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FALL 2021 VOL. 22 ISSUE 1
Front Cover:
Crystal Clear: Students explore mental and social health benefits through crystals.
Lead Poisoning in Syracuse: A conversation with Sandra Lane, professor of public health and anthropology.
Lymphatic Health Practices: The rise in popularity of self-care techniques.
Inside Front Cover:
Dean: David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, Diane Lyden Murphy.
Vice President of the Student Experience: Rob Hradsky.
Associate Provost for Academic Affairs: Chris Johnson.
Editorial Director: Luvenia W. Cowart, Ed.D.,R.N.
Student Managing Editor: Cate Willing ’22.
Student Copy Editor: Kinley Gaudette ’23.
Graphic Designer: Bob Wonders, Executive Art.
Student Editorial Board: Rahil Abbas, Martena Frye, Kinley Gaudette, Summer Green, Megan Hughes, Tabitha Hulme, Serena Kollmorgen, Sophia Lehrer, Tatum Treais, Jia Yao, Cate Willing, Veronique Wojcik.
Contributing Authors: Janet Pease, Former Head of Collection and Research Services, Syracuse University Libraries; David Sly and Jessica Pitcher, Falk College Career Services; Nicole Pulido ’24, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics; Brooke Breton ’23, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics; Siya Kumar ’24, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics; Thy Mai Vu ’20, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry; Lily Esteghamati ’22, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.
Editing Support: George S. Bain G’06.
Contact Us: Healthy You News magazine, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics White Hall, Syracuse NY , New York 13244, 315.443.9808.
Healthy You welcomes letters to the editor and story ideas. Healthy You is a student-run health magazine of the Department of Public Health. It is a jointly funded publication of the Syracuse University David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics and the Divisions of Undergraduate Studies, and Enrollment and the Student Experience. This publication enhances, broadens and supports the academic and social experiences of students. The Student Editorial Board is responsible for providing work structure for the magazine’s production, which includes the content, design, production and distribution. The information contained in this publication is not to be construed as medical advice. Readers should consult a medical professional before engaging in any activity described. The contents of this magazine may not be reprinted without the expressed consent of the editorial director.
Contents:
In the Know: New research in health and wellness.
Mind:
Lead Poisoning in Syracuse: a conversation with Sandra Lane, professor of public health and anthropology. A closer look: one-on-one with Sandra Lane.
Charting Your Future: Don’t Go It Alone. The value of mentoring in promoting a professional career.
“I Am Confident in Myself and My Abilities.” The value in using positive affirmations.
Self-Care: Me Time! The importance of allocating time for self-care.
Hours Spent on Zoom: What’s the Effect? Exploring zoom dysmorphia.
Body:
Lymphatic Health Practices: The rise in popularity of self-care techniques.
Re-thinking Your Cosmetics: Your Skin Has Absorption Properties. Exploring the effects of cosmetic ingredients on the skin.
What’s the Real Deal with Caffeine? Caffeine dependency and sleep deprivation.
The Truth About Workout Supplements. Exploring uses and benefits.
Plant-Based Diets: Taking a closer look at protein intake.
The Whole Truth About Whole Grains: Understanding the value of eating whole grains.
Prolonged Computer Use: Dangers and solutions through stretching.
Experiencing Back Pain? Look in Your Backpack Ways to reduce back strain.
Navigating the Transition from High School to College: The impact of athletics and clubs.
STDs: Are You at Risk? The risk of STDs among college students.
Spirit:
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clear: Students explore mental and social health benefits through crystals.
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By Cate Willing, Senior, Public Health, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.
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Being active and eating healthy are easy ways to boost your immune system. Certain nutrients in foods can help to boost your immune system while others may hinder it. Eating foods that promote the health of your immune system is especially necessary in times like flu season and to ward off viruses like the coronavirus. Nutrients like iron, vitamins A, C, D, E, B-6 and zinc (among others) can help the body’s immune response. Some foods that contain these vital nutrients are bone broths, fatty fish like salmon, and turmeric. As always, eating whole, healthy foods has a wide range of benefits that go beyond immune system support and should be incorporated as much as possible into your daily diet.
Source: CNN.
The importance of getting your flu shot:
While getting the flu shot is important every year as we enter flu season, coupled with the dangers of COVID-19, getting your flu shot this year is crucial. September and October marked the beginning of flu season, the best time to get a flu shot. The flu varies in severity yearly and impacts people differently. The vaccine is “40 percent to 60 percent effective most years” and if you do happen to catch the flu, post-vaccination, the risk of severe illness is much milder, according to the Harvard Medical School. With many protective public health measures in place because of COVID-19, the transmission of the flu may not be as widespread. But because of coronavirus, hospital availability and access to treatment if infected with the flu will be more challenging than previous years. As students at Syracuse University, we have committed to the “Stay Safe Pledge,” which requires us to get vaccinated against the flu. To uphold your commitment and keep yourself healthy, visit the Barnes Center at The Arch, where the flu vaccine is available to all members of the University. See the patient portal for scheduling information.
Source: Harvard Medical School School.
Incorporating meditation in your routine:
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Source: The New York Times.
