The gut is commonly referred to as your body’s “second brain.” This is because, besides the brain, the gut is the only other organ with its own nervous system. A healthy gut is extremely important to your overall wellbeing – as it affects your entire body. Unfortunately, gut health is often overlooked and not given the amount of care and attention it deserves.

According to an article by Douglas Lord, M.D., the gut is largely responsible for the critical factors of the body’s digestive and immune systems. The good bacteria in your digestive system can boost your body’s vitamin and mineral absorbency, hormone regulation, digestion, vitamin production, and immune response, along with the eliminating toxins. A healthy gut can even help improve mental health! 

So, to summarize, gut health is about way more than just digestion. While your gut does regulate the digestion of food, it also regulates your immune system and central nervous system – along with other bodily processes. If you’ve been neglecting your gut health, no need to fret. You can adopt some healthy habits to help your body restore and maintain a healthy gut.

Keep on reading to discover the many benefits of a healthy gut and some habits to help support gut health.

Many of us have a digital addiction.

Nearly half of American smartphone users say they can’t live without their phones. In a technology-driven world, it’s normal to spend some time online and take advantage of the benefits smartphones and other devices have to offer. However, it’s important to realize when your use of technology has started to impact your mental, emotional, and social health. 

A 2015 study found that people check their smartphones an average of 85 times a day. Feeling the need to check your phone constantly can be a sign that it’s time to take a break from the digital world. Your phone obsession can lead to some bad social habits like ignoring your partner during dinner or paying more attention to your notifications instead of your friends. 

If you’ve noticed a sense of stress associated with your dependency on your smartphone, a digit detox might be just what you need to reduce some stress and improve your overall wellbeing. Check out some of the benefits of a digital detox and some tips to make a digital detox work for you:

It’s officially the start of the holiday season! Thanksgiving is a great holiday to bring together family, friends, and great food. However, if you have specific fitness goals that you are trying to achieve, the holidays can be a stressful time. Since Thanksgiving is all about food, it can be hard to fight temptation – and you might leave your family gathering feeling guilty. 

We believe that it’s completely possible to have a satisfying and healthy Thanksgiving when you’re trying to maintain a healthy diet. Whether you’re the host or the attendee, check out some of the tips below to have a healthier Thanksgiving this year.

The American Heart Association (AHA) has changed the definition of hypertension (high blood pressure) for the first time in 14 years. Previously, the standard for stage one of hypertension was 140/90, and has now been revised to 130/80. The previous standard, 140/90, is now considered stage two of hypertension. 

What does this guideline revision mean for us? Millions more of American adults will be diagnosed with hypertension. The percentage of adults living with high blood pressure has increased from 32% to 46% with the new guidelines in place. This means that nearly half of adults are at risk for serious health problems due to hypertension.

According to the AHA, the new guideline is designed to help people take preventative steps to control their blood pressure earlier in life. This is especially important because hypertension is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, which are the two leading causes of death in the world.

Today is World Kindness Day! This means that you have a great opportunity to celebrate and promote kindness at work. We encourage both employers and employees to express kindness as much as possible today and for the rest of the week. And if you don’t think kindness belongs in the workplace, think again! 

The power of kindness is often overlooked at the office. Many employees have the mentality that they are at work to work, not to “make friends.” However, research has found that expressions of kindness actually increase work performance and make the workdays more enjoyable.

Keep on reading to discover some of the benefits of promoting kindness in the workplace, and some ideas for celebrating World Kindness Day with your colleagues:

Americans work a lot. In fact, full-time U.S. employees report working an average of 47 hours per week, which is about an hour and a half more than they reported a decade ago. Research also found that nearly four in 10 full-time employees report logging 50+ hours a week.

Crazy hours at the office often lead to busy, overly stressed employees who don’t have time to care for their health and wellness. These employees are susceptible to workplace burnout. Burnout in the workplace not only has detrimental effects on employees but damaging effects on the company itself.

Some of the negative effects of employee burnout can have on a company include:

• Decreased productivity
• Increased PTO/sick leave
• More errors and workplace accidents
• Higher turnover rates 

Even more shocking is the high-cost employers pay for employee burnout. According to Harvard Business Review, the psychological and physical problems of burned-out employees cost an estimated $125 billion to $190 billion a year in healthcare spending in the U.S.

The workplace is one of the best places to practice gratitude. A grateful attitude leads to a positive and happy mindset. It also helps you learn to better appreciate the little joys in life. Unfortunately, gratitude is not often practiced in the workplace. According to a study by the John Templeton Foundation, people are less likely to express gratitude in the workplace than almost anywhere else, and a startling 60% of people never express thanks at work. 

Without gratitude at work, employees might feel unappreciated and undervalued. In turn, these employees will be less satisfied with their jobs and more likely to be looking for other opportunities. On the flip side, employees who feel gratitude from their employers and express gratitude to their colleagues are much more likely to be happy, motivated, and productive in their roles.

If you currently have a wellness program or strategy in place at your company but aren’t promoting gratitude, you’re missing a big opportunity. It’s important for wellness coordinators and HR pros to remember that employee wellness goes beyond diet and exercise – it includes a healthy and happy mindset. Though there are many ways to help employees achieve a healthy and happy mindset, we think one of the easiest ways to do so is by cultivating gratitude in the workplace.

Eating well isn’t the easiest thing in the world – especially when you’re a full-time employee! The office can be one of the most difficult places to eat healthily. Between helping your family get ready for the day, your commute, and the long day at the office, it seems impossible to prepare a full day’s worth of healthy meals. 

While it might be difficult, it’s vital to eat nutritious meals throughout the workday so that your body and mind can feel and perform their best. Healthy meals will give you more energy, boost your mood, and increase productivity throughout the workday. They can even help prevent those dreaded afternoon slumps! 

The key to eating well at work is to come prepared. Planning and preparing breakfast, lunch, and snacks will make them much easier. Meal prepping is one of the best ways to ensure that you have nutritious meals ready to go. Along with meal prepping, making some changes to your daily habits will also help you steer clear of any unhealthy temptations at work and keep your diet in check.

Keep on reading to learn some foolproof tips and ideas for eating well at work:

The cool breezes of fall bring more than pumpkin spiced treats – they bring the dreaded cold and flu season, too! There’s a reason why you hear more sneezing around the office once the temperature drops. Research shows that you are more likely to get sick during the colder seasons, and illnesses tend to last longer and have more severe symptoms as well.

One main reason for the spike in illnesses during the fall and winter is weaker immune systems. Researchers from Yale University found that immune systems slow down during the colder seasons – decreasing your body’s ability to attack and fight off harmful germs, viruses, and bacteria.

The good news is there are many ways to promote a healthy, powerful immune system. So, if you don’t feel like sniffling and coughing all season, here are nine easy, natural ways to boost your immune system:

The workplace is one of the most important places to address mental health. Sadly, however, the topic is usually avoided. It might even seem like mental illness doesn’t exist inside the office – which couldn’t be more inaccurate. In fact, mental illness affects many U.S. adults and is continuing to affect more and more people worldwide.

According to Center for Discovery: 

• One in four adults in the United States will be diagnosed with a mental health disorder in a given year.
• An average of six to eight years pass before an individual seeks professional help for their mental health disorder.
• Fear and shame associated with the stigma surrounding mental health disorders are the number one reason why individuals do not seek professional help.

Considering how common mental health issues are, it’s shocking that stigmas still exist and prevent individuals from receiving the treatment that they need. An article published by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) notes that stigma remains a major obstacle for employees coping with mental illness. Some employees with mental illnesses hesitate in fear that their supervisors or co-workers will treat them differently, and less than a third of them receive treatment.