time to sign up for our Live Refreshed Challenge? Take some time to focus on your sleep health and sign up today! This is the final LiveWell challenge of the year! **Please note:  If you are working toward the reach your peak tier then you must complete two challenges and one workshop OR two workshops and one challenge before November 1st to earn the 900 points!

Are you on Instagram?! So is Live Well ! Live Well supports the State of Vermont employee and retiree population through partnerships with health and wellness resources both within and outside of state government . Keep up with the State of Vermont Employee Wellness Program on by following @vtlivewell on Instagram today! Tag us in any photos of you and your loved ones participating in healthy activities. Whether its preparing a healthy meal, practicing self-care or getting your heart rate up, Live Well wants to know!

Looking for a crowd pleasing dessert recipe? Look no further! Check out this recipe from Eating Well. Ingredients: 3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar 5 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter 3 Large Eggs, room temperature 3/4 Cup Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese 2 Tablespoons Lemon Zest 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice plus 1 teaspoon, divided 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract 1 1/2 Cups White Whole Wheat Flour 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder 1/2 Teaspoon Salt 2 Cups Fresh Blueberries 2 Tablespoons Packed Confectioners' Sugar Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-by-5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment. Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and beat in ricotta, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and vanilla until just combined. Sprinkle flour on top, then sprinkle baking powder and salt over...

The 2 nd place winner for the State of Vermont Recipe Contest is Cheesy Summer and Zucchini Squash Casserole submitted by Alissa Robertson! Alissa wrote, “Here is a nice and tasty squash recipe to make while the summer and Zucchini squash are very productive. This vegetable dish is colorful and with all the cheese, your kids will eat it right up!” Whether you are getting back into a routine with school, juggling a busy work week or just enjoying a simple but tasty recipe, Cheesy Summer and Zucchini Squash could be the perfect option for you! This recipe can be found on pg 29 of the Employee Recipe Book: Summer Edition . Congratulations, Alissa! Special thanks to the Live Well Wellness Ambassadors who voted on all the wonderful recipes submitted by State of Vermont Employees! If you would like to join the team of Wellness Ambassadors and promote wellness at your worksite email your Wellness Team (DHR.LiveWellVermont@vermont.gov).

The 1 st place winner of the State of Vermont Summer Recipe Contest is Squasherole submitted by Ellen Cairns! This easy summer dish is nutritious and delicious. Ellen wrote, “This is a simple recipe that is based on a French provincial dish called a tian.   It is the answer to "What to do with all that summer squash?" and can be adapted in many different ways.   The base can be potatoes, as listed, or a layer of quinoa, rice, or other grains.   You can also play around with the types of protein (adding beaten eggs, for instance, instead of the tofu) and cheese.   One recipe, many possibilities!” As the summer is coming to a close, this recipe is perfect to use the rest of your summer squash supply. This recipe can be found on pg 27 of the Employee Recipe Book: Summer Edition . Congratulations, Ellen!! Special thanks to the Live Well Wellness Ambassadors who voted on all the wonderful recipes submitted by State of Vermont Employees! If you would lik...

Feeling tired? Take some time to focus on your sleep health and sign up today for our Live Refreshed Challenge! This is the final LiveWell challenge of the year! **Please note: If you are working toward the reach your peak tier then you must complete two challenges and one workshop OR two workshops and one challenge before November 1st to earn the 900 points!

VT State employees/retirees register for your flu shot! For Schedule, FAQ, Directions and Vaccine Info Sheet, click HERE .

Do you know that one of the most effective, inexpensive and pain-free ways to look and feel younger is to exercise and perform daily stretches that ward off kyphosis (rounding of the thoracic spine, resulting in a hunched shape); that keep the spine mobile; that lengthen the quadriceps to help sustain a tall, lifted posture; and that maintain a healthy range of motion in the hips? Shift your focus from “anti-aging” to “pro-aging” with these stretches that support an active body over a lifetime.  Stability Ball Chest Opener Sit on stability ball of appropriate size, feet planted on floor a little wider than hip width apart. Slowly roll down onto back while walking feet forward. (If you lack core strength, anchor your feet, toes touching wall.) Ball fully supports spine. Open arms straight out to sides, palms up. Allow back of head to rest on ball, and draw chin up slightly toward ceiling. Drop hips, allowing low back to round naturally against ball, or keep legs and glutes eng...

