LiveWell Vermont

You do not need a fancy gym to find some extra room for fitness. Try these at home, work, with friends, alone, ANY way you choose! Here is.... Number 6: Push Up What It Does:  Strengthens the chest, shoulders, triceps and core How to Do It:  Place your hands and knees on a mat or rug with your hands slightly wider than your shoulders and in line with your chest. Extend one leg behind you, then the other, keeping your back straight and your abdominals engaged. Slowly lower down so your elbows are at a 90-degree angle. Push back up and repeat 10 times. Be careful not to… lift or sag your hips. Keep your spine in line throughout the movement to prevent lower back pain. If full push-up too challenging, try doing them from your knees.

William Harry McRaven is a retired United States Navy Admiral. In 2014 at the University of Texas at Austin Commencement Ceremony he gave a speech that left the audience moved. Check out this address to the graduating class that covers the importance of determination, commitment and overcoming obstacles.

You do not need a fancy gym to find some extra room for fitness. Try these at home, work, with friends, alone, ANY way you choose! Here is.... Number 5: Reverse Lunge What It Does:  Targets and strengthens your abdominals and back muscles How to Do It:  Lie face-down on an exercise mat or rug with your forearms and palms pressed to the floor and your toes tucked under. Place your elbows under your shoulders, keeping your head in line with your spine. Engage your core and thigh muscles as you press your body up off the floor, keeping your buttocks down, not protruding upward. Hold for 20 seconds (or a time that feels comfortable to you) and return to your starting position. Repeat 2 to 3 times. Be careful not to… sag your lower back when pressing up off the floor. For optimal results, and to avoid any pain, use your abdominal muscles to keep your body in line throughout the exercise .

Metabolism...what a nice word! But...what is it? According to WebMD, metabolism refers to the process of converting food into the energy that allows your body to function. People who have a fast metabolism use up calories more quickly than those with slower metabolisms. Research shows that as you age your metabolism slows. In a review of data on energy expenditure, researchers found simply getting older is associated with progressive declines in basal metabolic rate. Did you know there are some things you could be doing to increase this slowing process? Here are 8 bad habits that could be slowing your metabolism: Skipping breakfast Eating the wrong breakfast Sitting too much Neglecting strength training Not getting enough protein Not getting enough sleep Not drinking enough water Stressing out Avoiding these habits can be helpful in maintaining your metabolism or at the least slowing down the slowing process. For more on these 8 tips, check out this blo...

You do not need a fancy gym to find some extra room for fitness. Try these at home, work, with friends, alone, ANY way you choose! Here is.... Number 4: Reverse Lunge What It Does:  Targets and strengthens your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings and inner thighs How to Do It:  Stand with your feet together, toes pointed forward, your arms at your sides and your shoulders down. Lift your left leg and step back about two feet, planting the ball of your foot on the floor. Slowly lower yourself until your left knee lightly taps the floor while your right thigh is parallel to the floor. Push back up to your starting position and repeat 10 to 12 times. Switch legs. Be careful not to… put your weight in the ball of your front foot. Drive through your front heel instead while the heel of your back foot should remain lifted off the ground.

Passion is defined as "a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept." Finding your passion in life is not always an easy question to answer. Gretchen Rubin, writer of The Happiness Project , states, "A passion gives you a reason to keep learning and to work toward mastery. It can often give you a reason to travel, and therefore to have the new experiences so key to happiness. It gives you something in common with other people, and so fosters social bonds. It gives you purpose. It often has a satisfying physical aspect—rock-climbing, fly-fishing, knitting. It gives meaningful structure to your time. It makes the world a richer place. When you’re in pain, it can be a refuge, a distraction, a solace...Passion doesn’t just bring happiness to the person who enjoys that passion – it also brings a vicarious pleasure to onlookers." What is your passion? Have you found it yet?  Check out this fun video by SoulPancake to see what some p...

You do not need a fancy gym to find some extra room for fitness. Try these at home, work, with friends, alone, ANY way you choose! Here is.... Number 3: Bird Dog What It Does:  Works your abdominals, back, glutes and hip muscles How to Do It:  Get on your hands and knees; keep your hands directly under your shoulders and your palms flat. Position your knees under your hips, keeping your back straight. Simultaneously lift and lengthen your left leg behind you until it’s parallel to the floor, and extend your right arm straight in front of you until it’s also parallel to the floor. Hold for moment and return to your starting position. Repeat two more times and switch sides. When you’re ready, try alternating sides after each rep. Be careful not to… flop from side to side. Maintaining control and balance as you switch sides keeps your muscles constantly engaged.

