|
Healthy Holiday Challenge 2026
November 2 - December 11
6-Week Online Lifestyle Program
The Healthy Holiday Challenge is almost here! The holidays can be both exciting and stressful, making it especially important to prioritize your health and well-being. This annual challenge offers practical strategies to help you stay focused on your goals throughout the busy season, alongside colleagues across campus! Last year's challenge had over 400 participants and of those who completed the evaluation, 95% reported that this challenge helped improve their well-being during the holidays. Sign up today or to learn more, visit the Healthy Holiday Challenge webpage!
| | |
This year, our challenge will run alongside the UC systemwide Health for the Holidays challenge, which will give participants the option for increased accountability towards their goals. Registration opens November 2 and the challenge runs from November 16 to December 23.
| |
Diabetes Prevention Program
Information Session
Wed, Nov 18 | 12:10-12:40pm
The UC Diabetes Prevention Program is a virtual campus-based small-group, one year healthy lifestyle program that uses a scientifically based approach developed by the CDC to help you make important lifestyle changes. If you think you could be at risk of prediabetes or developing type 2 diabetes, register to attend an information session to learn more about the upcoming cohort starting January 2027.
Visit uhs.berkeley.edu/dpp or contact Cori Evans at corievans@berkeley.edu for more information.
| | All classes are held in-person at Hearst Gym (RM 251) on Fridays from 12:10-1pm. | | |
Cardio Kickboxing
Fri, Nov 6 | 12:10-1pm
251 Hearst Gymnasium
Instructor: Tomas Handelsman
Looking to get active and try something new? Join us for our Cardio Kickboxing workshop, where you can get a great workout and learn beginner kickboxing techniques. This no-contact class will incorporate kickboxing techniques with body weight exercises to provide a full body workout!
| | |
Yoga for Tension and Stress Relief
Fri, Nov 13 | 12:10-1pm
251 Hearst Gymnasium
Instructor: Laurie Ferris
Practicing yoga can release tension in your joints, give you greater range of motion, and offer increased comfort in all aspects of your life. Learn basic yoga poses and breathing techniques to transform your practice into a moving meditation. Comfortable clothing and bare feet recommended.
| | Nutrition Resources and Programs | | |
Recipe of the Month:
Persimmon Salad with Pomegranate and Walnuts
Add some color and texture to your holiday table with this simple salad from NY Times. Be sure to use fuyu persimmons, which are flat and squat like a tomato (as opposed to hachiya, which are shaped like an acorn or heart) and can be eaten when firm. For more recipes, visit Cook Well Berkeley!
| |
Have a general question about food or nutrition?
Submit your question through our Ask the Dietitian service.
| |
|
Cook Well Berkeley:
Plant-Based & Planet-Friendly
Thu, Nov 5 | 12:10-1pm
Zoom or Tang Center (Section Club)
Eating lower on the food chain uses less natural resources and provides your body with loads of valuable nutrients. Whether it’s a meatless meal once a day or week, or eating mostly plants at every meal, there are benefits to your health and your planet. Demonstration, recipes, and samples provided.
| | |
|
November Ergonomic Workshops:
(Click date to register)
Check out the flyer and website for more information!
| | |
|
Participant Call: UC Berkeley Workplace Ergonomics Study
Researchers from UC Berkeley’s Environmental Health Sciences department are recruiting participants for a study using computer vision to analyze how posture, stress, and discomfort affect computer users.
Key Details
- Eligibility: Employees at UC Berkeley, UCSF, UC Davis, or participating Bay Area organizations who are 18–65, have no current musculoskeletal injuries, and work on-site at least 3 days a week.
- Time Commitment: One 1-hour session at your own workplace.
- Activities: 5–10 minutes of side-view video recording while working, plus 20–30 minutes of questionnaires.
- Compensation: $25 Amazon gift card.
- Timeline: Active through Spring 2027.
-
Sign-Up: tinyurl.com/ergoresearchberkeley
For more information contact: avinia.ismiyati@berkeley.edu
| | |
American Diabetes Month:
Look Beyond the Numbers
November is American Diabetes Month, an opportunity to look beyond diabetes awareness and consider the value of early detection. Prediabetes often has no noticeable symptoms, so people can have elevated blood sugar for years without knowing it. A simple blood test, such as the A1C test, can identify prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, creating an opportunity to take action before complications develop. The A1C test reflects average blood sugar over approximately three months and does not require fasting.
Knowing your risk is only the first step. For people with prediabetes, structured support can make prevention more achievable. The CDC’s National Diabetes Prevention Program is offered to UC Berkeley staff, faculty, students, and eligible spouses and offers a yearlong lifestyle change program with coaching and peer support, helping participants develop healthy habits that lower their risk of progressing to type 2 diabetes. Research found that the program reduced diabetes risk by 58% among participants in the original study.
This month, consider taking the prediabetes risk test and speaking with your health care provider about screening if appropriate. If you are identified as being at increased risk, ask whether a diabetes prevention program could be a good fit. Early awareness can provide more time and options to protect your long-term health.
Sources: NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
| Be Well at Work Resources | | |
Staff Garden Volunteer Day
Thu, Nov 19 | 12-1pm
Staff Garden
UC Berkeley staff, faculty, retirees, and students are welcome to help us maintain the garden. We gather once a month, generally the 4th Thursday unless otherwise specified.
Note: Volunteer days may potentially be rescheduled due to unfavorable weather or scheduling conflicts. This month, the date was moved one week sooner due to the Nov 26 holiday.
| | |
Navigating the Holidays with Self-Compassion
Wed, Nov 18 | 12-1pm
Zoom
The holiday season, while often joyful, can also bring a range of challenges and stressors which impact our emotional and physical well-being. In this interactive workshop, we will broaden our understanding of self-compassion, identify common holiday stressors, explore practical strategies to maintain well-being, and cultivate kindness towards ourselves during the heightened demands of the holiday season.
| | |
Breastfeeding Support Program Updates
New! Undergraduate Academic Building Lactation Space and Moffitt Library
The Breastfeeding Support Program is happy to announce the opening of a new lactation space at the Undergraduate Academic Building and the reopening of the lactation room in Moffitt Library! Both rooms will require ID card access, so please allow for a few days for processing time when requesting access. Visit our website for more information and to register for lactation room access.
| | |
Virtual Programs
Did you miss a class or want to try one on your own schedule?
Recordings of past cooking, dance, yoga workshops and webinars are available for you to revisit on our virtual programs page.
| | |
Mindfulness Mondays
Mondays (Weekly) | 12:10-12:30pm
Virtual
Take a moment for a short mindfulness break at 12:10pm on Mondays! This weekly class, hosted by Wellness Ambassador Liza Schlosser, allows us to practice mindfulness, reflect, and come together as we take on the rest of the week.
| | | | |
