LiveWell Vermont

Have you heard of my friend the switch witch? She’s a GOOD witch that visits your house while your kids sleep. She takes their Halloween candy and switches it for an awesome toy. The Switch Witch lives on the dark side of the moon. And she LOVES candy. Of course, ALL witches loves candy, but none as much as her. She LOVES candy SO much that she’s eager to trade AMAZING toys to little boys and girls in exchange for their candy stash. Of course, the boys and girls can keep a LITTLE candy for themselves, but the more they give the Switch Witch, the better their toy will be. She eats the boys and girls’ candy over the course of the year. As just as she runs out, it’s Halloween again – time for another visit from the Switch Witch. Encourage your little ones to leave some of their candy for the Switch Witch!

The final trimester of Wellness: Your Way ends on November 1st. That is exactly 1 week from today. Make sure you earn all your points prior to the cut off because there are no extensions. Need more information? Check out our Wellness Page. If you have questions please email us at DHR.LiveWellVermont@Vermont.gov or call us at 802-828-7308  before November 1st.

Fall is the perfect excuse to utilize your creative energy! There are so many cute "Fall Inspired" crafts. Use this time as a mental escape from a hectic schedule or host a "Craft Club" and make an event out of it! Nourishing your inner spark is a mental act as much as it is an emotional and spiritual one, offering up the opportunity for you to honor, expand and be in the flow of your creative gift moment to moment! DIY FALLING LEAVES GARLAND You’ll need a bag of artificial leaves, which you can purchase from the Dollar Tree or any craft store. Next use a paintbrush to apply Elmer’s glue to each leaf and then sprinkle glitter over the leaf. Let the glue set and then shake off the excess glitter. Next punch a hole at the top of each leaf and attach a ribbon that you can tie to a large ribbon strand. These leaves are so shimmery and will add a festive sparkle to your home for the upcoming months. It would also be a great project to do wit...

Not many places can beat the atmosphere of Vermont in the Fall!! Who doesn't love apple picking, crisp mornings and the fabulous foliage?? It is also a great time to incorporate pumpkin into EVERYTHING!  Pumpkins’ orange color is a big hint that they’re loaded with the antioxidant beta-carotene, which is one of the plant carotenoids converted to Vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is essential for healthy, glowing skin, strong eyesight, and our immune system. 1 cup of pumpkin delivers around 550 mg of potassium, making it one of the highest sources among fruits and vegetables (bananas bring in about 420 mg, and sweet potatoes bring in about 475 mg). This makes it an excellent addition to your post workout snack to replenish your stores! The following portable recipes provide a deliciously healthy way to add more pumpkin to your day! Pumpkin Banana Bread: yields 12-16 slices 2 cups flour 1 tsp baking soda 3/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp each: cinnamon, ginger, pumpkin pi...

Fall is a great time for grilling and making BBQ! What goes better with BBQ than homemade slaw? NOTHING! Check out this low cal recipe! GREEK COLESLAW INGREDIENTS     1 (10oz.) bag shredded cabbage     1 cup shredded carrots     1/2 cup green onions, sliced     2/3 cups non-fat plain Greek yogurt     1 tbsp lemon juice     2 tbsp apple cider vinegar     2 tbsp honey, warmed     1 tsp Dijon mustard     1/4 tsp celery salt DIRECTIONS Combine the cabbage, carrot and green onions in a large bowl, and toss to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt, lemon juice, vinegar, honey, mustard and celery salt. Taste, and season with extra salt and pepper if needed. Pour the Greek yogurt mixture into the cabbage mixture, and toss until evenly combined. Serves 4-6. Serve immediately, or cover ...

When we pack our diet with vibrant foods loaded with antioxidants, healthy fats, water, and essential nutrients, our body will show its appreciation through its largest organ: our skin. After all, the skin is often the first part of our body to show internal trouble, and there’s only so much that lotions, creams, masks, and serums can do before we need to take a closer look at what’s fueling us. In fact, studies show that eating fruits and veggies is the safest and healthiest way to combat dull complexions and fine lines. Ready to glow? Try these 5 antioxidant powerhouses to give your skin a glow from within! Red Bell Peppers Red bell peppers are loaded with antioxidants which combat the effects of aging!. In addition to their high content of vitamin C — which is good for collagen production — red bell peppers contain powerful antioxidants called carotenoids. Carotenoids are plant pigments responsible for the bright red, yellow, and orange colors you see in many f...

