BYU Wellness

Need a green St Patty’s Day recipe?? Here’s a fun, healthy and very green recipe for you to try! Get creative, mix and match, and make it your own! Swipe to see our green smoothie recipe variations for you to try!

Managing your finances is an important part of wellness! For example, buying a car is a big expense and takes a lot of planning and research. So here are some tips that will save you money!

- PAY CASH!!! You don’t have to go into debt to buy a car. Not only that but by paying cash, most of the time you can get the seller or dealership to lower the price so you wind up paying less on the car and you skip the interest on loans! But how? Check out the next tip.

- Instead if paying monthly payments on a loan to a bank, skip wasting money on interest and PAY YOURSELF every month the same amount you would pay towards a loan. Put those payments in a saving account in your bank and in only a year or so, you will have saved up enough to buy a car with cash! After buying the car, continue to pay yourself the monthly payment that way in a few years when you get tired of the car you bought, you will have saved up enough for a different car without even changing your budget or going into debt!

- Buy used cars! The price of new cars depreciate dramatically within a few months of owning it, making it hard to make a profit off it when you go to sell it. You can still get your dream car for cash and you can get it at a much lower price by buying it used.

- Do lots of research beforehand. Ask lots of questions. Verify the vehicle history by running the car facts. Determine a fair price. And get the vehicle checked.

Stay out of debt and get your dream vehicle! Sounds like a win-win!

This Salmon Cashew Pesto Pasta dish was created by and is sure to put a smile on your face! Not only is it delicious, but it’s healthy as well! How could you say no to that?? Check out her blog at
linktr.ee/thehealthychew for the recipe! Just search for the name of the dish!

This challenge pose is great for your arms and core! It strengthens your arms and wrists, stretches the upper back, strengthens your abdominal muscles and improves your balance!
This pose, though difficult, is still a beginner pose. So be patient with yourself because with practice, you can do it!
To do this pose:
-start in mountain pose with your feet a little more than shoulder width apart
-bend your knees and lower your hips till you come to a squatting position
-brig your thighs wide so they come just wider than the torso
-drop your torso forward slightly and press just above your elbows along the inside of your knees
-lean forward and bring your hands to the earth about shoulder width apart
-press your shins into the back of the upper arm and bring your knees as close to the underarms as possible
-roll onto your toes, then using your abdominal muscles and arm muscles to support you, lift your feet off the ground, leaning slightly more forward for balance
-hold this position. For more of a challenge, begin to straighten your elbows as you continue to hug your your arms with your knees and shins. Try to get to the point where you are resting on completely straight arms.
Happy practicing!!

Phytochemicals are naturally occurring chemicals found in plants. Research shows that when we eat phytochemical-rich food, our body processes are influenced in amazing ways.
Research shows that phytochemicals can:
- lower your risk of cancer
- lower risk for heart disease
- stimulate your immune system
- prevent DNA damage and help with DNA repair
- help regulate hormones
- and SO MUCH MORE

Phytochemicals are found in fruits and veggies and are what give them their color, smell and flavor. The more variety of fruits and veggies you get in your diet, the greater the number and variety of phytochemicals you get in your body!
Try getting more of a variety of fruits and veggies in your diet this week! Your body will thank you for it!
&veggies

Balance is one of the 4 types of exercise that we need to complete a healthy workout routine! Balance exercises are not just for the elderly, but those who have lost weight, gained weight, are pregnant, involved in sports and just about everyone else! They help with daily activities such as walking and climbing stairs, they prevent falls, and improve your ability to control and stabilize your body.
There are many exercises you can do to improve your balance but here is one idea.
For this exercise you will start by standing straight, activating your leg muscles and core.
Bring your arms straight out in front of you and lift one leg off the ground.
Lower yourself so your raised leg, your spine and neck come to a straight line, parallel with the floor.
You can hang your arms down or keep them straight up by your ears if you want more of a challenge!

It’s time for the Semi-Annual Lazy Iron Man! For this event you have ALL of March to bike 112 miles, run 26.2 miles, and swim 2.4 miles! Register today on our website at wellness.byu.edu or at the RB info desk. Finishers get a t-shirt! Have fun, work hard, and good luck!

Shoutout to all our amazing advocates! We had a wonderful time celebrating you at the Advocate Banquet today! You are a great example of wellness in the way you live and you do a great job at encouraging your different departments to live healthy lifestyles as well! Your an inspiration and an important part of our program!! Thanks for all your hard work and exciting ideas!!

Thanks to everyone who came to our Back to the 80’s Walkabout today! We had a stellar time! We will be announcing the winners of the drawing on Friday so stay tuned!!!
#80’swalkabout #80’smusic

Are you craving a treat but don’t want to break your healthy streak? Here’s a healthy baking substitution tip that can satisfy both worlds!
Instead of baking with sugar, replace it with applesauce or honey!
1 cup of sugar has 774 calories where 1 cup of applesauce only has 102. Sugar has almost no nutrients but applesauce has 11% of the daily value of fiber and also has vitamin C! Honey is a natural sweetener that is loaded with antioxidants that will help your body in a number of ways!
Next time you crave a sweet treat, make it healthier by switching the sugar for applesauce or honey. 🍯

This chest and shoulder stretch is amazing!! And it’s great for all levels!
To do this stretch:
- lay on your belly (you can use a block to support your head or just rest it on the ground)
- reach out your left arm and place your palm on the floor
- turning your face to the right, bring your right leg and gently float it over your left till your foot touches the ground
- to take a deeper stretch, rotate your hips more towards that left side and bring your right hand behind your back. If the stretch is too intense, don’t rotate the hips as much and keep your right hand on the floor in front of you. You should feel the stretch in your chest and left shoulder.
- when your ready to come out, gently float your leg back over to the other side

Who knew a stretch could feel this good!?

