Can Your Morning Coffee Improve Your Health?

Coffee has a lot going for it besides the morning caffeine kick it brings. Roasted coffee has other active ingredients like chlorogenic acids, and the diterpenes, cafestol, and kahweol, which may have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antifibrotic, and anticancer effects. But when it comes to coffee research, it’s a mixed bag.

The Perks of Drinking Coffee 

If you find that the smell of coffee brewing immediately makes your mood better, you’re not alone. Studies have shown that coffee aroma can generate positive emotions like feeling content. So it makes sense why some of us tend to drink coffee in the morning to kick-start our day. There’s strong evidence that drinking as little as one espresso to as much as four cups of coffee can lower the risk of depression. 

It’s clear that coffee is a brain stimulant, but it’s more than just that. Drinking coffee lowers the rates of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes which is attributed to chlorogenic acid (CGA)—the main antioxidant found in coffee. Recently, there has been an increased interest in CGA’s potential health benefits including anti-diabetic, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-obesity effects.

Coffee also contains diterpenes which are an antioxidant and have an anti-carcinogenic effect. Diterpenes are involved in removing harmful substances that have cancerous properties. Research suggests that there may be some beneficial associations between consumption of coffee and lower risk of certain cancers, like colorectal cancer and liver cancer, as well as conditions like liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.

Drawbacks to Coffee

Sadly, increasing your coffee consumption has its drawbacks. Too much caffeine can worsen sleeping habits which can lead to a host of other physical and mental side effects. 

There are also some conditions in which consumption of caffeine is discouraged. These conditions include: being pregnant, suffering from heartburn, or having a high risk for fractures, a sensitive digestive system, an anxiety disorder, or insomnia. 

However, if none of these apply to you and you care for coffee, you have the green light to partake. But like with most things, it’s important to listen to your body and adopt a balanced approach. Everyone responds differently to caffeine—some sleep soundly after 5 cups a day and others feel the jitters after just one cup. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans defines a moderate intake as three to five cups a day, or 400 milligrams of caffeine.

Outside of caffeine content, there are other considerations with coffee consumption. It’s rare to find someone who drinks coffee black, with no added cream, sweetener, or flavoring, and without a pastry or muffin on the side. These additions can tack on hundreds of extra calories at each coffee break.

Here are some simple tips to help you navigate your next café visit:

• Instead of a venti-sized (20 fl oz/590 ml) latte or cappuccino…ask for a tall (12 fl oz/350 ml) size (Calories saved: ~100)
• Instead of tall (12 fl oz/350 ml) full cream milk cappuccino…ask for a tall (12 fl oz/350 ml) skim (or nonfat) milk cappuccino (Calories saved: ~40)
• If you prefer low-calorie and dairy-free options…ask for a tall (12 fl oz/350 ml) almond milk cappuccino (Calories saved: ~100)
• When ordering a grande mocha with whipped cream…ask for a short (8 fl oz/240 ml) skim milk mocha (Calories saved: ~200)
• Instead of flavored, ice-blended drinks… ask for an “Iced Coffee” with skim milk and ice (Calories saved: ~200)
• When ordering a pastry, danish, or croissant…ask for the plain varieties without cream, chocolate, fruit, or cheese filling (Calories saved: ~150–200)
• When adding flavored syrups…ask for fewer pumps or the sugar-free versions (Calories saved: ~80)

The bottom line: If you’re a caffeinator, a max of three to four cups of coffee a day are more likely to bring you health benefits than harm. But, if you don’t drink that much coffee right now, it’s not necessary for you to increase your consumption as a way to improve your health (eating more veggies and fruits would provide more benefits!). Perhaps you want to learn how to make changes to your eating habits from a certified Fitbit health coach? Click here and get working toward your best self today.

The post Can Your Morning Coffee Improve Your Health? appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/coffee-improve-health/

Transform Your Walk into a Fat-Burning Workout

Walking is the most popular form of physical activity for a good reason. It’s easy to do, requires no special equipment, and it is something that comes naturally to most of us. And that’s great news since research has found by simply walking regularly, you can reduce your risk of disease and increase life expectancy. 

But the benefits of walking don’t stop there. You can transform your walking workout into one that tones muscle and burns fat with a few simple adjustments. Try heading to a local trail or park to try these out.  

Walking for fat loss

Although many people walk to improve fitness, others can walk with a goal of improving body composition by reducing excess body fat and increasing muscle mass. When combined with a healthful diet, walking can have a direct impact on body composition, especially when it comes to stubborn belly fat. 

One study that compared two groups of women found that those who combined dietary changes with walking one to two miles daily were able to shrink belly fat cells by as much as 18 percent over a four-month period whereas the women who make dietary changes without walking saw no change in their waistline. 

The reason behind this may have to do with how the body responds to consistent walking. “We burn fat during a walk, but what’s even better is that walking consistently primes our bodies to be better at using fat for fuel, meaning that we become better fat burners even at rest,” explains Lindsay Allen, MS, RDN, owner of Back in Balance Nutrition & Fitness. But as Allen points out “you can’t tone or build muscle by walking alone.” To do that, you need to take your walking routine to the next level.

Take your walking workout to the next level

Going for a brisk walk at a consistent pace certainly offers health benefits. But if you really want to maximize fat loss and tone muscles, you’ll want to step up your walking game. And to do that, you’ll want to add high intensity interval training (HIIIT) into your walking workout. “Adding in a HIIT workout to your walking routine is a wonderful way to increase metabolic burn while incorporating strength training into your workout,” explains nutrition and fitness expert Elizabeth Shaw, MS, RDN, CPT, and author of Air Fryer Cookbook For Dummies.

HIIT involves pairing short bouts of high intensity exercise with low intensity ‘rest’ periods to maximize your fitness results. “Incorporating short intervals such as HIIT and bodyweight exercises will not only speed fat loss, but also help you release growth hormone which allows us to build muscle, and stimulates fat burning,” explains Allen.

How to incorporate HIIT into your walking workout

To create an effective HIIT walking workout, you don’t need special equipment or a gym membership. You can implement an effective routine that strengthens and tones muscles while burning fat by simply using your own body weight. Whether you use the outside terrain to your benefit, such as walking briskly uphill in set intervals, or incorporate a variety of body weight workouts throughout your walk, you can achieve effective results.

“Depending on the individual’s level of fitness, I like to incorporate three to four blocks of exercises over the course of a 60 minute walking workout,” shares Shaw, whose formula for a successful HIIT workout includes a mix of bodyweight exercises such as burpees, pushups, lunges, and squats. “These are all wonderful body weight only exercises that can easily increase the intensity of a walk by boosting your heart rate,” she adds.

What does this formula look like when put into practice? Shaw recommends starting by incorporating these bodyweight exercises in three blocks of two to three exercises at eight to ten repetitions each. For example, her recommended walking HIIT workout would look like this:

Interval #1:

20 minutes of walking at a brisk pace

Stop and complete two of the following exercises: 8 burpees, 8 pushups, 8 lunges, or 8 squats

Interval #2:

20 minutes of walking at a brisk pace

Stop and complete two of the following exercises: 8 burpees, 8 pushups, 8 lunges, or 8 squats

Interval #3:

20 minutes of walking at a brisk pace

Stop and complete two of the following exercises: 8 burpees, 8 pushups, 8 lunges, or 8 squats

As your fitness level improves, Shaw recommends incorporating more reps and exercises until you work your way up to all 4 exercises every 20 minutes.

By incorporating HIIT along with body weight exercises, you can transform your standard walk into a workout that helps to tone your muscles while burning fat. But as with any exercise, always talk to your physician before starting or changing an exercise routine to make sure it is safe for you.

The post Transform Your Walk into a Fat-Burning Workout appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/transform-walk-fat-burning-workout/

This 5-Step Method Can Help You Reach Your Health Goals

“I’m going to start on Monday!” 

How many times have you heard this phrase? Have you said it to yourself or someone else? Most importantly, how often have you kept to those plans? According to a US News & World Report, 80 percent of resolutions fail within the first month.

But have you wondered why goals fail so easily? What’s the secret to making goals that actually stick? (Hint: It’s not only willpower or discipline.) 

Let’s discover how to be SMART about successful goal-setting—and how your health coach can support you through your journey.

