Hacks for Eating Healthier Lunches at Work

The American Heart Association News knows its difficult to make work lunches nutritious. Here are a few reasons why most people struggle to eat well during lunch and how you can change that.

Lunch at work can be unexciting, and unhealthy. Youre often in a rush and looking for something quick, the cafeteria only has so many options, and the microwave is the best means for a hot meal. However, it doesnt have to be a miserable experience if you listen to what the American Heart Association News has to day.

The Harris Poll for the American Heart Association and the food service company Aramark conducted an online survey to gauge workers attitudes about nutritious lunches. The results showed that over half of workers said they struggled to make lunch healthy, while 91 percent were interested in making their work lunches healthier.

But have no fear, said assistant professor of nutrition and food sciences Maya Vadiveloo. People can find many ways to make their work lunches healthier, and solutions involve both habits by workers and the places that serve them.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, yes. But lunch is also incredibly important for keeping the body fueled and energized throughout the day, and for getting proper healthy nutrition. Assuming people do not often get much nutritional value out of their breakfasts during the week, lunch is the next best way to get your healthy serving recommendations, according to Health Day.

Vadiveloo agrees this is easier said than done, though. If you only have 15 minutes to eat between responsibilities, youre probably not eating a balanced meal. This issue is worsened when a company cafeteria or fast-food eatery is offering unhealthy, quicker options.

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Hacks for Eating Healthier Lunches at Work - Occupational Health and Safety

As winter approaches, some producers are questioning if their hay inventories will last until spring. Cornstalks can extend hay inventories, but their use comes with some important considerations.

Residual corn left in the field is not going to be captured in the bales, which lowers the feeding value compared to grazing the field, notes Jeff Lehmkuhler, University of Kentucky extension beef specialist.

The best forage quality from the corn crop residues is in the leaves and husks, he says. The cobs and stalks are lower in digestibility with protein concentration ranging from only 3 to 6 percent, which is too low to meet the needs of cattle. The highest quality forage portions of corn crop residues are the leaves and husks.

Lehmkuhler explains that energy levels in cornstalk bales vary depending on the stalk to leaf ratio within the bale. Typical ranges are from 48 to 58 percent. Additionally, the high moisture levels of the stalks make baling and storing corn residue more difficult.

Feeding cornstalk bales can result in high levels of waste, according to Lehmkuhler. Cattle will pick through a bale, eating the leaves and husks while leaving behind the stalks. For this reason, the best way to utilize corn crop residues for feed is having the bales processed or by flail chopping the residue in the field to improve drying. Processed bales can be fed in a total mixed ration or along a feedbunk.

The extension specialist recommends feeding baled corn residues to dry, mid-gestation cows, remembering to supplement nutrients to meet diet requirements. Cattle fed cornstalks should be in good body condition and not be experiencing any environmental stresses, such as cold and mud. Environmental stresses on cattle will require additional supplementation.

Lehmkuhler offers an example diet for a mid-gestation cow of 15 pounds of cornstalks, 1.5 gallons of condensed distillers solubles (distillers syrup), and 2 pounds of soybean hulls plus minerals to meet requirements.

Significant energy and protein supplementation are needed for lactating, fall-calving cows, Lehmkuhler notes. Producers should work with a nutritionist to ensure nutrient needs are being met.

Lehmkuhler recommends hay for lactating cows, but he notes that cornstalks may be worked into the diet to stretch hay supplies with proper supplementation.

To extend hay inventories, feeding cornstalk bales is a reasonable option. Remember to work with a nutritionist to meet all nutritional requirements and supplement as needed. Lehmkuhler advises to not overpay for cornstalks since supplements, along with additional feed costs, will often be needed.

Michaela King

Michaela King served as the 2019 Hay & Forage Grower summer editorial intern. She currently attends the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and is majoring in professional journalism and photography. King grew up on a beef farm in Big Bend, Wis., where her 4-H experiences included showing both beef and dairy cattle.

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Baled cornstalks offer another feed option - Hay & Forage Grower

When it comes to weight loss, there are a whole lot of diets available to choose from. What seems to make news now is the lunar or moon diet. A little trivia, this is also called the werewolf diet by some enthusiasts! As the name suggests, this diet involves eating as per the phases of the moon. So how does it work exactly?

According to the standard moon diet, you should be sticking to the plan on certain days, based on moon phases. On the full moon or the new moon, each of which occurs twice a month, you will need to follow the stipulations of the diet a liquid diet with only fluids like water and various juices. If youre up for a more gruelling diet, opt for a four-day diet.

So why does this diet work? The moon has a gravitational pull on the water bodies on earth. It also has a similar pull on our bodies. So your body weight changes marginally, based on the influence of the moon, and what you eat or drink during this time matters.

The downside, as with all crash diets, is that theyre only temporary, and need to be offset with a healthy balanced diet on other days not that you can binge extensively otherwise! Give in to cravings once in a while and in moderation, otherwise, follow a sensible diet plan for the moon diet to actually work.

More here:
What is the moon diet? - Femina

For business travellers who often fly halfway around the world for work, dealing with jet lag, stress and fatigue is bad enough. But theres also another hurdle they often have to overcome eating healthy and keeping fit.

Sticking to regular routines on business trips can be challenging for various reasons, such as limited options or tight schedules," saidBindu Bhatia, Asia Pacific's managing director of CWT, a travel management platform.

"Youre focused on your work and trying to make the most of your trip, so you dont have time to search for a gym or affordable healthy eating options if theyre not easily accessible.You may be stuck having to eat whatever is available at the hotel restaurant."

It's no better for those who make short trips around Southeast Asia,often flying back on the same day, said Bindu. This could mean having a very tight schedule thats often at the expense of proper meals and sleep.

And it seems Singaporean business travellers are the worst of the lot. A survey by CWT on 2,700 business travellers aroundthe world found that they fare badly at stayinghealthy on the go compared to their regional counterparts.Only 35 per cent of respondents keep to their wellness routines when travelling (no, going to the spa doesnt count).In comparison,52per cent in Asia Pacific work hard at maintaining their routines.

Whats more, 42 per cent of business travellers from Singapore eat less healthily when on the go, which is way higher than the average of 27 per cent in the Asia Pacific region.

Only 35 per cent [of Singaporean business travellers]keep to their wellness routines when travelling.In comparison,52per cent in Asia Pacific work hard at maintaining their routines.

But you can still minimise disrupting your sleep, wellness routine and diet. CNA Lifestyle spoke to business travellers and a fitness expert for their tips.

FLY IN THE DAY AND ARRIVE AT NIGHT IF YOU CAN

If your company lets you choose your flight, opt to fly in the day and arrive at night, so you can head straight to bed upon landing something that Nicholas Lim does on long-haul flights. This always work for me as the body system adjusts naturally to fight off jet lag, said the 45-year-old managing director of The Travel Corporation, Asia.

EAT DURINGTHE MEAL TIMES OF YOUR DESTINATION

Other than updating your PowerPoint presentation once youve settled down in your seat, set your watch to the local time of your destination, said Dzul Dinie Ng, Fitness First Singapores fitness manager. Then, eat your meals according to the meal times of your destination. Diet plays a significant role in resetting our body clocks. This is especially useful when travelling to faraway countries with a wide time difference, he said.

PLAN WHAT TO EAT

Nicholas plans his meals for each of his business trips. Keep in mind that theres going to be some dining and entertaining to do, so balance your dinner with a healthy breakfast or lunch. If all else fails, excuse yourself from that second glass of wine during dinner, he said.

Ensure that you have one scoop or a minimum of 20g of protein powder per day. This will also help cover the gaps in your protein intake should you be in a country where the food is high in sugar and carbohydrates.

Another way to avoid over-eating at dinner is to havea shakemade of protein powder beforehand, said Dzul. It not only fulfills your post-workout protein needs, itll also fill you up so youre less likely to over-eat at dinner.

Ensure that you have one scoop or a minimum of 20g of protein powder per day. This will also help cover the gaps in your protein intake should you be in a country where the food is high in sugar and carbohydrates, he said.

No time to join your business associates for dinner? Dont order the greasy burger and friesthrough room service either. Increasingly, more hotels have started to offer a wider range of vegetarian-friendly dishes, said Nicholas. Also, room service menus usually have soups, salads and fruits, and you could always order a combination of these.

KEEP TO YOUR WORKOUT TIMINGS

The last thing on your mind after getting off a flight is to exercise. But if its 7am where you are, even though its 10pm in Singapore, head for a jog if thats your usual morning routine. I try to squeeze in a workout to stay energised and keep my mood elevated, said 50-year-old Anthony Lim, managing director of Insight Vacations & Luxury Gold.

I typically jog and I especially enjoy a morning run outdoors around the neighbourhood, or sometimes further out to a route with views. Alternatively, I will do a 10- to 15-minute energy-boosting workout in the hotel room without gym equipment, he said.

MAKE USE OF THE HOTEL GYM

Most business travellers stay in big-chain hotels with well-equipped gyms, and if youre in one of them, take advantage of the equipment. For basic exercises, Dzul recommends doing a series of squats and deadlifts. To rev things up, grab a pair of 4kg dumbbells (or theusual weight you use) and perform shoulder presses with squats, he said. To balance this out, do four sets of lateral pull-downs (with a minimum of 4kg on the machine) to keep your muscles engaged."

NO TIME? WORK OUT IN YOUR ROOM

This works, too, if the gym isnt well equipped. Lie down on the floor in a spot where theres enough space to swing your arms and implement the Tabata routine(a form of high-intensity interval training; see video below), said Dzul.

He recommends these exercises (only the first eight for beginners; and all 10 for advanced exercisers): Planks, mountain climbers, CrossFit burpees, roll back jumps, jumping jacks, ice skaters, reverse snow angels, tabletop toe-touches, tug jumps and bomber push-ups. Perform each for 20 seconds with a 10-second rest in between for a total of eight rounds. Youll have a four-minute workout that should see you through your day and giveyou the right energy levels, said Dzul.

If morning is too rushed for you to squeeze in a workout, do what Nicholas does: Exercise just before dinner. The oxygen you get from your exercise helps you think and feel better even towards the end of the day when youre starting to feel tired, he said.

CANT EXERCISE FOR TWO WEEKS? ITS OKAY

On the upside, a break from your gym routine isnt always detrimental to your fitness goals, said Dzul. There is a study that found that you can actually not train for two weeks while maintaining the strength level that you are at. So, if youre in a location or circumstance thats just impossible to fit in your exercise routine, when you come back and do your gym workouts, you should be seeing the same strength you left with.

Excerpt from:
How to stay healthy while on a work trip - CNA

Fitness

Will Tom Bradys new TB12 sports facility in Boston turn you into an MVP? Probably not, but at least itll help you feel like one.

Illustration by Jeannie Phan

I have a confession: My affection for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots is lukewarm at best. For one, as a born-and-bred Ohio State football fan, Ive been groomed to be suspicious of anyone who played for the rival University of Michigan. Plus, I already have the Ohio bandwagon to rideI dont need to jump on another.

All rivalries aside, I cant help but admire Bradys robust fitness regimen, which has allowed him to remain dominant on the football fieldnot to mention given him plenty of lucrative business opportunities through his TB12 brand, including products for athletes as well as a sports-performance-and-recovery center in Foxborough. When the facility expanded to Boston this past summer, I wondered if I (and my tweaked knee) could benefit from face time with a GOAT-approved trainer.

Walking inside the meticulously sterile Back Bay location, I notice a juice bar to the left and TB12-branded T-shirts, whey protein bags, and vibrating spheres that claim to help with muscle pliability (thats the magic word in the TB12 training method) covering the entirety of the wall to the right. I try to count just how many times I see Toms face, but lose track.

