April 2015 Health Bulletins

	Ask the Doc Dr. Pierre-Paul Tellier is Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Director of Student Health Services at McGill University in Quebec.

How can I deal with Irritable Bowel Syndrome at school or work?
—Amanda M., Memorial University of Newfoundland

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common chronic intestinal disorder than can be quite disruptive to your everyday activities. Managing it is sometimes difficult.

What is IBS?
According to the American College of Gastroenterology, IBS is recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort at least three days per month in the last three months, with two or more of the following:

• You feel better after a bowel movement.
• The onset of your symptoms involved a change in frequency of bowel movements.
• The onset of your symptoms involved a change in the appearance of your stool.

IBS can present with constipation, diarrhea, or both.  

It’s a diagnosis of exclusion. This means that other medical problems need to be eliminated before a person is diagnosed with IBS. Therefore if you have these symptoms, whether new or old, seek medical advice: Don’t just assume it’s IBS. 

Avoiding certain foods
Eliminate certain foods from your diet for a week or two and see if your symptoms improve. You may want to re-add the foods and see if the symptoms return, to rule out a coincidence. The culprits can include gas-producing foods, foods containing lactose, sugars, gluten, and fibre. There is no good evidence that avoiding certain foods works for everyone.  Nonetheless, it won’t hurt to try, and you may find it helps.

Managing your symptoms
Again, there is no perfect treatment. Try taking probiotics, adding more fibre to your diet, and increasing your physical activity.

To manage individual symptoms:

• For abdominal cramps, use an anti-spasmodic.
• For constipation, try a mild laxative.
• For diarrhea, try an anti-diarrheal agent.

In conclusion: IBS is a chronic problem that can be difficult to manage. A more serious medical problem needs to be excluded. If you’re diagnosed with IBS, you may have to try a variety of treatments before finding one that works. Be patient and don’t give up.

	Ask the Trainer Frankie Romeo is a certified personal trainer, small group training coach, and graduate student at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee

How can I stay motivated and keep going to the gym even during exams or busy weeks?
—Joseph W., Clemson University, South Carolina

Going to the gym can be tough when you’re not so motivated, especially during busy weeks with exams to study for and assignments to complete. I know—I’ve been there. Let me share three tried and true strategies that will help you stay dedicated to your fitness goals at times like this.

1. Complete a task early
Start your day with a small crossword puzzle, devotional, or even a simple chore. Completing a task in the morning, whatever it may be, can get you in an accomplishment mindset and motivate you for the rest of the day. 

2. Have a plan
The more uncertainties you’re dealing with, the more you’re likely to skip a workout. Make a concrete schedule. Know exactly when you’re going to the gym, what you’ll be doing there, and how long you’ll be there. Block off those times on your calendar. This will allow you to focus on each exercise rather than how much time you’ll have left for studying.

3. Minimize social media
It might seem daunting, but hear me out. Use Facebook only to check notifications. Use Instagram only to post photos. Use Twitter only to tweet. So, what can’t you do? You can’t check the newsfeeds. Scrolling through endless status updates and photos is what keeps us glued to our phones for hours a day. Take this away and suddenly you have extra time on your hands.

Don’t let the rigor of college keep you from accomplishing your fitness goals. Implementing strategies like these is simple. All it takes is a start!

	Ask the Nutritionist Karen Moses, director of wellness and health promotion at Arizona State University in Phoenix.

How can I incorporate more fresh vegetables and fruits into my diet without spending a lot of money?
—Koby M., Carroll College, Montana

There are many ways to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables without breaking the bank. It’s well worth it, both for your current well-being and your long-term health. The cost of several servings a day cost be offset by reducing other not-so-healthy or not-so-essential choices.

Eat food, don’t toss it
To avoid excess cost, make sure you use the food you purchase. Don’t let it turn to mush.

