Listen Up: Fitbit’s New Curated Music Playlists Have Arrived

Ever notice how a new album from your favorite artist can get you stoked to work out? Us, too—music can have that effect on you. That’s why, with help from our music partners, Deezer, Pandora, and Spotify, Fitbit is bringing your health and fitness experience to new volumes with curated music playlists.

Yes, you heard that right—ranging from consistently paced music for a longer run, to faster tempo tunes for HIIT, and slower paced jams for recovery or yoga, you’ll have access to different playlists of curated music for different types of activity.

Keep reading to learn all about the new playlists and start reaching your health and fitness goals to the beat of your own drum.

What are Fitbit’s curated music playlists?

We know that playlists aren’t ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to workouts. So, together we created five playlists each for Deezer, Pandora, and Spotify.* All playlists use beats per minute (BPM) ranges to keep you motivated with the music for different types of activity. 

Here are a few examples of some of the playlists you’ll find on the music services:

1. AZM Workout (builds BPM over time): This playlist builds intensity over time to help you hit your AZM goal.
2. Chill Beats (60-100 BPM): Chill, steady songs ideal for yoga or mat classes.
3. Find your pace (BPM: 115-120): Ideal for long runs, bike, walking.
4. Sync Your Stride (130-145): Ideal for syncing your pace with the rhythm when spinning, or even during power yoga.
5. Take It to the Max (150-170): High-intensity music for when you need that extra push. Use it for sprint workouts or HIIT classes.

How do I access the playlists from my Fitbit device?

Ready to face the music? It’s simple—access the playlists from your Fitbit device by heading to the App Gallery in the Fitbit mobile app to download Deezer, Pandora, or Spotify. You can even access the playlists on the go, from your phone to your car or your smartspeaker, get your jam sessions wherever you are.

Premium subscriptions are required for the use of the music services and through Fitbit, you’ll get access to free trials for each Deezer, Pandora, and Spotify. Plus, get a free 6-month trial of Fitbit Premium with Fitbit Sense—discover patterns and insights from your Fitbit data and get personalized guidance to reveal a healthier, stronger you. Read more about what’s included in your Fitbit Premium membership here. 

After you’ve downloaded the app to your device, connecting your accounts and accessing the curated playlists is easy. Here’s the breakdown:

Deezer

• Connect your Deezer account to Fitbit by opening the Deezer app on your device and entering the activation code shown to www.fitbit.com/deezer.
• Once connected, you can head to the Media settings in the Fitbit mobile app to add the Deezer curated playlists or your favorited playlists from your account. Take these playlists offline and phone-free with the on-device app.
• Access the curated playlists on other devices by viewing the Fitbit profile on Deezer.
• Compatible Fitbit devices include Fitbit Ionic, Versa, Versa 2, Versa 3, and Sense.
• Deezer is available globally.

Pandora

• Connect your Pandora account to Fitbit by going to the Media tile within the Fitbit mobile app and logging in to your Pandora account.
• Once connected, you can head to the Media settings in the Fitbit mobile app to add popular Workout stations from Pandora or auto-sync your top Pandora stations. Take these playlists offline and phone-free with the on-device app.
• Compatible Fitbit devices include the Fitbit Ionic, Versa, Versa 2, Versa 3, and Sense.
• Access the curated stations on other devices by searching for Fitbit in playlists.
• Pandora is available in the US only. 

Spotify

• Connect your Spotify account to Fitbit by going to the Media tile within the Fitbit mobile app and logging in to your Spotify account by clicking on Settings.
• Use “Spotify – Connect & Control” app to control your music from your wrist. Your phone must be nearby to use.
• Compatible Fitbit devices include: Charge 4, Ionic, Versa, Versa 2, Versa Lite, Versa 3 and Sense.
• Access the curated playlists by viewing the Fitbit profile on Spotify.
• Spotify is available globally.

It’s no secret that music is one of our best motivational tools, so plug in, focus up, and get started today.

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* Pandora is US only. Deezer and Spotify are worldwide.

The post Listen Up: Fitbit’s New Curated Music Playlists Have Arrived appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/fitbit-curated-music-playlists/

Healthy Recipe: Kid-Friendly Chicken & Cheese Crispy Tacos with a Stewed Salsa

Recipe by Leandra Rouse | Photo by Samantha Emmons 

These tacos use wholesome ingredients, less oil, and are pleasing to even the pickiest of kids. Not to mention, the stewed salsa is a real crowd pleaser! They’re also great to make in bulk and freeze for a simple, last-minute dinner. 

INGREDIENTS: 

1 lb (500 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs 

1 teaspoon salt 

2 tablespoons canola oil 

2 tablespoons taco seasoning 

¼ cup white onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 can (15 oz/470 g) diced tomatoes

2 cups water

10 corn tortillas

¾ cup (3 oz/90 g) Monteray jack cheese, shredded 

1 cup (8 oz/250 g) low-fat, plain Greek yogurt

1 avocado, sliced 

INSTRUCTIONS: 

To make the filling, season the chicken with salt. In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, warm  1 tablespoon of the canola oil. Add the chicken thighs and sear until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Add the taco seasoning, onion, and garlic. Saute until fragrant, approximately 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes and 2 cups of water. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken pulls apart for approximately 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the chicken, shred, and set aside. 

Continue to simmer the remaining sauce over low heat. Once the sauce has reduced to half, pour into a bowl and reserve as “salsa”. 

To assemble your tacos, warm tortillas in a pan. Fill each tortilla with a tablespoon of shredded chicken and a tablespoon of cheese and fold in half. Gently press down—no need to completely seal each tortilla, but this will make them easier for little hands and mouths to grasp. 

Heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. When the oil gets hot, add your folded tacos to the pan. Place a smaller, heavy pan (ideally cast iron) on top of the tacos and cook for 2 minutes (you can press down hard with a spatula if you don’t have a cast iron pan). Carefully remove the top pan, flip tacos, and repeat on the other side.

Serve your crispy tacos with the tomato “salsa”, a dollop of Greek yogurt, and a slice of avocado.

Makes 10 tacos. 

NUTRITION FACTS (PER SERVING): 

Calories 210

Protein 15 g

Total fat 10 g

Saturated fat 3 g 

Cholesterol 50 mg

Carbs 15 g

Fiber 3 g

Total sugars 2 g

Added sugars 0 g

Sodium 430 mg

Powered by ESHA Nutrient Data, © 2021 ESHA Research, Inc. 

The post Healthy Recipe: Kid-Friendly Chicken & Cheese Crispy Tacos with a Stewed Salsa appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/kid-friendly-tacos/

Healthy Recipe: Spring Farro Risotto

The trick to sounder sleep may begin long before you hit the hay. Why? According to a 2020 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study, the type of carbohydrates you eat by day influence how quickly you conk out at night. After tracking the diets of more than 50,000 postmenopausal women for three years, researchers found that those who ate the most refined grains and added sugars were more likely to battle insomnia than those who consumed more whole grains, fiber, and vegetables. (The study authors aren’t sure exactly why, but they suspect refined grains and added sugars cause insulin spikes that mess with the quality of your Zzz’s.) 

