Wellness Journalism: Right On.

In our earliest years, we are conditioned to distinguish between right and wrong. From smearing chapstick on the sofa to running with scissors, and then later, forging notes to the teacher or sneaking sips of Uncle’s beer when he isn’t looking, we dance between the lines. As we grow older, although right and wrong are still dictated, we are not so carefully supervised. We must make our own decisions.

When it comes to right or wrong, where do you belong? “To be right” is the opposite of “to be wrong;” they are dueling polar opposites. Being right makes something else wrong, while being wrong makes something else right. What is right for some is wrong for others. It can be a tricky business. Then there are people that think they are right, specifically because they are wrong. But that’s another story.

The wrong things ultimately make you feel like crap. If you pay attention, feeling bad helps you learn to do what feels good. This can take a lot of practice, and er…making mistakes. Sometimes you genuinely think something is right, only to find out later how wrong it was. In these cases, right and wrong play off of each other in order to teach a lesson. I thought it felt good to eat nine cookies, until I had in fact eaten nine cookies. Or Mr/Mrs Right turns out to be Mr/Mrs Very, Very Wrong. Therefore, it can be hard to tell whether something is right or wrong. You must crawl forward like a blind hamster, going on feeling alone.

Instead of striving to be right, for fear of wrong, bumping along between the two, torn between the poles, focus on one thing: follow your heart.
This is also known as allowing your spirit to guide you.

It just so happens that when you are following your heart, doing what you believe in and genuinely feel good about, you can hardly help but to do the right thing. It may not always look or feel perfect, but if you follow your heart things will work out for the best. It is a matter of asking the real question: Is this right for me? Does this increase my joy/bliss?

Sometimes following the heart is a simple matter of taking a moment to ask it for directions.

Be willing to listen.

Wellness Journalism: Joy in the Pocket

Looking for Joy?

Joy is not “out there,” to be tracked down—it erupts from within.

“Your joy is your sorrow unmasked,” writes Kahlil Gibran in The Prophet. Joy and Sorrow are dual opposites; two sides of the same coin, and therefore, inseparable. When you’re joyful, look deeply and you will discover that it was once sorrow. When you’re sorrowful, look closely and find that it is a lost joy that brings you pain. We are essentially dealing with simple physics: what comes up, must come down.

The dictionary defines Joy as a source or cause of delight. But sometimes Joy is nowhere in sight.

I am not a morning person. To further complicate matters, this is a trait that my 4-year old daughter has also inherited. I must have told her seven, no, thirty-seven times to put clothes on, to which she replied, “My hands will be cold!” Finally, I dress this fully-capable person myself. While she sits, droopy, on the edge of her bed, my frustration waxes. Suffice it to say I am unable to maintain my sense of center while stuffing her feet into her socks. If the hallmarks of Spiritual Well-being are joy and peace of mind, I left my house feeling distinctly mental.

After depositing my child into her preschool (bye, Mommy!), I take five. Utilizing my awareness of the physical properties of my suffering (what is down, must come up), I breathe deeply, exhaling the morning’s tension, and go about my business. The last thing I want to do is harden myself around the experience, forcing it to remain Sorrow.

Later that day…

We are home from school and Kayana is taking a bath. She is singing “Jingle Bells” at the top of her lungs, a unique Black-Eyed Peas remix: “Jindle bells, jindle bells, jindle allthaway, right on da bornerline is where I’m dunna stay….”

In direct proportion to my earlier frustration, I now find myself giggling with glee. These moments would be harder to appreciate if I didn’t have the difficult ones to offer contrast.

Joy is the English word for something that in another language might translate to “the sensation of spirit moving within.” The alchemy of spirit is such that sorrow is transformed—it becomes the very fertilizer that allows joy to blossom, full and strong.

The test you crammed and fretted over comes back with a passing grade.
You lose your favorite hat but find awesome new boots for half price.
The delight you find sitting in a clean car comes of its recent filth.
A healthy dinner feels even better because you ate a greasy burrito the night before.

With ACCEPTANCE of the struggles, an UNCONDITIONAL willingness to embrace yourself as a human being every day, and COMMITMENT to being all you can be (You’re here aren’t you? Sense of Purpose=LiveWell!), even your most awkward moments can serve to point you in the right direction.

Joy is here.

Taking Charge of Your Health

Establishing healthy habits while in college is essential, because they are habits that you will continue through adulthood.

Dieting is not the answer

The best way to lose weight is to eat healthfully and be physically active. Eating very little, cutting out whole food groups (like grain products), and skipping meals are

not effective ways to lose weight and can do more harm to your body than they help.

Here are examples of 1 serving of fruits and vegetables. Aim for 5-7 fruits or veggies a day.

• Medium sized apple, orange, banana
• I cup of leafy vegetables like romaine lettuce or spinach
• 1/2 cooked or raw veggies
• 1/2 chopped fruit
• 1/4 cup dried fruits (raisins, apricots, etc.)

Here are examples of 1 ounce equivalents of protein sources. Aim for 5.5 ounces of protein-rich foods a day.

