Wellness Works @ JSC

Lunch and Learn: Exercise and Brain Development

2011-12-07T06:50:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, December 6th, 2011

with Camille Campanile

Men's and Women's Cross Country Running Coach

11 JSC employees joined Camille for a discussion about the positive impacts exercise can have on brain development. Camille spoke about the importance of vigorous exercise and how it can help people of all ages become smarter!

1st VT All Santa Run, 5K

2011-12-05T06:27:00.000-08:00

JSC Employees and Friends Participate in Make A Wish Fundraiser

Sunday, December 4th, 2011

Burlington, VT

JSC Employees: Martha Lance, Vicky Sanborn, Mary Hogan, Ellen Hill, Heidi Wrighton, Wendy Velander, and retiree, Barb Lougee along with JSC Friends, Dayna Katz, Jamie Bissbee, Danielle Dolisie, Lorraine Locke and a few other supporters. Total number of Santa's participating was 1,200.

The medal at the end of the 5K!

JSC Santa's gathered before the race in City Hall Park.

2011-11-29T12:16:00.000-08:00

Spin Nation took place at

Johnson State College on Friday, December 18th. This ride brought JSC employees and community members together to burn some calories before Thanksgiving and to raise funds and awareness for Ride 2 Recovery. This ride supports the United States military and Veteran's rehab needs as the return from war. http://www.ride2recovery.com/

Happy Holidays!

2011-11-28T11:22:00.000-08:00

4th Annual JSC Turkey Trot

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011

JSC Employees with family and friends met at 3:30p.m. at the SHAPE Facility.

They ran and walked the 2 miles from the college to the Hub via Gould Hill Road.

A great cheer awaited them!

This year's turkey trot included a 16 lb turkey that the group shared responsibilities of trotting with it!

Force Ride in Boston

2011-11-11T10:36:00.000-08:00

Thursday, November 3rd, 2011

Several JSC employees traveled to Boston for a 2 hour Spinning session titled "The Force Ride" with Spinning Master Instructor, Josh Taylor. The ride was inspiring and challenging at the same time. What a wonderful way to create community wellness through exercise and friendship. Thank you and congratulations to those who stepped up to the challenge!

Lunch N' Learn Series

2011-10-31T09:25:00.000-07:00

Manage Stress through Relaxation, Stretching and Massage
Friday, October 28th

Stress is often carried in the shoulders. A relaxing stretch to release the tension in that area.
Andrea shows a "steam roller" technique in massaging your own forearms.
JSC Part-Time Faculty member, Andrea Altman gave a hands-on workshop on various techniques to manage stress at work. She taught breathing techniques through meditation, some fantasic stretches that can be done from your office chair and a couple massage techniques that can be used to help combat stress. This was a high energy, entertaining workshop that left all participants relaxed to finish out their days.

Lunch and Learn: Generations at Work

2011-10-31T09:18:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, October 25th

Stearn's Stage Space

12:00-1:00p.m.

UVM Professor Barbara McIntosh presented information about how to be open minded when working with people of various generations. The discussion provided insight on how to best work with and manage people of different generations.

90 Minute Spinning Ride

2011-10-31T08:59:00.000-07:00

Can You Take the Heat?

Friday, October 28th

Several JSC employees, Vermont Electric Coop employees and community members filled the JSC Spinning Studio to challenge themselves to a 90 minute Spinning class. JSC employee Ellen Hill and Wendy Velander along with retired Athletic Director, Barb Lougee lead the 15 participants through a challenging ride.

Wellness Works @ JSC Book Read

2011-10-14T05:40:00.000-07:00

Fall 2011

Copies will be distributed to offices to share.SELF AWARENESS-KNOWING YOUR NATURE, YOUR ABILITIES, and how to react to people and situations-may well be the greatest life management skill you can have. The Acorn Principle, written by Jim Cathcart is a guide to doing a complete "life-checkup" that will help you pinpoint your talents and strengths.

This Weeks Tip:

Don't drag your worries around with you or allow them to carry over into the next year. Whatever it is, either deal with it or discard it. Say your apologies, face your fears, pay your debts, express your gratitude and get on living. The old saying, "When God closes a door, he opens a window", has a counterpart. "In order for the window of opportunity to open for you, you must close some doors". The extra "load" carried around by unfinished business, weighs so much that you compromise your ability to even see, and then open, those windows of opportunity. "Guilt is the gift that keeps on giving". Saying your apologies, facing your fears, paying your debts, and expressing your gratitude will lift any guilt and allow you to move forward.

Wellness Works @ JSC, Lunch and Learn

2011-10-14T05:24:00.000-07:00

A Cooking Demonstration with ARAMARK Chef, James Consentino

Thursday, September 29th Several employees shared their lunch break with James to learn how "Easy" it is to make homemade pasta. Eggs, flour, oil and some water!!
Carolyn D'Luz from Academic Support helped assist James with the separating of the egg whites.

James boils up the fresh pasta to share with participants and tosses it with some fresh tomato sauces. Very tasty especially the pasta that had the basil wrapped in it. Now to try this some time at home and see if it's as "Easy" as he made it look.

Thank you James for sharing your time with us!!

Financial Stress and Money Management

2011-09-28T07:26:00.000-07:00

Lunch N' Learn with JSC Professor Henrique Cezar

Tuesday, September 27th, 2011

Twelve JSC employees attended the workshop over their lunch to learn more about financial responsibility with Professor Cezar.
Henrique spoke about the current economy and how since the 1930's the US has had both ups and downs but has always been on a steady increase over time. He talked about how personality effects how people invest, save or spend.

Henrique also shared a spreadsheet that can be used to track overall expenses. This helps provide awareness to where funds are being spent, maybe where changes can be made or possibly the need to find another source of income.

JSC WELLNESS GROUP BOARDS THE NEWPORT BELLE

2011-06-17T08:20:00.000-07:00

JSC ORGANIZED A SOCIAL CRUISE ABOARD THE NEWPORT BELLE!

THE CRUISE TOOK PLACE ON THURSDAY, 6/16

20 EMPLOYEES BOARDED THE BOAT ON THIS BEAUTIFUL SUMMER DAY

NEWPORT BELLE RUNS LOW COST TRIPS AND GIVES MONEY TO A LOCAL COMMUNITY. JSC'S FEE'S ARE GOING TO NORTHEAST KINGDOM COMMUNITY ACTION.DAVE BERGH AND OTHERS PREPARE TO LOAD THE VESSEL

CAPTAIN NANCY COOK GIVES THE PASSENGERS THE SAFETY TALK!

SHERLOCK AND MELISSA CAPTURED IN THIS PHOTO.

SANDY DUFFY AND CINDY KULLMANN BOARDING THE BOAT
EVERYONE BROUGHT A SNACK OF SORTS TO SHARE. THE BELLE CREW SURE MADE OUR CHIPS N' SALSA SELECTION LOOK GOOD!
WE COULDN'T HAVE ASKED FOR A BETTER DAY TO BE ON THE WATER.
HAPPY SUMMER!

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED: Bonnie Burns and husband Rodney, Ellen Hill, Cindy Kullmann, Joy Lyon, Tim Russo, Jen Stefanski and husband Greg, Sherlock Terry and Melissa Weinstein, Sara Kinerson, Bonnie Griswold and husband Bruce, Brian Marcoux and guest Amy, Dave Bergh, Sandy Duffy, Elizabeth Lyon, Wendy Velander and Sheila Ladd now employee at Lyndon snuck on the boat!

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CHARITY THAT JSC'S DONATION IS GOING TO CHECK OUT THIS LINK: WWW.NEKCA.ORG

JSC Food Club Going Strong!