Do you tend to wake up each morning with no time to get ready feeling tired, agitated or stressed? Many of us go through this cycle of waking up with little energized or vigor for the day - it is time to break that cycle! Below are six great habits to wake up feeling great. Try one tomorrow to start building this habits into a routine. Hydrate as soon as you wake up. You body becomes incredibly dehydrated while you're sleeping. When you're dehydrated your metabolism slows down and your brain has less fuel to operate. To jumpstart your metabolism try to drink water. Start small with just trying to down a glass of H20. Have fun with it and add a lemon! Create a 15-Minute stretch routine. When we sleep, our muscles are inactive for long periods of time, blood flow decreases and less oxygen is in the muscle tissue. Stretching helps to increase flexibility and wake up your muscles. Find a stretch or yoga routine that works for you and can be done easily in your home. E...

Chocolate (dark with 70-85% cocoa - not the sugary, hydrogenated varieties) is a great choice when it comes to enjoying a treat. Not only does it taste great, but it has its health benefits, too. It contains nutrients, is a powerful source of antioxidants, may improve blood pressure, may improve HDL cholesterol, may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, can protect your skin from the sun and improve brain function! A 100 gram bar of dark chocolate with 70-85% cocoa contains: -11 grams of fiber. -67% of the RDA for Iron. -58% of the RDA for Magnesium. -89% of the RDA for Copper. -98% of the RDA for Manganese. -It also has plenty of potassium, phosphorus, zinc and selenium. Of course, 100 grams (3.5 ounces) is a fairly large amount and not something you should consume on a daily basis. Along with the above nutrients comes 600 calories and moderate amounts of sugar. For this reason, dark chocolate is best consumed in moderation . For more info, visit: https://authoritynut...

You may know that sleep plays a vital role on your physical and mental health, but you may be wondering if you're truly sleeping well. On average, an adult needs between 7-9 hours of sleep to feel well rested, however this can vary depending on the individual. Some people may feel great with 6-7 hours of sleep each night where others need 8 or 9. Figure out what works best for you by tracking how much sleep you're getting and how you're feeling the following day. Some other important factors for healthy sleep include: 1.) You fall asleep within 15-20 minutes of lying down. 2.) You regularly sleep a total of 7-9 hours in a 24 hour period. 3.) While in bed your sleep is continuous and you aren't lying awake for extended stretches. 4,) You wake up feeling refreshed. 5.) You feel alert and able to be productive during your waking hours. 6.) You don't exhibit any out of the ordinary behaviors such as snoring, restlessness, or pauses in breathing. ...

Is that to-do list weighing you down? There are many reasons why we procrastinate including indecisiveness, a difficult or dreaded task, or fear of failure. However, there are ways you can fight procrastination and tackle that to-do list! One way to look at your to-do list is through a value standpoint . Where do you place value and how can you add value to the items that have forever been stuck on your to-do list? If you find a way to add value to these to-do list items, it will then make it important and possibly even exciting for you. You may also try eliminating interruptions . Sometimes all it takes is one distraction to make it difficult to get back on task. If you can, turn off your phone, social media, and email for a couple hours to tackle that to-do list. Is there one project that seems very overwhelming? Breaking a large project up into smaller pieces , may make it seem easier to tackle. Additionally, try this tip: Remember what your strengths are.  Is one...

Front, side, reverse, hands or forearms, knees or toes—whichever way you choose to plank, this simple, stationary position is an essential exercise in your weekly fitness routine. Planking strengthens all the muscles that run up and down your spine, which helps you to stand, rotate, bend and lift with ease. Planks have endless variations. Subtle changes such as lifting an arm or adding movement can change the degree of difficulty of the exercise, keeping your body challenged and your workouts fun. Ready to fire up your core? These five plank variations focus on lifting the legs and adding rotation to intensify the work.  Plank Set-up:  All exercises, except for the last one, should begin in one of the positions described below. Setting the foundation ensures that your alignment is correct and your entire body is connected and engaged so you’ll be ready to tackle these fun and highly effective plank exercises.   High Plank:  Position the body face down with ha...

