Wellness – Page 51

Increase Water Intake for Brain Health

Did you know your brain is composed of about 75 percent water? So one of the first rules of brain nutrition is to make sure you drink enough water to hydrate your brain. Research shows even slight dehydration can impair your brain function. Too little water in your system can cause impaired mood and concentration, headaches, and memory problems. Head off those troubles by drinking at least 84 ounces of water a day. Can you get 84 ounces of water in today?

For some variety, try this cool cucumber, lime, and mint-infused water:

Ingredients

1 cup sliced, seedless cucumber (about 1 medium cucumber), reserving 8 slices for garnish
3 limes, sliced, reserving 1 sliced lime for garnish
1 small bunch of mint, reserving 8 small sprigs for garnish
8 cups cold or room-temperature water
Ice

Directions

Wash cucumber, mint, and limes in fresh water. Place ½ cup cucumber slices (about 8 to 10 slices), 2 sliced limes, and the small bunch of mint in a pitcher. Pour 8 cups of water over the cucumber, lime, and mint. Refrigerate for four hours. To serve, pour 1 cup of water over ice in a glass. Garnish each glass with 1 cucumber slice, 1 lime slice, and 1 sprig of mint. Serves eight.

Nutrition information per serving: Serves eight; serving size is 1 cup. Each serving provides: about 4 calories, 0 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0.5 mg sodium, 1.5 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g sugar, 0.07 g fiber, 0.07 g protein.

Article and recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC

Look Away From Your Computer Screen

If you think you’ve got to bend your legs like a pretzel or sit on a yoga mat for hours to achieve mindfulness, think again. In fact, mindfulness can—and should—be practiced in the office as well as at home. After all, you spend a large chunk of your day at work.

Mindfulness can get us back to center. When we practice mindfulness at work, we think more clearly. We respond rather than react. We take events less personally. We make better decisions. Our brains slow down. We reduce our stress levels while increasing our effectiveness.

As you work today, take a short break every 2 hours to look at an object 20 feet away. Do this for at least 20 seconds. As you perform this exercise, take a deep breath, relax your shoulders, and clear your head. Following this rule not only refreshes your mind but gives your gaze a needed break from screen-work, helping to prevent eyestrain.

Article from the StayWell Company, LLC

Baked Apple Slices

Looking for a new healthy recipe for dessert? Consider baked apple slices today for a healthier dessert option!

Ingredients:

2 oranges
2 T honey
¼ t ground cinnamon
¼ t ground cloves
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1⁄2-inch slices
5 T raisins
¼ C chopped walnuts, divided
¼ C low-fat vanilla yogurt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Grate the zest of one of the oranges and set aside.
Squeeze the juice from both oranges into a small bowl. Stir the honey, cinnamon, cloves, and half the zest into the juice.
Lay half the apple slices in a glass baking dish. Scatter the raisins and 2 tablespoons of the walnuts on top.
Pour on half the juice mixture. Then top with the remaining apples and juice mixture.
Combine the rest of the walnuts and orange zest and scatter over the top.
Cover lightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until the apples are soft and juices are bubbly.
Serve warm or cold topped with a dollop of yogurt.

Serves 4. Amount per serving: Calories 220, total fat 5 g, saturated fat 0.5 g, cholesterol 0 mg, sodium 10 mg, carbohydrates 44 g, fiber 4 g, protein 3 g

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC

Give your bedroom a sleep-friendly makeover

If you aren’t sleeping well, it may be time to give your bedroom a makeover!

Here are some tips to help you create an ideal dreamland environment:

Your bedroom should be your sanctuary for sleep—not a satellite office or entertainment center. So move the TV and computer to another room.
To help keep light out, pick drapes or shades that have a lining.
If you’re a light sleeper, add a few area rugs to help absorb noise. Or try covering noise by flipping on a fan. A fan also can help keep your room slightly cool, which may induce sleep.
Keep your alarm clock turned away from your bed so you aren’t tempted to watch the time while you try to doze off.
Place a notebook on your nightstand to jot down any problems to tackle tomorrow so you can get them off your mind.