Good communication is key for success in any relationship. Whether it’s with your significant other, your students, your friends or your coworkers, it’s essential to practice good communication skills!
Good communication will strengthen your relationships and help you work more as a team, creates less confusion and assumptions, encourages innovation and makes it possible for new ideas to be implemented to their fullest potential, and allows you to understand the skills and talents of others!
Some tips for improving communication are:
- listen to understand, not to respond. In actively listening, you come to understand the needs of others and how to best work with them.
- welcome feedback and ideas. Respect people for their differences in ideas and opinion.
- define goals and expectations and clearly communicate those things.
- use body language as well as your words to show genuine interest in others and share joy in their accomplishments.

Here is our next Weight training Wednesday tip! Having strong glute muscles is essential to help a lot of other muscles in your body! By strengthening your glutes, you help support your core, improve your posture, reduce knee pain and increase athletic performance.
This exercise is called the stability ball bridge and is great for the glutes, hamstrings and quads!
To do this exercise:
1. Lay flat on the ground and plant your feet firmly on the stability ball.
2. Raise your hips off the ground and create a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. Engage the glutes, hamstrings, quads and core.
3. Slowly bring hips back to the ground and repeat.

Looking for a quick, healthy snack?? These protein balls are sure to do the trick! Packed with nutrients, these protein balls only take 10 minutes to make! This is also one of those recipes that makes it easy to switch up the ingredients to give it the flavor your craving!
You will need:
- 1 1/2 cups oats
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup cashews (or nuts of your choice)
- 1/2 cup of dates (or 1 banana)
- 1/4 cup flax meal (or chia seeds)
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions:
- mix all ingredients in food processor or by hand
- roll into 1 inch balls
- store in fridge till ready to serve

It’s a long weekend! Here is a fun challenge pose you can practice for those next couple days we have off!
Dolphin pose stretches the shoulders, calves and hamstrings.
It strengthens the arms and legs. It is said to have a variety of benefits from relieving stress and fatigue to helping with headaches and back pain.

Steps:
1) Coming on to your hands and knees, lower down to put your forearms on the floor. Put your knees in line with your hips and your shoulders in line with your wrists.
2) As you exhale, lift your knees off the ground. Keep a slight bend in the knees at first. Lift your sitting bones towards the ceiling.
3) Continue pressing forearms into the floor. Firm your shoulder blades against your back.
4) straighten your knees if you can without letting the upper back round.
5) Remember to breath and not hold your breath. Exhale as you come down.

You can hold the pose for 30 seconds to a minute.

Good luck, have fun and be safe!

Happy Valentines Day!! Here is a tasty and super healthy treat you can use tonight or any day you have a sweet tooth craving! The fun part is you can shake up this recipe and make your own creation!

You will need:
- 6 tbsp of chia seeds
- 2 cups of milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp maple syrup, honey or sweetener of choice
- toppings of your choice (berries, banana, granola, coconut, kiwi, etc.)

Directions:
- mix ingredients
- let sit for 5 minutes
- stir to break up clumps
- cool in fridge 1-2 hours
- serve chilled or frozen

“The only way to get through life is to laugh your way through it. You either have to laugh or cry. I prefer to laugh. Crying gives me a headache.” -Marjorie Pay Hinckley
No matter what challenges life presents—frustrations, arguments, sadness, loneliness, stress, whatever it may be—it can all be improved with a little bit of laughter. 😊

Free Fitness Classes for non-student BYU faculty, staff and their spouses! We are quickly approaching Valentines Day❣️It is a great time to show others as well as yourself some love by taking care of your heart! One way to do this is by going to some fitness classes!
We offer some great classes that are taught by exciting and qualified people! We have HIIT, Yoga, Cycling and Strength Training! Classes are offered during your lunch hour and after work! Participants receive a punch card that can earn them a gift card once all punches are received! Classes are for all fitness levels, male and female and there’s no registration! Just show up! Tell your coworkers and invite them to join you in the classes!
Log on to wellness.byu.edu to find out more about times and locations! See you there!

Health Risk Assessment for BYU faculty and staff and their spouses!
As one of the most used screening tools in health promotion, this assessment will help you determine your current health status and help you find areas of improvement! Not only will you get these awesome benefits from taking the assessment but you will also get $70 cash-back! Log on to wellness.byu.edu to see if you qualify, to learn more and set up your appointment!

Try looking through a new lens.
The effects of stress can be a lot on our body and mind and can weigh down our soul. By understanding stress and how to manage it, we decrease our risk of developing health problems in the future. So here is a tip that can help you start to manage your stress just a little bit better.
When an event occurs that your mind perceives as difficult, frustrating, hard or stressful, try to intervene at the beginning when the thought process is forming. Instead of focusing on the negative, take a minute to write down 3 things you are grateful for. Then take a moment to ponder those things you wrote down and send gratitude from your heart towards those persons or things. Then, look at the stressor through a new lens, with a new perspective.
You may be surprised to see that after taking some time to focus on the good in your life, that the thing that is causing you stress, is something that you can handle and maybe isn’t as bad as it seemed.