Healthy You - Spring 2020

Mind, Body, Spirit

Spring 2020, Volume 20, Issue 2

Front Cover

Is the Best Diet No Diet? The Ups, Downs and Dangers of Fad Dieting

Team Culture: The benefits of a team environment

One-on-One with Rob Skinner: Trailblazer in sports nutrition

Inside Front Cover:

Dean, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics: Diane Lyden Murphy

Senior Vice President Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience:  M. Dolan Evanovich

Associate Provost for Academic Programs: Chris Johnson

Editorial Director: Luvenia W. Cowart, Ed.D., R.N.

Student Managing Editor: Cate Willing

Graphic Designer: Amy McVey, Syracuse University Marketing and Communications

Student Editorial Board: Brooke Breton, Lily Esteghamati, Kinley Gaudette, Maria Tkacz, Cate Willing

Contributing Authors: David Sly, Associate Director, Falk College Career Services; Jessica Pitcher, Career Advisor, Falk College Career Services; Tajlakim Turner ’19, Falk College; Thy Mai Vu ’20, SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry

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. discover

Mind

2. debt

3. culture

4. mentoring

Body

5. supplements

6. substance

8. breakfast

9. backpack

10. diet

11. sun

12. hiit

14. cosmetics

15. flu

16. std

18. skinner

spirit

20. calm

In The Know: Discover new research in health and wellness

By Cate Willing, Sophomore, Public Health, Falk College

20-Second Rule for Handwashing

By now, the practice of spending at least 20 seconds thoroughly washing your hands to prevent the spread of disease, specifically COVID-19, is engrained in our brains. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, numerous studies have concluded that the average person washing their hands for 20 seconds is effective in reducing the number of illness-causing microbes left on the hands. When it comes to drying your hands, it is best to dry them with a paper towel or use an air dryer. Avoid skipping out on drying your hands because germs can be transferred easier on wet hands compared to dry ones.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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: C.N.N.

Social Distancing

Another important practice to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is social distancing. Social distancing has received mixed definitions in the media and some groups have taken these regulations less strictly than others, but practicing true social distancing is crucial for your safety as well as the safety of those around you. Social distancing is the act of creating deliberate space between yourself and another person. In the case of COVID-19, maintaining a distance of at least 6 feet from your friends, family, and strangers is key in preventing the spread of the virus. While daily adjustments must be made to get through isolation and social distancing, utilizing technology to stay in touch with your loved ones from a distance is a great way to remain social until COVID-19 is eradicated.

Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine

Student Debt: Impacts, Effects and Outcomes

The intersection of student debt and one’s well-being

By Maria Tkacz, Sophomore, Public Health, Falk College

In today’s world, a college degree is a necessity for many jobs that often comes at a steep price. Many Americans find themselves struggling with debt years after earning their degrees. The effects can be not only financial but even mental and physical. The stress associated with affording college is more common than ever among college students. With rising tuition costs, many young people are finding it necessary to plunge themselves and their families into thousands of dollars of debt to afford higher education.

Chelsea Hurd ’19 is one person who experiences the burden of student debt. She is an S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications graduate student getting her master’s degree.

“I try to just focus on my degree and what I’m creating, but graduation is looming and [so is] the stress of finding a job,” she says about her student debt. “My student loans are going to be an added expense. It’s going to be like a second rent, essentially.”

Her position as an instructional associate helps Hurd with financing graduate school, as it covers 40 percent of course credit costs. “That is another thing on my plate, though, because I have students and I have to attend to them.”

Another contributing factor to student debt stress is wondering whether it was all really worth it. “I feel like this is the calm before the storm, honestly,” says Hurd. “I don’t really feel the effects of a college education yet. I don’t even know if I did it right, you know? So that’s another stress, too, just the uncertainty of investing all this money in a career change for me and then I don’t even know if it’s going to pay off yet.”

According to Forbes magazine, student debt has a significant impact on the way people live after college. The loan burden can stop individuals from getting married, buying a home or having children. As troubling as these consequences may be, what do current students experience as a result of student debt?

Studies have shown that carrying a financial burden can lead to various effects on the psyche, many of which can impede one’s college experience. According to Debt.org, these effects can include low self-esteem and impaired cognitive function. People may also experience reduced resilience to mental health issues due to stress. A shortage of money can result in anger, as well as physiological effects, including migraines, heart disease and reduced resistance to infection.

So, what can you do to alleviate your burden both now and in the future? To start, saving is always a good idea, no matter how small. Try using college-friendly budgeting apps—such as Mint, Slice and LearnVest—that link to your bank account and allow you to set a budget and spending limits for day-to-day expenses.

If you are experiencing stress associated with student loans, visit the Barnes Center at The Arch for counseling resources. Twenty-four-hour support can be reached at 315.443.8000, or you can make an appointment with a counselor.

Syracuse offers various University-provided scholarships to aid with tuition costs, as well as merit-based aid. For University scholarships, visit the Syracuse University Scholarships page. The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships provides an extensive list of outside scholarships as well, organized by different majors and categories. You can find it at Syracuse University's Outside Scholarships page.

For More Information:

Debt.org: The Emotional Effects of Debt

Forbes: New Report Finds Student Debt Burden Has 'Disastrous Domino Effect' On Millions Of Americans