First Mind-Opener: “Clearer goals are easier to achieve.” The first step is to understand: How could you make SMART goals that are clearer? You’ll need a generous serving of ‘specificity.’ Being specific means describing in great detail what you intend to do. This helps you to visualize what success looks like! To start off, you can write on a sticky note: “I will run around the park near my house,” which is more specific than “I will go for a run.” 

Then, carefully add one portion of measurability. For example, “I will run 3 rounds around the park near my house” is more measurable than “I will run around the park near my house.” This is also really useful when you’re checking on your progress later.

We’re now ready for the next segment—making goals that are aligned with your “why”! For lifelong changes, consider that goals need to fit around your lifestyle, not the other way around. 

Second Mind-Opener: “Clearer goals which matter to you will be easier to achieve.” This is where you add your very own spin to these goals. The following components will need to reflect your personal motivation, desire, ability, and resources. Your goals should matter most to you, not to anyone else. 

Make sure your goals are attainable—striking a balance between goals that are way too easy and goals that challenge you! If you’re starting out, having attainable goals can help you to start off on the right foot, and build on a strong foundation of success. You may need to come back occasionally and re-evaluate your goals with your health coach, in order to help you reach your full potential at a pace which is tailored to your needs. You could even work towards a “stretch” goal, something that feels just slightly out of reach, in order to realize what you’re truly capable of.

Make sure your goals are realistic, in order to achieve what truly matters to you. If your eventual goal is to run a half marathon, you’ll need to make smaller goals that work up to this bigger goal. For example, depending on your baseline fitness, you may be more comfortable with walking or a slow jog at shorter distances. But if your eventual goal were to build upper body strength, building a training plan around running is unlikely to help achieve that. And of course, there’s no harm in adding it to your exercise routine to jazz things up!

Finally, remember to set time limits onto your goal. You can make it a single instance (e.g. tonight, by 8pm) or you could repeat this step over a period of time (e.g. three times a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). Your Fitbit Health Coach can help you set up incremental, bite-sized changes that make up your action-plan for sustained changes. You can check off these goals when you accomplish them, or make adjustments along the way if necessary.

Bigger goals start from smaller goals, so enjoy the process. Being healthy should never feel like a chore, so remember to reward yourself meaningfully and never be afraid to go back to the drawing board with a fresh set of eyes if you’re feeling stuck. 

One setback doesn’t mean that you can’t get back on track, but it might be a sign to experiment with another approach that works better for you. Health coaches help you along the way to discover your why, stay accountable to your plans and anticipate ways to overcome potential barriers that may arise. Remember, you can achieve your SMART goals by exploring alternative paths to success.

Your Fitbit Health Coach is just a click away to help you stay motivated with your chosen action plans.

The post This 5-Step Method Can Help You Reach Your Health Goals appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/five-step-health-goals/

Start Your Day Right with These Make-Ahead Breakfasts

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day. You’ve heard it many times, but did you know that eating within a few hours of waking up can actually jumpstart your metabolism, as well as helping to protect you from developing diabetes and heart disease in the long term?  

Still, though, who has time? Not many of us. (According to one recent survey, most people only eat breakfast three times a week!) 

If you’d like a warm, healthy, home-cooked breakfast but can’t seem to find the time, we’ve got you covered. These tasty recipes are a breeze to prep in advance the night before—so that you can easily put together an epic morning meal any day of the week.

Smoky Sheet Pan Sweet Potato Hash

Only 1 in 10 people eat the recommended daily 2 to 3 cups of veggies. Why not get a jumpstart with this vegetable-packed hash? You’ll rack up 180 percent of your daily vitamin A and a full day’s vitamin C. 

Make it. In a medium bowl, combine 2 large, peeled sweet potatoes (cut into ½ -inch dice), 2 tablespoons avocado oil, ½ teaspoon each chili powder, smoked paprika, and cumin, plus salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a large sheet pan. Bake in a 425°F oven for 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven. 

Add 1 diced yellow bell pepper, ½ diced sweet onion, and 1 additional tablespoon of avocado oil. Toss gently and bake for 15 to 20 additional minutes. Remove from oven. 

Make ahead tip. Roast the veggies a day in advance and reheat in a 375°F oven for 15 minutes. If you’re feeling fancy, sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition facts per serving: 316 calories, 11 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 139 mg sodium, 52 g carbs, 8 g fiber, 12 g total sugars, 0 g added sugars, 4 g protein 

Spinach Goat Cheese Egg Muffins 

These make-ahead muffins are packed with protein to banish mid-morning hunger pangs. For extra staying power, serve them inside a whole-wheat pita pocket or on a whole-grain English muffin. Then simply grab and go! 

Make it. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together 12 eggs, 2 cups chopped fresh spinach, 1 cup halved grape tomatoes, ½ cup shredded goat cheese (or any kind of shredded cheese you like!), and salt and pepper. Spoon into prepared muffin tin. Bake in a 350°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

Make ahead tip. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in the microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel. Or if you’ll have more time in the AM, prep the egg mixture in the evening, refrigerate, and pour into muffin tins and bake in the morning.

Makes 12 servings.

Nutrition facts per serving: 99 calories, 7 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 190 mg cholesterol, 90 mg sodium, 2 g carbs, 0.5 g fiber, 1 g total sugars, 0 g added sugars, 8 g protein 

Overnight Lemon-Blueberry French Toast Casserole

This gooey French toast may taste decadent, but it’s jammed with fiber-rich whole grains and antioxidant-filled blueberries. Each serving also supplies 23 percent of your daily calcium.

Make it. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon unsalted butter. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups whole milk, 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese, 8 eggs, ¼ cup sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, the zest of 1 lemon, and ½ teaspoon salt. Add 1 loaf cubed crusty whole-wheat bread and 2 cups fresh blueberries. Stir gently to combine and transfer to baking dish. Bake in a 350° F oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until golden on top and firm in the center. Cover and refrigerate.  

Make ahead tip. Cut yourself a piece, heat in the microwave, and serve with additional blueberries and a light drizzle of maple syrup, if desired. 

Makes 10 servings.

Nutrition facts per serving: 267 calories, 12 g total fat, 5 g saturated fat, 167 mg cholesterol, 423 mg sodium, 30 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 13 total sugars, 5 g added sugars, 17 g protein

The post Start Your Day Right with These Make-Ahead Breakfasts appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/make-ahead-breakfasts/

Why It’s Important To Talk Honestly About Stress

For many people, the only acceptable answer to the question “How are you?” is “I’m fine!”—even if they’re completely stressed and overwhelmed. And the thought of a more honest response—like, “actually, I’m dealing with a lot of stress right now and I could use some support” can feel too scary and vulnerable.

Everyone, no matter how “together” they seem, deals with periods of intense stress. But for whatever reason, so many people think they need to keep their stress to themselves—which is not only unhealthy, but unsustainable. You can’t navigate stressful situations and get to the other side if you don’t acknowledge your stress—or, in other words, if you want to deal with your stress, you need to talk about it.

But why is talking honestly about stress so important? How can opening up about what you’re going through make it easier to deal with stress? And if you’re not used to talking about stress, how can you open up and start speaking more honestly and authentically about the stress in your life?

Why it’s important to open up about stress

You might think that not talking about or acknowledging stress will make it go away. But, as it turns out, the opposite is true—and holding stress in can not only exacerbate stressful feelings, but can also have a negative impact on your health. “Our bodies continue to hold on to the feelings and emotions we don’t release,” says California-based licensed marriage and family therapist Morgan Goulet. “Prolonged stress is particularly damaging to the body.”

For example, when you’re dealing with prolonged stress, it can put your body into a chronic state of fight, fright, or freeze—which can hinder your ability to focus and get things done. “Keeping our fight/flight/freeze constantly activated and engaged is similar to having a constant alarm going off in your house; leaving us always on edge, in fear and worry, and unable to think clearly or logically to successfully complete day-to-day tasks and responsibilities,” says Amanda Kostura, licensed independent social worker and founder of Carve Your Own Path, a mental health practice in Akron, OH.

Being unwilling or unable to talk about stress honestly can also isolate you from the people around you—and prevent you from getting the support you need to manage your feelings of overwhelm and get to a better, healthier, and less stressful place. “If we don’t let people know how we’re truly feeling then we aren’t able to get the support or help that we may need,” says Goulet.