2011-06-17T08:10:00.000-07:00

THE JOHNSON FOOD CLUB IS A GREAT WAY TO GET ALL YOUR FRESH FRUITS, VEGGIES AND NOW CHEESES.PICK-UP HAPPENS AT JEN STEFANSKI'S HOME IN THE VILLAGE
MEMBERS BUY PRODUCE IN BULK AND WEIGHT OUT THEIR PORTIONS
YOU NAME IT, IT CAN BE ORDERED!
IT'S NOT TO LATE TO GET INVOLVED. IF INTERESTED SEND A E-MAIL TO JOHNSONBUYERS@YAHOO.COM

2011 Corporate Challenge 5k Run/Walk

2011-05-20T06:06:00.000-07:00

28 JSC employees participated in the

28th Annual Corporate Challenge in 2011.

Congratulations to all who took the

5K challenge and completed it with success!!

Above: Back of Ken Burrill's race t-shirt!

Below: JSC "Support Crew" Thank You Dave, Sally, Sue and Sandy.
Above: Professor Burrill Finishing the 5K
Below: Professor Ken stretching and preparing!

Above: Andrea Wadlington and Vicky Sandborn
Below: Pre Corporate Challenge smiles.

Must of found parking and game faces on.

Above: Tammy and Jessica from the Registrar's Office

Finishing with smiles.

Below: Pre event celebration or the sun dance!

Above: Deneen from the Business Office finishing the 5k

Below: Housekeeping "Sun Seekers" following the sun.

Above: VSC's Nancy Shaw organized a picnic for the VSC employees.

Chancellor, Tim Donovan was their to show his support of VSC employee wellness.

Above: Krista finishes her first 5K. Way to go!

Below: A video of the end celebration.

2011 Wellness Pot Luck Celebration

2011-05-20T06:02:00.001-07:00

Thank you to everyone who joined the 2nd Annual JSC Employee Wellness Celebration on Wednesday, May 18th in Stearns Dinning Hall. A lot of wonderful food appeared as over 40 employees participated in this social celebration. Events from the year were highlighted and committee members were recognized for their efforts. Also a special GREEN wellness gift was handed out to attendees!

Walk This Way! Challenge Complete

2011-05-20T05:44:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the 10 JSC pedometer teams who completed the 8-week "MOVEMENT IMPROVEMENT" challenge! A couple teams were awarded prizes at the Wellness Celebration on Wed., May 18th for their efforts during Week 7 and Week 8.

Week 7 Winners: Walk this Way!

Increased their steps by 119,000 steps from week 1.

Team Members: Doug Eastman, Toby Stewart and Tim Russo
Week 8 Winners:

The Penguins who became avid Spinning enthusiasts through the 8 week challenge.

Team Members: Deb Whitney, Julie Machia and Joan Langlois)
Week 7 Winners: Team WOW who through many life obstacles stayed consistent and commit ed to their "Movement Improvement"

And also team Walking Wonders were Week 8 Winners! They improved their step count by 71,000 steps in comparison to week 1 of the challenge.
Team Members: Susan Rothschild, Deneen Russell and Kim Goodell

Week 6 Walk This Way! Pedometer Challenge

2011-05-06T09:02:00.001-07:00

Two pedometer teams were awarded prizes for their MOVEMENT IMPROVEMENT in week six of the challenge.

Both teams accumulated over 100,000 steps more than their week one results. The teams said there improvemets came from exercising on the weeknds biking and hiking, to practicing flash dance moves!!

Lunch and Learn: Coping with Everyday Worry

2011-05-06T08:54:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, May 4th the Wellness Works at JSC Committee hosted a Lunch and Learn titled: Coping with Everyday Worry. The presentation was ofered through CIGNA's Employee Assistance Program. The group learned some healthy ways to cope with anxiety and stress and what it feels and looks like. Over twenty JSC employees attended the event and enjoyed the informational session along with the social lunch.

Week 5 Pedometer Challenge!

2011-05-02T09:47:00.000-07:00

The 3 SSS: Sally Reynolds, Sandy Duffy and Sue Mann have been consistent in their movement improvement.
The Flash Drives: Pam Gelineau, Alice Kirk and Jo Anne Edwards are also winners this week!

Consistency is key in making changes and creating new habits. Two teams we're awarded prizes for the Walk This Way! Pedometer Challenge this week. The Flash Drives from he JSC Library and The 3 SSS! They're two groups that have kept to tracking there steps and making movement improvements. Good Work!

Week 4 Pedometer Challenge Winners!

2011-04-19T10:55:00.001-07:00

The Walking Wonders: Susan Rothschild, Deneen Russell and Kim Goodell

Maintenance Majic: Nita Lanphear, Special K and Elvis

The Penquins: Deb Whitney, Julie Machia and Joan Langlois

The VAL 2: Andrea Wadlington, Linda Davis and Vicky Sandborn

The Postodials: Brian Marcoux and Diane Allaire

The Maintenance Majic: Nita and Elvis :)

Several pedometer teams were awarded prizes in Week 4 of the Walk This Way! Pedometer Challenge. Six teams walked at least 10,000 steps each for seven days straight. They reached the 10,000 a day step challenge. Keep up the good work.

Half Way There....if any employees wants to join the Walky This Way! Pedomater Challenge, it's not to late!

VT 5K Challenge State Agency Race

2011-04-19T10:41:00.000-07:00

Register for the 28th Annual Vermont Corporate Challenge and State Agency Race today!
5K Run or Walk, Teams of 3

Event Date: May 19th, 6:00p.m. Montpelier, VT

Deadline to Register is April 25th
http://www.vcccsar.org/

Registration fee will be reimbursed with event BIB #'s. Transportation to event available and enjoy a picnic BBQ with other VSC employees after the event.

Any questions or need a team, Contact Wendy Velander!

Pictures of teams from previous
Corporate Challenge Events!

Week 3 Pedometer Challenge Winners

2011-04-11T12:27:00.000-07:00

Three teams were awarded prizes in week three of the Walk This Way! Pedometer Challenge. All three teams increased their step count by 50,000 more steps compared to the previous week. That's an additional 20+ miles.

Week 2 Walk This Way! Pedometer Challenge

2011-04-04T11:49:00.000-07:00

The Sole Sisters were most improved in their step counts for week 2. As a team they walked an additional 126,758 steps compared to week 1. That's 63 more miles! Way to go, Michele Whitmore, Barb Flathers and Jenn Stefanski. When asked what they did differently this is the teams list:

Well, there are many reasons- · Encouraged by the Penguins & used that as our motivation. · Actually added up the actual number of steps this week · Spent the weekend out in the woods cutting trees. · Creative ways to use our pedometers- having family members wear them, putting them in the dryer to tumble, attaching them to a pet’s collar…. · We’re all just a lot more active this week. · But mostly, we implemented the OMAR process -Ongoing Movement, Actively Recalculated!

Congratulations also to Alice Kirk who works in the library who spent week 2 touring Washington D.C. She walked 95,736 during her week of exploration. That's about 47 miles!

Worksite Wellness Conference 2011

2011-03-31T07:58:00.000-07:00

Four members of the Wellness Works at JSC Committee attended the Vermont Department of Health's Worksite Wellness Conference on Tuesday, March 29th. Nita Lanphear from Maintenance, Linda Davis from the Business Office, Barb Flathers from Dean of Students Office and Wendy Velander from the SHAPE. They listened to keynote speakers about creating supportive cultural environments for wellness in the workplace and attend various workshops in areas of wellness.

Pedometer Challenge Winners, Week 1

2011-03-31T07:39:00.000-07:00

Meet The Penguin's, Deb Whitney, Julie Machia and Joan Langlois, our Housekeeping Crew. They were Week 1 prize winners for the Walk This Way! Pedometer Challenge. All teams were entered into Week 1 drawing who submitted their team steps. As a team The Penguin's walked 223,929 steps in one week, that's about 112 miles! Keep up the good work.

