Posts filed under 'Health'
Is this what your Monday looks like?
Ours does, too.
If you’re a college-bound student, chances are that most days feel like Mondays to you. But since today is Monday, we think you should give yourself a break and join us at 4PM ET today on Twitter for our weekly #collegebound chat. Yes, we’re there most Mondays at 4, but today’s even more special, because we’ll be talking about the things that STRESS OUT OUT. More importantly, we’ll also be discussing ways to combat the stress that doesn’t involve harming stuffed animals or joining a fight club. See you then!
–The CollegeBound Network
November 7th, 2011
We’ve got some chilly, rainy weather here in New York City this week, which makes it even harder for kids to go back to school this week. Not to mention their parents, many of whom are returning to work feeling dejected that carefree summer days are over.
Whether you call it a case of the Mondays (even on a Tuesday!), the back-to-school blahs, or the post-vacation blues, as Melissa Beck at The Wall Street Journal does, it all adds up to the same thing: Going back to a regular, often stressful routine can be a real downer.
For college students, September has enough ups and downs to rival some theme park roller coasters. And as exciting as campus life seems back when they first receive their acceptance letters, many students just can’t get into the swing of things come the fall. Homesickness might be partly to blame, as is seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which, according to Beck’s article, affects about six percent of Americans.
When do the post-vacation blues cross the line into something more serious? Take a look at Beck’s list of symptoms:
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Unexplained weight loss or gain
- Lack of personal hygiene
- Disinterest in pleasurable activities
- Marked loss of energy
- Difficulty concentrating
- Persistent feelings of worthlessness
- Depressed mood most days for at least two weeks
Do any of these apply to you? If so, it couldn’t hurt to talk to someone. Counseling services are available on campus; all you have to do is call or stop in to make an appointment. There are many students on campuses all across the country who talk to a counselor on a regular basis to help them deal with everything from chronic homesickness to stress to relationship woes. Many times, just voicing your concerns or your troubles is enough to make you feel better, so don’t be afraid to seek out help when you need it.
–Barbara Bellesi
September 6th, 2011
My college dorm room kitchen was in the basement and most often used by international students craving a taste of home. I was scared of the oven, barely able to make a grilled cheese, and loved eating out, which easily fit into my hectic schedule.
But one of my college roommates was confident about cooking and enjoyed whipping up her own meals at school in that basement kitchen and even in our microwave and toaster oven. I was so envious of her cooking abilities! While I relied on takeout that continued my bad eating habits, she would unload fresh veggies and other groceries to make a healthy meal for herself, such as vegetable soup and yummy chicken dishes.
While dining halls have vastly improved over the years and are offering much more health-conscious fare, a skill that would be great for you to take to college is knowing how to cook.
It’s a new year, and often the time when people try to lose weight. Even if you don’t have any pounds to shed, think about the bonding you could experience with your parents or other relatives by joining them in the kitchen, especially if it seems like all your family eats is takeout these days.
Even if you don’t know how to use a can opener, don’t be discouraged. If you can master even a couple of recipes, it will help you in the fall by saving money and creating a home-cooked meal (made by you!) at school. Knowing how to cook also can impress other students – imagine starting off the school year by hosting a party in your dorm room with some fun food.
Cooking at college can be a point of pride for some students – my roommate even remembers how it attributed to her love of cooking now. One student I know posted a picture on Facebook after she made a pizza with a whole-wheat crust purchased from a local grocery store.
Some schools even offer cooking classes for students. College of the Holy Cross, in Worcester, Mass., has “Cooking with Angelo,” where students learn essentials in the kitchen from Angelo Berti, a chef at the school since 1992.
There’s also plenty of cookbooks that you can take to school – or look up recipes online – to help you find some favorite dishes that you can make yourself. Some of the books, like The Healthy College Cookbook, offer students’ tried and true recipes.
Want to get started? Here’s a quick and unique recipe with a cute name to try (excerpted from The Healthy College Cookbook by Alexandra Nimetz, Jason Stanley, Sarah Emeline Starr, and Rachel Holcomb; used with permission from Storey Publishing):
Quiche-adilla
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients
1-2 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves, minced½ medium onion, chopped
½ bell pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
1 (10-oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 tomato, chopped
Salt
Freshly ground bell pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes
2 eggs
2 whole-wheat tortillas
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions
1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, and red pepper, if using, and sauté until the onion is translucent.
2. Add the spinach and continue to cook until the spinach is heated through and most of the liquid has evaporated.
3. Add the chopped tomato and cook until most of the moisture has evaporated; season with salt, pepper, and red pepper fakes to taste.
4. Remove all but about 1 cup of the spinach mixture and store in a separate container (for other uses; see below). Crack the eggs into the remaining spinach mixture and scramble.
5. In a separate skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil. Add 1 tortilla and top with the spinach and egg mixture, a layer of mozzarella, and the other tortilla. Cook until browned on the bottom, then flip and cook until browned on the other side. Serve warm.
