Author: schwma09@uwgb.edu

30-Day Challenges

Looking for a challenge this summer?  Check out these 30 day challenges created by Alex Reichenberger, Fitness Coordinator!  These are posted on the Wellness website at: https://www.uwgb.edu/wellness-committee/challenges/30-day-challenges/

Planks Squats JumpingJacks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are enrolled in the state health insurance program, here are some other wellness challenges available on the StayWell website:

  • Million Steps Challenge
  • 21 Day Meditation Challenge
  • Sleep Well Challenge

MillionStepsChallenge 21dayMeditation

SleepWell

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you haven’t already completed your 2019 Wellness Incentive Well-Being Activity, knock that out this summer!  Here is a list of the activity options: https://wellwisconsin.staywell.com/Programs/Activities/All-Webinars.aspx  (Deadline is October 11, 2019)

 

Mini Greek Chicken Kabobs recipe

Ingredients

For the marinade:
1½ Tbsp canola oil
½ tsp lemon zest
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
1½ tsp dried oregano leavesTeriyaki-Chicken-Kabobs-GI-365-22
½ tsp dried dill
1 medium garlic clove, minced
⅛ tsp dried pepper flakes
¼ tsp salt

For the kabobs:
Canola oil cooking spray
4 chicken tenders (8 oz total), rinsed and patted dry, cut crosswise into small chunks
½ small green bell pepper, cut into 16 cubes
16 grape cherry tomatoes
1 small yellow squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 16 pieces
16 bamboo skewers (6-in each)

Directions

  1. Combine marinade ingredients in a quart-sized resealable plastic bag, seal tightly, and toss back and forth until well blended. Remove 2 tablespoons mixture, place in a small bowl, and set aside. Add chicken pieces to bag with the remaining marinade, seal tightly, and toss back and forth to coat completely. Refrigerate 1 hour, turning occasionally.
  2. Coat grill rack with cooking spray and preheat grill to medium-high heat.
  3. Remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade. Thread piece of chicken and each vegetable per skewer in this order: pepper, chicken, tomato, and squash. Repeat with remaining skewers.
  4. Place skewers on a grill rack and cook 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center and juices run clear, turning frequently and being careful not to overcook. Remove from grill, place on a serving platter, and brush reserved 2 tablespoons marinade evenly over all. Serve warm.

Serves 8

Serving size: 2 kabobs. Each serving provides: 60 calories, 3 g total fat, 0.4 g saturated fat, 6 g protein, 15 mg cholesterol, 80 mg sodium, 2 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 1 g sugar

 

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC.

Make time to play!

The secret to happiness, like the secret to success, has long been studied and debated. What makes one person happy could stress out someone else (take skydiving, for example). Still, psychologists and other researchers have found that some activities and mind-sets appear more than likely to increase joy and contentment. Today – try the following tip to increase your happiness and reduce your stress!

Take time to play. Playfulness helps anyone of any age be more resilient, happy, flexible, and creative. It teaches us to manage and transform stress and negative emotions, too. It’s easy to be playful with pets and children. But looking for ways to play with grown-ups at work and home is a great way to increase the strength and health of your relationships.

Article from the StayWell Company, LLC1280px-Family_playing_a_board_game_(1)

Pink Lemonade

(Gluten-free, Gout-friendly)

Ingredientspink lemonade

  • 1 fresh, large lemon
  • 1/2 cup very ripe strawberries plus 1 for garnish
  • 1 packet sweetener
  • 1 cup cold water
  • Ice cubes

Directions

Cut the lemon in half and remove seeds. Use a lemon reamer to juice. Strain pulp if desired into a large glass. You should get about 1/4 cup lemon juice. Crush strawberries and add juice to lemon juice. Add sweetener and stir. Add water and ice cubes. Garnish with a whole strawberry.

Serves 1

The serving contains about 40 calories, 1.5 g protein, 0 g fat, 10 g carbohydrates, 3.5 g fiber, and 2 mg sodium.

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC.

A Little Play Goes a Long Way!

Remember the joy of building a sandcastle? The pleasure in finger-painting? Experts agree that playing is good for children. It helps them learn how to solve problems and develop social skills.

But grownups also need unstructured time to engage in activities that have no rhyme or reason except fun. Playful times can relieve stress, recharge the spirit, and provide creative insights.

What, exactly, is play? One expert defines play as anything done in a carefree manner for the pure joy of it. For some, this might mean drawing or performing music. For others, it may mean dancing, skiing, or working crossword puzzles.

