fruits and vegetables Archives

Keep Your Immune System Strong This Season

The cooler temperatures and crisp Fall air are here, but along with it usually comes a season prone to more illness. Between back-to-school, cooler temperatures, and more time spent indoors, germs spread much quicker this time of year. Use these tried-and-true tips to keep your immune system strong all year long. Eat Your Fruits and Veggies Incorporate an assortment of fruits and vegetables into your daily diet. The different colors in these foods correspond with various necessary nutrients. When you vary the colors of your fruits and veggies, you know you’re getting assorted vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. These nutrients can help keep your immune system working strong. Get a Good Night’s Sleep Sleep is imperative for our immune system because it allows our body to produce antibodies and natural killer cells that help ward off viruses and infections (UCI Health)[1]. [...]

Tags: fruits and vegetables, good hygiene, health, managing stress, sleep, staying active, strong immune system, talk to your doctor, wellness|

Mid-Year Health Assessment

It is hard to believe that 2023 is half over! Now that everybody is settling into a summer routine, it is a great time to look at your health habits and set goals for the remainder of the year. The suggested links may be found at the end of the article. Checklist For Healthy Aging – These 5 Will Keep You Alive! Evaluate Your Current Health Status. Being up to date on screening exams and knowing your screening numbers help you avoid or manage chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and unhealthy weight gain. Having a primary care doctor you trust to help monitor your overall health, address any concerns, and provide guidance on preventive measures is a key step in the right direction. If you haven’t had a physical exam in 2023, schedule one today. [...]

Tags: corporate wellness, exercise, fruits and vegetables, health, sleep, wellness|

The Perfect Picnic

Sunny weather is here again! And what's more perfect for picnics? With picnics in mind, we thought we'd write some helpful hints on ways to keep picnics fun, simple, and healthy. Remember back to our "Building A Healthy Salad" article, we used the Plate Method as a starting point for building a great salad. Many of those same principles, plus the tips in this article, can be used to plan for The Perfect Picnic! To review, the plate method encourages filling at least half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables, a quarter of it with lean protein and the remainder with whole grains and fruits. Stay Ahead of Dehydration with Water, Fruits and Vegetables It's always important to ensure adequate hydration, especially with any increase in physical activity. While packing our food for the day, we might accidentally forget to [...]

Tags: corporate wellness, easy meals, fruits and vegetables, healthy eating, nutrition, picnic, summertime, water|

Plant-Based Meals: Good for You & the Earth

April 22nd is Earth Day and a great way to help our planet and health is by reducing our intake of meat. Certain meats like pepperoni, steaks, ground beef, and hot dogs are high in saturated fat which can increase the risk of heart disease. Including plant-based proteins, such as beans or lentils, in a meal is a great step to help you lead a healthy lifestyle. For example, beans and lentils contain protein as well as soluble fiber. Soluble fiber is helpful in lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol. Small changes make a large impact. Even having one meatless day a week can help the planet. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics states, “In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that livestock contributes to more than one-third of methane emissions, one type of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Eating less [...]

Tags: corporate welllness, fruits and vegetables, plant-based, plants, soy, vegetatian|

Winter Produce

Does your New Year’s resolution include eating more fruits and vegetables? Produce has many health benefits but unfortunately, most people are not meeting the recommended five servings of fruits and veggies each day. In fact, research has found that, “just 1 in 10 adults meet the federal fruit or vegetable recommendations.” Not only are fruits and vegetables delicious but having a balanced diet that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers. Fruits and vegetables can be enjoyed all year round. Winter offers a variety of in=-season fruits and veggies including apples, bananas, carrots, celery, collard greens, cabbage, pears, oranges, winter squash, etc. In-season fruits and vegetables are usually more affordable and make great additions to meals and snacks. Winter Produce Highlights Cabbage Choose cabbages that are firm with [...]

Tags: corporate wellness, fruit, fruits and vegetables, nutrition, produce, vegetables, veggies|