The benefits of talking honestly about stress

Clearly, not talking honestly about stress can have some serious consequences. But opening up about the stress you experience has equally serious benefits.

Talking honestly about stress can help you get support. First, talking honestly about your stress gives the people in your life insight into how you’re doing—and lets them know that you might need some extra support.

“Talking openly about our stress, even if it’s simply telling someone we feel stressed or overwhelmed, provides a base for them to know that we are struggling and may need support or flexibility for the time being,” says Goulet.

Talking honestly about stress can strengthen your relationships. Talking more openly about the stress you’re experiencing can also help you show up in your relationships in a more authentic way—which can ultimately strengthen those relationships and bring you closer to the people in your life.

“By talking more honestly about how you’re feeling with someone you begin to deepen the relationship you have with that person,” says Goulet. “

“Sharing with the right people builds better, deeper relationships and allows others to be a support when we need it most,” says Dr. Julie Gurner, a doctor of psychology and executive performance coach in NYC. “If you’d want to be there for others, it’s important to allow others to be there for you.”

Talking honestly about stress can validate your experience—and validate the experience of others. Talking openly about stressful experiences or feelings can also make you feel less alone. When you share your stress with someone else, “they may validate, empathize or normalize your feelings, which feels good and leads to building trust” says Goulet.

And that validating experience can go both ways. “As you start to become more open and honest, that person begins to develop more trust in you and may share how they’re feeling,” says Goulet.

“Learning the language of honest communication about our emotions not only helps us heal, but validates similar experiences of others,” says Kostura.

Talking honestly can help you work through your stress—and make the changes you need to live a less stressful life. It’s impossible to deal with stress if you don’t acknowledge it. By acknowledging and talking about your stress, you can start to deal with it—and figure out what changes you need to make to alleviate that stress and start feeling better.

“Sometimes, when bottled up, people can avoid dealing with the very real impacts of stress,” says NYC-based licensed mental health counselor Kelly Keck. “Giving space to those emotions, and making them ‘real,’ can allow someone to truly start to work through that stress.”

“Calling out the stress and identifying the contributing factors might also lead to an important reflection about the state of things in [your] life,” continues Keck. “Perhaps it is time for change, or a boundary, or a mental health break…talking about it can bring light to those needs.”

How to start talking more openly about stress

Talking honestly about stress can make you a happier, healthier person. But if you’re used to acting like everything is fine (even when it isn’t!), the thought of opening up about your stress might make you feel, ironically, even more stressed out.

Luckily, you don’t have to open up to everyone about your stress if it makes you uncomfortable; you just need to be able to speak honestly with one person, at least to start. “Seek out just one person you feel safe with,” says Kostura. “Who do you feel like supports you no matter what?”

Once you’ve figured out who you feel comfortable talking to, start by sharing one stressful situation or feeling you’re dealing with—and be as open as you can about the details.

“Share something specific that you’re struggling with, that is stressing you out or overwhelming you, and ask for feedback,” says Gurner. “For example, instead of saying ‘I feel so overwhelmed,’ try saying, ‘I feel so overwhelmed trying to balance work and childcare right now…how are you managing it?’” 

When you share the specifics of what you’re going through, “instead of just getting sympathy, you’ll get empathy—and someone who might be able to give you some specific advice to help navigate it,” says Gurner.

If there’s something that person can do to help you deal with the stress, also take your conversation as an opportunity to ask for help. “Identify if there is anything someone can do to help decrease your stress,” says Goulet. “Would it be helpful for someone to pick up the kids one day, extend a deadline at work, or grab lunch with you? Ask them!” 

Once you get more comfortable talking honestly about stress with your “safe” person, you can (if you want to!) start to open up to more people in your life. And instead of keeping your stress bottled up inside (and dealing with the consequences that go along with it), share what you’re going through with the people that you love (and experiences the benefits that come from that openness).

If you don’t have anyone you feel comfortable talking honestly with about stress, you can also seek professional help; a therapist or trained mental health professional can be a great resource to listen, help you navigate your feelings of stress, and come up with solutions to help you better deal with stressful feelings and experiences.

Stress is a part of life. But speaking openly and honestly about stress is the first step towards managing it, processing it, and getting to a better (and less stressful!) place.

The post Why It’s Important To Talk Honestly About Stress appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/talk-about-stress/

More Quiet Time May Help You Become Calmer and Happier

Are there quiet lulls in your day, or do you constantly listen to one form of noise or another, from traffic sounds to music to conversation to television? If you can’t recall the last time that you could hear a pin drop, consider choosing to tune out of the usual soundtrack of your life for set periods of time.

“There’s definitely a place and a value for silence, and our opportunities for it in this world are so limited because of the noise that exists, that we don’t get to experience that value very often,” says Les Blomberg, director of the Vermont-based Noise Pollution Clearinghouse.

Over the past 100-plus years, the world has gotten progressively louder, with inventions like cars, airplanes, lawnmowers, and leaf blowers creating noise that affects everyone within earshot. Today, noise is largely a distraction, but thousands of years ago, noise served an important function.

“Loud noise was often a warning that something was wrong, whether it was a baby crying or a person screaming—it elicited a response,” Blomberg says. “Noise was one of the things that triggered our fight-or-flight response… Most of the loud noise we experience today is truly noise… yet our body still responds the [same] way.”

Too much noise isn’t healthy. Noise exposure may have negative effects on your health. One study found that older adults who live closest to airports, who are frequently exposed to the sounds of takeoffs and landings, are significantly more likely to be hospitalized for heart disease than people who live in quieter areas.

“People who experience noisy environments suffer all sorts of health problems, including increased risk of heart attacks, lost productivity, sleep loss, and hearing loss,” Blomberg says. “There have been studies linking everything from obesity to diabetes to a bunch of other health factors to noise.”

That said, there’s plenty you can do even if you live in a noisier area. If you live in one of these areas, you’ll want to be sure to prioritize integrating quiet time in your day. Here’s why it’s important. 

Spending time in a quieter environment may have mental health benefits. Hospitals often institute “quiet time” to help their patients rest, but research has shown that a quiet-time environment also helps to lower stress levels among the nurses on duty. And researchers have found that spending time in urban green spaces—which are quieter than city streets—helps people to lower stress levels.

“Birds chirping is definitely different than texts pinging and emails pinging and phones ringing and TV pundits chattering,” says Amy Saltzman, MD, a California-based holistic physician and author of A Still Quiet Place for Athletes. “The sounds in nature can actually be used to bring us back to ourselves more easily than the sounds of daily modern life.”

Find ways to embrace quiet. Quiet time allows you to be alone with your thoughts and take a break from your frazzled routine. You may feel more creative, less tense, and have better focus and attention.

Actively choosing silence over noise can be empowering, calming, and revitalizing. Choosing to look out the window while driving, rather than listening to music or talking on the phone, may help you solve a work problem or think about your relationship in a new way. Try appreciating the sound of a silent room while you prepare dinner instead of using the TV for background noise, or go for a walk in nature by yourself without listening to music or podcasts. You may enjoy the break.

“I do think that it’s really, profoundly helpful, healthy, healing for our bodies, minds, and hearts to have some true silence,” Saltzman says.

Harness your inner peace. Learning how to silence your stream of internal thoughts may provide a new level of quiet. “When I think of creating quiet, I think of that as a step beyond reducing the noise,” Blomberg says. “You create purposeful quiet.”

Mindfulness may help you shut out the chatter in your mind about the past, the future, and other unknowns. It’s preferable to have a quiet external environment, but it’s not necessary.

“It can be really helpful to be able to find our stillness and quietness inside, even when the outside is kind of chaotic,” Saltzman says. “The simplest, easiest way to begin is just to commit to sitting quietly for five minutes… and focusing your attention on the feeling of breathing.”

Practicing mindfulness regularly may help you feel that your life is more peaceful and quiet. You may also notice other benefits.

“The data actually shows that mindfulness decreases stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia,” Saltzman says. “It also increases resilience, sense of meaning, sense of purpose.”

Enjoy noise… sometimes. It’s fine to tune into noise in some situations, as long as you find ways to enjoy silence at other times. Workouts can be an ideal time to shun silence in favor of music.