If you’d like to drift off more quickly, try this tasty whole-grain farro for a slowly-digested meal that will help to lull you into dreamland.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped

1¼ cups (225 g) farro

½ cup (4 oz/118 ml) dry white wine

4 cups (32 oz/1 l) low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

½ pound (8 oz/250 g) asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

3 oz (90 g) soft goat cheese, crumbled

Juice of 1 lemon 

Zest of 1 lemon

1 cup (5 oz/155 g) frozen peas, thawed

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped, plus extra for garnish

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onion and sauté until it begins to soften slightly, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in farro and cook for 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Whisk in white wine and cook for an additional minute or two, or until wine has evaporated. Pour in the broth and bring to a bubble. Cook uncovered for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add asparagus and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until just tender (if the farro has soaked up most of the cooking liquid, add a few extra tablespoons of water). Remove pot from heat. Fold in goat cheese, lemon juice and zest, peas, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Top with additional thyme if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

NUTRITION FACTS (PER SERVING): 

Calories 416

Protein 19 g

Total fat 11 g

Saturated fat 4 g

Cholesterol 10 mg

Carbs 59 g

Fiber 10 g

Total sugars 8 g 

Added sugars 0 g

Sodium 214 mg

Powered by ESHA Nutrient Data, © 2021 ESHA Research, Inc. 

The post Healthy Recipe: Spring Farro Risotto appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/spring-farro-risotto-recipe/

Plan on Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine? It’s Crucial to Rest Up—Here’s Why

While you might be aware that March is National Sleep Awareness month and filling up your sleep tank is something you try to focus on as part of your overall wellness, there’s never been a more important time to prioritize sleep. Not only is sleep paramount to keeping your immune system functioning optimally, but getting good quality sleep before and after receiving a vaccination might help improve the antibody response, improving the vaccine’s efficacy.

If you’re able to and plan on getting the COVID-19 vaccine, clear your calendar for the next few days after so you can log quality sleep and give your body the rest it needs while your immune system gets to work.

“There’s something very special that happens during sleep, perhaps most precisely in slow wave sleep (the sleep stage most dominant in the first third of your sleep), that allows your immune system to optimize itself and rebuild,” says Alyssa Cairns, PhD, Head of Sleep Research, BioSerenity. Good quality sleep allows for those disease-fighting components of the body, like the protective cytokine proteins, to build and circulate, she says. “When you go to sleep, you’re allowing your body to produce more antibodies, which is important because we want to have a healthy immune response to the antigen [in this case, the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein].”

If your sleep has been a bit “off” since last March when the coronavirus gained footing in the U.S., you’re not alone. While Fitbit data shows that sleep duration is still higher than before the pandemic around the globe (as of November 2020), the American Academy of Sleep Medicine released a survey of data collected last July and found that more than 30 percent of participants reported that the quality of their sleep has been impacted by the pandemic.

To kick-start better sleep—and your immune system—this month and throughout the rest of the year, try some of these tips from Cairns.

Do a hard workout. “We know that cardiovascular exercise is really important for overall wellness, immune function, and psychiatric wellness,” says Cairns. “It also improves the continuity of sleep. If you exercise vigorously on any given day, you will sleep more consolidated. Your sleep will be heavier, with fewer awakenings, and you’ll wake up feeling restored. This is actually kind of counterintuitive, but you actually sometimes sleep a little bit less, but you sleep better and have more slow wave sleep on the days you do a hard workout,” she says. Even better? Exercise has been proven to improve immunity as well.

An easy way to tell if you’re working out hard enough? Tracking your Active Zone Minutes (AZMs) with Fitbit! AZMs are a personalized heart rate-based metric that tracks the amount of time Fitbit users spend engaging in a heart-pumping activity. The goal is to get to 150 minutes of weekly heart-pumping activity, as recommended by the World Health Organization and American Heart Association. (Learn more about AZMs here.)

Take that workout outside in the morning. When you exercise outside and social distance, it’s the most ideal way to exercise during COVID because you’re getting sunlight, even if it’s cloudy, as well as vitamin D, fresh air, and stimulation, says Cairns. 

Take advantage of the morning sun in order to improve your evening sleep, she suggests. Doing this helps your body regulate its internal clock. “It’s very important to get out and see sunlight so that natural light can program the brain to be in line with the 24-hour clock,” she says. “This helps calibrate and synchronize the internal clock in your brain to the external clock, which is the sun.” 

If your work schedule doesn’t allow you to exercise outside in the morning, spend a few minutes sitting by a sunny window in your home to help set your internal clock.

Get up after 15 minutes. If you find that you are having difficulty falling asleep and can’t break that pattern of overthinking, get out of bed after 15 minutes. “Move somewhere entirely different so that you can break that association and do something quiet and relaxing, like sitting down in a chair, and reading something calming until you start to feel sleepy again,” suggests Cairns. Don’t start scrolling or turn on the TV because light exposure can inhibit melatonin production and stimulate your brain.

Using your Fitbit tracker or smartwatch at night to monitor your sleep can give you some insights as to your sleep patterns and sleep efficiency. If you’re still struggling to fall asleep, you can also try navigating to the Fitbit app to listen to a relaxing guided meditation. You’ll be snoozing peacefully in no time after tuning in to one of Deepak Chopra’s sessions for restful sleep, available to Fitbit Premium* members through his exclusive wellness series, Mindful Method for Fitbit. (Learn more about the partnership here.) 

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Try some of the above tips this month and see if your sleep improves! Want more tips on getting better Zzz’s? Find out how to catch up on your sleep debt here.

*Check out Deepak Chopra’s Mindful Method for Fitbit, an exclusive new wellness collection featuring content across mindfulness, sleep, stress management, mental wellness, and the mind-body connection, available to Fitbit Premium members. Sign up for a 90-day free trial here. Not available in all markets where Premium is available; and available in English only.  

The post Plan on Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine? It’s Crucial to Rest Up—Here’s Why appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/prioritize-sleep-now/

4 Simple Tips to Refresh Your At-Home Workspace

It’s been a year since life as we knew it came to a halt, companies closed their offices, and employees started working from home. If we proved anything during COVID-19 it’s that when push comes to shove, we can improvise. Fast forward to today, and you may have a corner of your apartment converted to a studio, a dining table turned makeshift writing desk, or a spare bedroom transformed to an office. 

No matter how you adapted to working from home, you may want to consider refreshing your workspace to reboot your creative juices—especially if you’re feeling at all unmotivated or uninspired when you sit down to get work done. 

Afterall, your workstation is where you spend the most time creating, generating new ideas, and producing some of your best work, so why not turn it into a place of joy and inspiration? Read on to learn simple yet effective ways to rejuvenate your space that will help you reach optimal productivity every day!

Declutter and organize

Let’s be honest, we all have that junk drawer (or drawers) that we shove endless amounts of mail, paperwork, and/or notes into throughout the year. Though it’s common, it can create unnecessary stress. So, the first step to refreshing your place of work according to Lisa Kanarek, author of five books about working from home including Organize Your Home Office For Success, is to “take a close look at what you’ve accumulated throughout the year and either toss, donate, or recycle what you don’t need.” 

In addition, studies have shown that decluttering can make you feel healthier and happier. After tossing needless junk, an easy way to organize your important paperwork is by either digitizing it or investing in baskets, shelves, or filing cabinets. It’ll make it far less scary to look at and much more manageable. 

Decluttering can also help us feel more productive. “By keeping the items you use often in your home office, you’re less likely to get distracted,” says Kanarek. “Keeping clutter to a minimum also saves time. You won’t spend most of your day looking for what you need when you need it.”

So set up your workspace to keep the supplies that you use daily within reach and toss the rest. Each time you have to leave your home office to find something, you waste valuable time.

Switch up your surroundings

Changing up your work environment can be a game changer when it comes to productivity and can welcome a new wave of energy. Investing in new decor, painting your walls, or getting a new rug are all things you can do to refresh your workspace.

If you opt to paint your walls, Kanarek suggests that when choosing a color, rather than adding samples directly to the wall, paint the samples on cardboard or foam board and hold them up in different parts of your office. “The lighting will change the look of the color and the existing color can affect the way the new colors look,” she says. And if you’re in a rental, consider adding temporary wallpaper.

