Wellness Resources

 

March symbolizes renewal and rebirth, a perfect month to start anew and make positive changes for your personal wellness and rejuvenation.

 

The Wellness Program supports your personal wellness journey by providing resources for various aspects of your life. Each month we provide new opportunities for you to learn from wide ranging webinar topics, such as emotional wellbeing in Mindful Mondays, healthy cooking in the Wellness from the Kitchen series, and financial wellness in the MetLife Financial Wellness workshops. Our Healthy U Wednesdays and Health Focus Thursdays provide opportunities to increase your knowledge on preventing and managing chronic health conditions. Our Unwind Time Friday webinars provide the perfect ending to each week with guided 15-minute meditations that pave the way to a relaxing weekend. And our monthly Wellness Challenges offer just the right amount of motivation and fun to accomplish health goals.

 

Enjoy this month's bounty of wellness!

  

Did you know that March is National Nutrition Month?

In March 1973 the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics declared each March "National Nutrition Month" as an invitation to anyone who wants to learn to make informed food choices. Here are a few helpful tips to try - join our March webinars for more!

• Find ways to incorporate fiber-rich foods at each meal: Try bran cereal, oatmeal, and even avocado toast using healthy whole grain breads for breakfast Add crunchy veggies to any lunch and try a pasta or rice dish with vegetables for dinner. Register for the March 28 Veggies Made Delicious. You'll be amazed at how easy it is to include fiber-rich tasty veggies in most meals!

• Tap into your dark side: Dark chocolate has been shown to provide heart-healthy benefits because compounds like flavonoids, polyphenols, and theobromine in dark chocolate improve blood flow throughout the body, helping to lower blood pressure. As a bonus, it has been found to improve mood!

• Pass on the salt - shaker that is! It's easy to reduce salt usage when you know what tasty herbs and spices to use instead! And there's a big bonus to using herbs and spices because they come with powerful health benefits. Register for the March 14 Herbs and Other Natural Foods to learn more!

March Newsletter Highlights:

• Work of Art March Challenge - Create Your Own Masterpieces!
• The Dietitian Explains series
• Wellness From the Kitchen Spring with Chef Sandra Welcomes Spring -  Hear Chef Sandra's March invitation!
• MetLife Financial Wellbeing Workshop: Tax Strategies - Basics and Beyond!
• Friday Unwind Time Series - What Do You Need Today? 
• Read the newsletter for more!

 

Join Work of Art, our March Challenge, To Create Your Personal Masterpieces!

 

 

Work of Art encourages you to explore social and emotional practices that contribute to overall happiness and wellbeing!

Living an emotionally healthy life enhances mindfulness, gratitude, optimism, and social connections. 

In Work of Art  you'll create a personal work of art each week as you practice activities in each of these areas.

At the end of this challenge, you will have 4 Works of Art - masterpieces - to share with others and keep forever!

 Watch this short video to learn more

   Registration Open March 4 though March 18 - Don't Delay, Register Today!

 

March Mindful Mondays: The Benefit of Mindful and Healthy Eating, plus break the Emotional Eating Habit

    
 

Register for March Mindful Mondays

   

Monday, March 11, 11:00 am - 11:30 am: Healthy Eating Made Easy

Short on time, budget, or healthy foods in your fridge? Join this webinar to learn how to overcome these challenges in an easy and cost-effective way. You'll get healthy meal and snack tips as a bonus in this presentation!

 

Monday, March 18, 11:00 am - 11:30 am: Mindful Eating Habits

Have you ever eaten food then realized you don't remember its taste? This is called mindless eating. Mindful eating, on the other hand, involves savoring every bite. This practice results in greater satisfaction and eating less! Join this presentation to learn how to enjoy your food more.

 

Monday, March 25, 11:00 am - 11:30 am: Emotional Eating

Emotional eating is often a stress-relief habit that you may have developed to relieve anxiety, anger, disappointment, boredom, and other emotions. It may have become the go-to tool in your stress relief toolbox. In this presentation, learn additional healthier tools to add to your toolbox that will bring you even greater relief!

 

 

MetLife Financial Wellness Workshop, March 19

Tax Strategies - the Basics and Beyond

  

Tuesday, March 19, 11:00 am - 11:45 am

Just in time to meet this year's tax filing deadline and to learn tax strategies for next year, join this workshop offered by MetLife. A MetLife financial expert will present tips on tax basics, diversification, how to reduce your tax bill, when to call a professional, and more.  Register for the March 19 Tax Strategies Workshop 

 

Want additional help with your tax strategies and other financial questions you may have? Register for a free personal consultation with a financial professional.