“Noise gives us a shot of adrenaline which can be helpful,” Blomberg says. “As long as you don’t listen at levels that are harmful to your hearing, listen to loud music on a treadmill if you have to. But don’t live your entire life as if you are on a treadmill.”

The post More Quiet Time May Help You Become Calmer and Happier appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/quiet-time/

How to Reduce Food Waste While Getting Healthy Meals on the Table

Most of us are aware that there’s always something we could be doing to reduce waste and have a positive impact on the planet, but coming up with ideas on what those steps are may leave us scratching our heads. Luckily, there are guides with hundreds of ideas, thanks to books like The (Almost) Zero-Waste Guide: 100+ Tips for Reducing Your Waste Without Changing Your Life by Melanie Mannarino, which includes tips for being less wasteful with what you eat, how you live in your home, and in your community, plus more.

You may have heard about some people striving to achieve a “zero waste” lifestyle—they only fill up one mason jar with waste at the end of the year—but there are achievable steps the rest of us can do to make improvements, especially when it comes to our food habits. 

“The idea behind (almost) zero waste is that we can all do something,”  says Mannarino. “You don’t have to go to such extremes. There are so many small, everyday actions we can take and behaviors we can change that will make a big difference in how we treat the planet. It’s about small lifestyle shifts.” 

Here, Mannarino shares tips on how you can reduce food waste and run a greener, healthier kitchen—just in time for Earth Day on April 22 and beyond!

Eat leftovers. Seriously, make friends with the idea that if you make a big pot of black bean soup tonight, tomorrow you can strain a quarter cup and use them as quesadilla filling—and then the next night incorporate it into a grain bowl with roasted peppers and onions, Mannarino suggests. 

“Every time I open the fridge for a meal, I look at what food is already prepared and ready to be repurposed into a new dish,” she says. “I’ve been enjoying Indian-inspired salads all week, centered around the Chicken Tikka takeout I got Monday night. Toss it with some sliced cucumbers, carrots, lettuce, and toasted naan broken into bite-sized bits—topped with a little raita—and it doesn’t feel like leftovers at all, it’s a brand new meal.” Get more tips on how to freshen up leftovers here.

Avoid fresh produce going bad. Many of us buy fresh, healthy food at the grocery store with the best intentions but then get busy—or lazy—and forget about it until we try to guess the vegetable in that gnarly, mucky bag. 

Keep fresh foods visible, Mannarino suggests. “It’s a healthy-eating trick, but it’s also a zero-waste one: Put your perishable fruits and veggies on the refrigerator shelves. If those strawberries are front and center when you open the fridge door, you won’t forget about them.” (Related: Don’t wash your berries ahead of time! They’ll go bad faster. Just give them a rinse right before eating.)

“Years ago I started putting my fresh herbs in a tall glass of water and storing them in the fridge like flowers,” says Mannarino. “It keeps them fresher longer—and I haven’t had to face a slimy bag of forgotten dill since.” 

Practice portion control that’s good for the planet. When you’re watching your weight, you might be tempted to buy the single-serving bags of snacks so you are less likely to overeat. But each tiny bag creates waste. “We’re told that for portion control, single-serve packages of food are smarter,” says Mannarino. “But for zero-waste ambitions, it’s better to reduce packaging and buy in bulk.” 

It’s often cheaper to buy the bigger sizes and then portion your favorite foods yourself in reusable silicone zip-top bags or jars. “I’m a sucker for potato chips—I could and have eaten an entire family-size bag in a day. Now I rip open the bag, portion the chips into a few more manageable servings—in either reusable snack bags or little metal containers with lids—and tuck them in the pantry.”  

Buy bulk foods the right way. If you have the space, buying a large container of a food item at a warehouse club or wholesale club can be economical and cut down on food packaging. Bulk can be great, as long as it’s one large package of whatever food—like rice, or ketchup, says Mannarino.  “The issue comes with the large packages filled with individually-packaged items. Also, the trouble comes when we get so dazzled by the amazing value of the giant package that we buy it, and then never really eat it. That creates food waste and packaging waste.” 

Make use of scraps. “My mom always scrubbed her carrots, rather than peeling them,” says Mannarino. “As a kid, I thought that was weird. Now, as an adult who’s trying to manage the food waste leaving our home, I think it’s genius! Eat the apple skins, the potato skins, all the skins! And what you don’t eat on the food at the time, you can repurpose. My toaster-oven/air fryer turns those skins into a crispy and delicious snack when I season the potatoes with salt or the apples with cinnamon.”  

Mannarino also makes homemade broths and stocks from the ends of vegetables, like carrot tops, shitake mushroom stems, broccoli stalks, corn cobs without the kernels and herb stems. She stores veggies scraps in her freezer and turns them into vegetable stock. For more tasty ways to repurpose your scraps, check out Max La Manna, a zero-waste chef.

Don’t dump that boiled water. While reducing food waste is often top of mind in the kitchen, challenge yourself to think about reducing water waste—and energy—as well this Earth Day. “I love using hot cooking water to kill weeds and unwanted grass that pokes up through my patio stones,” says Mannarino. “Or, if I want to save it, I’ll use it as a base for broth (made with my veggie scraps). If it was plain water that I used to steam hard-boiled eggs, for example, I might just let it cool to room temp and then use it to water the garden.”

The post How to Reduce Food Waste While Getting Healthy Meals on the Table appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/reduce-waste-healthy-meals/

Planning a Road Trip Getaway? Here’s How to Make the Trip Healthier

It’s been said that 2021 is the “year of the road trip” and with more Americans saying they’ll feel ready to take a road trip by their personal car by June (according to a TripIt survey), you’ll be in good company if you’re planning on seeing what America has to offer by car.

Road travel can be a great way to get out of town for a short trip and enjoy a change of scenery safely and affordably. But if a slew of drive-thru fast-food restaurants and gas station sugary snacks come to mind when you think about a road trip, you’re probably wondering if it’s possible to take a road trip that won’t derail your health goals. 

Keep reading for moves you can do in the car, mini workouts you can do at rest stops, and more. This guide will also include tips like healthy road trip snacks, packing drinks and food for quick, healthy meals, as well as the importance of getting good sleep and staying safe by social distancing and practicing good hygiene. 

Your Road Trip Planner for a Healthier Getaway

Plan on packing healthy food. If you’re on a road trip beyond a few hours and plan on staying overnight somewhere, you’ll save money and calories by packing some healthy road trip snacks and meals to take with you. Stash a cooler with ice and freezer packs in an accessible place in the car and make healthy sandwiches, yogurt, cheese sticks, sliced fruit and sliced raw veggies. 

Having healthy options at the ready when you’re getting a little hungry will help prevent falling prey to a greasy combo meal on the road or bags of salty snacks at the rest stop. Keep hand sanitizer in your car and purse or backpack to reduce exposure to germs and viruses.

Bring a lot of water. Yes, drinking water (or anything) on your road trip will mean you might have to make more stops but it’s important to stay hydrated so you feel alert and it gives you an excuse to get out of the sitting position and move around. “Make sure to consume enough water for your body to carry out normal functions and to prevent dehydration,” suggests Jessica Mazzucco, NYC area certified fitness trainer and founder of TheGluteRecruit.com. 

You might want to bring a large, reusable water bottle from home to refill at rest stops. (It’s the greener option, too!) We like ones that have a flip-top and easy-sip straw so drivers can stay hydrated while keeping one hand on the wheel.

Come up with excuses to pull over. Some people like to boast about how fast they covered mileage on a trip and how they “barely stopped” before arriving at their destination. But if you want to have a healthier road trip, you’re going to need to move around more often. “Ideally, you should take a break from sitting every 30 minutes,” suggests Mazzucco. “However, it may be harder to take 30-minute breaks on a road trip, so I recommend stopping every one to two hours. Anywhere from walking for a few minutes to 10 minutes is beneficial to reduce the health risks of too much sitting.”

Half as many calories are burned when you are sitting, and your digestion can slow down after sitting too long, says Mazzucco. “Prolonged periods of sitting can also make your glutes and abdominals weaker. Weakened glutes and core muscles can lead to lower back and knee pain, as well as making it harder to perform workouts with the correct form.”