Surround yourself with things you love

Whether it’s framing pictures of family and friends, putting out a memento from a favorite vacation, lighting some candles, or all of the above, being surrounded by things you love and that bring you inner peace can be a natural mood booster and motivator. Your work area should also be an abode where you let your focus and creativity flow thrive, so find what inspires you and have fun with it!

It’s also worth it to talk about house plants. Studies have proven that our little green friends help manage stress, boost concentration levels, and make us more productive in a working environment. If you don’t have room for a plant on your desk, consider a floating shelf to place a little cactus on. Even a small plant can make a big difference. 

If natural light is an issue, you might want to consider moving towards a window or change to a more well-lit room. If not for your plants, then for yourself. Natural lighting is just as important to your work performance and your well-being. 

Seek comfort

If there’s one thing you shouldn’t sacrifice when it comes to your workstation, it’s comfort. If your chair is giving you back pain or your desk isn’t big enough to fit your planner and computer at the same time, then upgrading is worth it.

“Sit down and decide whether your chair is meeting your needs,” says Kanarek. “An adjustable chair with back support is ideal. You don’t need to spend a fortune to own a chair that will keep you from suffering from back pain.” If you’re tired of sitting all day, check out standing desks or add an adjustable laptop stand to give you the option of sitting or standing while working. 

Setting yourself up for success starts with the environment you’re working in. Whether it’s a whole room or a makeshift area of your apartment, choose a weekend and invest time to make it somewhere you enjoy to be every day. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself on Monday and in the weeks ahead.

The post 4 Simple Tips to Refresh Your At-Home Workspace appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/work-from-home-refresh/

Your One Day Meal Plan Blueprint

Nutrition can seem complicated at times. Particularly when you know there are certain nutrient goals you need to hit each day in order to be healthy. So, you’ll often hear nutritionists talking about trying to eat enough fiber, protein, and potassium, but not too much sugar, sodium, or saturated fat. And it’s probably at this point when your eyes start to glaze over, and you wonder if it’s even possible to get all the nutrition you need in one day? Well, yes, it is! All it takes is a little savvy meal planning (which is already done for you below!) and you can pack everything you need into three meals and two snacks. 

So, to take the guesswork out of what you should be getting on your plate, here’s a meal plan that provides around 1,800 calories and all the essential nutrients you need each day.   

Nutrients Missing From the Average American Diet 

The most recent dietary guidelines suggest people aren’t eating enough veggies, fruit, whole grains, seafood, or dairy. And are eating too many foods high in saturated fats, added sugars, and sodium (aka processed foods). No surprises there!

To dig into the details, specific nutrients that are lacking in current eating patterns include: 

Vitamin D. Good sources include fortified dairy products, eggs, salmon, and mushrooms that have been exposed to sunlight. 

Calcium. Good sources include milk, yogurt, and cheese, fortified non-dairy milks like soy and almond milk, fish with edible soft bones. 

Iron. Women aren’t getting enough iron. Good sources include iron-fortified breakfast cereals, pumpkin seeds, tofu, oysters, white beans, red meat, and spinach.

Potassium. Good sources include potatoes, beets, green leafy vegetables, white beans, plain yogurt, sweet potatoes, salmon, edamame, and bananas.

Fiber. Good sources include beans, lentils, vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.

The meal plan below includes all these missing nutrients, plus more. Let’s dig in!

Breakfast: Superfood Banana Berry Smoothie 

Homemade smoothies are an easy way to get your day off to a great start, and can pack in tons of nutrients like vitamin C, fiber, protein, probiotics, and potassium. In your morning meal you’re aiming to include a serving of fruit or veggies, some healthy carbs, and a good dose of protein (Think: Greek yogurt, milk, nuts, or seeds) to keep your hunger at bay for a few hours. 

Save time for busy mornings by prepping your smoothie ingredients the night before: measuring out your fruit ingredients and placing them in the freezer overnight. That way, you can blend and go in the morning!

INGREDIENTS:

¼ cup fresh blueberries

¼ cup sliced strawberries

½ banana (fresh or frozen)

¼ cup rolled oats

1 cup (8 oz/250 g) low-fat plain Greek yogurt

½ cup unsweetened coconut water

½ cup ice cubes

Add ingredients to a blender and combine. Makes 1 serving. 

Nutrition facts (per serving): 350 calories, 6 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 110 mg sodium, 49 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 26 g total sugars, 0 g added sugars, 27 g protein, 291 mg calcium, 1 mg iron, 886 mg potassium

Tip: If you are vegan or dairy free, here are other ways to add protein to your smoothie.

Mid-Morning: Antioxidant and Calcium Boost

Reaching for a morning pick-me-up like a tall skinny latte can provide you with a boost of antioxidants from the caffeine, plus protein, potassium, and calcium from the nonfat milk. 

Nutrition facts (per serving): 102 calories, 0 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 7 mg cholesterol, 125 mg sodium, 15 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 14 g total sugars, 0 g added sugars, 10 g protein, 347 mg calcium, 0 mg iron, 507 mg potassium

Lunch: Nutrient-Packed Salad 

If you’re looking for a way to overload on nutrients, salads are hard to beat! Using dark greens like kale or spinach as your base helps you load up on nutrients like vitamins A, K, and C! Add extra veggies for even more nutrients, flavor, and color, a sprinkling of healthy whole grains like quinoa, and about 3 to 4 ounces of lean protein. Top with a small amount of healthy fats like nuts or avocado, which will provide vitamin E, fiber, magnesium, and folate. Bonus: Some nuts like walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids. Be careful not to add too many extra toppings like bacon bits, croutons, or creamy dressings, which can sneak in too many calories.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups kale or spinach 

½ cup cherry tomatoes

1 cup cooked quinoa, brown rice, or whole-wheat couscous

3 oz (90 g) lean protein like chicken, salmon, or 1 cup of cooked beans

2 tablespoons walnuts or ½ avocado, sliced 

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Salt and black pepper

Combine ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Makes 1 serving.

Nutrition facts (per serving): 500 calories, 17 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 85 mg cholesterol, 460 mg sodium, 50 g carbs, 8 g fiber, 7 g total sugars, 0 g added sugars, 39 g protein, 1,112 mg calcium, 4 mg iron, 1,056 mg potassium

Snack: Make it Satisfying 

Your mid-afternoon snack should give you an energy boost and contain enough protein or fiber to fill you up until dinner. Aim for less than 250 calories and at least 5 grams of fiber and/or 10 grams of protein. 

Suggested serving:

2 cups petite carrots or sliced bell pepper

2 tablespoons hummus 

1 (20g) mozzarella cheese stick

Makes 1 serving.

Nutrition facts (per serving): 200 calories, 7 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 400 mg sodium, 26 carbs, 6 g fiber, 11 g total sugars, 0 g added sugars, 9 g protein, 223 mg calcium, 1 mg iron, 810 mg potassium

Pre-Dinner: Light Nibbles

Feeling adventurous? Make your own kale chips! Place fresh kale on a baking sheet, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and a dash of sea salt, and bake at 300˚F (150˚C) for about 20 minutes or until crisp. Store in an airtight container and you can nibble on a low-cal snack as you prepare dinner.

Nutrition facts (per serving): 60 calories, 5 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 10 mg sodium, 3 carbs, 1 g fiber, 1 g total sugars, 0 g added sugars, 1 g protein, 48 mg calcium, 1 mg iron, 157 mg potassium

Dinner: Balance Your Plate 

Keep dinner simple, light, and balanced by filling half your plate with veggies, a quarter with protein, and a quarter with healthy fiber-rich carbs. Loading up on veggies will keep the calories in check, and at the same time fill up on fiber and nutrients like potassium, vitamins A and C, and folate.

Try this Crispy Salmon with Fingerling Potatoes & Asparagus. It packs in tons of protein, omega-3’s and other healthy fats, and potassium, along with fiber-rich healthy carbs. Makes 4 servings. 

