Interview with the AVC of Student Wellness, Dr. Karen Calfas

UC San Diego is proud and excited to welcome Dr. Karen Calfas--a UC San Diego alumna-- as the Assistant Vice Chancellor Student Wellness. Since starting in her new role in March of this year, she has seamlessly fit into the 'wellness family.’

Dr. Calfas looks forward to starting new preventative programs that study the "science behind wellness" by utilizing technology and making the programs user-friendly. The three long-term health issues that she hopes to target are smoking, poor diet, and inactivity. Her goal is to help students connect with resources on campus so that when they graduate, they are well-prepared for life challenges.

She shared these statistics of UC San Diego students:

15% get enough sleep each night (7-8 hours each night)

70% feel lonely

15% smoke

8% get the recommended amount of vegetables in their diet each day

33% say stress is an impediment to success

In addition to working with the Wellness Cluster Directors(Counseling & Psychological Services, Recreation, Sexual Assault Resource Center, and Student Health Service), Dr. Calfas also meets with potential donors to fundraise for the UC San Diego Wellness Center, which is projected to open in 2012.

Dr. Calfas has two children, enjoys volunteering in their classes, and swimming.

VC of Student Affairs Penny Rue, Wellness Center Director Dr. Jerry Phelps, Wellness Center Coordinator Torrey Trust, and AVC of Student Wellness Dr. Karen Calfas at the LiveWell UC San Diego Ross Szabo presentation earlier this spring.

RA/HAs-- This is For YOU!

The wellness of on campus residents--as well as their resident advisors--is important to LiveWell UC San Diego.

We've created an array of resources for RAs to use in active and passive programming.

• Bulletin boards
  


• Newsletter tips
  


• Ideas for wellness-realted programs
  


• List of resources to use for programming
  


• and a list of national wellness days for you to theme your events on
  
  Be sure to check out the Resident Advisor page

Would you like to see us do more?
Let us know what else LiveWell could do for you and your residential area.
E-mail us with your comments at ucsd.wellness@gmail.com

The Benefits of Sleep, Eating, and Exercise

Adopted from the SEE Campaign at Johns Hopkins University.

Sleep:

• Research shows that sleep deprivation has measurable effects on suppressing immune function, especially in combination with other life stressors. This is why many students get sick frequently throughout the year; pulling all-nighters have more negative effects than benefits.


• Sleep debt has been found to increase the concentration of stress hormones and simultaneously decrease metabolism.

Eating:

• Eating healthy is not about depriving yourself of certain foods; it is finding a balance in the foods that you eat.


• Student preform better on memory tests when they have eaten breakfast.
  


• Students gain an average of 4 lbs. in the first 12 weeks of school, mostly due to an increase in caloric intake (about 175 extra calories a day). To prevent this, eat meals with lots of vegetables and fiber. It will make you feel fuller. Also, the old trick of eating your food slowly will help you eat less and gives your brain time to recognize the message from your stomach that you are full.

Exercise:

• Stretching increases circulation, reduces stress, and improves coordination.
  


• Students who said they exercised at least 3 days a week were more likely to report a better state of physical helath and greater happiness than those who didn't.


• Walking shows the highest compliance rates of any exercise, so you're more likely to stick with it if you start. The easiest way to start including exercise in your daily routine is to walk to class. Try eating at the farthest cafeteria on campus.
  
  
  

Healthy Dining on Campus Video

Whether you live on campus and eat at the dining halls regularly or you live off campus and stop by the dining halls on occasion, UC San Diego dining services offers a variety of healthy selections that will give you the energy you need to make it through the long classes, study sessions, organization meetings, and anything else you are involved with. Check out this video to learn more about how you can make healthier choices in the dining halls.



About the video: To promote healthy eating as part of physical wellness, Housing*Dining*Hospitality's Registered Dietitian, Becky McDivitt, gives a tour of Cafe Ventanas (one of the dining halls at UC San Diego) and provides viewers with tips and tricks for selecting healthier foods.

For more information about health and wellness, visit UC San Diego's Wellness Center website: http://wellness.ucsd.edu

40 Money Management Tips Every College Student Should Know

The National Endowment for Financial Education has put out what it calls the "40 Money Management Tips Every College Student Should Know."

The tips range from Financial Aid, to credit cards, and dorm life.

Here's a few to start you off...

• Get organized- create a filing system for all of your important papers like pay stubs, tax returns, and loan information.
  