 

 

Healthy U Wednesdays: Our Dietitian Explains Series

Join our Registered Dietitian Amy to learn about various eating plans

Thursday Health Focus: Meal Prepping Made Easy and More!

 

 

Thursday, March 7, 11:00 am - 11:45 am: The Benefits of Antioxidants

Antioxidants are protective compounds found in nutrient-dense foods such as colorful fruits and vegetables, seafood, herbs, teas, and more. They have been shown to reduce inflammation in the body, prevent certain cancers, and even slow the aging process! Learn more about the benefits of getting antioxidants from food sources and the downside of relying on supplements to provide antioxidants.  Register for Benefits of Antioxidants 

   

Thursday, March 14, 11:00 am - 11:45 am: Meal Prepping Made Easy - Balanced Lunches and Dinners

Did you know that cinnamon lowers blood sugar, turmeric reduces inflammation, and sage helps memory? Learn specific benefits of many herbs and natural foods and get tips on how to use them when preparing food in this exciting session! Register for Herbs and Other Natural Foods

 

Thursday, March 21, 11:00 am - 11:45 am: Meal Prepping Made Easy - Balanced Lunches and Dinners

Lunches, and especially dinners, tend to be heavier meals. This can have a large impact on your health. It's Amy to the rescue - again! Amy, our Registered Dietitian, will show you how to easily create nutritionally balanced lunches and dinners to fit your lifestyle and eating preferences. As a bonus, she will share fun recipe tips and ideas. Register for Meal Prep Made Easy: Lunches and Dinners

 

Thursday, March 28, 11:00 am - 11:45 am: Veggies Made Delicious!

Fresh ginger-carrot salad. Roasted red pepper green beans. Minty peas. Feeling hungry now for delicious veggies? Amy, our Registered Dietitian, will share strategies and inventive recipes for these and more! Register for Veggies Made Delicious

 

 

Unwind Time Friday Sessions: What Do You Need Today?

   

   

Register for one or more Unwind Time Friday Guided Meditations
 
Friday, March 8, 11:00 am - 11:15 am: Self Compassion

Did you find yourself stuck in a pattern of negative self-talk today? Carve out 15-minutes and join this session to banish negative self-talk for the rest of the day and through the weekend!

 

Friday, March 15, 11:00 am - 11:15 am: Feeling Strong and Confident

Has life presented larger-than-life challenges to you recently? If so, envision yourself handling whatever life has thrown at you with kindness, patience, wisdom, confidence, and faith in yourself in this 15-minute empowering session.

 

Friday, March 22, 11:00 am - 11:15 am: Intention to be Happy Today (and tomorrow, and the day after...)

It's truly one day at a time when striving for happiness during stressful periods. For today, tune into your capacity for self-care and self-love that is already present in your heart. This will positively fuel your desire to be happy. Repeat as needed!

 

Friday, March 29, 11:00 am - 11:15 am: Acceptance

Acceptance of events and emotions, rather than avoidance and rejection, is the key to freedom! Acceptance allows you to explore options for positive outcomes. Experience the power of spacious, non judgmental, and unattached acceptance in this freeing meditation.

 

BONUS! Healthy Weight Series in March

  This four-week March series is designed to help participants learn behavior change strategies for successful weight loss and management.

   

Register for one or more Healthy Weight Series webinars

  

Thursday, March 7, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Making Changes Toward a Healthier Lifestyle

In this first session, you'll explore behavior change to support weight loss and management, identify a realistic weight management goal for you, and learn how to set short and long-term goals for successful weight management.

 

Thursday, March 14, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Building Healthy Eating Habits

Learn how to balance and track calories consumed, review strategies for healthy eating, and develop a personal health eating habit plan.

 

Thursday, March 21, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Moving More, Sitting Less

Discover the benefits of moving more, discuss barriers to being active, and learn easy and effective tips to build more movement into each day.

 

Thursday, March 28, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Handling Challenges and Staying Motivated

Learn how to recover from lapses, how to break through a weight loss plateau, and get proven strategies to stay motivated and manage weight long-term.

State of MD Department of Health's smoking cessation program: www.SmokingStopsHere.com