Nutrition facts (per serving): 430 calories, 24 g total fat, 4 g saturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol, 120 mg sodium, 26 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 3 g total sugars, 0 g added sugars, 29 g protein, 80 mg calcium, 3 mg iron, 1,278 mg potassium

You can find more quick, easy, and healthy dinner ideas here. 

Dessert? Yes, Please! 

End your day with a couple of squares (about 1 ounce) of dark chocolate, or a piece of fresh fruit. Chocolate contains antioxidants, fiber, magnesium, iron, and zinc. 

Nutrition facts (per serving): 170 calories, 12 g total fat, 7 g saturated fat, 1 mg cholesterol, 6 mg sodium, 13 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 7 g total sugars, 7 g added sugars, 2 g protein, 21 mg calcium, 3 mg iron, 203 mg potassium

TOTAL DAILY NUTRITION FACTS: 

Calories 1,810           

Protein 117 g (25 percent total calories)

Total fat 72 g (35 percent total calories)

Saturated fat 19 g (9 percent total calories)

Cholesterol 195 mg 

Carbs 182 g (40 percent total calories)

Fiber 28 g

Total sugars 69 g

Added sugars 7 g

Sodium 1,240 mg

Vitamin D 3 µg

Calcium 1,121 mg

Iron 14 mg

Potassium 4,897 mg

And Finally, Don’t Forget to Hydrate and Get Some Sunshine

Although water isn’t a nutrient, it helps to facilitate many essential processes throughout the body. Aim to drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water (a total of 64 ounces) throughout the day. You’ll need more if you’re exercising or sweating a lot. And try to go for a walk to top up your levels of the “sunshine” vitamin D. Generally, getting about 10 to 15 minutes of sun on your arms and legs a few times a week is enough to give you nearly all the vitamin D you need. If that’s just not possible, you might consider speaking to your doctor about prescribing a vitamin D supplement to help give your levels a boost.  

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Author: Lindsey Sherman-Bennie is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Health Coach at Fitbit. She has a Master’s Degree in Health Promotion and has been a practicing Dietitian for 12 years. In her free time, you can find her at the ice rink where her two children skate competitively or spinning on her bike.

The post Your One Day Meal Plan Blueprint appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/your-one-day-meal-plan-blueprint/

Healthy Recipe: Kid-Friendly Sushi Hand Rolls with Brown Rice (Plus, Two Dipping Sauces)

Recipe by Leandra Rouse | Photo by Samantha Emmons 

The key to successful kid-friendly dishes is to empower their little helping hands and sense of choice. Sushi hand rolls are a great way to “sneak in” the exotic, while still satisfying bellies with familiar favorites. This recipe is a non-traditional approach to “sushi”, focusing on kid flavors, such as fish and mild veggies. 

Feel free to experiment by adding in ingredients you know your kiddo loves, because everything is yummy when wrapped in nori and dipped! Nori is the Japanese word for an edible seaweed that has been dried and pressed into sheets. Not only is it crisp and delicious, but it also contains a broad range of nutrients not commonly found in a standard American diet. 

(Of course, you’ll want to have kids wash their hands beforehand, and if they are having friends join in on the fun, be sure any allergies are taken into consideration.) 

INGREDIENTS: 

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

4 cups short-grain brown rice, cooked

5 sheets nori

1¼ lb (20 oz/625 g) smoked salmon

1 avocado, sliced 

1 cucumber, deseeded and julienned

4 spring onions, finely sliced

1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced into ribbons 

½ red bell pepper, finely sliced 

Other optional kid-friendly ingredients to consider: 

Seaweed salad, furikake, baked tofu spears, pineapple or mango slices, cream cheese, sashimi, omelette-style egg slices, sesame seed sprinkle, etc.  

INSTRUCTIONS: 

Stir rice wine vinegar into warm cooked rice. 

Slice and lay out all your filling ingredients on a large serving platter easy to place in the middle of a table where everyone can reach. Cut each nori sheet in half, so that you have 10 rectangle nori sheets. 

To make the handrolls, begin by gathering everyone around the table and give each person a nori. It works well to let little hands simply create their own nori “burritos”. No technique required! 

However, for “proper” hand roll technique you may follow these directions. 

Set up a piece of nori, shiny side down, with a short edge closest to you. Spread a tablespoon of rice on the nori sheet, leaving the bottom right corner and top half of the sheet free of rice. Flatten the rice slightly. Top the rice with your desired fillings, angled so they point towards the bottom left corner. Fold the bottom right corner of the nori over the filling and then continue rolling the nori tightly around the filling until it forms a cone shape. To seal your hand roll, dip your finger in a small bowl of water and dampen the remaining flap with a little water. Press against the roll to seal. 

Get creative with your filling combinations. Dip into the dipping sauces (see ingredients below) and enjoy! Share your best flavor ideas between bites.

Makes 10 handrolls. 

NUTRITION FACTS (PER SERVING): 

Calories 200

Protein 14 g

Total fat 5 g

Saturated fat 1 g

Cholesterol 15 mg

Carbs 24 g

Fiber 3 g

Total sugars 1 g

Added sugars 0 g

Sodium 550 mg

For the Soy Ginger Dipping Sauce

½ cup low-sodium soy sauce 

Juice of ½ a lemon

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon grated ginger

For the Peanut Dipping Sauce 

½ cup creamy peanut butter, no added sugar or salt

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce 

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 

1 teaspoon grated ginger 

1 tablespoon honey

2–4 tablespoons warm water (for desired consistency)

Powered by ESHA Nutrient Data, © 2021 ESHA Research, Inc. 

The post Healthy Recipe: Kid-Friendly Sushi Hand Rolls with Brown Rice (Plus, Two Dipping Sauces) appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/build-your-own-sushi/

New Update: Get More with Charge 4

Starting on March 22, Fitbit Charge 4 gets more with an exciting new update! Fitbit users with this device can now update their device to uncover important info about their physical wellbeing, which includes SpO2 tracking on wrist and the addition of SpO2 levels and skin temperature variation tracking to the Health Metrics dashboard. 

Keep reading to discover more about this exciting update that will help you take your wellness journey to the next level.

What’s New on Charge 4?

SpO2 on wrist and the Today dashboard. Our bodies distribute oxygenated blood to every part of our body—and SpO2 is the level of oxygen in your blood. By wearing your Charge 4 to bed each night you can see your average SpO2 on wrist each morning and also see your 7-day trends in the Health Metrics Dashboard in the Fitbit app. Read about SpO2 tracking with Fitbit to find out why it’s important. 

Skin temperature tracking. Charge 4 can now help you discover when there are changes in your skin temperature by tracking your skin temperature variability.  Understanding your skin temperature variations may help you identify changes to your body, such as the potential onset of a fever or ovulation. You can see 7-day trends in the Health Metrics dashboard in your Fitbit app.*  

Health Metrics dashboard. If you haven’t checked it out yet, the Health Metrics dashboard is a tool in the Fitbit app that helps you keep a closer eye on your wellbeing. The dashboard provides a free 7-day view to health metrics like heart rate variability, RHR and breathing rate, along with your oxygen saturation (SpO2), and skin temperature variation. Learn more about how the Health Metrics dashboard works. 

So don’t hold off on this update—head to the Fitbit app today to update your tracker and  start tracking your SpO2 and skin temperature on Charge 4!

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* The Health Metrics dashboard and the metrics displayed in the dashboard are not available in all countries. The Health Metrics dashboard and the individual metrics in the dashboard are not intended to treat any medical condition and should not be relied on for any medical purposes. .It is intended to provide information that can help you manage your well-being. If you have any concerns about your health, please talk to a healthcare provider. If you believe you are experiencing a medical emergency, call emergency services.