Do a mini workout every time you stop. A good way to get more steps in during a road trip is to plan stops along the way to get out of the car and walk for about 5 to 10 minutes, suggests Mazzucco. Any time you have to stop to get gas or food, get out of the car and walk around to promote circulation throughout the body, she advises. “Packing a resistance band like the TYR Resistance Band is one of the best tools you can bring with you,” says Mazzucco. “It’s light for travel and helps to make bodyweight exercises more challenging.” 

Take advantage of benches by doing triceps dips, step-ups, and push-ups on them. Jumping jacks and high-knees in place will also get your heart rate up while increasing your step count.

Remember to move in the car. Take advantage of the passenger role and use the time to do some light stretching in the car. You can try neck rolls and neck stretches as well as some arm/shoulder stretching and chest stretches from your seat—all while wearing your seatbelt! Check out more road trip moves here. 

While you won’t increase your step count or your heart rate—unless you’re really dancing in the car!—simply changing positions and relieving some tension from tight muscles can help reduce soreness later. Drivers can bring awareness to their glutes by squeezing them here and there throughout the drive to reduce atrophy, suggests Mazzucco.

Plan on doing light exercise when you arrive. Try to time your road trip so it’ll still be light outside when you get to your destination. Take a nice long walk, hike, or run and enjoy the new scenery. “Going out and getting fresh air will also help you sleep better and most likely improve your mood,” says Mazzucco.

Stretch before you sleep. It might not seem like you did much while sitting in the car all day but you might find that your back, neck, and legs feel tight or experience soreness in other areas. 

Try some of these stretches that help counteract the effects of sitting:

Standing Quad Stretch: Stand up straight, hold onto a chair and bend the knee to bring one foot behind you, holding the foot with the same hand and pulling it towards your butt

Standing Hip Circle: Stand on one leg and bring the opposite knee up to hip height, making a circle with the knee.

Lying Hamstring Stretch: Lie on the floor, legs extended. Bring one knee into your chest and hold, extend the other leg out.

The post Planning a Road Trip Getaway? Here’s How to Make the Trip Healthier appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/fitter-healthier-roadtrip-getaway/

Fitbit Asks Deepak Chopra—Plus, an Exciting New Content Drop

Since February, Deepak Chopra’s Mindful Method for Fitbit has been infusing our daily lives with a much-needed dose of mindfulness. This transformative wellness series has done everything from helping us to find our zen with Deepak’s reinvigorating guided meditations, to lulling us into a peaceful night’s rest with sessions to prepare for better sleep. 

Today, we’re happy to share some exciting new additions to the Mindful Method: starting today, you can expect four additional sessions, focused on the power of mindful awareness to bring learnings from meditation practice to many different situations, including ways to decrease stress and increase focus. Because, as Deepak shares, mindfulness is more than just meditation. 

If you’re a Fitbit Premium member (or you signed up for your free 90-day trial), you may have tuned in to Mindful Method already—and we’re thrilled to have you here. Maybe you, too, have been loving Deepak’s guided meditations, while learning how to maintain a mindfulness practice in today’s hectic world. Maybe you’ve been following Deepak’s content here on the blog, like this helpful mind-body exercise and his insights on how—and why—you should be getting better Zzz’s. 

Feeling like you want to catch up? There’s no time like the present to dive into everything the Mindful Method has to offer: from content across mindfulness, sleep, stress management, mental wellness, the mind-body connection, and more, it’s all here waiting for you simply to take a deep breath and begin. 

But first, read on for a special Fitbit Q&A with Deepak.

FITBIT: What’s your favorite thing about your Fitbit Sense? 

DC: I’ve been on the Fitbit platform since the early days, starting with a tracker and now use the Sense smartwatch and the Premium membership. It’s been incredible to see the evolution of innovative features and actionable advice, plus how much more I can learn about my own body from this device, from tracking my sleep and activity to stress management. 

FITBIT: And your favorite Fitbit features? 

DC: It’s incredible to be able to understand the effects of thought, feelings and emotions through technology. For instance, I look at my heart rate right before I begin a meditation session and notice how much it has lowered when I’ve finished my practice. 

Being able to see the impact of meditation on your personal metrics like heart rate is so valuable—it’s a great motivator. Over time, you’ll also be able to see how your mindfulness practice could help improve your heart rate variability as well. (Access your heart rate variability, or HRV, in the Health Metrics dashboard with your Fitbit Premium membership.) 

FITBIT: Why is it so important to manage stress, especially now? 

DC: I see stress as a number one health issue facing society and individuals today even in the context of the pandemic. It’s a global, universal experience and more than one-third of people across the globe report physical and mental side effects of stress.

If unchecked, stress can lead to effects ranging from headaches to increased risk of cardiac disease, to anxiety and depression. 

It’s no surprise that in today’s environment, whether you’re a parent juggling work and virtual learning, feeling isolated from friends, family and coworkers, or caring for the health of your loved ones, stress management and a mindfulness practice is more important than ever. 

FITBIT: What, to you, are the most important benefits of a regular mindfulness practice? 

DC: A regular mindfulness practice can result in positive changes in our health, attitudes, and behaviors. It allows you to focus on the here and now, without getting caught up in the past or future. 

Stress management and a regular mindfulness practice have been found to help relieve stress, treat heart disease, lower blood pressure, reduce chronic pain, and improve sleep.

I believe that it’s all about starting with simple, everyday actions, which is why with Mindful Method, we have sessions ranging from 3 to 20 minutes, and for every level whether you’re just starting out, or incorporating new methods into your existing practice—anyone can fit them into  life in a way that works best for you. 

The post Fitbit Asks Deepak Chopra—Plus, an Exciting New Content Drop appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/deepak-chopra-spring-launch/

Get Excited to Eat Well with New Recipe Videos on Fitbit Premium

What you eat plays a huge role in your health, well-being, and happiness. And after being stuck inside for so long everyone’s in need of a little inspiration to keep cooking and extra motivation to make healthy choices. The good news: Fitbit Premium members can now access fresh nutrition ideas that will inspire you to eat well. Premium members already have access to features that help you move more, sleep better, and stress less: From the Health Metrics dashboard and your personal Wellness Report, to the advanced sleep features and mindfulness sessions, to workouts, games, and challenges—being healthy has never been easier or so much fun! And the Premium content and features just keep getting better. 

So, following on from the success of the Ayesha Curry Premium Summer Series, you can now expect to find even more recipe videos added to the new Nutrition section under Discover in the Fitbit app.

Short Recipe Videos That’ll Inspire You to Get Your Aprons On

Whether you’re still trying to get the hang of things in the kitchen or you’re simply looking for a bit of inspiration to spark some new dinner ideas, these snappy videos make it easy by showing you step-by-step instructions. You’ll find mouthwatering meal inspiration for every meal, including dessert (coming soon!)—because let’s face it, being healthy doesn’t mean you have to ignore your sweet tooth.

You can browse the videos by meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, etc), filter them according to your goals, and tap the star to save the ideas you want to come back to later. So, whether you’re searching for recipes that take less than 30 minutes to make, delicious diabetes-friendly or heart-healthy recipes, or tasty ways to eat less meat, you’ll find what you’re looking for, plus more.

New Ideas from EatingWell 

To kick off the nutrition content, Fitbit has teamed up with EatingWell, an award-winning media brand that’s been at the forefront of the healthy-eating movement for more than 30 years. With Fitbit and EatingWell’s food and nutrition philosophies so closely aligned, the partnership is a good fit. Fitbit customers are hungry for easier and tastier ways to be healthy and this new addition to Discover will provide Premium members and Premium + Health Coaching members with lots of new ideas and ways to eat well.

Foolproof Recipes with Widely Available Ingredients

Just like all your favorite Fitbit healthy recipes, the new Premium recipe videos start with healthy ingredients like nutrient-rich, unprocessed whole foods, and are easy for anyone to cook at home. All of the recipes have been thoroughly tested in the EatingWell Test Kitchen—on average seven times each! So, you can rest assured your frittata won’t flop and you’ll easily nail the noodle-less lasagna every time! Plus, the recipes use ingredients that are available in most major supermarkets, so no wild and wacky ingredients that are hard to find.

To find your meal inspiration simply head to Discover in the Fitbit app and tap on Nutrition. 

