Building a Better YOU in 2020

Each month our WellStyles™ team brings you highlights of our 7 pillars of wellness and tips on how to improve yourself from head to toe, inside and out and on building a better YOU! This month is centered around building a better you. In the new year, we tend to set resolutions for ourselves and as such your wellness team … Read More

How to Balance Your Health Goals During the Holidays

Common Belief: Our health goals should be put on the back burner during the holidays.  New Perspective: Finding a balance between joy and health during the holidays is key!  For consistency’s sake, it was important to me to provide you with a Myth-Buster Monday this month, but I didn’t want to hit you with a heavy topic right before the holidays. Instead, I … Read More

 Maintaining a Healthy Mind and Body Through the Holidays

Woman twirling looking happy in falling leaves

You can’t reverse the calendar in maintaining healthy attitudes, but the Valley Schools Wellness team is here to remind you of some strategies for maintaining your sanity during this most pressured time of year. Reframe Your Thinking Recognize that the people in your life are who they are. It is not new information who will be the Scrooge, who will … Read More

Truth or Myth: It’s the Tryptophan That Makes You Tired

Myth: Tryptophan in turkey is to blame for the Thanksgiving food coma.   Truth: Excessive eating and carbohydrate intake are more likely the cause. Truth or Myth it’s the Tryptophan? With Thanksgiving approaching, we felt compelled to dispel a common myth surrounding this well-loved holiday and encourage healthier eating practices at the same time. If you have a tendency to indulge … Read More

Cultivate Gratitude This Holiday

paper cuts that read Thankful on the floor gratitude

Our fast-paced, consumer-driven world of the twenty-first century can often distract us from celebrating the true essence of the humble November holiday; Thanksgiving.  Many of us will take some time to acknowledge what we are grateful for, but how many of us will simultaneously be distracted by “28 shopping days until Christmas”, Black Friday plans, or a big Cyber Monday … Read More

The Self-Care Season

The holidays are right around the corner and people are busy making plans with family and shopping for dinner, along with keeping the household running and trying their best to stay healthy. While many believe the holidays are a time of happiness and joy, the pressures of all the planning that goes into them can put a strain on even … Read More

Truth or Myth: Everyone Should Take Daily Probiotics

Probiotics such as tomatoes, pills, and ginger are on a counter top

Myth: Everyone should take a probiotic supplement daily.  Truth: Probiotic supplementation may not be necessary for everyone.  A probiotic is defined as a microorganism that maintains or restores beneficial bacteria to the digestive tract when consumed (from food or a dietary supplement). 35,000 species of probiotic bacteria have been identified and each strain has a unique effect on the human … Read More

Leveraging Technology to Help Employees Understand Their Benefits

a woman on her laptop looking at technology

Is your district making the best out of your insurance benefits? Do your employees understand which healthcare benefits are needed for their family? Leveraging technology during open enrollment can connect the dots for employees in learning what benefits their employer offers and what the advantages of each can mean for them. With so much to look over, it may be … Read More

Meet Your Circadian Rhythm

A person looking at a clock in bed Circadian Rhythm

The rotation of the earth results in a 24-hour light and dark cycle. All life on this planet has adapted and/or evolved with the exposure to daylight and darkness for hundreds of millions of years. Many of us know the circadian rhythm is responsible for our diurnal habits (sleeping at night, and wakefulness during the day).  But the effect the … Read More

The Evolutionary Context of the Ketogenic Diet

A plate with salmon resting on top of greens ketogenic diet

The ketogenic diet has gained significant traction in the news, on social media, and even documentary production.  With its rising popularity, it’s hard not to wonder if this might be the answer we have all been waiting for to settle the never-ending diet war.  The truth is, “dieting” is not an eating behavior that is natural to human evolution and … Read More