DECEMBER 2008
Healthy Holiday
Newsletter
Minnesota State University, Mankato
BURNING CALORIES
ONE SMILE AT A TIME
FOR AN ADULT OF 150 LBS,
A HALF HOUR OF…
Chopping wood by hand uses
207 calories
Cross country skiing uses 387
calories
Downhill skiing uses 297 calories
Sledding uses 234 calories
Ice skating uses 171 calories
Snowmobiling uses 117 calories
Stretching uses 135 calories
Walking 3 mph uses 148 calories
Housework uses 99 calories
Calculate your own activities at:
healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
FITNESS PLANS :
IN YOUR BACKYARD
2
PRIZE PLAN
2
RIGHTEOUS RECIPES
3
CALENDAR
UPCOMING EVENTS
4
mnsu.edu/wellness
SLEEP, NOT JUST FOR THE KIDS
As a kid, I remember winter
break being a time to catch up
on many things, most importantly sleep. No more early
mornings at the bus stop or late
night study sessions, a chance
to restore. And yet I remember
mom and dad being up until
the wee hours of the morning
and then up at the crack of
dawn. I was always told adults
needed less sleep than children,
but now as an adult myself, I
take issue with that belief.
and David Letterman and it
becomes easy to run up a sleep
deficit. Lack of sleep can lead
to cognitive malfunctions, irritability, poor motor function
and emotional instability.
Sleep research is a relatively
emerging field of study and it’s
probably not something you
studied in depth in health class.
Yet as more research becomes
available, we’re starting to see
why some of us always feel
tired. With over 70 different
sleep disorders in existence
today, there are a lot of possibilities for a bad night’s sleep.
Throw in a variety of lifestyle
choices, irregular schedules
Missing just one hour of
sleep won’t have any effect on us the next day.
True, one hour isn’t much,
but night after night of missing one hour can add up to
sizeable sleep debt. That’s 7
hours over a week, or missing
a whole night’s sleep.
Here are four common misconceptions concerning sleep.
Sleep is the time our body
and mind shuts down.
Actually, the mind is quite
active.
Our bodies adjust quickly
to new sleep schedules.
False, it takes our biological
clock longer than we think.
The proof is in the jet lag.
Older people need less
sleep. We may get less sleep,
but that doesn’t mean we
don’t need it.*
This winter break, give the gift
of a good nights sleep to yourself and others. Try and get to
bed an hour earlier, and make
it a routine. The people around
you will appreciate the
brighter, refreshed smile on
your face.
QUICK SLEEP TIPS
Exercise, but not right
before bedtime.
Avoid caffeine, nicotine,
spicy foods, and alcohol
well before lights out.
Keep the alarm clock out
of sight, checking the time
in the middle of the night
can make it harder to fall
back to sleep.
Get in a routine and try
and go to bed and get up
within an hour of your
target time. Even on your
days off.
Naps are great. 45 minutes
or less for short ones, 2
hours for long ones. Anywhere in between can
disrupt your sleep cycle
and leave you feeling
groggy and cranky.*
*Sleep information provided by Student Health Services
HEALTHY HOLIDAY NEWSLETTER
PAGE 2
Fitness Options Galore
FREE MEMBERSHIP TO THE OTTO REC CENTER
WALK EVERY DAY
Campus Recreation and the Otto Recreation Center will again be open for a free
trial period for any faculty/staff who does
not currently have a membership. To try
the facilities for free, stop in Myers Fieldhouse 118 between the hours of 8 am – 6
pm starting December 15th to activate
your MavCard.
The free trial period runs from December
15th, 2008 through January 11th, 2009.
Monday -Friday, 12pm-2pm
Myer’s Field House Free!
(Bring your MSU ID/MavCard)
Don’t let the cold keep you from getting
your walk in each day! The 8-lane, 200meter track in Myer’s Field House is open
for walking during your lunch hour. Bring
your friends or make some new ones.
Please stop in the office or check out the
website mnsu.edu/campusrec for our full
list of open days/times over the winter
break.
Personal training services (additional
cost) are also available over winter break.
Why not start your new year out on the
right foot? For personal training or Otto
Rec Center equipment orientations, contact Jen Myers @ 389-3269.
When the winds of change blow, some people build walls, some people build windmills
–Chinese proverb
MAVERICK BOOT CAMP
In maverick boot camp, you can either
form a team of four or we can help you
find team mates. Each week your team
will be presented with a weekly challenge
that may be an individual or a group challenge. If you complete the challenge, your
team will be awarded points. Your team
will meet with one of the qualified personal trainers on campus twice a week for
a very challenging workout. The rest of
the days of the week you can either do
what you want or your trainer will give
you ideas. Every Monday each member
of your team will weigh in and your team
will get points for percentage weight loss
for the team. The team with the most
points wins!
and for your team trainer- Usually $50
only gets you 3 sessions with a trainer.
