Month: February 2014

Tight Muscles? Try these 7 Simple Stretches

Do you have a sedentary  job that causes muscle tension in your back or neck? Or do you exercise regularly without stretching afterward? A healthy range of motion is essential to stay fully functional and perform at your best. The 7 simple stretches below are some of our favorites.  Hold each stretch for 10-30 seconds…Continue Reading Tight Muscles? Try these 7 Simple Stretches

Why Good Nutrition Doesn’t Come from a Bottle

  The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force just released a consensus statement urging Americans NOT to take antioxidant supplements of vitamin E and beta-carotene to attempt to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Studies consistently suggest that a healthy diet of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, and unsaturated fats is associated with lower…Continue Reading Why Good Nutrition Doesn’t Come from a Bottle

Furman 5K Run/Walk April 12, 2014

Attention runners and walkers! The Furman 5K (3.1 mile) Run/Walk is scheduled for Saturday, April 12, 2014 at 8 a.m. The entry fee is $10  (if received by 4:00 p.m., Thursday, April 10). Furman employees who register before the deadline may participate at no cost.     The entry form can be found here:   The…Continue Reading Furman 5K Run/Walk April 12, 2014

Welcome!

Welcome to the Live Well Furman blog!  This blog is designed to help support healthy behaviors in the Furman community and beyond.  Be sure to sign up for our email subscription to have the latest campus wellness offerings, wellness news briefs, healthy meal ideas, and exercise tips delivered straight to your inbox each week!…Continue Reading Welcome!

Example FUEL plates

  FUEL 2014 has begun and participants are beginning to transform their plates.   They strive to fill half of their plates with vegetables and/or fruits, one quarter with whole grains or potatoes and one quarter with a source of lean protein.   Sarah Worth and Bill Price forwarded this picture of their family dinner….Continue Reading Example FUEL plates

Easy Vegetable Sides

No time to peel, chop, and cook vegetables tonight?  Try some of these easy vegetable side dishes. Parmesan Broccoli Steam or microwave a bag of frozen broccoli.  Sprinkle with a little bit of Parmesan cheese.   Pesto Green Beans with Walnuts Steam or microwave a bag of frozen green beans.  Toss with 1-2 tablespoons of…Continue Reading Easy Vegetable Sides

Finding Whole Grains

  A “Whole Grain” contain three distinct parts: 1)  The Bran:  a fiber-rich outer covering 2)  The Germ:  the vitamin and mineral rich powerhouse that the grain sprouts out of 3) The Endosperm:  the inner portion of the grain Whole grains contain the bran, germ, and endosperm and are nutrient-rich. Refined grains only contain the…Continue Reading Finding Whole Grains

Grains Under Fire

Grains seem to be under attack lately.  Diet books and headlines claim that they cause weight gain, inflammation, and virtually every chronic disease known today. And while individuals with celiac disease or gluten intolerance desperately try to find gluten-free alternatives, everyone else seems to be jumping on the “gluten-free” bandwagon.  One recent study suggested that the prevalence…Continue Reading Grains Under Fire

The Search for the Perfect Sweetener

  Blue packets, pink packets, yellow, white, and brown… what is the best sweetener and why? In 1879, a German student accidentally discovered a sweet chemical while working in a laboratory in Johns Hopkins University.    This was the discovery of the first artificial sweetener which came to be known as saccharin. Over the years, other…Continue Reading The Search for the Perfect Sweetener