• 1 ounce Lean meat, poultry, fish
• 1/4 beans (canned, cooked, dry)
• 1/4 cup tofu
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1/2 ounce of nuts/ seeds

Control your food portions

• Keep in mind that most meals served at restaurants could be taken home and eaten as another meal.
• Avoid eating in front of the TV or while you're busy with other activities. It's easy to lose track of how much you eat when you are doing other things.
• Eat slowly so your brain can get the message that your stomach is full.
• Don't skip meals. This can lead to snacking on high-calorie foods. Eat breakfast everyday!!!

Smart Meals

Did you know eating breakfast can help you do b

etter in school? (Especially for 8am classes!!!) You can increase your attention span and memory, have more energy, and feel less irritable if you eat a healthy breakfast.

• Pack your lunch. Try making a lunch of lean turkey on whole-grain bread, with healthy snacks like fruits, veggies, low-fat yogurt, and nuts.

Everyone needs a snack now and then! Try these healthy options

• fruit-- fresh, canned, dried
• peanut butter on rice cakes
• string cheese
• popcorn--air popped or low-fat microwave

Get Out There!!!

UC San Diego has many ways to get you moving.

• intramurals
• recreation classes
• club sports
• gyms and pools

If you find yourself in front of the TV, ask yourself if you could be out moving your body somehow. Could you walk over to a friend's apartment? Stroll around the block? Go out dancing?

Information provided by the National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Wellness Journalism: What do you mean?

Stalking the citizens of UCSD at random, I ask one, simple question:

What is the meaning of life?

My investigation begins at the food co-op. Three people behind the counter discussing tofu scramble look at me curiously as I approach the register empty-handed, then even more curiously as I begin my line of inquiry. The first girl says blankly, “I don’t know.” The second elaborates, “There may be an answer, but I don’t know it.” The third replies, “Forge your own destiny. Your essence preceeds your destiny, rather than proceeds it.” I think this means that my essence blazes the trail ahead—it is not the fumes that trail behind (thank goodness!).

Thus fed, I wander toward the radio station where another group of three is seated outside upon a weathered couch. When I mention that I am blogging on the subject of Spiritual Wellness, they look self-consciously at their cigarettes. “Self-improvement,” says one, perhaps for good measure. “Relationships amongst each other,” says the next. “I’m going to improve on that,” says the third, with a triumphant grin. “Inter-connectivity.”

Now I’m on a roll. From the bookstore, to the coffee shop, to the benches, I collect responses: To make a difference as long as you’re here. Fulfilling your goals. To find the thing that is most challenging. Everything changes, and we have to do the best we can. It’s about ‘the end.’ To try and leave the world a little better than you found it. Do something useful. The struggle. Family, support, and love. To find something I love to do. To enjoy being human with all the senses, to take in the world around us. Work, work, work, and then die. Being happy. To stay distracted for long enough, and intensely enough, to avoid noticing all the bad in life. To enjoy yourself. The pursuit of knowledge. It doesn’t matter—if you gotta look, you won’t find it. Follow your passion. Love.

At the Mandeville coffee cart, I ambush a table of people in deep conversation. After a bit of smirking, they answer in round-robin fashion. “I’m not that old,” is followed by “Forty-two” (This particular number has come up twice, a reference to something I have not read or seen. Maybe you get it). Another man searches through his mental annex for the proper translation, but, unable to find it, writes into my notebook in German: “Geglückte beziehuugen zu auderen meuschen haben.” This means “Having successful relationships with other people that are meaningful and fulfilling,” in a nuance more satisfying than can be rendered in English.

I approach two older gentleman seated around a laptop, mainly because one of them has green hair. “That’s an unanswerable question,” answers the first. Then comes the one in green: “Whereas that might be an interesting question, there are other interesting questions that are more easily answered, and I would rather think about those.” Touché.

I believe that my research boils down to one ingredient. The meaning of life is the one you give to it. Make it count.

Wellness Journalism: You Are Worth It.

Our culture places different values on certain strengths/dimensions of wellness. Sometimes this breeds imbalance.

Take Physical Wellness for example. Diet and exercise are top industries in the nation, sometimes exaggerated to the point of obsession: we make ourselves sick over the perfect body, sexuality, ability to perform. If a person is in excellent physical condition, a “specimen” of sorts, s/he is automatically considered to be a good point of reference. S/he may be a highly-paid athlete, the one at the gym giving pointers, or the reason a marriage ends in divorce.

We also glorify on Financial Wellness, which we talked about last month (see: November, 2009). Profit is the key factor in the making of big decisions as we follow the money trail. Poverty is associated with failure, while people go broke buying expensive purses in order to appear successful.

Values=that which we hold most dear to the core of our being.

Spiritual Wellness, I’m sorry to say, is often overlooked. Perhaps because we live in a culture where spirituality has been associated with religion and divided into tiny pieces. As such it can be difficult to put together—and in fact, we each have to do it for ourselves.

Spiritual Wellness doesn’t garner the same automatic appreciation that other dimensions do.
You have a hot body? Great!
You have money? Great!
You have spirituality? What kind?
Generic Spiritual Wellness doesn’t carry the egotistical appeal that our society rewards and there is a lot of scrutiny and suspicion. ‘Spiritual folk’ are held to a higher, less realistic standard. Not everybody signs up to be Jesus, or Bono, or The Dalai Lama!

Every dimension of wellness holds a unique value.

Evaluate the way we spend our energy on a daily basis: we are often consumed by some physical or material endeavor. How good we look. How much cool stuff we have. I want to suggest a re-evaluation. What type of investment yields the highest return?

Spirituality, however you resonate with it, may very well have the highest rate of appreciation over time. This is because The Human Spirit is responsible for the greatest treasure in the galaxy…LOVE.

Spirit is the magic mortar with which we build our best lives. It is the Soul-ar Power that generates the energy which we then invest into our valuables: self, family, friends.

Empirical evidence in the form of war, disease, poverty, corruption, and environmental destruction shows that society has not yet learned to give Spiritual Wellness the attention it deserves. I like to think we are witnessing an evolution on this front. We are realizing that the human spirit holds the power to heal the world, and with love we can forgive our differences.

Believe it.

Wellness Journalism: Take Five!

Stew on this.
The components of reality can be divided into two categories:

External Forces- That which is happening around you; school, work, household, afternoon traffic, children, relationships, economy.

Internal Forces- That which is happening within you; thoughts, beliefs, emotions, feelings, drives, dreams.

Spiritual wellness dwells at the center. It is the nucleus. Yet we live in a stimulating world where external forces can seem to have absolute power over state of being.

Meditation and Reflection generate Self-Awareness, an internal connection that keeps you on track and tuned-in to who you are. Awareness means listening in and keeping tabs on your internal environment. It means keeping your Internal Forces running at maximum efficiency, so that you are most effective in all aspects of life. Talk about self-sustainability!

It used to be that meditation and reflection were practices associated with people who live on mountains. This is silly. Isn’t it already peaceful and calm on mountains? Meditation is what we city-dwellers need...peace of mind amidst a world in panic!

There are as many ways to meditate as there are people to invent them. Although many basic practices exist, perhaps the most effective meditation for you is one that you discover for yourself. My favorite meditation, it turns out, is writing—which is why I like blogs.

A five minute meditation only takes five minutes.

How much calmer and more focused would you be if you got five-a-day? How many opportunities are lying embedded in your schedule, or crop up out of the blue if you choose to take them? After dinner, during a study break, between classes or meetings, before going out, while waiting in line…

Here are some simple, five-minute exercises you can do to strengthen your Internal Forces:

• Deep breathing
• Listen to music
• Doodle
• Make a list of things you are grateful for
• Sing or dance
• Stretch
• Be aware of your thoughts and release your attachment to anything less than joyful
• Take a walk
• Contract and relax each muscle in your body in succession

Your [problem set] is a direct reflection of your state of consciousness; when you’re clashing with reality, meditation and reflection can help you reevaluate your sense of purpose and bring you back into alignment.

Make some personal space!

Dr. Weil's Head-to-Toe Wellness Guide

Dr. Andrew Weil is a landmark alternative and integrative medicine figure.

His website features an anti-inflammatory food pyramid, podcasts, and wellness guides.

His Head-to-Toe Wellness Guide is an interactive tool for natural, healthy living.

Want to find out how to combat stress? Improve your immune system? Have more energy for your daily activities?

Dr. Weil's guide lists lifestyle, nutrition, and supplement suggestions as well as their purpose and their positive effects on your body.

For increased energy, Dr. Weil makes these nutritional suggestions:

• Eat a variety of fresh, organic fruits and veggies.
• Become a grazer: Eating large meals will trigger an increase in insulin, making you more fatigued. Smaller meals throughout the day will help keep your blood-sugar levels steady.
• Stay hydrated.
• Snack right: Choose snacks that contain some protein, carbs, and beneficial fats. Options include nuts, yogurt, dried fruit, and whole-grain crackers.
• Eat more fiber: Foods rich in fiber help slow the production of insulin, and helps maintain a steady supply of energy.

Organic Christmas Tree Farms

To buy or not to buy a Christmas tree?

Christmas tree farms are sustainable in that when 1 tree is cut,

2 more are planted. Trees help reduce the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Fake trees are considered a viable alternative to real Christmas trees because they can be re-used year after year. Unfortu

nately, they are made of plastic (PVC) and tend to emit increasingly more plastic toxins the older they get.

Another alternative is to buy a living tree and replant it. If you choose this method, be sure that the tree was grown organically; pesticides runoff into water and soil harming plants, animals, and even humans.

Going home for Christmas? Stop by an organic Christmas tree farm!

Here is a list of organic Christmas tree farms throughout California.

Harris Tree Farm, Pollock Pines, CA 95726
Silvertip Tree Farm, North Fork, CA
Skyline Tree Farm, La Honda, CA
Black Road Christmas Tree Farms, Los Gatos, CA
Santa's Treeland, Irvine and Riverside, CA
Clayton Valley Pumpkin Farm and Christmas Trees, Clayton, CA 94517

Wellness Journalism: YOU ARE HERE.

According to LiveWell, Spiritual Wellness includes having a sense of purpose, finding joy in everyday experience, practicing honesty, and seeing beauty in life. Spiritual Wellness comes in every shape and size, unique to each person. It is central to happiness.

Sense of Purpose. That’s the general condition of knowing why you exist, or believing that you exist for a reason. It’s a very disconcerting quality to miss.

Say you walk into a house. The person in the living room looks up at you and asks, “What are you doing here?” If you have a good answer, you’re glad to be asked, and quick to inform. If you have don’t have a good answer, you’re having a very awkward moment.

Sense of Purpose, like economics, operates on a micro and macro scale.

Micro-Purpose: My sense of purpose at this moment involves writing this sentence in correct English. Later it will involve eating dinner and going to sleep. When aligned with my micro-purpose, I am relatively happy, calm, focused, and effective in carrying it out. If, however, my sense of purpose at the moment is in conflict with the reality I am experiencing, I may feel frustrated, angry, or unproductive.

Macro-Purpose: My sense of purpose on the whole involves relating with life in such a way as to make paying taxes and going to the dentist worthwhile. It involves cooking up a lifetime of joy and fulfillment. Macro-purpose is the sum of micro-purpose, but it can also stand on its own. A clear vision of the big picture can guide my little strokes. If I am aligned with my macro-purpose, I am happy, calm, focused, effective. If, on the other hand, my macro-purpose is missing or in conflict with my reality, I may find getting out of bed in the morning difficult, or I may require large amounts of mind-altering substances including white fudge-covered Oreos.

Your Sense of Purpose from moment to moment takes you through the day; your Sense of Purpose from day to day takes you through your life.

NOTE: Sense of Purpose changes over time, is challenged by circumstance, or even vanishes altogether. When the big picture gets blurry, focus on the details. Do the little things to the best of your ability. Really go for that deep clean when you brush your teeth, drive defensively, and drink lots of water. Conversely, when the details have you stumped, consider the big picture. Remember what your overall goals are, what you truly want, and where your heart is.

It’s my little theory that every living human being has a Sense of Purpose imprinted/hard-wired within. I figure if every cell in the body has a function and knows what to do, and the body is made of cells, that by some transitive or associative property or law of physics, everybody has a function. This does not immediately translate to harmonious living, as I have many times run into conflict between my sense of purpose and reality (more on this later). But it does give me the hope that, even on the worst days, my Sense of Purpose can always be recovered.

Celebrate the Beauty of Youth

Want to feel better, look better, and have more energy?

Moving more and eating better is the best place to start.
Why Move More and Eat Better?

Being physically active and making smart food choices is good for our health. But that is not the only reason to move more and eat better. It can also help you:

• Have more energy
• Tone your body
• Reduce stress, boredom, or the blues
• Feel good about yourself

Tips on Moving More

Do things you enjoy, such as:

• dancing
• fast walking
• playing sports
• or group fitness classes

Tips on Eating Better

You may notice that our portion sizes in the US are quite large. The problem with this is that we tend to eat everything we are give on a plate. Eating smaller portions will help you cut down on calories and fat (and might save you money too!) Here are some sensible sizes

for foods you may not want to give up:

• french fries: a small serving, like a kid's meal size
• shrimp fried rice: 1 cup
• cheese pizza: 2 small slices or 1 large slice

Out 'n' About

You can hang out with your friends and still make healthy choices. Try these when you are out 'n' about:

• Order veggie toppings on a pizza instead of salty, high-fat meats
• Share popcorn (skip the added butter) when at the movies and order the smallest size.
• Choose water instead of soda
• Munch on pretzels or veggies at a party insead of chips and dip

You can do it!

Set doable goals. Move at your own pace. Let your family and friends help you. Allow for setbacks, and be sure to celebrate your successes. Keep trying--you can do it!

Information provided by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

December 1st is World AIDS Day!

Join the University of California, San Diego in honoring World AIDS Day on Tuesday, December 1st, centered in the Price Center East Ballroom.

Free activities run from 7am to 4pm and feature a wide array of special musical performances, art exhibitions, and theater!

A full schedule of events is available at the World AIDS Day event site.

Wellness Journalism: In Case of Stolen Identity

It’s a pity—but many people turn to fraud in order to make their killing. In the past, bandits in black had to crawl through the window to empty your wallet or steal your diamonds. Today, however, in the virtual monetary system on-line, money-snatchers have a whole new bag of tricks: they’ll steal your identity. In fact, nine million American identities are stolen every year!

S.O.P.’s (Standard Operating Procedures—one of my new favorite acronyms) OF IDENTITY PROTECTION:

• Don’t give anyone your Social Security, credit card, or bank account numbers unless you know the source and/or have initiated the contact. It doesn’t matter how good looking they are. Also, avoid giving personal information over unsecured telephone lines (such as a cell phone).
• Don't throw away papers that have important account or financial numbers listed on them without first tearing them up into tiny, confetti-sized pieces.
• Keep your credit card and ATM receipts in a safe place until you've paid the credit card bill or balanced your checkbook. The backseat of your car does not qualify.
• Don't leave bill payment envelopes in a home mailbox; these can be opened by any Tom, Dick, or Harry, or Jane. Go around the corner and put your envelopes in the blue postal mailbox instead.
• Don't send your credit card number over the Internet unless you are sure the website is secured and your computer is protected by anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewall, and other security software. Seriously. Keep your security software updated.
• Don't get hooked by "phishing." On a regular basis, I have the pleasure of deleting emails from various personages informing me that “my funds have been deposited” or “my request has been approved” in some mystery transaction. While it’s exciting to receive news that I am getting money, if it isn’t from the Financial Aid office or the US Treasury, I don’t want it.
• Recognize the signs. If that 45-minute phone call to Shanghai or that $260 dollar purchase at Foot Locker isn’t yours (check your closet to make sure), suspect fraud. Review your bills, credit report, and statements on a regular basis for accuracy.
• Report any suspicious activity immediately. You have the right, and the responsibility, to protect your identity from unauthorized use.

