Orange Foods to Add to Your Plate

Whether it’s winter squash, citrus, or pumpkin, orange produce is super satisfying and delicious. And it’s incredibly good for you. “Orange fruits and vegetables aren’t just about beta-carotene, vitamin A, or vitamin C,” says Maggie Moon, MS, RD, author of The MIND Diet. “From prebiotic fiber to brain-boosting lutein, and many polyphenols in between, orange fruits and vegetables deliver a diverse package of nutrients that interact and work together for cumulative health benefits.”

Try these five standouts on your next grocery run.

Persimmons. Boasting twice the fiber and more antioxidants than an apple, these exotic fruits are a great pick for heart health. Never tried one before? “Whether you prefer the more astringent acorn-shaped Hachiya or the sweeter, round Fuyu, persimmons are a treat,” says Frances Largeman-Roth, RDN, author of Smoothies & Juices: Prevention Healing Kitchen. “When ripe, they have a real jammy consistency and make a luscious, easy dessert served over a little vanilla yogurt or ice cream.” For the best flavor and texture, store them upside down at room temperature until they’re fully soft and ripe and then refrigerate.

Acorn squash. If better digestion is on your radar think acorn squash. Each cooked cup provides 9 grams of fiber (more than 4 slices of whole-wheat bread!). And, unlike other winter squash, you won’t have to wrestle with it in the kitchen. “The nice thing about acorn squash is that it’s a manageable size that I can easily work with,” says Moon. “The skin isn’t too tough for slicing into rings, or even just cutting in half.” For a super-satisfying meal, stuff roasted halves with warm grain salad or even ground turkey and cranberries.

Oranges. You already know vitamin C-rich oranges are a win for immune health. They may also provide a brain boost thanks to potent antioxidants called flavonoids. In one study, volunteers who downed just 8 ounces of flavonoid-rich orange juice performed better on tests of attention, focus, and reaction time than a placebo group that consumed a drink that looked and tasted like OJ, with equal carbs and calories. “Juicy and refreshing, I keep oranges around from October through early spring,” says Largeman-Roth. “Try tossing orange segments into smoothies and fruit salads, or simply eating them as a snack.” 

Another plus: Oranges stay fresh in the fridge for up to three weeks, meaning fewer trips to the store for fresh fruit, she says.

Carrots. Carrots aren’t just great for your eyes. A growing body of research finds that they may also help protect against cancers of the colon, stomach, lung, breast, and prostate. That’s because carrots are rich in falcarinol and falcarindiol, plant compounds that may slow the rate that cancer cells grow and divide. And you don’t have to eat a whole bunch to benefit. In one recent study, people who ate two to four carrots a week were 17 percent less likely to develop colorectal cancer than those who munched on carrots less often. For a quick fix, buy them pre-shredded to toss into bolognese, chili, salads, pancakes, or cookies.

Orange Beets. These nitrate-filled root veggies are good news for anyone looking to lower blood pressure. How so? “We convert dietary nitrates from beets to nitric oxide, a compound that helps lower blood pressure by improving the flexibility of blood vessels,” says Moon. If the word nitrates sets off alarm bells, know that naturally-occurring plant nitrates aren’t the same as cancer-causing nitrates in processed meat, she says.

And if you normally find the flavor of beets to be overpowering, orange beets are a milder alternative to their red siblings. Try them steamed and thinly sliced with a little goat cheese, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper, or grated into salads or latkes.

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4 Yoga Myths Busted

There’s no denying the many health benefits of yoga, from increased flexibility and lowered muscle tension to decreased stress and anxiety. In terms of movement practices, yoga is just incredibly good for your body. “Yoga offers a unique combination of deep stretching with dynamic movement, thereby effectively lengthening the muscles and realigning the body,” says Christine Fuchs, a registered yoga teacher who spent 8 years on the Board of Trustees of Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, the largest yoga-based retreat center in the US.

But there’s also a lot of misconceptions about yoga—misconceptions that keep a lot of people who could benefit from a yoga practice from ever getting on the mat.

So, what are those misconceptions—and why are they inaccurate? Let’s bust some of the most common myths about yoga—so there are no misconceptions or misinformation standing in the way of you and getting started with yoga (and enjoying all the health benefits in the process):

Myth #1: “Yoga is only for flexible people.”

