Involved is a word that I would use to describe the past week of activities! Currently during the work week, I am living on premise and staying in a room at Heartland Spas while volunteering in all areas of the business. I have:
- taught my first water aerobics class (went well...they asked when I was coming back)
- opened the boutique
- helped with marketing at a health and wellness fair
- created nutrient facts panels for recipes for Chef T
- worked the front desk with customer service in the wellness industry
- vacuumed, swept, dusted and more with housekeeping
- cut, steamed and served food with kitchen
- contacted potential guest speakers
- typed up instructional information for several of the new tasks I learned
- jumped in whenever and wherever needed
- challenged myself to learn every aspect of the business presented to me
During my stay here, I met a woman from out of state who came to the Heartland to focus on wellness (I will call her Jenny). She received tragic and heartbreaking news that was emotionally overwhelming. Jenny realized that once she heard the news, her self care began to suffer and she was exhibiting signs of depression. A phone call was made and she flew out to Heartland to allow herself a few weeks where she can exercise several times a day, eat healthy food, nap when she is tired, take advantage of spa services and track her progress emotionally and physically through this journey. Often, people overlook the many benefits of exercise. Yes, with a balanced lower calorie diet exercise can help you lose weight. But, it is so much more than that. Following a bout of exercise, your body can better deal with stress. Exercise encourages the release of "happy hormones". Cognition is improved. For more information on that topic, visit: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/27/mental-health-benefits-exercise_n_2956099.html Talking through her life choices with myself and others in the wellness industry gave her a voice without fear of judgment. With the combination rest, a healthy diet, sharing, exercise and time away she was able to better focus on life. She saw hope for her future and a little more clarity with her decision making. In the two weeks I have observed her, she has become a different person...happier, healthier and well. I am blessed to have been a part of her story and I hope to hear about the rest of her journey as we keep in contact.
I have had others contact me about become a case study in my classes and/or speaking to my students about their personal experiences with PKU, hip surgery, Crohn's, bunions and more. If you or someone you know would like to have your experience shared for learning purposes, feel free to contact me at Burkhalt@gmail.com and we can go from there.
This sabbatical has offered me opportunities for experiential learning while making connections in the wellness industry. I am getting invested in the guests (one woman in particular who is here for three weeks) and I truly enjoy working side by side with the eclectic staff at Heartland. This small business feels like a family the more time I spend here.
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THINGS I HAVE LEARNED WHILE AT HEARTLAND THIS WEEK:
- A small niche market (like Heartland) relies on repeat patrons. The more you can make them feel at home, loved and respected the more likely they are to recommend the business and return.
- Staying in a location where there isn't easy access to computers, a TV or other electronics changes the pace of life...things are much more relaxing and stress is kept at bay. Try going without your electronics for a week and enjoy! You will thank me later.
- Eating healthy food changes how your body feels drastically! When I left Heartland I decided to get some junk food. My body was very unhappy. I had a salty/fatty food hangover the next day. I felt awful!
It has been a week with a huge learning curve! I have been surprised at many of the things that I have discovered this week. Things that I have learned:
- Niche markets (such as small businesses in the health and wellness industry) are very difficult to keep afloat at times! I have been working with Heartland Spas this past week. I hosted a "women's weekend" where I created team-building activities, a game show, a scavenger hunt, provided a photo shoot and more. There were over twenty guests who came to enjoy the healthy environment provided while connecting with a loved one. But, Heartland shared that there are times during the week where they may have a staff to guest ratio that is 2:1. For the next two weeks, I will be living on premise while working with their teams in order to learn all aspects of this small wellness focused spa. I am helping them modify recipes to decrease overall sugar content. While I am there, I will learn from them in many arenas such as new fitness classes like "beat classes" (where participants use drum sticks during their workout) and metabolic analyses.
- Crohn's disease is a very tricky disease to treat nutritionally. As I continue to research an ideal Crohn's diet, I am coming to realize that it is very individual! Although there are many foods that comparatively are better than another (see this Crohn's food quiz at http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-report/crohns-disease/crohns-this-or-that-with-joy-bauer.aspx), the best thing to do is to keep a food diary and see what foods aggravate the intestine and which foods keep the Crohn's better under control. Shockingly...people with Crohn's are told to avoid raw fruits and veggies! WHO KNEW! I was excited to hear from people reading this blog and providing feedback. For example, I have a friend who suggested a blood test to find out about food sensitivities for my Crohn's case. The site for more information on the food sensitivity test is www.nowleap.com. Right now, cost is a huge factor to the individual. It seems that medications to keep "inflammation at bay" for him can run about $7k per infusion and insurance is not overly exited to continue that regime. Additionally, insurance doesn't cover tests such as nowleap.
- Finding a specific place in the heart of poverty to volunteer and learn from the community can be difficult. I continue to investigate poverty stricken locations in the Appalachian mountains where I could live for a few weeks in late November through early December. However, many of these locations have limited resources used for communication. Phones, internet and other items we take for granted are not very widespread. I am still researching the best place to lay my head during those weeks. If you have any suggestions, feel free to e-mail me at Burkhalt@gmail.com :-)
- There are SO MANY people who have nutrition and/or exercise related circumstances that can be used for case studies. I have spoken with a mother who has two kids with PKU who shared that it would be worth investigating PKU in more detail and bringing back to the classroom where I teach many aspiring nurses. I had another woman who approached me as she had one hip surgery already and is scheduled for a second in the next few months. She shared with me about her recovery and volunteered to be another case study. I am truly excited to look into both of these prospects.