Choose one of the following tips to try out today!

Article from the StayWell Company, LLC

Well Wisconsin Webinar – Life Hacks for Greater Health and Well-Being

Do you take an all or nothing approach to healthy living? Join us to learn how quick and easy changes can have substantial impacts on your emotional and physical health and well-being. We will learn about:

Building habits
Making your life easier
Ways to support your well-being

Date: Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Time: 12:00 to 12:30 p.m.

Location: Cofrin Library, 7th floor, room 735

No need to RSVP – just mark your calendar to join us, and bring your lunch!

You could also participate in this webinar at your workstation if you prefer – please visit wellwisconsin.staywell.com and go to Wellness Webinars to register.

All webinars are recorded and available to Well Wisconsin Program participants on the StayWell wellness portal after the event date.

To access the StayWell wellness portal, you must be an employee, retiree, or spouse enrolled in the State of Wisconsin or Wisconsin Public Employers Group Health Insurance Programs.

Parents – Keep in Shape!

What’s a healthy habit that will make you, and if you have children, feel and look better? Exercise!

Being active can prevent medical problems such as heart disease and diabetes. So, try to exercise most days of the week. Most adults should aim for a total of two and a half hours of moderate physical activity a week. Kids need at least an hour a day.

Here are some activities you can do, with or without children to make exercise part of your daily routine today:

Listen to your favorite music and dance or jump rope to the beat.
Follow an exercise program on television daily.
Do household chores together to music. Sweep and mop the floor, vacuum the carpet, or wash the windows.
Count and see how long you and your child can stretch out and strengthen your muscles. Your child should not hold the stretch for more than 30 seconds.
Do sit-ups, pull-ups, push-ups, and jumping jacks. But be sure to warm your muscles up first with light activity or movement.
Walk at a fast pace up and down an apartment hallway.

Always make sure that a child won’t get hurt when you exercise. For example, remove throw rugs or other tripping hazards when you work out at home.

Start slowly and build up your activity level gradually. Choose exercises that will make you sweat and breathe hard. But don’t overdo it. You should be able to talk when you are exercising.

Remember to drink plenty of fluids before and after you exercise. And have fun keeping in shape!

Article from the StayWell Company, LLC

Blueberry Banana Smoothie

Ingredients

1 frozen ripe banana
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup skim milk

Directions

Bananas that are getting past ripe work perfectly in smoothies. Peel them, wrap them in plastic, and freeze them. Later, cut the banana into pieces. Put ingredients into blender and puree till smooth. Pour into 2 glasses.

Serves 2; Each serving contains about 122 calories, 5 g protein, 0 g fat, 24 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, and 63 mg sodium.

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC

Baked Pork Chops

Pork dishes can provide you with a tasty alternative to beef or chicken. Easily paired with rice or potatoes, pork can be a quick and enjoyable dinner option.

Ingredients:

1 egg white
1 cup evaporated skim milk
6 lean center-cut pork chops, ½-inch thick
¾ cup cornflake crumbs
¼ cup fine dry bread crumbs
4 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. oregano
¾ tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. black pepper
⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper
⅛ tsp. dry mustard
½ tsp. salt
Nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

Mix egg white with evaporated skim milk. Soak pork chops in milk mixture for five minutes. Meanwhile, combine cornflake crumbs, bread crumbs, paprika, oregano, chili powder, garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, dry mustard, and salt in a bowl. Thoroughly coat pork chops with the breading.

Spray nonstick cooking spray on a large baking pan and spread out pork chops evenly. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Then turn pork chops over and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until no pink remains (internal temperature should reach 160 degrees). Serves six.

PER SERVING: Calories–216, fat–8 g, saturated fat–3 g, cholesterol–62 mg, sodium–346 mg, carbohydrates–10 g, fiber–1 g, protein–25 g

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC