If you’ve put on a few unwanted pounds this winter, now’s the time to start thinking about getting ready for the spring and summer.

Experts have a lot of different ways you can burn calories and lose weight – but this is a list of the easiest ones to do!

First – sleep more! Sleeping keeps your hormones in check, lowering the stress hormone cortisol. If our cortisol is high, we stress eat – so keeping it low reduces urges and cuts calories.

Before you eat, take deep breaths – it calms you down and allows your body to burn, rather than store, calories.

Also – don’t skip out on your chores. There’s plenty of stuff to do inside – vacuuming for a half hour will burn 100 calories.

Finally, when you use your phone, talk instead of text – that way you can pace around and get some steps in – every minute, you’ll burn five extra calories if you do.

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In a new study of the most caffeinated states in the country, Connecticut is right in the middle at #27 – not too much, not too little – just enough.

And that’s where we want to be, because while an occasional cup of coffee is good for you – there’s antioxidants and the caffeine helps start your day, but too much can really harm us.

The coffee itself isn’t unhealthy – it’s a lot of what we add to it. For instance, loading it up with sugar – whether it’s the granules or syrups, toppings, or whips, can really add unwanted calories which will lead to inadvertent weight gain.

Just like the sugar, too much creamer can increase saturated fat intake – the bad kinds of fat. Try a lower fat milk if you need to lighten it.

Even if you have your coffee black, too much coffee also means too much acidity and for those of us prone to reflux it can really trigger it. And too much caffeine can cause other issues – insomnia, anxiety, agitation, stomach ache, nausea, headaches, irregular heartbeat, and many other side effects.

Really, the trick is moderation. The most caffeine you want in each day is about four 8 oz. cups.

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If you’re looking forward to this weekend so you can sleep in, there’s good news – it might save your life!

A new study found people who slept an hour longer on weekends versus weekdays had lower rates of heart disease. Heart attack and stroke risk decreased compared to those who woke up at their normal waking hours. This was especially true for those who slept less than 6 hours a night during the work week.

However, this won’t apply if you do get enough sleep during the week. In that case, sticking with your normal schedule was better for your health.

So, if you were up late last night to work on today’s presentation, sleeping in tomorrow may be exactly what you need.

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Over the last few years, we’ve all had to adjust at work – one of the biggest being office meetings. We’ve all become Zoom experts, you’ve got to have the right camera so people can see you, and when someone goes dark on Zoom but still is part of the meeting, you might think they’re just rude.

But they might be on to something.

Researchers investigated Zoom fatigue – being burned out on Zoom meeting after Zoom meeting. Turning your camera off might help avoid it. They looked at stress levels after Zoom meetings, and those who had their camera totally turned off experienced it far less than those who had it on the entire time.

Just knowing that you’re constantly on camera is what makes Zoom calls exhausting.

The findings showed that women and new hires experience fatigue the most, and they found that bosses shouldn’t force cameras to stay on the entire time – let employees have an option for their own benefits.

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Even though the days are slowly beginning to get longer, with more cold and potential snow on the way, you might be feeling the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder. But believe it or not, there may be help – a cup of coffee.

Changes in both light and weather makes us feel more anxious, it’s harder to concentrate, we lose the motivation to exercise, and we start to feel sad in general.

But a new survey shows coffee helps with all those issues.

It helps with concentration, improves mood, and give us energy.

The big question is how much coffee do we need to feel these effects?

Well, a previous study showed that participants in a survey had a sustained improvement of mood throughout the day when they had a cup of coffee every four hours.

So, the next time someone in the office makes a Starbucks run, make sure you give them your order!

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