Significant changes in ambient temperature may negatively impact skin temperature tracking.

The post New Update: Get More with Charge 4 appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/fitbit-charge-4-updates/

Never Lose Your Tracker Again: Fitbit Inspire 2 Coming Soon with Tile Finding Technology

Tile and Fitbit are teaming up to make sure you never lose your Fitbit Inspire 2. Rolling out over the next week, Tile’s Bluetooth finding technology is coming to Inspire 2. 

Tired of not being able to find your misplaced sleep and activity tracker? You can soon use Tile’s finding technology to keep track of it via an easy-to-use app on your phone or tablet, so that you don’t have this problem again. Keep reading to discover all the details about this helpful new feature, coming soon to both new and existing Inspire 2 users.

What is Tile, and how does it work?

Tile is a device-finding solution that connects users to their things and to a global network of finding power. Tile’s Bluetooth technology and free mobile app help people find their things nearby or far away by connecting them to Tile’s global Network of users.  It offers trackers the ability to connect via Bluetooth (BLE), allowing the user to use a smartphone app to locate those trackers on demand. Plus, Tile creates Bluetooth-enabled devices that you can easily attach to your keys or slip into your wallet. 

As a new or existing Inspire 2 user, you will be prompted to update your device software in the Fitbit app. You will then be directed to download the Tile mobile app to activate your device. 

So, how do I use it? 

To use the Tile feature, you’ll need to open the Tile mobile app and tap the “Find” button to locate your Inspire 2 device. It will start vibrating if it’s within Bluetooth range and has sufficient battery life. 

If your device is outside of Bluetooth range, no sweat—you can still find its last known location. Go to the Tile mobile app to see the last time and place it was updated on the map. 

Or, you can tap into the Tile Network to assist you in finding your device. Go to the Tile app and tap “Notify When Found.” Every phone running the Tile app can then securely and anonymously help you find your lost Inspire 2. Tile’s Network spans 195 countries and locates up to six million misplaced items every single day, drastically increasing the chances of finding your Inspire 2. 

But that’s not all: You can also use your tracker to find your misplaced phone. All you have to do is go to the Tile app on your Inspire 2, tap on “Find my phone,” and, when in range and your Inspire 2 is connected via Bluetooth to your phone, your phone will start vibrating and ringing—even in silent mode.

Note that if you want to deactivate Tile, you can do so within the Tile App. Alternatively, you can now select “clear user data” on your tracker. (This will delete all user data, including your Fitbit data.)

Built-in Tile technology can help you find your tracker so that you never miss a step: purchase your new Fitbit Inspire 2, and activate Tile on it today! 

Interested in learning more about how to use Tile on your Fitbit Inspire 2? You can read about it here.

The post Never Lose Your Tracker Again: Fitbit Inspire 2 Coming Soon with Tile Finding Technology appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/tile-inspire-2/

5 Meditations for Sleep

Is there anything that meditation can’t do? As researchers continue to study more about the different types of meditation, they keep discovering the many benefits of the practice. The one we’re most interested in these days: All the ways meditation may help you fall asleep, stay asleep, and improve the quality of sleep. Plus, unlike some pills and supplements, there’s no risk of negative side effects. 

Read on to learn how meditation can lead to better sleep, the best way to practice, and some top guided meditations to ease you into dreamland. 

Why meditate for sleep?

Meditation sets off a slew of changes in the body that is way more effective than counting sheep at promoting dozing off. For example, researchers reviewed 18 trials with 1,600 participants for a meta analysis published in 2019 in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. They discovered that, at both five months and a year after studies ended, people who practiced mindfulness meditation had sleep quality improvements on par with those seen from using other proven sleep treatments—like cognitive behavioral therapy or relaxation training.

In a small study published in JAMA Internal Medicine in 2015, adults 55 and older with moderate sleep disturbances learned either good sleep habits or mindfulness exercises like sitting meditation, mindful eating, mindful walking, and loving-kindness meditation. After six weeks, the mindfulness group showed significant improvements in insomnia and fatigue compared with the other group. Other studies also show that meditation may help with insomnia, perhaps to the same degree that medication does. 

Several factors may be at play here. First, some research suggests that meditation increases melatonin, the hormone that rises in the evening, triggering the urge to sleep. Additionally, meditation may boost the activity of theta waves in the brain. These waves promote deep relaxation, which may prompt you to nod off.

Fitbit data reflects that people all around the world have adapted to pandemic-induced lifestyle changes by meditating more and, for the most part, sleeping for longer periods. In October 2020, our research team’s review of aggregated user data revealed that meditation increased 2,900 percent globally, while sleep duration, too, is up around the globe. (The increase in both meditation and in sleep were not correlated in these Fitbit findings; both were changes in lifestyle behavior brought on by the pandemic.) Talk about turning a negative into a positive! 

Meditation also activates the parasympathetic nervous system, slowing down our breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure, explains Jami Carder, a certified Nama Shivaya meditation instructor. “These things help turn off the sympathetic nervous system, which is what controls our fight-or-flight response.” 

Add in how meditation can help decrease rumination, and it begins to become clear why meditation may be particularly powerful for stressed, anxious types. 

How to meditate for better sleep

There’s no one “best” way to meditate, no matter what your reason for practicing. Some meditation teachers advocate meditating in the morning and again in the evening. If that seems like a lot to bite off, start with just a nighttime meditation, but probably not too close to bed. For some people, meditation relieves stress but wakes them up, says world renowned meditation master Yogmata Keiko Aikawa. Clearly that’s not the goal, so aim for an evening meditation that’s about an hour or two before bedtime, then see. If you find that you are so relaxed that you fall asleep, then you might want to push back your meditation time.

There’s also no set amount of time anyone “should” meditate. “You find benefit from as little as five minutes a day, though it’s best to try and do it every day,” Carder says. “As you become more comfortable, you will likely want to do it for longer periods.” 

Sleep meditation recommendations

Guided meditations are excellent for new meditators or those who want something targeted specifically toward sleep. “It’s helpful to choose a guide who has a voice that’s soothing to you,” Carder says. “There are millions of meditations available and something for everyone.” 

Check out the below meditations we love from Fitbit Premium. To access them, simply start your 90-day free trial of Premium, then visit the Premium tab in your Fitbit app. 

Prepare for Sleep with Progressive Relaxation

In this 10-minute meditation, Deepak Chopra guides you through a body scan. After some deep breathing, you work from feet to head, going from body part to body part. For each, you hold slight tension for a few seconds, then relax that body part, feeling how other surrounding body parts then also ease. By the end, your body is limp in the best way, almost like you’re melting into your mattress.

Return to Restful Sleep

The voice in this meditation from Aura has a bit of an ASMR effect. That stands for “autonomous sensory meridian response”—it’s when something causes you to feel tingling that typically travels from your head down your neck and sometimes to your spine. 

Even if you don’t sense that, this seven-minute practice may help you fall back to sleep by repeating “I am” statements that affirm you are relaxing, letting your body take over, and returning to deep, restorative slumber.

How to Fall Asleep

“The body knows how to fall asleep. Sometimes the mind gets in the way,” says Jeff Warren of Ten Percent Happier at the opening of this meditation. To get more into your body and less in your mind, this 10-minute practice has you pretend as if you were falling asleep: You change your breathing pattern as you half-watch any images that begin to appear in your mind. 

Faking it till you make it works, and this meditation will help you let go of your thoughts and trust your body to ease into dreamland.

Sleep Is the Best Medicine

Clocking in at 17 minutes, this is a longer meditation, but it also features much less talking. A meditation teacher from Aaptiv first explains how changing the way we breathe activates the “rest and digest” part of the nervous system. Then you very, very slowly do a body scan while incorporating the deeper breathing that promotes relaxation. The gentle music that plays when the teacher isn’t talking further helps you drift off.