Eating perfect isn’t always possible. After all, we’ve all dipped into the chips or had pizza at a party. But when we fill up regularly on more quality foods, we can look better,  feel healthier and have a lot more energy! So what are empty calories? Just think of those packaged or processed items that don’t need preparation, like cookies or chips or sugary drinks. They have zero nutritional value and typically contain quite a few calories, sugar and fat. What they lack: the good stuff, like protein, fiber and vitamins. You never want to completely eliminate any food you enjoy from your diet. The opposite of elimination is binging, which is typically worse than a small splurge. The 80/20 rule is the theory that if you eat a healthy, balanced diet 80% of the time, the other 20% there is room for an occasional treat. An occasional treat is not an excuse to debunk your entire healthy efforts. Think more along the lines of a small burger with a side salad, a grille...

Fall is finally here! As we settle into these cooler temperatures and richly colored falling leaves, it's a perfect time to enjoy diffusing and blending with warming essential oils like ginger, cardamom, cinnamon and clove.  Try one of these simple diffusion blends to enhance all of your Fall Festivities!

Breast cancer … it’s a scary thought and all too many women assume that it won’t happen to them. Fact is though, 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their life. Breast cancer does not discriminate! So, be proactive during breast cancer awareness month 2018 go for a medical checkup, it might save your life. Breast Cancer FAQs: Can physical activity reduce the risk of breast cancer? Exercise boosts the immune system and helps you to keep your weight in check. With as little as three hours of exercise per week, or about 30 minutes a day, a woman can begin to lower her risk of breast cancer. This doesn’t require going to a gym either. Power walking is more than sufficient Can a healthy diet help to prevent breast cancer? A nutritious, low-fat diet (30 grams or less) with plenty of fruits and green and orange vegetables can help reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. A high-fat diet increases the risk because fat triggers estrogen...

Our blog is an educational tool for YOU. Share with us what subjects around health and wellness would you like to learn more about! We want to know! Share your ideas by commenting on this post, emailing DHR.LiveWellVermont@Vermont.gov or calling 802-828-7308.

Hello Chittenden County! Capital for a Day is in your county tomorrow (Sept. 26th) and LiveWell Vermont is coming! OPEN TO THE PUBLIC- Fuel & Fitness. Come learn with more about moving your body and how to fuel it at this one hour workshop with your State of Vermont Wellness Specialists. 11am-noon at Dorothy Alling Memorial Library  21 Library Lane Williston, Vermont AND 2-3pm at Burnham Memorial Library 898 Main St, Colchester, VT Both of these workshops are FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! Just show up! We hope to see you there!  

Intermittent fasting is a popular topic. Some people use it to regulate their body's functions and others use it for weight loss. This blog post is strictly educational- Live Well Vermont does not endorse intermittent fasting. You shouldn’t try intermittent fasting if you are pregnant, diabetic or healing from a traumatic event such as surgery. Before deciding whether intermittent fasting is for you, consult a healthcare professional. So...what is it? Fasting has been a practice throughout human evolution. Ancient hunter-gatherers didn't have supermarkets, refrigerators or food available year-round. Sometimes they couldn't find anything to eat. Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating. It doesn’t specify which foods you should eat but rather when you should eat them. In this respect, it’s not a diet in the conventional sense but more accurately described as an eating pattern. Common intermittent fasting methods inv...

BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont is hosting Apple Days again!! Apple Days celebrate fall and our local orchards. Guest of all ages enjoy free apple picking and activiites that support healthy, fresh local food. Fill a free BCBSVT "Pick a Peck" bag with delicious apples, right off the trees! First 500 guest get one bag per person, limit four bags per family. S ept. 29-Allenholm Farms South. Hero 11 a.m-3 p.m. Oct. 6-Champlain Orchards Shoreham 11 a.m-3 p.m. Contact info: events@bcbsvt.com

