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An employee’s perspective on how to balance nutrition with a busy lifestyle!

Employees who are eligible for the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP), have access to Homewood Health’s Nutritional and Life Coaching Program.  Many people are unaware of this great service and unsure what it actually involves.  I sat down with one U of G employee who has been using this program to learn more about her experience.

Q: What is the Employee Nutritional Coaching Program?

Wellness@Work is celebrating Nutrition Month throughout March.

Do you have a favourite healthy breakfast, main dish/entrée, or dessert recipe that you want to share? 

The Wellness@Work Programming Committee is encouraging all employees to submit a healthy recipe for a chance to win one of three prizes, including:

Canada's new Food Guide encourages us all to:

• Be mindful of eating habits
• Cook more often
• Enjoy food 
• Eat meals with others
• Use food labels
• Limit foods high in sodium, sugars or saturated fats
• Be aware of food marketing 

Browse through a variety of food guide resources that are now available, including:

Working out is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. It is also important to consider carbohydrates, proteins and fluids and how each can help enhance your workout.

Carbohydrates help to prevent fatigue while exercising by providing you the energy for your muscles and your brain. About 1-4 hours before you exercise try to include carbohydrate rich foods such as whole grain bread, pasta, fruits such as bananas and apples, or starchy vegetables such as potatoes.  Some examples of good pre-exercise snacks are:

Antioxidants at a Glance

Yet another night is winding down, when suddenly what you thought you could avoid catches up to you… the night time snack craving! You may have heard before that eating after a certain time causes weight gain. It is not the time that you eat, but the total calories consumed in a day that influences your weight. Late night snacks are often less healthy options and high in added fats and sugar. However, it is unwise to not feed your body when you are hungry.

The Health and Performance Centre on campus has a variety of delicious and healthy recipes available for download. 

Browse the recipes for some ideas for your next meal! 

Learn more: https://wellness.uoguelph.ca/nutrition#Recipes.

We are currently recruiting U of G employees for the Leave for Change program, which HR sponsors. It’s a terrific personal and professional development opportunity for staff and faculty to volunteer in a developing country. All you need to contribute is 3 or 4 weeks of your vacation time (between June 2019 – February 2020) and your skills; all costs and arrangements are taken care of for you.

See the poster attached and the Leave for Change website: https://www.uoguelph.ca/hr/staff-faculty/leave-change. 

It’s cold, then it snows, then it thaws and the process repeats itself.  Winter!  The definitive ice breaker whether you’re in a coffee shop line up or at a social outing.  One trick for optimism during the grey days of winter is to research and explore some motivators to lift your spirit. Consider for a moment some of these ideas:

1.COLOUR: Explore links between colour and emotions.