After a few minutes, my body coachthats what TB12 calls its physical therapists and athletic trainersmaterializes, walking me through double doors to a large turf area littered with foam rollers and resistance bands. But more on those laterfirst, its time for a chat about my diet, injuries, and medical history in a private exam room. To help with digestion, my coach suggests eliminating dairy, gluten, and anything sweet after dinner, due to their inflammatory properties. Thats what Tom does, he assures mewhich becomes an integral part of the pitch. Tom doesnt lift weights, Tom sticks to plant-based foods, and Tom doesnt like strawberries. By the time its over, I feel like I know Bostons favorite QB personally.

From there, Im instructed to walk and then run on one of the facilitys special treadmills, to help my trainer analyze my gait. Afterward, I complete a series of exercises on the turf, including squats, planks, and bridges. Then comes the diagnosis: My knee pain, my coach says, is from weakness in my hip. An easy fix, he tells me confidently before whisking me back into the exam room for soft-tissue worklike a massage, he explains, but a little more intense (read: ouch!). We cap off the appointment by foam-rolling, an integral part of the TB12 method.

So after spending an afternoon at TB12, do I feel like a pro quarterback? Not exactly, though I did leave with more knowledge about my body and several more tools in my toolbox. But the truth is, you cant buy good geneseven for $240 per session. I have a strong feeling Tom Bradys parents blessed him with stellar ones, and thats something no amount of money, or vibrating pliability spheres, can change for the rest of us mere mortals.

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Train Like the GOAT at His New Back Bay TB12 Location - bostonmagazine.com

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At some point, every nutrition trainer asks this question.

They might just start and have no idea what is fair. Maybe you have years of experience, but wonder if your rates should be higher. Or maybe you've heard what competitors demand and think, "Why not me?"

The problem is that it is difficult to get a satisfactory answer.

Even if you interview a coaching group on social media, the rates between coaches often vary greatly, causing you to vacillate between guilt ("overcharging?") And resentment ("I'm not paying enough!") ,

How can you ever find the right amount for your services?

Thank you very much for the power of the data.

We asked more than 1,000 nutritionists: What do you charge?

But we did not stop there: We also asked about their coaching practice, experience, customer base, certifications and much more because when you decide what to charge, everything is important.

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Then we did a statistical analysis to see how these factors influence each other. Bottom Line: A report that presents real-world income data from real-world coaches along with the most relevant practical insights for maximizing your revenue.

In this article you will discover:

We dive.

++++

According to our survey, The average hourly rate for nutritional counseling is $ 65 per hour. Just in case you attended a math course some time ago, here's a quick refresher on the word "median". It represents the center. In other words, half of the coaches we surveyed earn less than $ 65 an hour. Half does more. (Note: All prices are in US dollars.)

Of the coaches doing more, we noticed two different groups.

Do not worry if you are currently charging below the median price. We will tell you how to move from a lower to a higher course.

It does not take much hours to make a big difference. For example, an increase of $ 15 per hour can add up very quickly. If you work 20 hours a week, that's $ 300 more a week and $ 15,600 more a year.

That's a pretty sweet source of income.

However, earning good money depends not only on how much you ask, but also on how many customers you have. (You already knew that, right?)

We've found that customers who ask for more tend to have more customers. And vice versa. The super-earners in our survey had more than 20 customers than people who calculated less than the median.

Why? On the one hand, they can charge higher rates when there is a greater demand for the services of a coach. But there are also the following: The secrets for charging higher installments (such as more experience and more education) are the same secrets that will help you gain more customers.

So read on to find out how you can move from a normal earner to a high earner and then from a high earner to a super earner.

When we broke the odds by type of trainer, we learned that personal trainer People who work face-to-face with people (for example, in a gym, in an office, or at the customer's home) do about the same thing Online trainers who work digitally, through a website and by e-mail ($ 65 per hour versus $ 64.50 per hour). However, people who complete hybrid coaching (a mix of in-person and online coaching) pay well over $ 75 an hour.

High earners, according to our research, have several common characteristics: experience, number of certifications, coaching hours, specialization and self-confidence. In the following, we examine each case.

Not surprisingly, experienced coaches demand higher rates than less experienced coaches. They also have another income advantage: coaches with more experience tend to have more customers.

In our survey, most trainers with only one to four customers had two or fewer years of experience. By contrast, coaches with 20 or more customers were more likely to have more than three years of experience, and more than a quarter of these booked coaches had six or more years of experience.

This makes sense, as more word of mouth experience goes hand in hand, says Mike Doehla, a certified Precision Nutrition Level 1 coach.

Doehla started coaching with just a few customers a few years ago and charged $ 120 for 12 weeks of service. The bills were not taken into account, which is why he kept his job as a human resource manager.

However, when they had reached their goals, these first customers swarmed about Dhla and anyone who would listen. More and more customers came in Doehla's way and so he increased the rate for his 12-week package: $ 165, $ 175, $ 185

Finally he founded Stronger U, a coaching company that charges $ 399 for 12-week programs, employs 69 coaches and rakes millions a year.

"The value comes from customers who have a good experience and then tell everyone they know about us," says Doehla. "99 percent of our customers come from word of mouth."

Training and certifications can give you confidence in your abilities, giving you the feeling that your services are worth more (see secret # 5). They also give the customer security she You must feel that you are worth the price.

In our survey data, we found that trainers with a nutritional certificate earn slightly more per hour than those without certifications. (Of course that's no surprise.)

We also found that nutritionally fit trainers, two or more nutritional certifications or Precision Nutrition certification earned $ 12 more per hour than non-Precision Nutrition Certified trainers.

In other words, the more certifications and education coaches there are, the more coaches tend to earn.

But the programs you choose and what you put into them are important. Here's why: For the best certification and training programs, you need to spend more time and effort to master your crafting skills.

