While the National Institute of Health states that over 40% of Americans are deficient in vitamin D, researchers believe the number may be even higher!  This number means that there are way too many people missing out on the robust health benefits of vitamin D!

Despite calling it a vitamin, vitamin D is actually a steroid hormone that you get primarily from sun exposure or supplementation.  Researchers have noted that increasing levels of vitamin D3 among the general population could prevent chronic diseases that claim nearly one million lives in our world each year. 

You’ll need to head outside to get the best source of vitamin D3.  The best way to soak up vitamin D3 is through our skin, and the best way to do that is to expose ourselves to the sun.  Try to get outside between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.; it’s the only time we are able to make vitamin D.  Share your arms, legs and abdomen with the sun for 10-30 minutes per day depending on your sunburn threshold.  Burning the skin doesn’t fit into this health-focused plan for sun exposure.  Know your limits and abide by them.  Also note, that when you apply sunscreen, you are NOT able to absorb Vitamin D, so enjoy two sunscreen-free 30-minute sunshine breaks per day for optimal Vitamin D exposure.  

You CANNOT soak up any vitamin D through your windshield!  The only rays that make it through the window are UVA rays which contribute to aging skin and wrinkles.  UVB rays will provide you the vitamin D3 you need, so sit out on the patio and enjoy the fresh air for a few minutes every day. 

Dietary forms of vitamin D are also available, although not as robust as getting it from the sun.  Plant sources provide the body with vitamin D2.  The more beneficial vitamin D3 can only be had through animal-based sources such as: fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines), egg yolk and raw milk.  Please keep in mind that if you drink pasteurized milk, you’re getting a fortified source of vitamin D.  Please check the label to see if it’s been fortified with D3 or D2 and try to select options that have been fortified with D3. 

Optimizing levels of vitamin D needs to be at the top of everyone’s priority list.  Deficiency is linked to so many common chronic diseases such as:  anxiety/depression, cancer, autism, diabetes, cold/flu, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, seizures, migraines, infertility, dementia, crohn’s disease and heart disease just to name a few. 

Talk to your physician about getting a baseline blood test for vitamin D.  Once the test is complete, your physician will assess your results and provide direction about supplementation.  It is important that your physician monitor you during any use of vitamin D3 supplements, so keep up with scheduled visits and blood testing.

It’s always an honor and joy to serve and support you in health and happiness.  I’d love to hear from you; feel free to connect with me: connect@angelagaffney.com

Believe it can be!

XO,

How does your drink stack up when it comes to sugar consumption? We have so many choices to quench our thirst that it’s easy to grab something outside of good ol’ water, but are we creating a health risk by doing so?

Hands-down, sugar is the number one food ingredient feeding disease in America, and unless you’re aware of how much sugar you consume you’re most likely exceeding the recommended limit of 25 grams of added sugar per day.

Looks can be very deceiving when it comes to soda, sport drinks, coffee and more and it’s all readily available. There’s a coffee shop on every corner, a gas station every mile marker and the refrigerator section of the grocery store is filled with hundreds of options to choose from.

As with any food item, we need to understand the quality of the drink we’re consuming and it all starts with the ingredient list and nutrition label. This one act of label reading will change your perspective and empower you to make wise, healthy choices. First, check for the number of servings per can/bottle. Secondly, check the grams of sugar per serving so you are aware of how much sugar you’re consuming. Lastly, check the ingredient list to see what forms of sugar are in your drink.

The World Health Organization suggests consuming no more than 25 grams of added sugar per day (sugar that has been added to a food, not including natural sugars found in fruits etc.). You often get twice this amount by drinking a coffee drink, soda, or sports drink. It’s time to rethink your drink!

Take one day at a time. If you’re selecting drinks that are high in sugar, replace one drink per day with water and stick with that plan for 7 days. Then, in week 2, replace another drink with water, and so on until you build up to 64 oz of water per day. You’ll find you have more energy, your mind will feel crisp and on task, and you’re cravings for sugar will naturally go away. Other benefits of removing sugary drinks from your diet include weight loss and increased health.

Are you up for the challenge? It’s time to rethink your drink and take one step every day to make it happen. You can do it!!

It’s my great pleasure to serve and support you in health and happiness.  I’d love to hear from you; feel free to connect with me: connect@angelagaffney.com

Cheers to your health and happiness! 

XO,

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup blueberries
5 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 quart filtered water

Directions: 

Blend all ingredients and chill before serving.

Recipe compliments of “The Daily Essential Cookbook Collection: Lunch” by Angela Gaffney & Janielle Hultberg

“OWN YOUR HEALTH” is about acknowledging your state of health and recognizing that you have full claim, authority and power to create a healthy body, mind and life for yourself.  It is yours for the taking and now is the time to make it all happen.    

I never once considered that I needed to take ownership of all aspects of my health until my health was deteriorating at such a fast pace that doctors told me to go home and prepare for “what was to come”, meaning the slow progression of a disease that would inevitably take my life.  When given news such as this, it takes your breath away, it caused my world to stop in its tracks, and it made me take a deep look into the reasons why it could be happening.   

