HealthyLifestyle – Be Well Solutions

Overcoming Barriers to Expressing Gratitude

Studies show that expressing gratitude can benefit our mental and physical health. According to the American Heart Association1, “gratitude can improve sleep, mood and immunity, and can decrease depression, anxiety, chronic pain and disease.” However, conveying it doesn’t always come naturally. Too often, barriers keep us from feeling gracious or putting our appreciation into practice. Let’s explore the barriers and possible strategies for overcoming them. Becoming Too Distracted As life gets busy, we let many things capture our attention. Changing schedules and endless social media scrolling distract us from being fully present and engaged in the moment. Opportunities to practice gratitude can be easily overlooked, even when they are right in front of us. Combat these distractions by incorporating intentional reminders to practice gratitude each day. Set an alarm on your phone, leave a sticky note beside your computer screen, [...]

Meal Prep Tips to be Thankful for – Strategies for Healthy Eating

With the holidays just around the corner, November is a great time to focus on routines that support your well-being. Meal preparation is a simple and effective way to make nutritious choices easier, save time throughout the week, and reduce the temptation to rely on fast food or less healthy food alternatives. Meal prep does not have to require spending an entire Sunday cooking every meal for the week. With a little planning and preparation, you can make eating more convenient and enjoyable. Whether you are cooking for yourself or your entire family, a few simple strategies can make a big difference. Make Mealtime Easier with Meal Prep A little planning can go a long way when it comes to eating well! Having healthy meals and snacks ready to go makes it easier to avoid ultra-processed foods (UPFs)[i] – [...]

Sleep Hygiene 2.0: New Strategies for Restful, Restorative Sleep

Sleep is a key part of health and wellness, but adequate, restful sleep can often feel elusive. Sleep hygiene habits such as establishing a screen-free bedtime routine, creating a sleep-friendly environment, being mindful about eating and drinking, and exercising regularly can all contribute to better sleep. While these strategies are fairly common, we’ve compiled a list of lesser-known habits that can still make an impactful difference toward restful sleep. Find Consistency Choosing the same bedtime each night can help our body’s internal clock recognize when to sleep and when to wake. However, there are more ways to be consistent with our rest. It is recommended that adults get seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Personalize your approach by paying attention to the amount of sleep that feels right for you and aim for that on a regular [...]

Building a Culture of Wellness

Prioritizing and maintaining a lifestyle full of healthy habits can be a tall task when you’re trying to accomplish it alone. Whether you are at work or at home, having a support system of people who also value health and well-being can reinforce and strengthen your efforts. Being an example and building that support system doesn’t always happen overnight. The following habits and strategies can help you build a culture of wellness wherever you go. Start Small Starting with too many habits too fast, or setting too lofty a goal, can quickly overwhelm you and those around you. Start small and focus on one thing at a time. It will always be easier to build on the habits you’ve established than to start back at square one because your intentions have become too challenging to keep up with. As you [...]

Healthy Sleep Routines for Busy Schedules

Jam-packed, constantly changing schedules can wreak havoc on our sleep schedules. Between demands and responsibilities, it can be challenging to get adequate, restful sleep each night. While we can’t always control our busy days, we can often take steps to help us get the sleep we need. Incorporating the following habits can help you prioritize the sleep needed for recovery, renewal, repair, and rejuvenation. Stick to a Schedule Aim for similar sleep and wake times each day. A sleep schedule allows your body’s circadian rhythm, or internal clock, to stay on track. If your daily schedule changes throughout the week, adjust your sleep times and routines accordingly. Even if bedtime has shifted, following similar cues such as limiting screen time or turning down lights before sleep signals to your brain and body that it is time to calm down and [...]