A final word. When you've been patronizing an establishment, and are preparing yourself to leave, make sure you have your ID card and/or credit cards. Be especially conscientious if your patronage has included beverages of an alcoholic nature. It's one thing for someone to spend twelve hours scotch-taping your credit card statement back together and entirely another for you to simply frolick away, leaving your card at the bar.

Wellness Journalism: Edit Your Credit!

Do you have several maxed-out credit cards? Have you ever missed a payment on an account? Are some of your bills completely forgotten?



If you ignore your credit health, it is guaranteed to come back and haunt you.

Take it from me. The ghost of credit past almost prevented me from finding a place to live this summer. Granted, some circumstances are beyond control… I like to think that the bankruptcy I filed in early 2004 after an uninsured automobile accident resulting in hospitalization and surgery (I almost lost my eye) was justified. But what was I doing without health insurance? However you flip it, banks, lenders, landlords, and credit card companies all agree: poor credit=high risk. Your credit score has the capacity to help you or hurt you dramatically. In addition to application denials, people with low credit scores accrue higher interest rates, pay higher insurance premiums, and leave bigger deposits.

When companies present you with an offer for a credit card, don’t jump up and take it. They're not handing you money. Gimmicks such as O% interest for six months and no transfer fees are specifically calculated to lure you into debt. Regardless of how tempting it may seem, it is NOT a good idea to transfer the balance of an existing card onto a new one. Friends, debt is easy to come by and hard to shake. There is no reason to have more than one credit card!

Check your credit for free at http://www.annualcreditreport.com. Systematically go through and fix any red flags. Little things count for a lot on a credit report; the folks who are inspecting your credit want to see that you pay attention to details. Even if your payments are on time, a maxed-out credit card lowers your FICO score.

Taking good care of your credit is like taking good care of your car. If you maintain it, credit will help take you where you want to go. Neglect it, and you may find yourself stranded.

Wellness Journalism: You Choose

To buy or not to buy? That is the question. In this capitalist, consumer-driven economy, we are constantly bombarded.

Reasons for picking your own pocket and dropping the extra dollar:

• Peer pressure (Let’s go out tonight! C’mon, it’s Friday! Meet us for dinner!)
• Immediate gratification (That cookie sure looks good. Cool shoes. I’d love a latte!)
• Keeping up with your pals (Do you have the new I-Phone?)

While spending money and getting stuff might be oh-so-much fun, winding up broke sucks. What’s more, if you’re OVERSPENDING, chances are you have nothing to show for it except the dent in your wallet.

I am the type of person who will see a really great t-shirt for ten bucks and buy it. Only ten bucks! That’s almost free! I will also spend ten bucks on a bite to eat, another ten on a movie, ten again on a drink, and ten on the gas it takes to get there. As I look over my transaction history, it turns out that not “ten” but hundreds of dollars have been spent on impulse. Oops.

Next time I reach for my debit card, I have one question. Be honest: do I need it or do I want it? For example, I need to pay rent. I need healthy groceries in my refrigerator. However, I want to go to the movies. I want the expensive thing on the menu. I want those jeans.

Don’t be duped by marketing strategies designed to keep you wanting more. Advertisers are experts and getting into your head and fiddling with the controls until your pockets are inside out. There is always a cheaper way to do things, or alternatives that really and truly cost nothing. Close your wallet, open your mind!

As usual, LiveWell provides handy tools to help you out. Check out these tips for plugging spending leaks and stretching your dollars.

For a clear visual image of your purchasing patterns, print up the Needs v. Wants Worksheet and the Expenses worksheet. Regardless of what you tell yourself ("Only ten bucks!"), the numbers don't lie.

Wellness Journalism: The Health of Wealth

Since every month has a mission (thanks, LiveWell!), and I am a self-professed Wellness Guinea Pig, allow me to introduce my household:

Welcome to Knoxville Street.

Inhabitants: myself (Gina, age 27), roommate/partner/friend/potential spouse (Fale, age 30), and my daughter (Kayana, age 4).

As I have previously confessed, my spending habits have been loosey-goosey. I’m living on my high-interest nest-egg of student loans and grants. Fale is a brilliant freelance audio-visual technician and musical producer who receives unemployment checks from the government and plays a lot of golf. Until this month, we have had no official savings account, no budget, no specific goals. What we did have was a general sense of income-outcome ratios, vague goals (ex: buying a house someday), and a penchant for eating out. While we understand the importance of a tight money management system, we had been putting it off, enjoying the relative freedom of financial improvisation. But if we continued this way, we’d be asking for trouble.

When it comes to making financial management upgrades, I am dealing with a collective pattern in the household; it has its own inertia (resistance to change, for all you physics folk), and I have to expend a certain type of energy to effect change.
This effort is the initial investment. MAKE IT.

When you budget, apply S.M.A.R.T. goal-setting strategies, organize spending habits, and plan ahead with conscious awareness, you are literally “making money.” There is always room for improvement! Give special focus, attention, and thought to the pot. By doing so, you send energy into the financial dimension of wellness. This is how you nurture your piggy bank and keep it producing long into the future!

