hydration Archives - Be Well Solutions

8 Tips for Exercising Safely

Regular exercise provides many health benefits, from weight management to disease prevention. However, safety is paramount to avoid unnecessary injuries or setbacks. We’ve compiled eight tips to help you exercise safely and get the most out of your workout session. Get the Green Light from Your Doctor Before beginning a new exercise routine, or if it’s been a while since you’ve consistently exercised, you should consult your physician first. Working with your doctor helps determine your readiness for activity, guidelines and adaptations for injuries or conditions, and when an exercise professional could be helpful. Start Slowly, Increase Gradually Incorporate exercise in small bouts as you’re getting started. Then, slowly increase your duration, intensity, and frequency. Starting slower will allow your body to adapt and develop endurance and strength. If you begin with too much too fast, you can increase the [...]

Tags: cool down, corporate wellness, exercise, exercise recovery, health, hydration, nutrition, rest, warm-up, wellness|

Hydrate for Health

Hydration is quite the trend in recent years, and that makes complete sense, as water is essential for life. Even subtle dehydration can impair performance in numerous areas. Every part of our body needs water to function properly. With that said, what really constitutes adequacy in hydration? This can be confusing, as the internet is rife with contradictory information and influencers carrying gallon jugs or toting the hottest water bottle. Daily Requirements Depend on Several Factors In the US and Canada, the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK45182/) recommendations determine "Adequate Intake" (AI), based on research conducted in healthy people. However, it is acknowledged that studies on fluid intake are difficult to conduct and depend on several individual factors. The US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine tell us that daily AI for adults is as follows: Males - [...]

Tags: corporate wellness, health, hydration, water, wellness|

Summer Activities to Beat the Heat

We wait all year to enjoy warm, sunny weather outside. While this can be the perfect time for an outdoor workout, sometimes the heat and humidity can impact those plans. We’ve compiled a list of ways to keep up with your exercise habits while beating the heat. Cool Off Indoors If you want to avoid the heat, opt for an indoor workout. This can be a great option when the humidity and heat index are high or if the air quality is poor. Indoor activity options are numerous, whether at the gym or in your home. Try a class like Yoga or Bootcamp, bring the outdoors inside by attending an indoor rock-climbing facility, or put some tropical tunes in your earbuds and pretend you’re at the beach while enjoying your air-conditioned workout session. Just Add Water Summer is the season [...]

Tags: corporate wellness, health, hydration, summer activities, summer safety, wellness|

Building your Immune System with Healthy Habits

With the upcoming changing of the seasons, we will soon see a major change in the weather. With that change, colds and the flu will be running rampant. Even though it might be harder to tackle workouts in the colder months, exercise and incorporating nutrient-dense foods into meals are critical to support your immune system and overall wellness. Try using these simple tips and tricks to help you stay active and healthy throughout the fall and winter. Wash your water bottle - Do you leave your water bottle in your gym bag or leave your water bottle at work all week? It sounds so simple, yet many are not washing their water bottle daily. Salvia can be backwashed into bottles and become the perfect breeding ground for bacteria to grow, which can potentially make you ill. The good news [...]

Tags: corporate wellness, healthy habits, hydration, immune system|

Hydration, Electrolytes, and Exercise

Hydration is a key factor when it comes to physical activity. Our bodies need adequate water intake to regulate body temperature, keep joints lubricated, and bring important nutrients throughout your body for energy. When you’re not well-hydrated, it can greatly impact your performance with exercise, and even more importantly, it can take a toll on things like organ function and blood pressure. From light intensity to high intensity and on hot days and even cold days, it is imperative to practice good hydration before, during, and after exercise. What Factors Affect Hydration? Many factors can affect hydration during exercise and activity. During physical activity, your body loses fluid through sweat. Sweating can occur on hot summer days, as well as cold winter days, and every other day in between. Sweating can occur without it being visible. For example, did [...]