Snack Smart: Mini-Meals and Nutrient-Packed Bites for Busy Days

Busy schedules often make it tempting to skip meals or grab whatever food is most convenient. Unfortunately, many quick snack foods are high in added sugar, sodium, and unhealthy fats, which can lead to energy crashes and increase hunger later in the day. Choosing nutrient-packed snacks or small mini meals instead can help you stay energized, focused, and satisfied until your next meal. Why Smart Snacking Matters A well-balanced snack does more than curb hunger. It provides your body with nutrients that support brain function, muscle health, and steady energy levels. Research from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests that pairing carbohydrates with protein or healthy fats helps slow digestion, keeping blood sugar more stable than eating carbohydrates alone. Stable blood sugar can help improve concentration, mood, and energy throughout the day. Snacks can also help people meet their [...]

The Next Generation of Stress Tracking

Experiencing stress is a natural part of life. But when it becomes chronic and is left unmanaged, it can negatively impact us physically, mentally, and emotionally. Through the demands of the day and busy schedules, it can be tempting to plow through stressful feelings and situations and deal with the consequences later. Tracking and monitoring stress levels can serve as an intentional reminder to address our triggers and responses and find healthier ways to cope during difficult seasons. Newer technologies monitor how stress affects our bodies by tracking heart rate, brainwaves, or hormone levels. Stress tracking is becoming more accessible as many devices, such as watches and rings, commonly use heart rate to measure and estimate daily stress levels. The Benefits Stress can often go unmanaged in two common ways. First, we tend to avoid or ignore it. We can [...]

Prioritizing Family Fitness Amid Busy Schedules

Between busy work schedules, back-to-school chaos, and daily responsibilities, it can be difficult to maintain a consistent exercise routine. For many, spending hours in a gym each week is an unrealistic option during this season of life. The thought of taking any time out of our day to work out can bring feelings of guilt and frustration. While we know physical activity has numerous health benefits, how do we prioritize it during busy schedules and seasons? Let’s explore realistic ways to keep active as a family now and in the years to come. Make it a Priority with Value Before exercise can become a lasting non-negotiable priority, it needs to be something you find genuine value in. We might know it is a healthy thing to do and our doctors or loved ones might encourage us along the way. However, [...]

Tags: #FitnessMotivation, #healthandwellness, #PhysicalActivity, ActiveHobbies, ActiveLifestyle, backtoschool, exercise, exerciseconsistency, familyfitness, FamilyHealth, fitnesstips, HealthyHabits, HealthyLifestyle, movement, physicalactivityguidelines, StressManagement, wellness, WorkLifeBalance|

Eating for Longevity: Lessons Inspired by the Blue Zones

Most of us would like to live a longer, healthier life. While no single food or diet can guarantee longevity, researchers have spent decades studying regions of the world where people routinely live to age 100 and beyond. These areas, known as the Blue Zones, include communities in Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia (Italy), Nicoya (Costa Rica), Ikaria (Greece), and Loma Linda (California). Although these cultures differ in many ways, they share several common lifestyle habits that are associated with better health, lower rates of chronic disease, and exceptional longevity. These habits, known as the “Power 9” include daily movement, a sense of purpose, stress management, strong social connections, and certain eating behaviors. Let’s take a moment to focus on the two nutrition-related Power 9 principles that nearly everyone can begin practicing today – the Plant Slant and the 80% Rule, or [...]

Shared Care: Building Wellness Through Connection

While caring for our health and wellness is our personal responsibility, we can often achieve our goals and create lifelong habits with the help of those around us. Studies have shown that social connection can increase longevity, strengthen the immune system, improve recovery, and boost mental health, while a lack of connection can cause physical and psychological health to diminish (Stanford Medicine1). The following ways can be used to build wellness through community, relationship, and connection. Find Support and Encouragement Establishing healthy habits that last can feel like a lifelong journey. Finding support along the way provides encouragement and reinforcement. Working with others and sharing our experiences can make the process feel less lonely. Even the strongest habits can go through seasons of obstacles and difficulty. Creating connections with family, friends, and coworkers helps us work through life's hardships while [...]