When you see pictures of yogis on social media, they’re often bent into gravity-defying postures—which has led many people to believe that you need to be super flexible in order to practice yoga.

But flexibility is not a prerequisite for practicing yoga—and no matter how flexible or inflexible you might be, there are ways to adjust every pose to make it work for your body.

“The core of yoga is focusing on the breath and exploring how the body feels. Every yoga pose can be adapted to a person’s current level of flexibility,” says Fuchs. “The focus should not be on how the student looks in the pose, but where the student feels the stretch.”

Take downward facing dog, for example. People with tight hamstrings will definitely struggle to get into the heels-on-the-floor posture you might see in yoga class—but a) that’s not the point of the pose, and b) the posture can easily be adjusted to fit your current level of flexibility.

“The purpose of downward facing dog is to stretch the spine without rounding the lower back; the goal is not to have straight legs and bring the heels to the floor,” says Fuchs. Fuchs recommends students with tight hamstrings bend their knees generously to get the stretch in their back—and as they get more flexible, they can work on straightening their legs and lowering their heels.

(And, if you practice regularly, chances are, you will get more flexible. “I often hear from people that they are not flexible enough to do yoga,” says Fuchs. “I remind them that they don’t need to be flexible to do yoga, but that they might become more flexible as they practice yoga.”)

Myth #2: “I have chronic pain—so I can’t do yoga.”

If you struggle with chronic pain, the thought of exercise can feel overwhelming—and that includes yoga (particularly more intense forms of yoga, like Vinyasa). 

But if you struggle with pain, certain types of yoga can actually help you better manage your pain.

“Studies have shown that practicing yoga may be beneficial or can even reduce certain types of chronic pain,” says Stephanie Morgyn, a Chicago-based yoga instructor and wellness blogger. “For example, yin yoga is usually taught in an unheated class and has been proven to increase oxygen and blood flow to the muscles through gentle, long holding postures. It is recommended for those who…are living with chronic pain, stress, or tight muscles. These classes are more restorative and rely heavily on gravity to help deepen postures and restore range of motion.”

People with chronic pain may also worry that certain postures might actually make their pain worse. But it’s important to remember that “all postures can be modified,” says Morgyn. “If you are practicing at a class in person, make sure to let your instructor know about any health problems before class so that they can offer customized cues and modifications to help you in certain postures that might be painful.”

Myth #3: “I’m too old to try yoga.”

There are a lot of people out there who believe that if you don’t get into yoga by the time you turn 30, that ship has sailed.

But there’s no age limit on starting a yoga practice—and there are a variety of yoga styles that will mesh with any age group.

“While my 80-year-old mother might not enjoy hot yoga or power yoga, there are lots of different yoga styles where we move slower,” says Fuchs. “If the main goal is relaxation, I recommend [older] students try restorative yoga or yoga Nidra. For a more active practice for seniors, I recommend chair yoga…slow flow yoga, or gentle yoga.”

Practicing yoga also has certain benefits that are particularly helpful for older generations; for example, a “big benefit of yoga is the focus on balancing poses, such as Tree Pose, and on being firmly grounded,” says Fuchs. “This is especially important for seniors,” who may struggle with balance (and could face serious health issues if they were to fall).

Bottom line? It doesn’t matter if you’re 25, 42, 59, or 82—you’re never too old to get started with a regular yoga practice.

Myth #4: “Yoga is only for spiritual people.”

Yoga has spiritual roots, which has led many to believe that yoga is only for spiritual or religious people.

But while yoga is certainly a spiritual practice for many, it certainly doesn’t have to be. There are a lot of different elements of yoga, and “what we most commonly call yoga is [actually] ‘asana,’ which is the physical component of yoga—and that doesn’t have to be a spiritual practice,” says yoga teacher Alessandra Calderin.

And while the spiritual aspects of yoga (like meditation) certainly have their own health benefits, sticking to a strictly physical yoga practice has plenty of benefits of its own.

“[Asana] can however be a great tool for getting in touch with and listening to the body, cultivating strength, slowing the mind, mastering the breath,” says Calderin. Asana is also “linked to tons of health benefits like reducing anxiety and inflammation.”

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The Best Way to Find Your Next Dinner Recipe Online

Cookbook? What cookbook? Today many of us turn to our favorite online search engines to discover how to prepare different foods and find what to make for dinner tonight. It can be a great technique. “There is unlimited info at your fingertips that can be accessed in a matter of seconds,” says virtual performance nutritionist Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, CSSD. 

