Health and wellness is important to you and to MSU. The healthier our faculty and staff are, the healthier MSU will be. This category features information related to wellness at MSU.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.
According to the American Heart Association, about 2,200 Americans die each day from heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. Learn the best ways to stay heart-healthy in the upcoming Best Doctors webinar Heart Health Topics: Prevention and Intervention.
The free webinar will begin at 1 p.m. on Monday, July 18. Dr. Corey Goldman, director of Cardiovascular Imaging at HeartVein NYC, will educate attendees on prevention and staying heart healthy. He will also touch on the different conditions people most commonly run into and the ways that they are being treated today.
The webinar will conclude with a live Q&A session.
Look no further than Abrams Planetarium to let you mind unwind in the middle of a busy day.
The planetarium hosts two Health4U events: Relaxing Under the Stars  and Rest with Music. MSU faculty, staff, retirees and students can gaze upon drifting constellations in the night sky projected on the planetarium’s dome from the state-of-the-art Digistar projector. Both sessions are held on weekdays from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m.
The Relaxing Under the Stars sessions feature a short star talk before ambient music plays for the remainder of the hour.
Rest with Music brings a new musician to the planetarium every month. Some past musical genres include folk, jazz piano, Celtic harp, African instrumental music, and even electronic ambient music. Through all of these varieties, the Rest with Music sessions have always been soothing.
The next Relaxing Under the Stars session, provided by Health4U and Abrams Planetarium, is Monday, July 11, 2016.
Rest with Music sessions, which are provided by University Physician’s Office, Health4U, Abrams Planetarium, and Student Health Services, are held approximately once a month on weekdays. The next performance is July 21, 2016, by guitarist Hiroya Tsukamoto.
Take a well-deserved break during the lunch hour to relax, close your eyes and even nap!
Pulmonary embolisms are a blockage of one of the pulmonary arteries in your lungs, and they are usually caused by blood clots that travel to the lungs from the legs or (more rarely) from other parts of the body.
Although anyone can develop blood clots (also known as deep vein thrombosis) and pulmonary embolisms, factors such as immobility, cancer, and surgery increase the risk for this life-threatening condition. Taking prompt, proactive measures to prevent blood clots in your legs, particularly if you are already in the hospital, is the best way to prevent pulmonary embolisms.Continue Reading… Health Matters: Pulmonary embolisms
We all know MSU’s campus is beautiful in the summer, and now is the time to take advantage of it. Get out of the office and get moving with RecSport’s Fresh Air Fitness program! This program offers three classes during the week that take place in the middle of the day, from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m. This gives participants in the classes not only physical exercise, but also a great mental break during a busy day.
Thanks to generous sponsors Health4U, The Department of Theatre, and The Department of Horticulture, all of these classes are at no charge for all MSU faculty, staff and students. Fresh Air Fitness classes are offered in June, and you have the opportunity to attend the last classes of the season. Be sure to register.
Tai Chi at Summer Circle Courtyard
Tai Chi has been called a “moving meditation” and has great health benefits for both the mind and body. It is a gentle form of exercise that can aid in alleviating stress and anxiety. The class is held on Tuesdays in the Summer Circle Courtyard east of the Auditorium. The last classes this season will be offered June 21 and 28. In case of rain, go to the Auditorium lobby.
Yoga in the Garden
Take in the sights, sounds and smells of the beautiful Horticulture Gardens in a chair yoga session that will stretch and strengthen your body while relaxing your mind on Wednesday, June 22. Chairs and benches are provided. In case of rain, head indoors at the south entrance to the Plant and Soil Sciences Building.
Pilates on the Green
For a more challenging class that improves flexibility and core strength, attend the Pilates class on the luscious lawn of the Beal Botanical Garden, meeting at the east end near the pergola. You should bring a towel or mat for this class, the last of which is offered on Thursday, June 23. In case of rain, go to IM Circle (first building west) for class in the Dance Studio.
If you like biking and supporting a great cause, then you’re in luck! The MSU College of Human Medicine in Grand Rapids is organizing their fourth Gran Fondo, a long-distance, mass participation event geared toward cyclists of all abilities. The big ride on Saturday, June 25, will include four courses: a 12-mile, a 25-mile, a 40-mile and an 80-mile that goes all the way to Lake Michigan and back.
All funds raised from this event go toward skin cancer awareness, prevention and research. Nearly 70,000 people in the U.S. are expected to be diagnosed with skin cancer this year, and the College of Human Medicine is committed to researching this disease. The cost to register is $80, and each rider is automatically given a $50 fundraising goal. So if you can’t make it out to the ride that day, you can still help by donating on the website. Donations for this event are tax-deductible.
You can also help out by volunteering. The Gran Fondo is very large, and many people are needed to help it run smoothly. Volunteer duties include setting up the event, registration, assisting riders and working on the courses. Volunteer orientation is Wednesday, June 22.
The races will end in a finish line festival with live music and food open to the public. Whether you want to join a ride, donate or volunteer, you’ll be supporting a fun event for a great cause! Find out more on the Gran Fondo website.
