More Fruits and Vegetables November 2016 Challenge

With cooler weather on the way, people are more inclined to eat hearty, comfort foods. Soups, mashed potatoes, pies, and roasts are all great but our fresh produce intake tends to go down. Fruits and vegetables are super foods because of their high nutrient content and they aren't calorie dense. Meaning you're getting more bang for your buck when you eat fruits and vegetables. 

I want to challenge all of us to try and eat more f & v's during the work day instead of reaching for the leftover Halloween treats or some vending machine snacks. The USDA recommends that adults eat about 5-9 servings of fruit per days so I hope that by getting about a third of your intake at work will help motivate you to incorporate more produce at home as well. 

I'll be posting tips on tricks how to get to 9 servings without having to make a huge effort, debunk some nutrition myths, host some small snack potlucks, and help you be healthier during these holiday months.

Please send me an email if you have any questions or suggestions!

Thanks for your support :)

Read more

More Sleep October 2016 Challenge

This month's challenge is based on mental health. Most of us are constantly trying to eat healthier and/or exercise more to live a long and healthy life. But too often we forget about the mental aspect. In order to keep doing what we do, we need to take care of our brain!

How often do you wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day? Or are you feeling more like this:


The National Sleep Foundation recommends seven to nine hours of sleep per night. So our goal for the challenge this month is to dedicate at least seven hours, five days per week to sleeping. I realize that this is a major challenge for many of you so I'm going to give you a bonus point if you attend a relaxation workshop.

I will be sending out tips and tricks on how to not only fall asleep quicker but how to stay asleep through the night. So stay tuned!

Good luck, Wellness Warriors!

Read more

Let's Get Physical - September 2016

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity 5 days per week, 20 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity 3 days per week. Note that these are minimum requirements for preventing disease. If you do more than the recommended, you are more protected against inactivity related chronic diseases.

Inactivity related chronic diseases include:
Type 2 diabetes
Cardiovascular disease
Some cancers
Some arthritis's
Hypertension

I realize that we're all busy individuals and it's difficult to carve out the 30 minutes each day or some of us might not know where to start. If you feel overwhelmed with 30 minutes of exercise, you can make some small lifestyle changes. Even small changes can decrease your risk. Maybe you can park a little bit farther, walk to work, join our walking group, go to an aerobic's class with your friend, there are plenty of ideas out there!

For the month of September, our wellness challenge is to get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise for 4 days of the week. I will be doing a small walking group at 11:00 AM each day to help you reach that goal. We will walk about a mile (30 minutes) around downtown Provo. it'll be a great way to take a small, active break from work. Please come join us!

Read more

CHALLENGE: 8-8 oz. of Water for August

How many of us have fallen away from our New Year's Resolution to become healthier in 2016? I know I have and I can be found looking like this at my desk these days:

Let's renew these resolutions and get back on track and finish the year strong! I'm going to start with something that's not too drastic to what you're already doing and challenge everyone to drink 8- 8 oz. cups of water per day (or 64 oz. total). I'll be around today to pass out tracking sheets for you. 


Challenge instructions:
1. Record the number of 8 ounce glasses of water every day.
2. On September 1st, total the number of 8 ounce glasses of water consumed during the month.
3. Only water will count towards the number of glasses you drink BUT you can add lemon, cucumbers, flavor packets, etc. to make it tastier. Sometimes just drinking straight water can be rough on your stomach. (Excluded from the count: soda, juices, teas, coffee, alcohol, sports drinks, etc.)

Prizes will be awarded based on the following criteria:
Gold: 191-220 total glasses
Silver: 171-190 total glasses
Bronze: less than 170 total glasses

There will be small prizes (probably something homemade or bought at Costco) for those who win the gold! The best prizes will be your new glowing skin, less bloating, better circulation, and a generally happier body.

Read more