The purpose of the “Wildcat

Wellness Connection”

newsletter is to keep you

informed about wellness

related issues. Please note

that information in this

publication, along with

other similar materials, is

meant to complement the

advice of your physician,

not replace it. Before

making any major changes

in your medications, diet or

exercise, please consult

your physician.

Questions and Comments

Please feel free to

contact the Employee

Wellness Graduate

Assistant:

Gabrielle Nguyen.

wellness@nmu.edu

American Diabetes Month

VOLUME III ISSUE II November 2015

DIABETES MYTHS

AND FACTS Myth: People with

diabetes cannot eat

sweets and chocolate.

Fact: The key to

sweets is in small

portions or save them

for special occasions

so you can focus on

healthy meals.

Myth: Eating too

much sugar causes

diabetes.

Fact: Type 1 diabetes is caused by genetics and unknown factors.

Type 2 diabetes is caused by genetics and lifestyle factors.

Obesity is a risk factor of diabetes and weight gain may be

attributed to over eating, whether it be fats, or carbohydrates

(sugars). Retrieved 10/13/15 from: http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/myths/?loc=db-

slabnav?referrer=http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/type-2/?loc=db-slabnav

Diabetes is defined by the Mayo Clinic as having too much glucose in

the blood and is caused by a variety of factors depending on which

type of diabetes an individual is diagnosed with (retrieved 10/13/2015 from:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/basics/definition/con-20033091). An

increased amount of glucose in the blood may be caused by impaired

insulin releases or insulin resistance. The pancreas produces insulin;

insulin acts as a shovel to remove glucose from the blood for storage

so that the body can use glucose as energy.

The three most common type of diabetes include:

Type 1: body does not synthesize insulin

Type 2: most common; insulin does not work as it should

Gestational: having diabetes due to pregnancy retrieved 10/28/2015 from: http://www.healthdirect.gov.au/diabetes-types

1

2

3

3

4

PAGE 2

Holiday Wellness Delicious foods, desserts and drinks usually

accompany the holiday season. You may also

relate the holiday season with pounds gained

and lack of physical activity. The American

Heart Association has provided helpful

reminders for holiday eating.

HOLIDAY BEVERAGES

Omit the Alcohol: non-alcoholic

versions of drinks cut down the

calories consumed per beverage.

Skip the Toppings: do not add

whipped cream to your eggnog or hot

chocolate; use mini marshmallows

instead of large ones in your hot

chocolate.

Break it up: drink a glass of water in

between cocktails, this will help fill

you up and decrease overindulgence.

AT THE DINNER TABLE

Limit Sodium: think about using

items with less sodium when

shopping for holiday recipe groceries,

such as low sodium canned soups, or

buying fresh fruits and vegetables

instead of canned items.

Turkey: eat the lighter colored meat

of the turkey that is less in calories

than the darker meat. Remove the

skin before consumption, do not add

gravy or add a half tablespoon of

gravy.

Casseroles: use low-sodium canned

soups and fresh vegetables or fruits

to make casseroles.

DESSERTS Dessert to Share: make and

bring your own dessert to

share, therefore you can

control what is put in the

recipe; try using these healthy

baking substitutions. retrieved 10/12/2015 from:

http://greatist.com/health/healthy-baking-

recipe-substitutions-infographic

Sample: instead of having a

whole serving of a dessert,

sample a few of them. Find

someone who is trying to

watch what they are eating

and split desserts with them.

HOLIDAY WORK PARTIES

Make It: get involved and sign

up to bring something healthy

and delicious. This way you

have a healthy option to

choose from.

Eat before: for a lunch party

eat a hearty breakfast and a

high-fiber snack, if it is an

evening party eat a protein

and fiber packed lunch. You

will avoid over eating.

Options: peruse your options,

avoid fried or greasy foods and

stick to baked and/or grilled

items. Also, choose veggies,

fruits, and whole grain

crackers when available.

Retrieved 10/12/2015 from:

http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-

public/@wcm/@fc/documents/downloadable/ucm_455

757.pdf

The Northstar Employee Assistance

Program (EAP) is a service that is

included as a part of the employee

benefits package for NMU employees.

