Health Bulletins, June 2011
FitnessU
This month’s workout video focuses on developing lower-body strength.
Exercises for a good lower-body workout:
Alternate jumping jacks with body squats. So you do one jumping jack then one body squat. Repeat this 20 times for five sets.
––Chris, North Georgia College & State University, Dahlonega
A good lower-body workout is to run/jog. I usually walk half a mile, run a mile, and then walk another half mile. After that I do lunges along the long part of the track and do side squats along the curves of the track. This is what works best for me!
––Alyssa, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb
Running for 15 minutes then 30 lunges, repeat 4 times.
–– Callie, University of Missouri, Columbia
To get a great lower-body workout, try lying down straight on the floor with your hands by your sides. Lift legs up for three counts then snap them down for one count. Continue lifting the legs up for three counts and snapping them down for one. Do this at least eight times.
––Erica, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb
The UCookbook
Here are some favorite student recipes for meals without cooking.
Apple Rollup
Honey and peanut butter spread on a tortilla and rolled up with apples in the middle. Yum!
––Stephanie, University of Florida, Gainesville
Spinach Salad
Spinach leaves, cut up strawberries, sliced almonds, and poppy seed dressing. Delicious!
––Kira, University of Florida, Gainesville
Fruit Salad
Combine strawberries, watermelon, red grapes, and raspberries in a large bowl. Sprinkle on-the-go raspberry tea powder onto the fruits and mix everything in the bowl. Put it in the fridge and enjoy!!
–– Rochelle, The University of Iowa, Iowa City
Black Bean Salsa
Mix one can of black beans, one can of corn, one chopped up tomato, 1/4 cup chopped up cilantro, one diced onion, and 1/4 cup of vinegar. Mix it all up and serve cold.
––Chris, North Georgia College & State University, Dahlonega
Chicken Salad
One can of cooked chicken, about 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, 3 tbsp dijon mustard, 2 tbsp sweet relish, and a pinch of salt. It's fantastic on top of spinach or in a wrap.
–– Georgianna, University of Georgia, Athens
Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwich
Spread 2 tbsp of natural peanut butter or almond butter and 1 tsp of honey on 2 slices of whole wheat bread.
–– Callie, University of Missouri, Columbia
Simple Greek Salad
All you do is chop up as much lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and green onions as you want and throw them in a bowl. Crumble feta cheese on top along with some croutons and peperoncinis. For the dressing, mix 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp salt, and a 1/2 tbsp of oregano in a bowl. Drizzle over the veggies and enjoy!
—Alyssa, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb
Corn-Bean Salsa-Salad
I make a salsa-salad of corn, various types of beans, hominy, fresh chopped onion, cilantro, and diced tomatoes. I add a small amount of low-fat Italian dressing and mix it all together. I use this for salsa with chips or as a salad topping.
—Jackie, University of Iowa, Iowa City
Turkey Hummus Sandwich
If you want a protein-rich meal, try the following simple recipe: A turkey sandwich with hummus. Use a healthy bread such as wheat bread and pack on as many slices of cold turkey and as much hummus as you want. You can throw in some vegetables such as lettuce and tomatoes to give the sandwich more nutrients.
—Rakeen, Boston College
Ask the Doc
Dr. P. Davis Smith, medical director at Wesleyan University’s Davison Health Center, answers questions submitted by our readers.
I have been having constant stomachaches, often associated with eating, that cause gas and bloating and overall discomfort. I've looked up the symptoms and think I may have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). What are some things I can do to reduce the effects of this without extremely changing my lifestyle/eating habits?
—Rebecca, University of Denver
Rebecca,
Im sorry about your misbehaving guts. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common complaint in college health and primary care in general, afflicting an estimated 10-15% of the population. Most of my patients who have it gradually become more accustomed to it and less bothered by it over time. In fact, I think one of the most effective treatments is to tell yourself: I know that this is just my IBS acting up, and Iím not going to let it bother me.
The classic symptoms of IBS are crampy, low abdominal pain relieved by bowel movements; constipation or loose stools or alternating periods of one then the other; and the urge to have a bowel movement with only gas or mucous resulting. Current diagnostic guidelines simplify this to chronic abdominal pain and altered bowel habits. Symptoms similar to these may also be caused by celiac disease, lactose intolerance, infections such as Giardia, bacterial overgrowth, Crohnís disease, or Ulcerative Colitis.
Students returning from travel to developing countries, especially if they had a diarrheal illness during their trip, may develop IBS. Others tell me they never had a problem until they came to campus. Some only report problems when eating dining hall food, while others have symptoms at restaurants or at home. Most people do find they are more able to control symptoms when they are cooking for themselves.
Some people can identify certain triggers for their IBS, especially foods. Because fatty foods are common triggers and lactose intolerance a common co-factor, ice cream frequently gives people trouble. Poorly digestible vegetables such as raw broccoli may worsen symptoms as may fats used in some cooking sprays or institutional foods. I caution certain of my patients, however, to not get carried away with food restrictions. Better to have rumbly guts than live on a hopelessly bland diet. Some medications can help some people some of the time. I use them as adjuncts to other interventions.
Stress management is the center point of IBS treatment. I always push exercise as a way to improve quality of life. Adequate sleep is important, too. Mindfulness practices such as meditation and yoga can only help. Most of all, I try to encourage patients not to worry too much about it. Once we've established that they're not losing weight, not anemic, and not otherwise suffering serious medical consequences, I encourage them to direct their attention elsewhere and dismiss their symptoms as much as possible. Some people have migraines, I tell them, some have neck pain. You carry your stress in your colon. You have to control it rather than let it control you.
Save a Life in 15 Minutes
Fifteen minutes is the average amount of time it takes to give blood, and on June 14—World Blood Donor Day—the World Health Organization encourages everyone to become “life savers” and start volunteering to donate blood on a regular basis. To find out where you can give blood in your area, call the American Red Cross at 1-800-GIVELIFE, or for its website, CLICK HERE. To find out more about blood donation in general, CLICK HERE.
Make a Difference This Summer
Although some deadlines to join volunteer programs have passed, there are still many opportunities to give your time to a worthy cause this summer. For last-minute programs abroad through OneWorld365, CLICK HERE. To find out about environmental cleanup projects in your community through EarthCorps, CLICK HERE. Also, to check out United We Serve, a nationwide service initiative that helps meet growing social needs resulting from the economic downturn, CLICK HERE.
Love Hurts: Breaking Up May Cause Physical Pain
New research led by Edward Smith, a cognitive neuroscientist at Columbia University in New York City, suggests that rejection by a romantic partner activates regions of the brain related to physical pain. Scientists took MRI scans of the brains of 40 subjects who had been “dumped” in the last six months and found that the same areas of the brain related to physical aches were stimulated. To read about how to handle summer love, CLICK HERE.
Get in the Swim
Swimming not only cools you off in the heat of summer, it is one of the best forms of exercise. Swimming gives a full-body workout—it tones almost every major muscle group; it improves your cardiovascular health; it promotes flexibility; and it’s easy on the joints and bones. If you want to really kick things up a few notches, look into triathlon competitions, which incorporate swimming, biking, and running. For information for beginner triathletes, CLICK HERE.