Still, your searches could probably be more effective. Use Sass’s tips below to stop wasting time and more easily find just what you’re looking for.

Be specific. “Chicken recipe” has more than 1.2 billion hits. This could lead you down a rabbit hole of clicks and tabs until you find a recipe that not only screams out to your taste buds but that you also have the ingredients and time to make. 

Instead, check your fridge and pantry to see what ingredients you have on hand and also consider what flavors you’re in the mood for—such as Japanese or Cuban. Add a few more ingredients or flavors to your search. “I have searched for some combinations of words that I thought were obscure, like ‘bean recipes chia seeds’ and found some great on-point results,” Sass says. “You can also add words like ‘gluten-free’, ‘vegan’, ‘quick’, and ‘make-ahead’ to further narrow your results.”

Read the full recipe. Probably everyone has gone to make a delicious-sounding meal, only to realize they were supposed to prep a part of the recipe a day ago. While PB&J can always do in a pinch, you can avoid this snafu by checking all the steps and techniques and seeing how much time it says the recipe will take. 

Keep in mind that these times aren’t always how long you’ll need to prep and make it. Some of us chop onions faster than others. “In some cases, you can make modifications,” Sass says. “For example, if a recipe calls for making a dressing or sauce separately, you can opt for a healthy store-bought, ready-to-eat product and skip that step. While the dish may turn out a little different, the shortcut may be worthwhile.”

Check out any comments. “I’ve seen recipes that called for an item in the instructions that wasn’t listed on the ingredient list,” Sass says. “Commenters generally point these things out, or other factors to consider, like ingredients that can be added to enhance flavor or garnish the dish, or if the baking time required was more or less than the recipe stated.” Granted, we all have different taste preferences. But if several people note that the dish turned out dry, you may want to keep searching.

Look past the first page. Top recipe results tend to be from big players such as magazines, well-known recipe sites, and food bloggers with large social media followings, Sass notes. “Don’t narrow yourself to the first page of results,” she recommends. “You may find some great recipes on the tenth page of the Google search.”

Consider images carefully. You may salivate over the photos of perfectly iced keto doughnuts. But if you need to buy five ingredients plus a special pan to make them, is it really worth it? “Humans are very visual, so a great photo can ‘sell’ one recipe over another. But always read the recipe before you decide, to be sure you’re OK with the ingredients, number of steps, complexity, and length of time required,” Sass says. On the other hand, some recipes look more intimidating than they are to make, she adds, so don’t overlook that seemingly gourmet lasagna.

Search for brands. Have a hummus you love? Chances are, they not only have recipes on their site, but bloggers have probably posted recipes using the hummus too. Sass suggests adding specific branded ingredients (think: mustard, hot sauce, plant-based milks) you love to your search box to find these dishes. And remember: You don’t need to have that brand in your fridge to make the recipe, as long as you have the ingredient.

The post The Best Way to Find Your Next Dinner Recipe Online appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/find-your-next-dinner-recipe-online/

Healthy Recipe: Garlic Butter Shrimp with Tomato Farro Risotto

This mouthwatering seafood menu item will have your family and friends thinking you spent hours in the kitchen. Farro risotto is a simpler and more wholesome spin on regular risotto, without sacrificing the creamy and chewy consistency. A protein-rich plant, farro can be used as a healthy alternative to rice, being 100 percent whole grain and high in fiber and iron. Each bite of this dish is infused with rich tomato flavor; plus, it’s complemented deliciously by the garlic butter shrimp.

The best part? It tastes fabulous both warm and at room temperature; perfect for family dinner as well as prepped for lunch the next day. With just a fresh squeeze of lemon and some finely chopped basil, this recipe turns into a delicious shrimp and farro salad.

INGREDIENTS: 

1 ½ quart (1.4 L) chicken stock, low sodium
1 can diced tomatoes, no salt added

1 cup farro, rinsed
¼  teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ cup grated Asiago cheese
1 lb (500 g) jumbo shrimp (about 13-15), peeled, deveined, tail on
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
Basil
Juice from 1 lemon
Cherry tomatoes, halved

INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat chicken stock and diced tomatoes in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add rinsed farro, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes; then reduce to medium-high heat and leave uncovered for 30 minutes, or until farro is tender with an al-dente, chewy center. Remove from heat and stir in Asiago cheese, cover, and set aside.