If you just go through the applications and receive a receipt for the paper, it is unlikely that you will have the same degree of confidence that may prevent you from charging any further fees. (Think of it as a mental barrier.) So choose your certifications wisely and embark on the learning process. It literally pays off.

In addition to a higher hourly rate, more certifications are associated with more customers. In our survey, we found that coaches with more than 20 customers also tend to have two or more certifications.

To be clear, customers do not have to start on the day they receive a new certification. It is more complex. Certification helps by providing you with skills, knowledge, and trust that make it more likely for customers to trust someone else. Qualifications are important for customers. And what matters to customers must be important to you.

Sometimes it makes sense to apply nutritional coaching to an existing job, especially when you are just starting out or thinking about career change.

If you really want to be a top earner in this profession, you should devote all day to nutritional coaching. (Learn more: The true key to career success that almost no one speaks about.)

According to our survey, people who practice diet as a sole profession charge more than those who do not. This begs the question: how do you know when it's time to go all-in?

For this answer, we have again sought the advice of Doehla. That's because he spent 13 months in the human resources department building his coaching business on the side. "Towards the end, I earned more in a month's time with coaching than with my full-time job each year."

To see if you're ready to do anything, he says, "Find out how much money you need to pay the bills and then double it."

If you pull so much, you're definitely ready to work full time.

If you are qualified to work with a particular population, you may be able to ask for more. For example, dietitians who work with people with specific health concerns have stated that they charge an average price of $ 73 per hour. Trainers working with seniors charge $ 70 an hour. That's 5 to 7 USD above the median.

Now, your decision to specialize should be based primarily on your passion for serving this particular population rather than your desire to pay your bills. Work with a niche group because you want to support and qualify them, and not just because you think this is a ticket for higher installments.

And remember, correlation does not necessarily mean causality. Trainers working with these populations may be charged higher fees due to other factors (eg, years of experience).

Finally, keep in mind that certain populations may incur a lower fee, depending on what they can afford. (For example, the median for trainers working with teenagers was only $ 60 an hour.)

Trainers who feel "completely safe" in their coaching skills claim to charge $ 75 per hour, while coaches who are just "a little bit safe" or "a little bit safe or less" charge only $ 60 per hour Hour.

That's a big difference: $ 15 an hour more based on trust.

So how exactly do you build it?

The Answer: Practice Secrets 1 and 2.

With experience (secret # 1), every successful encounter helps you feel ready for the next one. And certifications (Secret # 2) help you feel confident in your knowledge and skills.

But you need both.

Some people make the mistake of getting too involved in their education at the expense of gaining experience. They go from workshop to workshop and receive certification after certification, while waiting for the feeling that "Okay, now I'm ready to coach" to materialize, says Precision Nutrition Coach Kate Solovievawho often answers questions from coaches about what to charge.

"New trainers want to feel 100% safe before coaching a single person. You want to feel like you know enough. In other words, they want to wait until they are not afraid anymore. Unfortunately, this moment never arrives. The best advice I can give coaches is to just start coaching, "says Solovieva.

You may ask, "Can I really deliver? Am I good enough? "Waiting, however, will not answer that question at a certain point, you just have to do one thing: start coaching.

Consider to reduce your anxiety: Would you refuse treatment by a registered doctor? Would you ask that your child be pulled out of a classroom with a teacher in the first year? If not, is it possible that potential customers have more confidence in you than you currently have in yourself?

We have just told you the secrets used by high earners. Suppose you want to get bigger and get a top prize. How do you get there? Our data revealed some interesting insights.

In our survey, the top 10% of earners calculate more than $ 120 an hour. That's almost twice the typical (median) rate.

What makes you special? We noticed the following.

Super-earners were more likely to

Remember, super-earners were statistically more likely to have these seven characteristics, but not every super-earner had all seven. Just because you lack a nutritional level, for example, does not mean that you can achieve the highest merit. Instead of focusing on what you can not do, focus on what you can.

For example, if you can not return to school, you may be able to spend money and time each year participating in new seminars or gaining additional certifications. That's what the most successful fit professionals do. Take Alwyn Cosgrove, MS, co-founder of Results Fitness in California and Michael Piercy, MS, owner of The laboratory in New Jersey. You have attended courses from almost every health and fitness organization you can name.

Piercy has indeed received impressive 32 certifications (including Precision Nutrition Level 2). And you have to imagine: it's probably no coincidence that he was named IDEA Global Personal Trainer of the Year in 2017, the TRX Master Instructor and the ACE Master Trainer.

Use the following table based on our data to assess how much you need to calculate, based on where you are. If you want to increase your rate, you can also use this table to identify what you might need to do to get there.

(For all other data nerds who would like to know how we came to this conclusion: The following examples are based on the statistically likely similarities of coaches according to our survey data.)

Again, there are no fixed rules. Think of this as a possible roadmap, not as a set of rules.

The above is based on what we have seen among our over 1000 respondents. Therefore, it provides a meaningful way to judge yourself and get started.

Please do not let the categories restrict you. It's up to you, Defining success for yourself,

For example, do you strive to be an expensive coach who always performs better than average? Large! Do it.

Or is your goal simply switching from the "free" to the "paid" trainer?

Perhaps your focus is on helping low-income people become healthier, and you're ready to work on a model where you pay what you can. Fantastic. More power for you.

Regardless of your goals, this is fine if you are not where you want to be. Strive for progress and not for perfection. Even the highest-earning coaches had to start somewhere.

Nutrition coaching is a very adaptable profession. You can create it yourself. Where you go from here is entirely up to you.

Get the practice you can. Investing time is crucial to gaining trust, credibility and, ultimately, a higher quota.

It is also the secret to stay in business in the long term. At Precision Nutrition, we found that people who have three to five clients a year later tend to work as coaches.

