Healthy You - Fall 2022

mind, body, spirit

FALL 2022 VOL. 23 ISSUE 1

Front Cover:

Am I More Than My GPA?: Exploring the influence of academic validation on well-being.

Inside Front Cover:

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

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

Student Managing Editor: Kinley Gaudette ’23.

Graphic Designer: Bob Wonders, Executive Art.

Student Editorial Board: Luke Anderson, Oluwatomisin Cardozo, Delaney Cummings, Lachlan Doust, Shelby Fenton, Jette Halevi, Osayamen Igbinedion, Saiyara Islam, Benning Johnson, Sophie Katz, Amanda Kosta,

Kamile Kralikaite, Hunter Kusak, Sophie Lauzon, Kylie Range, Olivia Ray, Summer Rosenberg

Contributing Authors: Fabryce Fetus ’23, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics; Amanda Stanley ’23, 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

Mother Nature or Doctor Nature? The benefits of enjoying nature

Am I More than My GPA? Exploring the influence of academic validation on well-being

’Cuse to Career: Where to Begin Your Career Planning

Fun in the Sun: ABCDE Skin Checks for Melanoma Prevention: Know the dangers of sun exposure and how to prevent melanoma

What You Need to Know about Snail Mucin: Facts about this trendy new skin care product

Cross-Cultural Cuisines and Nutrition: Expanding your palate to improve your health

From Schine to Shaw: Your Guide to Meal Plans on Campus

Nail-Biting Addiction: Saying no to nail-biting

Easier than A-B-C: Exploring the Consequences of Paying with One Tap: Contactless payment has risks and benefits

Fighting the Winter Blues on a Snowy Campus: Coping with mood changes and seasonal depression

Improving Social and Spiritual Well-Being through Meditation: Exploring the benefits of group versus individual meditation

Missing Your Pet? Check Out Pet Therapy with the Barnes Center at The Arch: Examining the benefits of pet therapy on campus

LGBTQ+ Resources at Syracuse University

The Dangers of Restrictive Eating in Athletics: Examining the harmful effects of certain diet practices

Physical Wellness 101: Ways to care for your body as a college student

In The Know

By Shelby Fenton ’26 and Kinley Gaudette ’23

Yoga's Impact on Stress

Stress is a part of the inevitable, especially for college students. However, dealing with the anxiety of everyday life may be easier than you think. The New York Times suggests yoga as an effective way to step away from everyday stressors by “regulating the nervous system, specifically the autonomic nervous system and its response to stress.” Many people hearing about yoga associate it with meditation, but this is not always the case. “While relaxed forms of yoga are helpful, improving your ability to return to a calm state after stress requires a well- toned nervous system that is resilient” says The New York Times. By varying the types of yoga practiced, an individual can broaden their nervous system’s ability to regulate stress levels and, in turn, generate a more balanced sense of self. Resources and videos online are set up to allow yoga to be done from anywhere at any time. Simply look up any style of yoga, and tutorials will guide you through each movement. Additionally, the Barnes Center at The Arch offers yoga classes to students who may be looking for a way to regulate stress or stay active. The Barnes Center is open to all and is designed to help students unplug from their fast-paced lives.

For more information on how to sign up for classes, visit the Barnes Center. 

Source: New York Times

Why Sleep?

Beauty sleep may be more important than students think. Whether it be an essay due at midnight or a party on a Thursday, students find a way to stay up. However, “sleep is always one of the biggest pieces of the equation for people to be healthy,” says CNN. Oftentimes individuals think of sleep as an inconvenience, or a pause, in their everyday life. This mindset leads to pushing sleep back and only getting minimal hours of a night’s rest. By regularly doing this, adverse health effects may arise. A study by CNN concluded “short sleep duration in midlife and old age is associated with higher risk of onset of chronic disease and multimorbidity.” It is important to prioritize sleep rather than view it as a waste of time. If you have trouble sleeping, avoid caffeine, alcohol and large meals before bedtime; exercise during the day; and ensure you have a quite dark sleeping arrangement. Your body needs sleep just as much as it needs food and water. By getting your eight hours of sleep, you are reducing health risks for the future and taking care of your body’s needs. Adequate sleep is essential. Do not allow life to get in the way of this necessity.

Source: CNN

Hydrate of Die-drate

Hydrating the body is a critical but often overlooked component of fitness. Regardless of the stage you may be in when it comes to your personal fitness journey, hydration is always necessary, and doing it right can truly change your capacity to perform well. According to sports dietician Leslie Bonci, hydration starts before the workout does. In her article for U.S. News & World Report, she says that you should always begin workouts well hydrated, which you can achieve by eating fruits and veggies or drinking smoothies, in addition to standard practices for drinking enough water. Electrolytes are your friend, as they help prevent cramps during your workout. Sports drinks, salty foods and electrolyte drink mixes are all good ways to boost your electrolyte intake. Bonci also says that it is important you replace all of the fluid lost during physical activity, meaning that if you have a higher intensity workout and/or sweat more heavily, you should drink more immediately after working out. Lastly, you can actually hydrate smarter, not harder, since the body is limited in how much it can absorb within short time spans. Bonci recommends sipping rather than chugging to hydrate consistently. Hydrate or die-drate, as they say, and watch as your strength and endurance improve.

Source: U.S. News & World Report

Mother Nature or Doctor

By Amanda Stanley, Senior, 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 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:

How Does Nature Impact Our Wellbeing

Mental Health Benefits of Nature Exposure

Am I More Than My GPA?

By Shelby Fenton, First-year student, Public Health, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics

It is easy to allow your GPA to define your success. Sometimes, academic stress can even be isolating. It is easy to lose touch with your identity and only draw attention to numbers, grades and academic validation. However, students are more than the grades they receive. Although it may not be easy, students should take care of their minds and generate a balance between social life and academics.

Many students are dealing with a shift in the style of learning that comes with the shift from high school to college.

Matthew Yager, an academic advisor at the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, explains why students deal with this challenge. “If  you think about who is responsible for making you successful in high school, [compared to] who makes you successful in college, there is a shift,” he says. “With multiple priorities, classroom teaching becomes a smaller part of how college professors are evaluated.” 

Professors are assessed based on their research and experience in their field, whereas high school teachers are assessed by their student’s success. So, college is often the first time when students are the only one whose success is reflected by their scores.

What come with this newfound independence are often anxiety and self-doubt. Academic validation becomes an issue for students, causing them to lose sight of the social aspect of college. To create a balance between social life and academics, students must take advantage of opportunities outside of the classroom.

Yager explains the value of social wellness by bringing up Maslow’s theory of self-actualization.

“Social belonging has to be fulfilled first,” he says. In other words, you are more likely to be in good academic standing if you prioritize all aspects of life, including emotional and psychological needs.

Exploring interests outside of the classroom is “how we connect and find our people,” says Yager. Once students branch out, they better self-identify and feel fulfilled in the classroom, rather than constantly striving for academic validation.