Category: Blog

women having exercise using dumbbells
May 4, 2022
Blog, Employee wellness

Add virtual fitness classes to your employee wellness program

Virtual fitness classes are a winning addition to any employee wellness program for a number of reasons. In fact, it’s predicted that employers will be adding more virtual fitness classes to their programs this year. Read on for some reasons you should consider incorporating these classes into your programs.

Virtual Fitness Classes are Convenient

Who wants to get sweaty right in the middle of their workday and then go back to their desk? Most people probably don’t. Providing a workout opportunity to folks while they’re working remotely is much more convenient as they don’t have to worry about being in the office and they are able to hop in the shower afterwards.

They Make Movement Easier

We all know that we shouldn’t sit for too long and should take breaks to move around. However, this can be very challenging when we are left to our own devices. Offering a structured opportunity for movement makes it more likely that employees will take a break from sitting.

Virtual Classes Take the Pressure Off

The thought of participating in structured physical activity with co-workers can intimidate a lot of folks. And doing that activity in fitness clothes makes it that much more daunting. Participating from a location away from co-workers and also being able to turn off the camera may make folks more likely to participate. This also puts folks at ease in terms of going at their own pace and choosing different variations for each exercise based on their level.

They’re Adaptable for Hybrid Teams

If you have a hybrid team, you can provide a fitness class for folks on and off site very simply thanks to technology. This could look like gathering on-site employees into a common space to participate in a virtual class with the remote team or it could be on-site folks taking a live class that is streamed to the remote team.

Affordability

Virtual fitness classes often cost less than other on-site activities.

I’ve had a lot of fun teaching virtual fitness classes to employees over the last several years. I’ve taught teams who all have their cameras off and I’ve also had teams that chit chat the whole time and sing along with the playlist. Either way, I love doing it and it’s been a fantastic benefit to the teams I’ve worked with.

View my virtual fitness class offerings here

bread food healthy beach
May 2, 2022
Blog

3 Myths about Gluten

Myths about gluten have been circulating more and more over the last several years. Indeed, as awareness of celiac and the popularity of gluten free foods have increased, myths have been multiplying. The potential to make money off this awareness only increases the potential for misinformation to crop up. In this post, I break down the 3 myths about gluten that I hear most often.

Myth 1: Gluten sensitivity and celiac are the same

Gluten sensitivity is characterized by discomfort, such as gas and bloating, following the consumption of gluten. Generally, the symptoms are not as severe or lasting as those of celiac. Furthermore, gluten sensitivity is not a gluten allergy because with a sensitivity gluten does not trigger an immune system response. There is no reliable test for gluten sensitivity.

With celiac disease, an autoimmune response to gluten causes inflammation and severe gastric symptoms. Over time, repeat exposure to gluten in someone with celiac will cause intestinal damage and related issues. To treat gluten sensitivity and celiac disease as the same trivializes the severity of celiac as even trace amounts of gluten can cause devastating symptoms in someone with celiac.

Myth 2: Gluten free foods are healthier

As awareness of issues around gluten rose, loads of gluten free fad diets and “detox” programs emerged and production of gluten free products skyrocketed. And with all of that came this idea that gluten free foods are healthier for you than foods with gluten.

The fact is that, unless you have gluten sensitivity, allergy, or celiac, there really isn’t any benefit to be gained from choosing gluten-free versions of food products. And if you’re seeking weight loss by eating gluten free foods, there really isn’t much calorie difference.

Myth 3: Gluten is unhealthy and we should all avoid it

This myth rests at the crux of the gluten-free detox fads and there is no evidence backing it up. Consuming gluten is detrimental if you have sensitivity, allergy, or celiac. However, for someone without these conditions, consuming gluten causes no harm.

