wellness Archives - Page 9 of 13

Mindfulness Meditation

What is the first thing you think of when someone tells you to meditate? Perhaps you think of monks sitting cross-legged repeating “hum” in a Zen garden. This may be the truth for some, but the modern world has taken a different approach to meditation, combining the practice with a concept known as mindfulness. Mindfulness meditation has shown to have long-lasting benefits and can be easily done by anybody. What is Mindfulness Meditation? Mindfulness meditation is an approach to becoming aware of our breath and mindset. It involves examining each breath we take and noticing how our mind begins to wander during this task. As we continue to practice returning to our breath, we are able to build the muscles of attention and mindfulness. We increase our own ability to stay in the present as we guide ourselves to [...]

Tags: corporate wellness, de-stress, destress, health, meditation, mindful, mindfulness, stress, wellness|

Exercise in the Great Outdoors Safely

Summer is just around the corner! The warmer weather can boost motivation for a consistent exercise routine. It’s the perfect time of year for a variety of outdoor activities. There are still some safety precautions to keep in mind. Use the tips below to keep your outdoor exercise safe and enjoyable. Safety First Safety is key when exercising outside. Choosing to exercise in daylight hours and paying attention to traffic will keep you alert on the road. If you’re in a rural or park setting, consider exercising with a buddy or letting someone know where you are ahead of time and when you plan to return. It’s a good practice to bring both your ID, a little cash, and your charged phone with you for any of those “just in case” scenarios. Also, don’t forget sunscreen and sunglasses. Even on [...]

Tags: corporate wellness, exercise, health, hydration, nutrition, summer safety, wellness|

Air Fried Food: Healthy Fast Food?

Potato chips, fried chicken, and French fries overwhelmingly appeal to all the senses with their crispy crunch and flavor. Fried foods are a staple in the American diet because they are fast and convenient. However, these foods have health implications. Fried Food Health Concerns and Solutions: Fried foods are high in saturated fats and trans fats. We know these fats contribute to heart disease, obesity, and type II diabetes. It is important to limit these fats in the diet. Try to choose foods that have healthy fats like nuts, salmon, and skinless chicken. Cooking with oils that contain unsaturated fats like extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil are better than butter and lard. Think of using fats that are liquid at room temperature and not solid. Decrease the amount of fat used while cooking and switch to an unsaturated [...]

Tags: air fry, corporate wellness, health, heart health, nutrition, recipes, saturated fat, wellness|

Iced Tea for Health

What would your life be like without the 1904 World's Fair? Many of our fun food staples hit the American taste buds at the fair, including the hamburger, hot dog, peanut butter, ice cream cone, cotton candy, and iced tea. During that time, iced tea became a staple of American culture. Health Benefits Heart Health and Cancer Risk There are health protecting properties to plants called phytochemicals. Research is constantly being done about how different phytochemicals correlate to health and wellness. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate, usually called EGCG, is a phytochemical found in high amounts in green tea. EGCG has been linked to decreasing inflammation and better heart health . Researchers have also linked a decreased risk of breast, colorectal and prostate cancer with some of the properties in green tea. Nutrition Minerals such as manganese, potassium, phosphorus, calcium and zinc vary [...]

Tags: black tea, drink, green tea, health, health benefits, herbal tea, hydration, hydration for health, iced tea, phytochemicals, RTD, RTD tea, tea, wellness, white tea|

5 Components of Exercise Recovery

You just finished up a great workout…Congrats! But now what? Practicing recovery techniques after exercise is essential for getting the most out of your workout and lowering the risk of injury. Incorporate the components below into your routine for maximum recovery. Cool-Down The cool-down is a component of exercise that is frequently overlooked. Too often, we finish our workout and go right on with our day. However, wrapping up our workout with a cool-down is going to help our body recover quicker. Finish up your workout with 5-10 minutes of very low-intense activity. This will gradually lower your heart rate and bring your body back into a resting state. Finish up your cool-down with several minutes of full-body stretching. Stretching will allow your muscles to relax, which can ease soreness and cramping. Recover Complete an extra intense workout or [...]