Offer your services to your family and friends, even if you do not charge them first. (You can think of this as an unpaid internship.) Be the person who generously gives incredibly helpful social media advice. As you help more and more people, you become a more confident and competent trainer. The people you help will tell others about you.

Many coaches, especially those who are just starting out, initially charge no money for their services. They have entered this industry because they love nutrition, enjoy exercising and just want to help people.

But at some point you have to pay the utility bill and feed the dog.

If you do not charge for your services, ask yourself: "When will I charge fees and how will I know when I will be there?"

For example, you can start charging after a certain date or after training a certain number of people.

But whatever you choose, make sure you define it clearly. Otherwise there is a risk that the bar will move constantly, says Solovieva.

"Many trainers believe they need to be at a certain level before asking for money. They say to each other: "I can not charge any fees until I graduate until I know enough, until I feel like I can answer all the questions until I arrive," and so on.

It is far too easy for "to" to continuously fill your thinking process.

From a certain point in time, you'll need to set a price to switch to a bonafide trainer who gets paid for your services.

Sure, this jump can be intimidating or even scary, but a longer wait is unlikely to help. "The truth is, you'll always be scared," says Solovieva.

So pick a date and stay with it.

When new coaches inform Kate Solovieva that they have "absolutely no idea" what to charge, she challenges that belief by leading her through an experiment.

Kate Solovieva: Okay, what about loading $ 1 an hour?

New coach: Giggle.

Kate Solovieva: You giggle. Why?

New coach: Because that's way too low.

Kate Solovieva: Okay, how about $ 1,000 an hour?

New coach: Woah. That's too high.

Kate Solovieva: Hmm. So you already have an idea of what's too low and too high. Brilliant. Let us go on. How are you with 500 USD / hour?

New coach: Still too high.

Kate Solovieva: $ 20 an hour?

The rest is here:
Nutrition coaching: How much is it? - asume tech

Whenever you walk into a store, youre dazzled by the abundance of choice at your disposal. If we need to spend time choosing between a dozen ketchup brands, then we can safely say weve gone too far with our desire for versatility. In a similar manner, we treat our entire existence as that store we spend hours of our lives making irrelevant decisions that will have zero influence or purpose on the quality of our life other than the temporary satisfaction of making a choice. Once you let go of all the irrelevance, you begin to appreciate the full meaning of everything, no matter how little that may be, that truly matters in life, starting with your wellbeing.

In a time so overcrowded by choices, we need to find the strength to simplify our existence if we were to truly revel in what matters most. By doing that, you will also boost your quality of life and your essence, so the effort invested will be returned manifold. Here are a few strategies to help you ditch all kinds of clutter from your life and invest time as well as funds in those few things that fuel your soul and cherish your spirit.

In this sea of chaos were surrounded by, its tough to recognize your own voice. Even when youre just out there choosing a bottle of ketchup. The noise can be overwhelming, so you either forego your freedom to choose based on what you really want, or you forego ever considering your wants at all. Taking a moment to silence the noise around you and to listen to your mind will go a long way in helping you simplify your decisions and make smarter choices in life.

How? Meditate. Spending a few mindful minutes every day immersed in your thoughts and feelings and regaining control over your reactions is pivotal in simplifying your existence. Its equally essential in improving the quality of your life, since a clear mind and a clear voice will let you choose simple over complex every time.

We all crave more energy, more health, and more vigor in our daily lives, but few of us are prepared to tackle whats necessary for us to create that energy and zeal. For starters, simplify your menu and youll boost your health all in one go. Opting for whole, unprocessed or minimally processed foods is always a simpler, smarter option, albeit not always a convenient one, but the time you invest in preparing and enjoying your meals will be time well spent.

Your meals dont need to sound like another exotic coffee from Starbucks. They should, in fact, be simple and nutritious, tailor-made to your needs and activity levels. Instead of reaching for fast food whose ingredient list is unknown, simplifying your diet means making sure that you know exactly what youre consuming.

Were constantly plagued by internal conundrums: Should I buy that new jacket? Do I renovate the bedroom? How about that ski trip? While all of those investments may be legitimate and necessary, you also need to take a breath, step back from all those materially-focused questions and think about ways you can actually take care of yourself in the long term. One of the simplest ways to do just that is to get health insurance that will cover all of your bases and leave you with your mind at ease.

Before you start racking your brain over how to select the perfect policy, you can check out health insurance comparison online to make the right choice by checking different criteria and various coverage options to fit your lifestyle. Not only will you simplify your life but youll also invest in your present and your future, and tend to your every health need. Steer your mind away from material possessions and think of ways you can invest in your wellbeing and your longevity.

Yes, the internet keeps us informed and connected, but its also another paradox of life: it makes us less aware of our present moment, it disconnects us from the people in the room, and it serves as a way to escape our innermost feelings and experiences. Not to mention the long-term impact on your confidence, since being exposed to a filtered, target-tailored reality means you only get to see what youre meant to see.

While its fine to spend some time scrolling on Instagram and chatting on various apps, do cut down on your digital time. Invest that time in something more productive and self-affirming such as meditation, reading, walking, talking to your loved ones face to face, or playing with your pet. All of those actions carry more substance, let you evolve as a human being, and they allow you to enjoy the simple pleasures of life without being bombarded by confidence-wrecking imagery.

Self-improvement can indeed be simple, much like your entire life. All it takes is a mindful approach, structuring your mindset to focus on health and wellbeing, and choosing wisely whenever given the opportunity. Use these tips to simplify your life and youll enjoy its many hidden, yet simple pleasures for many years into the future.

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4 Essential Ways to Simplify Your Life and Improve Yourself Over Time - Thrive Global

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Signature Bank (Nasdaq: SBNY), a New York-based full-service commercial bank, announced today it has been named the winner of the annual Cigna Well-Being Award in 2019 for demonstrating a strong commitment to improving the health and well-being of its employees through its expansive workplace wellness program.

