Understanding Mindful Eating:

Mindful eating involves being fully present in the moment during meals, engaging all our senses, and cultivating a non-judgmental awareness of our thoughts and emotions related to food. It encourages us to slow down, pay attention, and make conscious choices that honor our bodies’ needs.

The Benefits of Mindful Eating:

1. Improved Digestion: By savoring each bite and thoroughly chewing our food, we aid the digestion process, allowing our bodies to extract maximum nutrients.
2. Weight Management: Mindful eating helps us recognize true hunger and satiety cues, preventing overeating and promoting a healthy body weight.
3. Enhanced Enjoyment: When we take the time to truly appreciate the flavors, textures, and aromas of our food, we derive greater pleasure from our meals.
4. Emotional Well-being: Mindful eating encourages a deeper connection between our minds and bodies, helping us manage stress, emotional eating, and promote a positive relationship with food.

Tips for Mindful Eating:

1. Slow Down: Set aside dedicated time for meals, free from distractions like screens or work. Eat at a leisurely pace, savoring each bite and fully experiencing the flavors and textures of the food.
2. Engage Your Senses: Take a moment to appreciate the visual appeal of your meal. Notice the colors, shapes, and presentation. Inhale the aromas, allowing them to awaken your appetite.
3. Chew Mindfully: Chew your food thoroughly, savoring the taste and texture. Not only does this aid digestion, but it also allows you to fully experience and enjoy the meal.
4. Listen to Your Body: Tune in to your body’s hunger and satiety signals. Eat when you are truly hungry and stop when you feel comfortably satisfied. Avoid mindless snacking or emotional eating.
5. Practice Gratitude: Before you begin eating, take a moment to express gratitude for the nourishment and the effort that went into preparing the meal. Cultivating gratitude fosters a positive mindset towards food.
6. Mindful Snacking: Apply the principles of mindful eating to your snacks as well. Choose nutritious options that align with your body’s needs, and savor each bite mindfully.

Cultivating Mindful Eating Habits:

1. Mindful Meal Planning: Plan your meals mindfully, incorporating a variety of flavors, textures, and nutrient-rich ingredients. Consider the balance between indulgence and nourishment.
2. Mindful Cooking: Engage in the cooking process with mindfulness, paying attention to the ingredients, flavors, and cooking techniques. Infuse love and intention into the meals you prepare.
3. Mindful Eating Community: Join or create a community of like-minded individuals who are also practicing mindful eating. Share experiences, recipes, and support each other’s journeys.

In a world of constant distractions, embracing mindful eating allows us to reconnect with the joy of nourishing our bodies and souls. By practicing mindful eating, we can develop a healthier relationship with food, improve digestion, manage our weight, and promote overall well-being. Remember, it’s not just about what we eat but how we eat. So, let us embark on this transformative journey towards savoring each meal, listening to our bodies, and nurturing ourselves through the art of mindful eating.

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There are several reasons why people don’t stick to their New Year’s resolutions. One common reason is that the resolutions are too vague or unrealistic. For example, resolving to “lose weight” or “exercise more” is fine, but it’s important to be specific about how much weight you want to lose and how often you plan to exercise. Without a clear plan, it’s easy to get overwhelmed or lose motivation.

Another reason people don’t stick to their resolutions is that they try to do too much too soon. If you’re used to being sedentary, it’s unrealistic to expect that you’ll suddenly be able to run a marathon or hit the gym every day. It’s important to start small and gradually build up to your goals.

And finally, you need to have a strong enough reason for making the change. If you’re not fully committed to your resolution, it’s easy to lose motivation when things get tough. It’s important to really think about why you want to make this change and what it will mean for your life.

So, how can you set yourself up for success and make lasting positive changes in your life? Here are a few tips:

1. Set specific, achievable goals. Instead of resolving to “lose weight,” resolve to lose 10 pounds in the next three months. This gives you a clear target to work towards and makes it easier to track your progress.
2. Start small and gradually build up. If you want to start exercising more, start by walking for 20 minutes a day and gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workouts as you become more comfortable.
3. Find a support system. Whether it’s a friend, a family member, or a support group, having someone to encourage you and hold you accountable can make a big difference in your success.
4. Make a plan and stick to it. Set aside specific times for your workouts and make a schedule that you can stick to.
5. Be consistent. The key to forming a new habit is to do it consistently over time. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results right away – it takes time to see progress.
6. Be patient and kind to yourself. Change is hard and it’s normal to have setbacks. Don’t beat yourself up if you slip up – just get back on track as soon as you can.

