Category: Health and Wellness

Health and wellness is important to you and to MSU. The healthier our faculty and staff are, the healthier MSU will be. This category features information related to wellness at MSU.

Expand your cooking repertoire with these Health4U programs

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Eating is one of the great pleasures of life, but home cooking can pose many challenges without the right instruction, and it’s often difficult to find easy-to-prepare recipes. Health4U brings cooking know-how right to you with two on-campus instructional sessions: Kitchen Skill Drill and Recipe for Health Cooking Series. These instructional sessions are held on campus from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m., approximately once a month. They are presented by Health4U Nutritionist Peggy Crum and demonstrated by Corporate Chef for Culinary Services Kurt Kwiatkowski.

Kitchen Skill Drill demonstrations are held in the community kitchen in McDonel Hall. Chef Kurt will show you how to best perform a specific skill in the kitchen, such as grilling or knife safety. The session is free, and you get to sample the delicious food prepared in the kitchen. The next demonstration will be on September 20.

Recipe for Health Cooking Series demonstrations are held in the Brody Square Demonstration Kitchen. Chef Kurt demonstrates a recipe featured in the Recipe for Health Newsletter that comes out every month. These recipes revolve around a specific ingredient such as cheese, peanut butter or apples. Make sure you check out the upcoming demonstration on potatoes on Wednesday, August 10!

You must pay to enter the dining hall. Read and watch past newsletters and Livestream video of the demonstrations.

So take a well-deserved break in your day for some personalized cooking instruction. Ask questions, sample delicious food and learn a thing or two about healthy cooking that is easier than you think!

Bike Friendlier MSU

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Whether you’re new to MSU or you’ve been on campus for awhile, you might be happy to know that there are a lot of very bike-friendly facilities and services that are available to help make your bicycling more convenient, as well as to encourage more people to ride bikes on and to/from campus for their commute.

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MSU offers numerous bike-friendly facilities and services for commuters.

Ten years ago, the university established a full-service bike center know as the MSU Bikes Service Center, in the old canoe rental facility in the south-end of Bessey Hall, which is centrally located on campus. The Center offers a complete range of repairs, rentals and sales of new and used bikes, as well as accessories to keep you and your bike rolling safely. Visit the MSU Bikes website for more information. The Center is staffed by university employees and is open year-round, on weekdays from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Feel free to bring your bike inside when visiting for service. Click here for visitor car parking information and here for a map showing where we’re located.

Parking your bike outside while at work can be worrisome, especially if you ride a nicer bike. Thankfully, in addition to well over 8,000 outdoor bike parking racks outside every building on campus, there are secure bike parking garages in two locations: north and south in the car parking ramps on Trowbridge Road (Ramp 5) and on Grand River Avenue (Ramp 6). These parking facilities are membership-based and managed through the Center.

Concerned about showing up to work all sweaty? Free, dedicated full-size lockers and showers are available to bike commuters at the IM Circle. These lockers normally cost over $100/year to rent, but they’re free for your use by simply completing a short survey and providing your basic information.

Ever been out on campus riding and needed a common tool or an air pump to tweak your bike? We now have five new DIY bike stations around campus, one in each residential neighborhood.

Not sure which route to take to/from home in the Tri-County area? These maps show recommended routes and those to avoid, as well as all of the off-road pathways scattered around the area to help you find a safer way to, from and around campus. The Center stocks printed copies of these map booklets if you’d like a hard copy.

To learn where all of the on-campus bike facilities (bike lanes, secure bike parking, DIY repair stations, etc.) can be found, check out our current bike map of campus. More resources to help make your bicycling experience more enjoyable on and around the MSU campus can be found on the Commuter Resources section of our blog.

Fire up the grill for these delicious dishes

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Summertime and grilled food go hand in hand. Corporate Chef for Culinary Services Kurt Kwiatkowski gave us two fantastic grilling recipes that are great for cookouts or quiet personal dinners.

Remember, safety first! If you’re out of practice, make sure to review safety standards from the CDC and National Fire Protection Association.

Grilled pork chops

Grilled glazed pork chop

6  center cut bone-in pork chops, about 1-inch thick
1 T. ancho chili powder
1 t. smoked paprika
1 t. ground cumin
2 t. kosher salt
1 T. olive oil
3 T. sherry vinegar
½ c. pure maple syrup
½ c. chicken stock

Mix all spices and salt together, brush all pork chops with olive oil and then sprinkle on both sides of the pork chops and let rest for 1-2 hours.

