LiveWell Vermont

  One way to eat a healthier diet is having good food ready to go.  Meal prepping is a great way to accomplish this.   Often, when we hear "meal prep" we think of 5 to-go containers lined up and ready to go for the week.  This works great for some people but it's not for everyone.  Check out the following strategies for having good food on hand. Pre-portioned Meals This is what most people think of when you say "meal prep":  A week's worth of meals, individually portioned, ready to heat & eat. Pros:  Great for those with busy schedules but free weekends! Dinner (or lunch, or breakfast) is DONE, you can have it when you want it, there's very little clean up each evening, you can rely on having something healthy available with zero stress each night. Cons:  It's a lot of work one day of the week, the meal might not be very fresh by Friday, you might get tired of what you've meal prepped, you might not be in the mood for what you've meal pre...

Financial self-care: What it is & how I practice it “Self-care” has become an overused buzzword that conjures images of spa days and bubble baths, chocolate bars and endless glasses of champagne. While all these things, if practiced healthily, can fall under the category of self-care, we often forget to look at the true meaning of the word, or at least what I like to interpret it as.  The truth is, sometimes self-care requires hard work.  I love bubble baths as much as the next person, but self-care is often the things we avoid doing — things like therapy, going to the gym, having hard conversations and looking at your money. Yes, there is such a thing as financial self-care, and this article is going to cover exactly how I practice it. Just like moisturizer becomes an everyday skincare routine or yoga becomes part of your morning routine, you can train yourself to also practice financial self-care. Let me show you how. The money date The best and easiest way to practice f...

The Corporate Cup In-Person Race is on 5/11, and you can register until 5/8.  Register here if you haven't already!  Live too far away? You can complete a virtual race with your teammates as well! Full details on virtual racing here . CHECK-IN AND BIB PICK UP: You can pick up bibs for your teammates, but you must go to the different sections of the Registration Tent to locate their bibs which are filed by last name. To avoid confusion,   let your teammates know that you've picked up their bibs, so they don't wait in line also. All bibs contain a chip that is needed to record your time. You will need the tear-off tab portion of the bib, if you registered to receive a t-shirt. BIB PLACEMENT: Please pin your bib on the front of your shirt and be sure it can be seen at all times. T-SHIRT: If you registered to receive a t-shirt, you can pick it up once you get your race bib at the registration tent. With your bib, head to the t-shirt tent. You need the bottom portion of your ...

  Keeping your heart healthy is about more than exercise and eating well; it's also about oral health. To find ways to keep your heart healthy, one important place you should look is in your mouth. That’s because taking good care of your teeth and gums can help protect you against cardiovascular problems, such as heart attack and stroke. It can also help with controlling your blood pressure. Multiple studies have found links between oral health and heart disease. For example, a study published in the  Journal of Dental Research  found that people with untreated tooth infections are 2.7 times more likely to have heart problems than people who have had their dental infections treated. Researchers believe that poor oral health, such as a tooth infection or gum disease, allows bacteria to enter the bloodstream, where they can cause blood vessel inflammation and damage. That can lead to a greater risk of cardiovascular disease. Inflammation stemming from poor oral health can a...

  If you’re thinking about quitting smoking, adding nicotine replacement therapy to your quit plan is a great way to make your effort more successful. Learn more about this therapy and how to get it for free. The powerful, addictive effects of nicotine make quitting smoking a challenge. There are many methods you can use – ranging from stopping all at once to slowly cutting back. Whatever approach you choose, your chances of success will be greater if you include nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in your effort to quit. Why Nicotine is Addictive Nicotine is a stimulant drug found in cigarettes and other tobacco products. When inhaled, nicotine is quickly absorbed into the blood stream. Within seconds nicotine goes to the brain, where it binds with certain receptors. Nicotine then causes the release of dopamine and other chemicals which make you feel good. That’s why most people get into the habit of smoking. However, nicotine doesn’t last long, which leaves the body wanting more. ...