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A closer look: one-on-one with Sandra Lane.
What are the most important things to know about the lead poisoning crisis in Syracuse?
SL: That it is still a crisis. Many people think that the lead problem went away a long time ago. It didn’t entirely go away. It decreased for a lot of people who were in well-maintained houses, even houses built before 1978. But for poor people who live in dilapidated rental properties— especially, say, in Syracuse but also in other cities—children are still very much poisoned by lead. Many people worry about lead in the water like in Flint, Michigan; they had a terrible problem.
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People wrongly believe that mothers are allowing their children to eat paint chips. While that may occasionally or rarely happen, it is not the main way that children get poisoned. Children get poisoned from the dust… If you have enough [lead] dust that would fit into a packet of sugar, that would be enough to poison 100 rooms. So, this lead dust is potent, and children especially under the age of 3 who tend to have wet faces—their noses run, they pick their nose, they suck their thumbs, etc.—they could get lead paint dust on their thumb and put that in their mouth. If they did that just a couple of times a day, that would be enough for many children to have an alarmingly elevated blood-lead level.
What is being done to combat this crisis?
SL: There was an ordinance passed in August 2020 that would allow the houses to be inspected before they are rented. The inspection would be a visual inspection with a dust wipe. Right now, even though it has been over a year since the law was passed, that is still mostly not happening. We have been in touch with the City of Syracuse, and they said, “Yes, we plan to do that, but we have all these problems…” To me this is an emergency, and there is no more time for dragging their feet. Children’s brains are at risk. We could make houses lead safe, which would be encapsulating paint on the walls and then removing the friction surfaces in the double-hung windows and covering them up with something that would prevent the paint from being pulverized.
Why should Syracuse University students care about this crisis?
SL: Students are in the reproductive ages and presumably within 10 to 15 years many of the students who are undergraduates will eventually become parents. This is something to know about. And students are taxpayers, or they will become taxpayers. Our tax dollars pay for this not being fixed. Our research team showed in 2008—so it is more expensive now—that the City of Syracuse pays a half a million dollars a year just to cope with the lead poisoning of the children. And that doesn’t even count future earnings lost.
The other thing is that Syracuse City School District has a terrible problem. Their third-graders in 2018, right before the pandemic so we are not talking about pandemic times, only 23% of children were reading at or above grade level. And, we know that lead poisoning is a risk factor for senile dementia. So, it’s kind of like through the lifespan. Childhood lead poisoning under the age of 3 can change a person’s life from almost cradle to grave.
As members of the Syracuse University community and therefore members of the city, do you think students owe it to the greater Syracuse community to actively work to combat this crisis?
SL: I have faith in my students. I have found that your generation of students are incredibly idealistic and really wants to help people. And lead poisoning is something that has its tentacles in so many public health and social problems… If we fix lead poisoning, we would be a lot better off as a society. We would be able to spend money, instead of on violence and other things, we would spend more money on education. And the education we did spend money on would be more successful. And we have known about the problems of lead for well over 100 years.
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Here are some positive affirmations you can use:
“I am confident in myself and my abilities;”
“My talents make me valuable and unique;”
“I trust myself always;”
“I respect myself by taking care of myself whenever I need it;”
“I am doing my best every day;”
“I believe in my dreams;”
“I love myself for who I am” and:
“The best is yet to come.”
You can also explore positive affirmations more on TikTok.
For more information:
Oprah Daily: 40 Positive Affirmations to Add to Your Daily Rotation.
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Psychology Today: Self-Care: 12 Ways to Take Better Care of Yourself.
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Making smart, educated choices when purchasing beauty products can help to prevent these negative health effects. You can do so by:
making sure to check all the ingredients on the labels of products and doing research on products before purchasing them;
using fewer products or choosing products with fewer ingredients;
being wary of products that claim they are “pure,” “organic” or “natural,” as there is no legal backup for these claims and such a claim does not automatically make them safer and;
using products that have organic certification or certification with a recognized organization that promotes nontoxic products.
For more information:
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Partial list of whole grains:
Barley
Oats (including oatmeal)
Wild and brown rice
Buckwheat
Whole rye
Whole wheat
Millet
Farro
Quinoa
Popcorn
For more information:
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If any of the following statements resonate with your backpack use, it’s likely you are carrying too much weight on your shoulders:
You have red marks on your shoulder after carrying your backpack;
You grunt when putting your backpack on or taking it off;
You have a tingling feeling in one or both arms when wearing your backpack and;
You have achiness or pain in your back.
When you put on a heavy backpack or wear it the wrong way, the weight can force you to lean in unnatural ways. You compensate for this by leaning forward, which can cause issues with balance and posture over time. Heavy backpacks also apply pressure to your shoulders, which, according to KidsHealth.org, forces your spine into an unnatural position and may damage your muscles and joints.
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How to correctly wear and position a backpack.
Always wear both straps rather than throwing the backpack over one shoulder;
Adjust the length of the straps so that the bag is worn at the top of the torso and not hanging below and;
Clip the waist and chest buckle, so the weight rests on the hip bones rather than only the upper body.
For more information:
Symmetry Physical Therapy: How to Properly Wear a Backpack.
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