Tags: cool down, corporate wellness, exercise, exercise recovery, foam roll, hydrate, nutrition, physical activity, recover, refuel, rest, sleep, stretch, water, wellness|

Adaptogenic Mushrooms

The largest living organism in the world is a fungus: the almighty mushroom. At the cell level, mushrooms have more in common with humans than any other plant. Maybe that is why they seem so helpful to human health? Adaptogens are a class of herb that are thought to help us cope with stress. Types of stress range from general inflammation to fight-or-flight response. The thought is that they aid in the ability of our bodies to cope and adapt to physical, biological, and chemical stress. Consuming adaptogenic herbs can possibly help reduce physical fatigue along with depression and anxiety, enhance mental performance and immunity, and generally help you thrive under pressure. Medicinal mushrooms have been used for thousands of years in Eastern Medicine. The adaptogen class of these mushrooms have shown to reduce the effects of stress on [...]

Tags: adaptogen, adaptogens, arthritis, cordyceps, disease prevention, fungi, herbal medicine, inflammation, integrative medicine, lion's mane, medicinal mushrooms, mushroom, mycelium, reishi, stress, wellness, World Autoimmune Arthritis Day|

Try a New Move: Bob & Weave

Bob & Weave When it comes to getting fit, we most commonly choose exercises that favor forward motion like walking, cycling, and running. We may move backward when doing reverse lunges or a backstroke, but lateral movements become an afterthought. Think about the last time you purposefully moved side-to-side. It might be challenging to recall! When we favor one plane of motion, the same dominant muscles get bigger and stronger, while smaller stabilizer muscles don’t get challenged and stay the same. Don’t get us wrong, forward and backward movements are invaluable, but moving in other directions comes with benefits. For muscles in the lower body, lateral motions even-out strength imbalances by working stabilizing muscles on the inside and outside of the legs. The “bob and weave” is a lateral (sideways) single leg muscle-strengthening exercise that requires heavy use of your [...]

Tags: bob and weave, corporate welllness, exercise, fitness, wellness|

Stress Less: How Breathing Fights Stress

How Breathing Fights Stress What’s the first sensation you notice in your body when you face a moment of stress? Are you shaky? Does your heart race? Do your palms sweat? Maybe your breath becomes quicker and shallower. These physiological changes are all regulated by the autonomic nervous system, which continually works to regulate heart rate, respiratory rate, and digestion. When we face any stress, whether big or little, the sympathetic branch (better known as fight-or-flight) of the autonomic nervous system activates. Even bad traffic on the way home can cause the release of adrenal hormones into the bloodstream that triggers fight-or-flight in multiple parts of the body. The result can be higher blood pressure, faster breathing, a quicker heart rate, and even elevated blood sugar levels. It might seem like there is little we can do to stop fight-or-flight [...]

Tags: breath exercises, corporate wellness, destress, mindfulness, stress, stress relief, wellness|

Get a Dose of Nature

Get a Dose of Nature You likely already do things to help cut down on daily stress. Perhaps you meditate for a few minutes each day; practice self-care rituals; or choose to eat a well-balanced diet that promotes sustained energy and mental clarity. But have you ever considered what spending time outdoors can do for you? Think about it; outdoor-living was the only option for our ancestors. Over time, human brains formed an innate connection with nature, one that can be difficult to uphold with indoor-based living. This relatively recent change to living and working indoors comes with apparent advantages, i.e., protection from harsh weather, but our brains never abandoned the instinctual desire to connect with nature. This desire to spend time outside can be demonstrated by the mental and physical health benefits that occur when we get in touch [...]

Tags: corporate wellness, Corporate Wellness Firm, cortisol, nature, wellness|

Beans for Dessert

Beans for Dessert When it comes to dessert, fruit is always your best option as it’s naturally sweet and offers a healthy dose of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It is also well established that fruit consumption is linked to lower risk of chronic disease. If you want to stay on track with your healthy diet, improve your biometric screening results and you’re bored with having fruit for dessert, try Dessert Hummus! You’re likely familiar with hummus, the traditional middle eastern chickpea dip that pairs perfectly with crunchy carrots, cucumbers, and celery. Its main ingredient, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), has grown in popularity so much that the United States Department of Agriculture expects crop plantings to reach record highs in 2019. This trend reflects our newfound love for all things chickpea! Put off by the idea of beans for dessert? We [...]

Tags: clean eating, corporate wellness, fruit for dessert, healthy dessert, hummus, wellness|