What to Cook at Home

Advice on how to lose weight inevitably includes the suggestion to eat more meals at home. But given that many of us aren't that skilled at cooking healthy meals, what do you do? As always the folks at Life and Work Connections want to help and offer a monthly health recipe that you can try out at home. This month Jodi Charvoz offers an unusual dessert--Lemon Chickpea Cake:

http://lifework.arizona.edu/wsw/healthy_recipe_of_the_month

Another helpful site that is full of wonderful healthy recipes is the "Recipes for Health" column in the New York Times. Nearly every day a new recipe is published that focuses on healthy foods that are in season. This week the recipes included several healthy versions of hash such as "Vegetable Hash" and "Brussels Sprouts and Roasted Winter Squash." Most of the recipes involve only a few steps with ingredients that are easy to find at your local market. The best part is the index by main ingredient that makes it an ideal place to start when you want to try something new. Been looking for a good reason to try quinoa? Just look for it in the index and you'll find over a dozen recipes along with some background on the grain and some preparation tips. Same with kale, lentils, sweet potatoes and swiss chard. So take a look at "Recipes for Health" and start making a few more meals at home.

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/series/recipes_for_health/index.html?ref=nutrition

No Holiday Weight Gain Challenge

The holiday season is almost upon us! If you are worried about gaining weight, we would like to offer you an opportunity to establish goals for maintaining (or losing) and monitoring your weight during the next 3 months (November through January).

Join Nancy Rogers & Jodi Charvoz for the No Holiday Weight-Gain Challenge
Monthly weigh-ins:

Dates: Wednesdays. November 17, December 8, January 5
Times: Anytime between 8am and 11:30am
2 Locations: LWC office, 1125 N. Vine, room 209 with Nancy Rogers;
Career Services Office, Student Union, with Jodi Charvoz

No need to register; just come to either of the locations on November 17 to sign up.

There’s nothing to lose but those added pounds! As registered dietitians and health professionals, Jodi and Nancy will keep track of your weight. Individual nutrition counseling will be available free of charge by appointment for benefits-eligible UA faculty, appointed professionals, and classified staff. As with all Life & work Connections offerings, your personal information is kept strictly private and confidential. Our goal is for you to find a safe and easy way to stay healthy during the holiday season. Prizes will be awarded to individuals who complete all 3 weigh-ins.

Other LWC Events:

Please come to our ‘fun’ walk on the UA campus. Nancy will lead a 20-minute excursion to a mystery destination, which may be a location that you didn’t even know existed! (This is a preview of our Creative Walking for Health Pathways website that will ‘go live’ in January 2011.)

Date: Monday, November 1
Time: 4 pm
Start Location: north side of the Student Union, just outside of Starbucks

Tai Chi for Health
Registration for the spring semester Tai Chi for Health classes has begun! Please check the website for details, or call Jodi at 626-4760.

Here’s to your health!


Nancy Rogers, MS, RD
Coordinator, Worksite Wellness and Health Promotion
UA Life & Work Connections
University of Arizona
520-621-4601
rogersn@email.arizona.edu

Video Now Available for Well U Lecture: Exercise is Medicine

On February 22, 2010 Dr. Robert Sallis delivered the Spring 2010 Well U Lecture, Exercise Is Medicine: Understanding the Health Benefits of Physical Activity. As founder and chair of Exercise Is Medicine, Dr. Sallis presented a convincing case for making physical activity the prescription for the prevention and treatment of chronic illness in the United States. The video podcast of the lecture may now be downloaded for viewing from UA iTunes U.

Alternatively, point your browser to itunes.arizona.edu and click on the blue button, Go to UA on iTunes U. This will instruct your computer to open the iTunes program or, if you don’t have iTunes, will allow you to download and install it. Once iTunes is open, you will see the UA's main page in iTunes U. Under topics, go to “Your UA” and from the list, click on Well University Partnership. To download the podcast, click on “Get Movie.” For more information, see iTunes U FAQ.

Dr. Sallis stressed the critical role that exercise plays in keeping us healthy and free from chronic disease. “If there was a pill that could do a fraction of what exercise can do, every physician would be subscribing it and every patient would be demanding it, regardless of the cost,” he said. That is the message that drives the Exercise is Medicine program. The website, www.exerciseismedicine.org, calls on physicians to assess and review every patient’s physical activity at every visit and to write a prescription for increased exercise if the level is too low. For adults it means exercising 30 minutes 5 times a day or 150 minutes a week to achieve the optimal health benefits. Dr. Sallis emphasized that it doesn’t require arduous workouts, but simply walking at a pace that you can talk, but not sing, is just right. In his presentation Dr. Sallis showed some effective ads for encouraging more physical activity, including one about a maniacal sofa's crazed attempts to keep its occupant from escaping to the gym.

The UA Well University Partnership sponsors the Well U Lecture series and is committed to creating and fostering a supportive wellness culture within the University of Arizona community. All Well U Lectures are available on UA iTunes U.