Equal Breathing Exercise for Sleep 

A Fitbit original, this 20-minute practice guides you through equal breathing: You inhale, hold the breath, exhale, and hold the breath, all for the same amount of time. This helps relax the mind and reduce stress so you can fall asleep. Don’t worry, you’re not holding your breath forever; you work up from four seconds to eight seconds. 

Throughout the practice, listen to your body. You likely can get to eight seconds, but if that doesn’t feel right, shorten the time periods to whatever is best for you.

Want to try out these meditations for sleep—and everything else that Premium has to offer? Sign up for your 90-day free trial here. Not available in all markets where Premium is available; and available in English only.  

The post 5 Meditations for Sleep appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/meditations-for-sleep/

Is Binge-Watching Keeping You Up at Night?

During the pandemic, binge-watching series across a variety of streaming services has become a common pastime for many people. While it may be entertaining to watch back-to-back episodes of programs that you enjoy, some research suggests that binge-watching may negatively affect sleep quality in certain people differently than simply watching long blocks of television.

So what’s the difference between binge-watching and “regular” watching of long blocks of TV? Regular-watching TV refers to watching a variety of shows over a set period of time, rather than watching episodes of the same show back-to-back. Regular-watching doesn’t typically involve the viewer becoming super-invested in what’s happening to one cast of characters, because the shows are changing. On the other hand, when you binge-watch, you’re watching several episodes in a row because you’re excited to see what happens next. 

While not all binge-watching is problematic, it may lead to sleep problems. Research has found that people who frequently binge-watched episodes were more likely to experience poorer sleep quality and daytime sleepiness than people who watched TV without binge-watching. The research also found that binge-watchers became more emotionally invested in characters and were more likely to think about plot lines and other exciting details at bedtime, rather than unwinding and falling asleep. 

“I think bingeing becomes an issue when one of two things occur,” says study author Jan Van den Bulck, PhD, DSc, professor of communication and media at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. “The first is trouble with self-control. This happens when we watch more than we want, against our better judgment… The other way [is] about cognitive arousal. That is a term that simply means our mind goes in overdrive.” Cognitive arousal is what happens when you stay awake because you are so focused on your thoughts, whether you are worrying about something, rehashing things that happened to you that day, or, in the case of binge-watching, thinking about what happened in episodes.

According to the research, those who binge-watched were more likely to experience cognitive arousal when they went to bed, which prevented them from falling asleep, leading to poorer sleep quality and daytime sleepiness. On the other hand, when people regular-watched, as opposed to bingeing, they did not experience this type of cognitive arousal, thinking about plots and characters, and they didn’t have trouble falling asleep or feeling tired the next day.  

Additional research has suggested that people who binge-watch may be more impulsive, which may make it harder to stop viewing after just an episode or two. The researchers found that being impulsive was associated with neglecting one’s duties or responsibilities, as well as loss of control. When people impulsively binge-watch TV, it may be at the expense of other things, such as going to sleep at bedtime. 

Your bingeing tendency may be influenced by the time of day. “Let’s say it is a work night and you wanted to watch one, maximum two, episodes of your favorite show,” Van den Bulck says. “Late at night, our levels of self-control are at their lowest. Imagine really enjoying a show, really being hooked by the cliffhanger—did my favorite character die, or didn’t she?—and then getting four seconds to make up your mind about going to bed before your streaming service takes you to an exciting new episode, with a new cliffhanger at the end. That is how we get sucked into a binge.”

Essentially, the two main reasons why binge-watching impacts sleep include that lowered sense of self-control, which encourages people to watch for longer than they may have wanted to, and the other is the increased cognitive arousal, making them lie awake thinking about what will happen next (especially if the episode ended on a cliffhanger!). 

Of course, there’s a lovely sense of escapism that comes with being transported into the worlds of our favorite characters. And there’s nothing wrong with giving in to that occasionally—as long as it’s not negatively impacting your sleep on a regular basis. If binge-watching is negatively impacting your sleep, you may want to rethink your viewing habits. Try these ideas:

Shift the timing of your binges. Move your TV watching earlier in the day. You may be less likely to stop after a predetermined number of episodes. You’ll also have more time to think about plot lines during the afternoon and evening, rather than while lying in bed.

“You may think that watching a show is relaxing, but if it is too scary or too distracting, you may not get what you want, and that may end up negatively affecting your sleep,” Van den Bulck says.

Exercise while bingeing. Walk on your treadmill or ride a stationary bike while watching binge-worthy series. The exercise may help you feel tired at bedtime, and you may stop after an episode or two, if you only watch while working out.

“Two years ago, I bought a good indoor rower and told myself I am allowed to watch whatever I want when I am on that machine, and it has helped me to row every day for 45 minutes with no feelings of guilt and no boredom,” Van den Bulck says. “The cliffhangers work to my advantage: it makes me want to row more the next day.”

Watch in small bites. If you don’t have a goal in mind before watching, you may view more episodes than you want.

“This is a lot like the people who take a big bag of potato chips but tell themselves they’ll only eat a tiny amount,” Van den Bulck says. “Any challenge to your self-control means you eat the whole bag. The same happens with binge-viewing and self-control.”

Decide ahead of time on a finite number of episodes per day. Keep track, and walk away when you reach your limit.

Find a satisfying stopping point. Sometimes, you can’t help but watch another episode to find out what happens. If you give in, stop as soon as your curiosity has been satisfied.

“There is no moral obligation to watch a TV show from beginning to end, so if you want to find out whether your hero really died at the end of an episode, watch the beginning of the next episode,” Van den Bulck says. “There is always a quiet moment where the hero travels, or where two detectives chat about their divorce, or whatever. That is a good point to stop, and avoid the next cliffhanger. You can watch more tomorrow without giving anything important up right now.”

The post Is Binge-Watching Keeping You Up at Night? appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/binge-watching-sleep/

7 Must-Do Movements When You’re Pregnant (and One to Avoid)

Staying active while pregnant is one of the best things you can do to support your health and the health of your baby. “Most women benefit from physical activity during pregnancy, though a few changes may need to be made to accommodate anatomical changes, physiological changes, and any medical concerns that may arise through the course of pregnancy,” says Aimee Nicotera, an ACSM-certified exercise physiologist and AFAA- and ACE-certified group fitness instructor. 

Think about exercise during pregnancy as training to gain the strength for motherhood, suggests Farel Hruska, a pre- and postnatal fitness specialist and director of education and culture at Chuze Fitness. “The movements that are important to do during pregnancy are ones that are helpful to postural alignment and will help a woman practice for motherhood.” 

Consider including some (or all) of the exercises below in your prenatal workout program. Listen to your body as you perform these, and only do what feels right. Also always consult your healthcare provider before engaging in physical activity.

Rows

Why do them: Building upper back strength helps with posture. This matters because the weight of a growing belly can cause arching in the low back and rounding in the upper back. And all of that can cause pain. 

How to: Anchor a resistance band at chest height. (You can also sit up tall with your legs extended and a resistance band looped around the bottoms of your feet.) Facing the anchor, hold one end of the band in each hand with arms straight. There should be some tension in the band. With control, draw your arms back, bending your elbows close to your sides. Finish the movement by squeezing the shoulder blades together. With control, return to the starting position.

Hay Balers

Why do them: Rotational movements strengthen the core and translate to everyday life when you twist to reach or lift objects—and babies!

How to: Stand with feet slightly wider than hip width, holding a weight (dumbbell, kettlebell, or medicine ball) in both hands. Squat down and twist your torso toward your right foot. As you press back up to standing, rotate the weight diagonally across your body and up above your left shoulder. Do all reps on one side, then rotate in the opposite direction.

Cat-Cows

Why do them: Cat-cows are an excellent way to train the core and also help relieve and minimize back pain.