The post Get Excited to Eat Well with New Recipe Videos on Fitbit Premium appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/fitbit-premium-nutrition/

Introducing Fitbit Luxe: A Fashion-Forward Fitness and Wellness Tracker

Introducing Fitbit Luxe, a fashion-forward fitness and wellness tracker designed to help you take a more holistic approach to your health and wellness, all while rocking an effortlessly chic look. Luxe offers the motivation and support to help take control of your health with everything from Stress Management Score to sleep tracking to Active Zone Minutes and more, all in an elegant bracelet designed to complement your unique style so you can focus on your goals without sacrificing your look.

Inspired by the human body, with gentle curves that create one of our most comfortable devices yet, Luxe was designed to work with a diverse range of wrist sizes and lifestyles for 24/7 wear. What’s not to love? Keep reading to learn more about our most elegant tracker to date.

A Style That Moves With You

The first thing you’ll notice about Luxe is that it’s simply a beautiful wearable. Like a fine bracelet, Luxe shines with elevated materials and finishes. By using a high tech take on traditional jewelry-making techniques, Luxe has a one-of-a-kind warmth you’d expect from handcrafted jewelry, while delivering a level of precision needed to enable our advanced sensor technology. 

Using an advanced design process called metal injection molding, we transformed stainless steel into a soft, gentle shape that lightly sits on your wrist with a single surface feel that’s key for 24/7 wearability. It’s available in three beautiful colors: graphite, platinum, and soft gold, with a comfortable silicon band featuring a quick-release band attach. This will allow you to quickly change up your look with a variety of accessory bands that come in different materials and color—easily making Luxe your go-to wardrobe essential for work to exercise and everything in between. Plus, you’re sure to love the high polish, mirror finish on the platinum and soft gold band colors, which gives Luxe that truly premium look and feel.

Need more incentive? Luxe is also the first Fitbit tracker with a vibrant, easy-to-view color touchscreen (AMOLED) that brings your stats to life with a range of colorful clock face designs. The screen brightness automatically adjusts with an ambient light sensor, going from 2x brighter than Inspire 2 or Charge 4 in daylight to dimness that is easier on your eyes at night.

Standout Features

Stress management tools. Get a daily Stress Management Score in the Fitbit app to discover how your body’s reaction to stress is connected to activity, sleep, and more, and experience how Fitbit can help improve how you manage them. Access mindfulness sessions to build a practice and leverage guided breathing, meditations, yoga, and more to help with stress management.

Sleep tracking and Sleep Score. You’ll hardly notice the light, slim band on your wrist so you can sleep comfortably, all while your Luxe is hard at work gathering the insightful tools you need to help you improve your sleep. Then each morning, view your Sleep Score for a look at your sleep quality. You can even set a silent Smart Wake alarm on your tracker, which will wake you with a gentle buzz in a lighter sleep stage, up to 30 minutes prior to your desired wake-up time, so you feel more refreshed. Plus, in the app, you can set a sleep schedule with bedtime reminders.

24/7 heart rate tracking. With Fitbit’s PurePulse technology, your Luxe has 24/7 continuous heart rate tracking, which enables us to give you personal insights into your overall health, including Active Zone Minutes, your Cardio Fitness Score, and sleep stages. Your heart rate also powers metrics available in the Health Metrics dashboard such as breathing rate and heart rate variability.

Active Zone Minutes (AZMs). AZMs are a more personalized way to measure your physical activity, which are shown in exercise mode and overall throughout the day on- wrist. Using our 24/7 PurePulse heart rate tracking, we automatically calculate “Active Zones” personalized to you, based on your resting heart rate and age. These Active Zones are targets for your heart rate during exercise, so you’ll know if you’re putting in the effort to reach the activity guidelines recommended by the American Heart Association of reaching at least 150 minutes of weekly heart-pumping activity. Active Zone Minutes can be earned for any exercise you enjoy, from a HIIT workout in your living room to a spring cleaning dance party. You’ll get more credit for more intense activity, helping you make the most of your limited time. 

Comes with a 6-month Premium membership. With a 6-month trial of Fitbit Premium, you’ll get an even better understanding of your wellness with personalized insights and guidance, deeper analyses of your data (including a monthly view and personal ranges of key health metrics in the Health Metrics dashboard), empowering tools, and exclusive in-app content. Members can access nearly 200 mindfulness sessions from popular brands like Aaptiv, Aura, Breethe, and Ten Percent Happier, as well as relaxing sounds from Fitbit, and receive a detailed breakdown of their Stress Management Score.* 

Plus, exclusively for Fitbit Premium members, check out Deepak Chopra’s Mindful Method for Fitbit, our partnership with the world-renowned well-being expert and founder of the Chopra Foundation and Chopra Global. 

Health Metrics Dashboard. Helping you gain a deeper understanding of your body, the Health Metrics dashboard measures and tracks 5 health metrics including skin temperature variation, breathing rate, resting heart rate, Oxygen Saturation (SpO2) (coming soon to Luxe), and heart rate variability (HRV). After wearing a Fitbit tracker or smartwatch during sleep, you’ll see nightly averages and graphs on the Health Metrics dashboard—important information that can help you uncover trends and changes to your wellbeing.***

Up to five days of battery life. Enjoy up to five days of battery life on a single charge, helping you stay focused on what’s important: you.**

Exclusive Partnership With gorjana

Make a statement with the gorjana for Fitbit Luxe Special Edition. Designed exclusively for Fitbit by gorjana, the Laguna Beach-based jewelry brand, the soft gold stainless steel Parker Link Bracelet embodies laidback luxury and effortlessly blends your tracker with the jewelry you love to wear (adjustable to fit most wrists). The Special Edition also comes with a soft peony classic band for two looks in one. 

The Parker Link Bracelet is also available separately as an accessory in platinum and soft gold stainless steel.

Pre-order Your New Fitbit Luxe Today

Are you ready? Fitbit Luxe is available for pre-order starting April 19, 2021 starting at $149.95.  

The gorjana for Fitbit Luxe Special Edition is also available for pre-order starting April 19, 2021 for $199.95 with availability this spring.

Complete Your Look

Need accessory options? No problem. The range of beautiful accessories are available starting May 2021 with four classic band options—black, lunar white, orchid, or peony for $29.95, two woven bands options—hibiscus or slate for $34.95, three premium Horween leather double wrap bands—black, earth grey croc, or sunrise for $49.95, or two stainless steel mesh bands—platinum stainless steel or soft gold stainless steel for $79.95. Gorjana for Fitbit Luxe Parker Link Bracelet is available this spring in soft gold stainless steel and platinum stainless steel for $99.95.

There’s truly something for everyone in the Fitbit Luxe. So, are you ready to complete your look while keeping your fitness and wellness top of mind? Pre-order your new Fitbit Luxe today!

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*** The Health Metrics dashboard and the metrics displayed in the dashboard are not available in all countries. This feature is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition or for any other medical purpose. It is intended to help users manage their wellbeing and keep track of their information.

** Varies with use and other factors.

* New and returning Premium members only. Must activate trial within 60-days of device activation (requires valid payment method). Cancel before end of trial to avoid recurring fees. Content and features may change. See here for more details. Ts&Cs apply.

The post Introducing Fitbit Luxe: A Fashion-Forward Fitness and Wellness Tracker appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/introducing-fitbit-luxe/

Make a Statement with the gorjana Designer Collection for Fitbit Luxe

Fitbit constantly strives to blur the lines between fashion and fitness, and nowhere is that more evident than in our Designer Collections, one-of-a-kind designer accessories created exclusively for Fitbit. Last fall, Fitbit launched two epic new band collaborations—one with 2017 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist Victor Glemaud, and the other with iconic woven blanket brand Pendleton. 

Now, we’re announcing an exclusive new partnership with gorjana for the new Fitbit Luxe tracker. Think of this gorgeous jewelry link bracelet as effortless glam for your goals: Finally, a way to dress up your tracker so it blends perfectly with the jewelry you already love to layer! 

Discover more details about this dazzling new collection ahead. 

About gorjana 

Laguna Beach-based jewelry brand gorjana offers jewelry that you’ll live in, love always, and layer everyday. This laidback yet sophisticated label may have had humble beginnings—it all started in Gorjana and her husband Jason’s apartment in 2004—but today, it’s seen on everyone from your favorite celebrities to 1000+ stores worldwide. 

gorjana takes timeless, feminine style and modernizes it in intentional and versatile ways, so it’s as easy to wear as your favorite white T-shirt and jeans. 

