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Description

While we are not able to control many of the sources of stress in our world, we can practice and develop skills to regulate the nervous system and the body’s response to stress. Food, along with the environments in which we source and eat it, plays a major role in our response to stress and our resilience. Through this series, we will explore themes related to mental health, metabolic health (how your body processes nutrients and food), food environments, and self-compassion. We will also work with seasonal flavors and foods to align our cooking and eating with the transition from winter to spring.

These online workshops will cover a wide variety of supportive strategies including:

  • Mindful eating
  • Practices to calm the stress response and regulate the nervous system
  • Reflection on your food story
  • Self-compassion in the context of food 

Participants will cook virtually with Chef Jenny Breen, M Ed, MPH, and Kate Shafto, MD,  who have been teaching together for 9 years. They share a passion for teaching about whole sustainable foods (and the folks who produce them), what to do with them, and why it matters for our health and the health of our planet.

Recordings will be made available to registrants for one month, for those who would like to revisit the workshops or who are unable to attend the live workshops. Please note that registration will close one hour prior to each workshop's start time to ensure that you receive all of the necessary logistical details.

Sliding Scale Pricing
The Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing is deeply committed to the wellbeing and flourishing of all communities. In order to make our programming accessible to a broader audience, we have implemented a sliding scale fee structure for these online workshops.

The suggested registration fee is $15 per workshop. We also offer a scholarship rate ($10) and supporter rate ($20) for those who would like to support others attending at the scholarship rate.

We do not want cost to be a barrier to participating in our programming. If you are not able to pay one of the listed registration fees, you are able to participate at no cost. 

University of Minnesota Retirees Association members and University of Minnesota Alumni Association members can receive a 10% discount on the suggested registration fee by selecting the appropriate fee at checkout. 

University of Minnesota Wellbeing Program
University of Minnesota employees and spouses are able to register for free through the support of the Office of Human Resources' Wellbeing Program. You can also earn 200 Wellbeing Points per workshop through the University of Minnesota's Wellbeing Program. Learn more about other UMN Wellbeing Program offerings through the Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing.

Refund Policy
These workshops are non-refundable. Exceptions to this policy are granted for extenuating circumstances. For more information, participants should reach out to the Bakken Center's community relations office (mindprg@umn.edu, 612-625-8164).

Questions
If you have questions regarding the workshops, please contact the Bakken Center's community relations office (mindprg@umn.edu, 612-625-8164).

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Enroll Now - Select a section to enroll in
Section Title
The Relationship Between Stress and Food
Type
Webinar
Days
Th
Time
12:00PM to 1:00PM
Dates
May 22, 2025
Campus
Online
Schedule and Location
Contact Hours
1.0
Location
  • Online
Course Fee(s)
Scholarship Fee $10.00
Suggested Registration Fee $15.00
Supporter Fee $20.00
UMN Employee & Spouse Zero Cost Fee $0.00
Workshop UMAA Discount Fee $13.50
Workshop UMRA Discount Fee $13.50
Zero Cost Fee $0.00
Section Details

This workshop will unpack what happens during 'stress eating,' the food environment and stress response (neurologically), and intuitive and mindful eating skills. We will cook with seasonal flavors that support the transition from winter to spring.

There will be a brief centering practice to focus our attention and senses on the food we will be working with, and the workshop will close with a mindful eating practice.

Recipes will include simple greens and seasonal fresh herbs, including a sauce formula, roasted radishes and turnips, and pesto.

Section Title
Nourishing our Mental Health
Type
Webinar
Days
Th
Time
12:00PM to 1:00PM
Dates
May 29, 2025
Campus
Online
Schedule and Location
Contact Hours
1.0
Location
  • Online
Course Fee(s)
Scholarship Fee $10.00
Suggested Registration Fee $15.00
Supporter Fee $20.00
UMN Employee & Spouse Zero Cost Fee $0.00
Workshop UMAA Discount Fee $13.50
Workshop UMRA Discount Fee $13.50
Zero Cost Fee $0.00
Section Details

This workshop will explore the concept of the gut-brain connection and how dietary patterns and stress impact gut health and mental health. We will practice mindful eating and engage in an exercise to calm the nervous system using our five senses.

Recipes will include a frittata with spring vegetables and herbs and/or a herbed-tofu scramble, as well as ways to use rhubarb, such as in a salsa and sauce.

Section Title
Metabolic Health is Mental Health
Type
Webinar
Days
Th
Time
12:00PM to 1:00PM
Dates
Jun 05, 2025
Campus
Online
Schedule and Location
Contact Hours
1.0
Location
  • Online
Course Fee(s)
Scholarship Fee $10.00
Suggested Registration Fee $15.00
Supporter Fee $20.00
UMN Employee & Spouse Zero Cost Fee $0.00
Workshop UMAA Discount Fee $13.50
Workshop UMRA Discount Fee $13.50
Zero Cost Fee $0.00
Section Details

We don’t always learn that physical and mental health are one and the same. In this workshop, we’ll look more closely at how dietary patterns impact our metabolic health and discuss ways to reduce inflammation through food. We will continue to practice mindful eating and reflect on your food story during this session.

Recipes will include a simple spring stir-fry with a delicious sauce.

Section Title
Self-Compassion in a Complex Food System
Type
Webinar
Days
Th
Time
12:00PM to 1:00PM
Dates
Jun 12, 2025
Campus
Online
Schedule and Location
Contact Hours
1.0
Location
  • Online
Course Fee(s)
Scholarship Fee $10.00
Suggested Registration Fee $15.00
Supporter Fee $20.00
UMN Employee & Spouse Zero Cost Fee $0.00
Workshop UMAA Discount Fee $13.50
Workshop UMRA Discount Fee $13.50
Zero Cost Fee $0.00
Section Details

Our food environment influences our choices and our health more than we may realize. We will discuss how to identify areas where we can take back some control while also increasing deliciousness and practicing self-compassion. We will close the series with a mindful eating practice and a summary of the skills covered over the four workshops.

Recipes will include a carrot-cashew spread, beet hummus, mushroom or miso sesame pâté, and crackers.

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