Education

A Message from the Chief Wellness Officer

| Emily Keeler

Hello Buckeye Wellness Innovators,

Healthy, balanced eating is important year-round and March is National Nutrition Month. Remember to build your healthy eating plan with your lifestyle and nutritional needs in mind. Spring and summer are great times to change up your menus and try new things.

If you are trying to lose weight, set reasonable, short-term goals and avoid fad diets. Make sure you are getting your five daily servings of fruits and vegetables. I get my five servings in almost every day by making a smoothie for breakfast in my NutriBullet—in it goes spinach, an avocado, blueberries, raspberries/strawberries, and a banana with protein powder, 1 tsp of flaxseed oil, and a tsp of turmeric with a little pomegranate juice and water. Try it and see how you feel!

Warmer weather also means garden season is approaching! Some gardeners find that tending to their sprouts is a great stress reliever! If you lack time and/or a green thumb, farmers’ markets also are a great choice. With warmer weather, you can also try grilling fruit for an even sweeter taste. Watermelon and peaches are good starting options. And, don’t forget, fish or poultry are healthy and tasty grilling choices, too. Visit Choose My Plate and learn about healthy options to choose for your meal.

As you continue to make healthy choices, I encourage you to try a new recipe or make an old one healthy!

Last of all, remember to keep taking and giving a dose of Vitamin G for gratitude every day to improve your own and others’ moods. Evidence from studies support that, if practiced daily, it works to improve your cardiovascular health and mental well-being.

Go Buckeyes!

May is American Stroke Month

| Emily Keeler
May is American Stroke Month, which is a great time of the year to raise awareness about the warning signs and risks for stroke and to emphasize healthy lifestyle behaviors you can adopt to control your risk and improve overall brain health.
Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of long-term disability among Americans. Although some risk factors for stroke cannot be changed, such as age, family history, race and sex, up to 80% of strokes are preventable through adopting healthy lifestyle behaviors and, in some cases, medication. High blood pressure is the number one controllable risk factor but there are many other controllable risk factors like high cholesterol, smoking, poor dietary habits and physical inactivity.
We have the power to take action the moment we notice something is wrong. To quickly and easily recognize when your loved one or friend is having a stroke, use F.A.S.T. to remember the warning signs of a stroke. Quick identification of these signs is crucial since the faster they receive treatment, the more likely they are to recover without permanent damage.

Openings in the Health Athlete Program. Sign up today!

| Emily Keeler

There is still space in the upcoming Health Athlete virtual series that starts next week. Health Athlete is backed by evidence and can help you feel more physically energized, emotionally connected, mentally focused, and aligned with your purpose, so that you can learn how to invest your best energy into what matters most.

The upcoming series will be a 1-hour session once per week for 7 weeks. Space is limited so we ask that those who register commit to attending all seven sessions.   Please use the link below to register for your preferred section (you only need to register for one):

·         Section 1: Mondays from 12:00pm-1:00pm starting May 10, 2021 and ending June 21, 2021.

·         Section 2: Tuesdays from 8:00am-9:00am starting May 11, 2021 and ending June 22, 2021.

·         Section 3: Wednesdays from 6:00pm-7:00pm starting May 12, 2021 and ending June 23, 2021.

·         Section 4: Thursdays from 1:00pm-2:00pm starting May 13, 2021 and ending June 24, 2021.

Registration link: https://osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_79FTbhemuKL2Ljg

This is a special series that is funded by the Office of the Chief Wellness Officer and that is open to all OSU employees. The deadline to register is May 7, 2021.

Reducing barriers for students with hidden disabilities

| Emily Keeler

Students with disabilities can experience a layer of barriers, bureaucracy and stigma that can challenge them on their path to success on our campuses. This is especially acute when disabilities are non-apparent and/or undisclosed. In this April 1 session, we will share data and narratives to illustrate how students experience academic and campus practices. We will discuss the culture-setting and stigma-reduction strategies faculty can use to refine their inclusive instructional practices.

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Free webinar helps you learn to grow fresh produce

| Emily Keeler

Growing your own healthy fresh produce
Many people turned to growing vegetables as a way to maintain social distance while producing fresh healthy produce. Growing Franklin was there to help by teaching virtual online classes from spring through summer, fall and even winter. All of these classes, links and events are now available in seasonal order to help you get started growing or build on your new veggie skills. Spring is almost here! Visit Growing Franklin to learn how to live your best 2021 gardening life.
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Join Friday Seasonal Cooking Demo: Plant-Based Recipes

| Emily Keeler

Practice Sun Safety

| Emily Keeler

Wellness App Now Available for Download

| Emily Keeler

 

As part of our commitment to the safety and well-being of our university community, I want to share with you the “Ohio State: Wellness” app for students, available now for download on iOS devices.

 

The app was developed by students, faculty and staff as part of the Digital Flagship initiative following recommendations from our mental health task force. It provides a streamlined way for students to navigate the range of resources available across the university and in the community, helping you or someone you care about access the support they need.

 

The app, which will continue to evolve based on the needs of students, is organized into four sections:

 

·     Explore — articles and scholarship focused on student wellness

·     Support — resources for recovery and proactive wellness

·     My Wellness — tracking to support wellness goals

·     Crisis — directions for quickly accessing support; this feature is also currently available as “I’m Experiencing an Emergency or Crisis” in the About You tab in the Ohio State app

 

Anyone with an Apple device running iOS 13 or higher may download the app for free by searching for “Ohio State: Wellness” in the App Store. All Digital Flagship iPads will download this app automatically when connected to Wi-Fi. This semester, the university’s app development team also will add features from the “Ohio State: Wellness” app to the existing Ohio State app for Android and iOS. Our gratitude goes to the many partners who collaborated in true Buckeye spirit to develop and launch this resource.

 

As always, if you or someone you know is at immediate risk of harming yourself or someone else, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. Please also familiarize yourself with additional suicide prevention resources along with faculty and staff assistance.

Take Advantage of Free Wellness Webinars in February

| Emily Keeler
Benefits-eligible faculty and staff can explore programs offered by the OSU Health Plan as a service of Your Plan for Health. Learn more or register via LinkToHealth > Educational Program. Topics relate to healthy eating, active living, emotional well-being and financial wellness. Upcoming webinars include: