Be Well

Financial adviser to share tips on achieving fiscal health

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 20:56:32 +0000

Financial adviser to share tips on achieving fiscal health Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/11/2024 - 14:56

‘Let's CU Well: Building a Secure Financial Future: Strategies for Saving, Investing and Achieving Financial Independence’ is scheduled for Sept. 25 at 1 p.m. via Zoom

A University of babyֱ��app Boulder finance expert will lead an online workshop on how to build a secure financial future this month.

Diane Hirschhorn is a is a lecturer of finance in the Leeds School of Business with more than 20 years of wealth-management experience as a financial advisor.

The College of Arts and Sciences event, titled “Let's CU Well: Building a Secure Financial Future: Strategies for Saving, Investing and Achieving Financial Independence,” with Diane Hirschhorn, is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sept. 25 via Zoom. Attendance is free, but registration is required at this link.

Hirschhorn is a is a lecturer of finance in the Leeds School of Business. She has more than 20 years of wealth-management experience as a financial advisor, providing complete wealth management strategies to clients.

Prior to lecturing at CU Boulder, she was a managing director at First Republic Bank. Previously, she worked for Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs. During her career as a wealth advisor, she has received several industry awards. At CU Boulder, she is the recipient of a Marinus Smith Award, which recognizes babyֱ��app and staff members who have had “a particularly positive impact on our students.”

Hirschhorn received a bachelor’s degree in babyֱ��apps from Cornell University and an MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA. She is also a Certified Private Wealth Advisor.

In the talk this month, she will focus on three areas:

Financial independence.
Earning more interest on your bank account: tips on how to optimize savings and earn higher interest.
Setting a retirement goal: guiding participants on how to establish clear and achievable retirement goals through some very simple math.

Learn to build a secure financial future

What: Let's CU Well: “Building a Secure Financial Future: Strategies for Saving, Investing, and Achieving Financial Independence,” with Diane Hirschhorn

When: Wednesday, Sept. 25, 1 p.m.

Where: Zoom, registration is required.

The hour-long session will revisit important strategies to optimize savings and earn higher interest on your bank account.

The session will conclude with a practical framework to help you decide whether to focus on paying down debt or investing for growth.

The workshop is sponsored by Be Well, the college’s wellness initiative. Let’s CU Well is the initiative’s regular series of expert presentations. The workshop is co-sponsored by the college’s Office for Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

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‘Let's CU Well: Building a Secure Financial Future: Strategies for Saving, Investing and Achieving Financial Independence’ is scheduled for Sept. 25 at 1 p.m. via Zoom.

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Expert to share how to use your voice for more power

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 17:58:29 +0000

Expert to share how to use your voice for more power Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 04/16/2024 - 11:58

Presentation titled ‘SPEAK: Vocal Empowerment for Students and Educators’ is set for April 29

Your voice can be a path to power, a CU Boulder expert argues, and she will explain how in a public presentation this month.

Chelsea Hackett, a university research associate, will give a presentation titled “SPEAK: Vocal Empowerment for Students and Educators,” on Monday, April 29, at 3 p.m. via Zoom.

The event is free and open to everyone, but registration is required at this link. The event is sponsored by Be Well, the College of Arts and Sciences' wellness initiative, and is part of its regular Let’s CU Well series of programs.

During the session, Hackett will explore “how to support your voice both within and outside of the classroom. This focuses on three aspects of voice: social/emotional, physical and civic.

“During this interactive hour, you will learn tangible skills to keep your voice healthy, and to practice getting comfortable being uncomfortable so that you can speak about issues that are important to you!”

Hackett is a 2010 CU Boulder theatre performance graduate and PhD graduate of New York University. She is now a research associate at CU Boulder’s Renée Crown Wellness Institute.

She is the co-founder and executive director of SPEAK, a nonprofit that focuses on vocal empowerment for young women and girls. In addition, she is an interdisciplinary artist, researcher and creative consultant.

SPEAK, which Hackett founded with Beth Osnes, a CU Boulder professor of theatre, aims to “support and celebrate the voices of all young women and girls.”

The organization envisions a world in which all young women and girls are “heard, valued, and affirmed, a world that benefits from their unique contributions, one where they are safe to express themselves fully, and are free to co-author an equitable, survivable, and thrive-able future.”

If you go

What: SPEAK: Vocal Empowerment for Students and Educators

When: 3 p.m. Monday, April 29

Where: Zoom, free but registration required

The nonprofit says vocal empowerment “is the ability to express yourself the way you want in any context.” The group’s approach to vocal empowerment addresses three aspects of of voice: physical, which draws from theater and voice and speech pathology; social/emotional, which uses meditations, journal activities and games to help young women and girls explore their internal voices, ideas and emotions; and civic, through which women and girls are encouraged to share their thoughts about vital issues with their communities.

