Thanksgiving Holiday Ideas

Nancy Rogers from UA Life & Work Connections has some suggestions to assist you in the preparation of your holiday feasts:

The Thanksgiving holiday is fast approaching, and food often plays a major role in our celebrations. Regardless of how experienced you are at cooking large, festive meals, there are always new and interesting recipes to be found on the internet. Check out the following websites for some inspirational ideas!

The UA Cooperative Extension has some great recipes on its website. I found two side dishes for my Thanksgiving dinner that are quick and look delicious, the Very Quick Caramelized Pearl Onions, and the Sesame Green Bean Saute´.

Helpful information about thawing a frozen turkey, cooking times, and handling of leftovers can be found on the U.S. Department of Agriculture web site. The University of Nebraska has a great website with ideas about carving a turkey, making turkey gravy, and other recipes.

Of course, there are many, many other web sites with great holiday cooking ideas, so be creative and have fun! Have a healthy and refreshing Thanksgiving!

Great American Smokeout--November 19th

UA Life & Work Connections will be supporting The American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout this Thursday, November 19. Visit Jodi Charvoz, Med, RD on the Mall between 10am and 2pm and pick up some valuable information on how to quit smoking.

Helping yourself or someone you love to quit tobacco products is probably the greatest gift you can give to improve health. Smoking is the #1 preventable cause of illness and death in the U.S. given that one in five deaths in the U.S. is tobacco related. Smokers are 5 times more likely than nonsmokers to die from a heart attack and studies show that 4 out of 5 deaths from lung disease are caused by tobacco. When you quit, besides feeling better physically, you enjoy your food more, improve your sense of smell, save money, stop worrying about cancer, and lose that smoke-smell. The facts are clear - it's worth the effort! The American Lung Association also has many events this fall for their Support the Quitter Campaign. Their message is:

“We want every smoker to know that we're here for them on their journey to become smoke-free. Whether it's their second quit attempt or their seventh, we want to give every smoker the support they need to quit for good. But people often feel frustrated when they aren't able to quit on the first try. We want smokers to know that each time they try, they are one step further along the road to becoming smoke free.”

Here are a few of the many free resources available to help you quit tobacco:

• The Arizona Tobacco quitline at 1-800-556-6222
• The American Lung Association at 1-800-LUNGUSA
• American Cancer Society 1-800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669)

10 Cheap Ways to Avoid the Doctor

Most people hate getting sick and having to go to the doctor, so you might be interested in what several physicians and health researchers believe are the top ten ways to start taking control of your own health. They are simple and surprisingly cheap:

1. Walk
2. Keep a food journal
3. Stop drinking soda
4. Strengthen muscles
5. Reduce stress
6. Eat at home
7. Have a social network
8. Get adequate sleep
9. Eat whole foods
10. Find your passion

You probably are doing some of these things already, but you might be able to slowly add more one by one. Maybe start by reading the whole article by Julie Deardorff at the Chicago Tribune, October 28, 2009 .

Step Up to the Fitness Challenge!

Attention Wildcats! It's time once again to step up to the fitness challenge to defend your school's honor. Each year the Pac-10 conference puts together the Pac-10 Fitness Challenge to promote regular physical activity and some friendly competition between the ten schools in the conference. The one week event is open to all UA students, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters. The dates of this year's event are October 26-30. To participate, simply register at: http://pac10fitnesschallenge.wsu.edu/ and record your physical activity for the week using the fitness tracker.

Many activities are listed, ranging from running and walking to swimming, weight lifting, yoga, golf, soccer and more. Miles are calculated using a conversion scale based on total minutes and intensity of the activity completed. The Pac-10 Conference Champion is determined by calculating a weighted score based on each institution's enrollment.

Last year the WildCats moved up a couple of notches in the ranking, but we can do much, much better. Please participate and show the conference who has the most active and fit campus! The web site is already live. So log on, set up your account, tell your friends and colleagues and get ready for the competition starting Wednesday, October 26!

For more information, contact:
Mark J. Zakrzewski
Assistant Director, Department of Campus Recreation
Phone (520)621-9577, Fax (520)621-9973

Flu Prevention e-Kit

UA Campus Health has put together a digital kit of simple and sensible steps to help the campus guard against the flu, including the H1N1 strain that first came to the public's attention last spring. One of the most important ways to prevent the spread of the flu viris is to thoroughly wash your hands several times a day. You will also find advice on what to do if you do get sick and when to call Campus Health for help. Nobody wants to get sick, so it's important to do everything you can to stay healthy, including eating balanced meals, getting plenty of sleep and dealing appropriately with stress.

The phone number for the Campus Health Triage Nurse is 621-6483 or the After Hourse On Call Provider at 570-7898.

Richard Bootzin to give Fall 2009 Well U Lecture

Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Time: 12pm-1pm

Location: Gallagher Theater, UA Student Union Memorial Center

Title: Sleep Sense & Nonsense: Improving Sleep through the Life Cycle

Dr. Richard R. Bootzin has been selected to give the Fall 2009 Well U Lecture on Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at 12 noon in the University of Arizona Gallagher Theater in the Student Union Memorial Center. Dr. Bootzin is a leading researcher in the field of sleep and has made major contributions to the understanding and treatment of sleep disorders. He is a professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Arizona and directs the Sleep Research Lab in the Psychology Department as well as the Insomnia Clinic of UA Sleep Disorders Center at the University Medical Center.

In his lecture, “Sense and Nonsense to Improve Sleep,” Dr. Bootzin will discuss sleep throughout the life span, including its variance in infants, teens, college students, adults and the elderly, with an emphasis on the consequences of sleep deprivation and insomnia. Dr. Bootzin will also present techniques and behaviors that can improve sleep, as validated by science.

Dr. Bootzin has been investigating behavioral approaches to insomnia since 1970. He has written over 100 research articles on sleep and sleep disorders and is the author of psychology textbooks, "Psychology Today: An Introduction” and “Abnormal Psychology: Current Perspectives.”

UA Employee Bike Program

Sign up for the new UA Employee Bike Program and stay healthy while protecting the environment. You can also save money on gas and parking. Sponsored by Campus Recreation in cooperation with Parking and Transportation, the University program is designed to make it easier for faculty and staff to ride their bicycles to work by providing them with safe bike storage and shower facilities at no cost to participants.

Details of the new UA Employee Bike Program include:

• FREE for all UA faculty and staff.
• Bike storage at the west side of the Student Recreation Center.
• CatCard access to men/women locker rooms with showers at both the Rec Center and Beardown Gym, Monday-Friday, 6:30 am - 10:00 am.
• Registration required with annual renewals.
  

The Bike Program is limited to Shower, Day Locker and Locker Room use only.   Participation does not constitute a Student Recreation Center Membership. Participants must abide by all facility policies/procedures.

Interested employees can register in the Rec Center lobby at Recreation Services.  You will need your:

• UA Cat Card
• Employee ID Number
• Home Department
• Telephone number
• UA Email

For more information, contact Mirum Washington White, Assistant Director of Recreational Sports or call (520) 621-4709.

Additional resources for our bicycle community:
http://parking.arizona.edu/alternative/bike.php
http://dot.tucsonaz.gov/bicycle/
http://dot.tucsonaz.gov/bicycle/pdfs/commute.pdf