 While there is no one recipe for happiness, these 12 suggestions from Management 3.0 have shown to improve one's mood. Try 1 or try 12! Is there something on this list you currently do to support your own happiness or self-care? Let us know about it!

You do not need a fancy gym to find some extra room for fitness. Try these at home, work, with friends, alone, ANY way you choose! Here is.... Number 2: Bicycle Crunches What It Does:  Engages and tones all sides of your abdominals How to Do It:  Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, at least a foot away from your buttocks.   Place your hands behind your head with your elbows out to the side and your neck straight. Raise both knees to a 90-degree angle until your thighs are parallel to the floor. With your head lifted off the floor, bring your right knee and your left armpit toward each other, extending your left leg straight at the same time. Hold for a moment and switch so that you’re now bringing your left knee and your right armpit toward each other, extending your right leg straight. Continue switching back and forth until you’ve completed 10 to 15 reps on each side. Be careful not to… bring your elbow to your knee. Aim...

This recipe is courtesy of Mind Over Munch Ingredients: 1 spaghetti squash  ⅓ cup Greek yogurt, or nondairy yogurt of choice 1 Tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil  3 Tbsp Buffalo sauce of your choice  ¼ tsp garlic powder  salt and pepper, to taste  1½ cups chicken, shredded  2 Tbsp crumbled blue cheese  2 Tbsp green onion, chopped  ¼ cup shredded cheese for topping  Optional: light ranch/blue cheese dressing for topping   Instructions: Preheat oven to 400°F Poke holes in squash with a fork and microwave 5 minutes to soften up the squash. Score all the way around the squash lengthwise with a knife, marking the line of the cut. Cut squash in half lengthwise, scrape out seeds Brush with olive oil, season with salt & pepper Place cut-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake for about 40 minutes, until tender enough to scrape strands. Should be easily pierced with a fork. (Not TOO cooked through ...

Yes, you read that right! The Live Well Vermont team is coming your way to offer biometric screenings again. Below are the 2019 schedules. Register in the  Wellness Portal  today! 2019 Overall Biometric Schedule Northern Region Schedule Central Region Schedule Southern Region Schedule

For the next 10 Tuesdays we will be sharing a new body weight exercise! You do not need a fancy gym to find some extra room for fitness. Try these at home, work, with friends, alone, ANY way you choose! Number 1: Basic Crunch   What It Does:  Strengthens your abdominals How to Do It:  Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, at least a foot away from your buttocks. Place your hands behind your head with your elbows out to the side and your neck straight. Curl your chest and shoulders up, keeping your chin away from your chest and your tailbone on the floor. Hold for a moment at the top and then return to your starting position. Repeat 10 times. Be careful not to… pull on your neck. Holding your neck in line with your spine while your hands gently support your head allows your abdominals to do the work.

Besides being the cup of liquid gold that gets your day jumpstarted, coffee has health benefits! Hopefully this blog post, increases your love for coffee or at the least helps you justifies your 2nd or 3rd cup! ☺ Fat Burning: Caffeine can aid in fat burning and several studies have proven that it can increase metabolic rate by 3-11%. Several studies show that caffeine can increase fat burning and boost your metabolic rate. Caffeine increases adrenaline levels and release fatty acids from your fat tissues. It also leads to significant improvements in physical performance. Contains Essential Nutrients : Coffee contains several important nutrients, including riboflavin, pantothenic acid, manganese, potassium, magnesium and niacin. Coffee also contains polyphenols (micronutrients that we get through certain plant-based foods) that are effective at neutralizing free radicals (uncharged molecules in the body, highly reactive and short-lived) and helping to prevent ...

The second phase of this awesome challenge started yesterday! If you have not signed up yet, there is still time!! You have until Sunday, March 24th to register!  This 3-week challenge is worth 60 incentive points towards the Start Small. Go Big! Incentive Program. Register in the portal today!

