LiveWell UCLA

Executive Director of the Resnick Center for Food Law and Policy and Professor at the UCLA School of Law, Michael Roberts, joins us to explain the complexities of governing food and why he makes always checks the labels before buying olive oil.

On the menu for dinner tonight at Bruin Plate at UCLA is a kale hummus, winter greens, and red quinoa flat bread. This is just another typical day at UCLA- dining colorfully, and enjoying vibrant, delicious and well-balanced meals. How does UCLA serve gourmet meals everyday to its residents living on campus? Pete Angelis, the Assistant Vice Chancellor of UCLA Housing and Hospitality will tell you its all made possible through the care for and from his remarkable team. Keep listening to find out how UCLA has earned its No. 1 spot in the “2021 Best College Food in America” rankings for four years in a row.

Today we explore food through stories and folklore. The stories we tell, and the stories we hear have the ability to transport us to a different time and place. Join us for a conversation with UCLA Emeritus professor and expert in Irish Folklore, Dr. Joseph Nagy, about the symbolisms of food in folklore.

#42: Pain Management and How to #HacktheVax with Dr. Jody Thomas by Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center at UCLA

Join us today for a discussion about the relationship between planetary and human health with Former Director of the CDC's National Center for Environmental Health and Professor Emeritus at the Fielding School of Public Health at UCLA, Dr. Richard Jackson.

With over 1.4 million Kindergarten through grade 12 students, Los Angeles County schools had the enormous task of protecting the health and safety of its children when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Teachers and administrators quickly became experts in online education and environmental health and safety. UCLA Pediatrician and Medical Epidemiologist for the LA County Department of Public Health, Dr. Nava Yeganeh, joins us today to address concerns for our children and discuss how schools continue to respond to the pandemic to ensure the safety of their students.

When is the best time to nap and what is the ideal length? How can you rethink your diet to help you get a better night's sleep? Today, sleep neurologist and the Director of the UCLA Sleep Disorders Center Dr. Alon Avidan, explains the impact of COVID-19 on our sleep behavior and shares strategies to get a better nights sleep.

#38: Part 3- Finding the Path Back to Meaning & Joy with Dr. Brenda Bursch by Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center at UCLA

#37: Part 2- Finding the Path Back to Meaning & Joy with Dr. Brenda Bursch by Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center at UCLA

#36: Part 1- Finding the Path Back to Meaning & Joy with Dr. Brenda Bursch by Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center at UCLA

Dr. Peter Katona joins us today to talk about lessons learned from our country's response to the pandemic. Tune in to learn about what our greatest public health challenges will be moving forward and how the COVID-19 pandemic fits in with the larger historical narrative of public health.

Is eating organic better for you? Today, we unpack this question and many more with Dr. Hilary Godwin as she discusses the relationship between climate change and our food systems.

Tune in to learn about what happens behind the scenes at a university with over 80,000 community members when faced with a pandemic.

Join us for a conversation with with the former NBA World Champion and one of the premier NBA defenders of his era, Metta Sandiford-Artest previously known as Metta World Peace. Metta has been a leader in de-stigmatizing mental health in the world of professional sports and beyond by opening up and sharing his life story.

#31: Science and Food with Dr. Amy Rowat by Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center at UCLA

Expert in resilience training and Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Dr. Brenda Bursch shares tips on how we can boost our own resilience and reveals the science behind storytelling as a way to process trauma and integrate our emotions with our memories.

A panel discussion with three UCLA public health experts on translating COVID-19 research to our everyday lives.

Culture writer, DJ, sociology professor, and co-host of the album appreciation podcast “Heat Rocks”, Dr. Oliver Wang joins us to share his research on the ways in which Asian Americans participate in different forms of popular culture. Oliver has made it his mission and work to share the stories that have yet to be told--like the story of Filipino American Mobile DJs in the Bay Area or the story behind the travel patterns of the Kogi food trucks. Keep listening to hear some of these untold stories.

Moderated by Dr. Wendy Slusser and Dr. Amy Rowat, our panelists will discuss food apartheid, its impact on the health of marginalized groups, and how we can work towards a transformative and healthy future for all. Panelists: Karen Washington, Roy Choi, Dr. May Wang, Dr. Goetz Wolff.

PLAYING FOR KEEPS examines the importance of play and downtime for all of us – children, adults, seniors and animals. It is a tapestry of interwoven characters that takes a look at the health benefits of the play state as well as its recent decline in our lives. Tune in now to panel discussion on the relationship between play and health equity led by Executive Director of UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Dr. Nicole Green.

Join Dr. Wendy Slusser in a two-part conversation with with UCLA Public Health Doctoral student, Hannah Malan, about how she has applied her background in communication and research in food insecurity to a social cause that she is passionate about—feeding our planet sustainably and equitably.

Join Dr. Wendy Slusser in a two-part conversation with with UCLA Public Health Doctoral student, Hannah Malan, about how she has applied her background in communication and research in food insecurity to a social cause that she is passionate about—feeding our planet sustainably and equitably.

#25: Being a Changemaker with Savannah Gardner by Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center at UCLA

Dr. Wendy Slusser chats with Fielding School of Public Health Professor and medical sociologist Michael Goldstein about the origins of the Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center and what it takes to create long-lasting culture change. Keep listening to hear about how social change begins not with rationality but through social movements.

Tune in to hear about how Carolanne Link and Michael Garafola have been leaders at UCLA to create a more accessible and empathetic campus and to learn about their life stories that have brought them together under the Eudaimonia umbrella.

Join Dr. Wendy Slusser as she travels back in time with UCLA Dr. Amr Shahat to discover what ancient Egyptians ate and learn about how the scientific analysis of food remnants can tell us the stories of how ancient Egyptians lived.

