In their latest newspaper column on nutrition and health, Alan Titchenal and Joannie Dobbs of the Dept. of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences weigh in on green drinks, those superfoods-in-a-smoothie concoctions we drink for a variety of health goals. With more than 800 million green drink recipes available – each with health claims ranging from sensible to … not sensible – some of us might be tempted to over-consume such green drinks. “However, consuming too much of a good thing can be harmful,” the authors point out. “Many of the nutrients and phytochemicals in these drinks are good for you in moderation, but excessive amounts can result in potential health problems over time.”

Read the full article, Nutrient Overload From Green Drinks Can Be Harmful.

The stress from COVID-19’s impact on our health, finances, and way of life is affecting many Hawaiʻi individuals and families. So the question for Human Development and Family Sciences is, “How can we help?”

Grandfamilies, or grandparents who are primary caregivers for their grandchildren, are especially vulnerable during COVID-19. They’re a high-risk group, often living on fixed incomes. At the same time, food truck owners, like all restaurateurs, have been hit hard by the shutdown. But on Maui, CTAHR’s Intergenerational Extension has found a way to bring the two groups together to help each other

“Practicing mindfulness is like weight-lifting for the mind’s frontal cortex,” says Thao Le of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences. “Mindfulness provides the tools and resources to navigate through the ups and downs, the uncertainties of life, as we are now during this crisis.” And that’s where The Pause Space comes in. A calm retreat located at Kuykendall Annex, The Pause Space offers guided mindfulness meditation to the UHM community.

When community events had to be canceled because of the outbreak, it could have spelled disaster for an assignment in the online class HDFS 331: Infancy and Early Childhood Development. That’s when HDFS instructor Rheta Kuwahara reached out to the CTAHR and Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies ‘ohana to create an online cultural event that students could attend remotely. The support was resounding!