In conclusion, while it’s natural to want to make positive changes in our lives, it’s important to be realistic and set ourselves up for success. By setting specific, achievable goals, starting small, finding a support system, making a plan, and being consistent and patient, we can form new habits and make lasting positive changes in our wellbeing. So, it is important to be consistent, patient, and kind to ourselves while we are trying to form new habits.

The post Why New Years Resolutions Tend to Fail appeared first on garten.

This box is curated with various items and snacks that help to de-stress and calm the mind, including a variety of gluten-free snacks, herbal tea, roll-on essential oils, hand sanitizer, and a gift card for 2 Months Free of Welnys TV.

Depending on your location, your Zen Box can include:

Earth Therapeutics Anti-Stress Sinus Pillow: Filled with flax seed and a special stress-relieving aroma-therapeutic blend of herbal essences, this SINUS PILLOW is designed to calm and comfort both the body and the mind. Ergonomically designed with an adjustable head strap, the Anti-Stress Sinus Pillow enfolds you in its comforting embrace to relax and soothe. The balmy mind-calming blend of chamomile, lavender, and citrus completes and enhances these physical benefits by offering a totally relaxing, sensory experience. Use it Warm over the forehead to soothe and relieve sinuses and tension headaches, or use it Cool to soothe tired, strained, puffy eyes.

Aura Cacia Chill-Pill Essential Oil Roll-On: With a simple, roll-on application, these blends of essential oils and apricot kernel oil are perfect for safely applying to the skin for a variety of benefits—without leaving behind an oily feel. To inspire balance and calm, apply to temples, wrists and inner elbows.

Aura Cacia Hand Sanitizer – Unscented: Hand Sanitizers are an ideal choice for the moments you don’t have access to soap and water. Formulated in compliance with FDA standards and CDC recommendations, Aura Cacia Hand Sanitizers effectively kill 99.9% of common germs and do not contain methanol. Each hand sanitizer is made with 80% alcohol content to effectively disinfect hands, and glycerin to help prevent drying out skin.

Aura Cacia Mellow Mix: Featuring lavender and sandalwood essential oils, is expertly blended to inspire a sense of peace and calm. Wind down from a tough day by using this effective combination of oils in a diffusion, room spray or massage oil.

Tazo Chamomile Tea: A sip of blooming chamomile tea to help you unwind at the end of the day. This herbal tea blend is carefully presented in 20 individually wrapped tea bags that preserve its properties as a soothing, relaxing, and calming tea, making it ideal as a sleep tea.

2 Months Free of Welnys TV Virtual Programming: Wellness From Anywhere. Online classes taught by real people, for real people. Stream everything from meditation to Tai Chi on your phone or laptop.

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Becoming physically active is a great way to gain stress management skills and promote overall well being. Pair your activities with goals or challenges and you’ll be excelling in no time. Remember folks, consistency is key here so ease into it. Some great activities to try that are free and easy to start include walking, running, cycling, and yoga. 

2. CONNECT

Healthy relationships promote a healthy well being. Right now it might be hard to get out to the local meetup without concern for the safety of yourself and others. Most of us are lucky enough to have access to the internet which is jam packed with digital platforms for connecting. One of the most popular recently has been the Quarantine Karaoke page on Facebook which is a live stream feed of quarioke.

3. LEARN

Taking the time to learn something new promotes self growth, aids in self confidence, and may even lead to activating new neural-pathways in the brain, especially if it’s been a while since you have taken the time to add a new practice to your routine. One great way to start on a new learning path is by auditing your schedule first to clear cut free time and devise a master plan for practice time and execution. 

4. GIVE

“Giving has been proven to decrease blood pressure and reduce stress. This reduction promotes longer life and better health. Giving promotes social connection. Studies show that when you give to others, your generosity is often continued down the line to someone else, or returned to you.” Research shows that those who volunteer live longer and have happier lives. Charitable giving delivers a host of benefits to the body and brain. Regardless of whether you give your time, money, or energy. 

5. BE MINDFUL

Maintaining attention to the present moment can improve your mental well being and play a big role in stress management by reducing thoughts outside of the present moment and the tasks at hand. There have been countless studies on the benefits of a mindfulness practice and it’s standard practice for most high performing individuals. One of the immediate benefits is a deep sense of calm, and the ability to schedule and execute tasks with a deeper attention to detail.

