Healthy You - Fall 2021

mind, body, spirit

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, 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:

Crystal clear: Students explore mental and social health benefits through crystals.

In The Know: Discover new research in health and wellness.

By Cate Willing, Senior, Public Health, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.

Boosting your immune system:

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.

Incorporating meditation in your routine:

The idea of sitting alone with your thoughts for minutes to hours can be daunting to many, but the practice of meditation can benefit all. Thought to “reduce stress, increase calmness and clarity and promote happiness,” meditation is straightforward and customizable, according to The New York Times. Getting started with meditation is often the hardest part, but learning the basics can help you ease into this mindfulness practice. The first step in meditating is to set intentional time aside to focus on the act. Many apps, podcasts and videos are available on platforms like Spotify and YouTube that can help guide you through your meditation practice. Another type of meditation is walking meditation, which can be a way to ease into the practice for busy-minded individuals. The Barnes Center at The Arch also provides meditation classes and other mindfulness programs. For more information, visit the Barnes Center at The Arch in-person or online.

Source: The New York Times.

Lead poisoning in Syracuse: A conversation with professor of public health and anthropology Sandra Lane.

By Kinley Gaudette, Junior, Public Health, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.

Sandra Lane, Ph.D., MPH, a professor of public health and anthropology at Syracuse University, has been fighting the lead poisoning crisis for decades. Working with student researchers and city officials to develop policy and related interventions that protect the city’s children, she has accumulated extensive knowledge on the topic and shared some insight for students on campus as to why this issue matters and what is next.

Though lead poisoning is thought to be an issue of the past, this crisis still remains, and is especially pervasive in the City of Syracuse, where the percentage of children with elevated blood lead levels greatly exceeds the national average. In 2018, 1 in 5 children had elevated blood lead levels in some lower-income areas, five times the national average. Lead poisoning in children can lead to behavioral problems and learning disabilities, and can damage kidneys, blood and the nervous system. These health problems are lifetime issues that can worsen into adulthood. Lead poisoning is also a risk factor for teen pregnancy, school failure, violence and incarceration. 

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.

We do not have a lead problem in our water in Syracuse. We get water from Skaneateles Lake, and it is healthy water. The lead problem in Syracuse comes predominantly from the underlayers of paint in houses built before 1978 that are not well-maintained. So, in those houses, which are mostly but not all rental properties (some of them are owned) the place that really is causing the most damage to children is the windowsills. Because the lead underlayers of paint pulverizes into powder in the friction surfaces of the windowsills of double-hung windows.

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.