What’s one thing we all wish we had a little more of? Time. When we have dozens of tasks fighting for our attention, it’s easy to shove ones concerning finances to the side. The great thing is this: Many tasks that can help get you closer to managing your money take less than 10 minutes.  With that in mind, here are 10 things you can do in under 10 minutes to help improve your finances. 1. Unsubscribe from marketing emails. Take a few minutes to go through your inbox and unsubscribe from those eye-catching retail newsletters that entice you with pretty photos and sales promotions. The reason they send those emails is to encourage you to buy something. By hopping off their list, you are less inclined to make an emotional or impulsive purchase that could lead you to feel shameful and unfulfilled later. 2. Calculate your debt and start paying off the one with the highest interest. Grab a piece of paper, start a spreadsheet, open the Notes app on your phone or use my own recommendation...

Looking to get a little more movement into your work day? Try stretching!  Use these general guidelines for safe stretching: Remember to breathe normally during a stretch and stay within your limits to avoid injury. Stretching should not cause pain. Employees who need more assistance should consult their primary care provider. Work into and out of the stretch gently a few times, then hold the stretch for 15-30 seconds. Rest for 10-15 seconds between each stretch. Repeat each stretch 2-3 times, if desired. Try to spread the love to as much of the body possible. Using the time you have available, do stretches that feel good for the front, back and sides of your body. Perform stretches on both sides of the body equally. Stretch opposing muscle groups evenly. For example, if you stretch your quadriceps (thigh muscles) be sure to also stretch your hamstrings (back of the thigh). Majority of stretches should be held steady for a set amount of time. Do not bounce during the stretch. Stret...

Try these time-saving tips to make eating healthier simpler for you and your family, says Penny Kris-Etherton, PhD, RD, professor of nutrition at Penn State University. Plan out 2 to 4 weeks of healthy meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sit down and map out meals that include your family’s heart-healthy favorites. Update your list as you come across new recipe ideas. Use the weekend to make menus. Start by using the list from the first tip and make sure you grab the ingredients you need when you go grocery shopping. Keep an eye out for fresh, seasonal items that are on sale. If you work during the week, cook over the weekend and store leftovers in the fridge or freezer. Meals can be hassle-free when you’re just thawing and reheating for quick lunches and dinners. Cut up vegetables and keep them handy in the fridge. You’ll have ready-made nutritious snacks and ingredients. Shop sales, clip coupons, and buy fruits and vegetables in season. Look for less expensive items. For exa...

  If you haven't already, you can now register for the Corporate Cup!  Grab some friends, think up a fabulous team name, and sign up! Friends/coworkers don't want to join you? Post in our Challenges Teams channel "walker" or "runner" and we will help you find a crew. Need more info on logistics before you commit? Busy on 5/11? Details on participating in the virtual version here! Blue Cross will reimburse fees through LiveWell Vermont for the Corporate Cup again this year for those employees who have Blue Cross through the State.  To get the reimbursement, participants should  sign up and pay using their own card, and to please choose State of Vermont as their employer (not Department of Health, DOC, or similar) so those eligible for reimbursement can easily be identified. After the race is over in May, LiveWell Vermont will get a list of SOV Employees from the race coordinator and will reimburse race fee and t-shirt cost (less a few dollars tax) to...

  This recipe is adapted from Seonkyoung Longest's Easy Sesame Noodles . Prep it all or just make the sauce ahead for a quick and easy dinner option. Ingredients: 1/4 cup tahini (unsweetened peanut butter will work in a pinch!) 2 tbsp mayonnaise  1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp rice vinegar 1 tbsp honey 1 tbsp  oyster sauce 2 tbsp sesame oil 1 to 4 tbsp  chili garlic sauce or chili oil 2 tbsp water 1 tsp minced garlic 1 tsp finely grated ginger 4 servings of noodles Toppings: Mix and match what you have and enjoy! Cucumbers Cilantro Basil Sprouts Pineapple Mango Purple cabbage Egg Tofu Shrimp What's in your fridge? Instructions: Cook noodles of your choice according to package instructions. Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a mixing bowl, and set aside. If you want to keep it for later, transfer it to an air-tight container and keep it in a refrigerator. This sauce will last up to a month in the fridge. Cook noodles by following the directions of the package you’r...

