The purpose of the “Wildcat

Wellness Connection”

newsletter is to keep you

informed about wellness

related issues. Please note

that information in this

publication, along with

other similar materials, is

meant to complement the

advice of your physician,

not replace it. Before

making any major changes

in your medications, diet or

exercise, please consult

your physician.

If you have any questions or

comments please feel free to contact the Employee Wellness Graduate Assistant:

Gabrielle McAlary

wellness@nmu.edu

VOLUME IV ISSUE IV December 2016

1

2

3

4

There are eight dimensions of wellness and the

wellness committee has decided to focus on each

of these in our monthly wellness connection. This

month’s newsletter will focus on financial

wellness. Financial wellness involves the process

of successfully learning how to manage monetary

expenses (retrieved 11/28/16 from:

The following are nine tips to achieving financial wellness:

Know where your money goes: Keep track of how you spend your money.

Review the items that you spend your money on and find areas that you

can cut back and put that towards your savings.

Develop a budget: Adjust spending to remain within your budget and

avoid using credit cards.

Include savings in your budget: Think of your savings as paying a bill to

yourself.

Plan for major purchases: Adjust your budget accordingly when you know

of upcoming major purchases.

Save for emergencies: The recommendation is to have a minimum of six

months’ salary available in your savings. This may take some time to

achieve but it is important so you are prepared for unexpected

emergencies.

Plan for retirement: Know and understand your 401k or pension

retirement plan. If your employer does not offer these plans make other

arrangements.

Get tax advice: If you are self-employed, own/lease property or are

involved in any other circumstances that create tax dilemmas, make sure

to seek tax advice from a professional for the best outcome.

Protect your credit: You have the right to pull a free credit report from

each reporting bureau once a year by going to

www.aanualcreditreport.com. Pay your bills on time and immediately

report any credit issues or inconsistencies to the reporting bureau.

Keep good financial records: Use online tools as well as hard copies of

receipts to keep records of your pay stubs, banking information, taxes,

insurance, and other documents that are important to your financial

situation.

https://shcs.ucdavis.edu/wellness/financial)

Retrieved 11/30/16 from: https://www.cmu.edu/finaid/financial-literacy/docs/9-tips.pdf

PAGE 2 Eating Right Affordably Academy of Nutrition and Dietics:

Plan menus and make a list: Wandering around aimlessly through aisles and

grabbing items that look good can lead to overspending. Instead, plan menus

and create a shopping list based on what you need. Many groceries stores have

recipes with a shopping list posted on their website based on deals or sales of

the week.

Use coupons and reward cards: Clipping coupons or printing them from

websites can save you 10-15% on your grocery bill.

Buy store brands: Store brands are often 15-20% less expensive than their

national brand counterpart.

Buy on sale and in bulk: Sales on shelf-stable items or products that you

regularly use can help you save money. Only buy in bulk if you have the storage

and will use it before it expires.

Compare unit prices: This is the price per pound, ounce or pint. Compare unit

prices on brands, or serving sizes. Many stores show the unit price on a shelf

tag.

Read food labels: Learn how to read and understand the basics of food labels.

Most of the times nutrient content are the same or similar between store

brands compared to national brand.

Shop the perimeter: Fresh produce, meats, bread, and dairy are usually on the

outer perimeter of the stores. Start there and then go to inner aisles.

Shop seasonally: Fresh produce often cost less during its season. Take

advantage of the local farmer’s market for fresh seasonal produce. Another

option for produce that are not in season is buying frozen or canned with little

or no added salt or sugar.

Keep foods safe and prevent food waste: Use the ‘sell by’ and ‘best used by’

information to help you select foods. Put cold/frozen foods in your cart last

and store them away first. When stocking the fridge or pantry, store foods

oldest ‘sell by’ date first.

Pay attention at the checkout: Make sure prices ring up as advertised

especially for sale items. Also, be sure that items are not scanned more than

once.

