The purpose of the “Wildcat

Wellness Connection”

newsletter is to keep you

informed about wellness

related issues. Please note

that information in this

publication, along with

other similar materials, is

meant to complement the

advice of your physician,

not replace it. Before

making any major changes

in your medications, diet or

exercise, please consult

your physician.

If you have any questions or

comments please feel free to contact the Employee Wellness Graduate Assistant:

Gabrielle Nguyen.

wellness@nmu.edu

Environmental Wellness VOLUME III ISSUE V march 2016

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Sustainable Food Systems March is National Nutrition Month, and an environmental aspect of nutrition are sustainable food systems. A sustainable food system ensures accessibility of healthy, affordable food options to the community; it attempts to reduce environmental impact of the production and transportation of food as well as facilitate and encourage local food production and processing. Some examples of activities that support a sustainable food system include:

Farmer’s markets

Community gardens

Farm-to-school programs

Food waste collection programs

Retrieved 2/25/16 from: http://www.sustainablecitiesinstitute.org/topics/food-systems

There are eight dimensions of wellness and the

wellness committee has decided to focus on each of

these in our monthly wellness connection. This

month’s newsletter will focus on environmental

wellness. Environmental wellness can be defined as

“being aware of the interactions between the

environment, community, and yourself and to care for

each of these responsibly” (retrieved 2/25/16 from:

http://www.unh.edu/health-services/ohep/environmental-

wellness).

Individuals can practice environmental wellness by:

Being aware of the limits of the earth’s natural resources (i.e. water conservation)

Conserving energy (i.e. shutting off the lights when you leave a room)

Recycling (i.e. glass, cardboard, paper)

Enjoying the outdoors (i.e. hiking, kayaking, camping)

Reducing pollution of the air, water or earth (i.e. not littering, carpooling)

For more information on sustainable food systems please visit these sources: National League of Cities Sustainable cities Institute Hunger and Environmental Nutrition Physical Activity Network

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Wellness Spotlight: Lanae Joubert

and a MS in Exercise Science from Northern Michigan University. She has been a Registered Dietitian since 2010, Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics since 2014, and a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist since 2009.

While Lanae’s main role on campus is to teach all of the nutrition courses, she does spend quite some time advising students that are interested in nutrition and sports science careers and speaks to many athletes about sports-related nutrition concerns.

For any coaches or athletes that may be reading this, Lanae highly recommends using the athlete-user-friendly resources from the Sports Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition Dietetics Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Sports Nutrition Facts Sheet.

Lanae also wanted to highlight the theme this year for National Nutrition Month which is "Savor the Flavor" and this link has some excellent short clip videos that can help give you some ideas to add more flavor to your cooking. If you are interested in learning more about spices and how to incorporate them into your meals, Lanae strongly suggest taking a free cooking class from the Marquette Food Co-op. You may decide to visit their bulk spice section where you can buy just a small amount to try out in a new recipe without committing to the entire bottle that you may never use again.

If you have any questions for Lanae, please feel free to contact her via email at ljoubert@nmu.edu.

Lanae Joubert, PhD, RD, CSSD, CSCS has been an assistant Professor of Nutrition for the School of Health and Human Performance since 2013. Dr. Joubert has a PhD in Nutrition and Food Management from Oregon, State University.

Wildcat Wellness Health Fair The NMU Health Promotion Society and the

Department of Health & Human Performance sponsored

the annual Wildcat Wellness Health Fair. This event took

place in the Great Lakes Rooms of the University Center on

Tuesday, February 9. During this event, participants had

the opportunity to receive blood pressure and body

composition measurement as well as sample food and

enter raffle drawings for various prizes.

There were two awards for which departments

could be recognized and we wanted to share these with

you. The Robin Rahoi Award was presented to Dining

Services for their outreach and education of their display

at the health fair and the People’s Choice Award was

presented to the Health Promotion Office for the

presentation of their display table and their interactions with the health fair participants.