“By combining theatre with voice speech pathology, Dr. Beth Osnes and I have worked to charter a new, creative and trans-disciplinary endeavor we call Vocal Empowerment that is designed for use primarily by young women to become agents of change in their communities, their nations and the world," Hackett says. "This work supports youth in speaking about issues that are important to them, such as sexual violence prevention, climate change and racial justice.”

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Presentation titled ‘SPEAK: Vocal Empowerment for Students and Educators’ is set for April 24.

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Seminar to tackle misconceptions, highlight benefits of protein

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 22:11:03 +0000

Seminar to tackle misconceptions, highlight benefits of protein Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 01/18/2024 - 15:11

CU Boulder nutritionist Nicole Stob will discuss this vital macronutrient during the Jan. 29 Let’s CU Well seminar

Are you getting enough protein in your diet?

If you are like most Americans, you probably are—but then again, it’s understandable if you don’t know for sure, according to Nicole Stob, a nutritionist and assistant teaching professor in the University of babyֱ��app Boulder Department of Integrative Physiology.

“What I find is that a lot of students, or just people in general, think they are not consuming enough protein, when, in fact, if they are consuming meat, it’s actually pretty easy to get enough in your diet,” she says.

Stob will share insights regarding the benefits of protein, the types of protein, the ideal protein intake for special populations, and some misconceptions about protein during her upcoming Let’s CU Well seminar, “Protein: Is it for me? Pro tip: It’s for everyone.”

Nicole Stob, a nutritionist and CU Boulder assistant teaching professor of integrative physiology, will discuss the importance of protein during a Jan. 29 Let's CU Well presentation.

The seminar is scheduled as a Zoom presentation starting at 1 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 29. The event is free, but registration is required.

The Let’s CU Well speaker series are offered with CU staff, students and interested community members in mind. The series is an offshoot of Be Well, a wellness initiative launched by the College of Arts and Sciences.

In her presentation, Stob says she will emphasize why protein is important, beyond simply building or maintaining muscle mass.

“I think the average person probably doesn’t realize how much protein does in the body,” she says. “Most people think about protein as it relates to muscles; building muscle mass or maintaining muscle mass, but that’s just one of the things it does in the body. It’s part of the immune system and it’s part of everything else in the body as well.”

Recommended daily protein

The recommended daily protein consumption for individuals depends upon several factors, including their age and how active they are, Stob says. For average American adults, who tend to be fairly sedentary, nutritionists recommended 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. For someone in that category who weighs 70 kilograms (roughly 154 pounds), for example, the suggested daily protein intake would be about 56 grams.

Given that one 3-ounce hamburger (about the size of a deck of playing cards) has about 25 grams of protein, Stob says it’s not hard for the average American to meet their recommended protein intake.

“Again, a lot of people who think they are not getting enough protein probably are. That’s probably the biggest misconception when it comes to protein.” she says. “Like with many things in nutrition, the answers aren’t always immediately clear because there’s just so much misinformation out there.”

When most people think of protein, Stob says, they tend to think of animal-based foods, such as meat, poultry and eggs, but there are plenty of plant-based foods offering healthy protein as well.

“Protein is found in both animal- and plant-based foods. The difference is that animal-based ones tend to be better absorbed. It gives you more amino acids, the building blocks of proteins,” Stob explains. “But you can get protein from plants, too. So, someone who is a vegetarian or vegan isn’t out of luck; it is possible to get enough protein and maintain a healthy diet.”

For those who opt for a vegetarian or vegan diet, Stob says she generally recommends they eat plant-based foods rich in protein, such as soy, peas, legumes and beans.

“I’m always telling the college kids, when they go to Chipotle, ‘Get extra beans on your bowl,’ because they have a good amount of protein and they’re a great source of fiber, too. They are a great food and really underrated, if you ask me.”

A whole-person approach

In her presentation, Stob says she will spend a bit of time talking about how certain groups require extra protein.

I think the average person probably doesn’t realize how much protein does in the body. Most people think about protein as it relates to muscles; building muscle mass or maintaining muscle mass, but that’s just one of the things it does in the body. It’s part of the immune system and it’s part of everything else in the body as well.”

“Because Boulder is such an active community, I will talk about how athletes need more protein,” she says. “I will also talk about aging and the importance of consuming enough protein as we age. The loss of muscle mass due to aging is a real thing, so it’s important to give your body the building blocks it needs, including protein, to stay healthy.”