2019 marks the fifth consecutive year Signature Bank was named winner of the Well-Being Award by Cigna. Signature Bank was selected based on its robust wellness program, which was put in place in 2007. The program, with strong support from the Banks leadership, has continually grown and expanded to feature many incentives encouraging healthy behaviors in and outside the workplace. These include, among others, seminars and webinars relating to topics such as diet and stress management as well as in-house bio-metrics and cancer awareness programs. The Banks work environment and policies support a culture of health and well-being.

At Signature Bank, our assets are the 1,500+ committed colleagues who come to work every day and are productive and dedicated to their roles and this institution. Their health and well-being are top priority. We have broadened the wellness components of our program since its inception, which contributed to enhancing the health of our workforce and benefit the well-being of our colleagues. We are honored to be named a winner of the Cigna Well-Being Award this year and every year since 2015, and appreciate being recognized for our wellness program, which has been an important initiative for the Bank for more than a decade, said Joseph J. DePaolo, President and Chief Executive Officer at Signature Bank.

Cigna is committed to creating a healthy workplace and a culture of wellness, said Tony Contessa, Cigna's senior vice president of sales in New York and New Jersey. We continue to be impressed by the year-over-year efforts of Signature Banks wellness programs. They set the example for other companies in building healthier communities in the region."

Cigna Well-Being Award applicants are evaluated based on the core components of their wellness program, including goals, implementation, incentives, leadership engagement and employee participation. All applications are reviewed and judged by a multi-departmental Cigna selection committee.

While poor health takes a physical toll on workers, it also poses a burden to employers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. employers lose more than $225 billion each year in productivity due to employee health problems.

About Signature Bank

Signature Bank, member FDIC, is a New York-based full-service commercial bank with 31 private client offices throughout the New York metropolitan area and Connecticut as well as San Francisco. The Banks growing network of private client banking teams serves the needs of privately owned businesses, their owners and senior managers.

Signature Banks specialty finance subsidiary, Signature Financial, LLC, provides equipment finance and leasing. Signature Securities Group Corporation, a wholly owned Bank subsidiary, is a licensed broker-dealer, investment adviser and member FINRA/SIPC, offering investment, brokerage, asset management and insurance products and services.

Signature Bank recently introduced its revolutionary, blockchain-based digital payments platform, Signet, enabling real-time payments for its commercial clients. The Signet Platform allows the Banks commercial clients to make payments in U.S. dollars, 24/7/365, safely and securely, without transaction fees. Signature Bank is the first FDIC-insured bank to launch a blockchain-based digital payments platform, and Signet is the first such platform to be approved for use by the NYS Department of Financial Services.

Since commencing operations in May 2001, the Bank has grown to $49.41 billion in assets, $37.94 billion in loans, $39.06 billion in deposits, $4.74 billion in equity capital and $3.51 billion in other assets under management as of September 30, 2019. Signature Bank's Tier 1 and risk-based capital ratios are significantly above the levels required to be considered well capitalized.

Signature Bank is one of the top 40 largest banks in the U.S., based on deposits (S&P Global Market Intelligence). The Bank recently earned several third-party recognitions, including: appeared on Forbes' Best Banks in America list for the ninth consecutive year in 2019; and, named number one in the Business Bank, Private Bank and Attorney Escrow Services categories by the New York Law Journal in the publications annual Best of survey for 2019, earning it a place in the New York Law Journals Hall of Fame (awarded to companies that have ranked in the Best of survey for at least three of the past four years). The Bank also ranked second nationally in the Business Bank, Private Banking Services and Attorney Escrow Service categories of the National Law Journals 2019 Best of survey.

For more information, please visit http://www.signatureny.com.

This press release and oral statements made from time to time by our representatives contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are subject to risks and uncertainties. You should not place undue reliance on those statements because they are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties relating to our operations and business environment, all of which are difficult to predict and may be beyond our control. Forward-looking statements include information concerning our future results, interest rates and the interest rate environment, loan and deposit growth, loan performance, operations, new private client teams and other hires, new office openings and business strategy. These statements often include words such as "may," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," potential, opportunity, could, project, seek, should, will, would, "plan," "estimate" or other similar expressions. As you consider forward-looking statements, you should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. They involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements and can change as a result of many possible events or factors, not all of which are known to us or in our control. These factors include but are not limited to: (i) prevailing economic conditions; (ii) changes in interest rates, loan demand, real estate values and competition, any of which can materially affect origination levels and gain on sale results in our business, as well as other aspects of our financial performance, including earnings on interest-bearing assets; (iii) the level of defaults, losses and prepayments on loans made by us, whether held in portfolio or sold in the whole loan secondary markets, which can materially affect charge-off levels and required credit loss reserve levels; (iv) changes in monetary and fiscal policies of the U.S. Government, including policies of the U.S. Treasury and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; (v) changes in the banking and other financial services regulatory environment and (vi) competition for qualified personnel and desirable office locations. Although we believe that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, beliefs and expectations, if a change occurs or our beliefs, assumptions and expectations were incorrect, our business, financial condition, liquidity or results of operations may vary materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements. Additional risks are described in our quarterly and annual reports filed with the FDIC. You should keep in mind that any forward-looking statements made by Signature Bank speak only as of the date on which they were made. New risks and uncertainties come up from time to time, and we cannot predict these events or how they may affect the Bank. Signature Bank has no duty to, and does not intend to, update or revise the forward-looking statements after the date on which they are made. In light of these risks and uncertainties, you should keep in mind that any forward-looking statement made in this release or elsewhere might not reflect actual results.

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Signature Bank Recipient of Cigna's 2019 Well-Being Award for Fifth Consecutive Year - Business Wire

Transportation

Our transportation system is full of big problems in need of even bigger solutions. Here, transportation experts dish their most creative ideas.

Additional reporting by Spencer Buell, Jacqueline Cain, Brittany Jasnoff, and Alyssa Vaughn.