Preheat grill

Continue Reading… Fire up the grill for these delicious dishes

Learn about heart health in Best Doctors webinar

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heart graphic
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.

According to the American Heart Association, about 2,200 Americans die each day from heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. Learn the best ways to stay heart-healthy in the upcoming Best Doctors webinar Heart Health Topics: Prevention and Intervention.

The free webinar will begin at 1 p.m. on Monday, July 18. Dr. Corey Goldman, director of Cardiovascular Imaging at HeartVein NYC, will educate attendees on prevention and staying heart healthy. He will also touch on the different conditions people most commonly run into and the ways that they are being treated today.

The webinar will conclude with a live Q&A session.

Register online.

Attend upcoming Relaxing Under the Stars and Rest with Music sessions!

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Look no further than Abrams Planetarium to let you mind unwind in the middle of a busy day.

The planetarium hosts two Health4U events: Relaxing Under the Stars  and Rest with Music. MSU faculty, staff, retirees and students can gaze upon drifting constellations in the night sky projected on the planetarium’s dome from the state-of-the-art Digistar projector. Both sessions are held on weekdays from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m.

The Relaxing Under the Stars sessions feature a short star talk before ambient music plays for the remainder of the hour.

Rest with Music brings a new musician to the planetarium every month. Some past musical genres include folk, jazz piano, Celtic harp, African instrumental music, and even electronic ambient music. Through all of these varieties, the Rest with Music sessions have always been soothing.

The next Relaxing Under the Stars session, provided by Health4U and Abrams Planetarium, is Monday, July 11, 2016.

Rest with Music sessions, which are provided by University Physician’s Office, Health4U, Abrams Planetarium, and Student Health Services, are held approximately once a month on weekdays. The next performance is July 21, 2016, by guitarist Hiroya Tsukamoto.

Take a well-deserved break during the lunch hour to relax, close your eyes and even nap!

Health Matters: Pulmonary embolisms

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man-coughingPulmonary embolisms are a blockage of one of the pulmonary arteries in your lungs, and they are usually caused by blood clots that travel to the lungs from the legs or (more rarely) from other parts of the body.

Although anyone can develop blood clots (also known as deep vein thrombosis) and pulmonary embolisms, factors such as immobility, cancer, and surgery increase the risk for this life-threatening condition. Taking prompt, proactive measures to prevent blood clots in your legs, particularly if you are already in the hospital, is the best way to prevent pulmonary embolisms.Continue Reading… Health Matters: Pulmonary embolisms

Take a healthy break with Fresh Air Fitness

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We all know MSU’s campus is beautiful in the summer, and now is the time to take advantage of it. Get out of the office and get moving with RecSport’s Fresh Air Fitness program! This program offers three classes during the week that take place in the middle of the day, from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m. This gives participants in the classes not only physical exercise, but also a great mental break during a busy day.

Thanks to generous sponsors Health4U, The Department of Theatre, and The Department of Horticulture, all of these classes are at no charge for all MSU faculty, staff and students. Fresh Air Fitness classes are offered in June, and you have the opportunity to attend the last classes of the season. Be sure to register.

Tai Chi at Summer Circle Courtyard

Tai Chi has been called a “moving meditation” and has great health benefits for both the mind and body. It is a gentle form of exercise that can aid in alleviating stress and anxiety. The class is held on Tuesdays in the Summer Circle Courtyard east of the Auditorium. The last classes this season will be offered June 21 and 28. In case of rain, go to the Auditorium lobby.

Yoga in the Garden

Take in the sights, sounds and smells of the beautiful Horticulture Gardens in a chair yoga session that will stretch and strengthen your body while relaxing your mind on Wednesday, June 22. Chairs and benches are provided. In case of rain, head indoors at the south entrance to the Plant and Soil Sciences Building.

Pilates on the Green

For a more challenging class that improves flexibility and core strength, attend the Pilates class on the luscious lawn of the Beal Botanical Garden, meeting at the east end near the pergola. You should bring a towel or mat for this class, the last of which is offered on Thursday, June 23. In case of rain, go to IM Circle (first building west) for class in the Dance Studio.

