As the light shifts to lower intensity and the weather begins to ebb and flow, we are invited to more skillfully engage with daily life. In the past, human beings were much more attuned to the rhythm and patterns of the natural world, whereas today, while we are still affected by these same natural currents, [...]

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Have you ever gone to the doctor and received a BMI number generated from your height and weight? Do you wonder what this number means or if it’s valid? There are many misconceptions about the body max index (BMI). Let’s look at what BMI is and where it comes from, as well as dive into [...]

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Vitamin D has many functions in the body. It helps us to absorb calcium from our diets and maintains the health and strength of our bones. It can affect our immune health and our muscle health. Newer research has even suggested that vitamin D may help to prevent some chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart [...]

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The emergence of COVID-19 has had an unprecedented impact on people around the world. Daily uncertainties often lead to more questions than answers on how to protect ourselves and our communities from a disease with a nebulous mode of transmission. Given we internalize the external environment when we eat, it is no surprise that questions [...]

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Spring is a season for change. But over these final few weeks of winter, things have been changing drastically for everyone in our community as the University of Washington responds to the COVID-19 outbreak. While critical staff continue to work tirelessly, courageously, and creatively on behalf of everyone’s health, many faculty and staff are now [...]

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From all the 500 bird species in Washington, how many do you think you can spot? Winter is not just a cold and difficult time for people. Birds also endure winter hardships, struggling to find food during this scarce season. That is why February is the month dedicated to bird feeding and -watching. More than [...]

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Eating healthy can seem like a never-ending battle of personal willpower. I know it can be all too easy to buy frozen dinners and give into your sweet tooth for that immediate ease and satisfaction. But why does eating healthy have to be challenging and overwhelming? The answer is: it needn’t be! The notion that [...]

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Welcome to Week 1 of The Whole U’s six-week Dare to Do New Year’s challenge! This week, thousands from across the University of Washington community will Dare to Pause, reflect on the past year, and set goals for the year ahead. For each successive week of the challenge, we’ll be focusing on a different area [...]

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If you’re like me, you’ve made a few New Year’s resolutions you’d really like to transform into lasting, long-term habits in 2020. As a start, I’ve registered to participate in The Whole U’s 6-week Dare to Do challenge—a great way to help anyone (yes, anyone!) stay true to those resolutions with support and fun activities [...]

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For Misty Shock Rule, the oft-repeated phrase, “you are what you eat,” might well be scrambled up to read: “you eat where you are.” In July 2016, six months into a new job as communications and media editor for the UW Alumni Association, Shock Rule began writing a blog about food in the University District. [...]

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Devin Naar is a natural storyteller. In order to relate the rich yet fragmented history of the tens of thousands of Sephardic Jews expelled from Spain in 1492 and their descendants, you have to be. It’s a story spanning centuries and continents—from the ancient port city of Salonica in what is now Greece to Seattle [...]

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Planning a trip to visit my 107-year-old grandmother got me thinking about longevity. What does it take to live to age 100? Or even just add a few years to our lives? Is there more to it than just genetics? Is the secret to living a long and healthy life as simple as “eat more [...]

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