You may know that bananas in smoothies makes for a creamier and nutritious smoothie, but did you know you can swamp that banana out for summer squash? This veggie is low in calories, but high in nutrients such as potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and fiber! Squash is a great filler because of its neutral flavor so it has the ability to form the base of any smoothie. Try it the next time you're looking for a healthy smoothie!

It's hard to deny that employees are spending more and more time at work these days, getting in early or staying late. This has led to people eating more meals away from home, which can result in poor nutrition decisions. Combine this with a sedentary job, and we have one of the biggest reasons for our obesity epidemic. What can we do about this, you may ask? Well, a little bit of planning and some mindful decisions can tip the scales back in your favor, even if you are stuck behind a desk 10 hours a day. Put this first tip to action today! Don't sit for all 10 hours :) Below are some nutritional tips to keep you moving in the right direction: 1. Eat Breakfast at Home  Many people have breakfast at home before heading to work, often in a rush. An early starting time, paired with long commutes, leads to an even earlier wake-up time, often at 5 am or 6 am.  At this point, you may value every minute of sleep over a fussy breakfast. Luckily, you can prepare many breakfast opt...

While coffee in moderate amounts has been shown to have health benefits, too much caffeine can lead to insomnia, increased anxiety, headaches, high blood pressure, and a more rapid heartbeat. If you've been considering reducing your caffeine intake because of these symptoms or because you'd like to reduce your dependency on it, you may be wondering how to do so without the awful caffeine withdrawal symptoms. Many people who give up caffeine cold turkey find they experience headaches, fatigue, and irritability, among other symptoms. One of the best ways to reduce or remove caffeine from your daily routine is to do so slowly. You can gradually reduce the amount of caffeine you're drinking daily and/or reduce the amount of caffeine in your beverage (for example: switch to half-caf coffee). Remember to check your foods and medications for caffeine. There are a lot of products that have hidden caffeine in them! Chocolate, some flavors of ice cream and soda and even s...

Are you looking to improve your running speed? Here's some tips and tricks to help! 1.) Watch your Form: The key to running well at any speed is proper running form. Proper running form means keeping your upper body tall and relaxed, keeping your arms swinging forward and back at a low 90 degree angle (rather than swinging out to the side), and striking the ground with your mid-foot landing underneath your hip. 2.) Count Your Steps: Familiarize yourself with your stride turnover which is the rate of steps your take while running regardless of pace. The fastest most efficient runners have a cadence of around 180 steps per minute and keep their feet close to the ground taking speedy short steps. Find your magic number by running for one minute and counting the number of times your right foot hits the ground. Multiply that by 2. 3.) Try Interval Training: Short bursts of high intensity running can help improve your speed significantly. It also burns major calories in much le...

Journaling can be a great way to relieve stress. Check out these eight reasons why journaling is beneficial. 1.) Mindfulness Journaling brings you to a state of mindfulness where past frustrations and future anxieties don't seem as overwhelming in the present moment. If your mind tends to wander a lot, journaling will bring your focus to the present allowing you to actively engage with your thoughts. 2.) Achieving Goals and Dreams Journaling can often include writing about your hopes, goals, and dreams. Writing down your goals signals to your brain that "this is important." This can help your brain form connections and seek out or note opportunities in the future that may help you reach these goals. 3.) Emotional Intelligence Journaling is an outlet for processing emotions and increases your self-awareness. This will create a familiarity that allows you to better understand what others are experiencing. 4.) Memory Boost Writing down thoughts, ideas, and me...

Are you looking for a quick and simple dinner that also provides fantastic leftovers? Look no further than this frittata recipe. This recipe is very versatile. You can switch out the veggies, cheese, and/or herbs to whatever your preference may be. This recipe would go well with roasted potatoes and a side salad to make it a more hearty meal. Veggie Frittata Ingredients: Assorted vegetables, diced (one good combination is broccoli, spinach, and onion however feel free to get creative with what you have in the fridge). 3 Tablespoons olive oil 6 Basil leaves, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 8 eggs 3/4 cup plain unsweetened almond milk (you can also substitute regular milk) 1 1/2 cup shredded cheese. You can use a combination of cheeses or stick to one. Cheddar is a great option. Salt and Pepper to taste  Directions: Add veggies, garlic, and olive oil to a large frying pan. Saute until veggies are slightly tender (6-7 minutes). Whisk eggs and milk in a large bowl ...