Join the National Sleep Foundation in celebrating its annual Sleep Awareness Week, March 10 - 16, 2019! More than 18 million American adults have sleep apnea. In the 2005 Sleep in America poll, 8% of respondents experienced or had been observed having pauses in their breathing during sleep at least three nights per week. Adults in the poll were also given the Berlin questionnaire, a standardized test assessing risk for sleep apnea. Based on the questionnaire, 26% of all poll respondents were at risk. I’m a night person. Always have been. Always will be. Hey, night owl. You may be right. But here are some tips for becoming more of an early riser. Just like with any challenge...Start small and GO BIG! Step 1: Set a goal. What time do you wanna get up? This might be a "long term goal" and that's ok! You can set smaller, more manageable goals to help you get there.  Step 2: Set a Routine! Every morning, back up your wake time by a couple minutes. And...

Join the National Sleep Foundation in celebrating its annual Sleep Awareness Week, March 10 to 16, 2019! You know the deal. Adults need an average of seven to nine hours of sleep a night to be their best functioning selves. But work, life, and good TV that comes on after 9pm can always get in the way of that.  It may be tempting to try to edge in a couple extra hours of work or leisure in exchange for fewer hours of sleep, but is the loss of sleep really worth it?   According to the CDC, “insufficient sleep has been linked to the development and management of a number of chronic diseases and conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression.” Additionally, the American Sleep Association states that, “35% of adults report less than seven hours of sleep per night.”  To learn more about sleep and sleep deprivation, or request promotional materials for sleep awareness please visit the National Sleep Foundation at SleepFound...

Life comes with a lot of unexpected, happy, sad, trying and special moments. Regardless of what you face in this lifetime, having a strong support system to guide you and celebrate with you is important. The Okinawa community firmly believes that having a group of lifelong friends contributes to their long, healthy lives. The Japanese term for this support group is ‘moai’. The research is there, but how do we get this support system? Where do we go and what do we do to try and grow our group of life companions? Here are a few ways to grow your moai! Hobbies! Having common interests is a great way to bond with another individual. Exploring and even learning new hobbies can be a great way to strengthen a bond. Meet Up can be a great way to find others in your area with common interests! This website/app allows you to create a group based on your interest or search through a variety of topics to find an existing group you would like to join. Trying new events in your area can b...

YIELD: 2 servings TIME: 10 minutes INGREDIENTS: 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 large cloves garlic, minced 6 ounces large shiitake mushrooms, stems removed Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon chopped parsley PREPARATION: Combine butter and garlic in sauté pan. Heat until butter is melted and garlic starts to sizzle, about 30 seconds. Do not let garlic brown. Add mushrooms and sauté 3 to 4 minutes, turning until lightly browned. Season to taste with salt and pepper, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

This breakfast yogurt parfait in a jar is a tasty way to start your day. It’s so quick and easy, too. Why opt for sugary yogurt varieties, when there’s such a deliciously healthy alternative in naturally-sweetened Greek yogurt? The fruits included in the recipe can be swapped out with your seasonal favorites to provide you with a nutritious breakfast to-go! Note that you can get creative about layering your parfait, adding dark chocolate shavings, granola of choice, shredded coconut, sugar free jam, and more to the layers. Servings: 3 | Serving Size: 1 cup | Calories: 184 | Total Fat: 8 g | Carbohydrates: 23 g | Dietary Fiber: 4 g | Sugars: 1 g | Protein: 6 g Ingredients 1 cup grapes or mixed berries 1/2 banana, chopped 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut 1/2 cup granola 1/2 cup nonfat or lowfat Greek-style yogurt Instructions Place a layer of berries or grapes on the bottom of the jar, add a layer of yogurt, a layer of granola, a layer of fruit, another ...

Looking for another reason to enjoy a glass of wine?? The men and women of Sardinia, Italy enjoy moderate consumption of locally made Cannonau wine and they have the world's highest concentration of male centenarians and are a designated Blue Zone!  Blue Zones were identified in 2004 as places where people consistently have longer lifespans. Over a decade or so of research has identified a list of 9 factors that prolong life in theses established regions. Among these factors was drinking some form of alcohol. Sardinians are famous for their daily consumption of the robust, regional red wine called Cannonau aka "Garnacha" (Spain), "Garnatxa" (Spain). Cannonau wine has TWO TO THREE TIMES  the level of artery-scrubbing flavonoids  as other wines. Another reason Sardinians may experience these wine health benefits is the way they consume it – always surrounded by good friends and good food! Good company makes everything better!  There is an a...