Nutrition per serving
Calories 375
Fat 17 g
Fiber 8 g
Protein 18 g
Carbohydrates 38 g
January 11th, 2011
Sometimes the same skills you need to succeed in school can be used to fight fat, especially what’s known as the Freshman 15.
Those extra pounds that students pack on start as early as the first year in college (although it may not be just 15 pounds!). If you’re not careful, those pounds can add up due to factors such as stress, late-night eating, and not having the time to exercise.
It takes dedication, hard work, and motivation – three keys to success for good students, too – to keep your weight from ballooning out of control.
Spring is almost here, and it is the perfect to make exercising a habit. The weather is warm enough to exercise outside (even in the Northeast!) and fitness centers sometimes offer extra classes for students wanting to get in shape for the summer.
Here are 10 ideas to consider:
1. Join a boot camp. Boot camps offered by local gyms or personal trainers are a hardcore workout that will whip your body into shape. Although it’s an extra cost – sometimes $200 or more – for the sessions that meet every day or every other day, the boot camps I’ve attended attracted college students who needed something to motivate them to get out of bed in the morning and work out before a hectic day of classes.
2. Work towards a goal. Get a group of friends together from your dorm and sign up for a 10K, half marathon, or any kind of race or triathlon. You’ll avoid weight gain and can create long-lasting friendships. If you pick a race in a different city, that’ll be a great road trip!
3. Walk more. Chances are, you’ve found shortcuts to get around your large campus. Ditch the shortcuts–walk to your classes instead of riding the campus bus and take the stairs instead of the elevator. You’ll burn more calories without even realizing it.
4. Sign up for an intramural sports team. Colleges have a variety of options and fun activities like kickball and dodgeball, so you’ll laugh while you lose.
5. Go dancing. Schools have ballroom dancing clubs, salsa clubs, step dancing clubs, dance teams, and options that will allow you to sneak in some exercise.
6. Achieve balance. Sit on a stability ball while doing homework. You’ll still get your work done, but you’ll be challenging your muscles, especially those pesky abs.
7. Don’t binge drink. An average drink or cocktail has about 150 calories, and it only takes 3,500 calories to gain a pound. If you have five drinks over a weekend, that’s an extra 750 calories.
8. Plan ahead. Decide what type of food you want to eat before you head into the dining hall. That way, you won’t be overwhelmed by the options. Eat a piece or fruit or a salad before anything else–by filling up on the healthy options, you’ll have less room for the high-fat stuff.
9. Resist sodas. Carry around a bottle of water so you won’t be tempted to buy a soda or high-calorie coffee drink.
10. Get rest. Studies have shown that a lack of sleep can lead to weight gain. For example, when sleep was restricted for men, their desire for high-carb food shot up by 45 percent.
—Lori Johnston. Additional reporting by Melanie Turner.
March 8th, 2010
If you feel bad about the few pounds you might gain from all the good food you’ll be eating over the holiday season, think how the students at Lincoln University might feel.
All students with a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or higher at this Pennsylvania college are required to complete a fitness course before they are eligible to graduate. Lincoln, a historically black university, has made this decision based on research that shows high rates of obesity and diabetes among black people. The campus mandate is effective immediately—which means overweight seniors have just one more semester in which to take the class in question.
According to the Lincolnian, the campus newspaper, students are not too pleased that the administration is taking such a strong stance when it comes to their health. A campus poll indicates that 3 out of 4 students are against using body weight as a factor for graduation.
Granted, Lincoln University is not requiring its students to achieve a certain BMI for graduation; the administration is simply making them take a class that will help them combat obesity. But as any college student knows well—particularly graduating seniors—there are enough requirements already for graduation, and this new one might cause conflicts in class scheduling.
What do you think—is Lincoln University right in its concern for its students, or is it overstepping its bounds and discriminating against the obese? Weigh in on the matter with a comment below.
–Barbara Bellesi
November 24th, 2009
Students could be getting the shaft in health care reform.
The bill approved earlier this week by the Senate Finance Committee has some people, including the American College Health Association, worried that it leaves out college-sponsored student health insurance plans. The ACHA says the bill’s language is unclear and ambiguous about how the college-sponsored plans should be treated.
The group has asked Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), the committee’s chairman, to make clear that nothing in the proposed legislation is intended to preclude or inhibit the continuance of those student health insurance plans and that colleges will retain the ability to mandate comprehensive coverage levels for their students.
If not, it says 9 million college students could be impacted.
Some college students I know are dealing with the swine flu, seasonal flu, or other illnesses that threaten to keep them away from classes or add to the stress of writing papers and studying for exams. Some experiencing sickness at school for the first time have the extra frustration of figuring out if they have insurance, what it covers, and where they can seek treatment.
While we wait to see what happens with health care reform and the impact on students, go ahead and investigate what your insurance situation is like now, or what you may need to do if entering college next year.
• Check if your school offers insurance plans for students at subsidized rates. Data shows that 71 percent of four-year private schools and 82 percent of four-year public institutions offer student insurance plans, according to a March 2008 Government Accountability Office report. You may already be paying for insurance, but take a look at the plan before you seek treatment from a doctor that may not be covered and incur a big expense. Those plans typically cover treatment at a university health center.
