From holiday joy to sadness, Purdue story ideas for the holidays

* INSPIRE Gift Guide offers holiday shopping items that are fun, educational.

* How rigid expectations steal the holidays.

* Scams are the one thing on your holiday list that you don’t want.

* The flu could be the worst gift to give this holiday season.

* How does protein fit in your holiday diet or New Year’s resolutions?

* Expanded Purdue Team Store website includes new features, a one-stop shop for Boilermaker pride.

INSPIRE Gift Guide offers holiday shopping items that are fun, educational.

This year’s Purdue University Engineering Gift Guide’s list of toys and games offers an opportunity for learning where kids simply see entertainment. Purdue’s INSPIRE Research Institute for Pre-College Engineering released its Engineering Gift Guide for the sixth consecutive year. It boasts more than 120 toys, books and games this year for children ages 1-18 in categories ranging from building and circuits to logic and puzzles. A sample of these items are highlighted in this YouTube influencer video.

News release available online.

Writer: Brian Huchel, 765-494-2084, bhuchel@purdue.edu 

Source: Elizabeth Gajdzik, 765-494-9599, egajdzik@purdue.edu

How rigid expectations steal the holidays.

Expert talks about how and why the pursuit of the perfect holiday is unattainable

There is pressure during the holiday season to be in a constant state of jolly and joy, bringing about unrealistic expectations. Why are certain holidays expected to be perfect, especially Christmas? questions Heather Servaty-Seib, a professor of counseling psychology in Purdue’s College of Education.

“The idea that holidays are solely joyful and perfect is against human nature and against the way we live our lives,” Servaty-Seib said. “There are always things that are less than perfect. That pressure can be difficult and even paralyzing.”

News release available online.

Writer: Brian Huchel, 765-494-2084, bhuchel@purdue.edu 

Source: Heather Servaty-Seib, 765-494-0837, servaty@purdue.edu

Scams are the one thing on your holiday list that you don’t want.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday may be the two best-known shopping dates on the calendar, but there will be plenty of opportunities to be scammed throughout the upcoming holiday season. A Purdue University researcher who studies exploitation of older adults says there are numerous ways to keep you and your family safe from scams. Be alert on online shopping and last-minute delivery arrangements, said Marian Liu, assistant professor of nursing in Purdue’s School of Nursing.

“Scammers can send emails on issues regarding payment or shipping,” Liu said. “When we are busy with the holiday activities, we may not pay attention and accidently click on a phishing link.”

News release available online.

Writer: Matthew Oates, 765-496-2571, oatesw@purdue.edu, @mo_oates 

Source: Pi-Ju (Marian) Liu, 765-496-0615, marianliu@purdue.edu

The flu could be the worst gift to give this holiday season.

Families like to get together for the holidays, but what happens when someone gets sick?

There are some simple steps to protect you and your loved ones from the flu during the holiday, says Libby Richards, an associate professor of nursing who specializes in public health in Purdue University’s School of Nursing.

Richards says people should be reminded to wash their hands before eating. Other tips include keeping a bottle of antibacterial hand gel near common gathering places and using paper towels in the bathroom instead of a regular cotton towel.

“Second to vaccination, frequent and appropriate handwashing is key for prevention,” Richards says. “You should disinfect hard surfaces such as phones, doorknobs, light switches and remote controls often, especially if you are hosting.”

News release available online.

Writer: Matthew Oates, 765-496-2571, oatesw@purdue.edu, @mo_oates 

Source: Libby Richards, 765-494-1392, erichards@purdue.edu, @LibbyAnnR1

How does protein fit in your holiday diet or New Year’s resolutions? Study shows that protein amounts larger than the recommended dietary allowance benefit only those who are cutting calories or strength training  

While some diets load up on protein and other diets dictate protein sources, it can be hard to know what to consume while managing weight or during weight loss. A new study by Purdue University nutrition scientists shows that eating more protein daily than what is recommended may benefit only a few – those who are actively losing weight by cutting calories or those strength training to build more lean muscle mass. This study also affirms that the recommended dietary allowance, of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day – or 0.36 grams per pound – is adequate for most people. For example, an adult who weighs 150 pounds should eat 54 grams of protein a day, which could be three ounces of lean meat, three cups of dairy and one ounce of seeds or nuts within a day.

News release available online.

Writer: Amy Patterson Neubert, 765-494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu 

Source: Wayne Campbell, campbeww@purdue.edu 

Expanded Purdue Team Store website includes new features, a one-stop shop for Boilermaker pride.

Need to replace that well-worn Purdue sweatshirt? Searching for that perfect gift for the future, current or past Boilermaker, or huge fan? Want to share your Boilermaker pride with friends and family?

You don’t have to search far and wide. It now takes just one click to the Purdue Team Store to find many Boilermaker items. “Buy from Boilers” is one of the newest features and showcases products produced by alumni and friends of the university, Hasler said. “It’s another way to keep the Purdue family connected and to support fellow Boilermakers. This will be expanded as we get more businesses involved.”

News release available online.

Writer: Jim Bush, 765-494-2077, jsbush@purdue.edu 

Sources: Dan Hasler, djhasler@purdue.edu, Elizabeth Gajdzik,  765-494-9599, egajdzik@purdue.edu