If you suspect you are reacting to gluten in some way, please consult with your doctor for testing and diagnosis.

red white and yellow medication pills
April 27, 2022
Blog

MLM Supplements: Why I’m not a Fan

MLM supplements are a big thing now. Dozens of MLM companies are churning them out alongside their beauty products and essential oils. They come with loads of promises about what they can do for you, their purity, how they were tested. But are they worth it?

As a rule, I suggest my clients avoid MLM supplements. Ultimately, everyone can choose what they do and do not ingest. But for me, the risks involved here are just not worth it.

Minimal Regulation of the Supplement Industry

Here in the US, there isn’t much regulation of the supplement industry. This means that the FDA does not require supplement products be tested before hitting the market. Instead, it’s not until an issue arises that the FDA investigates. Because of this, there are supplements for sale that: a.) are more or less potent than they claim to be; b.) are adulterated with substances not listed on the label, or c.) bear inaccurate labels. Additionally, supplement companies cannot make unsubstantiated claims about the effects of their products. However, that does not stop numerous MLM distributors from doing so. In fact, from April to June of 2020 alone the FDA sent warning letters to 16 different MLM companies for their distributors making false claims about their products’ ability to protect against Covid-19. As I stated before, these issues aren’t reeled in until the FDA receives complaints.

Supplement Interactions

Many folks fail to recognize that dietary supplements are not totally innocuous. Several vitamins and minerals run the risk of toxicity when taken in excess. Additionally, some supplements can interact with prescription drugs. For these reasons, I recommend that my clients work with their physician and avoid independently starting a supplement routine.

MLM Company Structure

MLMs or Multi-Level Marketing Companies have a structure that differs from other business models. Just below corporate are the top sellers in the company. These are the lucky ones who got in early and have developed extensive downlines – or a network of sellers beneath them. Each of those sellers has their own downline and so on and so forth. Those at the top make money from the work of all the sellers beneath them.

Sellers can make money selling the product, However, it’s not very much and most MLMs require sellers to make their own monthly minimum purchase. Where the money is truly made is in recruiting more sellers to your downline. There is typically a significant recruitment bonus to be had plus the commission of the starter kits the new sellers must purchase to join. To make any significant money in an MLM, a seller must have developed a large downline with several levels of sellers.

Thus, in an MLM structure, the money is made from recruiting more sellers, not from selling products. Therefore, an MLM company has very little reason to invest in creating quality products. As MLM reps are told, it’s about selling the “opportunity.”

Do I feel OK about buying a product with little to no regulation from a company with little to no incentive to make a quality product from someone with little or no training in nutrition? No. Not at all.

MLM Supplements from Untrained Sellers

The vast majority of MLM sellers possess no training in nutrition and, yet, they sell nutrition products. So who do you go to when you have a bad reaction to that product? Who do you go to when you have questions about it? Exactly. You can’t ask the seller. And corporate certainly won’t respond. And doctors can’t be knowledgeable about every product on the market.

For these reasons, when it comes to MLM supplements, I advise avoiding them. I also recommend speaking to a physician before supplementing. Finally, I recommend consulting independent resources such as www.labdoor.com or www.consumerlab.com to choose a reputable product.

women performing yoga on green grass near trees
April 25, 2022
Blog, Employee wellness

Engage remote workers with wellness programs

As the pandemic shifted our workplace paradigm to include working from home, many managers have been left asking how to engage remote workers.

Indeed, many employers are struggling with employee engagement in a remote world. Solutions to this issue require some creativity and commitment but it can be done. Incorporating an employee wellness program can be a great way to kill two birds with one stone: offer a new enticing benefit and use it as a way to engage remote workers.

Here are some ways you can use your employee wellness programs as a tool to engage or re-engage your remote team.

Engage remote workers by making your wellness programming a group activity.

For example, hold a virtual healthy cooking class where employees can prep the food along with the host and include time for socializing while folks enjoy their final products.

Theme your virtual fitness classes.

Encourage participants to turn on their cameras, dress to the theme, and have fun with it. Maybe the soundtrack could be all contributions from the team.

