By Cristel Moubarak, 4^th year Dietetics Student 

Thunderbird Residence Advisor, Cassiar (1000 block)

You come home after a long mentally exhausting day; food is on your hunt and always deliciously appetizing. You smell the irresistible combination of aromas and observe the mouth-watering food as you prepare or purchase it. Your taste buds and hunger just can’t wait any longer! You finally get your meal and ready to devour it.

What happens next?

Do you sit down to eat at the dining table? Do you go to your desk and eat while studying? Do you have it ‘to-go’ and eat while sitting in class or meeting? Do you join a group of friends and eat in the courtyard? Believe it or not, the place, situation, company and meal duration are all factors in your eating habits and health in the short and long term.  All these factors are part of a process called mindful eating.

What is Mindful Eating?

Mindful eating is a concept that has recently become a great focus for our nutritionists and dietitians in BC. There’s no complex model behind it. It is simply getting connected with your food, and finding pleasure in every bite. Unfortunately our lives have become overwhelmingly busy that we are always grabbing a bite to-go or downing a meal in a matter of minutes without putting much thought into the food experience. This ‘mindless eating’ not only breaks the bond of joyful eating, but it also contributes to passive overeating.  In other words, we override the time it takes for our brain to register satiety by eating quickly or distractedly.

When I was first introduced to mindful eating, I immediately thought: “I LOVE my food, and enjoy every bite; but I enjoy it VERY quickly”. For someone like me, enjoying my food is a starting point. I already have a connection with my food, but it’s time for me to practice having a seat and taking the time to savor it.

You, too, can have a relationship with your food, perhaps by sitting down to a meal and thinking only about the food you are consuming. Add one minute, one meal at a time, to focus your thoughts, evaluate and cherish the appearance, aroma, flavor, texture, tenderness, and moistness as you bite into your food. The next thing you know, every bite is a whole new meaningful experience.

References: Mindless Eating: http://mindlesseating.org/

Mindful Eating as Food for Thought: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/08/dining/mindful-eating-as-food-for-thought.html?ref=dining

Feeling Full? : http://healthyfamiliesbc.ca/communities/heathy-eating/feeling-full.html

Greetings to you Thunderbird and Ritsumeikan,

So, most of you have all be involved in the “university thing” for a while now, and have found your niche within the wonderful world of UBC. That’s wonderful. I’m going to throw a challenge at you all: Get out of your comfort zone. Go out and do things that are new, and get fully immersed in the UBC Community. There are many ways you can do this, one of them of course being  – getting involved with the NRHH (National Residence Hall Honorary).

But what is the NRHH? Good question you smart university student!

The NRHH is a council dedicated to residence hall students, with a focus on providing opportunities for their personal growth and development. The NRHH strives to provide recognition for individuals who have contributed to the advancement of university housing. We also encourage continued commitment to leadership within the areas of community service, scholastics, and recognition.

But what does this all mean exactly? In simple terms, we recognize student leaders within residence. Every month, we nominate these people for awards that are recognized internationally to acknowledge the work that they do to create and build community and memories for everyone they come in contact with.

So what can you do to help? Tell us when people are being amazing student leaders! Be our eyes and ears! Whenever one of your peers goes above and beyond, let us know. When your Residence Advisor runs a great program, or is an awesome person and does something wonderful, let us know. When your Area President, Floor Rep, or House President gets involved in something super cool, comes up with a new initiative, or runs a great event, let us know!  And when these amazing people are nominated for Recognition Awards, share the news with the world.  Let everyone know that where you live is the best place to be, and inspire other leaders around you.

Want more information?
Follow us on Twitter : @UBCNRHH
“Like” us on Facebook : UBC NRHH Thunderbird Chapter
Check out our website: rha.housing.ubc.ca
Email us at : nrhh@housing.ubc.ca

Get involved in your community, and help us recognize the people that already are!

Courtney Northrup
Vice President Internal
NRHH UBC Thunderbird Chapter

Summer is now offer and cloudy days are just around the corner! Seasonal Affective Disorder, a mood disorder, is most often experienced during the winter season (but can be experienced during the spring and summer seasons), year after year. Even though these individuals have normal mental health throughout the rest of the year, a serious mood change occurs during this season. One might experience a decrease in their energy level, an increase in the tendency to oversleep, difficulty with concentrating and completing tasks, and withdrawal from family, friends and social events. This can ultimately lead to depression, lack of pleasure, appetite changes, anxiety and pessimism. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), S.A.D. is “a specifier of major depression”, and can be experienced by patients with Major Depressive Disorder or those with Bipolar Disorder. Research has shown that these seasonal mood alterations are related to light since bright-light therapy is found to be effective in minimizing symptoms. Other treatments include medication, ionized-air administration, cognitive behavioural therapy and melatonin supplementation. It’s normal to have days when you experience those symptoms, but if you experience them for days at a time every year, especially when seasons change, you may want to consult your doctor.  

– Simi, Senior Residence Advisor

Ever tried accessing the UBC website from your smartphone or tablet? So many tiny words! UBC recognizes that your eyesight has started to fail because of all those late-night exam study sessions and endless textbook readings.  That’s why it’s time you discovered UBC Mobile – the latest innovation to the already awesome UBC website.

What is UBC Mobile? Think of it as your personal hub for everything UBC, right at your fingertips!

Currently, the UBC Mobile platform consists of several core services for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and visitors to UBC, including:

An Interactive Campus Map – Easily navigate around UBC with the mobile campus map. Zoom in or out in any direction and instantly display the nearest restaurants, parking areas, libraries or gyms.

Staff and Faculty Directory – Need to find your professors email address or office location? It’s easier than ever before with UBC Mobile. Search by first and last name for phone numbers, email addresses, and office locations for UBC faculty and staff members. (Contact details vary and are informed by individual privacy settings).

Dining Listings – Whether you are craving pizza or a Frappuccino, UBC Mobile makes it easy to find any dining establishment on campus. A green dot beside the name of the restaurant indicates if it is open or not — preventing you from disappointment.

News – Get the latest news from the UBC newspaper, featuring stories about the UBC community, arts and culture, as well as science and research. You are also able to share interesting articles through email, Facebook, or Twitter.

Transit Schedules – Find out when your bus is coming with real-time tracking. Select by community bus route and direction to view the expected arrival time at the stops on that route. Clicking an individual bus stop will show its location on the map.

Event Listings – Find out what is going on at UBC today with the event calendar. Categorize each event by date, time, or location, ensuring that you never miss the next big event on campus.

Emergency Broadcasts – Stay informed for critical information on the UBC campus and get quick access to important emergency contact information.

This is just the first step towards creating a better UBC mobile experience for all students, faculty, staff, alumni, and visitors. We plan to continue developing new features and important updates to the mobile website to foster and develop greater UBC community interaction.

In the upcoming months, UBC Mobile will be working to create a more user-friendly experience for the admissions, alumni engagement, student services, and library modules. In addition, keep an eye on the Mobile home page for more information about the Digital*U Competition, beginning in October, which is focused on improving your mobile experience. With a grand prize of $5,000, this contest is one to watch out for.

To learn more about UBC Mobile, please visit m.ubc.ca