New Events & Programs!

Be Well has a full list of wellness programs, initiatives, and events planned for this fall! All of Be Well programming is completely free for UT faculty and staff on campus. We offer a little bit of everything, so check out our website, to find something that works for you!

"By taking care of myself, I have so much more to offer the world than I do when I am running on empty." -Ali Washington

Upcoming Events

October 1st - Healthy Cooking Class
October 9th - The Human Lungs Virtual Run/Walk
October 10th - Employee Fitness Class (Yoga)
October 15th - Employee Fitness Class (Intro. to Weight Training)
October 22nd - Employee Fitness Class (Intro. to Weight Training)
October 29th - Employee Fitness Class (Yoga)

Move More

Be Well is offering two new and exciting opportunities for you to move more while you are at work this month!

Employee Fitness Program

Be Well has partnered with Margy Wirtz-Henry, Director of Physical Education Activity Program here at UT, to expand our pilot employee fitness program. There will now be a dedicated space on campus for UT employees to engage in fitness classes. For October and November, Be Well will offer one fitness class each week! This fall we will be offering yoga and weight training classes on selected Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30pm in HPER. Locker rooms will be available for fitness class participants and lockers can be utilized during classes. The class schedule has been posted here and registration is now open.

The Human Lungs Virtual Run/Walk

For the month of October the Human Lungs digital 5k/1 mile run will be promoted on campus to raise awareness about lung health. A digital races means that you can complete the run on your own time, by yourself or with a group. You can register on the official race page to receive a medal and race bib; the proceeds go towards Go2 Foundation for Lung Cancer.

You can also partake in the initiative without registering. On Wednesday, October 9th at 11:30am, Be Well will be hosting a 1 mile walk for UT employees interested in participating in the event. We will be utilizing the Torchbearer Route and meeting at Circle parkt to start the walk together. The rain location will be inside of the Student Union in front of the credit union. Stay connected with Be Well on Facebook for event updates. A limited number of giveaways will be available.

Eat Smarter

How Much Sugar is too Much?

Sugar is classified as a simple carbohydrate that comes in many different forms. When you take a look at the ingredient list on the back of a food product, anything ending in "ose" is a form of sugar. The most common forms are sucrose, lactose, and fructose. Added sugars are empty calories, meaning they do not contain any nutrients.

It is important to note the difference between added sugars and naturally occuring sugars. The types of sugars that we should be limiting are sugars added to food products to boost the sweetness and flavor. Natural sugars are less of a concern because there is limited evidence to stay that these sugars lead to health problems when consumed in moderation. Natural sugars are found in fresh fruit, vegetables, and milk; all of which are a part of a well balanced diet.

So how much should we be consuming? "The AHA recommendation for daily added sugar intake is 6 teaspoons for women and 9 teaspoons for men." One teaspoon of sugar is about 4 grams, which equals 24g for women and 36g for men. The World Health Organization even recommends that indiviudals should reduce their added sugar intake to be less than 10% of their total caloric intake.

The new nutrition label will make it even easier for individuals to track how much added sugar they have consumed. By 2021, all consumers will be able to see "Added Sugar" on the label below "Total Sugars."

To read more and see how much sugar is in some of the most popular food items, click here.

Recipe of the Month

Healthier, Mini Chicken Pot Pies

September Cooking Class Highlights

This month, Be Well participants cooked healthier versions of some of their favorites! On the menu:

Cheesy White Chicken and Spinach Lasagna
Broccoli Cranberry Quinoa Salad
Rustic Apple Galette

Weight Loss Program for Families

Did you know that 38% of children and 67% of adults in Tennessee have overweight or obesity? The Healthy Eating and Activity Laboratory (HEAL) in the Department of Nutrition is providing an option to help families lose weight together, right on campus!

HEAL has a grant from the National Institutes for Health to provide a medically recommended program for families to help children and their parents get to a healthier weight. This program is called Families Becoming Healthy Together! Families Becoming Healthy Together provides 18 months of support to families and is provided at no cost. This is the only evidenced-based childhood overweight and obesity treatment program in the greater Knoxville area. The program is designed so that both the parent and the child can lose weight!

If you are interested in learning more information about this program, which is right on campus, see the graphic below!

More Info

Be Mindful

It's easy to put our own wellbeing on the backburner when we are constantly doing something or helping someone. There never seems to be enough time in the day or when there is, we are too tired and not motivated to do the things that serve the mind and body. Taking time to recharge your own batteries is critical. When our cell phones begin to lose charge, we plug them in. When our cars are running low on gas, we go fill them up. We can also do things for ourselves to make sure we are never running on empty.

I would like you to gift yourself for the next three minutes to do nothing other than be here in this moment, breathing. This is a guided body scan that can be done seated at your desk. Enjoy.

Wellness Warrior

The Wellness Warrior Award is given to individuals across campus who are nominated by their peers for leading by example and inspiring through action as they work to create a healthier lifestyle.

The Wellness Warrior for October is Kathleen Modica-Forster. Kathleen works in Student Support Services and has been a member of the UT family for a year and 4 months. In her free time she enjoys decorating, reading, dancing, walking, listening to music, pickle ball, and quiet time to herself.

We asked Kathleen what inspires her to make healthier choices and live a healthy lifestyle and she expressed that she has always loved working out. Her goal is to be the best version of herself which requires being mindful about the way she treats herself. "Each day I make it a priority to do something positive for my mind/body/spirit, through reading affirmations/devotionals and some type of workout. Her best advice for others is "to find a routine that you can commit to."

Kathleen keeps herself accountable by keeping an erasable calendar on her refridgerator to keep track of what activity she completes each day. She also eats a well balanced diet while eliminating processed foods and limiting her sugar intake.

Congratulations Kathleen, and thank you for being a model of health and wellness on UT's Campus.

Do you know someone who you feel is deserving of the Wellness Warrior award? Please fill out a nomination form to have their story told.

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