Northstar EAP provides employees

with confidential counseling for a

variety of matters, including:

Problems in the Workplace

Depression, Anxiety and Grief

Stress Management

Family and Couples Counseling

Parenting Support

Therapy can be very helpful by

providing support and improving

coping methods for depression or

anxiety. Others have said that

counseling helps with personal growth

and development. Retrieved 10/20/2015 from:

http://northstareap.com/faqs/

PAGE 3

NMU Injury Evaluation & Care Clinic Northern Michigan University Injury Evaluation and Care Clinic

(IECC) is an affordable health care option for anyone suffering

from pain or discomfort related to a musculoskeletal injury,

whether the injury is acute or chronic. The IECC treats anything

from sport and physical activity related injury, to discomfort

from normal activities of daily living. The IECC is a learning

opportunity for students in the Athletic Training Education

Program (ATEP) of NMU, but is supervised by a certified and

Michigan licensed Athletic Trainer at all times. For anyone who

is unaware, a certified athletic trainer is a highly educated and

skilled professional specializing in health care for the physically

active, who draws on the disciplines of exercise, medicine,

physical therapy, physical education and sports (Prentice,

2011). The IECC not only provides hands on experience for

upperclassmen in the ATEP, but also provides low-cost injury

evaluation and treatment for the NMU community. The IECC

is located upstairs in the PEIF, Room 226 and is open Monday

through Friday 9:00am-5:00pm. The IECC is, however, closed

when NMU classes are cancelled, including Thanksgiving and

Christmas break and any snow/cold days.

Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are

strongly encouraged to reduce wait times. Feel

free to contact the IECC with any questions

directly via email (iecc@nmu.edu) or (906-227-

2174) or contact the IECC Manager, Sarah

Thomson via email (sthomson@nmu.edu) or

(989-884-1991). For more information, visit us

online at https://www.nmu.edu/hhp/injury-

evaluation-and-care-clinic

Cost: NMU Students: $10 Initial Visit, $5

Follow-up visit regarding the same injury

NMU Faculty, Staff and Family with NMU

Insurance: No out of pocket cost

Others: $25 Fee/visit

(S. Thomson, personal communication, October

26, 2015)

Location: 710 Chippewa Square #206

Phone: (906)225-3145

Website: http://northstareap.com/

“We work with a wide

range of emotional and

behavioral issues

providing services that

span from counseling for

depression and grief to

parenting support,

couples counseling and

beyond. In a comfortable

and supportive

atmosphere, we offer a

highly personalized

approach tailored to

each of our clients

individual needs to help

attain the personal

growth they’re striving

for.” Retrieved 10/20/2015 from:

http://northstareap.com/services/

Retrieved 10/20/2015 from: http://www.stress.org/workplace-stress/

References

American Diabetes Association. (2015, August 17). Diabetes myths. Retrieved from http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/myths/?loc=db-slabnav?referrer=http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/type-2/?loc=db-slabnav.

American Heart Association. (2013). Holiday healthy eating guide.

Retrieved from http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@fc/documents/downloadable/ucm_455757.pdf.

Healthdirect. (2015, August). Diabetes type. Retrieved from

http://www.healthdirect.gov.au/diabetes-types. Greatist. (2013, June 13). The ultimate guide to healthier baking

[Infographic]. Retrieved from http://greatist.com/health/healthy-baking-recipe-substitutions-infographic.

Mayo Clinic. (2014, July 31). Diseases and conditions: Diabetes

definition. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/basics/definition/con-20033091.

Northstar EAP. (2015). Frequently asked questions. Retrieved from

http://northstareap.com/faqs/. Northstar EAP. (2015). Services provided. Retrieved from

http://northstareap.com/services/. Prentice, W., & Arnheim, D. (2011). Arnheim's principles of athletic

training: A competency-based approach (14th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

The American Institute of Stress. (2015). Workplace stress. Retrieved

from http://www.stress.org/workplace-stress/.

NORTHERN MICHIGAN UNIVERISTY

WELLNESS COMMITTEE

1401 Presque Isle Avenue

PEIF #126

Marquette, MI 49855

Email: wellness@nmu.edu

CHECK OUT:

www.nmu.edu/wellness

Upcoming Events FitDesk Circulation: Happening now

The Employee Wellness Committee is circulating FitDesk to different departments on

campus. Each department can try it out for up to two weeks. If your department is

interested in trying out the FitDesk for a couple weeks, contact Gabrielle Nguyen at

wellness@nmu.edu.

Stay up to date with future programs by liking our Facebook page or by visiting our

website: https://www.facebook.com/NMU-Employee-Wellness-109968062427048/timeline/

http://www.nmu.edu/wellness/

PAGE 4

NMU Rec Sports Presents Maintain, Don’t Gain Challenge: 11/23/15-1/8/16

Maintain your current weight this holiday season. For more

information visit www.nmu.edu/recreation or contact Katie Theut at

ktheut@nmu.edu or 227-2421.

Active Workstation Equipment Checkout: Coming Soon

This is our “try and buy” program where employees will be able to

checkout active workout station equipment from the library for up to 2

weeks.