• Talk to a financial aid officer if your situation changes- In the current economy, you and your family might have experienced dramatic financial changes. Your FAFSA can be updated to reflect these changes, which may qualify you for more financial aid assistance. Talk to the Financial Aid office to learn more.
  


• Take time now to prepare for your career- Attend career fairs, get internships, and update your resume.
  


• Resist peer pressure- Be willing to say, "I can't afford that" and look for cheaper entertainment alternatives like on-campus movies, sporting events, etc.
  
  To read the complete list, check it out here.

Financial Wellness- One of the Eight Dimensions of Wellness promoted by the UC San Diego Wellness Center

Study Abroad Students

Study Abroad students now have their own section under the My Wellness tab on the Wellness Center website.

Check it out for tips on how to stay healthy while in another country.

Here's a sample:

• Smoking is much more prevalent in other societies, but it doesn’t make it any healthier. If you don’t smoke now, don’t pick it up while abroad!
  


• Homesickness is a typical symptom of being away from loved ones. Keep in touch through email or Skype, but also recognize that building relationships with people in your host country will help you overcome this part of your study abroad experience.
  


• Go out in groups. The threats facing women in the US are the same in different countries. Always be aware of your surroundings and be vocal if the situation becomes uncomfortable.

Mission Bay Aquatic Center

Just because it's off campus doesn't mean that it's not a part of UC San Diego!

In fact, the Associate Students of SDSU and UC San Diego Recreation own and operate the Mission Bay Aquatic Center.

Located right by the water, MBAC offers many classes at discounted prices for UC San Diego and SDSU students.

• Wakeboarding
  


• Kayaking (classes start as low as $29)
  


• Waterskiing
  


• Surfing (4 introductory surf lessons for $99)
  


• Sailing
  


• Rowing
  


• Windsurfing
  
  Check out their website at www.missionbayaquaticcenter.com for dates, times, and special offers
  

Don't want to take a class? Students are also able to rent equipment from MBAC.

Happiness

Happiness

When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we dont see the one that has opened for us.

Courtesy of WellSphere

Want to get daily wellness quotes on your computer? Add the Wellness Widget
http://www.wellsphere.com/createQuoteWidget.s

Everything Wellness

We've created this collage of wellness related words to help illustrate the idea that wellness incorporates all aspects of life.

Having a wellness-centered life doesn't just mean exercising and eating right, it also includes helping others, setting goals, sleeping, lowering stress levels, and finding a balance in life.

The Wellness Center website offers a variety of resources and tips to help you maintain a healthy, balanced life.

• Listserv
  
  
• LiveWell Blog
  
  
• Wellness Resources Tab (LiveWell Meals)
  
  
• My Wellness Tab (undergrads, study abroad students, student leaders, etc.)

Wellness Resources for Student Leaders

Being a student leader and pursuing optimal health can be tricky, but it is possible! The key to your success as a student is balance. It is important to take care of your well-being so that you will be healthy enough to host events, run meetings, study effectively, help others, and make the most of your time as a college student. This page provides tips and resources that will help you improve your well-being. For more tips, check out the Wellness Center website: http://wellness.ucsd.edu/StudentLeaders.shtml

Be a Role Model for Wellness
As a student leader, you can be a role model for wellness by living a healthy, balanced lifestyle and sharing your wellness tips with members in your organization.

• Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet.
  


• Be Active - join an intramural team, take a rec class, walk around campus, etc...
  


• Reflect and take action on your life purpose.
  


• Participate in a community service event (MLK Jr. Parade, Relay for Life, Habitat for Humanity).
  


• Maintain an optimistic attitude (more info)
  


• Be realistic, accept help, practice gratitude, and forgiveness.
  


• Get enough sleep.
  


• Maintain composure, wisdom, and compassion no matter what the situation.

Environmental and Financial Wellness

The 2 newly added dimensions of wellness-- Environmental and Financial--may have you confused.

Here are some helpful tips that should clear up the questions of how you can improve your wellness in these aspects:

• Practice sustainability.
  

Bike, carpool, or take public transportation instead of driving.

• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
  

Did you know that in San Diego County, our recycling facilities can only take #1 and #2 recyclables (water bottles and milk containers)? Yogurt containers--while typically recyclable--can't be processed here. The city of San Diego Recycling Program has a list of what can and cannot be recycled: http://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/recycling/list.shtml

Thinking about throwing your old batteries away? THINK AGAIN! Batteries require special recycling because of their toxic chemicals. Public libraries and on campus at Earl's Place or any of the Residential Life offices, you can find battery recycling stations.