  Have you ever struggled to manage your stress with limited time and resources? Managing stress can take many forms, from improving daily habits to finding new healthy coping mechanisms.  At times it can feel like all the best ways we can improve our lives are expensive, time consuming or both! However, there are options that are free and require minimal time to implement.  Meditation is one of them.   Meditation  is the practice of mindfulness and helps to train attention and awareness.  The benefits are far reaching, but many of us seek meditation for helping us find calm in tense moments. This practice serves us best when done regularly and practiced during moments of low or no stress initially.  Once the meditative state is accessible, we can then use this technique in even in very high stress situations to manage stress, control anxiety, and improve our mental health. There are different types of meditation.  Silent and g...

    Benefits of mindfulness: Being fully present and aware helps us to focus, respond with compassion and avoid outsized reactions As the world around us changes and we are surrounded with uncertainty, mindfulness helps us cut down on unhelpful stress By helping us manage our stress, mindfulness helps us to become more resilient Anyone can learn and benefit from it We practice mindfulness as we are, there is no need to change to be able to use mindfulness Practicing mindfulness through enjoying the five senses Try increasing mindfulness by focusing on adding beauty, enjoying sound, savoring scents, cherishing treats, or relishing a stretch. Opportunities are everywhere, try: Mindfully petting your dog/cat/tarantula Interacting with loved ones while fully present, enjoying sight of their face, sound of their voice, etc.  Go on a walk, and take time to notice something positive with each of your senses What else would you like to do mindfully?

     L earning to like new foods is good for  our bodies AND our minds! Did you know that we can train ourselves to like new foods? Taste preferences are built on repeat exposure, so after you have tried a food you don’t like over and over, eventually you might start to accept it, and then grow to love it! Once our bodies figure out that a new taste won’t poison us, we can start to enjoy it. Sometimes it can take 12-20 times of trying something new before we like it- and this especially applies to picky kids! Questions to ask yourself: What’s a food I previously didn’t like, but learned to like later in life? What was the experience that changed my view of this foods? What’s a food I currently don’t like, but want to learn to like? When was the last time I tried this, and how was it prepared? What can I do to it to add an element that I enjoy?

Your self-care practices will become more feasible when they're part of your established routine. Working them into your daily pattern means you won't have to search for time to fit them in! Your routine is made up of a collection of activities, many of them things that need to be done anyway.  By intentionally updating your routine you are now doing tasks in the most healthy, productive, enjoyable way possible.  By turning this collection of activities into habits, there is no wasted time figuring out how or when to get them done.  There is no need to figure out what should be prioritized, as these decisions have already been made.  A healthy routine will be enjoyable and tailored directly to you and your needs.  It will help with improving nutrition, quality of sleep, stress, and more. What consistent actions would add up over time to improve your health?

Reflecting on your practices, priorities, and choices is a powerful tool for self-care.  Reflection can help you better understand your needs, and help you identify the direction you would like to go. Self-care is a highly individual topic.  Whereas marathon running might be the only stress reliever one individual needs, another person may experience more stress when running regularly, and instead find more benefit from a routine of 5-minute meditation sessions, scheduling time for walks outside and time with friends.   You are a unique individual and what helps you recharge and refresh yourself will also be unique.  Embrace this and take a time to assess what techniques feel the most "you".  When you hit upon something that works, take note.  Consider the practices that have worked best for you by: determining your priorities using a creative medium (art, journaling, music) to help you process practice shifting the though...

  Have you ever noticed how having just the right song in your headphones can make your run so much better? When that perfect song comes on, it can feel like you’re flying! Choosing the right music can do more than make your run enjoyable. It can also help improve your form to reduce your risk of injury. It’s all about your running cadence. Your running cadence is the number of steps you take in a minute, or steps per minute (SPM). Increasing your running cadence can improve your running form. You might think that the more steps you take per minute, the faster you will run, but this is not entirely true. Don’t worry- we aren’t telling you to just speed up and work harder! Your running cadence goes hand in hand with your stride length, or the length of ground you cover with each step. If you increase your running cadence and keep your speed the same, you will end up with a shorter stride length. Shortening your stride length reduces common compensations in form, whic...