Healthy You - Fall 2019
Mind, Body, Spirit
Fall 2019, Volume 20, Issue 1
Front Cover:
Staying Fit in a College Environment.
Feeling Lonely? Me Too! Exploring the causes of the loneliness epidemic.
Personal Growth in Friendships: Knowing when it’s time to let go.
Inside Front Cover:
Dean, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics: Diane Lyden Murphy
Senior Associate Vice President Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience: Rob Hradsky
Associate Provost for Academic Programs: Chris Johnson
Editorial Director: Luvenia W. Cowart, Ed.D., R.N.
Student Copy Editor: Cate Willing
Graphic Designer: Amy McVey, Syracuse University Division of Marketing and Communications
Student Editorial Board: Daniela Alsina, Alek Aman, Brooke Breton, Fabryce Fetus, Kinley Gaudette, Nicole Gutierrez, Rachel Jang, Kamryn Kanter, Briseyda Mendoza-Aguayo, Stephanie Pagnozzi, Margaret Rose, Alexis Schneider, Amanda Stanley, Zanai Venable, Gracie Virden
Contributing Writer: Janet Pease, Former Head of Collections and Research Services Syracuse University Libraries
Editing Support: Michele Barrett, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics and George S. Bain
Contact Us: Healthy You Newsmagazine, 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 constructed 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:
1. In the Know. New research in health and wellness.
Mind
2. Mother Nature or Doctor Nature? The benefits of enjoying nature.
3. Social Media: How Much Is Too Much? Know the signs of addiction.
4. Peer Pressure: Think it Through. Managing peer pressure on a college campus.
5. Feeling Lonely? Me Too! Exploring the causes of the loneliness epidemic.
6. Essential Oils: Uses and Benefits. Alternative health methods.
7. Hug Me! How Hugging Can Improve Health. For best results, 12 times a day.
Body
8. Vinyasa and Sun Salutations. The mental and physical benefits of yoga.
9. An Early Start to a Healthy Heart. Adopting early good health habits.
10. Staying Fit in a College Environment. Simple ways to promote fitness.
12. Calling all Vegans, Vegetarians and Pescatarians. Impacting your health and environment.
14. Green Tea: A Drink with Many Benefits. How it reduces rates of diseases.
15. Sunlight: Finding the Perfect Balance. Achieving optimal levels of sunlight exposure.
16. The Nail-Biting Addiction. Saying no to nail-biting.
17. Nailed It! Or Not? Examining the potential risks of gel manicures.
Spirit
21. Personal Growth in Friendships. Knowing when it’s time to let go and why it’s important to do so.
In the Know. New research in health and wellness
By Janet Pease, Former Head of Collections and Research Services, Syracuse University Libraries
Use the 60/60 Rule to Prevent Hearing Loss!
The World Health Organization estimates that 1 billion young people worldwide could be at risk of hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices. Recommendations for prevention from the Mayo Clinic include following the 60/60 rule—keeping the volume at no more than 60 percent of the maximum and listening for no more than 60 minutes before taking a break. The clinic also recommends using over-the-ear headphones instead of earbuds because headphones keep the sound further away from the eardrum and muffle background noises so it may not be necessary to listen at the maximum volume.
Source: mayoclinic.com
Take 5 for a Mental Boost
According to results of a research study involving college students, participants assigned to spend just five minutes sitting on a bench outside experienced an increase in positive emotions, while study participants assigned to an indoor location did not experience any change. Surprisingly, researchers also found that increasing the time spent outdoors to 15 minutes did not magnify the positive emotional effect.
Source: Journal of Positive Psychology
Handwashing—Better than Hand Sanitizer in Flu Prevention
In a study published in the journal mSphere, Japanese researchers found that washing hands under running water (even without soap!) was more effective than hand sanitizer in stopping the spread of flu germs. According to Dr. Ryohei Hirose, co-author of the study, wet mucus surrounding the flu virus protects it to a much stronger degree than expected, preventing the ethanol-based hand sanitizer from reaching the germs to kill them. But the rubbing action of hands under running water removes the mucus and washes away the virus.
Source: healthline.com
Mother Nature or Doctor Nature?
By Amanda Stanley, First-year student, Public Health, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics
After a heated argument, a lot of people are told to go “take a walk,” which is usually meant as a criticism. But these critics don’t realize is that going for a walk is beneficial. People who feel stressed often go to see a therapist or go to the gym. They have other options. Instead of spending money and time on therapy visits, just stepping outside into nature reduces stress, anxiety and depression.
Every day college students are faced with extreme amounts of pressure; each student may handle their mental health differently. One way to improve mental health is to go outside, or bring the outside indoors. While shopping for dorm decor, we rarely decide to pick out a plant. According to the University of Minnesota’s Center for Spirituality and Healing, “Research done in hospitals, offices and schools has found that even a simple plant in a room can have a significant impact on stress and anxiety.” A plant’s presence has a big impact on one’s mental health.
When people turn to therapy to help improve their mental state, they could spend a lot of money weekly, which is not feasible for most college students. Going out into nature for just a short amount of time can have just as big of an impact as going to therapy. No matter what it is, most people will jump at the opportunity to get anything for free, but when it comes to nature people forget its value. Tori Rodriguez writes in Psychiatry Advisor, “With the vast range of therapeutic tools and techniques at our disposal, mental health practitioners often overlook a key resource that has a multitude of mental, emotional and cognitive benefits, is generally accessible to most people and doesn’t cost a thing: the great outdoors.”
Walking around campus works for Jaime Gartenberg ’23. “After I finish hours of homework in my dorm room, going outside for a walk to the dining hall is a good way for me to clear my head,” she says.
Our beautiful Syracuse University campus offers so many spots to spend time outside: plenty of trees to sit under and do work, plenty of benches to eat lunch with a friend, plenty of open grass on the Quad to just chill alone. Many S.U. clubs also involve being outside. Setting time aside to do these simple things in nature will reduce levels of stress, anxiety and depression that are common among college students.
For More Information:
University of Minnesota: How Does Nature Impact Our Wellbeing?
Psychiatry Advisor: The Mental Health Benefits of Nature Exposure
Social Media: How Much Is Too Much?
By Stephanie Pagnozzi, First-year student, Public Health, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics
College students find comfort in the easygoing nature of social media to escape face-to-face interactions. It has come to the point that it’s normal to constantly have your phone on you. Students and adolescents even face a lot of issues from older generations who don’t understand this is now the normal method of communication.