• Ask if you are covered as a dependent under your parents’ health plan.
You may have certain requirements to fulfill, in terms of credit hours. And the plan may not cover certain physicians in the town in which you are attending school.
• See if your employer offers health insurance. This could depend on the number of hours you work or your time on the job, but it could be a smart option to get affordable coverage.
College and university students comprise about 10-12 percent of the nation’s 45.7 million uninsured U.S. residents, according to a report by Aetna Student Health using GAO data. About 37 percent of uninsured young adults were carrying medical debt, as of 2007 data.
There’s enough financial pressure during college to have to worry about mammoth doctor’s and hospital bills as well. We’ll have to see what changes health care reform brings about, but there are ways to pursue getting coverage until then.
–Lori Johnston
October 15th, 2009
With their close quarters and high population density, as well as some students’ rebelliously unhygienic ways, college campuses are popular breeding grounds for disease and viruses. Combine all this with the fact that many students regularly travel abroad – whether for spring break or study abroad programs – and you’ll understand why college administrators sit up and take notice when talk of a global pandemic looms.
The latest cause for concern is H1N1 (swine flu). Originating in Mexico, this virus has a little over 200 confirmed cases across the nation with one incidence of death. College administrators have taken notice, especially considering the amount of schools that have study abroad programs in Mexico, and have begun taking action to inform students about the virus and protect them in whatever ways they can.
If you’re curious about what colleges have had reported H1N1 cases, or how they’re reacting to the virus, you can check out the International Association of Emergency Managers-Universities and Colleges Committee’s online map or this article from Inside Higher Ed.
– Genevieve M. Blaber
May 4th, 2009
What do you get when you invite more than 100 college students to Capitol Hill? A chance to strengthen the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease.
Earlier this month, student leaders from the top 100 campuses competing in the ONE Campus Challenge (OCC) came together for the Power 100 Summit, hosted by ONE, a global advocacy and campaigning organization. OCC is a nationwide competition among colleges and universities where students earn points by engaging in social activism.
The elite three-day conference consisted of speakers and workshops at George Washington University campus and culminated with a lobby day on Capitol Hill. Students were joined by members of Congress and leaders of international organizations such as Oxfam and the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
One of the activities in the jam-packed conference included a screening of “Sons of Lwala,” a documentary that tells the story of two brothers, Milton and Fred Ochieng’, and their community’s efforts to bring health care to the small, rural village of Lwala, Kenya. Students were able to talk directly with the brothers after the film:
“We know personally the devastation of disease, and we know the tremendous power of people coming together to do something about it,” said Milton Ochieng’.
With the education and training they received at the conference, student leaders deepened their understanding of extreme poverty and preventable diseases like AIDS and malaria and acquired skills to be more effective advocates on their campuses. The goal is for them to return to their campuses energized and ready to engage other students in new ways, utilizing the ideas, relationships, and techniques they learned at the summit.
But can college students really make a difference in something as broad as global poverty? ER’s Dr. Greene believes they can:
“College students have tremendous energy and creativity to bring to the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease,” said actor Anthony Edwards, board chairman of Shoe4Africa, an organization that specializes in creating unique health initiatives and promotes AIDS awareness.
That vote of confidence was echoed by model and designer Lauren Bush:
“We believe that students have incredible transformational power to create widespread awareness of global diseases and extreme poverty,” added Lauren Bush, co-founder of the FEED Project, which raises money to alleviate hunger through the World Food Program. “Small actions, done by lots of people, can make the world a better place, and that’s what these students are doing.”
Click here to learn more about the ONE Campus Challenge and Power 100 Summit.
– Robyn Tellefsen
February 18th, 2009
Kermit the Frog used to say, “It’s not easy being green,” but at college it’s not easy staying in the pink of health!
Living miles away from home can spur some students into adopting unhealthy
lifestyles; sleeping becomes an option, the food pyramid becomes a polite suggestion, and instead of taking time to relax students are either partying or holed up in the library completing another 10-page term paper.
If you’re interested in staying healthy — and how could you not be? — you’ll have to take the steps to get there. That’s why we’ve compiled three basic tips for creating a healthy environment in college:
Get some shut-eye. While seven to eight hours is the recommended amount of sleep for a college student, you may find that your body requires more or less. The key is to find out how much sleep you really need and devise a schedule that’ll allow for it on a consistent basis. Try getting to sleep and waking up at the same time — whether it’s the weekend or weekday.
Eat right. A pizza or burger may be a go-to meal but that doesn’t make it a good hunger solution. Try prepping healthy meals in advance and bring brain-boosting snacks, like fruits or nuts, to lecture.
Learn to relax. While assignments will always be there and party invites will never stop coming, it’s a good idea to step away from the typical college experience for some rest and relaxation of your own. Take a long walk or join a sports club — you’ll both reduce your stress and increase your energy level.
For more info on staying healthy in college, check out the CollegeBound Network’s tips for fending and winning against college bugs.
– Genevieve M. Blaber
February 6th, 2008
