A Holiday Gift You Don't Need: A few extra pounds!

Take this quiz to see how much you know about Holiday weight gain:

1 - Many Americans gain five pounds or more during the Holiday season. T F
False - most gain about one pound but it lingers through Spring and Summer


2 - Having a light protein snack before a Holiday meal can help you eat less. T F
True - going to a party hungry can cause overeating


3 - To avoid gaining weight, you have to avoid all Holiday desserts. T F
False - enjoy them, but eat small portions of high-sugar, high-fat foods


4 - Not maintaining your exercise routine during the Holidays can contribute to weight gain. T F
True - stay active to keep off the extra pounds


5 - Substituting lower-fat, lower-calorie ingredients in Holidays recipes can help prevent weight gain. T F
True - eating healthy can still be delicious


6 - Limiting alcohol intake can cut calories and help you maintain your weight. T F
True - avoiding high-calorie eggnogg is a good place to start


7 - Not standing near the buffet table at Holiday parties can help you eat less. T F
True - if it's out of reach you're less likely to graze


8 - Skipping meals helps to lose weight during the Holidays. T F
False - it's best to eat five to six small meals daily


9 - Eating slowly can help you eat less. T F
True - your tummy needs time to realize how full it is


10 - The Holiday season is a good time to try to lose weight. T F
False - doing so may not be realistic and is discouraging

The Toxic Side of Beauty!

Many of us have made changes to our diets by including more fruits and vegetables, choosing organically grown produce and reading food labels. Yet while we are holding the food industry to higher standards, refusing to buy products with harmful ingredients; the cosmetic industry is still flying under the radar of government agencies and the public eye.

Beauty, however, is more than skin deep and reading labels can open your eyes to the dangers lurking in today's beauty products. From lead in lipsticks to the phthalates and parabens in your baby's lotion, the list of toxic and health-damaging ingredients is long and expands daily.

Did you know that on any given day, the average woman uses a dozen personal care products, containing 168 chemicals, 89% of which have never been tested for the safety of their ingredients?

The top five harmful chemicals most commonly found in popular beauty products are lead, formaldehyde, parabens, phthalates and nitrosamines.

Keep reading...

Kerstin Wingert is the Owner of SouviaTea and "chai-wallah" of Moon Valley.

Conquer Cold Season

Tips that are nothing to sneeze at!

Another cold season...ugh! If you're like most adults, you'll probably battle one to three of these bad boys this year. If you do end up with the bug, take Grandma's advice: slurp chicken soup and drink plenty of fluids.

Here are some tips to help ward off seasonal illness:

ZINC - This mighty mineral makes your cold shorter. For best results, suck on a Zinc lozenge at the first sign of a cold. Beware, Zinc supplements can reduce the effectiveness of some antibiotics and arthritis medications. Doses of more than 34 to 40mg per day for teens and adults may cause tummy aches.

VITAMIN C - Reach for an orange to keep the doctor away. Taking about 1g of Vitamin C daily can reduce cold symptoms by a day or two. Real foods are the best sources of this powerful potion. Choose citrus, broccoli, potatoes and tomatoes. Careful with Vitamin C supplements if you have kidney disease or if you are being treated for cancer.

SLEEP - People who get less than seven hours of shut-eye are almost three times as likely to catch a cold as those who get eight hours or more.

EXERCISE - People who get moving five or more days a week are about half as likely to catch colds. And if they do, their illnesses are shorter and less severe. Aerobic exercise boosts the production of virus-targeting cells in the immune system. If you're already sick, postpone intense workouts until you feel better.

Despite its popularity, there is little evidence to support that echinacea prevents colds.

Keep your employees healthy this season! The Back Rub Company hosts a variety of on-site workshops for employee health and wellness.

Contact us for more information about scheduling for your organization.