Keep your money healthy,
Your Financial Wellness in check (and balance).
Then it will not catch the flu
(Such as we see in the case of our H1N1 economy.)

Save yourselves. If you haven’t made a budget or set new goals yet, it’s never too late—not even in a month of Novembers—to get on the horse.

"My First Home for the Holidays" Foster Youth Drive!

Get some pots and pans, blankets and blenders, mops and microwaves!
It’s time for the UCSD FOSTER YOUTH DRIVE!

Support Just In Time for Foster Youth in serving 300 local youth who are leaving the foster care system this year! The “My First Home for the Holidays” campaign assists these young adults during a critical transition in their lives, warming their new apartments and dorm rooms.

There are collection sites all over campus from November 9-20, such as the Triton Center on the first floor, or collect in your area and they will come to you (even up to Nov 27th).

All sorts of new household items are greatly needed! You can also make a check or gift card donation.
For more information on campus collection sites or items to donate, click here.

Visit www.JITfosteryouth.org for more details.

Wellness Journalism: Ready, Set, Goal!

Having an organized budget is important in tracking the current movement of your money. Setting goals, however, will help determine the movement of your money over time.


I ask myself, “Self, what are your financial goals?”

The first thing I hear is, “To keep a roof over my head.”

Apparently, I am connecting my finances with stability, comfort, and dry clothes. These are immediate needs that extend indefinitely into the future. They have nothing to do with the fact that the only thing I have to my name, financially speaking, is debt. I decide to be more specific.

“Self, what would you like your financial assets to look like in ten years?”

Bingo. Now I’m rattling off a wish list: A house, maybe two, definitely something lakefront, energetically self-sufficient. A car, nice hybrid, roomy, wide field of vision. Financial involvement in several non-profit outreach organizations, charities, and/or benefits for the expansion of connected awareness in human beings. A college savings account for my four year old daughter, which becomes a new boat if she decides to opt out. A high interest retirement fund. Student loans paid down to zero.

This exercise shows me several things. Instead of making immediate steps toward the financial picture of my dreams, I am preoccupied with maintaining the financial picture of my present moment. How much can I spend this month without going bottom up? I am not thinking two, six, or even twelve months in advance. I am leaving my financial future to chance.
No longer. Thanks to Cash Course, you and I can organize a budget and set goals. We can make money like honey. Bee S.M.A.R.T.!

Here are some free tools to help you out: Savings Goal Worksheet, Monthly Goal Tracking Calendar.
Goal Figure.

UC San Diego Sports Clubs

Did you know that UC San Diego has an equestrian and ice hockey team?

And water-ski and table tennis?

Well, we do!

They're called sports clubs and they're offered by UC San Diego Recreation.

We have 25 sports clubs teams on campus; anything from snow-ski to badminton to ultimate frisbee.

There's a sport for everyone, so check out the Sports Clubs site and find out about joining a team!

Healthy College Eating

Eating healthy in college is not hard when you utilize your kitchen resources!

Personal Pizza

Makes 1 serving

1 English muffin

1 Tbsp tomato or spaghetti sauce

2 Tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Split the English muffin into two halves.

2. Spread sauce evenly on both halves.

3. Sprinkle cheese evenly on both halves.

4. Broil in toaster oven for one minute or until cheese melts.

The College Student’s Guide to Eating Well on Campus ©2000 by Ann Selkowitz Litt, with

permission from Tulip Hill Press.

Nutrition Information

Per serving:

Calories 234

Fat 7g

Protein 13g

Carbohydrates 32g

For more yummy recipe ideas...
http://www.k-state.edu/lafene/recipe_easy.pdf

http://www.healthycollegecookbook.com/recipes.php

http://www.mnsu.edu/shs/healtheducation/bmc/

Wellness Journalism: Got Money?

According to American author and speaker Jim Rohn, “Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.”

That being said, I myself am in desperate need of a financial makeover. For years, I have been flying by the seat of my pants, spending by the hairs on my chinny-chin-chin. Deep down I know I can do better for my wallet. This is Financial Wellness month, and thanks to the LiveWell CASH COURSE curriculum, tips and resources abound. I have all the support I need. I am stepping up to the plate.

Won’t you join me?

My name is Gina and I am a new addition to the wellness team here at UCSD. My mission, as the official blogger, is to create a working relationship with you, the official reader. I am a living, breathing, thinking human being—see? We have so much in common already. And we both engage in frequent monetary exchange.

I balance a rather complex financial picture. Rent, electricity, gas, food, phone, gas, recreation, cable, internet, credit card, gas, frozen yogurt. I have absolutely no clue as to the exact sum of my expenses. Since I live off of grants and student loans, my income is a lump sum that lasts as long as I make it. Therefore, as far as BUDGETING AND FINANCIAL PLANNING, I am starting at square one. I’m off to see the THE BUDGET WIZARD.

I’ll be checking in weekly with my personal account: useful, quirky, real-life notes on financial rehabilitation, and direct links to comprehensive cash information on the web. Remember, money is fluid, and so are you. Whatever steps we take, you and I, in the direction of better money management, will pay off.

Invest in yourself this month; you are worth every dollar!