Today, try to make your day more playful for at least 5 to 10 minutes.

  • Allow yourself to be sidetracked by play. If commitments crowd your calendar, squeeze in some play—even if it’s just for a few minutes.
  • Look for the humor in life. Having a sense of humor is crucial to play

Article from the StayWell Company, LLC

  • dancing

Strawberry Spread Recipe

We’re not talking about making preserves here, just a quick spread to refrigerate and use within a week. Stir it into vanilla yogurt—it’s betteStrawberry spreadr than fruit on the bottom.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups strawberries
  • 1/4 cup sugar (or 3 tbsp. granulated sugar substitute)
  • 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Directions

Put berries in a small saucepan. Add sugar (or sweetener) and lemon juice. Cook on high just until the mixture starts to boil. Turn heat to medium and stir frequently, mashing berries with a spatula, to keep from burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan.

After about 15 minutes, most of the liquid should be cooked off. When you reach your desired consistency, let it cool and pour into a container to refrigerate.

Makes about 1 cup

Each tablespoon serving contains about 18 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g cholesterol, 0 g sodium, 5 g carbohydrate, less than 1 g dietary fiber, 4 g sugars, and 0 g protein.

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC.

 

Get Crafty

Whether you’re an avid crafter or you’ve never picked up a paintbrush, knitting needle, awl, or whittling tool in your life, you could benefit from a little craft time. Creative hobbies are calming, and they help give your mind a break from worrying thoughts.

So challenge yourself today to create something. A drawing, a scrapbook, a poem, a wood-carved miniature of your neighbor’s dog—it doesn’t matter what you create, just that you’re creating. You’ll end up with not only a cool thing of your own design, but also, potentially, a more relaxed and worry-free mind.

Article from the StayWell Company, LLCcrafting

Grilled Lemon-Sage Chicken

Fresh sage and rosemary impart a different flavor to grilled chicken. Tomato halves and corn on the cob can grill along with the chicken.

Ingredients

  • 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 4 ounces each)
  • 6 lemon slices, cut in half (optional)
  • Fresh sage leaves (optional)

Lemon Sage Chicken

Marinade

  • 1 tsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh sage leaves
  • 1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp. dried, crushed
  • 2 or 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp. black peppercorns, cracked
  • ½ tsp. salt

 

Directions

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the marinade ingredients.

Discard all the visible fat from the chicken. Put the chicken with the smooth side up between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a tortilla press, the smooth side of a meat mallet, or a rolling pin, lightly flatten the chicken to a thickness of ¼ inch, being careful not to tear the meat. Add to the marinade. Seal the bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to eight hours, turning occasionally. Discard the marinade.

Preheat the grill on medium-high.

Grill the chicken for 6 to 7 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink in the center.

To serve, garnish with the lemon slices and sage leaves.

Makes 6 servings

Each serving provides: calories 125, total fat 1.5 g, cholesterol 66 mg, sodium 268 mg, carbohydrates 0 g, fiber 0 g, sugar 0 g, protein 26g.

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC.

Challenge Your Entire Core

If you want to develop a stronger, firmer core, you need to train all the muscles of your abdomen. Oblique crunches target the muscles that run along the side of your waist.

Try them today. Here’s how:

Start by lying on your right side with your right forearm on the ground, your legs straight, and your left arm resting on the side of your body.

Engage your abs (imagine pulling your navel toward your spine) and extend your left hand as you lift your legs off the ground to bring your toes toward your hand. (You don’t have to actually touch your hand to your feet; it’s the motion of bringing them closer together that’s important.)

Do 10 oblique crunches on this side before rolling over to your left side and repeating the motion, reaching your toes toward your right hand.

Article from the StayWell Company, LLCcore workout

Make a Healthy Lunch Choice

Do you brown-bag your lunch from home, or prefer to go out? Whether you’re partial to sandwiches or salads, you probably have a few favorites for your noon-time meal. Trying a simple swap can reduce the amount of saturated fat you consume, boost your vitamin and mineral intake, and help you get healthier. Consider one of these to try today:

Instead of cream-based soup like cream of mushroom, opt for a broth-based soup like vegetable or chicken noodle, which are lower in fat and calories.

Trade in that fatty hamburger for a grilled or roasted chicken sandwich. Load it up with fresh veggies like cucumbers, lettuce, and tomatoes for extra nutrients.

Love a sandwich? Swap out that roast beef on white bread for a lighter version of turkey or chicken breast on whole-grain bread instead.

Article from the StayWell Company, LLCHealthy Sandwich