In recent years, the paleo (aka “Cave Man”) and Atkins diets that emphasize eating proteins and eliminating carbohydrates have found favor with a certain portion of the population.

For her part, Stob says she emphasizes to her students that there is no one diet that is right for every individual.

“Some people do really well on something like the paleo diet. For others, without carbohydrates, they just can’t function; they don’t have enough energy,” she says. “Everyone is different.”

Stob adds that the choices people make about their nutrition need to done in the context of maintaining a good, healthy lifestyle.

“Taking a whole-person approach to health involves realizing we need to take a look at physical activity, nutrition and mental health,” she says. “Nutrition is such an integral part of wellness and a healthy lifestyle. If that gets ignored, it’s a problem.”

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CU Boulder nutritionist Nicole Stob will discuss this vital macronutrient during the Jan. 29 Let’s CU Well seminar.

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Forging a thoughtful path to a mindful future

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Forging a thoughtful path to a mindful future Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 11/28/2023 - 00:00

Shubham Sapkota, researcher at the Renée Crown Wellness Institute, to share insights into and lessons from the Mindful Campus Program

A mindful campus is a healthier campus, experts at the Renée Crown Wellness Institute at the University of babyֱ��app Boulder contend. One of them will make that case in a public presentation next week.

Shubham Sapkota, a research associate at Crown, will give a talk titled “Be mindful through the Mindful Campus Program,” on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at 2 p.m. via Zoom. The event is free and open to everyone, but registration is required at this link.

Sapkota’s presentation will give an overview of the work done by the Renée Crown Wellness Institute at CU Boulder, specifically on Crown's Mindful Campus Program. The event is sponsored by Be Well, the College of Arts and Sciences' wellness initiative, and is part of its regular Let’s CU Well series of programs.

Shubham Sapkota, a research associate in the Renée Crown Wellness Institute, will give a talk titled “Be mindful through the Mindful Campus Program” on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at 2 p.m. via Zoom.

Sapkota, a native of Kathmandu, Nepal, earned a doctorate in religion and theology through the Joint Doctoral Program in the University of Denver and the Iliff School of Theology. His PhD work focused on how to bring Buddhist meditation practices and principles in the spheres of academics, pedagogy and community engagement.

The Mindful Campus Program includes an eight-week series in mindfulness launched at CU Boulder in 2021 to support the well-being of students and was designed, in part, by students themselves. As experts at Crown have emphasized, the program is not just geared toward students; they are involved in its creation.

This approach “allows the voices of young people to be central and guiding within the research process,” Sona Dimidjian, director of the Renée Crown Wellness Institute and a professor of psychology and neuroscience, said last year.

The program is now implemented across CU Boulder and continues to seek participants to go through a mindfulness journey that complements life at CU.

Crown is an interdisciplinary institute that focuses on youth education, with mindfulness as a crucial tool that, the institute says, “enables holistic learning and wellbeing” for the university community. Leaders at CU Boulder and beyond have argued that the effort is of critical importance.

Philip Distefano, CU Boulder chancellor, states that mental health is a growing concern: “Mental health and wellness are increasingly a critical topic in K-12 classrooms and college campuses across the country. It's imperative that we collectively create solutions to promote wellness. The Renée Crown Wellness Institute will conduct groundbreaking research relevant to wellness, starting as early as possible in development and continuing through college.”

If you go

Who: Shubham Sapkota, research associate, Renée Crown Wellness Institute

What: Be Mindful through the Mindful Campus Program

When: Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2 p.m.

Where: Zoom–This online workshop is available to CU students, employees and community members. Please register here.

Why: To support a culture of care and wellness

Rob Anderson, superintendent of the Boulder Valley School District, has heralded the Crown Institute’s work. “We have no doubt that the breakthrough developed at Crown will have a profound impact on the community we all have the honor to serve.”

Mindful Campus has gained traction just as many sources of data suggest that such initiatives are sorely needed. Recent research finds that anxiety and depression among students have risen steadily during the last eight years, and students of color have experienced the steepest increase.

Researchers from Boston University analyzed surveys of 350,000 students from more than 300 campuses between 2013 and 2021. Their meta-study, like other smaller studies, found students’ rates of depression and anxiety had more than doubled in eight years, rising by 135% and 110% respectively.

Additionally, research published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that mental-health challenges are worse among high school students who perceived racism. The study concluded that understanding “how negative health outcomes are associated with student experiences of racism can guide training for staff and students to promote cultural awareness and anti-racist and inclusivity interventions, which are critical for promoting safe school environments for all students.”

Meanwhile, students’ demand for psychological counseling has far outstripped the availability of resources. These are national trends, but officials note that they are reflected among CU Boulder students, too.