Walk This Way! WEEK # 1

2011-03-22T10:42:00.000-07:00

With 10 teams currently on board, week # 1 we walked 1,156,527 steps. That's an average of 5,507 steps per person. Our goal this week as a team is to increase that by 20%, for 6,608 steps per day. It's not to late to sign-up!! Pedometers available at the SHAPE, accessories as seen above also at the SHAPE from the Wellness Works at JSC Committee.

Congratulations Ride for a Reason Riders!

2011-03-22T10:35:00.000-07:00

Several JSC employees participated in the 11th Annual Special Olympics Ride for a Reason on Saturday, 3/19. Congratulations to: Ellen Hill, Michele Whitmore, Martha Lance, Jen Stefanski, Andy Kelly, Krystal Woodward and community memember Dayna Katz and JSC student Jeff Alexander! The ride raised over $18,000 for the VT Special Olympics, JSC raised over $2,500.

JSC OPEN HOUSE @ JAY PEAK

2011-03-15T08:58:00.000-07:00

Jay Peak offered discounted tickets and rentals for Sunday, 3/13. Although the weather was wet on Friday, variable on Saturday, Sunday turned out to be a great day on the hill. We look forward to networking in the future to offer discounted events for the JSC community.

Lunch and Learn with Professor Hans Haverkamp

2011-03-02T11:46:00.000-08:00

Several employees joined JSC Health Science Professor, Hans Haverkamp in a lunch time lecture on health, exercise and nutrition. The event took place in the Stearns Performance Space on February 16th, 2001 from 12:00p.m.-1:00p.m.

Wellness Weekly

2011-01-12T11:15:00.000-08:00

Hey there folks! did all have a happy holiday?! I sure hope so...We are on the brink of a new semester, and it is time to get you healthier yet!! the new year is sure to be full of weekly hints and tips, but to start things on a good note....LETS NOT LEAVE OUT...THE MEN!!!
this is interesting for all, but specifically addresses men and weight loss/management, so I thought it would be a great addition to our weekly's

Online Food and Exercise Diaries Can Help You Lose More Weight
For years I've been suggesting that those patients who are working on their weight use a Food Diary to help track their caloric intake. These have all been paper diaries and have worked well to help folks both lose weight and maintain their weight loss. Only in the last few years, however, have there been online food diaries available to help people with weight loss, and there are dozens, if not hundreds of sites that offer calorie as well as exercise tracking (and Dr. Gourmet is no exception).
The weight loss industry has long been targeting women, but since overweight and obesity is by no means gender-specific, there's recently been more interest in helping men lose weight. A recent study out of Australia reports on the results of a 12-month Internet-based weight loss program specifically for men (Obesity 2011;19:142-151).
The researchers recruited 65 men between the ages of 18 and 65, with an average age of about 36 and an average Body Mass Index of about 31 (clinically obese). The men were randomized into two groups: one received a weight loss booklet and attended a one-hour information session, while the other group received the same weight loss book and attended the same information session, but they were also instructed in how to use the study's online weight loss website: www.calorieking.com.au. (This website is specific to Australia; the US version charges a fee.)
Those assigned to using the website were instructed to record their weight on the website at least once per week and to keep a daily online diary of their eating and exercise for the first 4 weeks of the study. In the second month of the study they were only requested to submit records for two of the weeks, and in the third month, only one week. The participants were also able to interact with the research group through a forum on the website.
After three months the participants' weight, waist circumference, blood pressure and heart rate were measured and compared with their scores from the start of the study. While both groups lost weight, those using the website lost over 50% more weight (4.8kg compared to 3.0kg, on average).
What's especially interesting is that one year after the start of the study, both groups had kept the weight off and had even lost more weight. Those using the website, however, had lost an additional 0.5kg, while those with just the program booklet had only lost an additional 0.1kg.
What this means for you
It seems clear that food and exercise diaries help you lose weight and will help you keep it off for the long term. While several years ago I reported on a study that cast some doubt on the usefulness of technology in keeping a food diary, this more recent study contradicts that rather thoroughly - likely due to people's greater familiarity with technology as well as advances in how easy that technology is to use. If you're looking for a free, easy-to-use food and exercise diary, try The Dr. Gourmet Diet Plan here on the Dr. Gourmet website, or use our Dr. Gourmet iPhone app and take your food diary with you.

I hope you enjoyed this little article! log on and start your journey to a better you this year!!

Weight Watchers at Work

2010-12-21T10:18:00.000-08:00

We are looking for new members to join our At Work meetings in the New Year! Check out this "shot in the arm", one of the little helpful, encouraging things that the Weight Watchers corp. provides its memebers.

ARE YOU READY FOR A ‘SHOT IN THE ARM’ ?

Thought for the Week -"Procrastination is like a credit card: it's a lot of fun until you get the bill." -- Christopher Parker

No matter how hard I try to ignore the holiday hustle and bustle surrounding me, it continues.

What happened to the woman who loved every part of the holidays? Who is responsible for substituting a Scrooge for this person who enjoyed writing little notes in the holiday cards?

Can it all be blamed on a crazy schedule with not a minute to think about sitting on Santa’s lap? Or am I experiencing that in-between time when our children have become adults and the grandkids are still too young to notice if there are holiday decorations in Grandma’s house? (That thought alone makes me want to take this year off!)

Down in Maryland this weekend, I met some people who were sweet enough to tell me they enjoyed reading my weekly Shots. Cringing, I replied, “This week’s Shot is still in my head!” Which really was a lie. Guilt over not finding the time to write the Shot was flying around in my head, leaving room for nothing else.

The hours had turned into days and now it’s almost time for next week’s Shot. Realizing now that the time I’ve spent worrying about writing it, would’ve been more productive if I had just sat myself down at the keyboard.

But filled with indecisiveness, whether to address the holiday time or the end of a year’s goal, or the snow that’s now covering the ground once again, I felt more like a kid in a candy store trying to settle on which sweet would be mine.

Finally convincing myself that this week’s doesn’t have to be the best Shot, it just has to be a done Shot, my fingers started tapping away. (Please nod your head in agreement if you have ever found yourself in a similar predicament – so busy you didn’t have time to focus, waiting for the exact right time to tackle a project and the perfect amount of inspiration to make it a smash hit. Only to find yourself a week or two later still saying, “When I have the time.”)

I envy people who have their To-do List and make a check as each task is completed. Do they just have drawers full of motivation they’re able to reach into for that added “oomph” when needed? Or is it that they don’t take on as much as some others on a continual basis? (My husband would love to be married to this person!)

Hark! (A little holiday jargon) I am ready to shrug off this veil of inertia – it wasn’t very flattering anyway. It’s time to stop feeling sorry for myself, which in effect has caused my mind to remain in idle even though my body has been going about its business. Once I complete this Shot, feelings of relief will wash over me and will then be followed by a personal scolding as to what took me so long to do this.

So what does this prove?That I’m human? That I need to take a break this upcoming week? (Break would be defined as doing the holiday shopping, card writing, present wrapping, etc. It’s a good thing I don’t really cook anymore!) That I can use this time to recharge my own inspiration and motivation.