Pat the shrimp dry. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat, then add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until aromatic. Place shrimp onto the skillet in one layer and cook shrimp for three to four minutes per side, stirring them in the garlic and butter, and then flip them until shrimp is pink and cooked through.

Serve shrimp over tomato farro risotto. For a bright and fresh pop of flavor, top this dish with cherry tomatoes, chopped basil, and a fresh squeeze of lemon. 

Makes four servings.

NUTRITION FACTS (PER SERVING): 

Calories 420

Protein 34 g

Total fat 13 g

Saturated fat 6 g

Cholesterol 170 mg

Carbs 44 g

Fiber 4 g

Total sugars 4 g

Added sugars 0 g

Sodium 1,020 mg*

*Note: Some shrimp can be high in sodium as it may have been washed in a salt solution during processing. So, if you’re keeping an eye on your sodium intake chat to your grocer or fishmonger to find a lower-sodium option.

Powered by ESHA Nutrient Data, © 2020 ESHA Research, Inc.

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source https://blog.fitbit.com/garlic-butter-shrimp/

Talk to Your Kids About Stress, Especially Right Now

Unlike toilet paper, there’s been no shortage of stress in 2020. And since many households continue to play triple duty as office and school, chances are, if you have kids, they’ve seen you stressed. The next time this happens, don’t try to hide it. 

Based on a recent study, the thinking that parents—particularly of young children—should hide any negative emotions from their kids is well-intentioned but inaccurate. Not only is it good to share your feelings with your children, most of the time, they can pick up on your mood. 

We talked with experts to learn how this happens, the benefits of talking to your kids about your stress, and the best ways to do so.  

Kids Know Stress When They Sense It

Even if you think you’re concealing your stress, your children are probably noticing it and acting based off of their intuition. In a study published in the Journal of Family Psychology, researchers found that when moms tried to suppress their stress, their children actually showed more signs of stress. This effect didn’t happen when dads hid their distress or when parents acted normally and didn’t try to conceal their emotions.

“We think perhaps dads were working harder to have these conversations that they don’t typically have with their kids and also working hard to be tuned into how their kids are feeling,” lead study author Sara Waters, PhD, explains of the parental difference. “This helped them become sensitive to their child’s stress in their body, and that then translated to stress in the dads’ bodies.”

It may also be that, in general, men are more likely to suppress emotions as a go-to strategy to deal with feelings, adds Waters, an assistant professor of human development in Washington State University’s Department of Human Development. It could also be that kids are generally used to their mom being more expressive, including in situations with no stress involved. So, “when kids come into a space with their mom and mom isn’t showing any emotion, that may be weird, so kids pay particular attention to mom. That may be less true with dads.”

Why You Shouldn’t Hide Your Stress

As the study suggests, it’s best to let your kids know that mommy and daddy aren’t always happy. Here’s why.

It helps de-stigmatize negative feelings. “While we don’t want to yell and scream in front of our kids, they are very tuned into how we are actually feeling,” Waters says. If we hide our feelings, “we’re teaching them that we can’t talk about feelings, that it’s not safe to say, ‘I’m not fine,’” she explains. “When parents can share their emotions with their kids, we are helping them become more emotionally resilient and skillful.”

It can reassure them. Discussing emotions can help kids see it’s not their fault that you’re stressed or acting differently, says Divya K. Chhabra, MD, a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist. “Kids will sometimes internalize and think they are the reason parents are stressed. Younger kids especially can developmentally not see their parents outside of their relationship, and not see that there are outside things causing mom or dad’s stress,” she explains.

You set an example. Say you’re working from home and your child is doing online schooling. One day, your boss chides you on a Zoom call, and it has you stressed. Take this as an opportunity. If you have a young child, you can say something like, “I just got out of a really upsetting meeting. It was tiring and stressful. I’m going to take some deep breaths to calm down. Would you like to breathe with me?” This example not only explains how you are feeling but also demonstrates a coping strategy, Waters explains. You’re showing that you can still function when things are difficult.

How to Talk to Your Kids About Stress

There are better ways to discuss your stress with your kids. Follow these expert tips.