Involve your workforce in the planning process.

Engage remote workers by asking them what types of programs would meet their needs. Then use those suggestions in planning your programs. Alternatively, create an employee wellness committee that meets regularly to plan out programming.

Keep programs as interactive as possible.

No one wants to sit and listen to someone talk on Zoom for 50 minutes or even 30 minutes for that matter! Work with your wellness program provider to make sure that there are interactive components like break out rooms, polls, games, and group activities included in their sessions. The more opportunities to hear from and interact with their colleagues the better!

Add a special touch.

Provide yoga mats, wooden utensils with your company logo, or another small gift as a reminder of the community you and your employees belong to. Check out my friend Gail Zona for some great, handmade, personalized corporate gifts.

Solicit feedback from employees after each session.

This can reassure employees that you want to make sure the programs are supportive to them. It follows, then, that their feedback should then be taken into account in the future.

Make participation feasible and desirable.

Low turnout is a very common issue reported by employers regarding their wellness programs. And an empty wellness program doesn’t help engagement very much. It’s important that employees understand the value of the program and are actually able to participate in it. So clearly communicate how the wellness programs will support your remote workers’ specific needs and ensure they have the time and opportunity to join in.

Avoid activities that could be exclusionary.

For example, virtual wine pairings could leave some team members out but maybe a virtual mocktail/cocktail class could work. Exercise challenges also tend to be an exclusionary program. Aim for variety in your offerings so there is something for everyone. 

woman sitting in front of macbook
April 20, 2022
Blog, Employee wellness

How to help employees manage workplace stress

Since April is Stress Awareness Month, I think it’s worth looking at how managers can help their employees manage workplace stress.

Prior to the pandemic, a Metlife survey found that 60% of employees believed supporting mental well-being should NOT be an employer’s responsibility. However, their most recent survey found that now 62% DO believe it should be an employer’s responsibility. And I agree!

Think about it:  Let’s say you work 40 hours per week. Multiply that by 50 (assuming 2 weeks vacation), that’s 2000 hours per year which is about 23% of your year. But, realistically, many of us, perhaps most of us, are working more in the range of 50-60 hours per week (or we don’t have or use our PTO). So that is about 1/3 of your year spent at work! That translates to tremendous potential for work to impact your mental well-being.

Furthermore, we know that employee burnout is not only a massive problem but also that it’s a systemic issue, not an individual employee issue. This further underscores the need for employer support for mental well-being.

How to Manage Workplace Stress

I think of stress management as a 2-part process:

  1. Minimizing the stressors within your control
  2. Mitigating the effects of the stressors outside of your control

As you can see, part 1 is proactive and part 2 is reactive. Very often we only think about the reactive part because the proactive part has a lot to do with saying “no” and having boundaries, which can be uncomfortable.

It can be extremely challenging for employees in particular to take action on part 1. But it’s essential because reactive stress management can only get you so far. Once the waters get too deep, you can’t get your head above them. And we know that unrelenting and unmitigated stress is a major contributor to burnout.

Employees must be able to advocate for themselves when it comes to their workload and managers must make that doable. This comes from open communication, workplace culture, modeling balancing behaviors, among other strategies.

So, as part of Stress Awareness Month, I encourage all managers reading this to ask yourself these questions:

  • Do your employees feel empowered and comfortable to turn down tasks they don’t have to take on immediately?
  • Do they feel like they are able to approach you and ask for help prioritizing their workload?
  • Are they able to ask for support with their workload without fear of adverse consequences?

If you answered no to any of those, how can you make the workplace more amenable to help employees proactively manage workplace stress?

clean clear cold drink
April 18, 2022
Blog

Does the alkaline diet work?

Does the alkaline diet work? Is it safe? How does it work? Here is what you need to know.

What is the alkaline diet?