Done with that old cell phone? Organizations like Cell Phones for Soldiers (http://www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com/) will send you a free mailer for you to send your phone in. Post offices in San Diego county also offer free mailers so you can send your phone in to be recycled.

• Keep a balanced budget.
  

Do you know how much tuition and fees will cost you next year? It's important to know how much your bills and expenses will cost you each month and for the year. Planning early prevents stress later of late charges or not having enough money to pay your bills.

Only 1 credit card is necessary. Having more credit cards open doesn't necessarily help your credit score. It is good to have 1 credit card with a lower interest rate that you can afford to pay off each month.

Spring Quarter Project Wellness Winners

PROJECT WELLNESS: How Are You Living Well?
How are the environment, sustainability, and health connected?

Grecia Campos, ERC - Class of 2011
International Studies: Sociology

• Start the day with a healthy, environment-friendly breakfast. Helps your daily performance and Pachamama.
  
  
• Walk to class instead of catching the shuttle. May help prevent heart disease and the suffocation of a bird from carbon dioxide emissions.
  
  
• Read by the foot of a tree. Good for your eyes, skin, and grades. Eliminates the need for indoor lighting.
  
  
• Run around campus with a friend. Builds strong joints and bones. Your computer will not contribute to global warming.
  
  
• Take a water-conscious shower. Prepare for eight blissful hours of sleep. Aids repair the brain and body. Use energy tomorrow to participate in morning beach clean-up.
  
  
• Repeat daily. Have a healthy life. Protect and conserve Mother Nature.
  
  

Eating Strategies for Finals Week

During Finals Week, everyone is stressing to cram in the last little bit of information available. Sometimes, we forget to listen to our bodies request for healthy foods. Here is an "eating strategy" from HDH Register Dietitian Becky McDivitt.

1. Eat small, frequent meals to stay alert and energized.



2. Don’t skip meals due to marathon study sessions!



3. Have healthy snacks like these ready for study breaks:
   -Nuts and dried fruit
   -Cheese sticks and yogurt
   -Sliced veggies and dip or hummus
   -Fresh fruit
   -Low fat popcorn
   -Half-sandwich



4. Eat your snack away from your study area. Avoid mindless snacking while studying.
   


5. Stay hydrated with water, tea, milk or small amounts of 100% juice.
   
6. Manage stress with non-eating activities like exercise, meditation, yoga, talking with friends, and watching a movie.
8. Don’t over-do it with caffeine in an effort to stay awake. If your body is telling you to sleep, you need to sleep! Well-rested students perform better on tests.
   

More healthy eating options can be found on the HDH Nutrition Page: http://hdh.ucsd.edu/diningservices/nutrition.asp

Where To Go: Urgent Care or Emergency?

Where Can You Go?

It's 9pm. Student Health is closed, and you're cold is getting worse. Where do you go?

Urgent care is a cross between an emergency room and a doctor's office. It costs much less to go to urgent care than the emergency room, so make sure that if your symptoms aren't too bad, you avoid using the emergency room.

Here's a quick list to help you decide which is the best place for you to go:

Emergency Room or Call 911:

• Chest pain with shortness of breath and/ or sweating
• Difficulty breathing
• Uncontrollable bleeding
• Trauma or head injury
• Sever injury, burns, or electrical shock
• Sudden dizziness, difficulty seeing, slurred speech, confusion, numbness, or paralysis
• Unconsciousness
• Poisoning
• Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy

Urgent Care:

• sore throats, coughs, congestion, fever less than 103 degrees, and other flu/ cold symptoms
• Mild or moderate asthma attacks
• Earaches and minor skin infections*
• Insect bites or rashes
• Bladder infections
• Sprains, strains, deep bruises
• Diarrhea*
• Pregnancy tests and physical exams

* If these symptoms seem severe, consider them an emergency

Information provided by hopehealth.com

UC San Diego Medical Center has both an emergency room and urgent care.

Both are located at 9300 Campus Point Drive

WHAT TO DO AFTER HOURS: New Free Nurse Advice Line

The UCSD Student Health Service is excited to announce the NEW After Hours Nurse Advice Line. Whenever the Student Health Service is closed, you can call our regular telephone number at 858-534-3300 and select the option for “after hours advice” to be connected with a CareNet registered nurse who will assist you in obtaining the appropriate care for your condition.

PC Wellness Center Survey - Win an iPod!

Calling all UC San Diego students, staff, and faculty...