Written by Brendan Terranova

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With an increasing hybrid of workplace locations, it is important to maintain company culture and organizational values across the diversity of your organization. Here are 3 ways to foster a great employee experience:

Creating Culture through Communication 

Humans are tribal and the crisis has separated us indefinitely. Whether coming back to a centralized workplace, or leading a remote team or a hybrid team, dynamics have been forever changed.

To get everyone comfortable with the new format, help your team by creating space for authentic connections and truthful conversations. Highlight opportunities designed for these interactions, schedule time on the calendar to facilitate wellness education and openly encourage communication and camaraderie. 

Food is Culture

Food programs at work need to evolve now more than ever so we are less susceptible to sickness. Companies lose millions in productivity costs, health care premiums and absenteeism, which are often due to a bad diet. Food is also an opportunity for connection and bringing people together. However, team members may be uncomfortable prepping meals in a community kitchen with shared kitchen appliances. Many companies supported by wellbeing programs are moving to our contactless smart fridge, garten Market. It’s the most budget-friendly and safest alternative to traditional office food services. Plus, the selection meets our guidelines for healthy and fresh food, that’s readily available. 

Eating for Performance

Eating nutrient-dense foods is now more important than ever. Healthy food supports energy and focus–to get through those Zoom marathons–and keeps the immune system strong to fight seasonal flu and other viruses. Fresh fruits, veggies, and protein that are rich in Vitamins A, C, E, and zinc will keep the immune system working efficiently and effectively. Limiting sugar intake helps avoid bouncing blood sugar which can cause crashes in energy and productivity. Drinking adequate amounts of water also helps keep the neurons firing to maintain good focus. 

For your WFH teams, our better-for-you snack boxes consist of higher quality food products, responsibly sourced to protect the health of people and the planet. Our snack standards include all natural, non-GMO, organic, sustainable, and WELL certified, so you can keep your team fueled the right way.

By Bryan Grobstein and Toffler Niemuth

The post Keeping employees connected and healthy, wherever their workplace happens to be. appeared first on garten.

Regardless of how much you are able to offer to your employees, the reality is that this type of perk provides more benefits to you, the employer, than you may think. But, we’re not talking just about any type of snacks and drinks. We’re talking about the nutritious kind. Read on to learn why you should consider healthy snacks as the ultimate employee benefit. 

1. Attract and Retain the Best Talent

Companies that invest in their employee’s well-being are more attractive to today’s top talent. According to a survey conducted by Glassdoor, 57% of respondents said they take perks and benefits offered into consideration before accepting a job offer. Glassdoor also reported wellness programs, inclusive of healthy snacks, as one of five job benefits that attract top talent.  

The job market is so competitive right now. The only way to differentiate your company from the pack is by offering the best benefits and perks you can afford. Seriously. Realize that you’re not just offering healthy office snacks and drinks. You’re sending the message to prospective and current employees that you care about their well-being and value their contribution to the success of your business.

2. Increased Productivity

This should be the most compelling reason to consider switching to healthy snacks for your company. Think about this: When people are busy and on-the-go, they tend to reach for whatever is easy and available. 

A study published in the British Journal of Health Psychology demonstrated that healthy eating throughout the day isn’t just good for the body, it is also good for the mind. The more healthful foods people consumed during the day – the happier, more engaged, and more creative they were.

3. Foster a Sense of Community

Where there’s food, people will follow. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the office kitchen is typically the place where most people will gather and mingle. Post-COVID, the water cooler chats look a bit different on Zoom, but regardless of how you engage with your team—offering healthy snacks in a kitchen or by delivery can motivate, inspire, and help increase productivity by the sense of community that is formed by eating the snacks together. According to Gallup, people who incorporated social interactions at the office (or on Zoom) felt more supported and had higher job satisfaction. 

4. Tax Benefits

You may think that your company is not yet at the point of offering perks like free snacks and drinks. Think again. Earlier this year, the IRS ruled that, when offered on a consistent basis at work, healthy office snacks are tax-deductible. While full business meals are no longer fully deductible, you can still deduct 50% of the cost from now until 2025. 

There are a number of changes relating to business meals and entertainment, so be sure to consult the IRS for any questions you may have about the recent amendment.  

Why the Healthy Alternative

Eating the right foods can play a central role in combating chronic health issues like obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. And we know for a fact that not all snacks are created equal. Our Founder & CEO, Michael Heinrich, realized that the office snacks offered by his past employers were making him feel sluggish in the afternoon. There was plenty of research that explained why.

