Fitterfly: Taking On Corporate Health One Person at a Time

In today’s fast-paced corporate world, employee health has emerged as a critical concern impacting both productivity and healthcare expenses. It’s interesting to think about the impact that health concerns can have on the work environment; obviously those who are healthy come to work more often and work more productively. So what can companies do with this knowledge?

A company called Fitterfly, recognizing these challenges, initiated a groundbreaking approach through digital therapeutic programs. These programs targeted prevalent health concerns among corporate employees, such as diabetes, obesity, and related metabolic health issues. The 400 participants experienced a significant 1.1 point reduction in HbA1c levels and also found changes in their dietary habits, weight management, fitness levels, stress reduction, sleep quality, and overall quality of life.

The findings underscore the potential of personalized digital interventions in reshaping employee health and productivity. For individuals today, these insights offer valuable takeaways. Firstly, they highlight the need for a proactive approach to health management, emphasizing personalized strategies tailored to individual needs. Secondly, the success of these programs underscores the importance of holistic health interventions encompassing diet, fitness, stress management, and sleep patterns. Lastly, it stresses the significance of leveraging technology as a tool for health improvement, allowing for continuous monitoring and support.

Certainly, this is not the only program out there. It is one example of how technology is interacting with health concerns and trying to create new devices and ways to help people to stay healthy. It’s certainly worth keeping on eye on this expanding field and seeing which of these technological tools might help you or your company.

Tools and Tips for the Aspiring Cook

Tools and Tips for the Aspiring Cook

Are you looking to up your cooking game in 2024? According to the New York Times, some kitchen essentials are an important first step. Simply purchasing a larger cutting board will streamline your cooking prep, help you organize your ingredients, and minimize cleanup. A sharp knife pairs nicely with your larger cutting board, and there is no need lay out a sizeable sum for professional knives. Find an affordable options with a sharpener and start slicing and dicing!

If you are to invest in anything, a heavy skillet will guarantee you an impeccable sear and will cook your food evenly. Look for a skillet made from cast iron, stainless steel, or enameled cast iron to ensure incredible high-temperature cooking. Another welcome addition is a versatile sheet tray, preferably one with rolled edges that prevents warping over time. Sheet trays are perfect for everything from baking and roasting to dry-brining proteins.

The cooking process begins with carefully reviewing the recipe. As you work through the recipe, focus on visual, auditory and olfactory cues rather than timing. While swapping ingredients can impede baking results, savory cooking can accommodate substitutions, such as switching root vegetables or hearty greens.

Finally, make sure to taste your food at each stage! This is the optimal way to make sure your food is seasoned well, and will enable you to correct mishaps and save your dish.

Best of luck with your cooking journey! Remember to be patient and kind to yourself, and to share your delectable dishes with loved ones.

Strava Releases 2023 “Year in Sport: The Trend Report,” Revealing Workout Motivation in Different Generations  

Strava, a digital platform with a community of over 120 million athletes, released its, “Year In Sport: The Trend Report.” The report surveyed 6,990 individuals, both in and out of Strava’s community, and provided insights into the exercise habits of people across different generations as well as observations on the evolving workout trends for the year 2024. Gen Z was found to stand out with differing habits, motivators, obstacles and interests when approaching physical activity.

One prominent takeaway from the report is the importance of social connection as a primary motivator for exercise. This appeared as a cross-generational response, but was particularly notable for Gen Z with 77% responding that they a stronger bond to seeing friends and family’s activities on Strava. Gen Z is also 29% more likely than Millennials to exercise with another person.

The report highlights Gen Z’s distinct exercise behaviors; they are 31% less likely than Millenials or Gen X to work out because of health concerns and more likely to pursue athletic performance. While 39% of Gen Z Strava users started a new job and 30% relocated in 2023, they were still 32% more likely than other generations to say they’re in better shape than last year.

