Find Your Wellness This Fall

LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness program, will keep employees and students moving and healthy this fall with five upcoming programs. Mark your calendars for these Healthy Duke offerings. 

Duke Mobile Farmers Market

Caroline Bishop was introduced to kohlrabi, a type of cabbage, through her box of produce from Duke Campus Farm. 

Bishop had not cooked with the vegetable, but Duke Campus Farm provided a salad recipe that recommend she slice the kohlrabi and mix it with mint, peas and lemon juice.

“It tasted delicious,” said Bishop, senior clinical research coordinator for the Duke University School of Nursing. “Everything you get in the CSA is so great and fresh.”

Bishop has a community supported agriculture (CSA) subscription through the Duke Mobile Farmers Market, which returns this fall with four vendors. Employees and students can enroll in Bella Bean Organics, Coon Rock Farm, Duke Campus Farm and Walking Fish Co-op for as low as $25 per week. Pick-up locations are at Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Smith Warehouse and Duke University School of Nursing. 

Enroll: hr.duke.edu/mobilemarket

Maintain Don’t Gain

For Monica Taylor, the holidays mean parties and gatherings with tabletops covered in plates of macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, pies and tempting treats. 

Taylor plans to sign up for the Maintain Don’t Gain, an annual program that runs Nov. 5 to Dec. 16 and offers tips on eating healthy over the winter holidays.

“Maintain Don’t Gain helps me be more mindful of what I’m eating,” said Taylor, director for health careers and associate director of continuing education for Duke Area Health Education Center. 

Participants receive weekly emails that include easy recipes and tips about healthy behavior. Last year, 660 employees participated in the program and lost a combined weight of 802 pounds. 

Register: hr.duke.edu/maintain

Get Moving Challenge 

Stephanie Bryant is ready for the return of the Get Moving Challenge. 

In the last competition, Bryant’s team, “Chafin the Dream,” was leading in average number of steps taken until the final week. Bryant has her eyes set on first place when the Get Moving Challenge returns in January. 

“We have a lot of fun with the Get Moving Challenge but can’t help to get carried away with a little friendly competition,” said Bryant, a registered dietitian with the Duke Healthy Lifestyles Program. “The challenge definitely inspired me to be more active throughout my day. I run more, take walking breaks and walk places instead of drive.”

The Get Moving Challenge is an annual competition that encourages employees and students to get the New Year off to a healthy start. In the 2017-18 competition, Duke employees and students walked 1,056,018,150 steps, exercised 3,366,292 minutes and lost 3,535 pounds. 

The Duke program allows employees and students to compete as individuals or in teams of five to 11 people in up to three categories: most steps, most exercise minutes and/or most weight lost.  The 10-week challenge begins Jan. 7, 2019 and ends March 17, 2019. 

Registration will be available at this website in December: hr.duke.edu/getmoving

Great American Smokeout

Make a plan to quit smoking during the Great American Smokeout on Nov. 15. 

The Great American Smokeout encourages people to plan or prepare in advance to stop smoking. LIVE FOR LIFE will travel around the university and health system campus to promote tobacco cessation to employees and students from Nov. 7-15. 

“Many people don’t realize it typically takes smokers many frustrating attempts at quitting to finally break free from their addiction once and for all,” said Nick Beresic, health promotions manager for LIVE FOR LIFE. “We want the Duke community to know that the LIVE FOR LIFE program is here for you from this first attempt to the finish line.”

Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the world, according to the American Cancer Society. Cigarette smoking causes about 480,000 deaths per year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Duke will adopt a new policy to become smoke free on all property and grounds owned and leased by Duke University beginning July 1, 2020.  

Find your quit plan: hr.duke.edu/smokeout

Wellness Expos

Get your flu vaccine at one of LIVE FOR LIFE’s two remaining Wellness Expos on Oct. 10 at the School of Nursing and Oct. 17 at the Fuqua School of Business. 

The expos showcase health and wellness resources around Duke and offer free services like a health check and chair massage. Employees can get a confidential health assessment that measures blood pressure, body mass index, cholesterol and glucose.

“The Wellness Expos are an excellent avenue for Duke faculty and staff to connect with wellness resources across Duke and in the surrounding community,” said Cassandra Callas, health education specialist. 

Attend a wellness expo: hr.duke.edu/wellnessexpo

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