Photo by Michael Prince

Bill JamesFounder and CEO, JPods

JPods are an overhead network of ultralight vehicles that carry people and cargo from origin to destination using a tenth of the energy of cars, trains, and buses. Solar collectors at the top of the rails gather the energy to power the networks, which look something like Ferris wheel cars hanging from monorails.

Our vision is that it will start at places such as Logan Airport, where it will connect the terminals to the T station, hotels, and car rental building. Then it will spread. Within four years, you will be within walking distance of one station, and get to a station within walking distance of where you want to go. Or you could scooter or Uber the last mile to a JPod station to get around Boston. We will build the network with private capital, operate it without government subsidies, and pay the city 5 percent of gross revenues. We could begin building if Massachusetts passes a bill sponsored by state Senator Patrick OConnor, An Act Relative to Solar-Powered Mobility Networks.

Photo by Randi Freundlich

Joe CurtatoneMayor, Somerville

With the term road diet, Im really speaking about how we humanize our roads: how we think about and plan our community for people, not just the automobile. If you plan a city for cars, thats what youre going to get. We need to reclaim the right-of-way for the people.

That can mean adding protected bicycle lanes to create the bicycle infrastructure we have today. Or simply putting paint on the ground and delineating where the bicycle infrastructure is. Or widening the sidewalks, and reclaiming asphalt for placemaking, which has incredible social and economic benefits for a community. It even means reclaiming the streets for housing: We have a development on the west side of the city that will take part of the roadway to expand affordable housing.

On Bow Street in Union Square, we changed to angled parking, which did three things: added more parking for the merchants; allowed us to put in a bike lane; and acted as a traffic-calming measure. On Broadway in East Somerville around the same time, our goal was for that street not to be the on- and off-ramp to Boston any longer. So we eliminated a lane of traffic in each direction, added bike lanes, and expanded the sidewalks. And what happened? Traffic was less congested, and our businesses can take advantage of more vibrancy on the sidewalks.

Change is never easy, but weve been inspired by community members who have come out in support of these measures, because they are based on a set of shared values. One of our goals is to shift mobility to 50 percent more biking, walking, and public transportation.

Transportation is a regional crisis, like housing and climate change. There are great opportunities across communities in how we can connect those projects to have greater benefits. Weve seen the benefit of that from Cambridge, Somerville, Brookline, and Boston working on the Bluebike system. I chair the Metropolitan Mayors Coalition, which represents 15 cities in the inner core of Boston, and we are having these conversations now. We are talking with Medford about priority bus lanes on Mystic Avenue, and with Arlington about connecting those buses in a more efficient and equitable manner to transit stations like Sullivan Square.

The important thing is that were learning from these incremental steps taking place around this region and across the country. To have true impact, we need to have full systemic change.

Gwen LighterCEO, GoFly

I spent three years of my life in Boston for law school and have spent most of my life in the New York/New England area, so I understand the density issue there. We need to go up to alleviate the congestion in our city centers and provide more viable, more sustainable mobility options.

GoFly has created a community of engineers, industry experts, and academics to solve this. The $2 million GoFly Prize has 854 competing teams from 103 countries creating personal flyers. They all look different and they all function in different manners. We are supported by Boeing, Pratt & Whitney, and Google Planetary Ventures, as well as the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Royal Aeronautical Society, and 18 other aerospace organizations around the world. The competition culminates in a grand final fly-off at NASA Ames Research Center in California on leap day: February 29, 2020. One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. That will be the moment when the world will watch as we make people fly.

There will be flying platforms, which may be best for first responders to land in areas that were inaccessible previously. Certain types of flyers might be better for package delivery, others for personal commutes. We have a number of teams designing flying motorcycles.

There are major companies working on flying taxis, where people go to a rooftop, get into a large flyer, and go to another spot in the city. Boston might have point-to-point travel from your home to your office or restrict it to skyport-to-skyport in certain areas.

Photo courtesy of NAACP

Tanisha SullivanPresident, Boston NAACP

Transportation is an issue that goes far beyond reducing emissions or whether the train is bright and shiny. It really should be about addressing our economic disparities, our affordable-housing crisis, and even our education disparities. Greater access to transportation enhances quality of life.

To achieve this, some of our public transportation should be fare-free for students and seniors. We should also consider flat rates for commuter railrather than penalizing people who live farther outside the major metropolitan areas. There should be incentives for families and companies to be more creative in how they think about transportation options. I propose a tax credit on trade-ins for electric cars; its not just about adding a new car to your households fleet, its about getting that fuel-operated vehicle off the road as soon as possible. Likewise, to get people out of rush-hour traffic, we need to incentivize more companies to actively promote, through financial benefits, the use of flexible-working schedules. We talk about where we live, we talk about where we workwe also need to talk about how transportation affects the time we spend with family and the time we spend with community.

Alice BrownDirector of planning, Boston Harbor Now

Today, its really hard to take public transportation from East Boston to the Seaport, or to the Navy Yard in Charlestown. Weve proposed a new star-shaped ferry route for the inner harbor. As part of that, Im especially excited by the prospect of rebuilding Lewis Mall next to Maverick Square to be a full ferry-dock facility. The people of East Boston will have a ferry, not only to go to Long Wharf, but to Charlestown and the Seaport.

People are rediscovering the harbor in so many ways. Theyre already out on the water in water taxis, ferries, and shuttle boats. We just need to expand where publicly accessible boats go.

Photo by Marilyn Humphries

Jim CanalesPresident, Barr Foundation

Based on the work that we have done and the partnerships we have funded over many years now in the mobility space, whats evident is that there is no silver bullet and no single fix. So what I end up focusing on is: What are some of the values and principles that should inform how we think about solutions? And there are a number of things that I would land on.