Now that the decision has been made to make this a “Bridge” Shot, the least I can do is give you a bonus quote to carry you through the week –

“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas
Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.”--H. Jackson Brown

Let’s all look to these great people for inspiration – they probably also sometime felt overwhelmed, drained and exhausted. They just didn’t let it keep them from moving on. Be well,Sharon(weight watchers rep)

Weight Watchers at Work will be at the Wellness Works Kick-Off this spring, represented by Chelsea St. Louis and other members. Stop by our table for more ingformations and to ask questions!
Weight Watchers really Works, and has touched the lives of many Staff and some faculty here at JSC, we want it to touch your life too!
Best wishes to all JSC community members, and Happy Holidays!
~be-well-blogger~

Wellness Weekly

2010-12-06T05:25:00.000-08:00

Well, the holiday rush certainly is upon us!! Its been a few weeks since the last post...I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving and are having a Happy Holiday season!! I, like many have been craving those cozy comfort foods of the season, and
The Baking Bug has BIT!!!! AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!
We all have such fun taking part in our own traditions, and SOOO Often those traditions include a special desert or stuffing or GOODY of some kind. Whatever tradition you are taking part in, Here is an article to help you stay well and not have that CLASSIC NEW YEARS RESOLUTION...to "lose weight" you might have gained over the holidays...

Use This Spice to Curb Holiday Snack Attacks
By RealAge
This Week's Tips

Has the end-of-year parade of goodies started at your home or office? Make them easier to resist by cooking with this flavorful herb: saffron.

In a recent study, a compound in saffron appeared to help overweight women snack about 50 percent less. What better time than now to start nixing the munchies?

Snack Attack
In the study, some of the overweight women got their saffron from capsules. The others took placebos. And after 8 weeks, the women in the saffron group were snacking half as much as they did at the start of the study. They also felt less hungry before meals. Some even lost a couple of pounds. (Saffron will only get you so far. Here are four ways to make truly lasting changes in your eating habits.)
Soothing Saffron
What's the secret behind saffron's snack-snuffing powers? Researchers suspect that compounds in the herb may alter levels of stress-boosting brain chemicals and help decrease anxiety and depression. And that's good news for your waistline because anxiety, stress, and depression are all common triggers for unhealthy eating. Stress triggers cravings for not-so-good-for-you foods, like treats that are high in fat and sugar. And many people calm anxiety or assuage depression with munching, too -- seeking that temporary sense of "Ahhhhh." (Find out more about the psychology behind most people's weight problems.)

Five Ways to Beat Holiday Bulge (Without Gaining the Holiday Blues)
Stay Happy, Healthy and Fit This Holiday Season
By August McLaughlin

Ah, the holidays. The time for togetherness, food, stress, and weight gain? If weight loss tops your holiday wish list or if the fear of weight gain is sucking the fun out of the season, it's time to treat yourself to a large serving of attitude adjustment. Even the busiest holiday bees can keep it all under control and under bulge with some choice management methods and a healthy mindset.
If you know you have a holiday party in the evening, exercise that day, eat healthfully leading up to the party and do not skip meals.
Lauren Schmitt, RD

Become a Healthy Grazer
Severely restricting calories or skipping meals can dampen your mood, increase your appetite and ultimately lead to weight gain.Eating smaller, balanced meals and snacks at regular intervals throughout the day can enhance your blood sugar and energy level while preventing excessive hunger. This is particularly important when you have a holiday event scheduled in the evening. "If you arrive at the party hungry, disaster awaits," says registered dietitian Lauren Schmitt. If you eat healthy snacks throughout the day, you won't be ravenous when you arrive at a dinner party. Schmitt suggests topping your plate with smaller portions than you're accustomed to, then putting your fork down and assessing your hunger partway through the meal. If you're no longer hungry, stop eating. But what if the food tastes incredible? What if it's the tastiest morsel ever to cross your lips? "Remind yourself that you can always have it again, just not right now," says Schmitt.
Holiday Survival Kit
Would you go to work without your purse or briefcase? Would you camp without a tent? Planning ahead is equally important when it comes to achieving your wellness goals. A well-stocked holiday survival kit can help ensure your success. Schmitt suggests carrying a small notepad to track your daily food intake, a bottle of water, healthy snacks -- such as fresh-cut vegetables, nuts or seeds -- and a pedometer to track your steps and motivate you to keep moving. Keep a written record of your goals and include items that motivate you, such as a book or photograph. Whatever your holiday survival kit contains, do your best to make it appealing and motivating. The more enjoyable you make the process of battling the holiday bulge, the more likely you'll be to meet your goals.
Manage Your Stress
Emotional stress can lead to poor food choices, overeating, weight gain and guilt.Eating for comfort or other emotional reasons rather than hunger is normal and harmless if it happens occasionally. If, however, you are a habitual emotional eater and have weight to lose, the holidays can trigger multiple challenges and result in weight gain, according to Geneen Roth, workshop leader and author of eight books, including "Breaking Free From Emotional Eating." Roth explains that coping with holiday stress with food only provides temporary comfort. If your food cravings increase along with your stress load, seek alternate means of comfort and relief. This may mean going for a walk, practicing yoga, having coffee with a friend, getting weekly massages or taking a warm bubble bath. Whatever your non-food-related sources of comfort and relaxation are, practice them. Consider it a gift to yourself that can help improve your dietary behaviors and prevent you from becoming a Grinch this holiday season.
Run and Play
Active playtime can burn calories, distract you from snack foods and draw you closer to your loved ones.Staying active throughout the holiday season is crucial. If you find treadmills and sweaty gyms unappealing, fear not. You do not need to "go out and run a marathon to get fit," says Jodi Kealoha, fitness trainer and owner of Jodi K's Luv UrSelf Fitness. "The holidays are a great opportunity to play with children and animals." Walk your dog. Build a snowman. Play hide-and-seek with the wee ones in your family. Kealoha also recommends running your errands -- literally. Wear your sneakers to the mall and grocery store and park far away. Then walk briskly, jog or run to your destination. Making fitness fun can allow you to exercise without feeling as though you're participating in a grueling workout. If you enjoy dancing, dance. If you enjoy hiking, hike. Incorporate a variety of enjoyable activities into your lifestyle for maximum benefits.
Get Your Zs
Healthy sleep habits can prevent excessive hunger, mood swings and lethargy.Sleep is your body's time to restore itself. Sleeping too little is directly correlated to how much you eat and exercise, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep nightly, even during the busy holiday weeks. Your bedroom should be dark and comfortable, and your caffeine intake should not carry on into the evening. Eating a large meal close to bedtime can also disturb your sleep. "If you're unusually hungry at night [after normal food intake], go to sleep," says Kealoha. "Remind yourself that you can always eat more tomorrow."
Practice Gratitude
Focusing on the positives in your life, rather than your waistline, can improve your physical and emotional well-being.Don't become anxious when you see tables filled with delicious food, and avoid focusing on any dietary restrictions you've set for yourself. Instead, focus your attention on the people around you. Practicing gratitude can be key for weight loss or weight maintenance success, according to Laurie Tossy, professional wellness coach and author of "Refuse to Diet: Weight Loss Success Starts With Your Mind Not Your Mouth." Grateful people can lose weight more successfully, Tossy explains, and they can enjoy their lives a whole lot more. She recommends feeding your soul and mind with grateful thoughts each night before going to sleep and every morning upon waking. A similar principle can be applied to holiday parties. Make a concentrated effort to feel and express gratitude to the host of the party, to your friends and family, and for the healthy foods you can enjoy. Appreciate the simple facts that you are alive, well and included in activities with loved ones. In the end, your own health and the ability to maintain it is that ultimate gift of the season.Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/310008-five-ways-to-beat-holiday-bulge-without-gaining-the-holiday-blues/#ixzz17L57eDP3

That last one really stands out to me, you really can change the outcome of things by simply changing your mind!
BE-well-wishes to you all!!
I hope you enjoyed these two helpful artiles.
as always check out the sites that provided this useful wellness info.
www.livestrong.com and www.realage.com
~be-well

Survivor 90 Minute Adventure

2010-11-29T08:20:00.001-08:00

Way to go riders! Several JSC employees took and survived all 90 minutes of Spinning!