In 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a study of employees across the U.S. and found that the foods they were getting at work contained high amounts of salt, sugar and empty calories. A study out of Brigham Young University  found that “employees with unhealthy diets were 66 percent more likely to report having a loss in productivity.” 

Unhealthy habits are expensive—not only for individuals and society in general but also for employers. Over the past ten years, chronic diseases have increased by 25 percent in working-age adults, and the CDC estimates that productivity losses due to missed work cost employers $225.8 billion (yes, with a B), or $1,685 per employee, annually. 

This information and remembering what his grandmother—a medical doctor—taught him: “what you put in your body impacts your health,” led Michael to create garten, formerly Oh My Green.

garten is on a mission to transform the office into a destination for healthier living. If you’re not a garten customer, get on board now and make the upgrade!

The post 4 Unexpected Benefits of Providing Healthy Snacks to Your Employees That Will Impact Your Bottom Line appeared first on garten.

We at garten want to equip you with some simple ways to support the development of serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that supports mood regulation, memory, and healthy digestion. 90% of serotonin is produced in our intestines. With the seasons changing in an-everything-but-normal year, it’s likely we could use a little boost in things that make us feel good.

Here are 5 tips to boost your serotonin levels:

1. Exercise daily – outside is even better! We all know we should move more as part of our health. If you don’t have a regular exercise routine, start by taking a 30-minute walk daily. One trick that works is building rules like no coffee before your workout is done. Give it a try and see how you feel! 
   
2. Stay hydrated to support gut health. Drinking enough water is challenging when you’re in back to back zoom calls and juggling life, but just like plants need water to survive, we need water to function properly. Ideally, we should be drinking half of our body weight in ounces daily. If that’s too much, start by making sure you’re finishing one bottle a day, then move to two, and keep building up to your goal. 
   
3. Eat serotonin rich foods such as salmon, sweet potatoes, blueberries, and bananas. A diet rich in L-tryptophan is especially beneficial. Foods rich in nutrients such as magnesium, zinc, folic acid, fish oils, vitamins C and B6 help us use serotonin more effectively. 
   
4. Try a meditation practice. At garten, we take 20 minutes daily for a Purposeful Pause. Many of our teammates use this time to meditate and it helps keep us focused and productive. It’s also a great way to reduce stress and keep your serotonin levels up.
   
5. Take time to play. As adults, we often think we don’t have time to play or that it’s simply unproductive and useless. However, more and more research is coming out that proves play is vital to problem-solving, creativity, and relationship building. This week, take time to do something that brings you joy.

Our fall snack rotation includes snacks with ingredients that help support a good mood. Be on the lookout for those snacks and work to incorporate them into your regular diet. 

While you’re building your meal plan, add this recipe to your rotation. Snap a picture of your plated dish, tag us on social media, and use #gutgarten for a chance to win a free snack box!

The post Serotonin Supports Good Mood with Food appeared first on garten.

Last week we announced the exciting news of our rebrand!

How did we get from Oh My Green to garten? 

The idea for garten started with founder Michael Heinrich. He recognized a trend in workplace environments where employees are experiencing burnout rather than wellbeing. This environment, where one strives to achieve without the balance of wellbeing, is in stark contrast to the wisdom that his grandmother sewed into him as a child. She raised Michael to follow wellbeing practices such as eating from her organic garten in Germany, getting plenty of rest, and exercising to promote good health. Thus, the mission and a set of values were born to encapsulate these wellbeing principles. 

As Oh My Green, we were known for our healthy snacks and lunch offerings. Michael believes that living a healthy and blissful life involves more than simply nutrition choices, to function in a healthy and blissful state, we must engage our mind and environment too, this is especially important at the workplace, where many of us spend the majority of our awake hours.

As garten continues to broaden our focus to become a full-service wellbeing provider for employers, supporting their employees’ wellbeing in mind, body and environment, we want our brand to best reflect our mission, what we stand for, and what we’re doing to improve the workplace.

How long did the journey to garten take?

An online search estimates that a rebrand can be completed in as few as 4 to 6 weeks. At garten our rebrand was in development for over a year. We knew that a rebrand signifies a turning point. As we move toward providing broader wellbeing services, combined with the dynamic shift that’s occurring in how the workplace is defined, it was essential to us that the rebrand reflects our founder’s original mission as well as the direction we’re taking to bring wellbeing to the workplace.