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Shubham Sapkota, researcher at the Renée Crown Wellness Institute, to share insights into and lessons from the Mindful Campus Program.

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Expert to discuss learning to make your money work for you

Anonymous — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 20:03:21 +0000

Expert to discuss learning to make your money work for you Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 10/30/2023 - 14:03

Maxwell Garby

‘Let's CU Well: Financial freedom and happiness’ is scheduled for Nov. 7 at 1 p.m. via Zoom

A University of babyֱ��app Boulder finance expert will discuss financial independence and how to break the cycle of working for your money this month at the University of babyֱ��app Boulder.

The College of Arts and Sciences event, titled “Let's CU Well: Financial freedom and happiness: Don't work for your money, learn how to make your money work for you,” with Diane Hirschhorn, is scheduled for 1 p.m. Nov. 7 via Zoom. Attendance is free, but registration is required at this link.

Diane Hirschhorn is a teaching assistant professor of finance in the CU Boulder Leeds School of Business.

Being financially independent means having sufficient income, savings or investments to live comfortably for life without relying on a paycheck, experts say.

Financial freedom can mean having enough savings and investments and being able to afford the lifestyle you want for yourself and your family. It is an important goal for many people.

Unfortunately, too many people fall far short of financial freedom. Even without occasional financial emergencies, escalating debt due to overspending is a constant burden that keeps many people from reaching their goals.

What: Let's CU Well: Financial freedom and happiness: Don't work for your money, learn how to make your money work for you, with Diane Hirschhorn

When: Tuesday, Nov. 7, 1 p.m.

Where: Zoom, registration is required.

Let’s CU Well Expert of the Month:

Diane Hirschhorn is a lecturer of finance in the Leeds School of Business and a wealth manager.

The talk will be moderated by Erin Cunningham, director of employee wellness and engagement in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The panel discussion is presented by the college’s Office for Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. It is co-presented by the college’s wellness initiative, called Be Well. Let’s CU Well is that initiative’s regular series of expert presentations.

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‘Let's CU Well: Financial freedom and happiness’ is scheduled for Nov. 7 at 1 p.m. via Zoom

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Workshops aim to help participants cope and feel better

Anonymous — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 21:51:09 +0000

Workshops aim to help participants cope and feel better Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 10/02/2023 - 15:51

CU Boulder expert to lead series focusing on the science of heart-rate variability and its applicability via the HeartMath system

In a four-part series of workshops at the University of babyֱ��app Boulder, an expert in heart-rate variability will share research and its application via the HeartMath system.

Participants in the workshop series, which runs from Oct. 10-31, will learn how to utilize the heart/brain connection to regulate heart rhythms to immediately address their emotional state in challenging situations. The workshops will teach participants how to do this while building coherence of heart, mind and emotion, boosting resilience, decreasing stress and improving mental and physical performance, notes Erin Cunningham-Ritter, PhD, who will lead the workshops.

Cunningham Ritter, who is director of wellness and employee engagement for the College of Arts and Sciences, said that the workshops aim to support “our communities with practical, in-the-moment tools for building coherence and capacity for resilience, stress reduction, improved self-regulation, performance and mental and physical health.”

Erin Cunningham Ritter

Each workshop will be held on a Tuesday, beginning on Oct. 10, from 1-2 p.m. The workshops are free and open to all, but participants must register at this link.

The first workshop, on Oct. 10, is the “foundational workshop,” and participants are encouraged to attend the first workshop before each of the subsequent ones.

CU Boulder recognizes that the campus community is our most valuable asset, and that has never been more apparent than it is now, Cunningham-Ritter said.

“To care for our students and employees, and to recognize that all of us face new personal, academic and work challenges, the campus is providing a program designed to support our community as we work to balance home and school life,” she said.

She described HeartMath as an evidenced-based program that teaches participants to access their hearts’ inner balance to become the best version of themselves. These tools, which can be applied in the moment, are proven to help participants reduce stress and anxiety while improving coherence, self-security and decision making, according to Cunningham Ritter.

She added that benefits to the workshops include:

Enhanced ability to focus, process information and solve problems
Increased coherence, vitality and resilience
Reduced stress, worry and fatigue
Improved physiological/psychological health and executive functions

Workshop topics include:

The latest findings from optimal-performance research
Skills for building coherence in the face of change and uncertainty
Intelligent energy self-regulation techniques
Practical ideas for easily integrating valuable tools into everyday routines

The series of workshops comprises:

Four, one-hour virtual meetings
Prompts for practice after each session
Workbooks and learning materials

HeartMath has developed highly successful programs for self-improvement in mental, emotional and physical balance, according to Cunningham-Ritter. However, HeartMath technology and materials are not intended to replace treatments for medical or psychological conditions by licensed physicians, psychologists or other health care professionals.