Fill out the PC Wellness Studio survey (it takes 2-3 minutes) and you will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win an iPod shuffle or iTunes gift card!

Survey: http://studentvoice.com/ucsd/pricectrsurvey

Eating Vegan in the Dining Halls

It may seem like an impossible task--sticking to a vegan diet while living on campus--but HDH Registered Dietitian Becky McDivitt is here to dispell all those rumors and help students find vegan meal options.




At Full-Service Restaurants:
• Bean and rice burritos
• Portobello mushroom “burgers”
• Oatmeal with fruit
• Pasta with marinara sauce
• Baked potatoes
• Sliced veggies (in the refrigerated cases)
• Fresh fruits
• Hummus with vegetables or pita
• Peanut butter sandwiches
• Kidney beans, black beans, peas, lentils from the salad bar
• Vegetable and rice stir‐fry
• Fresh greens, vegetables, 3‐bean salads from salad bars and sandwich stations
• Tofu at the salad bar or from daily specials
• Check the daily vegetarian specials at each dining facility– some are vegan [menus are available online at http://hdh.ucsd.edu/diningservices/menu/dailyspecials.aspx



At Market Cafés (Earl’s Place, Plaza On the Side, Foodworx):
• Raw vegan ice cream
• Morningstar® frozen meals
• Organic soy delicious meals
• Kashi® and other cereals
• Tofurkey
• Vegan cheese alternatives
• Assorted breads
• Popcorn and assorted snacks
• Newman’s Own® products
• Amy’s® meals
• Canned beans
• Nature’s Path products
• Tomato and marinara sauces

For a full list of meal options for vegans, check out http://hdh.ucsd.edu/diningservices/images/vegan_diet.pdf

100% Free & Natural Ways to Beat Stress

Stress got you beat?
Here are some natural (and FREE) ways to show stress who's boss.

• See the glass as half full, rather than half empty.



• Be kinder than necessary--everyone is fighting some kind of battle.



• Do the things you're good at, and delegate the things you're not so good at.



• Read a poem aloud.



• Avoid comparing yourself to others--do the best YOU can do.



• Spend time with a child, an older person, or a pet. See the world through their eyes.



• When you plan your workday, it's better to get the 3 most important things done, than a bunch of unimportant things.



• Spend some time in silence everyday. This is time for YOU, to reflect, slow your breathing and just be in the moment.



• Call or do something for someone you care about.



• Give yourself something to look forward to each day.



• Watch a sunrise or a sunset.



• Put a notepad and a pen by your bed. If you wake up in the middle of the night with a worry, write it down so you don't forget, then go back to sleep knowing it won't be forgotten.
  
  

Conquering Smoking

Ideas from Ex-Smokers on How to Kick the Habit

When a craving hits or you want something to put in your mouth:

• Try toothpicks


• Inhale deeply through straws


• Snack on low-calorie foods like celery, carrots, apple slices, or sunflower seeds in the shell


• Keep a bottle of water handy, along with sugarless gum, candy, and popsicles.

When you want to do something with your hands:
Visit a quit-smoking site like Freedom From Smoking, http://www.lungsusa.org/ or http://www.smokefree.gov/

• Pick up a worry stone, paper clip, lucky charm, or coins


• Pet your dog or cat


• Play a musical instrument or a computer game


• Pull weeds, or do an arts & crafts activity

When you're bored or frustrated:

• Reveiw your list of reasons for why you want to quit smoking


• Call a former smoker or a telephone help line like 1-877-44U-QUIT or 1-800-No-Butts


• Write in a journal


• Clean out your closet


• Wash your car


• Plan a vacation with the money you're not spending on cigarettes

Did you know?
US health care costs related to smoking total $75 billion per year, or nearly $4,000 per adult smoker.

Iformation provided by hopehealth.com

Top 3 Health-Care Investments

Top 3 Health-Care Investments
50% of all health-care outcomes and costs are tied to behaviors. Do you have healthy habits?

1) Physical Activity- try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity in a day. Take the stairs, walk instead of taking the car. You can get your 30 minutes in all at once, or spread it out over your day.

2) Eating Right- Not only are they more filling than cookies and crackers, fruits and veggies contain cancer-fighting compounds, can lower your cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure. Cookies can't say that...



3) Stay Tobacco-Free- Smoking is the #1 cause of preventable death and increases your chances of lung cancer, as well as cancer in other organs. If you are a smoker and want to quit, there are lots of resources to help you succeed. Start at tobaccofreeca.com or 1-800-No-Butts


Information provided by hopehealth.com