One is that we should think a lot about how we put people at the center of whatever solution were trying to advance. How do we think about what people fundamentally need in order to get to the places that they need to go? I think another element that is important for Boston, which aims to be a world-class city, is how can we ensure we are aspirational and bold as we shape the kind of mobility system that a world-class city deserves? Sometimes we can get stuck in these conversations about Well, thats not possible, Our system is so old, or We dont have the money to do it. Im hoping that we can really think big, bold, and aspirationally, and acknowledge that its also going to take time and resources and that its not going to get solved overnight.

Lama Bou MjahedResearch director, Mobility Lab

Shared dockless e-scooters and e-bikes could be a really viable way to enhance mobility in Boston, based on our study of Arlington, Virginias pilot program. The results show that people dont just use them recreationally, as was predicted, but to go to destinations, such as shops or work, or make connections to metro rail.

Companies that operate the shared-bike programs in Arlington paid a fee to the city, and deployed them across the county. Riders use an app to scan the code to unlock one. Theres usually a $1 fee to unlock it, and then a fee per minute; the average cost is around $3 for the scooters. When youre done, you park it, usually on the sidewalk. The city can use corrals to de-clutter the sidewalks; Arlington has seven now and is rolling out more. Of users surveyed, 32 percent said e-scooters and e-bikes replaced cars for them, whether Uber or private vehicles. So there is the potential to take cars off the road.

Karl IagnemmaPresident, Aptiv Autonomous Mobility

Self-driving robotaxis, which are currently operating in Las Vegas, will one day increase accessibility in Boston. Autonomous vehicles are without bias; they do not discriminate based on where people live, their income level, or their race. For underserved communities, they provide low-cost connectivity to reach transit lines.

Imagine a Boston with an efficient network of vehicles that are deployed only when there is demand, moving seamlessly to and from destinations, helping people better travel to transit stations, healthcare facilities, school, and job opportunities. That means improved mobility, reduced congestion, safer roads, and equitable access.

We have a fleet on the road in Las Vegas thats picking up and dropping off passengers six days a week, and so far weve given more than 75,000 rides to members of the public. We dont have a specific timetable for Boston yet, but we plan to ramp up significantly in the middle of the next decade.

Patrick SullivanExecutive director, Seaport Transportation Management Association

Because transportation affects all of us, it can bring people to the table who might not otherwise collaborate. I propose fostering stronger partnerships both among neighboring businesses that share many of the same transportation challenges, and between the public and private sectors. Its really interesting how willing businesses are to take that call, take that meeting, and be of assistance.

On the South Boston waterfront, for example, our organization brought together business leaders, along with leaders from city and state agencies, to launch the SeaportNorth Station ferry service in February of this year. The state agency, the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, led the effort to procure the boats and figure out how to operate the service. A mix of employers and property owners in the Seaport came together to 100 percent privately fund the service, which serves their employees and the public. Related Beal, which owns Lovejoy Wharf, constructed the dock, which received some public funding. Today were seeing 14,000 riders per monthand six buses that were previously making dozens of trips a day between North Station and the Seaport are off of the road.

Ambar JohnsonProgram director, LivableStreets Alliance

Its so important for people to be able to connect safely and efficiently to transit centers that will take them to and from their jobs. The last mile concept can make or break transportation. And its the community that knows what obstacles they face to get to that next spot.

When we are doing this work, whether its state agencies, cities, or municipalities, it is integral to make sure that the process is community-driven. There is so much knowledge that community members hold, being so proximate to the issues theyre dealing with every day. In some cases, yes, we need new technologies. But really it gets as simple as, what if we just listen to community members, and get the things that theyve been asking for done? There are things theyve been asking for for years: more frequent service along Columbia Road; lower fares on the Fairmount Line; more connections, with lower transfer times; not having a road in their community treated like a highway, so that their children cannot safely cross the street. Listen and trust their judgment, and just implement it.

Tracy CorleyTransit-oriented development fellow, MassINC

For too long we have been designing our communities so that all of the activities are concentrated in major metropolitan hubs such as Boston, and everywhere else is just housing. That is what is causing congestion. By revitalizing our gateway cities and making them hubs of activity, we can ease people out of traffic on our roads and lower usage on our rail systems.

There are three ways to make that happen. First: more diverse employment opportunities close to home in those gateway cities, led by small-business development.

Second: Strengthen our Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs). We need not only those first- and last-mile connections to rail and other infrastructure, but also alternatives to cars for getting around in peoples own communities. That includes more frequent and reliable bus service, but we also need to empower RTAs to think systematically about ways to coordinate and collaborate with other communitiesfor example, providing one-seat rides between those gateway cities.

Third: Allow regional ballot initiatives so that gateway cities and surrounding communities can raise their own funding to address local transportation needs. Right now, transportation is centrally planned and gateway cities are really getting left behind. There is a bill being considered in the legislature for this.

Amy DainTransportation policy analyst, Dain Research

Theres a lot of demand for housing in the municipalities along the Route 128 corridor. But were continuing to build isolated developments that are only accessible by cars. If we build places that are walkable or have other means of transit, then we will reduce the amount of car use for the people who live there.

Theres a real opportunity there, but we need people who are thinking about that region, and devoting their careers to it, and feeling responsible for it. Who right now is responsible for 128? We could use an unofficial mayor. Think of Vivien Li, the longtime mayor of Bostons waterfront, as a model.

The Mayor of 128 could help view development in a different way. Whats the infrastructure we need to get people walking from place to place, taking the train, taking shuttles, and riding bikes, or maybe taking a kayak down the Charles River to your job? How do we set up regional mitigation funds and funding to upgrade stations? We need somebody whose whole career is devoted to it, thinking about it, pushing itand doesnt just come up with a plan and then move on to the next project.

Interviews have been condensed and edited for clarity. Additional reporting by Spencer Buell, Jacqueline Cain, Brittany Jasnoff, and Alyssa Vaughn.

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How to Save Transportation in Boston: Big Ideas - Boston magazine