The alkaline diet is based on the debunked theory that the foods we eat can alter our body’s pH. Essentially, eating acidic foods decreases your body’s pH (making it more acidic) and that makes it a more amenable environment for cancer and other health conditions. Additionally, alkaline diet proponents claim that acidic foods leave behind “acid ash” in your body which promotes conditions like osteoporosis.

In order to promote better health, the alkaline dieter severely restricts or eliminates “acidic” foods like meat, fish, dairy, eggs, grains, and alcohol. Neutral foods like ‘natural” fats, starches, and sugars, and basic or alkaline foods like fruits, nuts, legumes, and veggies are OK.

The alkaline diet emerged in the 90s as the creation of a man named Robert Young who claimed the diet could treat cancer. He was later sued and arrested for practicing medicine without a license. So…that says something about his diet creation.

Is it safe?

The alkaline diet comes with its share of risks, as does any diet that requires you to eliminate large numbers of foods from your diet. The most obvious risk is nutrient deficiency, such as iron, B12, B6, and protein. In addition to the issues that deficiencies in those nutrients can cause, there is also a risk of muscle loss with this diet as well.

Does the alkaline diet work?

The short answer is no. You simply cannot change your body’s pH with the foods you eat and that’s a good thing! The pH of our blood falls between 7.35-7.45 and the pH of our cells falls between 7.0-7.4. So our body’s pH is actually already slightly alkaline! That pH MUST stay within that range or else our cells cannot function properly. You can’t alter your body’s pH with food. If it were that easy, we would all die.

There is 0 scientific evidence to back up the alkaline diet. In fact, the WHO actually advises against the consumption of alkaline water.

Proponents often claim the alkaline diet promotes weight loss. However, any weight lost during the alkaline diet does not result from a change in body pH but rather an increase in produce consumption, which is less caloric. You can eat more produce without eliminating large swathes of foods from your diet and risking nutrient deficiency.

So the short answer to the question “does the alkaline diet work” is a resounding no.

group of people watching on laptop
April 13, 2022
Blog, Employee wellness

Fixing low turnout for your employee wellness program

One of the objections to employee wellness programs that I frequently hear is previously they experienced low turnout.

As a wellness program provider, I have heard this several times from businesses of different sizes and across different industries. Getting solid participation in employee wellness programs can be a challenge. And creating incentive to participate without crossing over into coercion can be equally challenging. 

So what is an employer to do to increase low turnout?

The first step is to really be in touch with your workforce.

  1. Survey your workforce to determine which wellness topics and program types appeal to them the most.
  2. Pay attention to workloads and deadlines. You can have the greatest program lined up, but if employees don’t feel they can attend because of deadlines or an overwhelming workload, they won’t make it. You need to be strategic about the timing of your programs and/or find ways to make it easier for staff to attend. 
  3. Don’t forget about the quiet ones. There tends to be a group of frequent flyers in every office – the outgoing, more gregarious employees who live to participate in group activities. How can you reach out to the quieter, less outgoing staff members to encourage them to join in? This could mean personal invitations, different types of events where the social pressure isn’t so high, or asking them specifically what they are looking for. 
  4. Aim for more variety in your offerings. There are many reasons why folks opt out of participating in wellness programs. For example, a healthy eating seminar could be triggering for a staff member who is in recovery from an eating disorder. A group fitness classes may be intimidating to staffers with diverse bodies or abilities. Offering variety ensures you’re not alienating subpopulations of staffers from an entire series. 

Offer incentives to participate

But be sure those incentives don’t turn into penalties for not participating.

  1. One type of incentive is to simply make it easy for staff to attend. This could be blocking off time on the calendar for everyone to avoid meeting conflicts, frequent reminders of the program, making a live and a virtual option available, to name a few.
  2. You could offer small prizes for participation, like entry into a raffle or small gifts like a yoga mat. Keeping it small is ket not just for your budget but for also ensuring participation is still optional.
  3. Avoid the participation challenge approach where the more events attended increases an employee’s odds of winning. This approach can expose disparities in the workplace, engendering resentment among staff (ex. Why is his workload so light?). It can also alienate certain staff members if not enough variety is offered.
  4. Do not make participation mandatory. Sure this is a great way to get your attendance numbers up, but folks may not get much out of the program and you also run the risk of unwittingly doing harm to staff members who would otherwise have not participated for personal reasons (see point 4 above). 