The gorjana for Fitbit Luxe collection: Effortless style, everyday motivation

Make a statement with the gorjana collection designed for Fitbit Luxe and effortlessly blend your tracker with the jewelry you already love to wear. The Parker Link Bracelet, inspired by gorjana’s own Parker collection, is an easy-to-wear bracelet that embodies laidback ​luxury thanks to subtle shine—so improving your wellness is more seamless for style seekers everywhere.

This collection is all about elevated charm that meets affordable luxury—for a coastal aesthetic that’s cool without trying. 

The gorjana for Fitbit Luxe Special Edition transforms the tracker into a beautiful piece of jewelry with the Parker Link Bracelet in soft gold stainless steel alongside a peony classic band: two looks in one for $199.95 available this spring.

Looking for more options? The gorjana for Fitbit Luxe Parker Link Bracelet is also available for pre-order today as accessories in soft gold stainless steel and platinum stainless steel with availability this spring for $99.95 each.*

Want to learn more about Designer Collections for Fitbit? Discover additional details here. *Tracker sold separately. 

The post Make a Statement with the gorjana Designer Collection for Fitbit Luxe appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/gorjana-for-fitbit/

Quarantine is Taking a Toll on Your Feet

You show up to every Zoom meeting looking polished and professional—at least from the waist up—but your favorite fuzzy slippers have become a staple of your pandemic work-from-home attire.

Trading high heels for slippers might seem like a much-needed break for your feet, you may have traded one problem for another. 

Even though high heels have been linked to foot pain, ankle injuries, and even toe deformities, Michael A. Schumacher, DPM, FACFAS, podiatric surgeon at Mount Sinai notes, “As people are spending more time barefoot or in flat, unstructured shoes [like slippers] during the pandemic, we’re seeing a lot more foot pain and injuries.”

Schumacher has seen a significant uptick in the number of cases of plantar fasciitis. Without adequate arch support, the facia, a thick band of tissue that runs from the heel to the toes, becomes inflamed and painful.

“By not [wearing shoes], you’re not supporting your foot, so you’re straining the plantar fascia with every step you take,” he says. “Untreated, pain lasts longer until it hurts all the time.”

Wearing supportive shoes with a low to moderate heel, thick soles, and good arch support can help prevent plantar fasciitis. If you develop the painful condition, podiatrist Dan Reubens, DPM, chief resident at Boston Medical Center, recommends rest, ice, and anti-inflammatories to help ease the pain; in more severe cases, orthotics or physical therapy may be required. 

Going barefoot around the house also increases the risk of injuries. Reubens has seen a lot more fractured toes since the start of the pandemic, adding, “When you don’t wear shoes at home, you’re more likely to stub your toes.” 

Fractured toes and lifted (and lost) toenails are especially common among those who are working out, barefoot, at home. During the day, skip the flip flops; although some may not want to wear shoes in the house all the time, consider lacing up a pair of sneakers for your workouts. 

As the pandemic closed salons and DIY nail care became the norm, ingrown toenails became more common. In fact, Schumacher spent several telehealth sessions drawing diagrams to help patients with ingrown toenails properly trim their nails.

“People with chronic ingrown toenails who haven’t been getting pedicures are developing infections,” adds Jane Andersen, DPM, a podiatrist for Foot and Ankle Specialists of the Mid-Atlantic and spokesperson for American Podiatric Medical Association.

Foot pain could also be linked to weight gain, according to Andersen. Research shows that adults have gained almost two pounds per month during quarantine and the extra weight puts more strain on your feet, increasing the risk of foot pain.

Regular exercise—wearing sneakers, of course—to drop the extra pounds and continuing to wear shoes throughout the day are beneficial, if not essential to good foot health during the pandemic and beyond. Otherwise, Schumacher says, “You’re walking around reinjuring yourself by spending your time barefoot or in slippers or [shoes] that don’t support your foot at all.”

You may experience a different kind of foot pain when it’s time to slip your dress shoes back on and head back into the office. Andersen notes that corns, calluses, blisters,  and metatarsalgia, pain in the ball of the foot, are all common complaints among women who spend a lot of time in heels. Until then, enjoy working from home in comfortable shoes.

The post Quarantine is Taking a Toll on Your Feet appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/quarantine-toll-on-your-feet/

Healthy Recipe: Crispy Chicken Sandwiches with Buttermilk Avocado Aioli

Ah, the crispy chicken sandwich. Who can resist? Yet all that deep-fried deliciousness can easily pack 40 grams of fat (or more!) per sandwich, not to mention nearly three-quarters of the Daily Value for saturated fat.

For a lighter spin, try this take on the latest sandwich craze. It ditches the deep fryer, coats the cutlets in crunchy panko breadcrumbs, and oven-bakes them on parchment paper. (If you haven’t tried parchment paper, it’s also magic for roasted veggies, meatballs, and cookies!) Finally, each sandwich is piled with fresh veggies and served on a whole-grain bun for plenty of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and a healthy dose of hunger-busting fiber. Plus, if you’re looking for a dairy alternative when it comes to the buttermilk aioli, you can replace it with a plant-based sour cream instead.

The result? A sandwich that’s delicious, satisfying, and way better for you than takeout.

INGREDIENTS:

For the chicken sandwiches:

1 cup (8 oz/250 ml) reduced-fat buttermilk

Juice of ½ lemon

½ to 1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 4-oz (125 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets, pounded ½-inch thick

1 cup (84 g) panko

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (if you like it spicy!)

Avocado or canola oil cooking spray

4 whole-grain hamburger buns, toasted

Lettuce leaves

Tomato slices

For the sauteed onions:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the buttermilk avocado aioli:

1 avocado

2 tablespoons reduced-fat buttermilk or plant-based sour cream 

Zest of 1 lemon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Make the chicken:

In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, lemon juice, hot sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add chicken cutlets and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400°F (200° C.) Remove chicken from refrigerator. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a large plate, combine panko, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cayenne (if you’re using it), salt, and pepper. 

Dredge chicken in panko mixture and place on prepared baking sheet. Spray tops of chicken lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes. 

Remove baking sheet from oven, carefully flip chicken breasts, and lightly spray tops with cooking spray. Return baking sheet to oven for 10 minutes more, or until chicken is golden and crispy or has reached an internal temperature of 165°F (74° C.) Remove chicken from oven. Serve on toasted burger buns with avocado aioli, sauteed onions, lettuce, and tomato.

While chicken is cooking make the sauteed onions and avocado aioli.

Make the sauteed onions:

In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions and sauté until soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside to serve over chicken.

Make the avocado aioli:

Puree avocado, buttermilk, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Spread on toasted burger buns.

Makes 4 servings.

NUTRITION FACTS (PER SERVING):

Calories 488

Protein 31 g

Total fat 16 g

Saturated fat 3 g

Cholesterol 85 mg

Carbs 49 g

Fiber 8 g

Total sugars 11g

Added sugars <1 g

Sodium 399 mg

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source https://blog.fitbit.com/chicken-sandwich-avocado-aioli-recipe/

The Gut-Brain Connection: How Eating to Fuel Your Gut Can Curb Stress

Have you ever noticed that as your stress levels rise, you start to feel it in your gut? You may notice a change in appetite, feelings of nausea, or even digestive upset like bloating, gas, and diarrhea. This occurs because the gut and brain are directly connected in the body by the vagus nerve. 

This nerve, which is the cornerstone of the gut-brain axis, sends signals between the gut and brain letting the other know how to feel and how to react. Not only can this connection explain why you can often notice gastrointestinal upset during periods of high stress, but it provides insight into how you can fuel your gut to help better manage stress. 

How the Gut and Brain are Connected

When you think of gut health, you may think of digestive health, but the gut can impact far more than just digestion. “98 percent of serotonin, the hormone that makes us ‘feel good’, is produced in our gut. When our gut health is compromised, the ability to create serotonin is also compromised, which can lead to feelings of sadness, fatigue, insomnia, irritation, and low self-esteem,” explains Elizabeth Gunner, RDN. 