Join the “big ride” at upcoming College of Human Medicine Gran Fondo

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If you like biking and supporting a great cause, then you’re in luck! The MSU College of Human Medicine in Grand Rapids is organizing their fourth Gran Fondo, a long-distance, mass participation event geared toward cyclists of all abilities. The big ride on Saturday, June 25, will include four courses: a 12-mile, a 25-mile, a 40-mile and an 80-mile that goes all the way to Lake Michigan and back.

All funds raised from this event go toward skin cancer awareness, prevention and research. Nearly 70,000 people in the U.S. are expected to be diagnosed with skin cancer this year, and the College of Human Medicine is committed to researching this disease. The cost to register is $80, and each rider is automatically given a $50 fundraising goal. So if you can’t make it out to the ride that day, you can still help by donating on the website. Donations for this event are tax-deductible.

You can also help out by volunteering. The Gran Fondo is very large, and many people are needed to help it run smoothly. Volunteer duties include setting up the event, registration, assisting riders and working on the courses.  Volunteer orientation is Wednesday, June 22.

The races will end in a finish line festival with live music and food open to the public. Whether you want to join a ride, donate or volunteer, you’ll be supporting a fun event for a great cause! Find out more on the Gran Fondo website.

Explore fitness options at MSU this summer

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Swimmer underwaterSummer is a great time to try out new forms of exercise. In addition to the variety of running trails crisscrossing campus, outdoor facilities such as the basketball courts, tennis courts, and the IM West outdoor swimming pool are open. Plus, with most students gone for the summer, more exercise machines and courts will be open for use in the indoor facilities. Check out some of the fitness options you can take advantage of this summer.

General use of facilities

Open Recreation

Faculty and staff only need to show a valid MSU ID for open recreation. It is available during posted building hours.

IM Sports West offers open recreation spaces for basketball, volleyball, table tennis, badminton, tennis, squash, racquetball, handball, and wallyball. IM Sports East offers open recreation spaces for basketball, volleyball, badminton, squash, racquetball, handball and walleyball. IM Sports Circle offers spaces for basketball and volleyball. Equipment is available to rent.Continue Reading… Explore fitness options at MSU this summer

Build a positive relationship with food in How To Eat course

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According to one research from UCLA, http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/Dieting-Does-Not-Work-UCLA-Researchers-7832), people on diets typically lose 5 to 10 percent of their starting weight in the first six months, but at least one-third to two-thirds of people on diets regain more weight than they lost within four or five years.
According to a study from UCLA, people on diets typically lose 5 to 10 percent of their starting weight in the first six months, but at least one-third to two-thirds of people on diets regain more weight than they lost within four or five years.

It’s displayed on magazine covers, in radio and television advertisements, and sold in countless books and programs: advice on how to diet, slim down and restrict what you eat. Nearly everyone has tried to diet before, and it’s safe to say the experience is often unsuccessful and unsatisfying.

Health4U offers a free class series called How To Eat that focuses on building a positive, healthy relationship with food. “Everybody has the ability to eat the right type and amount of food by paying attention, to notice their bodies’ need for food,” said Peggy Crum, MA, RD, nutritionist and the course instructor.

This course has been offered for the past nine years, with great success. MSU employees who are interested in How To Eat are encouraged to attend the orientation session on Thursday, May 19, with no obligation to enroll in the course. Crum said some of the best participants for the course are those who have tried dieting, experienced frustration, and want to get off the dieting cycle.

“What we’re really talking about here is eating well and finding your best health, not losing weight,” Crum said.  “While I’m not against weight loss, I am against weight loss as the primary goal.” Intentional weight loss requires restricting food by counting and following rules. Eventually, the dieter is no longer able to tolerate under-eating. Eating often becomes chaotic and feels out of control. The goal for participants in this course is to re-discover internal regulation of food and to achieve competent eating.

MSU employees who are interested in How To Eat but are unable to attend classes can schedule time to see Peggy Crum in one-on-one sessions. Contact Health4U to make an appointment.

Please contact Health4U at health4u@msu.edu or 517-3532596 if you plan to attend the May 19 orientation. The 6 week course occurs 12:10–12:50 p.m. Thursdays from May 26 to June 30 in 338 Olin Health Center.