Healthy You - Fall 2020

Mind, Body, Spirit.

Fall 2020, Volume 20, Issue 1.

Front Cover:

Staying Connected:

How telemedicine counseling has kept providers and patients together during the pandemic.

Wastewater Surveillance at Syracuse University:

The Facts Sitting down with epidemiologists and professors David Larsen and Brittany Kmush.

Health Hubs at Syracuse University:

Exploring health and wellness resources.

Credits:

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

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

Associate Provost for Academic Affairs: Chris Johnson.

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

Student Managing Editor: Cate Willing.

Graphic Designer: Bob Wonders Executive Art.

Student Editorial Board: Ben Abelson, Katy Arons, Halle Clark, Connor Eason, Kinley Gaudette, Carrie Goldberg, Sydney Hill, Brooke Kirchner, Siya Kumar, Riley Lucas, Adam Ni, Kaylee Nieves, Nicole Pulido, Anjali Sharma, Cate Willing.

Contributing Authors: Janet Pease Former Head of Collection and Research Services for Syracuse University Libraries, and Renata Husted ‘17, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.

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 NY 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.

Syracuse University has paused residential learning. These articles were written prior to this decision and reflect an on-campus residential environment.

Contents:

In the Know: New research in health and wellness.

Mind:

Public Health Faculty Spotlight: Sitting down with public health professor Bernard Appiah.

How to Manage Stress in College: Exploring meditation and mindfulness techniques.

Navigating the Transition to College: Planning is Key! The value o f planning and time management.

Social Distancing vs. Social Isolation: How to combat isolation during the pandemic.

Stress Relief Through Yoga: Exploring the benefits of yoga.

Self-Care: Me Time! The importance of allocating time for self-care.

Staying Connected: How telemedicine counseling connects providers and patients during the pandemic.

Coping with Decision Fatigue: What should I wear today? Should I work out after class? What do I want to eat for lunch?

Body:

Health Hubs at Syracuse University: Exploring health and wellness resources.

Maintaining a Healthy Routine During COVID-19: Ways to stay active at home.

Wastewater Surveillance at Syracuse University: The Facts Sitting down with epidemiologists and professors David Larsen and Brittany Kmush.

Intuitive Eating: Breaking Down Diet Culture Listening and responding to your body.

Prolonged Computer Use: Dangers, and solutions through stretching.

E-cigarette and COVID-19: A Double Whammy. The negative health effects of e-cigarette usage with COVID-19.

Natural as a Lifestyle: Natural ingredients vs. synthetic products.

The Whole Truth About Whole Grains: Understanding the value of eating whole grains.

Spirit:

Creating a Sense of Community Through Volunteerism: A Syracuse student’s experience.

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

By Cate Willing & Kaylee Nieves, Public Health Students at David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.

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, where the flu vaccine is available to all members of the University. See the patient portal for scheduling information. 

Source: Harvard Medical School.

Loneliness during a pandemic:

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it a whirlwind of physical and mental health issues. Months of isolation have put many individuals in uncomfortable positions where they are lacking physical touch and social interactions. According to The New York Times, the lack of interaction with others can lead to “touch deprivation, which can lead to health issues like anxiety and depressions.” While widespread physical connections and touch may be long on the horizon, there are ways to simulate touch within your body at home. To cope with touch deprivation, researchers encourage activities like yoga, massages and using weighted blankets to simulate those touch responses in the brain.

Source: The New York Times.

Upcoming holiday season and COVID-19:

As the fall season speeds by, traditionally large family and friend-related holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas are approaching. While these celebrations are generally defined by their crowds of family members traveling from different places and large buffet-style meals, the coronavirus pandemic may have other styles of celebration in mind. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has many recommendations to lessen the risk of COVID-19 transmission and advises against any high-risk transmission activities. One of main elements in staying safe while celebrating is recognizing the community level spread of COVID-19: “Higher levels of COVID-19 cases and community spread in the gathering location, as well as where the attendees are coming from, increase the risk of infection and spread among attendees,” says the CDC. Implementing preventive measures, if community risk is not too high—like gathering outside, using disposable and individually package dish-ware, wearing masks and social distancing—is still crucial during the holidays and will help to prevent spreading coronavirus to your family and your community.

Source: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Holiday Guidelines.

Mind:

Public Health Faculty Spotlight: Sitting down with public health professor Bernard Appiah.

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

Bernard Appiah, a new assistant professor of public health in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, embodies what it means to have a passion for education, in every sense of the phrase. 

Appiah grew up in a small village in Ghana, a place so small that he says it is indistinguishable on a map. Appiah was the youngest of five children born to his mother and father. His interest in education stems in part from his father, an original communications expert. 

In his village, with a population of about 1,000, Appiah’s father was known as the ‘‘town crier.’’ In this role, also known as the gong-gong beater, Appiah’s father was tasked with spreading news and information across the community. He received information regarding issues such as agriculture, health and vaccines and passed on the news to the rural dwellers. The crier used vocal communication to relay the message. This original form of communication, or reporting, interested Appiah and has stuck with him in his pursuits of communications fields, specifically science journalism. 

Appiah applied his interest in journalism to his position as the editor of the magazine produced by the Ghana Pharmaceutical Students Association at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana where studied pharmacy. 

Although Appiah has studied a variety of technical sciences, his original love for communication always shines through. “Communication just won’t leave me alone,” he says. 

The timeline of Appiah’s pursuit of higher education can seem intense. He completed two master’s degrees, one in science and technology journalism and another in development communication in the same year, followed three years later by completing a doctorate in public health with a concentration in health promotion and community health sciences. These accomplishments, while numerous, were manageable by Appiah, whose nickname in high school was “Aristotle,” after the Greek philosopher. 

Appiah says he is “a very big outlier,” compared to the traditional trajectory of people in his small village. He was the only one of his family to attend high school and the first in his village to attend university, let alone to receive two master’s degrees and a doctorate of public health.