November Wellness Newsletter
 

 

Follow this Advice to Enjoy a Little Holiday Indulgence without Sacrificing Your Health Goals

 

Indulging Without Overindulging

Don't skip meals. It seems logical: Forgo lunch; leave more room for pigs in blankets at the office party later. But arriving starved may result in overeating, which is more likely to lead to mindless munching.

 

Relax. You won't gain 10 pounds. It's a misconception that you'll need to go up a pant size in January. The average person gains only about a pound during the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's.

 

Watch out for hidden caffeine. Think hot cocoa is a soothing way to end a winter's night? Hold on to your marshmallows. Chocolate, even the powdered kind, contains caffeine.

 

Beating the Blues. Make plans for January. "If you have social events coming up with people you like, you'll be upbeat about what's to come," says Alison Ratner, a clinical social worker in Atlanta. Plan a weekend getaway or an Oscar-nominated-movie marathon.

 

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5 Tips for Staying Active with Kids and Family

 

When it comes to heart health, it's important that we think not only of our own cardiovascular health but also that of future generations.

If you've got kids, of course you want to make sure they grow up fit and healthy. But you also know it's hard to juggle work, family, and physical activity. Still, setting a healthy example is a good start; research shows that parents who are physically active increase the likelihood that their kids will be active as well.

So if you're looking for ways to get your kids involved, check out these tips.

 

Plan outdoor activities

Set aside one day a weekend to do something active as a family: swimming in the summer, sledding or hiking in the winter, or biking in the spring and fall.

 

Take classes together

Ask around at fitness clubs and community centers in your area about yoga or aerobics classes offered to parents and kids together.

 

Redo your family room

Too often, family rooms are the center of laziness in a home: a comfy couch, a video-game console, a shelf full of DVDs, and nothing to encourage fitness or physical activity.

 

Make chores fun

Instead of relegating each member of the family to doing separate chores by themselves, turn chores into a game you can all do together. Race to see how fast you can get the house cleaned, and then try to beat your old time the next week.

 

Make over your meal plan

This isn't necessarily a fitness tip, but it's also worth mentioning: Families that eat healthier also tend to have other healthy habits, such as regular physical activity.

 

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Project Yoga Richmond

 

Project Yoga Richmond is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit community space whose mission is to enhance the quality of life for individuals and communities by nurturing, expanding, and unifying the greater Richmond yoga and movement arts collective through selfless service. Our areas of focus are education, outreach, and networking.  

 

For more information, please visit us on the web at  www.projectyogarichmond.org.  

 

 
Dairy-Free Pumpkin  
Bread Pudding

 

Ingredients

8 slices whole wheat bread (day-old is best)

2 cups unsweetened almond milk

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Powdered sugar (optional)

Directions

  • Cube bread and spread on baking sheet. Toast for 7-8 minutes in a preheated 350-degree oven. If you're using day-old bread, just cube the bread and move on to the next step.
  • Combine almond milk, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and pumpkin puree in mixing bowl, beat to combine.
  • Add raisins and mix to combine. Add cubed whole wheat bread and gently mix until bread cubes are covered with mixture.
  • Let sit for 10-15 minutes for mixture to soak bread.
  • Gently pour mixture into an 8x8 baking pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until brown on top and knife comes out clean.
  • Dust with powdered sugar to serve.

Serves 6-8 

Click here to read more! 


"Be happy with what you have and are, be generous with both, and you won't have to hunt for happiness."  

William E. Gladstone


8 Tips for Running Safely At Night

 

With the end of daylight savings, evening runners everywhere in the U.S. (except for Arizona and Hawaii) lose an hour of precious light. Going for a sunset jaunt becomes nearly impossible when the sun has already set by the time you walk out of the office. So fitting in a run at night now means running in the dark and that means being extra cautious about where and how you run.

If you must run in the dark or even prefer it, here are a few night road rules to live by:

 

1. Be aware.

Simply being aware can be the difference between minutes or seconds of preventing an accident. 

 

2. Run a familiar route.

Stick with the paths you've ran a million times to the point where you've memorized every tree, corner and building along it.

 

3. Carry an ID on you.

Whether it's a driver's license in your pocket or an ID bracelet, it will prove useful if first responders need to identify you and contact loved ones.

 

4. Run against traffic.

Facing traffic as you run not only provides drivers a clear view of what's ahead of them, but also gives you a visual of oncoming vehicles in case you need to make any last-minute maneuvers.

 

5. Run with a buddy or join a running group.

As cliché as it may sound, safety is truly greater in numbers. Women should especially avoid running solo after dark in poorly lit areas.

 

6. Bring a cellphone.

A phone can prove useful for utilizing special tracking apps and/or simply to call someone when you're in a pinch.

 

7. Ditch the headphones.

Or if you must listen to music, leave a single earbud in so the other ear can hear for oncoming cars, trains-and even people.

 

8. Wear reflective or brightly colored clothing.

These days there's plenty of neon, light-reflecting run apparel and shoes designed for the night-conscious runner.

 

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