You can sign up your whole team or you
can sign up as many people that you have
and we will help you get your whole team
of four).
Dates : January 26th – March 6th six
weeks, register by January 16th
Cost: $50 per team member ($200 per
team). This includes pre/post assessments
If you have any questions- email [email protected]
“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”
-Abraham Lincoln
INCENTIVES
Motivation is crucial to beginning and maintaining healthy
habits. While a great deal of
that motivation comes from
within, the MSU Mankato
Employee Wellness Program
is willing to up the ante. Beginning in January, all official
wellness events will have an
extra incentive besides doing
something good for yourself.
Drawings will be held for
event attendance. In the past
the Wellness Program has
done month long competitions with bigger incentives,
but we figure, “Why wait until
the end of the year? We
should give incentives all year
long!”
Here’s how it will work: Attend a wellness event and sign
in on the attendance sheet. At
the end of the month, we’ll
have a random drawing for
multiple prizes and then contact you if you are a winner.
The more events you attend,
the more chances you have to
win. Last year we gave out all
sorts of fun, basketballs, yoga
mats, work out dvds, water
bottles, pedometers, and ski
lift tickets.
DECEMBER 2008
PAGE 3
Recipes To The Rescue
THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO YUM
We all have our favorite recipes, but
sometimes it is nice to shake it up with a
different approach.
Fluffed Mashed Potatoes
2 lb baking potatoes, peeled
1/2 cup skim or soy milk
1 Tbsp soft light margarine
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese
1 tsp granulated garlic
Black pepper to taste
Chopped fresh parsley
Cut the potatoes into chunks
and place in a large pot of water;
bring to a boil then lower to simmer
and cook until soft, about 20
Low-Cal Cranberries
12-oz bag cranberries
1 cup orange juice
3/4 cup Splenda
1/4 cup brown sugar
Pinch cinnamon
Pinch cloves
Mix all ingredients in
a 2-quart saucepan and
bring to a boil over high
heat. Lower heat to
medium and simmer until
berries are tender,
about 10 minutes.
Serve warm or chill
for later use.
Serves 12. Each serving
(1/3 cup): 62 calories,
0 fat, 0 saturated
fat, 0 cholesterol, 19 mg
minutes.
Drain the water and place the
potatoes back on the stove. Allow
the excess water to evaporate.
Mash and fluff the potatoes
with a hand beater then add the
milk, margarine, cheese, garlic
and pepper; whip until fluffy.
Keep hot until ready to serve.
Sprinkle with parsley.
Serves 8.
Each 1/2-cup serving: 98 calories,
1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat,
1 mg cholesterol, 43 mg sodium,
18 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber,
4 g protein.
Spiced Winter Squash
1 pound frozen winter squash
1 tsp soft light margarine
1 Tbsp brown sugar
Pinch pumpkin pie spice
Place ingredients in a medium
microwave dish. Microwave on
high until heated through, stirring
occasionally.
Serves 4. Each serving (1/2
cup): 38 calories, 0.5 g fat, 0 g
saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol,
23 mg sodium, 8.5 g carbohydrate,
1 g protein, 1 g fiber.
sodium, 18 g carbohydrate,
3 g fiber, 0 protein.
Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
6 tbsp cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp natural peanut butter
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups cold water
1 can of frosting
Mix dry ingredients, add wet ingredients,
mix together leaving it clumpy.
Grease and flour 2 baking pans. Pour in
the mix and bake at 350 degrees for 30
minutes. Frost when cakes are cool.
Broth-Steamed Broccoli
4 cups broccoli florets
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Place all ingredients into a microwaveable casserole dish. Cover
and microwave on high until
broccoli is tender, about 3 minutes.
Serve hot.
Serves 4. Each 1cup serving: 32 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g
saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 37
mg sodium, 6 g carbohydrate, 2 g
fiber, 2.5 g protein.
These recipes were provided by Rebecca Gruenes, MS, RD, LD and Student Health Services’ Nutrition Health Educator
This recipe is from Graham Prather, Wellness
Graduate Assistant. He doesn’t know the nutritional value, but it is simple, delicious, cholesterol free and animal free.
THE TRUTH ABOUT WATER
Learn about your watershed, your
personal impact on the watershed
and the difference between bottled
and tap water. See how your drinking water stacks up – Bring a water
sample from home (in a clean glass
jar) and/or your favorite bottled
water to be tested for nitrates in an
on-the-spot comparison. Presented
by the Wellness Committee and the
Water Resources Center, with help
from the Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture.
This event will be held February
5th, 12:00-1:00 pm in CSU 202.