Exercise Is Medicine

Exercise Is Medicine:
Understanding the Health Benefits of Physical Activity

Robert Sallis, MD, founder & chair of Exercise is Medicine
Date: Monday, February 22, 2010

Event 1: DuVal Auditorium, University Medical Center, 1501 N. Campbell Ave.,
11:00 - 11:45 am
Event 2: Grand Opening Ceremonies, Student Recreation Center Expansion, 1400 East 6^th St., 12:30 pm

Dr. Robert Sallis has been selected to give the Spring 2010 Well U Lecture, Exercise Is Medicine: Understanding the Health Benefits of Physical Activity, on February 22, 2010 at 11:00 am in DuVal Auditorium in the University Medical Center. Dr. Sallis is the founder and chair of Exercise Is Medicine, an international initiative to make physical activity and exercise a standard part of the disease prevention and treatment paradigm in the United States.

In response to the nation’s health crisis, the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Medical Association launched the Exercise is Medicine program with the support of many other prestigious organizations. The Exercise Is Medicine website calls on physicians to assess and review every patient’s physical activity at every visit. The program reaches out to all health providers as well as the public and has developed effective tools for using exercise as a ‘medicine’ to help prevent or manage many of the most common chronic health conditions.

Dr. Sallis is Co-Director of the Sports Medicine Fellowship and is on the Administrative Faculty of the Family Medicine Residency Program at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Fontana, CA, where he also serves as research chairman. He is an Associate Clinical Professor of Family Medicine at the UCR/UCLA Biomedical Sciences Program and the head team physician at Pomona College. Dr. Sallis is a fellow of both the American Academy of Family Practice (AAFP) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), and a Past-President of ACSM.

Dr. Sallis will also be the featured speaker at the Grand Opening of the new Student Recreation Center Expansion. Grand Opening ceremonies and festivities will take place in the Student Recreation Center on February 22nd from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.

This event is sponsored by the UA Well University Partnership, Campus Health, Coca-Cola and many others.

Caregiving & the Holidays

The Holiday Spirit - From Harried to Heartfelt
Jan Sturges, Caregiving Coordinator, M.Ed., LPC, UA Life & Work Connections, 626-4770

Holidays at any time of year are about staying connected to the values, people and experiences that enrich us; they acknowledge the importance of our relationships by highlighting the joys of the past and giving us the opportunity to create memorable moments that will nourish us in the future, when we need to be uplifted.

For caregivers, the holidays can be particularly challenging when they are caring for a loved one in declining health. They may have conflicting emotions about how they 'should' feel ('happy' and 'merry'…isn't that what holiday songs suggest?) vs. how they really feel (sadness or sorrow) because it is no longer possible for family and friends to enjoy past traditions and celebrations due to illness or dementia. And, how can caregivers add holiday-related tasks and activities to the long list of caregiving responsibilities they already have, in addition to work and family obligations?

Below are a few caregiver 'Tips and Treasures' for coping with holiday stress that have been assembled from many different sources. You can also click on the following links for additional online information.

http://lifework.arizona.edu/ec
http://www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/home.jsp
http://www.caregiver.com/articles/holiday/holiday_stress_caregiving.htm
http://www.alz.org/living_with_alzheimers_holidays.asp

---

• Mindfulness - Focus on the intrinsic values of the holidays - stay connected to people and relationships - and participate in one or two meaningful events (not ten or fifteen!) that will nourish you, your family and friends. Instead of cooking a large meal, host a pot-luck party, attend a holiday concert or participate in a faith celebration.
• Compassionate presence - Set aside time to include the elder or dependent person in practical, but meaningful, non stress-producing activities. Even if they are not able to participate or converse at length, your compassionate presence and 'being' vs. 'doing' will create a caring bond.
• Priorities - Set realistic expectations for activities and gift-giving based on your resources - people (family, friends, community resources, and professional health care providers), time, finances and energy.
• Traditions - Decide what past traditions are no longer appropriate, and develop a few new ones. Combine some of the 'old' with the 'new' and create a different set of holiday traditions without comparing them to 'the way it used to be.'
• Affirmations - Be kind, and acknowledge disappointment without judging yourself or others when life gets messy during the holiday rush.
• Self-care -
• Eat, drink and be merry, but not too much! Balance sugar and alcohol intake with healthier foods.
• Allow yourself a 'time out' every day. Take four deep breaths, walk around the yard, read a few pages of a book or listen to music. (Really, you can do this!!)
• Arrange for someone to stay with the person in your care while you attend a social event, or complete some of the tasks on your simplified 'To Do' list.
• Find a supportive listener to help you solve problems that arise, or express your feelings about caregiving during the holidays. Remind yourself that it is normal to have mixed feelings at this time of year.
• Humor - Give the gift of laughter to yourself and others, and relax!

References:
Family Caregiver Alliance, 'Managing Caregiver Stress'
Hope Publications, 'How to De-Stress the Holidays'
Mara Levin, M.S.W., Pima Health System Caregiver Program, 'Coping with Holiday Stress'

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)