Don’t try to use your kid as a therapist. “It’s not your child’s responsibility to make negative feelings go away,” Chhabra says. So rather than make your kid your therapist, find a way to express how you are feeling that’s appropriate for their developmental level. And, as mentioned above, it’s helpful to consider asking younger children to join you in a healthy coping activity.  

Make talking about feelings a regular thing. Maybe you go around the dinner table and say your mood or one positive thing and one negative thing from your day, Chhabra suggests. This helps normalize talking about emotions, rather than feelings being something that’s discussed only when a problem arises—or feelings never being talked about.

Bring it up with them. You can also discuss things that you noticed, such as, “It looked like you were having a hard time staying engaged in class today. Do you want to talk about it?” Waters adds that talking isn’t the only way to express and get feelings out. Children (and adults!) can draw or move their bodies, so you may want to suggest those to your child too

Don’t worry about being perfect. “It’s OK to make a mistake once in a while,” Chhabra says. “Model for your kids that you can make a mistake and recover from it. The most important thing is for kids to know you are trying.

The post Talk to Your Kids About Stress, Especially Right Now appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

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

Healthy Recipe: Healthier Whipped Dalgona Coffee

If you’re looking for a morning pick me up that has a little more going for it than a classic cold brew, look no further. This Korean coffee drink, called Dalgona or whipped coffee, is the latest trend to try. It’s a delicious beverage made by whipping equal amounts of instant coffee powder, sugar, and hot water until it’s creamy enough to add to hot or cold milk. The end result is kind of like an upside-down latte. 

It’s easily customizable; you can stick with dairy milk for a more classic coffee beverage, or opt for the non-dairy milk of your choice, as we have in the recipe below. And of course, hot or cold is up to you! To make it healthier, stick to just one teaspoon of sugar and add a dash of cinnamon to enhance the coffee flavor. This recipe calls for honey as it’s sweetener of choice, but regular sugar works, too.

With this easy recipe, you’ll have a delicious coffee drink to serve at brunch, or to sip during your morning meeting! Note: Although it’s fun to squeeze in a mini workout, you can replace the whisk with a food processor to achieve a faster final product (and to avoid getting a cramp in your hand!). 

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons instant coffee

1 teaspoon honey or sugar

¼ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

2 tablespoons hot water

½ cup non-dairy milk like soy

1 cup ice

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine the instant coffee, honey, cinnamon (if using), and hot water in a medium bowl. Whisk for five minutes until thick and creamy.

Add ice to glass and top with milk of your choice. Spoon the whipped coffee on top in a thick layer to fill the glass. Serve and enjoy!

Makes one serving. 

NUTRITION FACTS (PER SERVING):

Calories 80

Protein 4 g

Total fat 2 g

Saturated fat 0 g

Cholesterol 0 mg

Carbs 12 g

Fiber 0 g

Total sugars 6 g

Added sugars 6 g

Sodium 45 mg

Powered by ESHA Nutrient Data, © 2020 ESHA Research, Inc.

The post Healthy Recipe: Healthier Whipped Dalgona Coffee appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/healthy-whipped-coffee/

Fitbit Research in Europe Reveals Renewed Focus on Our Health During COVID-19 Restrictions

Now more than ever our personal health has come into sharp focus because of the impact COVID-19 has had everywhere, especially in Europe. And everyone wants to make informed decisions about our psychological and physical needs no matter what country we live in.

When the first wave of the virus hit at the start of the year, everything felt a bit overwhelming on so many fronts. We all have had first-hand experience of how the pandemic’s rolling restrictions and lockdowns can impact us, but our ongoing experience can be used to channel positive outcomes for our overall well being.

New global data from Fitbit shows how Fitbit users around the globe have embraced new activities to help manage our new normal. To determine how the global pandemic is affecting consumers in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, Fitbit analyzed the responses from a recent survey conducted by a third party on behalf of Fitbit in August 2020 of more than 14,000 people in France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, UAE, and the UK. The Fitbit research team also analyzed aggregated and anonymous data from February to September 2019 versus the same period in 2020 for those same countries, including step count, active minutes, sleep patterns, and activity types.

How People View Their Personal Health and Wellbeing 

According to the survey responses, people are indeed becoming more conscious of their personal health and wellbeing due to COVID-19. Some things such as respondents’ attention to their health and level of activity, along with improving their sleep practices, are all changes for the better, but other changes to respondents’ health, such as feeling increased stress levels, are being brought into focus as areas where help may be needed. 