Please register in advance by
emailing [email protected] by February 3rd so we can be sure to have
enough testing supplies. Bring your
lunch, friends and questions.
Keep the cold out, check your windows for
drafts and plug the breezy ones with old tshirts or plastic wrap. It will help keep your
wallet and keep your planet healthy.
Coming Up 2009
Mt. Kato Family Ski Night Friday, February 6th
Women in the Weightroom
Bring the family out for a night of fun on the slopes. Please send
name, a registration form and release forms signed by all individuals (including children) and a check made out to MSU Wellness to
Graham Prather, WA 336 by January 31st to be eligible for our
group rate. Release and Registration forms can be downloaded at
www.mnsu.edu/wellness. Unfortunately, late registration will not
be available. Lift tickets $14, ski or snowboard rental $14, beginner
lessons $3 (age 7 and up), snowblade rental $29 (prices are per
person for all ages). Snow Tubing runs from 5 pm to 8 pm and
costs only $14. Tubers must be at least 42 inches tall and there
must be a minimum of 10 registered participants. Arrive between 4
and 6 pm and check in at the MSU table just inside the chalet to
pick up your lift tickets. Mt. Kato closes at 10 pm.
Monday – Thursday, Dec 15th – 18th
Our popular 4 session crash course in weightroom fun condensed into one week. Sign up by emailing Jen Myers
([email protected]) today! Limited to first 10 women.
12:15 – 1 pm in PH 114.
Family Pool Party Saturday, January 31st, 2-4 pm
Spring Yoga begins Monday, January 12th
Juicing for Better Health January 15th, 12:15-1pm
Mixed Level Yoga (Beginners and up)
Mondays and Wednesdays 12:05 pm to 12:50 pm. Beginning
January 12th and running through April 29th (except for the week
of spring break and on MLK Jr. Day). Classes will be held in PH
102. $2 a class for drop-ins. Early bird registration deals available
through January 21st, $25 in advance for one time a week or $50
in advance for two times a week. Fifteen weeks total. Taught by
Graham Prather. No need to register in advance, just show up in
comfortable clothes and bring a friend. We’ll provide the mats.
Indoor Duathlon Sunday, February 1 st 9 am
See how many miles you can accumulate while on the treadmill
(20 minutes), bicycle (20 minutes), treadmill (20 minutes).
This is meant for all fitness levels; it’s a great event to work toward
if you made a resolution to exercise in 2009.
The cost is $15 and that gets you a souvenir. Register between
January 12th – 27th by stopping in the campus recreation office (MF
118).
Get out of the house and into a more tropical mindset. We’ll
have the MSU, Mankato Pool located in Campus Rec available
for employees and their guests. We’ll provide the lifeguard and
pool, you bring your family and towels, sunscreen not required.
Please email [email protected] by January 28th if you
plan on attending and how many there will be in your party.
Come find out about the benefits of juicing for better health and
the power of “live enzymes”. We will have a demonstration of
different styles of juicers and the benefits of each. Try a sip of
“fresh” carrot and get hooked! Class will be held in Wiecking B
139. Please email [email protected] by Jan. 13th to
register.
Wellness Committee Members
Jill Frederickson-Kratzke
Wendy Schuh
Kyle Snay
Gary Urban
Jen Myers
Rebecca Gruenes
Linda Leech
Lola Lemcke
Sonya McNamara
Amy Wagener
Diane Roggow
Joe Holtermann
Amy Hedman
Graham Prather
The MSU Wellness Committee is a part of the state mandate for staff development and meets monthly to develop
educational events and activities for MSU faculty/staff
well-being. Any MSU employee is welcome to join us in
this happy work.
REAL AGE
Besides the day you were born, there are
a lot of factors that determine how old or
young we feel. Everything from our diet
and exercise habits to our social life and
sleep patterns. Becoming aware of our
habits can be a great benchmark for setting future goals, modifying behaviors
and reinforcing the positive things we
already do.
We invite you to take advantage of a free
online health assessment tool,
www.realage.com. It is a very comprehensive program (have that multi-vitamin
bottle handy) which analyzes where you
are currently and then tells you your approximate real age. You might be a few
years younger than you think. Not only
does it assess you now, it gives you personalized plans for how to improve your
age through a number of different approaches.
If you choose to participate by January
19th, email [email protected]
that you have completed it (honor system) and you will be entered into a drawing.
Approximately, 206 calories burned
in a half hour of shoveling snow by
an average 150 lb adult.
77 calories burned in a half hour of
washing the holiday dishes.
If you would like e-mail reminders of upcoming wellness events,
Please send us an e-mail. Wellness Committee contact info:
[email protected] 507.389.2068 336 Wigley Admin. Center