As spring begins to arrive, you can look forward to the warmer weather and the chance to resume outdoor activities. The extra sunlight should help lift the mood of anyone who suffers from seasonal affective disorder, as well. The new year is still young, so reflect on those resolutions you made just a couple of months ago and don’t give up. Remember, little by little, day by day, you’ll achieve your goals.

Inside This Issue:

Happiness Reflections Tai Chi Vitamins and Minerals Healthy Ideas for Food Wellness Council The Wellness Chronicle is published monthly by the Creighton University School of Medicine Wellness Council and Office of Student Affairs. It is intended to improve the health and wellness of CUSOM students. Questions and comments may be sent to Michael G. Kavan, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Student Affairs, CUSOM, mkavan@creighton.edu

Finding What Makes You Happy
Is it just beyond reach?

Money, cars, and houses. People work hard to get these, but once they do, some immediately feel that more money, a second car, or a summer home will make them happier. But material things aren’t making people’s lives satisfying, and psychologists are trying to figure out what will.

Although research has found no link between material well-being and emotional well-being, many people still equate more money with more happiness. Why?

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, PhD, a professor of psychology and education at the University of Chicago, identified four reasons that people still equate money with happiness, even though the evidence doesn’t support this connection.

First, when resources are unevenly distributed, people compare themselves to richer people instead of appreciating the money they have.

Second, today’s culture measures success by money, not by factors like patriotism or citizenship that once were valued more. Thus, since material wealth is largely sum-zero, there are fewer rewards to go around.

Third, people are never satisfied with how much money they have. Once people reach a certain material goal, they believe reaching an even higher one will make them happier.

Fourth, many people spend nearly all their time pursuing material wealth; they have little time for pursuing other goals that are necessary for a satisfying life, such as friendship, love, music, sports, and literature.

Advertising strategies play a key role in our pursuit of material wealth, as well. Too many institutions have a vested interest in making us believe that buying the right car, the right watch, or the right education will vastly improve our chances of being happy. Csikszentmihalyi’s "flow" theory is one way to understand what makes people happy. Flow, he explained, is a state of deep focus that occurs when people engage in challenging tasks that demand intense concentration and commitment.

By studying the lives of thousands of people, Csikszentmihalyi has found that a person’s happiness largely depends on whether he or she can make flow a constant part of his/her life. So, strive to keep a good balance in your life of meaningful connections with people, challenging tasks that demand concentration and commitment, and recreational activities such as music, sports, and reading. In doing so, you will be able to find your share of happiness.

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Reflections

"Our true age can be determined by the ways in which we allow ourselves to play." Louis Walsh

"The talent of success is nothing more than doing what you can do well and doing well whatever you do." Longfellow

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Tai Chi
The Supreme Ultimate Force

The Chinese Tai Chi can be translated as "the supreme ultimate force." This concept of an ultimate force is associated with the Chinese concept of yin-yang, or the notion of a dynamic duality or complementary aspects of one reality (i.e., female/male, light/dark, active/passive). Tai Chi can best be described as a moving form of yoga and meditation combined. There are a number of forms or sets which consist of a sequence of movements. Many of these movements are originally derived from the martial arts and from the natural movements of animals and birds. However, they are performed slowly, softly, and gracefully with smooth and even transitions between them.

Many people practice Tai Chi as a meditative exercise for the body. In Chinese philosophy and medicine there exists the concept of "chi," a vital force that animates the body. One of the aims of Tai Chi is to foster the circulation of this chi within the body, the belief being that by doing so the health and vitality of the person are enhanced. Chi circulates in patterns that are closely related to the nervous and vascular systems and thus, is closely connected with the practice of acupuncture and other eastern medicines.

Another aim of Tai Chi is to foster a calm and tranquil mind, focused on the precise execution of these exercises. Learning to do them correctly provides a practical avenue for learning about balance, alignment, rhythm of movement, the genesis of movement from the body’s vital center, and fine-scale motor control. Thus, Tai Chi can contribute to better posture, walking, moving, and running. Furthermore, the meditative nature of the exercise is calming and relaxing in and of itself.

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Vitamins and Minerals
Sources, RDAs, and Functions

It’s a good idea to know about vitamins and minerals, not just for yourself, but for your patients. Here are some of the biggies, their sources, RDAs, and functions.

VITAMIN A: found in carrots, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, apricots, liver, cheese, egg yolks. Male RDA=1000 RE (5000 IU). Female RDA=800 RE (4000 IU). Helps in vision, especially night; promotes growth; prevents drying of skin and eyes; is an antioxidant; promotes efficient immune function.