How to: Come to all fours with knees under hips and hands under shoulder joints. Inhale, then, on an exhale, round your back while tucking your pelvis and dropping your head to create a contraction in the rectus abdominus (think of an upside-down crunch). This is cat. On your exhale, return to a neutral spine, then lift your chest and tailbone upward simultaneously. This is cow. Continue to alternate between the two, only going as far as is comfortable.

Sumo Squats

Why do them: Squats of all types strengthen the lower body and help increase mobility in and around the pelvis. This helps during labor. Note that “if you have any pain in or around the pelvis, avoid deep squats,” says Juan Michelle Martin, DPT, a pelvic health physical therapist and pre- and postnatal expert. 

How to: Stand with feet wide and toes pointing diagonally outward. With control and keeping your back straight and chest up, drop down into a squat. Squeeze with your inner thighs to return to standing, squeezing the glutes at the top of the movement.

Kegels

Why do them: Many people with female anatomy have heard of kegels. These help maintain a strong pelvic floor to avoid urine leakage and incontinence. “The pressure from pregnancy can weaken the pelvic floor muscles,” Nicotera explains.

How to: Start with an empty bladder. Sit or lie down. Identify the pelvic floor muscles as those with which you stop your flow of urine mid-stream. Engage and squeeze these muscles. Hold the contraction for three to five seconds, then relax. Aim for 10 reps, three times a day, Nicotera recommends.

Planks

Why do them: The many plank variations help maintain core strength, which contributes to good posture and decreased pain. However, only do planks (especially front planks) if you can engage your core muscles. To test, come to all fours by a mirror. Try to contract your abs toward your spine. If you can visibly see the difference with your belly rising up toward your spine, try a plank and see if it feels OK to you. If you do not see your abs moving toward your spine, do not do planks.

How to: For a side plank, lie on your left side with your legs straight. Place your left elbow or hand below your shoulder. With your abs engaged, raise your hips until your body forms a straight line from your ankles to your shoulders. Hold.

Lunges

Why do them: Like squats, lunges in all directions help strengthen the lower body and increase hip mobility. They also help with stabilization since balance is involved. However, like squats, if you have any pelvic girdle pain, do not do deep lunges, Martin says.

How to: For a reverse lunge, stand with feet about hip-width apart. Step backward into a lunge with your left foot, bringing your left knee as close to the ground as is comfortable. Pause, then return to standing by pressing into your right foot. You can alternate sides or do all reps on one side and then repeat on the opposite side.

Movements to Avoid While Pregnant

“Activities or sports that involve bodily contact and could possibly put a pregnant woman at risk for abdominal trauma should be avoided,” Nicotera says. This includes things like skiing, horseback riding, scuba diving, and any contact sports. Also be cautious during anything that requires balance. “The hormone relaxin is produced during pregnancy and allows the ligaments in your body to relax and in essence become less stable,” Nicotera explains. “This is great for the pelvis during pregnancy and delivery but may cause other joints of the body to feel less stable.” 

Plus, the added weight of a baby may throw off your center of gravity and cause you to feel less coordinated, possibly increasing the risk of falls. 

Also avoid full sit-ups. “These increase intrabdominal pressure, can be uncomfortable for the mom, and can increase pressure on vena cava,” Martin explains. When this happens, you may feel dizzy or lightheaded, and it could be dangerous for the fetus. 

Plus, usually late in the third trimester, you can’t generate as much force as you could before because the rectus abdominis muscles are stretched. “If you’re pregnant and try to do a crunch, you probably won’t get very far, and you may compromise by holding your breath,” Martin says. Do other core work to keep these muscles strong.

The post 7 Must-Do Movements When You’re Pregnant (and One to Avoid) appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/must-do-movements-when-pregnant/

3 Unique Ways to Track Your Weight Loss Journey

Every health journey is unique and has its own set of challenges. When it comes to weight loss, that’s just as accurate—weight management is, after all, a deeply personal journey. 

As you build momentum along the way you will ultimately find yourself wanting to see the progress you make. That is where tracking comes in. While tracking weight using the scale method is both common and useful, there are alternatives for those who would like to try something new. It’s not just about a number on the scale, it’s about how you feel—especially when it comes to self-esteem and self-confidence. 

Additionally, researchers continue to examine the accuracy of body weight as the only criteria to define an individual’s health status. With this in mind, how does someone track progress?  Most people like to know that the work they are putting into healthy habits will have a positive outcome. So where else can you see it, if not on the scale?

The key to any successful wellness journey is to keep finding changes that work for you.  There are more ways than one to stay energized about your process while keeping up with the strides accomplished along the way. 

Here are some alternative strategies for tracking your weight loss.    

Your VO2 max. VO2 is a measurement of how well your body can process oxygen. When evaluated, it reflects the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use when you’re working out at your highest capacity. When your body is functioning efficiently, it moves oxygen throughout the body to fuel your daily activities. With this efficient transportation and use of oxygen, you are  then characterized as being fitter and better able to perform everyday tasks with ease.   

A 2013 study by the National Institute of Health revealed that when a participant has a high aerobic fitness it is related to having a lower heart rate while walking and biking. High aerobic fitness also correlates with greater participation in physical activities, which results in less weight regain. 

When the measure of VO2 max showed a significant increase, the participant’s ability to engage in physical activity improved. So did their ability to do more activities and expend more energy, leading to more calories burned. VO2 max can be used to measure your ability to do more physical activity and to show progress towards doing physical activity with more efficiency.      

Physical performance. Physical activity can be a key contributor to your weight management. Although weight loss is characterized by the loss of fat, looking at physical performance overall is a great strategy for tracking progress without using a scale. But how? Take a look at your cardio fitness score! Your cardio fitness score reflects your estimated VO2 Max—in fact it uses your VO2 Max to help measure your physical fitness improvement— and is calculated using your resting heart rate and user profile.  

As you focus on exploring ways to increase your exercise performance, you will increase your exercise intensity as well as exercise duration. When you focus on your cardio fitness score, you are working to improve your ability to do more physical activity, and at a higher level.  

Another way to track your physical performance for weight management is to increase your Active Zone Minutes. Pursuing AZMs supports your efforts to increase your exercise intensity and put forth more effort to get your heart pumping. An increase in AZMs reflects an increase in your physical activity. Tracking them will offer insight into the methods of exercise that offer the greatest impact to your workouts. AZMs also give you the opportunity to add variety to your routine while improving your fitness level and burning more calories toward weight loss.   

Using tracking methods such as your cardio fitness score and your Active Zone Minutes, gives you the opportunity to celebrate the small victories along the way. With this approach, you are choosing to focus on the impact of your physical activity efforts while also tracking your aerobic progress. 

Nutrition. Eating is our fuel and foundation as human beings. It is also one of the most unique and important aspects of any health journey. Over the years many  have been exposed to different healthy eating strategies and guidelines. As more information is uncovered about the human body and what makes it thrive, the guidelines continue to evolve. With this new information, many people have begun to develop a new relationship with food on the road to health and weight management.  

Taking the time to investigate what is in your food can increase your awareness and support more mindful decision making. Mindful eating is a strategy that opens the way for simple changes to your everyday eating habits. When mindful eating is employed, healthy eating to lose weight can be as simple as swapping ingredients in some of your favorite foods. 

Additionally, an intuitive eating program can have many benefits for improving your relationship with food in a way that is both healthy and sustainable.  

Are you someone who wants to experiment with alternative options to tracking your progress with a scale?

While it can be an essential tool for seeing changes in your body, give yourself permission to activate your creativity and explore a few new ideas for marking moments of personal success, while empowering your self-esteem and confidence at the same time.  

Ready to start your journey with a certified Fitbit health coach? Click here and get working toward your best self today.