Keep in mind there are a number of reasons for historically low turnout and many have nothing to do with the program itself. Rather than giving up on offering something of value to employees, troubleshoot the situation and seek out creative solutions.

people raising their hands
April 11, 2022
Blog, Employee wellness

How to make your employee wellness program more inclusive

How can you make your employee wellness program more inclusive?

Over the years, I’ve heard some upsetting stories about workplace wellness programs – from cultural foods being dismissed as unhealthy to stigmatizing weight loss challenges, from culturally insensitive remarks to employees being pushed, pulled, and prodded to explain why they don’t want to participate.

While there are plenty of good intentions out there, we can’t overlook the fact that the wellness industry has an exclusivity problem. And, if we’re being honest, the American workplace does, too. If employees feel uncomfortable, singled out, or stressed out by a company wellness program, then that program is harming their wellness rather than helping it.

Here are some tips to help make your employee wellness program more inclusive:

  • Consider your workforce’s cultural and ethnic composition. Many nutrition programs take a white-centric approach and mistakenly assume all cultural foods are unhealthy. Not only is this untrue, it is also stigmatizing to have a nutrition professional dismiss an entire culture’s foods. Employees should not feel self-conscious bringing their cultural foods into work for lunch.
  • Consider your workforce’s overall socioeconomic status. If a company’s wages are relatively low, advising its employees to “shop the perimeter” of the grocery store (ie. only buy fresh produce and meats) is not particularly helpful since it may be economically unfeasible. Your wellness program must propose accessible solutions to your employees to be helpful.
  • Avoid weight loss challenges. These challenges are incredibly stigmatizing to employees in larger bodies, making the workplace an uncomfortable and sometimes hostile place. These may also be triggering to employees with a history of eating disorders and disordered eating. Finally, the data shows these challenges are completely ineffective as employees don’t make lasting healthful changes. So why risk harming the well-being of some staffers?
  • Incentivizing participation is great, but keep in mind that employees may have their own personal reasons for not participating that they are not obligated to disclose to you. For example, an employee in eating disorder recovery may choose not to participate in a healthy cooking class that discusses calorie counting. An employee with a larger body may feel too self-conscious to participate in a fitness class. Participating in certain activities may be considered inappropriate in some employees’ culture. The workplace needs to be a safe space where employees feel free to choose whether to participate in activities based on the reasons important to them.

Your HR department should be heavily involved in planning your wellness programs to help ensure company demographics are considered. Be sure to share a company profile with your prospective wellness program providers including that workforce composition information and ask them what they propose in light of that information. You could also request to see examples of their previous programming for other companies to get an idea of whether they are appropriate for your workforce.

group of people wearing blue and red shirts
Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com
dinnerware set on brown wooden table
April 8, 2022
Blog

Eating after 7 PM

Does eating after 7 pm cause weight gain, really?

Many of us have heard this and believe that food eaten after a certain time is automatically stored as fat. 

The good news is that this is not true. But there are some reasons to be cautious about eating too late at night. 

First thing’s first, there is no time after which your body automatically stores the food you eat as fat. Furthermore, your digestion doesn’t just stop when you go to sleep. Sleep is actually quite an active time for our bodies and they need fuel to carry important processes. Our bodies process food eaten later at night the same way as the food you eat earlier in the day. 

Where did the myth of eating after 7 pm come from?

This myth partly arose from the fact that, in American society, we tend to eat our most calorie-dense meal at night. On top of that, many of us snack after that dinner. So that evening eating could place us into a calorie surplus, leading to weight gain. Therefore, if we stop eating after 7 pm, we most likely inadvertently reduce our calorie intake, possibly creating a calorie deficit which could lead to weight loss. As you can see, it has nothing to do with timing and everything to do with the amount of food eaten.  