Do you love beets? If you're on the fence about this purple veggie- here are 4 benefits beets provide: 1. Beets boast an impressive nutritional profile. They are low in calories, yet high in valuable vitamins and minerals. In fact, they contain a bit of almost all the vitamins and minerals that you need. RDI (recommended daily intake). Calories: 44 Protein: 1.7 gram Fat: 0.2 grams Fiber: 2 grams Vitamin C: 6% of the RDI Folate: 20% of the RDI Vitamin B6: 3% of the RDI Magnesium: 6% of the RDI Potassium: 9% of the RDI Phosphorous: 4% of the RDI Manganese: 16% of the RDI Iron: 4% of the RDI 2. Beets can lower your blood pressure! Beets contain a high concentration of nitrates, which have a blood pressure-lowering effect. In your body, dietary nitrates are converted into nitric oxide, a molecule that dilates blood vessels, causing blood pressure to drop. This may lead to a reduced risk of heart attacks, heart failure and stroke. 3. Beets can help your stomach by being a  ...

We want you to stay healthy this flu season, so we have provided some tips to avoid the flu! Try to avoid close contact with sick people. While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. No tissue? Use your elbow! Wash your hands often with soap and water and dry them well. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way. Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs like the flu. (phone, desk, keyboard). Avoid sharing items that may be contaminated such as phones, pens, toothbrushes, silverware, drinking glasses/ cups or straws. Keep up a healthy lifestyle. Keeping your own immune system healthy is your number one defense. Eat a healthy balanced, diet; drink water; exercise on a regular basis; sleep 7-9 hours a ...

There are many theories and ideas about food. Food is how we fuel our bodies, so we want to make sure we are giving our bodies the best! A general rule is to always pick the whole food over a processed option. Below, we make it simple! A whole food would be considered, ideally, as a food with only one ingredient. Whole foods look most like their natural composition i.e. corn on the cob, apple, chicken or a cucumber. A processed food is typically food with more than one ingredient. Food companies typically add additional sugars, preservatives, dyes, saturated and trans fats. WHOLE FOODS: Fresh fruits and vegetables Frozen fruits and vegetables Unsalted nuts Fresh meat, fish, eggs Low far milk (skim or 1%) Plain yogurt Low fat cottage cheese Low fat cheese PROCESSED FOODS: Fruit/vegetable juices Fruits canned in heavy syrup Fruit snacks/gummies Veggie or potato chips Processed meat (bacon, sausage, fish sticks, deli meats, et...

AVOCADOS AND CRAB!! These California Spicy Crab Stuffed Avocados are extremely simple and tasty.   Ingredients: 2 tablespoons light mayo 2 teaspoons sriracha, plus more for drizzling 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives 4 oz lump crab meat 1/4 cup peeled and diced cucumber 1 small Hass avocado (about 4 oz avocado when pitted and peeled) 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds 2 teaspoons soy sauce   DIRECTIONS: In a medium bowl, combine mayo, sriracha and chives. Add crab meat and cucumber and chive and gently toss. Cut the avocado open, remove pit and peel the skin or spoon the avocado out. Fill the avocado halves equally with crab salad. Top with sesame seeds and drizzle with soy sauce. NUTRITION INFORMATION Yield: 2 servings, Serving Size: 1/2 stuffed avocado Amount Per Serving: Calories: 194 calories Total Fat: 13g Saturated Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 60mg Sodium: 746mg Carbohydrates: 7g Fiber: 4g Sugar: 1g Protein: 12g   H...

The U.S. Department of Labor defines Labor Day as:  a creation of the labor movement and a dedication to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. L abor day is the first Monday of September every year. Enjoy this national holiday and day off celebrating how hard you work all year long!

What is blood pressure?    Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of the arteries. The heart creates this force as it contracts and as it rests between contractions. How is blood pressure measured?    Blood pressure incorporates two measures: Systolic blood pressure  is the pressure against artery walls as the heart contracts (or beats) and pushes blood into the arteries. This is the top or first number in a blood pressure reading. Diastolic blood pressure  is the pressure against artery walls between heart contractions. This is the bottom or second number in a blood pressure reading. What is hypertension?   Hypertension is a medial diagnosis of high blood pressure, which is made if the systolic number or the diastolic number stays higher than normal most of the time. In this condition, the heart has to pump harder to move blood through the body, adding to the workload of the heart and blood vessels. Hypertension...

Stress- It makes your heart pound, your breathing quicken and your forehead sweat. Some research suggests that stress may only be bad for you if you believe that to be the case. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal urges us to see stress as a positive, and introduces us to an unsung mechanism for stress reduction: reaching out to others. Watch this 15-minute video to learn more about the positives of stress!