At first, I blamed everything else for my ill state of health and questioned how I could be put through such hell.  But after a couple months of my ranting I started a big internal investigation and came to the conclusion that everything about my life was contributing to my fast deterioration.  While I exercised pretty consistently I had a few other things working against me…I always functioned at 100 miles per hour, putting everyone else’s needs before my own, committing to things I didn’t have time for, eating a lot of sugar and nutrient-void foods, drinking a few diet cokes a day to keep my energy up, staying up way to late and waking too early, worrying about what everyone thought of me versus just living in my truth, and missing out on a lot of nutrient-rich veggies, beans, whole grains, greens and nuts and seeds.   

I simply did not own my body, my mind, or my life.  I just existed and thought it’d all just work out.  I’ve learned that it doesn’t happen this way, we must each make daily effort to rise to the occasion, make intentional choices that serve us and own every bit of our happiness, our health and our life.  

What part of your health do you need to take ownership of?  Here’s a little exercise to get your internal investigation off to a solid start: 

Answer the following questions as quickly as possible, no need to analyze, just answer: 

1. I always have good intention but never really get around to ______________________. 
2. The three things that are holding me back just getting it done are:  
   1.  
   2.  
   3.  
3. If I were to consistently accomplish my good intention, I would feel… ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
4. If I were to take my last breath today, I would regret not having done this for myself because_______________________________________________.  
5. If it is meant to be, it’s up to me!  I will do these three things for the next 30 days to take ownership of this one area of my life: 
   1.  
   2.  
   3.  

By doing this exercise, you’ve identified your starting point, your barriers, what it means to you to get the job done, and the steps you’ll take to make it happen.  The final part of the exercise is to share your details with one person who will provide positive encouragement to help keep you on track.  Lastly, keep your answers where you can read them daily; this is the best reminder to own your health and keep moving forward.   

It’s my great pleasure to serve and support you in health and happiness.  I’d love to hear from you; feel free to connect with me: connect@angelagaffney.com

Cheers to your health and happiness! 

XO,

RECIPE:

Egg Salad

Ingredients:

Angie’s Note: This protein rich recipe can be consumed alone and/or used as a protein option to add to other dishes and recipes. Protein is found throughout your body; in muscle, bone, skin, hair and virtually every other body part of tissue. Protein supports many chemical reactions in the body and helps carry oxygen to our blood. When you eat protein throughout the day you’ll achieve sustainable energy and help repair muscle tissue after physical activity.

Ingredients:

4 hardboiled eggs
2 tbsp mayonnaise or greek yogurt
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp cooked bacon crumbles (optional)
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of pepper
Pinch of dill
Pinch of granulated garlic

Directions: 

In a medium bow, mash the hardboiled eggs. Add all remaining ingredients and blend.

Recipe compliments of “The Daily Essential Cookbook Collection: Lunch” by Angela Gaffney & Janielle Hultberg

About 80% of organizations with 200+ employees have a wellness program in place, yet medical claims are on the rise and younger people are getting sicker, faster.  Here’s how to create a wellness program that will change behavior, improve outcomes, and provide a return on your investment.

Assess:  You must know the challenges of your people to guide them to change.  The weight loss contests, walking and hydration challenges alone will not create a shift in mindset and behavior, which is necessary for improved outcomes.  Dive deep into your medical claim trends, host focus groups and listen to your team’s subjective feedback and assess what type of programming will best suite the needs of your team.

Attain:  If the team isn’t on board, your wellness goals will not be met.  Attain buy-in from the top down.  The C-Suite team will not only need to buy in to the idea; they’ll need to walk the walk and make sure their managers do the same.  Once managers are engaged, their teams will be too!  There’s no greater challenge for an organization than to have the CEO provide verbal permission to take part in wellness offerings only to have a direct manager make it clear there’s no time for it in the business day.   You’d be surprised how often this happens, and how easily it works against your goals of improved health and productivity.

Action:  Be strategic about your wellness programming.  Is it meeting the challenges and needs of your people?  Most employees are feeling fatigued, have brain fog, often deal with chronic pain in the body, they’re not sleeping well, and they may suffer from depression and anxiety.  While the typical programs geared towards weight loss, hydration, and movement might enhance someone’s health, they aren’t going to get to the root cause of the issue or create long-term behavior change.  Be strategic, address the key health issues of your team and provide consistent and frequent offerings throughout the year.

Accountability:  Track progress, participation and money!  Know where your money is going, track participation and benchmark your progress.  This will allow you to assess your efforts in a scheduled manner, make necessary updates when needed and achieve your organizational goals.  A return on your investment can take a minimum of 3-5 years to achieve.  Stay steady, address the root cause of the health challenges your team is facing, be sure you have buy-in across the board, and remain accountable.

Want more tips for your wellness program? Click here!