The series of workshops are sponsored by Be Well, the College of Arts and Sciences’ wellness initiative, and CU Boulder Health and Wellness Services. For more information or to ask questions, contact Erin Cunningham Ritter.

In a four-part series of workshops at the University of babyֱ��app Boulder, an expert in heart-rate variability will share research and its application via the HeartMath system.

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Can green space boost your health? Yes, but issue is nuanced

Anonymous — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 18:02:52 +0000

Can green space boost your health? Yes, but issue is nuanced Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 09/27/2022 - 12:02

Jaxon Parker

Be Well’s seminar series to feature a presentation by Assistant Professor Colleen Reid on Oct. 5, where she will discuss the question and the complexity of the answer

In March 2020, institutions and businesses shut down to curb the spread of COVID-19 and social distancing became the “new normal.” While staying home aimed to keep our bodies healthy, it also coincided with declining mental health.

In an upcoming seminar, “Is green space always beneficial for health?”, Colleen Reid, an assistant professor of geography, will present research findings and lingering questions about how exposure to green spaces, which are areas of vegetation, such as parks, gardens and planted trees, can boost physical and mental health.

Colleen Reid

Reid’s presentation is set for 11 a.m. Oct. 5 virtually. The virtual event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

“There's all this research saying that green spaces are important for health, and (researchers have) linked it to almost everything” regarding mental and physical well-being, Reid says. “But there's a lot of nuance to it. There's tons of unanswered questions, (and) we don't know why it's beneficial.”

Reid started researching green space and its potential health benefits while studying how people’s well-being was affected by extreme heat due to climate change. Since trees absorb carbon and provide shade, green spaces populated with trees can act as a “protective (measure), or an adaptation, that can be done at the municipal level to try and cool environments in urban areas.”

This led Reid to outline five dimensions of green space that contribute to our health: abundance, visibility, quality, access and usage.

Abundance, Reid notes, “is what’s measured by satellites,” such as “how much photosynthesis is happening in (one) place.”

Although important, the abundance of green space alone doesn’t decide how much a person’s well-being is improved. What also matters is visibility and quality, which are “more ground level (and) what you see, which is definitely different than what satellites are going to measure.”

There’s also access, which “could be physical proximity, but it also could be belonging. Do you feel like the park is a place you can go to and feel safe in? Or it could be about private vs. public green spaces. You could live right next to a golf course that's private.”

Finally, there’s usage: Do you actually spend time using green space? Or do you normally pass it by? According to Reid, these dimensions are important in measuring how much green spaces can affect our health.

Along with examining these five dimensions, Reid wants to highlight how the perception of green space also can influence our well-being.

“We think that we're the first ones to look at environmental perception (and) identity,” Reid notes about her research. “Do you consider yourself an environmentalist? Do you consider yourself an outdoors person?” These attributes can affect how one perceives their exposure to green space, Reid says.

“Now we're trying to use that information to better understand: Is it perception or objective measures of green space that influence your health?” she says.

If you go

What: "Is green space good for your health?"
When: 11 a.m. Oct. 5, virtually
Tickets: Virtual event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

eid thinks many questions about green space and wellness remain unanswered. When COVID-19 emerged, she saw an opportunity to test how a major stressor such as the pandemic could be alleviated by people’s perception of green spaces.

In a study conducted in Denver during fall 2020, Reid and her colleagues administered survey questions on stress, depression and anxiety, and found people reported more symptoms of mental illnesses during the pandemic.

The survey found that 33% of respondents reported using green space more during the pandemic than they did before.

Furthermore, respondents who indicated “higher quality of green space near where they lived had lower levels of anxiety” compared to those who reported that they did not perceive green space near their homes to be high quality.

Similarly, Reid’s study found that “people who (perceived) having more green space around, or at least (felt) they were using green space nearby, had lower depression and anxiety, particularly during this very stressful event.”

When Reid presents her seminar, she hopes the Boulder community will better understand “that we need to put more green space, whether that's street trees or parks, into urban areas, particularly in areas that don't have it right now. That can be beneficial from a carbon-sequestration standpoint, as well as a mental health benefit.”

Reid’s presentation is part of the Let's CU Well seminar series, an appendage of the College of Arts and Sciences’ wellness initiative, Be Well. Be Well’s mission is to address the balance between home and school life in the Boulder community.

Be Well’s seminar series to feature a presentation by Assistant Professor Colleen Reid on Oct. 5, where she will discuss the question and the complexity of the answer.

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