Discover why the common belief that 'muscle weighs more than fat' is a myth. Learn about the differences in density and volume and how body composition changes affect your fitness journey.

Have you heard of IV therapy? IV therapy is getting intravenous fluids outside a medical or hospital setting for therapeutic use and not for medical "need." Anyone who's ever been to the hospital, emergency department, or urgent care (or even seen this sort of thing on television) knows that an IV is a common way for the medical staff to deliver medications and assist with overall hydration. IV therapy is available outside of this setting for apparently healthy people at medical spas, wellness centers, and even in your own home (not self-administered, but someone coming to your home to administer it). Is this something you should consider?

With technology today, it is so easy to stay connected – 24 hours a day. And this can affect our sleep hygiene.

There is often a debate on how much sleep is optimal; like many things in life, this is individual. But the average optimal sleep time is 7-9 hours sleep for adults (research says it varies by individual and age).

Remembering that the phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle” was designed as a hierarchy. So, we should first focus on reducing the use of resources and energy use and packaging. Many people believe that recycling is enough, but this was meant as what to do AFTER reducing and reusing.

Physical wellness has several sub-components, but it is all has to do with the physical body and taking care of it now and in anticipation of the future.

Of course, this component includes engaging in regular exercise and eating well, but it also includes getting preventive checkups and screenings, having healthy habits and behaviors, and protecting yourself from potential harm.

Are you a life-long learner? You should be. And this doesn’t mean you need to go to school forever and ever. That’s the stuff of nightmares for some people.

Intellectual wellness is the aspect of wellness in which you continue to expand your mind by increasing your knowledge, skills, and even your creative abilities throughout life. 

Excess abdominal/belly fat increases the risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and triglycerides, and heart disease – all preventable diseases. When considering a BMI between 25 and 35, waist circumference can help find the risk for these diseases.

Emotional Wellness is the component of wellness related to our ability to develop inner strength and learn and grow from experiences.  

Let’s face it, 2020 was a year that tested our emotions. There were things we experienced that we could never have imagined. It was probably one of the more stressful times of our lives.

Are you honest with your health care provider? Are they being clear with you?

Both sides need to get better at communicating, getting clearer with what they mean, and being more honest with themselves and their healthcare providers.

Support your social wellness this week by reaching out with a text, a phone call, or a card in the mail to one person each day this week. Just to say, “hello.

Wellness isn’t the pursuit of perfection – as if there is such a thing when it comes to health.

Wellness is outsmarting our genetics, our environment, and the easy-to-adopt less-than-healthy-habits.

Wellness is a choice but it also requires action.