You know you’re supposed to limit added sugar in your diet, but even if you steer clear of M&M's and donuts chances are you’re eating more sugar than you think. The scariest part about sugar is that it’s hidden in a lot of everyday foods. Even when we think we are eating healthy, we may be consuming way too much added sugar. According to the American Heart Association, the maximum amount of added sugars you should eat in a day is:

Women: 100 calories per day (25 grams or 6 teaspoons)

Men: 150 calories per day (37.5 grams or 9 teaspoons)

*Based on a 2,000 calorie diet

With most Americans tripling or even quadrupling this recommend intake of sugar, it’s not uncommon to be addicted to sugar. Check out these warning signs below to determine if you’re eating too much sugar:

When we think of eating healthy, most of us only focus on what types of foods we are consuming. We often forget that a major part of eating healthy starts with forming healthy eating habits.

You may need to change some of your daily habits to eat more nutritious food. But don’t worry — it’s not as hard as it sounds!

Forming healthy eating habits will actually make it easier for you to eat healthily and go back to enjoying eating rather than getting anxious about every meal. Whether you’re trying to lose weight or just eat a healthier, balanced diet, forming these habits will help you achieve your goals and feel more confident about your eating habits:

When it comes to living a healthy and happier life, there are many conflicting messages out there that may confuse your employees or make them feel like a healthy lifestyle isn’t achievable. However, we want to help you make wellness simple, effective, and practical for your employees. To do this, we recommend three key pillars for employers to focus on: eat, move, and live.

Eat, move, and live are three pillars of focus that we believe will make a positive impact on your employees’ health and overall life. Employers should educate employees on the positive benefits of eating healthy, being physical active, and making healthy choices–for both the body and mind.

Being a wellness manager is hard work. Between planning wellness events and implementing new, creative strategies to improve the health of employees, your day is bound to get a little hectic and stressful. To help you out we put together a list of our favorite tips that will boost productivity and keep you focused and energized throughout your workday:

Do your least favorite task first. We all have that one daily or weekly task that we dread. Get it done first! If you procrastinate it, it will continue to hang over your head and put a dent in your productivity level. Whether it’s a small task or big task, just get it done. The satisfaction of checking it off your to-do list will leave you feeling confident and productive all day.

Did you know that numbers could save your life? Sure, you probably know “911” as the ultimate life-saving number, but your health numbers are just as important to know by heart!

When it comes to measuring individual health, knowing your numbers helps you take control of your health and your life. These key numbers help you assess your risk for serious illnesses, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.  

Unfortunately, many of us are uninformed about our health numbers and why they are so important. A recent study by Cleveland Clinic shows that many Americans worry about dying of heart disease, but are unaware of their basic risk levels. For example, nearly half (46%) of those surveyed knew their bank account balance, while just 18% could state their body mass index and only 38% knew their blood pressure.

Ah, team building exercises. Some either love them, or run at the mention of them. While team building activities can be excellent for fostering a sense of unity and comradery in the workplace, they can also be the cause of some extensive eye rolls. This is because a lotof us have experienced a corny or downright awkward team building experience before.

However, when team building exercises are done and implemented properly, they are great for boosting employee wellness. Why? Team building encourages connections among employees. Creating a network of social support can lead to a more resilient work environment by helping employees recognize the power of being on a team and working together.

You’ve heard us say it before – and we will definitely say it again: positivity boosts employee wellness. Practicing positivity and optimism has been linked to numerous health benefits, increased productivity, and less stress. Optimistic employees are also happier and more involved in their work, so it’s really a win-win all around.

Whether you’re the employee or the employer, you can make a difference by being a positive presence in your workplace. Promoting positivity on a daily basis will help your employees or co-workers start looking on the brighter side of things. After all, positivity is contagious!

Here are seven tips to help you promote positivity in your workplace:

There are lots of things you need to do to have a successful employee wellness program. Not only does your program need to be simple, fun and engaging. But you also don’t want employees to think that the new wellness program is just a fad that will slowly fade away after six months. You want them to take your program seriously and know that wellness is here to stay. You want them to be intrigued and excited. But how can you reach your employees?

Luckily, we are here to help! Follow these tips to effectively promote wellness in your company:

Happy heart month!

For such an important muscle, hearts are ignored all too often. Don’t you think your heart deserves some recognition for its loyal, steady beat and for supplying blood to all of your organs? We think so! The month of February is a great time to put your focus back on your heart and help yourself set goals for a heart-healthy year.

Below are a few fun and interesting facts about your heart to help you appreciate just how important your heart–and heart health–really is:

Practicing a lifestyle of holistic wellness includes more than eating right and working out. It also includes making time for yourself and doing what you love. Spending your down time on your favorite hobbies benefits your overall wellbeing in many ways.  

According to a 2015 study, engaging in leisure activities was defined as “self-selected, self-rewarding behavioral pursuits that take place during non-work time.” Participants in this study who engaged in leisure activities were found to be happier, less bored, less stressed, and had lower heart rates. Leisure activities were also implied to be a great way to increase productivity and job performance, as they help boost creativity and give your brain a much-needed break.

There are plenty of healthy hobbies besides going to the gym that are great for your health and wellness. Here are 11 healthy hobbies that you can start today to boost your wellbeing.