Intergroup Relations

The Intergroup Relations Program serves as an intergroup relations resource center for the UC San Diego campus, providing programs and services relating to hate/ bias prevention, mediation of student intergroup conflict, and issues that affect UCSD's campus climate.

We achieve our mission through the following methods:

• Education
  


• Problem resolution
  


• Campus climate assessment
  


• Collaboration with UCSD departments and other universities
  
  
• Check out the workshops offered by iGroup:

Exploring Social Identities
Our social identities are complex and intertwined; these dimensions of self work together to shape how we see the world and our place in it. This workshop empowers participants to reflect upon and deepen their understanding of their own social identity and social group affiliations.

Not on Our Campus! Identifying Hate and Bias at UCSD
There's a misconception that hate/ bias incidents do not occur within the university environment. This workshop challenges these beliefs via a documentary made at UCSD, "Hate Free Zone." Following the film, participants exchange in dialogue and receive information about hate/ bias resources on campus.

Overcoming Personal Prejudice
Effective leaders strive to understand their own limitations, including personal bias and prejudice. In this workshop, participants learn how to recognize prejudices they may not be aware of on a conscious level, and understand where these beliefs and attitudes come from and how to overcome them.

Roommate Conflict: Cultural Implications for Reconciliation
This workshop deals with interpersonal and cultural conflict between roommates in various living arrangements. When not addressed, these conflicts can have adverse effects on students' adaptability and performance. We'll also provide practical solutions for dealing with emerging conflict and potential problems before they arise.

What's Race Got to Do with It?
This workshop presents excerpts from the documentary, "What's Race Got to do with It?," chronicling the journey of a group of students enrolled in an intergroup dialogue course on race. The students share their personal stories with candid dialogue about identity, privilege, oppression, prejudice, and pride. Participants engage in their own facilitated dialogue following the documentary.

Fit for Food Day

Please join UCSD recreation for their 6th annual food raising event to benefit local families in need. Bring 8 canned good items, or equivalent dry goods and enjoy your choice of fitness or yoga workouts.

Help out your neighbors during the holidays and get a great pre-Thanksgiving workout to boot!

Date: November 21

Fit For Food: Super Cycle, 9:00 - 10:00am

Fit For Food: Kick Box, 10:15 - 11:15am
Fit For Food: Pilates Core, 11:30am - 12:30pm

Fit For Food: Zumba, 12:45 - 1:45pm

Fit For Food: Hatha Yoga, 2:00 -3 :00pm

For more information visit

http://recreation.ucsd.edu/main/search.html?cs=act&qs=fit+for+food&submit=Search&op=sch

Pilates Band Workshop

Intensify your workouts with the Pilates Band WorkshopThis workshop takes traditional Pilates mat exercises and adapts them using resistance bands. Challenge your strength and flexibility while still maintaining traditional Pilates forms. You will feel new and different muscle recruitment while doing the popular mat exercises.

Date: Sunday, Nov. 15

Time: 10:00am- 12:00pm

Location: RIMAC - Activity Room 1
For more information visit:

http://recreation.ucsd.edu/flife/index.html?op=dtl&cs=act&id=47077

Thirsty for something exciting?

November is Water Awareness Month: Join us in an exploration of our food and water challenges!

...featuring the film, “FLOW.”

FREE FOOD, WATER, ART, MUSIC!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Price Center East Ballroom
5:00pm- 6:30pm: Open house, Appetizers
6:30pm: Flow Film Screening
8:00pm: Panel Discussion

Conserve water and sustain life!

Featuring 100% local and organic produce
See AQUAholicsucsd.com for more details

CommunicateUCSD! Workshop Series

CommunicateUCSD! Workshops help sharpen the most important tool in your box: communication!

Express to Success (ETS) develops your confidence and skills in public speaking, interpersonal communication, and leadership. From the drive-thru window to a job interview, from a phone call with mother to a class project, your ability to express yourself has infinite impact in all areas of life.

Increase your potential for success!

Graduate and undergraduate students can choose sessions that align with their interests and schedules. Complete the track and receive a certificate of completion at the Express to Success (ETS) Leadership Banquet Thursday, May 13, 2010.

Here's how to participate:
• Register online.
• Download the workshop schedule (PDF) or pick one up from the ETS office, room 3520, 3rd floor of the Price Center East (map). The schedule lists workshop times and locations.
• Attend at least 12 workshops to complete the program.
• At each workshop you attend, have the instructor or ETS representative sign your workshop schedule.
• Submit your signed workshop schedule to the ETS office no later than Friday, May 7, 2010.

For more information, contact Grace Bagunu, (858) 822-1356

FINANCIAL WELLNESS: good idea.

November is Financial Wellness month. Get your money straight! CashCourse is a comprehensive curriculum that offers a myriad of tips, tricks and tokens that will help you on your way.

THE FIRST STEP TO RESPONSIBLE, PRODUCTIVE MONEY MANAGEMENT IS CREATING A BUDGET.

Handling your finances without a budget is like wearing a blindfold into a museum. It makes no sense. Understanding your budget will help you organize your spending, saving you wads of money in the long term. It will prevent you from running yourself into the red, or digging yourself into a monetary ditch.

Make it easy on yourself. See the BUDGET WIZARD.