Summer is a great time to try out new forms of exercise. In addition to the variety of running trails crisscrossing campus, outdoor facilities such as the basketball courts, tennis courts, and the IM West outdoor swimming pool are open. Plus, with most students gone for the summer, more exercise machines and courts will be open for use in the indoor facilities. Check out some of the fitness options you can take advantage of this summer.
General use of facilities
Open Recreation
Faculty and staff only need to show a valid MSU ID for open recreation. It is available during posted building hours.
IM Sports West offers open recreation spaces for basketball, volleyball, table tennis, badminton, tennis, squash, racquetball, handball, and wallyball. IM Sports East offers open recreation spaces for basketball, volleyball, badminton, squash, racquetball, handball and walleyball. IM Sports Circle offers spaces for basketball and volleyball. Equipment is available to rent.Continue Reading… Explore fitness options at MSU this summer
According to a study from UCLA, people on diets typically lose 5 to 10 percent of their starting weight in the first six months, but at least one-third to two-thirds of people on diets regain more weight than they lost within four or five years.
It’s displayed on magazine covers, in radio and television advertisements, and sold in countless books and programs: advice on how to diet, slim down and restrict what you eat. Nearly everyone has tried to diet before, and it’s safe to say the experience is often unsuccessful and unsatisfying.
Health4U offers a free class series called How To Eat that focuses on building a positive, healthy relationship with food. “Everybody has the ability to eat the right type and amount of food by paying attention, to notice their bodies’ need for food,” said Peggy Crum, MA, RD, nutritionist and the course instructor.
This course has been offered for the past nine years, with great success. MSU employees who are interested in How To Eat are encouraged to attend the orientation session on Thursday, May 19, with no obligation to enroll in the course. Crum said some of the best participants for the course are those who have tried dieting, experienced frustration, and want to get off the dieting cycle.
“What we’re really talking about here is eating well and finding your best health, not losing weight,” Crum said. “While I’m not against weight loss, I am against weight loss as the primary goal.” Intentional weight loss requires restricting food by counting and following rules. Eventually, the dieter is no longer able to tolerate under-eating. Eating often becomes chaotic and feels out of control. The goal for participants in this course is to re-discover internal regulation of food and to achieve competent eating.
MSU employees who are interested in How To Eat but are unable to attend classes can schedule time to see Peggy Crum in one-on-one sessions. Contact Health4U to make an appointment.
Please contact Health4U at health4u@msu.edu or 517-3532596 if you plan to attend the May 19 orientation. The 6 week course occurs 12:10–12:50 p.m. Thursdays from May 26 to June 30 in 338 Olin Health Center.
According to the CDC, in the United States someone has a heart attack every 43 seconds.
Heart disease is the number one cause of death in America, and heart attacks are among the most common results of the disease. However, diagnosing and even recognizing the symptoms of a heart attack can be difficult, because there are so many other conditions that are accompanied by discomfort or pressure in the chest.
The most common symptom of a heart attack is described as a feeling of pressure or being squeezed by a fist inside the central chest. Additional symptoms that heart attack patients describe include pain in the upper arm or across the back, as well as up into the neck and jaw, while others report feelings of heartburn, nausea, or abdominal pain.Continue Reading… At the heart of the matter
There’s nothing like a hot meal to warm you up in the cold winter months. Once again, Residential and Hospitality Services Senior Executive Chef Kurt Kwiatkowski has provided us with some delicious recipes to share. These winter warmers will bring a smile to your face and impress any guest! One of Chef Kurt’s favorite recipes is the beef dish below, and you can also try out his Shrimp Scampi and Catalan Seafood Stew recipes.
Slow Cooked Balsamic Beef
4# beef chuck roast
Salt and pepper for seasoning
2 T. olive oil
1 c. chicken broth
ÂĽ c. red wine
1 medium onion sliced
2 carrots peeled and rough cut
1 package of baby bella mushrooms quartered
1½ c. large cut pieces of rutabaga
1 bay leaf
8 oz. Tomato Sauce
3 T. Balsamic Vinegar
ÂĽ c. chopped flat leaf Italian parsley
Zest of one lemon
1 clove of garlic minced
Generously season both sides of the roast with salt and pepper
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear each side of the roast for about 3-5 minutes.
Add broth and wine to the hot skillet to de-glaze it, scraping up the brown bits on the pan remove from heat and reserve.
Place sliced onions, carrots, mushrooms then rutabaga in the bottom of the slow cooker and put the seared meat on top.
Pour the deglazed sauce mixture on top of the meat in the slow cooker.
Combine balsamic vinegar and tomato sauce in a small bowl and pour over meat in the crock pot.
Cover & Crock on Low for 6-8 hours.
Remove and serve with lemon/garlic/parsley topping (gremolata)
Love your own heart by making regular check-up appointments and monitoring high blood pressure.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States. According to the CDC, only 54 percent of women are aware of this fact.
February is American Heart Month, a time to advertise the dangers of heart disease and the ways in which to prevent it. Tomorrow, February 5, is National Wear Red Day, a day organized by Go Red for Women, a nonprofit organization within the American Heart Association. To begin supporting the cause, all you need to do is wear red on Friday!Continue Reading… Get informed during American Heart Month
