Health + Happiness: Episode 4 Recap

Smooches from your pooch, a condiment conundrum and expert advice on expiration dates—Joy and Vivien cover these hot topics and more on this week’s episode of Health + Happiness. Read a brief summary of Episode 4 or catch the full episode HERE.

Will puppy kisses make you sick?
When your pup greets you with a big kiss or plants a big wet one on you after a long walk, can that lick make you sick or cause you to break out in a rash? Vivien checks in with Mayo Clinic’s infectious disease doc who shares the answer.

Ketchup: To refrigerate or not?
Joy goes “Joy Walking” to ask New Yorkers whether ketchup should be stored in fridge or in the pantry (after all, diners and restaurants keep it on the table, right?!).  Then she answers this well-debated question.

The 411 on expiration dates 
Ever wonder what those expiration dates on your food really mean? Vivien and Mayo Clinic experts tell us everything you need to know about this topic and explains the difference between  “sell by,” “best by,” and “use by,” clearing up any confusion.

Ice-Ice Baby
Joy offers three clever ways to use an ice cube tray. From freezing leftover broth to fresh herbs to a big ole batch of pesto sauce….the possibilities are endless. Just store the frozen cubes in a labeled zip-top bag and you’ll have key ingredients on hand anytime.

Junk Food to Joy Food: Skinny Dipping 
Spinach Artichoke and 7-Layer Dips are usually north of 300 calories for 1/4 cup (that’s about the size of one egg) and that’s before the chips used for dunking. Joy reaches into her bag of tricks and transforms these two dips into slimming and delicious recipes that definitely don’t skimp on flavor or nutrition.
Get the recipe for Joy’s 7-Layer Dip and Spinach Artichoke Dip.

Exercise your eyes
Tired peepers can get in the way of finishing a paper or project at work. Vivien says to keep your vision sharp with the 20/20 exercise guideline: every 20 minutes, look away from your computer or task about 20 feet in front of you and blink rapidly. Doing this will reduce eye-strain and dry eyes that commonly come with mundane tasks. *reads this and blinks rapidly*  Learn 5 more tips on this week’s “Thrive Five” with Vivien to protect your vision.

Joyful Note
Ending the show on a Joyful note, Vivien explores how coloring can give your mind a break from the day’s stressing thoughts. And Joy’s shares one of her favorite quotes by Oscar Wilde, “When it rains, look for rainbows…when it’s dark, look for stars.” Think about that the next time you’re feeling down and need a mood boost. (Thanks, Joy!)

That’s all for now! Wishing you a week ahead filled with health, happiness and a daily dose of Joy! For more Health + Happiness, click here.