Resource Articles

​“Eat your vegetables!” The mantra of healthy eating is all around us. But how do you keep fresh vegetables around long enough to cook? Vegetables are alive. They continue breathing, or respiring, until they are cooked. The best way to keep them fresh is to slow down their respiration rate and avoid bruising. Keeping your vegetables fresh improves the nutritional value and flavor of your meals. You can save money, have more fresh vegetables on hand, and take advantage of bulk produce by knowing the best possible conditions for storing at home.

​Summer is the perfect time for grilling and cooking out with friends and family. It is also a time when a wide variety of fresh seasonal produce is available. Vegetables and fruits on the grill can add a unique, colorful element to your next cookout, while also adding vitamins, fiber, and other nutrients.

​In This Issue: Care Gap Alerts with Jill Jones, MD The Counselor’s Corner with Janet McCutchen, LPC, CEAP Passion at Work with Shon Dwyer, MBA, RN OHC Talk with Mark Young, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, Nurse Practitioner Issue 404, 2020 Aug/Sep (Medical Center Edition)

​Have you ever bought a food because it was “all-natural” or “hormone-free”?  These claims are often used on food labels to draw attention to healthy sounding information while leaving out the item’s unhealthy qualities. While some claims are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), others are not. It can be hard to know which claims to believe and which may be misleading. The list below shows nutrient content claims that may be helpful when grocery shopping.

Watch the 2020 Game Plan for Your Health video, Connectedness: Some Assembly Required.

​ Join SHARE Center Specialist Lauren Dattilo for a presentation on what sexual harassment is, ways bystanders can help when they witness harassment, and what steps VUMC is taking to create a safer and more equitable workplace.

Cravings, celebrations, and stress often lead us to consume more alcohol, added sugar, and caffeine than experts advise. All three of these can fit into a balanced diet in small amounts, but eating and drinking more than what is suggested has poor effects on health and can lead to dependence or addiction. It is important to know the risks, recommendations, and replacement options for each.

Jim Kendall, LCSW, CEAP, discusses strategies for coping with the continuing stress one may experience during the current pandemic situation.

In This Issue: Forecast is Calling for Sunshine, It’s Time to Go for the Gold! Care Gap Alerts with Rosette Chakkalakal, MD, MHS The Counselor’s Corner with Lauren Dattilo, PhD, HSP OHC Talk with Michael Chin, MD, MPH Vanderbilt University Medical Center HR Corner

Good mental health means that we can find joy and positively deal with life's inevitable challenges. It is a time to assess the balance we have in our lives, despite today's dramatic and unexpected stressors. This year has brought so much more than the "normal stresses of life." Paying attention to our positive emotional well-being is more important now than ever.