Wellness Weekly

2010-10-26T06:38:00.000-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! here comes the TEMPTATION, the first of a series of waistline hating holidays is all but upon us. How are we supposed to stay on track with wellness and health consciousness with all this temptation? A few articles from weightwatchers.com have GREAT suggestions, a strategy for almost every type of craver!
Explore weightwatchers.com if these ideas dont suit your needs, the site is an amaizing source of stay fit and healthy strategies!

www.weightwatchers.com
Forget the haunted house; the spookiest Halloween specter is the candy. We show you how to deal.
Resist the sales"My biggest Halloween challenge is not falling for the coupon in the paper," says Linda. "A 5-pound bag of Snickers on sale is still a 5-pound bag of Snickers."
Buy late"The closer to Halloween you buy the candy, the better," says Maggie. "In fact," she says, "never, ever open the bag before the first trick-or-treater comes." That way, you'll have less total temptation time to cope with.
Buy candy you don't like Dina says she heads straight for Mounds and Almond Joy when she has to pick up the Halloween candy. "Coconut is the one thing I don't like," she says.
Make up a game plan If you decide to go for the mini Reese's that the kids will love you for, says Maggie, "Start giving out more as the night wears on, so there's less left over." If there are still remainders, get them out of the house. Give the candy away to a food charity, collect it all and offer it to the neighbors, or bring it to work (and drop it off in a different department).
Go out on a full stomach If you have to walk your kids around to trick-or-treat, make lunch your big meal of the day, so you're not walking around hungry with bags full of candy. Carry a thermos of something hot to sip on, or, as Manhattan meetings Leader Liz Josefsberg says, chew mint gum throughout the night. It’ll help kill your urge to put candy in your mouth.
Come up with a candy strategy When the candy's at home, work with your kids to decide what to do with it. Have them pick their 10 favorite pieces: If they're young, encourage them to leave the rest out for "The Great Pumpkin." And if they're too big to believe, encourage them to save the rest for lunches and parties.
Freeze! Liz suggests putting left-over favorite candy in the freezer. If you get weak and find yourself digging into them, they will be rock solid and it will take time to get through even one.
Ditch the sense of occasion Remind yourself that you can buy yourself candy any time of the year. There's no need to load up on fun-size bars on October 31 when you can enjoy them whenever your heart desires.
Keep things in perspective Eating a little bit of candy on Halloween doesn't make a person overweight — it's constant overeating that can pile on the pounds. So don't assume you can't enjoy even a single treat, especially since deprivation is a dieting tactic that often backfires.

www.weightwatchers.com
The Halloween Face-Off
Article By: Diana Kelly

Do you find chocolate bats scarier than the real deal? Do you scamper shrieking from marshmallow ghosts? We can help.
Those sugar-covered demons elicit knee-knocking fear in plenty of weight-conscious adults each year. What’s a sweets-loving Weight Watchers follower (or non-weightwatchers follower) to do about the mounds of candy everywhere they turn? Our Community users share their advice, fears and strategies for how to manage this upcoming fright fest.
“I’m keeping candy out of reach.”this user says, “No Halloween candy comes into this house before October 31.”
Be a chocolate snob. some users don't have it in their house until almost Halloween. “If I'm going to eat chocolate it's going to be really good chocolate.”
This community user tries to buy the kinds of candy the family doesn’t like. “I think we are going to a party this year, so I might not even have to buy any. Just have to save POINTS® values for the alcohol...”
this user says, “My husband bought 12 bags of Halloween candy last night, they were on sale for $1.88 a bag. I want to kill him because every one of them is something I love. I asked him to hide away the bags so I don't finish them before Halloween.”
To avoid the candy temptation, another community user buys individual wrapped fruit snacks, pencils, and pre-wrapped sugar cookies. She say’s they’re all popular in her neighborhood. “[My son’s] candy from trick-or-treating is divided, chocolate goes in the freezer; other candy is put in a container and stored high where I cannot get to it. Any candy that my family doesn’t eat before Christmas gets boxed and given to our church with mini stockings we make for the homeless.”
“The ‘fun sizes’ do me in.”this user says, “Candy corn doesn't do it to me...it’s all those minis that they put out around this time. I think, ‘Oh, I can have two or three mini Twix,’ then the next thing you know, the bag is gone and I’m scrambling for raisins to give to the kids banging on my door.”
This community user says, “I am worried about Halloween, there is so much temptation in the stores. For the past [few] Halloweens I've eaten probably about six to eight ‘fun size’ candies every day! I am hoping to stick to my ‘have-to-have candy’ back up — eight Sour Patch Kids!”

“I’m winning the battle against enticing treats.”one user says “I was at Target tonight and made it all the way up to the registers with a huge bag of bite-size candy bars. I put it back just in the nick of time, went home and had a glass of white wine and an orange. It was much better than seven mini candy bars.”

Another says she has seven kids and an enormous amount of candy in her house after the holiday. “I am totally terrified of Halloween. I love candy… Maybe I will just adopt this simple mantra from another user: ‘Halloween candy is for kids.’ We'll see how effective it is for me.”

This user shares her “me-time” strategy she's adopted over the past few years. “I don't have little kids anymore so it may not work for everyone, but I work all day, then go out to dinner at a restaurant and order a low POINTS® value meal. I take my time eating. If it's still early I go shopping. I stay out until kids are done trick-or-treating so there’s no temptation.”

Wellness Weekly

2010-10-22T04:33:00.000-07:00

We are in the THICK OF IT!! The Fall semester is upon us and who here on campus isn't feeling it?! Check out this article from Weightwatchers.com on making quick and tastey meals in little time, by shopping right and getting a little creative in the kitchen!

Shortcut Cooking
Article By: Leslie Fink, MS, RD

Don't have time to baste, broil and bake? Don't worry! We've got tricks that'll help you turn convenience foods into memorable meals — in minutes.
If you're sick of takeout and too tired to spend an hour in the kitchen, we have simple and tasty solutions for you. Many convenience foods can be easily doctored up so that your meals taste like home cooking — but involve far less effort.

Shortcut strategies
-Purchase dried bean, rice and pasta mixes with flavor packets so that you don't have to measure out lots of spices and seasonings. (Buy reduced-sodium varieties if you're following a low-salt diet.)

-Eliminate slicing and dicing with packages of fresh or frozen vegetables that are already cleaned and chopped or shredded.

-Take home a whole roasted chicken to make a quick chicken salad, burrito or wrap.

-Use canned and dehydrated soups as bases for heartier soups and stews.

Short on time, long on flavor Jodie Shield, MEd, RD, recipe developer and nutrition consultant to The Chicago Tribune, shares some of her super-fast meal ideas below. A few more tips come from Bev Bennett, cookbook author and weight-loss columnist for The Los Angeles Times Syndicate.
For quick jambalaya, stir-fry salad-size shrimp, diced low-fat Italian sausage and chopped bell pepper. Combine with a cooked Cajun-style rice mix until well blended.
One-dish pasta entrées make simple family meals. Try adding chopped broccoli and diced lean ham to a cooked reduced-fat macaroni-and-cheese mix. Or make a vegetarian version with chopped fresh tomatoes and lightly steamed asparagus tips.
Feed a crowd with a wild rice-turkey casserole: Stir-fry leftover turkey breast, chopped broccoli and dried cranberries; combine with a cooked wild-rice mix.
Go vegetarian with black bean burritos. Stir-fry diced onions and combine them with canned black beans (rinsed and drained) and a cooked rice mix. Layer down the center of tortillas, top with salsa and low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, roll up, and bake until heated through and the tortillas are slightly browned.
Add a dash of lime juice, hot sauce and a cup of chopped cooked chicken breast to canned chicken soup. Sprinkle with cilantro and you've got hot-and-sour soup in a jiffy.
Slice and arrange store-bought, precooked polenta in a 9-inch square pan; top with soy-based chorizo and a little tomato sauce. Bake until just heated through, and you'll be dining Italian-style with almost no effort.
For even speedier meals and snacks from your own kitchen, check out 13 great no-cook ideas in The No-Time-to-Cook Guide.

