By By Tina Romito
Coming to a place with no home-cooked meals, new people and new germs can be scary, especially if the only one in charge is you.
There are many thing students can do to stay healthy throughout the semester.
For students who dorm on-campus, there is the issue of either living with someone else or sharing facilities, like the bathroom, with a group of people. It’s imperative to maintain a clean living environment because germs don’t have a living preference.
“Living with new people you become exposed to new germs,” Maureen Houck, director of the Health and Wellness Center, said. “Just like your first day of nursery school.”
Remember to keep a safe distance when roommates or classmates are sick. Not only will keeping the dorm and bathroom clean help ensure a healthy semester, but also an organized one.
We all know it is very difficult to go to class, work, do homework, have social time, sleep time and actually grab something to eat in between the madness.
“It is tough to learn how to balance school work and social life, all while staying organized and on top of everything else,” Scott Fiesinger, a junior marketing major, said. “Eventually each person gets into their own routine and learnes what works for them.”
Try to avoid the “Freshman 15” by staying away from convenient foods like snacks found in vending machines. When eating a meal isn’t an option for a few hours, bring an apple, carrots or any other fruit or snack veggie to class and work to munch on. These healthy snacks can count as one of the five servings a day of fruit and vegetables that is recommended by The National Cancer Institute.
“As an incoming freshman I took my time to organize a schedule,” Jared Coggan, a senior public relations major, said. “That included a well-balanced diet, use of the recreational and athletic facilities, as well as many extra curricular activities to steer me from gaining the well known “Freshman 15”
The USDA updated their food pyramid by devising an online, interactive pyramid that changes based on the information each individual enters. The pyramid is no longer one size fits all. Try it out at the My Pyramid Web site (www.mypyramid.gov), to get a customized daily diet.
Sleep and stress are two issues that go hand-in-hand. Stress can cause insomnia, while lack of sleep can cause stress, both affect health.
Many students are capable of functioning on only four hours of sleep most days, yet that isn’t recommended for someone who is juggling many tasks.
Dr. James Maas, a professor of psychology at Cornell University and author of Power Sleep, said college students need 9.25 hours of sleep each night. Cognitive and physical performances are affected by the amount of sleep a person does or doesn’t receive.
“It’s more common for people to burn the candle at both ends, and even in the middle,” Houck said when asked about the stress students inflict upon themselves.
According to the stress and health Web site (www.stress-and-health.com), “stress is the physical expression of our ‘Fight or Flight’ survival mechanisms.” Stress is performing its job when it triggers our senses for a threatening or tense situation in which a physical action must be performed, like running away or helping someone in an emergency. This type of stress is called “acute stress.”
Yet, when stress responses occur because of situations regarding school, work and everyday irritating occurrences, that’s when it is referred to as “chronic stress.” This type of stress keeps the body alert constantly, which negatively affects health. Stress causes cortisol (the hormone that controls waking and sleeping) to rise and may also cause insomnia. Over time, health is weakened due to imbalances of cortisol and other stress-related hormones in the body.
“Prevention is the best medicine,” echoed Houck.
Making sure you are proactive in your health in all ways possible is important. Vitamin intake is vital to maintain the immune system and other pertinent body functions. Brian Martinez, manager of the Hicksville Vitamin World, recommends a few major vitamins for college students.
First and foremost, Martinez said multi-vitamins are good for anyone, especially college students.
“It [multi-vitamin] covers things like immune system, brain function, stress and energy,” he said. “Which are the big things that students are worried about.”
He recommended another vitamin called Neuro PS, that students may want to take, which contains phosphatidylserine to stimulate brain function and memory. In stores besides Vitamin World, the actual vitamin may be named something different, but will still contain phosphatidylserine.
When asked about the herb, Echinacea, Martinez said Echinacea and Vitamin C are both good to take as immune system upkeep. Vitamin C also helps prevent stress levels from increasing. While Vitamin C can be taken on a daily basis, Echinacea is only meant to be taken in moderation. Basically, you should start taking it the moment you begin to feel worn out or have a cold. The longest amount of time Echinacea should be taken is three consecutive weeks. The human body will become immune to it if there is a constant intake of the herb.
Based on results of archaeological digs, Echinacea is an all natural herb that may have been used by Native Americans for about 400 years to treat infections and wounds.
If all these prevention mechanisms fail, then you should visit the Health and Wellness Center you should go. At the Wellness Center, there are nurses that can diagnose you and write out prescriptions. This service is part of your tuition; so don’t hesitate to use it. Stay focused, healthy, and enjoy the semester.