So should I eat at night or not?

Eating larger meals close to bedtime could cause heartburn or GI upset as we lie down before that food has been digested and moved out of our stomach. That discomfort can disrupt our sleep which, when experienced chronically, can create other issues.

So what should you do if you are hungry close to bedtime? My advice? Eat. If you choose to ignore that hunger, you could lose sleep because of it. You could also wake up ravenous and eat in ways you normally wouldn’t and that don’t resonate with your goals. If you do need to eat close to bedtime, keep it on the lighter side of things (avoid acidic foods) and eat just enough to be satisfied. This should help prevent any GI upset. 

person in red blazer sitting at the table
April 7, 2022
Blog, Employee wellness

How to find time to eat at work

As more of us are returning to the workplace, I’m hearing very frequently from folks that they are finding it difficult to find time to eat at work. As a result, many find themselves ravenous when they return home, leading them to overeat or make food choices they would not have otherwise.

What Happens When We Undereat During Our Workday

A number of issues arise when we fail to eat during our workday. For one, our energy levels drop and it becomes hard to focus. Our performance may suffer, whether we realize it or not. That extreme hunger can also impact our mood and, by extension, our relationships with our coworkers and staff. Failing to provide our bodies with ample nutrition during the day also makes us less resilient to stress. When we do get to eat and overdo it, that often results in feelings of guilt, shame, and regret, further contributing to our stress levels and sometimes leading to unhealthy behaviors to compensate. Finally, eating too much too late can disrupt our sleep, which can affect our performance, stress levels, and immune system function.

How to Make It Easier to Find Time to Eat at Work

Ideally, we make time for at least a lunch break each day, but sometimes that’s not possible. If you find yourself struggling to pull yourself away from your work, it’s important to make it as easy as possible to eat.

What to Eat at Work

When eating at work, we want to make sure that we have enough energy and are feeling satisfied throughout the day. The key to achieving this is balanced snacking. Combining protein, complex carbohydrates, and fat will provide the calories and nutrition we need.

  • Protein – provides fullness and satiety for longer periods
  • Complex Carbohydrates – provides steady, lasting energy levels
  • Fat – contributes to satisfaction as well as energy

Here are some nutritious snacks that will hit the mark on this:

  • Starkist tuna packet with whole grain crackers
  • Crunchy chick pea or edamame snacks
  • Jerky
  • Protein bars
  • DIY trail mix: nuts, dried fruit, dark chocolate chips
  • Individual packs of almonds
  • Cheese stick with whole grain crackers
  • Apple with nut butter (individual packets of nut butter like Justin’s are super handy!)

You might have noticed that many of the examples above are shelf stable and/or transportable. That is entirely by design. Keeping snacks like these in your desk drawer or in your car makes it very easy for you to eat and make nutritious choices.

So that’s one step for making it easier for yourself to eat during the workday: keep simple snacks handy.

But what if you tend to look up at 4 pm and realize you haven’t eaten since 8 am?

A good solution for this issue is to set an alarm or calendar event for every 2 hours or so. When that alarm goes off, take a minute or two to check in with yourself: when was the last time you ate? Do you feel any signs of hunger right now? How is your energy? Your focus? If you’re feeling hungry, grab one of those easy snacks.

If you are able to make these small changes and increase the amount of food you eat during the work day, you will likely find you energy levels improve, your mood improves, and you feel more in control around food at the end of the day.

person in red blazer sitting at the table
Photo by Marcus Aurelius on Pexels.com
- Theme by Grace Themes

Download Your FREE Guide to Writing Your Food Story

Understanding where your eating habits came from is the first step to changing them. Download your free guide to writing your Food Story to dig in and start to understand your habits.

 

Enter your information below to receive yours!