Wellness Weekly

2010-10-18T08:10:00.000-07:00

Get Fit this fall...if your just looking to lose a few or you want to redefine yourself ENTIRELY, check out this link and surf around. There is so much that can be done, and you will find guidance and help here!

http://www.fitclick.com/free_workout_routine_The_Ultimate_Beginner_Plan?CustomerWorkoutID=7135

Also...Choosing the right cardio can be a pain...here are some helpful explainations of a few favorite cardio choices...

Which Are the Cardio Workouts to Lose a Lot of Weight?

If you need to lose weight you are not alone. Over 2/3 of Americans are classified as medically obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Losing weight takes a commitment to eating fewer calories and exercising regularly. Choose an effective cardiovascular exercise like running, bicycling or walking to burn calories and lose weight.
Running
Running burns a lot of calories and requires little equipment. Begin a running program slowly and plan on exercising three to four days per week. At the beginning of each session, spend five minutes walking to slowly warm up, then alternate jogging with walking until you build your cardiovascular and muscular endurance. Once you are able to run for 30 minutes at a time, you will be burning between 250 and 350 calories, depending on your body weight.

Bicycling
A publication from the Harvard Medical school shows that bicycling at a rate of 14 to 15.9 mph for 30 minutes burns between 300 and 444 calories. Ride a bicycle outside, or use a recumbent stationary bicycle. As with running, begin slowly and work hard to increase your distance and speed as your fitness level improves. Remember to combine your cardio exercises with healthy food choices to lose weight.
High Intensity Interval Training
High intensity interval training, or HIIT, is a high calorie-burn workout that is effective whether you are a runner, a swimmer, a walker or a biker. A HIIT workout alternates periods of high and regular intensity effort to burn extra calories and improve your cardiovascular fitness faster. When running for exercise, sprint for 60 seconds, then run at your regular pace for five minutes. Repeat the intervals for the duration of your workout, making sure to cool-down after you are done. You should do HIIT one to two times per week.
Walking
You may not associate walking with a cardio workout to lose a lot of weight, but according to a publication by the Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, Washington, "mile for mile, running and walking burn approximately the same number of calories. But minute for minute, the faster your speed, the more calories you burn, giving running the calorie-burning edge." Running burns calories more quickly, but brisk walking for the same distance will give you the same calorie burn with little stress on your joints. Practice walking faster by walking tall, swinging your arms and rotating your lower body slightly as your walk.Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/145238-which-are-the-cardio-workouts-to-lose-a-lot-of-weight/?utm_source=octobernewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=101005#ixzz12iveMxHo

Hope your find something inspiring!! I sure did!!
~be-well

How to Grow Culinary Herbs

2010-10-14T13:42:00.000-07:00

Thank you Evelyne from Ladbug Herbs for sharing your knowledge on growing seeds on October 7th in the Dewey Campus Center. Several staff members participated in the workshop and planted their own mini indoor gardens. I'm watching the two types of basil, thyme and oregano grow on my kitchen counter!

A LIVESTRONG Day Event | LIVESTRONG Day 2010 | LIVESTRONG.org

2010-09-30T10:41:00.000-07:00

A LIVESTRONG Day Event LIVESTRONG Day 2010 LIVESTRONG.org

Support cancer survivors!!
check it out Live strong and ~be-well

Wellness Weekly

2010-09-30T08:31:00.001-07:00

Sorry I missed you last week, but be-well-blogger is back at it! :)
through the fall and winter our activity levels have too high a tendancy to deminish. here is a great article from babyfit.com that can offer any reader a tip or two about keeping mind and body active and well through the "indoor" seasons!

Energy Boosts at Work
Stay Alert All Day, Every Day -- By Mike Kramer and Liz Noelcke, Staff Writers

You see the computer screen, but you really don’t. It’s more like a two-foot blur. Your eyes are between open and closed, although you’re not sure where. At the moment, you have no idea what you’re working on. And it’s only 3 p.m. Sound familiar? Is this a typical afternoon or morning? Are you looking for an energy boost at your desk? Office life can suck the energy right out of you, if you let it. But, there are numerous ways to take advantage of your workspace and stay energetic all day.
Did you realize bad posture alone can give your brain up to 30% less blood and oxygen? Along with good posture, the most effective way to fight energy lulls is with heavy doses of good stretching and good breathing. Shoot for five minutes of mental or physical activity per hour, every hour at the computer.Here are more, different ideas for rejuvenating your mind and body. Each will only take a few minutes.

· Find a few sturdy, thick phonebooks and do some step aerobics.
· Massage your head and shoulders. Find trigger points of tension in the shoulders and base of the skull. Hold pressure for 6-10 seconds. Don’t forget your face and jaw.
· Take two steps back from your desk and lean forward until you’re at an angled push-up position against the edge of your desk. Do a couple quick sets.
· Lift 1-3 packs of printer paper in each hand. Curl them like weights or lift them over your head.
· Close your door and shadow box. Imagining a stressor while you’re punching will increase your energy, guaranteed.
· Jumping jacks. Simple, quick and pumps you up.
· Squeeze a stress ball. Relieves stress while strengthening forearms and wrists for typing.
· Try word puzzles. Keep a jigsaw puzzle in your office.
· Switch hands with whatever you’re doing.
· Stand perfectly still for two minutes. Regroup.
· When you first arrive at work, take as long as possible before sitting down.
· Forget the boardroom. Hold walking meetings.
· Hand-deliver mail, memos and faxes.
· Chat face-to-face instead of by e-mail or phone.
· Use a bathroom on the other side of the building or another floor.
· Have a lot of phone time? Buy a cordless and move around while talking.

Another approach, one that adults rarely consider but could greatly benefit from, is a nap. A 2001 survey by the National Sleep Foundation found that 63% of Americans don’t get enough sleep. Naps will combat this. They cannot replace a good night’s sleep, but they can help you perform at your peek throughout the day. Plus you can save that daily $4 on Starbucks, because the energy you gain from a nap is better and longer lasting than caffeine. The ideal nap length is 20 minutes, easily squeezable into the workday.No matter the method, try to find tricks that work for you. Remember, if you don’t want to feel drained at the end of the work day, you don’t have to.

I hope that you try one or more of these tips! I have and they do work!! Life is about CHOICES right, so choose to do well for your self!!
~be-well

WW@JSC will Meet 9/28 at 11:00a.m.

2010-09-20T08:44:00.000-07:00

All are invited to attend the Wellness Works at JSC meeting. We'll discuss upcoming programing and past events. Meeting space is the 1867 Room in Dewey.

Upcoming Herb Workshop Flyer

2010-09-20T08:38:00.001-07:00

2010-09-20T08:32:00.000-07:00

Krista Swahn and Ellen Hill sport their WW @ JSC shirts
while working on a community heating project on Friday, 9/17.

Wellness Weekly

2010-09-17T06:16:00.000-07:00

So, with the seasons change...I have been feeling that erge to eat hearty dinners that leave me feeling nice and full, warm and comfy. As the cool of fall sets in you may find yourself in the same boat. Here are some tips to keep it light while not sacrificing that good-old home cooked meal feeling and taste that this time of year finds us craving!

