News Briefs for December 21, 2018
News reports from Loma Linda University, Andrews University, Zaokskiy Adventist University and the Trans-European Division of the Adventist denomination.
Nutritionist Julianne Penner from Loma Linda University International Heart Institute shared four ways to stay healthy during the holidays in an article on the Loma Linda University Health website:
Display Your Values: Penner says to write down or take a picture of something that reminds you of why you personally want to be healthy. This kind of practice will help keep you focused on positive practices over the holidays.
Have Realistic Habits: Small habits done consistently make a difference. It is important not to bite off more than you can chew, so to speak. Penner says to pick a small practice that you can easily do and then focus on consistently doing it. This will build a sense of willpower that can help to avoid the temptation to overindulge.
Plan Ahead: Controlling one or two of your meals each day over the holidays by planning them carefully can help keep things in check. Control in some areas will help minimize the effects of splurging in others.
Sleep – Sleep helps regardless of what else is going on so get 7-9 hours of sleep per night. It will help you control your diet.
“Even if I give you this list, choose one of these to focus on during the holidays,” said Penner. “You do not want to stress out trying to incorporate all of these, so make it work for you and you will improve every day and every year.”
An update on the Madaba Plains dig in Jordan, where Adventist scholars have played a key role for more than 50 years, is included in the January-February 2019 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review (pages 58-60). It was written by Constance Gane, associate professor of archaeology and Old Testament and curator of the Horn Archaeological Museum at Andrews University. And it includes footnotes to earlier reports from the same project by Larry Herr published in 1993 and 2001.
Zaokskiy Adventist University (ZAU) celebrated its 30th anniversary on December 1. Located about 200 kilometers south of Moscow near Tula, it is the first Protestant seminary in Russian history. In addition to the seminary, the university has added an agricultural school, a Masters degree in music, a Bachelors degree in economics and a Masters in Public Health. The celebration included representatives of the denomination’s General Conference and the government of the Russian Federation.
The Trans-European Division of the Adventist Church has released a Christmas video which appears to be designed to make viewers hungry. In between clips of a TED office choir singing carols, church leaders talk about what their families eat for Christmas. The dishes described are as diverse as they are delicious-sounding and they hail from around the world.