Zipporah Allen, Chief Business Officer at Strava, notes the impact of Gen Z’s values of community, activism, and connection in an increasingly digital world: “Over the past year, we’ve seen Gen Z as the primary source of community growth through new clubs on Strava. They’ve also contributed to the increase in sports, like running, despite having the most barriers to staying consistent. This shows exercise will be a central value for this generation, which is why they’re already turning to Strava as the key platform to stay motivated and connected.”

Reading Recommendations for 2024

Book lovers are always looking for more recommendations – and there are certainly many places to get those ideas. If you’re resolved to enjoy more literature in 2024 than you might have in 2023, here are some ideas.

  1. Goodreads: Goodreads is a great resource where people share their favorite book titles and write reviews of books that they have read. They have a yearly contest as well for their collective favorite books, and this list could be a nice place to start for 2024. The contest is broken into many categories including fiction, historical fiction, romance, best new writer, etc.
  2. CNN book list recommendation: This is a fun list that includes a smattering of suggestions from musicians, authors, photographers, film directors and even a Miss Universe. It’s worth a peek.
  3. Social media: There are many accounts across social media platforms that people have exclusively dedicated to their love of reading. TikTok has a section called BookTok where people post short videos about their love of books. Instagram has Bookstagram and other social channels have similar locations for book lovers to talk and share.

Whatever type of reading you enjoy, and however you want to learn more about reading, you’ll find great suggestions for the coming year. Expand your horizons with a book and get reading now!

Norwegian Blue Takes the Gold

The 2023 World Cheese Awards has announced their winner: Norwegian blue cheese! Nidelven Blå, crafted by cheesemaker Gangstad Gårdsysteri, emerged victorious in Trondheim, Norway, at the esteemed global cheese event hosted by the Guild of Fine Food.

With a record-breaking 4,502 entries this year, experts from around the world convened to evaluate and crown the champion in front of a live audience. The final verdict was delivered by a specially assembled “super jury,” including the Ambassador of Food Culture at Whole Foods Market in the US.

Maren Gangstadt, the general manager of Gangstad Gårdsysteri, expressed pride in their win, “We’re a small dairy farm based just two hours from here, so this happening on our home turf means a lot, and having all of the crew from the dairy here adds an extra spark to it.”

The winning cheese was hailed by judges for its semi-solid, blue mold composition, crafted from pasteurized cows’ milk. Described as possessing a rich creaminess and unique fruity undertones with hints of wine-like characteristics, it earned high praise as “the perfect blue cheese.”

John Farrand, the managing director of the World Cheese Awards, highlighted the intense global competition, representing over 40 countries. The rigorous judging process involved evaluating visual, aromatic, and taste aspects, with top choices receiving gold, silver, or bronze distinctions. Farrand emphasized the awards’ inclusivity, welcoming cheeses from diverse origins, including recent entrants from India and Japan. The recognition at these awards holds significant weight for small cheesemakers, impacting the success and growth of their businesses.

Talking About Death in New Ways

Two recent books have been published that allow readers to rethink their association with death and dying. A new book by J. Servon and L. Delany-Ullman called Saved: Objects of the Dead explores the idea of what we keep after someone has died. The book has been created by North Carolina-based artist Jody Servon and California-based poet Lorene Delany-Ullman. It features forty photographs and prose poems based on interviews they did with people and the objects they cherished after a loved-one died. Bringing the idea to social media, they also have a very interesting Instragram page where people can see saved objects and hear about why these particular objects were saved.

Another unusual book worth exploring was recently written by Hadley Vlahos. Hadley is a young hospice nurse with a large social media following on Instagram, Tik Tok and other channels. She shares interesting stories from her experience as a hospice nurse, offering play acting the various parts of an encounter. She offers inspiration and hope for the experience of grieving for family members and helping a dying family member.

While death is typically addressed as a depressing topic, these books explore unchartered aspects of the process and ways that family members might address and think about death in new and unusual ways.