Healthy Cooking Secrets

Achieving a good diet depends on nutrition awareness, smart food choices and healthy cooking methods. Minus one of these elements, it can be difficult to maintain or lose weight. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that Americans, in general, ingest too many calories and too high a proportion of salt, sugar, fat and cholesterol. Obesity, heart problems and other chronic diseases are the result. Thanks to public health initiatives, however, things are changing. As the American diet evolves, restaurant chefs and home cooks increasingly create lighter, more nutritious meals. By drawing on a handful of healthy cooking secrets, you can, too.
Reduce Saturated Fat Intake
Replace butter at the table with olive tapenade, nut butter or bean puree, such as hummus. The American Dietetic Association (ADA) notes that flavorful, nutritious spreads make worthy condiments in a good diet.

Lighten Up Salads
Light or low-fat salad dressings have more water and vinegar than oil. Non-fat dressings skip the oil completely and concentrate flavors more intensely. The American Heart Association (AHA) also suggests using these as dips for veggies and marinades for meats.
Sub for Salt
Cook from scratch to control salt content. The USDA notes that many retail packaged foods have very high salt content, even healthy choices, such as salsa and frozen vegetables. The AHA suggests adding dry mustard or a little diced fresh chile pepper to vegetable dishes instead of salt.
Use Healthy Cooking Methods
Frying should be your last resort when heating foods. To minimize oil use, stir fry in a wok or saute in a nonstick pan. To lose weight, poach, steam, roast, broil or grill everything you cook. The AHA shares the secret that low-fat, low-sodium broth adds flavor to these healthy cooking methods.
Bake Lighter
If you're trying to lose weight, you can still enjoy baked items in a good diet. The oil or butter in muffins and cakes can be replaced with an equal amount of pureed bananas or applesauce, the AHA reports. The ADA recommends adding a handful of nutritious almonds or hazelnuts to baked goods, salads and main dishes for punch.
Reduce Dairy Fat
If you cook with heavy cream or whole milk, opt for lower-fat dairy products. The USDA relates that these contain the same calcium and vitamin content as high-fat versions.
Enjoy Creamy Sauces
The AHA calls low-fat cottage cheese the sensible secret ingredient in a good diet. To sub for sour cream or heavy cream in recipes, use half unsalted low-fat cottage cheese and half low-fat yogurt. If you're trying to lose weight, use non-fat cheese and yogurt.Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/111005-cooking-secrets/?utm_source=septembernewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=100914#ixzz0znCQbUDn

brought to you by: livestrong.com and be-well-blogger~

Live strong is a great site check out more of what it has to offer on your time and let me know anything you stumble across that you think should be shared with the community via the WellnessWorks Blog!

~be-well

Tomorrow We Start Walking...

2010-09-15T06:14:00.001-07:00

To our warm relaxing destination in South Carolina!!

Join the Fall Pedometer Challenge, Starting this Thursday...
Dust off your pedometers and get moving! It’s amazing how active we think we are, but in reality we get less than the recommended 10,000 steps a day. Join others in this 12-week challenge that’ll incorporate your movements and healthy habit choices into miles. The goal is to cover 1,107 miles going from Johnson, VT to sunny, warm Charleston, SC. Sign-up with Linda Davis and Nita Lanphear, challenge starts tomorrow!

Join the WellnessWorks Book Discussion!

2010-09-10T07:37:00.001-07:00

Copies of Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease have been distributed to all departments on campus. Join the book discussion group, and learn where you can find a copy near you by contacting Pam Gelineau in the library. pam.gelineau@jsc.edu

~be-well!

Wellness Weekly

2010-09-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

The season of the Harvest is upon us, stay healthy this fall by keeping the following in mind!

Fall into Clean Eating

Clean foods refer to those that are natural and unprocessed. Eating clean is for those who want to eliminate chemicals and processed foods from their diet. Although not necessarily a low-calorie approach to eating, eating clean places an emphasis on the quality of the foods eaten. Sticking to the the basic food groups---fruits and vegetables, meats and whole grains---is at the center of clean eating. However, it is important that these foods be chosen carefully.

Clean Eating and Shopping Food List:

Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are an essential part of any diet, but it's important to choose those products carefully. According to Healthy Child Healthy World, most fruits and vegetables contain multiple pesticides even though they do not exceed safety allowances for a dose of a single pesticide. According to Daily Green, if consumers get the recommended five servings of fruits and veggies daily from the 15 most contaminated products, they could ingest up to 10 pesticides in a single day. The Daily Green recommends always buying organic celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries, nectarines, bell peppers, spinach, kale, cherries, potatoes, grapes, leafy greens, carrots, pears and tomatoes to reduce exposure to these chemicals. It is not necessary to buy organic fruits or vegetables that are peeled, such as bananas or mangoes.

Meat
According to The Daily Green, it is unlikely that most meat products contain pesticide residue. However, some parts of the meats are more likely to contain chemicals than others. In beef and pork, the muscle is the cleanest part; the fats can contain up to 10 different pesticides. In chicken, the thigh is the most contaminated part, so stick to eating only white meat. To ensure your meat is clean, choose meats that come only from animals fed organic feed and given no hormones or antibiotics. The cleanest meats can be found from a butcher, not your local supermarket.
Whole Grains
Clean whole grains include wheat, brown rice, millet and barley. Look for breads that say 100 percent whole wheat or whole grains, not enriched. Enriched breads have been processed, thereby removing many of the nutrients. Other good grain options include oatmeal, muesli and whole-grain cereals.
Healthy Fats
A balanced diet needs a daily dose of healthy fats. Good, clean fats come from foods such as salmon, olive oil, avocados and raw nuts.Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/209724-clean-eating-shopping-food-list/?utm_source=augustnewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=100830#ixzz0z8NhUz1F

Wellness Works @ JSC Events

2010-09-08T10:44:00.000-07:00

Wellness Weekly

2010-09-03T06:30:00.000-07:00

This weekend is meant for R&R, good company and good food are likely to be on the schedule for many! here I've found an article that may help us all stay on track with our efforts in healthy living and offers some ideas to add to those snack buffets that we may be faced with.

How to Snack Without Getting Huge
By RealAge

Sneaking a snack now and then is a recipe for waistline disaster, right? Maybe not. A new study suggests a snack strategy that might help you avoid ending up five sizes bigger.
In the study -- involving healthy, normal-weight people -- the participants ate three snacks a day for 8 weeks and didn't pack on any extra pounds. The magic secret? Eat what you know. The researchers think that this snacking strategy may have helped the study subjects avoid calorie surprises and allowed them to better compensate for the snacks later on.
Sneaky Snack Approach
When you know how many calories are in your snack of choice, you're in a better position to adjust your calorie intake of other foods later, so your total caloric intake for the day stays on target. That's right -- you can't snack away without cutting back somewhere else. But knowing how many calories your chosen noshes contain -- be they fruit, veggies, and yogurt or higher-calorie snacks like cereal and savory crackers -- will help you modulate at mealtime.
Listen to Your Belly
More research is needed to determine whether the study results apply to other groups, such as overweight people or people prone to weight gain. But it probably helped that the lean, healthy study participants were in touch with internal hunger cues and knew exactly when they'd had their fill. And best of all, they didn't have to add any extra physical activity to compensate for the snacks.