Prior to the restrictions and lockdown in these countries, only 22 percent of respondents said that they paid a lot of attention to their personal health, compared to 42 percent now. Also, 63 percent of respondents stated that they are now more likely to prioritise their health than before. 

When analysing physical activity and how COVID-19 affected users when restrictions hit, Fitbit users activity levels reduced and step counts have also declined due to a variety of reasons including less natural moments of activity throughout the day. Fitbit users seem to be missing the simple daily routine activities such as walking the kids to school or taking the stairs during our coffee breaks at work.

As noted above, the Fitbit research team found that users’ activity levels and step counts are down. However, an important factor to note is that the intensity of the activity, such as going for a run or doing a workout, has increased—in particular females across Europe increased the intensity of their active minutes. This may demonstrate that female Fitbit users, in particular, in the countries listed above, are learning new ways to deal with the changes that COVID-19 has brought about. 

From these research findings, we see why it is important to focus on the positive changes brought about due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and continue prioritizing our health for the rest of this year and into 2021. How we understand these changes can help the personal and public health challenge ahead of us all. 

Similarly to Fitbit users, we were also encouraged to see that nearly over a third of survey respondents (38 percent), believe they developed healthier habits and behaviours during the pandemic such as eating and drinking better and improving their sleep practices. The age group showing the greatest attention to their personal health were those ages 18-24 years old. 

In fact, during COVID-19, 44 percent of survey respondents noted that they saw an improvement in their overall sleep duration with many respondents going to bed earlier (32 percent) in order to get a longer night’s rest.

These positive changes were also mirrored in the Fitbit user data across Europe with total sleep duration increasing an average of 10 to 20 minutes per night, compared to the same period last year. Most notably, women aged between 18-29 benefited from an additional 19 minutes per night during lockdown.

Increased Stress Levels

Survey respondents also noted that stress is now a bigger factor in their lives than ever before. Key findings include:

• 50 percent of respondents said their stress levels are higher now than before COVID-19 
• In particular, the younger age groups seem to suffer most, with 56 percent of of 18-24 years old experiencing increased stress levels 
• Survey respondents also noted the various areas of their life affected by increased stress levels included, mood (47 percent), lack of energy (37 percent) and inability to concentrate (27 percent)
• Working from home also brought stressful challenges for the survey respondents, with the primary issue being the inability to differentiate between work and personal life with 38 percent saying they struggled to distinguish between the working day and the weekend.
• In addition, 42 percent of respondents stated they worked more hours while working from home and as a result of their new working arrangements, 26 percent struggled with a negative impact on their mental health.

With rising stress levels, Fitbit data has also shown us that itbit users are coping with  stress by increasing meditation practice. Across EMEA for all age groups Fitbit users shifted to more  mindfulness exercises.

Other coping mechanisms that were revealed in the survey included listening to music (45 percent), outdoor activities such as walking or hiking (27 percent), and talking to friends (25 percent).

As a Fitbit user, being able to tune into your body and recognise the early signs of stress can help you take action and bring moments of calm into your day, especially in this current climate.

To help you manage your own stress consider these practices: 

• Be proactive and mindful. Be aware of your stressors and consider mindfulness practices such as meditation 
• Get more deep sleep. Sleep and stress are linked so getting deep sleep may help to reduce anxiety. This kind of sleep restores activity in the brain regions that keep us calm
• Get outside. Take some time in the outdoors and amongst nature which may help a positive mood shift. Use this time to mindfully focus on your breath and surroundings 
• Think about variety. To help motivate you to continue to move, don’t be afraid to switch up your exercise routine from time to time.

In an effort to help consumers tackle the challenges presented by stress, Fitbit recently launched Fitbit Sense with the world’s first electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor on a smartwatch to help manage stress. The combined on-device and in-app stress management experience with Fitbit Sense gives users insights into their body’s response to stress with tools to help you manage both their physical and mental stress. It can also help users track key trends in your health and wellbeing, with a new Stress Management Score based on heart rate, sleep, and activity levels. 

As the number of COVID-19 cases begins to increase again and with further restrictions coming into force in Europe, we can take learnings from these findings that may help us optimise our overall health and wellbeing, especially as we enter into the winter months. 

The post Fitbit Research in Europe Reveals Renewed Focus on Our Health During COVID-19 Restrictions appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/fitbit-research-in-europe/