Something to think about:
Patterns of money management: can they be improved upon? Or are you settling for less? Sometimes the thought of changing habits is most daunting, but it’s all in your mind. In the real heat of the moment, making the right decision can be easy, quick, and fulfilling. Make Financial Wellness a part of your usual operation. With a simple plan of action, you can take steps to create financial wellness every day!

Dynamic Partner Yoga

Fly to New Heights in your practice with the support of a partner.

This lighthearted and playful workshop will incorporate: partner flow, gravity defying asana sequences, and Thai massage.


We will combine therapeutic flying with healing touch for an exhilarating yet grounding experience. Students are requested to have familiarity with yoga. (No partner necessary).

Date: Saturday, Nov. 14
Time: 1-3pm
Location: RIMAC - Activity Room 3







For more information visit
https://recreation.ucsd.edu/flif /index.html?op=dtl&cs=act&id=47043

Relaxation Massage Workshop

Feeling stressed from school? Then try the Relaxation Massage Workshop to take a break from your studies!

This four hour class will teach you how to give and get a massage. You will feel relaxed and tension free after this cleansing and reviving experience. What a fantastic way to begin your day!

Day: Saturday, Nov. 14
Time: 9am-1pm
Location: RIMAC 4th Floor Conference Room

For more information visit
https://recreation.ucsd.edu/flife/index.html?op=dtl&cs=act&id=47091

Expressing Gratitude

UC Davis Professor Robert Emmons has found that “the ability to notice, appreciate, and sovor the elements of one’s life has been viewed as a crucial element of well-being.”

Expressing gratitude in a journal has been found to reduce stress, increase subjective well-being and raise optimism. Gratitude also increases the likelihood we will help someone else and feel connected to others.

Science has demonstrated gratitude increases optimism, improves health, reduces stress and raises happiness.

So count your blessings and feel better.

How?

1. Keep a gratitude journal.
2. Before falling asleep, reflect on what you are grateful for that day.
3. Tell friends and family how much they mean to you – or simply thank them.
4. Retrain your mind to focus on what’s right, rather than what’s wrong.
5. Be grateful for you! You are a unique and talented person. Be grateful for who you are.


"There are two ways to live your life. Either as if nothing is a miracle or as if everything is"
— Albert Einstein

Student Health Service's: All About the Flu

How do I know if I have the flu?

The CDC defines flu symptoms as include fever (temperature of 100 degrees F [38 degrees C] or greater, or signs of fever such as chills, sweats, flushing, skin feeling hot) with cough and/or sore throat. In addition, you may experience headache, body aches, fatigue, nasal congestion, vomiting and diarrhea.

Should I see my health care provider if I have flu symptoms?

In general, unless you are experiencing difficulty breathing, chest pain, persistent vomiting, severe diarrhea or instability related to dehydration, persistent fever more than 3-4 days, or have a high-risk condition, you should stay home and use self-care measures.
High risk conditions include:

• lung diseases like asthma, cystic fibrosis, chronic bronchitis or emphysema
• heart disease
• chronic kidney disease
• metabolic diseases like diabetes
• blood disorders like sickle cell or other severe anemia
• a weakened immune system caused, for example, by cancer or cancer treatment, HIV/AIDS, organ transplant, or corticosteroid therapy
• certain conditions such as nervous system or muscular disorders or seizure disorders that can cause breathing problems or increase the risk of inhaling oral secretions.
• pregnancy

What kinds of things can I do for self-care?

• Take acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin) for fever and body aches.
• Over-the-counter cold and flu medications used according to the package instructions may help lessen some symptoms.
• Get plenty of rest.
• Drink clear fluids (water, broth, sports drinks) to keep from getting dehydrated.
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, or cough into your elbow if a tissue is not available.
• Clean hands often and especially after using tissues, or coughing into hands.
• Avoid close contact with others; do not go to work or school while ill.
• Stay home for 24 hours after your fever is gone (and you are no longer taking antifever medication)
• If you must leave your home, wear a face mask.
• Get Well kits will be available at Student Health, Res Life and college Place & Markets. The kits contain a digital thermometer, acetaminophen (Tylenol), cough syrup, lozenges, tissues, hand sanitizer, and a face mask.
• For meal delivery while sick or to get a "Flu Buddy", e-mail flubuddy@ucsd.edu.

For more information, visit: http://studenthealth.ucsd.edu/flu.shtml

CADRE: A UCSD Association

Learn about CADRE (Community Advocates for Disability Rights and Education) a UCSD association for staff, students, and faculty.

Mission:
Community Advocates for Disability Rights and Education (CADRE) is a UCSD association that promotes full inclusion and equal opportunity for people with disabilities.

Membership:
Membership in CADRE is open to anyone in the UCSD community who has an interest in disability issues and concerns.

Meetings:
CADRE holds annual meetings.

Reasons to join CADRE:

• Provides educational programs to advance recognition of the value, skills, and rights of people with disabilities
  
  
• Informs the UCSD community of current trends, issues and developments related to disability rights and awareness through publications and programs
  


• Encourages networking opportunities and promotes support groups for people with disabilities
  


• Provides referrals to appropriate resources for people with disabilities including assistance with concerns about employment, education, conflict resolution, access, and accommodation.
  
  
  

CADRE will confirm your belief that together we can create opportunities for talented UCSD community members with disabilities to contribute to the goals of the University.