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March Mocktails

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked red lentils

1/2 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained

4 medium bell peppers (any color)

2/3 cup diced heirloom tomatoes

1/2 cup red onion

1/2 jalapeno, diced

1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

1/3 cup parsley, chopped

1/2 small avocado, diced

1 lime, juiced

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons ground cumin

Pinch of sea salt and black pepper, to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground sumac (optional or substitute with your favorite spice)

Nutritional Information (1 c per serving): 239 Calories, 12 g Total fat, 2 g Sat fat, 8 g Monofat, 0 g Cholesterol, 185 mg Sodium, 54 g Carbohydrates, 23 g Dietary fiber, 9 g Sugar, 19 g Protein

Directions: Remove the top of the bell peppers by cutting down about 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Scoop out the seeds and white pulp and set aside. Cook lentils to the package directions (add about 1 1/2 cups water and cook for 25-30 minutes, or until tender.)

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the beans, chopped veggies, and seasonings (everything except the avocado). Toss until combined and adjust seasonings to your desired taste.

Using a large spoon, scoop the bean salad into the raw bell peppers. Top with fresh-diced avocado before enjoying.

Retrieved 2/25/16 from: http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/vegetarian-stuffed-peppers/

Coconut, Cucumber, Lime and Mint Cooler

Ingredients: 4 c coconut water, 2 thinly sliced cucumbers, ½ c lime juice, ¼ c sugar (optional), ¼ c chopped mint leaves Directions: Combine ingredients and let chill for 1-2 hours.

Blueberry Mojito

Ingredients: 6-8 mint leaves, handful of fresh blueberries (slightly

mashed together), 2 oz. of lime juice, 2 oz. of simple syrup, splash of club

soda

Directions: Add ice, shake, enjoy.

Mocktails are alternative nonalcoholic beverages so you can partake in

festivities without alcohol. Health benefits to eliminating alcohol include less stress on

organs, improved cognitive functions, and reduces risk of developing heart disease (retrieved 2/25/16 from: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-

depth/alcohol/art-20044551). If you do consume alcohol, moderation is key.

Retrieved 2/25/16 from: http://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/drinks/how-to/g785/best-mocktail-recipes/?slide=13

References

Mayo Clinic: Health Lifestyle. (2016). Alcohol use: If you drink, keep

it moderate. Retrieved from

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-

healthy-eating/in-depth/alcohol/art-20044551.

My Fitness Pal. (2015, March 30). Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers.

Retrieved from http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/vegetarian-

stuffed-peppers/.

National League of Cities Sustainable Cities Institute. (2013). Food

systems. Retrieved from

http://www.sustainablecitiesinstitute.org/topics/food-

systems.

The University of New Hampshire Health Services (2016).

Environmental wellness. Retrieved from

http://www.unh.edu/health-services/ohep/environmental-

wellness.

Town & Country (2016). The Best Mocktail Recipes. Retrieved from

http://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/drinks/how-

to/g785/best-mocktail-recipes/?slide=13.

NORTHERN MICHIGAN UNIVERISTY

WELLNESS COMMITTEE

1401 Presque Isle Avenue

PEIF #215

Marquette, MI 49855

Email: wellness@nmu.edu

Upcoming Events “What’s Enough Protein” – March 16, 2016 @ LRC, 11 am-2 pm

Located in the basement of the LRC; the NMU Dining presents “What’s Enough

Protein”, this program will explain and demonstrate the appropriate amount of protein

individuals should be consuming on a daily basis. For more information contact the Dining

Services at 906-227-2520 or email dining@nmu.edu.

Stay up to date with future programs by liking our Facebook page or by visiting our

website: https://www.facebook.com/NMU-Employee-Wellness-109968062427048/

http://www.nmu.edu/wellness/

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FitDesk Circulation

The Employee Wellness Committee is circulating a FitDesk to different

departments on campus. Each department can try it out for up to two weeks.

If your department is interested in trying out the FitDesk for a couple of

weeks, please contact Gabrielle Nguyen at wellness@nmu.edu.

Active Workstation Equipment Checkout

In partnership with the Olson library, this is a “try and buy” program

where employees will be able to checkout active workout station equipment

from the library service desk for up to two weeks.

CHECK OUT:

www.nmu.edu/wellness