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	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 exactly does one become lactose intolerant?”
—Yayra G., Saint Mary’s University, Nova Scotia

What is lactose intolerance?
Let’s first talk about what lactose intolerance means. Lactose is a sugar contained in milk products. It can’t be absorbed from your bowel without first being broken down into smaller molecules. This is done by an enzyme called lactase. People who are lactose intolerant don’t produce enough of this enzyme to break down the lactose.

If you are lactose intolerant, you may experience the following symptoms soon after eating milk products:

• Abdominal cramps
• Gas
• Diarrhea

Why are some people lactose intolerant?
Genetics
One reason for the lack of lactase is due to genetic or familial factors. When this is genetic, using milk substitutes or using lactase tablets may help.

Infections or diseases
Other people can develop lactose intolerance because the inner lining of the small intestine is inflamed and not working at its best.

This happens with:

• Infections
• Giardia (a parasite sometimes found in water or on infected surfaces)
• Certain conditions, such as Crohn’s disease

People with these conditions may regain their tolerance for lactose over time.

Sometimes an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine can cause lactose intolerance. In this case, probiotics may be useful to re-establish the bowel’s ecosystem and get things working normally.

Solutions and substitutes
Lactose intolerance can be a frustrating condition. If you avoid all milk products, be aware of the risk of deficiencies in calcium and Vitamin D. You may use substitutes such as enriched soy milk, almond milk, or coconut milk.  If you are worried about your diet, talk to a health care provider about what you can safely eat.

+ More on lactose

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

“I keep my calories at an appropriate intake; however, I drink a lot of soda. Why is this bad?”
—Amberly T., University of Massachusetts, Amherst

This is a great question. Even if your caloric intake is appropriate, if soft drinks make up a significant proportion of your calories, then you are taking in a lot of empty calories. Empty calories come from foods and drinks that lack nutritional value. 

When you have pop, you’re not getting the nutrients you could get from something else—like the calcium in milk, for example.

Nutrient deficiencies
Since pop gets all its calories from sugar, and sugar lacks vitamins and minerals, it is not a healthy choice. People who consume a lot of empty calories can end up with nutrient deficiencies. To be healthy, it is smart to consume foods and drinks that pack in the most nutrition.

Oral health
Another reason to reduce your consumption of pop is to maintain good oral health.  The phosphoric acid in soft drinks wears down tooth enamel. Combine this with sugar, and it’s a recipe for tooth decay and gum disease. The phosphoric acid can also interfere with the body’s ability to absorb calcium. This can contribute to bone loss and osteoporosis. 

Type-2 diabetes and heart disease
Studies have linked pop consumption to type-2 diabetes and heart disease. Women who drank one or more sugary beverages a day (including soft drinks) were more likely to develop type-2 diabetes than were women who stayed away from those drinks, according to the 2004 Nurses’ Health Study at Harvard Medical School.

What if your diet is otherwise healthy and you’re at a healthy weight? This only slightly reduces the risk associated with sugary beverages, according to a 2010 study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health. (While these associations are interesting and can help inform our choices, it is not yet known whether other factors are involved.)

What’s the alternative?
Should you switch to sugar-free options?  There are potential risks here too. Artificial sweeteners must be approved by Health Canada and deemed safe through research before they can be sold. Even so, there is evidence that these sweeteners can contribute to weight gain, type-2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. 

Based on the evidence, the best option is to drink pop in moderation, if at all.

	Ask the counsellor Sharon Sevier, PhD, LPC, is chair of the board of directors of the American School Counsellor Association.

“When someone betrays me, I have a hard time getting over it. Any tips?”
—S.B.*, University of Victoria, British Columbia

It feels terrible when someone betrays you. It might seem like the relationship is broken forever. How could you ever trust this person again? Before you remove them from your life completely, take a step back.

Get the facts
After you have gotten over the shock of the betrayal:

• Talk with the person (just the two of you) about what happened.
• Your goal is to find out the truth. There might be rumours going around, but you want to hear it straight from this person. 

Take time and get space
Once you get the facts, you may need some distance between you and the other person. It is OK to tell the person that you need time away.

To make some space for yourself, try these simple, effective, ways to change your habits:

• Take a different route to class
• Spend time with other people (for example, sit with your other friends at meals)
• Unfollow this person on social media (this can be temporary)
• The most important thing is to take the time you need to process your emotions and grieve. It can take a while for you to feel you’re back in balance. 

Figuring out what you want next
It’s important to reflect on the betrayal and what has been done to the relationship. This will determine whether you consider re-establishing your friendship or whether you choose to walk away from it. 

Ask yourself these questions:

• Is the other person apologetic? Do they want to make things better?
• Can you move beyond what happened? You don’t need to share your decision; it’s personal and shouldn’t be swayed by anyone else.

Trying to forgive
Forgiveness doesn’t mean acceptance. It’s a very personal act. You are relieving yourself from the anger and hurt, acknowledging what happened, and making your decision about the future of the relationship.

Mind your mind

Finding calm in the chaos

By Dr. Holly Rogers

Your week might look like this:

• Study for Bio exam
• Finish/Start Russian lit essay
• Get to poetry club meeting
• Turn in grad. school applications
• Pick up an extra shift at the library
• Celebrate your roomie’s birthday
• Devour pizza with your study group

Sound familiar? Sometimes the demands can be relentless, making you feel like you wouldn’t know how to relax even if you had the time. To keep it together, we may need to cut back on our commitments. But there is another way:

#JobProb

The leading skill for your career—and how to get it

Whichever year of college or university you’re entering, it’s not too soon to be thinking about how to position yourself for the job market you’ll face after graduation. The Job Prob, our monthly series, shows you how to use your post-secondary years to build the skills, practical experience, and networks that will help you thrive professionally

In this installment, we explore leadership: why employers look for it, what it means for your career, and how to develop relevant skills.

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Contributor spotlight

Darius Rovere is a third-year undergraduate majoring in Nursing at St. Clair College, Ontario; Student Health 101 Student Advisory Board 2015–16.

For this issue, Darius reviewed SleepBot, an app designed to help us all get the hang of the nights. Check out the article: Drained? How to sync your sleep and life.

What’s the deal with the SH101 Student Advisory Board?
“I joined so I can share my knowledge on the body, nutrition, and ways of maintaining a healthy life and preventing disease. I’ve learned so much as a nursing student and want to be able to help others who are trying to help themselves.”

Best productivity tip 
”I am a firm believer that your mental and physical health having a direct affect on each other. I love coffee and I spend outrageous amounts of money on it each month, but it is worth it because it makes me happy.”

Student reporter internship
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Student advisory board
Selected students from our diverse community of readers help shape SH101 content.
+ 2015 – 16 Student Advisory Board