• Choose produce that has a longer shelf life.  Apples, carrots, and broccoli will keep longer than pears, lettuce, and spinach. 
• Buy only what you will eat in a few days to a week. Many items won’t keep longer than a week. 
• Eat it raw when first purchased. Later in the week, when they lose their crispness, stir-fry or steam vegetables.
• Freeze fruit into bite-sized pieces to use in smoothies.

Shop for the best prices
Select items that are in season. They typically sell at a lower price.

• Some stores sell “old” produce at a discount. Sometimes the discounted produce is just a day or two older than the display produce, and can still make a good salad or stir-fry. Check your local market.
• Shop sales and give your business to the grocer that offers the best prices.
• Avoid specialty or convenience stores, which often sell produce more expensively than grocery stores.

Prepare food yourself
A homemade salad or vegetable soup is more cost-effective than a prepared item from a deli or restaurant. Consider whether you have the time and resources to make your own.  It will save you some money while allowing you to eat more greens.

Balance your budget
Getting the healthful benefits from fruits and vegetables is worth a few trade-offs.

• Do you regularly purchase drinks from your local coffee shop? Specialty espresso drinks can cost $3.00–5.00. Do you buy a drink with your meal when eating out? A large drink can run you $2.00–3.00. Think about exchanging the cost of a drink for the cost of the fruits and vegetables you plan to purchase.  
• Do you ever stop at a vending machine or convenience store to purchase a snack? Think about leaving off the candy bars and chips in exchange for an apple, banana, or bag of carrots. This could save you money.

Consider the cost of organic 
Organic produce is more costly than conventionally grown produce. If organic is important to you, but you can’t afford it, be selective.  Whenever possible, choose organic for the products that contain the most pesticide residue (as determined by the Environmental Working Group):

• Apples
• Celery
• Strawberries
• Peaches
• Spinach
• Imported nectarines
• Imported grapes
• Sweet bell peppers
• Potatoes
• Domestic blueberries
• Lettuce
• Kale/collard greens

Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce by the Environmental Working Group

	Ask the relationship educator Dr. Rick Hanson is a licensed psychologist and the director of the counseling center at Rockhurst University in Missouri.

How can I break up with someone amicably?
—Janie F.,* Florida International University

No reasonable person enjoys breaking up. It is often uncomfortable, awkward, and painful.  Navigating breakups in a way that is respectful and honours the other person is not easy. There are several things you should consider:

Avoid electronic breakups
Ending a relationship can be hard, but avoid taking the easy way out. If the goal is to end the relationship on good terms, then skip the text message and certainly don’t announce it over social media. Honour yourself and the other person by having that difficult conversation in person.

Avoid blaming the other person
Many people behave badly during a breakup. Now is not the time to air your frustrations or point out what would have kept you in the relationship. The other person might become defensive and plead for more time since they now know what you want.

Own your decision and actions
Sure the other person contributed to the situation, but you are the one who decided to end it. You are not asking if it is OK to break up, or if the other person agrees with your ideas. Be clear about why the relationship isn’t working for you (without blame).

Avoid insulting or demeaning the other person
If the breakup is happening immediately after something painful, like a fight or discovering that your partner hooked up with someone, it is easy to want to lash out. In anger, we want to even the score and hurt the other person. This is understandable, but it is unlikely to lead to a friendly parting of ways.

Be calm and respectful
Take some time to think through what you want to say and how you think the other person might respond. Choose a setting where you can talk openly, but also easily leave when you are done. Going out to dinner to break up can lead to an awkward ride home.

Avoid patronizing or trying to help them adjust
Pointing out the other person’s good qualities and positive future is rarely comforting at times like this. Let other friends, or professionals, step in and help them transition. 

Make a clean break
At some point in the future you may be friends again, but in the short term, step back and avoid ongoing personal or electronic communication. Consider reviving the friendship only when neither of you is trying to light the old flame.

Know your networking needs

By Amber Harding with Brandy Reeves

The richest people in the world look for networks, and everyone else looks for work—or so it’s been said. Networking can help you find a job, a leadership position, an on-campus research opportunity, and more. But what is networking? The concept seems both obvious and abstract. And how should you do it?