#21: Part 2 - The Circuitry behind our Social World with Ted Robles by Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center at UCLA

In the United States, almost 8/10 members of the Gen Z generation and 7/10 of Millennials reported being lonely in 2019. As if it could get any worse, many experts say even more people are lonely since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Today, UCLA social well-being expert, Dr. Ted Robles will discuss with Dr. Wendy Slusser how stress, social support and close intimate relationships can impact our health.  Join Wendy and Ted in the first of a two part episode as they dive into Ted's research. In this first part, they will explore how each of us can build stronger and more resilient social networks and prevent loneliness.

When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in the United States, the existing inequities and vulnerabilities of our food systems were starkly exposed. Join Dr. Wendy Slusser as she chats with co-founder and "Chief of What's Next" at the Center for Good Food Purchasing, Paula Daniels, about how we can meet this moment to make transformative progress in our food systems.

Join Dr. Wendy Slusser as she chats with President and Chief Operating Officer of San Jose Water, Andy Gere, about the ins and outs of running a water company. What does it take to provide affordable, clean and safe water to drink? How does running a water company relate to environmental stewardship?

The pandemic and the nationwide uprising against racism have starkly exposed deep disparities and inequities in the quality of and access to basic needs like education and health care. Join Dr. Wendy Slusser as she chats with D'Artagnan Scorza about the compensatory role of education and what we can do to address our nation's inequities.

Join Dr. Wendy Slusser as she chats with Renee Fortier, the Executive Director of UCLA Events and Transportation, about how UCLA has responded to ensure safe transportation during these uncertain times.

Dr. Wendy Slusser chats with Professor Dr. Dawn Upchurch from UCLA's Fielding School of Public Health about the health benefits of mindfulness and meditation and how we can incorporate this into our lives now.

#14: Cultural Determinants of Design with Dr. Anastasia Lukaitou-Sideris by Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center at UCLA

With the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of us are paying more attention to our food supply chains. This present moment is bringing issues in our food systems to the forefront. Today, I'll be chatting with Galen McCleary from Patagonia Provisions about how this current moment presents an opportunity to shift our perspective of food towards a more sustainable and healthful one, and how Patagonia Provisions is “rethinking our food chain.”

In the United States, every other person over the age of 20 either has prediabetes or diabetes. What exactly is diabetes and what are the risk factors for it? What can you do if you are at risk or have diabetes? Join us today as Dr. Moin unpacks these questions and shares what a successful diabetes prevention intervention looks like.

During these uncertain and rapidly changing times, many of us may find ourselves constantly checking the news and social media. However, prolonged and repeated exposure to such media may actually be harmful to our health. Today, I chat with Dr. Roxane Cohen Silver, Professor of Psychological Science, Medicine and Public Health at UC Irvine and the Associate Director of the UCI ADVANCE Program in the Office of Inclusive Excellence, about the public health consequences of media exposure.

Today, I will be chatting with Ayesha Dixon, the Director of UCLA's Emeriti/Retirees Relations Center, about the effects of COVID-19 on the lives of seniors and what we can all do to help reduce this isolation and loneliness.

Today, I chat with Dr. Emeran Mayer, Director of the G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress & Resilience and UCLA Distinguished Professor of Medicine, about the bidirectional communication between our mind, brain and gut. We'll talk about what the mind-gut connection is, how it may be affected during these unique times and how we can improve our diet to foster a healthier microbiome.

There's no doubt that we are all being challenged in our adjustment into a new way of life; however, as Dr. Chris Dunkel Schetter puts it, building resilience in this moment will make us all more adept to face the rest of life's challenges. Join me as I chat with UCLA Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry and co-leader of the EngageWell Pod, Dr. Chris Dunkel Schetter about building resilience in this moment.

Join us for a conversation with the Founding Dean of the National University of Singapore School of Public Health about how we can "accept, define and delight" in the new "normal".

Join us for a conversation with UCLA's Chief of Medical Psychology, Dr. Bob Bilder and Executive Director of UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services, Dr. Nicole Green about how to take care of your mental health during these uncertain times. As the co-leaders of the Semel HCI Center MindWell Pod, Nicole and Bob will also share actionable tips and available resources for you to help manage stress and anxiety in our transition into this new way of life.

In just a short time, our lives have changed dramatically. The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has challenged us all in different ways to cope, adapt, and grow. As we face this global challenge together, we are reminded that health is not an individual experience, but a collective one. As UCLA transitions to an online and virtual format, the Semel Healthy Initiative Center Continues to think outside the box and rely on science as our ally to create a culture of health. In this special series of the LiveWell podcast, we will be interviewing leaders around the world about how we can transition into this new way of life while taking care of our mental health and social well-being. We hope you enjoy! - - - - To kick off this special series,"6 feet apart,"  UCLA's Professor of Psychology and co-leader of the EngageWell Pod, Dr. Ted Robles, talks about how we can stay socially engaged and support each other while we practice social distancing.

Join me as I talk to D'Artagnan about his life journey and the meaningful work that he is doing in own backyard and across the country to empower people and communities to thrive.

#3: How can we Save Patient Planet Earth? - Dr. Jonathan Fielding by Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center at UCLA

LiveWell Podcast Preview by Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center at UCLA

Why do we crave brownies instead of fruit when we are stressed? Why are mashed potatoes and mac and cheese comfort foods instead of roasted veggies and refreshing salads? Today, Janet will answer these questions as well as unpack stress and weight stigma. She will even share tips to creating long-lasting habits for a healthy lifestyle.

What are the origins of hearing? What is the evolutionary benefit of music? And why do we get chills when we listen to certain songs? Today, we will talk to UCLA neuropsychology expert Dr. Bob Bilder about the neuroscience behind music and its benefit for our health and wellness.