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Lunch and Learns

Lunch & Learns

Our lunch and learns offer staff and faculty a learning environment which promotes healthy lifestyle choices by increasing awareness, and supporting lifestyle changes.  Lunch and Learns also offer an opportunity to gather, create connections and build relationships, which helps support your social-emotional well-being. We know that healthier lifestyles among faculty and staff will in turn create happier, more productive individuals who benefit themselves, Macalester, and the greater community.

Upcoming Lunch & Learns

How to Eat as a Lifestyle

Thursday, February 6, 2025 – Focus: Nutrition

Food is not just energy and nutrition, it’s also culture, tradition, pleasure, and much more. How do you balance all these aspects to feel your best, prevent disease, and enjoy food? It took integrative nutritionist, Jesse Haas, multiple degrees and advanced certifications in nutrition to see the balancing point for these differing qualities. Let her make your path to understanding how to eat as a lifestyle more efficient! This presentation covers practical and reasonable “must know info” to sow the seeds of sustainable eating habits at any stage of life. Learn visual cues to balance macronutrient needs without calorie counting, weighing or measuring food, following a specific diet or logging your daily intake. Could eating in a way that supports your health be that simple? Yes…and delicious too! Bring your questions for the Q&A session that will follow this presentation.

Jesse Haas is a Licensed Nutritionist, Certified Nutrition Specialist, certified Health Coach and proud food nerd. She obtained her BS in nutrition dietetics from the University of Minnesota in 2010, and her MS in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western States in 2017. She’s been working in integrative health care since 2005, both as a health care provider and educator. In both roles, she aims to demystify health, nutrition, cooking and the day-to-day ways we care for ourselves, so that her patients and students are empowered and inspired to make sustainable dietary and lifestyle changes that improve their health and wellbeing. One student described Jesse as being “…so good at explaining things in pithy, wonderful ways,” which is a reputation she strives to uphold.

Register to join us for lunch catered by Bon Appetit at 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, February 6 in the Leonard Center’s Hall of Fame room. The presentation will be from 12:00 to 12:50 p.m.

Parental Mental Health

Wednesday, February 26, 2025 – Focus: Mental & Emotional Health

Stay tuned for more info.

Past Lunch & Learns

Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health

Wednesday, November 20, 2024 – Focus: Heart Health

Join Dr. Aidanne for a talk on using food, botanicals, and lifestyle changes to support healthy blood pressure and cholesterol. Cardiovascular wellness is vital for overall health, as high blood pressure and cholesterol are major risk factors for heart disease. Dr. Aidanne, a licensed naturopathic doctor with Wellness Minneapolis specializes in women’s health, cardiovascular wellness, and digestive care.

You can email Kelly Fang if you would like a link to the recording of this session.

Food for Focus

Wednesday, October 30, 2024 – Focus: Nutrition & Mental Well-being

This presentation is designed to teach people the connection between what they eat and how they think.  You will learn what foods and lifestyle tools support your brain.  You’ll learn about adaptogens and how they can work with your body to keep you clear and focused! And though we will not have a cooking demonstration in this workshop, you will receive some recipes to inspire you to cook for your brain health.  

Anna Klimmek is a Chef, RYT200 Yoga Instructor, Certified Health Coach and owner of two small businesses, Happy Food MN and Breakthrough Adventures. Both companies focus on bringing wellness to the community through food and adventure. Anna is a Le Cordon Bleu grad with nearly 20 years of culinary experience and a certification as a holistic health coach from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. She is a guest chef at Cooks of Crocus Hill and is often featured on Twin Cities Live. In her free time she can be found hanging out with her very cool 18 year old daughter, Ophelia. She enjoys being active outdoors, being a tourist in her own town, using the sauna, swimming, and cooking outdoors at her family cabin. Anna practices Asana and Meditation and is planning her next BIG trip to India in 2025!  Learn more at https://happyfoodmn.com/

Contemplative Wisdom

Wednesday, September 25, 2024 – Focus: Mental & Emotional Well-being

WHAM invites Marc Anderson to give a short presentation on the Contemplative Arts Training program he’s developing through the Kofi Annan Institute and IGC. It will include an overview of the project as well as hands on experience with some of the things you’ll be practicing and discussing in the program.  There will be plenty of opportunity for Q&A for those who are interested in taking part in the program. 

Marc Anderson is a meditation teacher, musician, poet and director of the Third Eye Collaborative. He was on staff with Macalester’s CRSL for 10 years and now contracts with that department and others to facilitate various events and projects.

Sustainability & Well-being

Wednesday, April 17, 2024 – Focus: Physical & Mental Well-being

We invite you to learn about sustainability resources available at Macalester. During the Lunch and Learn, Megan Butler, our Director of Sustainability, will be joined by student, staff, and faculty presenters who will speak about opportunities for staff and faculty to get involved in several sustainability initiatives on campus that can enhance or support your well-being. Topics covered in this forum will Include:

Climate Resilience: Learn what is being done at Macalester and on college campuses across the United States to mitigate the impacts of climate change and build resilience to mitigate risks and foster adaptation.   

Active Transportation: Discover the benefits of active transportation modes such as walking, cycling, and public transit in reducing carbon emissions, improving public health, and enhancing community connectivity. Learn about the resources that Macalester provides that will help you engage in active transportation.

Food Access: Learn about the importance of equitable access to nutritious food on college campuses and learn about the food-access initiatives at Macalester that you can get involved in such as MacShare and the community gardens.

Mental Health and the Environment: During this final 10-minute presentation, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, Christie Manning, will discuss her work on intersections between mental health and the environment.  We’ll explore the sustainability-related initiatives at Macalester that aim to promote the physical and psychological well-being of faculty, staff, and students.

Embracing a New Chapter: Understanding and Managing Perimenopause and Menopause (Virtual)

Thursday, March 28, 2024 – Focus: Physical & Emotional Well-being

WHAM invites you to an informative and empowering presentation on menopause! Menopause is a natural transition that affects people who menstruate, but it can often be shrouded in misinformation and confusion. Our goal is to reduce stigma and talk openly about this topic in the workplace. This presentation also aims to: 

  • Demystify menopause, explore symptoms and management options: Gain a clear understanding of the biological changes and their impact on the body. Discover various approaches to managing them, including lifestyle changes, non-hormonal therapies, and hormone therapy (if appropriate).
  • Empower you to get strong: Learn why muscle matters, why it’s so hard to hold onto and how to build more of it.
  • Legitimize the impact on mental well-being for some: Learn strategies that can help you cope with the emotional and body image challenges that can creep up during this transition. 

This presentation is ideal for:

  • People approaching or experiencing menopause
  • Colleagues, partners and caregivers of people going through menopause
  • Individuals seeking a deeper understanding of this topic

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from our knowledgeable and experienced speakers:

Submit your questions ahead of time, or during the Q&A portion.

Together, let’s navigate this period (or the lack thereof!) with knowledge and confidence!