Tags: corporate wellness, exercise, hydration, nutrition|

Mocktails: Happiness in a Cup

A mocktail can be a perfect addition to an evening of partying or relaxing at the pool. Try something healthy and refreshing to enjoy this summer. Use the tips below to create a signature drink without the worries of excess calories. Ingredients: Recipes can use a variety of ingredients such as club soda, tonic water, juice, and coconut water. Seltzer water, club soda, or tonic water: Which one is better? Seltzer water and club soda are calorie free and great ingredients for mocktails. Unfortunately, tonic water is high in added sugar. To put it in perspective, 12 fluid ounces of tonic water has 33 grams of added sugar (about 8 teaspoons of sugar). If you use tonic water, be mindful of your portion size since calories can add up quickly or try no sugar added tonic water. Tip: If [...]

Tags: corporate wellness, hydration, mocktail|

Hydration and Mental Health

Staying hydrated is an integral part of health and wellness. However, it is often overlooked, especially when water is out of sight and out of mind. You’re probably familiar with how hydration is necessary during exercise, fighting a cold, or proper digestion. But did you know that adequate hydration is important for our mental health too? Let’s take a closer look at how it can affect us mentally. Improved Brain Performance According to the National Council on Aging, “even mild dehydration – as little as 2% fluid loss – can affect memory, mood, concentration, and reaction time.” Getting adequate hydration throughout the day can balance all these areas and positively impact our brain performance. As you age, the risk for dehydration increases, and cognitive function can decrease. This shows that proper hydration and water intake are key factors in [...]

Tags: brain performance, corporate wellness, health coach, hydration, mental health|

Make a Hydration Station

Make a Hydration Station in your Fridge! All the good-for-you foods are packed with water: fruits and vegetables. We get most of our hydration from drinking fluids, but about 20% of our hydration needs are met by the food we eat. Prepare fruits and vegetables once or twice a week to keep in the fridge. Wash and slice (if needed) and put in snack-size containers. When someone in the house wants a snack, they can quickly grab good nutrition and hydration. Some fruits and vegetables have a higher water content than others. The following is a list of produce picks with high water content. Pick a variety of fruits and vegetables from the list below to create great nutrition for your Hydration Station: Fruit Vegetables Apples Cucumber Watermelon Tomato Peaches Celery Strawberries Zucchini Cantaloupe Bell pepper Oranges Cauliflower Grapefruit [...]

Tags: clean eating, corporate wellness, dehydration, fluids, hydration, nutrition|

The Corona Impact – Drink Less Alcohol

How much is too much? Current CDC guidelines for alcohol consumption recommend less than one drink per day for women and two for men. Trends indicate moderate drinkers are consuming far more than the current guidelines. In the past year, it was found that men averaged four to fourteen drinks per week and women averaged four to seven drinks. There are short and long-term health consequences of consuming too much alcohol. The Corona Impact A 2020 study measuring alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic found that drinking increased amongst 60% of participants (compared to the year prior, 2019). Even before the pandemic, the consumption trends still far exceeded CDC guidelines! In addition to the health consequences this past year had on many individuals, increased alcohol consumption adds to the risks for more health issues. Risks Short-term consequences include alcohol poisoning [...]

Tags: alcohol, alcohol abuse, corporate wellness, dietetic internship, fluids, hydration, intern, mocktail, nutrition, water|

Recipe- Creamy Mango Avocado Smoothie

What’s better than enjoying a nutritious fruit smoothie on a warm summer’s day? This recipe is loaded with in season fruit such as mango and avocados. Avocados are a nutrition powerhouse packed with heart healthy fatty acids that help brain function. Mangoes deliver antioxidants like vitamin A that help lower our risk of developing cancer. Creamy Mango Avocado Smoothie Prep time: 1 min Cook time: 2 min Servings: 2 Ingredients: ½ large Haas avocado ½ cup mango, diced ½ frozen banana 2 tbsp hemp seeds 1.5 cups skim milk Dash of vanilla Ice as needed Optional toppings: coconut flakes, chia seeds, granola Instructions: Peel avocado and discard pit. Blend all ingredients together in a blender. Enjoy plain or in a bowl with toppings. Calories 234 Total Carbohydrates 26grams, Protein 11grams, Fat 11grams This recipe is inspired by our very [...]

Tags: avocado, corporate wellness, corporate wellness program, hydration, mango, nutrition, recipe, smoothie, summer|