VITAMIN D: found in fortified milk, fatty fish. Is made by your body when exposed to sunlight. RDA=5-10 mcg (200-400 IU). Helps body absorb calcium and phosphorus, and is necessary for optimal bone maintenance.

VITAMIN E: found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, and wheat germ. Male RDA=10 alpha-TE. Female RDA=8 alpha-TE. Primarily is an antioxidant. Also, may decrease risk for coronary heart disease, cancer, cataract formation, neurological disorders.

VITAMIN K: found in green vegetables, cauliflower, soybeans, milk, eggs, and liver. RDA=60-80 mcg. Important for normal blood clotting.

VITAMIN C: found in citrus fruits, strawberries, kiwi, cabbage, peppers, potatoes, and broccoli. RDA=60 mg. Important for collagen synthesis; is an antioxidant; necessary for proper iron absorption; aids in the synthesis of other important compounds in the body.

FOLIC ACID: found in green leafy vegetables, wheat germ, beans, whole grains, citrus fruit, organ meats, and sprouts. RDA=180-200 mcg. Coenzyme involved in DNA synthesis. May reduce risk of certain birth defects and cervical cancer.

VITAMIN B6: found in meat and other animal foods; also in bananas, beans, whole grains, spinach, and broccoli. RDA=1.8-2.0 mg. Coenzyme involved in protein metabolism, other energy metabolism, and in the synthesis of neurotransmitters.

VITAMIN B12: found in dairy products, meat and other animal foods. RDA=2 mcg. Involved in folate metabolism, DNA synthesis, and proper nerve function.

THIAMIN (B1): found in whole grains, enriched grains, seeds, beans, peas, pork, and brewer’s yeast. RDA=1.1-1.5 mg. Coenzyme involved in carbohydrate metabolism and nerve function.

RIBOFLAVIN (B2): found in enriched grains, whole grains, milk, mushrooms, spinach, beans, nuts, eggs, and liver. RDA=1.2-1.7 mg. Coenzyme involved in energy metabolism.

NIACIN (B3): found in enriched grains, whole grains, mushrooms, bran, fish, liver, and peanuts. RD=15-19 mg. Coenzyme involved in energy metabolism, fat synthesis, and fat breakdown.

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Healthy Ideas for Food
Low Fat Substitutes

Mashed Potatoes - Do you love to eat creamy, buttery mashed potatoes? Potatoes are actually very good for you, as long as you don’t add cream and butter. Instead, mash potatoes with a generous spoonful of fat free (plain) yogurt or fat free sour cream and skim milk. Add salt and pepper but skip the butter or margarine. If you can’t live without at least a little fat in the mix, add a teaspoon or two of canola oil and use the spray margarine available at the grocery store.

Bagels and Cream Cheese - Bagels are generally filling and low in fat, it’s what you put on top that can clog your arteries. Instead of cream cheese (even the light varieties aren’t that low in fat), use your favorite jam or flavored fat free yogurt. You’ll get a lot of flavor without the fat.

Fruit and Veggie Dips - Sour cream is the main ingredient in most fruit and veggie dips. It’s also extremely high in saturated fat. Use fat free yogurt instead and really make it healthy. For fruit dip, use lemon or vanilla yogurt because plain yogurt can be a bit too tart next to the sweetness of the fruit. For veggie dip, use plain yogurt and add your own herbs and spices or dip mix packet from the grocery store.

Baked Goodies - To cut down the fat in cakes, brownies, or other baked goods, try substituting applesauce or fruit puree (such as prune, banana, or pumpkin) for an equal amount of oil, margarine, or butter in the recipe.

Top 10 Nutrition All-Stars - broccoli, kale, cantaloupe, carrots, mangoes, pumpkin, red bell peppers, spinach, strawberries, and sweet potatoes.

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More Reflections

"The only way to have a friend is to be one." Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Never close your lips to those to whom you have opened your heart." Charles Dickens

"A good relationship is that in which each appoints the other guardian of his solitude. Once the realization is accepted that even between the closest human beings infinite distances continue to exist, a wonderful living side by side can grow up, if they succeed in loving the distance between them which makes it possible for each to see the other whole against a wide sky." Rainer Maria Rilke

A Little Humor ...

Wellness Council
Rudy Puana, Catherine Rush, Rich Lichti, Emily Richardson, Reagan Wittek, Emile Wakim, Kim King, Amy Kelly

Wellness Committees
Spirituality, Exercise/Fitness, Nutrition, Mental Health, Relationships

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