The post 3 Unique Ways to Track Your Weight Loss Journey appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/weight-loss-without-scale/

Bedtime Snacks That Can Help You Get a Better Night’s Sleep

Generally, you don’t want to eat too much right before bed, as it can negatively impact your sleep. But if you are going to snack after dinner, there are certain foods that are better than others—including some that just might help you get more (and better quality!) sleep.

So, if you’re looking for your bedtime snack to deliver some serious sleep-boosting benefits, what, exactly, should you eat?

Let’s take a look at five snacks to incorporate into your bedtime routine that may help you get a better night’s sleep.

Almonds

Almonds are a healthy snack at any time of the day—but if you’re looking to improve your sleep, try snacking on them before bed.

“While almonds are a great source of healthy fats, fiber, antioxidants, and even protein, these tree nuts may actually contribute to a better night of sleep,” says Ashlee Van Buskirk, owner of Whole Intent, a Denver-based business that offers fitness and nutrition consulting. That’s because “almonds contain melatonin, a hormone that helps prepare your body for sleep.”

Melatonin can certainly support better sleep—but almonds have even more to contribute to a great night of rest than melatonin alone. “Almonds are also an excellent source of magnesium, offering upwards of 19 percent of your daily value in just 1 ounce,” says Van Buskirk. Multiple studies have found that adequate magnesium levels can help improve a variety of sleep-related markers, including sleep time, sleep quality, and sleep latency (how easy it is to fall asleep).

Not a fan of almonds? Not to worry; there are plenty of other nuts to snack on at bedtime that will help you catch a great night of Zzz’s.

“Other tree nuts, like walnuts, pistachios, and cashews [also] offer good amounts of melatonin and magnesium,” says Van Buskirk.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal may be a popular breakfast food, but if you’re looking to promote better sleep, oats may make an excellent bedtime snack, too. “Oats are also a well-known source of melatonin,” says Van Buskirk. 

For extra help falling asleep, try cooking your oats in milk, which is rich in calcium—a must if you want to get your best sleep. “Calcium…aids in the brain’s use of tryptophan, which is essential for the production of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin and the sleep/wake regulating chemical serotonin,” says sleep expert Dr. Kent Smith, president of the American Sleep and Breathing Academy. “Research has shown that calcium deficiency is linked to sleep disturbances, including poor or insufficient REM sleep.” Calcium also helps to lower blood pressure, which may also play a role in easing sleep disturbances.

Fatty fish

Have leftover salmon from your lunch or dinner? If so, a few mouthfuls of those leftovers could make the perfect sleep-boosting snack. “There are several nutrients in fish—specifically omega-3s and vitamins B6 and D—that may impact our sleep,” says Rima Kleiner, MS, RD at Dish on Fish. “Omega-3s and vitamin D found in fatty fish—like salmon, tuna, and sardines—may help improve sleep quality and quantity.”

“The omega-3 DHA may boost better sleep by helping stimulate the hormone melatonin, a key hormone for promoting sleepiness,” continues Kleiner. “Vitamin D may help support a healthy circadian rhythm, which helps us feel sleepy at nighttime and alert during the day. And vitamin B6 also helps aid in the production of melatonin and serotonin—both of which help promote more restful sleep.”

Bananas

Looking for a bedtime snack that’s quick and simple—but will still help you get a better night’s rest? Try grabbing a banana from your pantry.

Bananas are “rich in potassium and magnesium,” says Lisa Young, PhD, RDN, nutritionist and author of Finally Full, Finally Slim: 30 Days to Permanent Weight Loss One Portion at a Time. As mentioned, magnesium plays a vital role in improving sleep, while potassium can help alleviate any muscle cramps or tension, making it easier to relax—and easier to fall (and stay) asleep.

Chamomile tea

Not everyone likes to eat in the hours before bed. So if you fall under that umbrella, not to worry! You can still get plenty of sleep-supporting benefits with a bedtime cup of tea.

“Chamomile tea has long been associated with relaxing properties,” says Smith. That relaxation is thought to come from apigenin, a flavonoid that binds to receptors in the brain that help lower anxiety and induce sleep.

Nutrition tips to support a good night’s sleep

Want to make sure that your daily routine—and not just your bedtime snack—are helping you get your best sleep? Try following these tips:

• Keep caffeine intake to a minimum. There’s no need to nix your morning cup of coffee—but if you want to get a good night’s rest, make sure you’re keeping your caffeine intake to the AM hours. “As for caffeine…I suggest skipping it after noon,” says Young.
• Avoid alcohol. Alcohol might help you drift off to sleep—but it’s also likely to leave you tossing and turning all night. “While alcohol might make you sleepy, it can also reduce the quality of your sleep,” says Young. If you want to wake up feeling refreshed and well-rested, skip the evening drinks.
• Eat a nutrient-rich diet. While the right bedtime snack may help you get better sleep, no single food or ingredient is going to solve your sleeping issues. If you really want to support your overall sleep health, make sure to eat “a well-balanced and consistent diet rich in fruits and veggies,” says Van Buskirk. “This kind of diet will help ensure you have good amounts of essential vitamins and minerals—including those that can promote sleep.”

The post Bedtime Snacks That Can Help You Get a Better Night’s Sleep appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/bedtime-snacks/

Sleep Has Always Mattered—Now It Matters Even More

Everyone has heard that getting a good night’s sleep is important, but at the same time the pace of modern life shortchanges one’s chances of getting the recommended 8 to 9 hours of continuous sleep needed by the average adult. The simplest rules for getting the right amount of sleep include the following:

• Go to bed at the same time every night.
• Have your bedroom as quiet and dark as possible.
• Don’t engage in heavy mental activity before going to bed.
• Meditation produces a restful state that displays different brain-wave activity than sleep, but it can help you sleep better. There’s no consensus among researchers, but of course meditation has other benefits, so it is always worth trying.

There are many mysteries surrounding our need for sleep. Sleep isn’t the same as giving your brain a rest. The human brain is quite active during the night, only the activity isn’t the same as when you are awake. 

More certain is the research on sleep deprivation, some of which includes: 

If you cut sleep down to 6 hours, you will be mentally and physically normal (as if you had longer sleep) for the first 4 hours after you wake up. After that, signs of sleep deprivation like fatigue and lack of focus set in.

Your brain clears out toxins during the night, or so current research shows. If you cut your sleep short, your brain falls behind in this vital detoxification, although the exact limits are not known—it takes sleep deprivation longer than 24 hours for serious symptoms to develop.

Night workers develop unbalanced biorhythms even if they get 8 hours of sleep during the day. Evolution has designed the mind-body system to sleep at night.

There is no substitute for a good night’s sleep, and it now seems that the lifestyle disorders that plague modern society, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, are linked to low-grade inflammation going back many years before symptoms appear. The markers for inflammation increase in people who suffer from insomnia or who don’t get a full night’s sleep.

In short, the latest research underscores more and more that sleep is the mind-body’s primary biorhythm, regulating every other biorhythm. Therefore sleep matters more than ever.

There is some good news if you go through a period of shortened sleep. Dream or REM sleep can occur during a brief nap, where previously it was thought that REM sleep occurs only in nightly sleep. And even though you cannot fully compensate for lost sleep by sleeping in on the weekends, there is some benefit to catching up on your sleep.

Finally, here is a point most people do not know. Waking up with an alarm clock is detrimental. The brain transitions from deep sleep in a series of waves, each one getting closer to being fully awake. You rise up to light sleep, then back down again, several times during this process, and as you do, your brain secrets a bit more of the chemicals needed to be awake. If you cut the process short, you may tell yourself that you are awake, but in fact you aren’t.

The post Sleep Has Always Mattered—Now It Matters Even More appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/sleep-matters-even-more-deepak-chopra/