This first week on sabbatical has been a great week of investigation. If this is any indication of how the rest of sabbatical will go, I am up for the challenge and the learning curve! I can't wait.
Learning is a
passion of mine and this week marks the first week in a new journey of discovery as I have been granted professional sabbatical
until January. Let me start by saying that I am truly blessed to teach in the fields of health, wellness, nutrition, kinesiology, anatomy, and exercise physiology. Not that I don't love math....but, I can't imagine a "math focused sabbatical". With the fields I teach/speak on, I have designed an eclectic four months of experiential learning, travel, and reflection. I hope to capture my experiences through photo, video and more to bring back to the community and the classroom.
WEEK 1: This week is the week of research and preparation while I set the stage for the months to come. I have a couple volunteers (who shall remain nameless) to help with my sabbatical by becoming case studies.
CROHN'S CASE STUDY: One gentleman was diagnosed with Crohn's over 20 years ago. He has undergone many surgeries, has an ostomy bag and will likely need another reparation surgery while I am on sabbatical. I will be accompanying him to appointments and aiding in the pre-operative and post-operative care. For more information on Crohn's visit: http://www.ccfa.org/what-are-crohns-and-colitis/what-is-crohns-disease/ Currently, I am looking into diets that would allow him to decrease inflammation. He is a picky eater...and sometimes doesn't make the best food choices. However, I would love to find/prepare healthy recipes that may help the disease. This is quite important because it was stated by the doctors that the Crohn's needs to be "under control" prior to scheduling the next surgery. In two weeks, we will travel to Barnes for an MRE (Magnetic Resonance Enterography...not a military Meal Ready to Eat). At that time they will tell us if the Crohn's is controlled and if he can proceed with the next surgery
BUNION CASE STUDY: A second gentleman has been very active since his teen years. He has completed several marathons, is an involved father of two small girls and doesn't let much slow him from his goals. Recently, the pain in his both of his feet become so bad that he went to a specialist where he was diagnosed with bunions. This diagnosis is both personally and professionally difficult as he works full time as well as serving in the military on reserve duty. With the suggested surgeries on both feet, it will seriously impact his ability to even stand and walk. For more information on bunions visit: http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a001 He has also agreed to let me accompany him to his pre-operative appointments and help with his post-care the week following surgery.
To have case studies that I personally experience in nutrition, anatomy/physiology, human movement and exercise physiology is amazingly helpful. It allows me to learn as well share that information with others
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PLANS FOR THE REMAINDER OF SABBATICAL (check out all this cool stuff!)
- Heartland Spas: Heartland is a wellness spa known around the globe for their successful health focused programs. They have a heavy focus on teaching. I have the luxury of a mutually beneficial arrangement with them where I learn all of the job positions in this niche spa while providing expertise to their guests during my stay. I will remain on premise for almost three weeks. I will be able to observe clients as they make lifestyle changes that they can (hopefully) apply once they leave the premise.
- Barnes Hospital: Barnes Hospital is a leader in health care. I will make several visits and speak with gastroenterologists while working with my Crohn's case.
- Portland, OR: Portland has been deemed one of the healthiest city in the US (http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mkg45eedgh/4-portland-ore-2/). I am going to live in the city for several weeks researching the common threads between the healthiest cities, interviewing locals, and asking entrepreneurs in the area why they believe Portland earned that title. With farmer's markets nestled withing a dog friendly biking community on the West Coast, I look forward to contrasting that location early in my sabbatical with locations such as the Appalachian Mountain areas where they are known for poor health and wellness.
- Run or Dye: While in Portland, I will participate in a Run or Dye event. This is an event that shows how fun exercise can be and gets even the sedentary individual excited about activity.
- Making links in the local community: Many of my students enjoy Champaign County and want to live and work here once they graduate from college. However, they often ask for connections and people that I (and other professors) can introduce them to. When introductions and recommendations are made, the student is much more likely to get a job that is a good fit. I will be visiting local fitness and nutrition facilities and making those personal connections as I become an active client in their business while taking time to visit with managers and professionals in the area
.
- Tough Mudder: In contrast to the Run or Dye race, the Tough Mudder is one of the most difficult races available where less than 80% of those who start actually finish the race. I will need to prepare for a couple months prior to the event to successfully complete it without injury. A personal trainer and colleague of mine will be competing in the race with me (she has done the race before). I will learn from her through this process about the field of personal training and who she would even consider training for an event such as this
- School Nutrition Conference: I have been invited to help one of the vendors at the 2014 School Nutrition Association of South Carolina Conference http://www.schoolnutritionsc.com/content/southcarolinasna/documents/2014_SNASC_Conference_at_a_glance.pdf.
- Southeast Agriculture: After visiting the Northwest and learning about their local food choices and agriculture, I will be diving into nutrition and agribusiness in the Southeast (specifically Florida). I will visit a research leader on hydroponic growing, local orchards, canning facilities and more
- Appalachian Mountain visit and volunteerism: This week I am investigating locations where I could serve, learn and grow in my understanding of some of the poorest populations in the US. The 2010 U.S. Census stated that Owsley County in Kentucky had the second lowest median
household income in the country with 41.5% of
residents living below the poverty line. I am looking into going to live in those communities for several weeks near the end of my sabbatical
.