The gastrointestinal tract is lined with hundreds of millions of neurons as well as various strains of bacteria, and the communication between them is critical to health as well as mood. “When there is a disruption in our gut, the neurons in our gut respond, which leads to changes in the bacteria living in our gut,” adds Gunner. 

And an altered balance of gut bacteria can impact our bodies ability to produce and utilize vitamins, minerals, and hormones—all of which play a role in the regulation of mood and stress.

The Role of Bacteria in Mood and Stress

Research has found that specific strains of bacteria can have a direct impact on mood, anxiety, and stress. Having a balance of these beneficial bacteria in the gut may go a long way in improving overall mental health. 

“Research has found strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium like L. casei, L. acidophilus, L. casei, L. helveticus, B. adolescentis, and B. longum are particularly beneficial in regard to mood, stress, and anxiety,” explains Lacy Ngo, MS, RDN, author of The Nourishing Meal Builder. 

Science shows the dual combination of bacteria Lactobacillus helveticus and Bifidobacterium longum helps to reduce the two stress-induced gastrointestinal symptoms: abdominal pain and nausea. And a more recent study found these bacteria may offer beneficial psychological effects as well, which is exciting news for anyone who suffers from anxiety.

How to Add More Beneficial Bacteria into Your Diet

The specific probiotic strains that benefit mood can be found in supplemental form, but you can also find them in food. “Strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium can be found in miso, tempeh, kefir, kombucha, fermented vegetables, and some brands of yogurt,” shares Ngo. 

Although consuming more beneficial strains of bacteria can be helpful for mood and stress, adding probiotics to your plate isn’t the only area to focus on. Prebiotics—the “food” that gut bacteria utilize to stay alive and healthy—are also key. And luckily, these aren’t hard to find.

Prebiotics are essentially the type of fiber that feed gut bacteria and can be found in many fibrous foods including beans, onions, asparagus, bananas, and oats. Balancing your plate with foods containing both prebiotics and probiotics may go a long way in helping to regulate stress and mood.

What to Avoid

Just as certain dietary choices may improve stress and mood, others may worsen them. “Try limiting ultra-processed foods, refined grains, foods with high levels of added sugars, and fried foods, as diets high in these foods promote inflammation, contribute to poor gut health, and have been linked to mood disorders like depression, anxiety, and stress,” explains Ngo. 

And it isn’t just food choices, but also our eating behaviors that can have a negative impact on stress. “Mindless eating, quick consumption of food, and feelings of guilt or shame while eating can all increase feelings of stress, and in turn result in gastrointestinal issues,” adds Gunner.

The 5-Step Plan to Eating Away Stress

If you’re ready to take action to improve mood and stress through food, these five simple steps can help:

1. Eat at least one probiotic-rich food or drink daily. Think: miso, tempeh, kefir, kombucha, fermented vegetables, and yogurt.
2. Fill at least half your plate with fiber-rich foods including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, and legumes.
3. Limit your intake of added sugars which may have a negative impact on the balance of healthy bacteria in the gut. Aim for less than 10 percent of total calories to come from added sugars.
4. Practice slowing down and eating mindfully. Make sure you take the time to really notice and enjoy your food. Sit down at a table, put your food on a plate, and eat it slowly with intention.
5. Say good-bye to guilt. There are no “bad” foods or “good” foods. Just focus on balance. The more you shift your thinking away from what you shouldn’t eat or can’t eat, the less guilt and stress you will feel with eating. And that shift can play a big role in improving both your mood and your overall relationship with food.

Fitbit Sense can also give you deeper insight into your personal stress levels. For example, the Stress Management Score tool helps you understand if your body is showing signs of stress on a daily basis. Your score ranges from 1 to 100—a higher number means you’re showing fewer physical signs of stress. It’s calculated based on three metrics: responsiveness (how much strain your body is under), exertion balance (impact of your activity), and sleep patterns (how well you’ve been sleeping). Learn more about Fitbit’s state of the art stress management experience here.

The post The Gut-Brain Connection: How Eating to Fuel Your Gut Can Curb Stress appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/gut-brain-connection/

Could Stress Be the Reason Your IBS Symptoms Are on the Rise?

Stress impacts us all. If this wasn’t clear before 2020, last year sure did show us. From work, family, and financial stressors, to lack of sleep, natural disasters, viruses, and social injustice issues, there’s been a lot to deal with. All this stress doesn’t only mess with your head, it may also be wreaking havoc on your gut. This is particularly true if you’re prone to tummy troubles, aka irritable bowel syndrome or IBS. 

IBS is a disorder of the gut that impacts overall gut functioning. There’s nothing structurally wrong with the gut, but factors like the bowel moving too fast, or too slow, or heightened nerve sensitivity in the gut may result in an increase of gas or bowel movements that you wouldn’t normally feel. It’s a very common condition affecting up to 1 in 5 people at some point in their lives, and affects twice as many women as men. Those with IBS may experience symptoms such as abdominal discomfort, pain, bloating, and constipation or diarrhea, or both. While experts aren’t sure of the exact cause, symptoms can be triggered by stress, infection, certain foods, or hormonal changes like menstruation. 

Stress may trigger IBS… Let’s imagine a stressful situation: You’ve got a huge presentation this morning, you’re late, and you’re feeling less than prepared, after a poor night’s sleep, when you frantically dial into the virtual meeting and see a screen full of unfamiliar faces. Your heart is racing and you’re panicking. 

In this moment, your body is going into fight-or-flight mode, which can trigger inflammation, changes in your gut sensitivity, and muscle contractions that are important for digestion. This can lead to increased abdominal discomfort and a flare up of IBS symptoms—less than ideal in the moments when you need to perform in front of a virtual crowd. This distressing response to stress is thought to occur in up to one third of people with IBS. 

…and IBS may cause stress. It’s understandable how living with chronic IBS can cause stress and anxiety. Abdominal pain and unpredictable bowel habits can make leaving the house seem scary. You may be fearful that a sudden flare up could occur in public, which can be distressing and embarrassing. Learning to manage your IBS with lifestyle, diet, and sometimes medication can help to ease the anxiety. 

If you’re constantly finding yourself stressed out or feeling chronic gut pain, this can have long term consequences on how you experience that pain. The sooner you can get a handle on your stress levels, the better able you may be at overcoming or managing your IBS symptoms. 

Tips to manage your IBS symptoms if stress is your trigger 

Journaling can have a profound effect on how we experience and process stress. It can also be a key way to document when you have a flare-up and what might have occurred that day or week. This helps you better identify triggers and trends so you can course-correct in the future. 

Exercise is key to any stress management plan and may help improve IBS symptom severity. Mind-body activities such as yoga or tai chi may additionally help alleviate stress and anxiety that’s worsened by IBS.

Prioritizing self care may help you carve out time in your day that allows a few moments to reset and achieve better work-life balance. 

Get support from a therapist who specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Theory (CBT). CBT encourages behavior change and coping mechanisms to help manage stress and anxiety.

“Stress is not a big issue for me, but I’ve still got IBS issues!”

If stress isn’t the trigger of your tummy troubles, you may need to consider your diet. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Identify your food triggers. Start a food and symptom diary to keep track of the foods and beverages you consume, how much you’re consuming, and the symptoms you’re experiencing. This may help you better understand your triggers and could also be shared with your PCP or Registered Dietitian for additional guidance. 

Are FODMAPS at play? Certain foods like apples, milk, and onions contain naturally-occuring sugars that could be causing you tummy troubles. Get help from a Registered Dietitian if you think you may be sensitive to FODMAPs.

It’s common to experience worsened IBS symptoms just before your period starts. So, keep track of your menstrual cycle in the Female Health Tracking feature of the Fitbit app. If you know an acute bout of symptoms is coming, you can be better prepared.

Talk with your doctor to determine if something else could be impacting your IBS.

Interested in learning more about how your body reacts to stress? Fitbit’s Stress Management Score tool can help you understand if your body is showing signs of stress on a daily basis. Your score ranges from 1 to 100—a higher number means you’re showing fewer physical signs of stress. It’s calculated based on three metrics: responsiveness (how much strain your body is under), exertion balance (impact of your activity), and sleep patterns (how well you’ve been sleeping). Learn more about the Stress Management Score here.

The post Could Stress Be the Reason Your IBS Symptoms Are on the Rise? appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/stress-ibs-symptoms/