Retrieved 11/30/16 from: http://www.eatright.org/resource/food/planning-and-prep/eat-right-on-a-budget/10-tips-

for-eating-right-affordably

PAGE 3

Ingredients

1 c dried pitted dates, 4 oz, chopped

1 c water

1 TBSP fresh lemon juice

2 TBSP honey or agave syrup

2 TBSP reduced fat or no-stir natural chunky peanut butter

2 TBSP unsweentened cocoa powder

1 TBSP unsalted butter

¼ kosher salt

8 full sheets whole wheat graham crackers, finely ground, about 1 ¼ c

½ c old-fashioned rolled oats, not instant

Cooking spray For coating (optional):

½ c Unsweetened coconut flakes

½ c Crushed graham crackers

½ c Finely chopped peanuts

½ c Low-fat granola Nutrition information (does not include coating) – serving size 1 cookie: 67calories, 1.5 g fat, 13 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 1 g protein, 13.5 g sugar, 59 g sodium, 1 mg cholesterol

Directions: Combine the dates, water, and lemon juice in medium saucepan. Simmer over medium heat breaking up any large pieces of dates with a spoon, until mixture resembles a thick paste, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the honey, peanut butter, cocoa powder, butter and salt until evenly combined. Stir in the graham crackers and oats. Remove from heat.

Lightly mist baking sheet with cooking spray. Drop level tablespoons of cookie mixture onto the prepared pan. Refrigerate until just chilled and set, about 20 minutes.

Put desired optional toppings in small bowls. Roll each cookie in desired topping and flatten slightly into plump disk. Cover and refrigerate until firm.

Serve chilled.

Retrieved 11/28/16 from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-

network-kitchens/no-bake-chewy-truffle-cookies-recipe.html

6th Annual “Winter Snow Fun’ Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting” – Friday, December 2nd from 6pm-

9pm: Celebrate the holiday parade and the 41st annual city of Marquette "Tree Lighting" with Santa

and friends. The parade begins at the corner of north Third St. and Fair Ave. and ends at the

Marquette Commons (located on South Third Street).

“The Marquette Regional History Center presents: Christmas Collections” – Wednesday, December

7th from 6pm-8pm: Come and see unique collections, visit with collectors and have some holiday

treats while sharing holiday spirit. This event is free to the public but donations are welcome.

“U.P. Children’s Museum Charter FREE Day” – There will be free admission to the museum on Sunday,

December 18 from 10am-6pm.

For more information and events, please visit https://downtownmarquette.org/event.

References

Downtown Marquette (2016). Retrieved 28 November 2016, from

http://downtownmarquette.org/events/.

Eat Right: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. (2014, January 16). 10 tips

for eating right affordably. Retrieved 30 November 2016, from

http://www.eatright.org/resource/food/planning-and-prep/eat-

right-on-a-budget/10-tips-for-eating-right-affordably.

Financial Wellness - UC Davis SHCS. (2016). Shcs.ucdavis.edu. Retrieved 28

November 2016, from

https://shcs.ucdavis.edu/wellness/financial.

Food Network. (2016). No bake chewy truffle cookies. Retrieved 28

November 2016 from

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-

kitchens/no-bake-chewy-truffle-cookies-recipe.html.

Nelnet. (2011). Managing your money: 9 tips to achieving financial

wellness. Retrieved 30 November 2016 from

https://www.cmu.edu/finaid/financial-literacy/docs/9-tips.pdf.

NORTHERN MICHIGAN UNIVERISTY

WELLNESS COMMITTEE

1401 Presque Isle Avenue

PEIF #215

Marquette, MI 49855

Email: wellness@nmu.edu

PEIF – Rec Sports

"Four weeks to fitness-New Year's edition" Get moving by participating in this four week, 6 day per week fitness program open to both

men and women. On Monday's and Thursday's participants will focus on upper body and abdominal/core work while Tuesday's and Friday's will focus on lower body and ab work. Wednesday & Saturday will be strictly cardio and ab workout days, which must be completed independently by the participant (workouts will be provided to participants). Program Dates: Program Times: Week #1: January 23, 24, 26, 27 7-7:45am Week #2: January 30, 31, February 2, 3 7-7:45am Week #3: February 6, 7, 9, 10 7-7:45am Week #4: February 13, 14, 16, 17 7-7:45am *Participants will have to commit to working out on their own on the following dates: January 25, 27, February 1, 4, 8, 11, 15 &18 Register with by Friday, January 20 via phone or email at ktheut@nmu.edu or (906)227-2421. PEIF Winter Break hours begin on Sunday, December 11. Visit their website for a detailed listing of hours and facility closure dates www.nmu.edu/recreation

PAGE 4

Active Workstation Equipment Checkout In partnership with the Olson library, this “try and buy” program enables employees to be able to checkout active workout station equipment from the library service desk for up to two weeks.

CLICK ON THE IMAGES BELOW TO CHECK OUT

OUR WEBSITE AND FACEBOOK PAGE