To accomplish our rebrand goals, we looked internally – gathering input from our own wellbeing ambassadors, as well as externally – listening to our valuable client partners. Then we engaged a couple of agencies to bring the rebrand to life. Our final partner in the process, Office Jason Schulte Design, was so inspired by our rebrand results, they shared our journey to garten as a case study.

Our new logo visually tells our story. The three pillars, mind, body, and (workplace) environment are reflected in the architecture of our wellbeing g.

Where do we plan to go as garten?

“At garten, our vision is to bring a modern approach to overall wellbeing in the workplace and the rebrand marks an important step in the evolution of our company,” said Michael Heinrich, founder and CEO of garten. “The focus on health is top-of-mind and more important than ever. We’ve heard from numerous leaders that wellness and especially immunity will play an integral role in how they support their employees as they come back to the workforce, whether onsite or remote.”

garten is here, to welcome your employees to work, and to meet them on their wellbeing journey, whether that’s our onsite or remote solutions. Self-care has been hard to come by these past few months, we know processed foods have been on the rise, and immunity is at risk, so whatever garten can do to help people feel a little better about themselves; make a few better choices throughout the day; and just feel cared for – that’s our mission, to empower people to live healthy and blissful lives. That’s why we do what we do – – workplace wellbeing for every employee.

Blog Post Written by Kathleen Donnelly

The post Our Journey to garten appeared first on garten.

Most people spend at least a third of their day at work, and what they eat and drink throughout the day has a powerful effect on their overall health and well-being. Now, visualize this common scenario: donuts for breakfast, a quick lunch from the closest fast-food restaurant, soda, and chips as an afternoon snack. Bluntly put, American corporations have become an important distributor for the ultra-processed food industry. When it comes to healthy eating, many people are hindered by limited choices and poor habits. And their employers are not only not helping but sometimes making things worse.

It’s time for corporations to realize they have an opportunity to positively impact the overall well-being of their employees. There’s a myriad of studies showing the connection between proper nutrition and increased productivity and a large number of studies reporting on the staggering costs of poor health habits, for individuals and for corporations. Bottom line, offering healthy foods, snacks, and drinks to employees is not only good for employees but also a sound business investment. 

To learn more, read our white paper How to Make Healthy Eating Part of Your Corporate Culture.

We’re on a mission to transform the office into a destination for healthier living. If you’re not an Oh My Green customer, get on board now and make the upgrade now to nutritious and delicious!

The post What Today’s Corporate Wellness Programs Are Missing appeared first on garten.

When used for cooking, we suggest making fresh juice and using it to replace concentrated sweeteners. Sumo Citrus adds a lovely sweet note and brightness to salad dressings and sauces.

This incredibly sweet citrus is typically available from mid-January through the end of March. 

Sumo Citrus Salad

Proper nutrition is one of the cornerstones for good health. Vitamin C is well known for its role in supporting a healthy immune system. In this recipe, we’ll show you how to reap the benefit of combining vitamin C-rich foods with iron-rich plant foods. This salad combines spinach, Butterleaf, Sumo citrus, avocado, and pumpkin seeds creating a bright, flavorful, and light starter. To make it a full meal, just add protein! 

Ingredients: 

2 heads of Butterleaf roughly chopped
3 cups of baby spinach
3 Sumo Citrus fruits peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
2 red bell peppers thinly sliced 
2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and sliced into 1/4 inch cubes
3 tablespoons of toasted pumpkin seeds

For the dressing: 

4 tablespoons of Sumo fruit juice 
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of honey
2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar 
1/2 clove garlic, minced  
Salt and pepper to taste 

Instructions: 

1. Layer the butter leaf, spinach, Sumo fruits, bell peppers, pumpkin seeds, and avocados in a large bowl. 
2. Combine Sumo fruit juice, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic, honey, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Stir with a whisk until combined. 
3. Drizzle salad with vinaigrette. Enjoy! 

We’re on a mission to transform the office into a wellbeing destination. Our corporate culinary services are currently offered in the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, Los Angeles, Austin, Seattle, and Boston. If you’re not yet customer, get on board now and make the upgrade!

Be sure to join our community on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Teresa Liu is a Certified Nutritionist and member of Oh My Green’s amazing culinary team. She works alongside Oh My Green chefs to promote healthy eating and wellness throughout our customers in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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