Snack Smackdown: The 10 Healthiest 100-Calorie Treats

Those 100-calorie snack packs are tasty, convenient, and perfectly portioned for calorie counters -- and they're selling like iPhones on opening day. But what's nutritious about a handful of Cheese Nips or Oreo Thins (even with no creamy centers to lick)? Instead, try these 10 far healthier 100-calorie treats. Stash them in your desk drawer, fridge, or car -- wherever hunger pangs hit you. The best part: Most will curb your appetite for hours because they're high in filling fiber or satisfying protein.
1. Midmorning Fill-Up: Just add hot water to a 100-calorie packet of McCann's Instant Cinnamon Roll Irish Oatmeal, which smells ahh-mazing and comes sweetened with Splenda. No doughnut guilt, and there's a bonus: 3 grams of filling, cholesterol-fighting oat fiber.
2. Peanut Butter and Crackers: Make sandwiches out of six All-Bran Multi-Grain Crackers (45 deliciously crunchy calories) and 1 1/2 teaspoons peanut butter (45 smooth calories). You'll get about 2 grams of fiber and a little healthy fat.
3. Apple Mousse: Mix a half cup of unsweetened applesauce (50 calories) with 3 tablespoons of fat-free nondairy topping (45 calories), and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon. Make a batch and refrigerate in portable snack cups. Supplies 20% of your daily vitamin C and counts as one serving of fruit. Sweet.
4. Veggies and Dip: Flavor ready-to-eat veggies from the produce section -- which have almost no calories -- with a dip: 2 tablespoons of hummus (60 calories) or light ranch dressing (80 calories). For the veggies, think broccoli and cauliflower florets, baby carrots, snap peas, pepper strips, baby squash -- all of them filled with fiber, vitamins, and protective phytonutrients.
5. Cafe Mocha: Stir a packet of Swiss Miss No Sugar Added Hot Chocolate mix (60 calories) into hot coffee for an instant afternoon pick-me-up that only tastes decadent. It actually delivers 30% of your calcium, 6% of your iron, and even a gram of fiber. Add a splash of milk for more goodness. Compare that to 200 calories for the smallest Starbucks Caffe Mocha (2% milk, no whip), with 6 grams of fat.
6. Mexican Potato: Microwave a medium potato and slice in half (80 calories). Save one piece for tomorrow. Mash the other half inside the potato skin and top it with 2 tablespoons of salsa (10 calories). Eat the whole thing, including the skin. Warm, spicy, satisfying and 2 grams each of protein and fiber, some vitamin C, plus a little iron.
7. Finger Food: Munch edamame like nuts. 1/2 cup of these quick-cooked frozen soybeans (about 95 calories) makes a great nibble. That’s why they're a staple at hip bars -- which probably don't care that they're serving you 8 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, and lots of minerals.
8. Snack on a Minimeal: When you're starving but trying to hold back, try this: Wrap a Morningstar Farms Vegan Burger (100 calories), a tomato slice, hamburger pickles, and a little mustard or ketchup in lettuce leaves instead of bread. The 10 grams of protein will keep you filled till it's really mealtime.
9. Happy Hour Combo: Mix 1/2 cup of tomato juice (22 calories) with 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 drops of Tabasco sauce, and a dash of lemon juice. Serve over ice with a celery stick and about a dozen dry roasted peanuts (about 60 calories). Have a second "drink" if you like -- no biggie!
10. Healthy Confetti Crisps: If chips are your downfall, make a batch of these RealAge crisps and divide into 6 portions (95 calories each). Munch through a bag while sipping your club soda and lime. Remember to enjoy the good fat from the olive oil and the fiber and vitamins in the veggies -- these taste so good, you may forget they're healthy.
CONFETTI CRISPS
6 servings, 95 calories each
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup each of peeled and thinly sliced purple potatoes, carrots, and parsnips
Mix the oil and seasonings together, add the vegetables, and toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet lightly sprayed with olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20–25 minutes or until crisp and golden brown.

I hope this adds to your ideas bank of healthy living tools...let me know what you liked or didn't like. What do you want to learn about next!?

~be well~

brought to you by www.realage.com and be-well-blogger!

Wellness Weekly

2010-08-27T07:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome back! We are so excited to start another year, helping our employee community achieve Wellness!
This is our first of many postings geared toward helping you implement wellness practices into your daily life, I hope you enjoy reading this thought provoking article and please leave your comments and thoughts about this and for future post idea!! We want to hear from you!
be-well!
~be-well-blogger~

brought to you by: http://babyfit.sparkpeople.com/articles.asp?id=529

11 Things Children Can Teach You About Exercise
The Littlest People Know the Biggest Motivation Secrets
-- By Mike Kramer, Staff Writer

The answers to fitness success aren’t in the bookstore. You won’t find them in the latest government research labs. Forget about talk radio, late night TV, or a magazine rack full of scantily clad cover models.

You’ll uncover information and data there, for sure. You’ll find plenty of opinions, ideas and "proven techniques" too. But the REAL answers – the stuff you can use every day – can be found anytime at your local playground.

Everything you need to know about fitness and exercise, you can learn from kids.

Have you ever watched a child completely engrossed in a project? They have the magical ability to be serious about what they’re doing without taking it too seriously. You can do the same with your exercise program. You can live every day with more focus, and every week with more motivation.

Here’s what every child knows that you may have forgotten. See if you can apply some of these lessons to your daily program:

Everything can be a game. Why slog through the same workout routines in boredom, when you can add a little fun? Make up rules, shoot for personal records, regain your competitive spirit.
Don’t walk when you can run. Every day is full of opportunities to increase your fitness. This rule is closely related to "don’t drive when you can walk."
If you don’t like it, don’t eat it. Once you reach your goals, chances are your eating habits won’t stick around long if you hated what you were eating. Healthy eating involves balance and moderation.
Laughter feels good. Kids seem to inherently know that laughter can ease blood pressure, help your brain function, give you energy, and help you reach your goals. Smiling and enjoying yourself can be serious help.
Playtime is important. We get so caught up in work, chores and a host of "have-to's" that we forget to take time for ourselves. Not only does relaxing and regrouping make life worthwhile, it has real health benefits. Most of all, it will help you stay consistent and motivated.
The world should be full of color—especially on your dinner plate! Splash it with as many colors as possible, paint it like a rainbow with food. It’s more fun to look at, the most colorful produce options often pack the most nutrients, and chances are you’ll be eating a healthy, balanced meal.
It’s always more fun with friends around. Children tend to gravitate toward other children. It gives them spirit and makes them want to play all day. Working out with other people is almost like having your own little playgroup.
Adventures are found outside, not inside. Every kid knows that the good stuff is in the great outdoors—fresh air, wide open spaces, limitless possibilities. You can’t find those things cooped up in a tiny, stale gym. Open the door and start a new adventure every day.
It’s important to use your imagination. You can be Major Fantasia or Stupendous Woman any time you want. Give yourself permission to believe in your own super powers and let your mind take you wherever it wants to go.
Anything is possible. No fear, no self-doubts, no negative self talk, no self-criticism, no worries, no destructive anxieties or thoughts of failure. To a child, he/she can do anything. And do you know what? They’re right.
You have your whole life ahead of you. Here’s your chance to do it right.
The answers to fitness consistency are probably about 3-4 feet tall, and may be closer than you think. When you act more like a kid, suddenly the world opens up. Living a healthy lifestyle becomes something you want to do every day. Start enjoying yourself again!

Next WW at JSC Meeting

2010-07-30T10:03:00.000-07:00

The Wellness Works at JSC Committee will meet again on August 3rd at 10:00a.m. Please bring dates, times and events for Fall 2010 programing to that meeting.

wellness weekly

2010-07-08T12:50:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the new Wellness Works Blog!!

2010-06-10T09:15:00.000-07:00

In our recent Welness Works Committee meeting, we discussed the creation of a new blog...email chelsea st. louis to inquire about navigation to the blog and how to leave comments!!! She can also help you create your own blogger acount...dont hesitate to ask questions as we are in the creation phase with this blog!!
~be-well-blogger~