What is networking?
Networking is interacting with others to exchange information and contacts. The most successful networkers build genuine relationships and give more than they receive.

Be warned: People can sense desperation a mile away. If you enter a situation with only one goal in mind (making a connection you can later use to your advantage), people will know.

Networking tips

• Network before you need a network. Set the groundwork early with professors, supervisors (in jobs and internships), and other professionals on campus.
• Don’t focus on your personal agenda.
• Treat everyone respectfully. If you think someone is “just” a clerk or assistant, you risk getting a reputation for acting entitled.
• Make two meaningful connections each semester. If you do that, you’ll have a bunch of contacts by the time you graduate.
• Keep in touch! Be sure to keep in touch with your network: Ask what’s new with them and share your updates. Your contacts will remember you and can help make connections if something comes up.
• Start building your profile on LinkedIn, and develop it through your student career by adding projects and relevant experiences.

Need more advice? These resources can help improve your networking skills.

• http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/career-advice/how-to-network-the-right-way/article17436855/
  
• http://students.ubc.ca/career/resources/networking
  
• http://www.randstad.ca/finding_jobs/ctVideo/successful-networking.aspx

Young Canadians reinvent spirituality and religion

By Amber Harding with Brandy Reeves

Young adults in Canada are increasingly likely to identify with more than one religious or spiritual tradition. One in five college and university students who responded to a recent Student Health 101 survey considered themselves multifaith, meaning they embrace a blend of religious and spiritual influences.

In most cases, the students complemented Christianity with Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, First Nations practices, or another tradition “I was raised Christian but was introduced to Buddhism in high school. I think no matter what religion you are, you should try to live a good life and make choices that please you, so that is what I do. I accept all other religious views and enjoy learning about them,” says Renee B., a third-year student at Trent University in Ontario.

• Nearly 1 in 4 Canadians reported that they identified with no specific religion in 2011, up from a mere four percent in 1971, according to the 2011 General Social Survey.
• However, 1 in 3 of those indicated that some kind of spiritual or religious beliefs were influential in their lives.
• About 1 in 5 religiously unaffiliated Canadians practice individual prayer, meditation, or worship in other ways at least once a month.

Canadians’ increasing familiarity with minority religions is due partly to the rise of interfaith relationships: Nearly 1 in 5 unions, defined as marriages or common-law unions, involve a couple of different religious backgrounds, according to an analysis of the 2002 Ethnic Diversity Survey.

The three most common blendings in our student survey:

• Judaism-Christianity: The Hebrew Bible shares many sources with the Christian Bible. The two religions have similar theology on some points, including the legitimacy of Biblical prophets, belief in angels and demons, and worship of the God of Abraham.
• Buddhism-Christianity: Buddhism’s meditation practices can help Christians find greater satisfaction in prayer. Buddhism allows flexibility of belief, so
  Buddhists can draw from Christian moral teachings.
• Muslim-Christianity: Christianity and Islam have different scriptures, with Islam following the teachings of the Quar’an and Christianity those of the Bible, but both texts offer an account of the life and works of Jesus.

World Health Day

April 7, 2015 is World Health Day, a global awareness day sponsored by the World Health Organization. This year’s theme is food safety.

Why food safety?
Two million people die due to unsafe food every year, according to the World Health Organization. Harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, and chemical substances from food put us at risk for more than 200 diseases. The more globalized our food supply becomes, the more emphasis we must put on food safety and the systems that create it.

How to celebrate
Refrain from poisoning yourself in the kitchen.

Use the World Health Organization’s five keys to safer food:

1. Cleanliness
2. Separation of raw and cooked food. Keep your hamburger meat away from your sautéed onions. They’ll meet on the bun later.
3. Fully cooked food. No one likes a nugget that’s still clucking.
4. Food kept at proper temperatures.
5. Use of safe, clean water and raw materials. If you wouldn’t drink it, don’t put your food in it.  

For more information, check out these resources.