STUDENT
TRAVELCARD MAGAZINE
>>>Trinity Students Union ban Coca-C ola
>>>Find out how our Student Trav elcard Member lost a stone in just 6 week s >>>Learn how to Avoid the Flu
<<<Discover how to eat your RDA of W ater >>>Summer Music Festivals 2014
ions | Special Offers tit pe m Co | t or pp Su | e vic Ad | s Tip
TrinityBANS
Trinity bans the sale of all Coca Cola and Proctor & Gamble Products in the Students’ Union Shop over their sponsorship of the Winter Olympics in Russia. The decision to implement this ban was in response to Russia’s anti gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender laws. Russia recently approved legislation banning “homosexual propaganda”. The legislation criminalises the distribution of information about homosexuality and gay rights to minors under 18. The new law introduces fines for individuals and media groups who disobey this law. Although the Students’ Union know that this ban won’t make a huge economical difference to these major corporations, they feel that it will send out ‘a strong message…of solidarity to the lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender community in Russia’ and they have had a ‘positive response from the LGBT societies and organisations throughout the country‘ said Leanna, Communications Officer with TCDSU. TCDSU held their first protest outside the Russian Embassy, Wednesday 5 February, just before the opening ceremony of the Sochi Winter Olympics. A second protest is set to be held at a later date, with the venue to be confirmed.
For more information go to their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ events/582601918483034/
ETICKETING >>>Electronic Ticketing on Dublin
Dublin Bus Rambler Tickets are now available on your Student Travel Leapcard. Both 5 Day Ramber Student tickets â&#x201A;Ź20.00 and 30 Day Rambler Student tickets â&#x201A;Ź100.00 are now available on your Leapcard. If you have purchased a Student Rambler Leap card, you validate on the right hand side when you get on the bus, the same way you validate a paper Rambler ticket. How do I get the ticket? To avail of the ticket, all you have to do is present your Student Travelcard to a sales assistant and they will load the ticket electronically to your card. How do I use the Rambler ticket on my Leap card? You use the electronic card the exact same way you use the paper ticket. Simply hold your card on the validator on the right hand side as you enter the bus. You can check how many days you have left to use by checking the screen on the validator. What if I have loaded a Rambler ticket onto my Student Leap Card, but I want to use pay-as-you go fares instead? If you have travel credit on your card, you can ask the bus driver for a single fare instead of using your rambler ticket.
Load your Student Rambler 30 or 5 Day Tickets onto your Student Travelcard
Bus
l l e W t a E
r e t a w r u o y t a e o t w o H > >>
Our bodies are made up of 70% water. Our brains are 90% water. So it’s only natural that our bodies should need water to function correctly. Without it, we are prone to dehydration which can cause fatigue, cravings, headaches, dry skin, hunger and tonnes of other less than comfortable conditions, such as constipation or muscle cramps. There are so many benefits to drinking water. It increases energy by hydrating your brain. It promotes weight loss by keeping cravings and hunger pangs at bay. It removes harmful toxins from the body via sweat and urination. Water naturally moisturises your skin, keeping it looking fresh, young and healthy. It aids digestion, preventing constipation and other digestive problems. It boosts your immune system and fights sicknesses like the flu or even cancer. It prevents muscle pain by keeping the muscles more elastic and lubricating the joints. Furthermore, it relieves headaches, migraines and even back pains, which are often caused by dehydration. Most importantly, it puts you in a good mood. When your body feels at its best and your brain feels hydrated, it’s only natural that your mood will get a little lift too. Yes, our bodies need water, probably more than anything else. But sometimes it can be difficult to drink glass after glass of a tasteless drink. If only there was a way to take in water without having to sip it all day long… Well there is.
There are many delicious foods that are literally bursting with H2O. Fruit and vegetables are an excellent way to get your recommended daily water intake. It all seems so much easier when you know you can eat a slice of your favourite melon instead of gulping down that glass of liquid. A tasty salad will keep you more hydrated than that boring glass of H2O you’ll never drink. And when studying for exams or taking in information or for concentration in general, it’s so important that our brains are hydrated so we can perform to the best of our academic ability.
By Jessica Thompson
Tomato: Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad. A little extra wisdom is knowing that it is made up of 94% water. Put it in your salad (but not the fruit one). Pears: A delicious addition to any lunch box, pears are bursting with 92% water, making them a juicy snack for between lectures.
So without further ado, here is a list of foods that have wonderfully high water content. Watermelon: This is one of my favourite fruits to drink. Watermelon is deliciously sweet and refreshing, and best of all; it’s made up of 96% water! Cucumber: Delicious in a summer salad, cucumbers contain 96% water and also provide a crunchy, tasty, delicious bite to any sandwich. Celery: Those celery sticks dipped in hummus are a better snack than you thought. With 95% water, this vegetable is sure to keep you hydrated while also satisfying a hunger pang. Pineapple: One of my favourite fruits, pineapple is made up of 95% water and is the perfect snack and a refreshing pick-me-up.
Grapefruit: Many people eat this watery fruit for breakfast, most commonly when trying to lose weight. There’s some method to the madness though, as it contains 90% water and is an excellent start to a healthy day. Melon: I’ve already mentioned watermelon has 96% water. It is therefore in a league of its own, way above all other melons. But if watermelon isn’t your cup of tea (or indeed water), you’re in luck. Other melons contain 89% water and are still more than excellent when it comes to taking in your recommended H2O. There’s bound to be at least one of the above fruits or vegetables that is to your taste, and if there is, pounce on it and eat (and drink) it to your heart’s content.
Blueberries: Great for eye health (which is important for those hours spent looking at essays on a laptop screen), and delicious when mixed with low fat, natural yogurt and a handful of other berries, blueberries contain 95% water and tonnes of vitamins. Lettuce: Salad is a delicious way to up your water intake, and with crisp, refreshing lettuce that contains 95% water, it’s an excellent substitute to a glass of water – especially when mixed with cucumber and celery!
TOPTIP
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Festivals2014
It may be hard to believe just yet, but summer is coming, and only a few months down the line. So to get you over those January blues, start planning your summer! Here is a quick guide for up and coming festivals this summer in Ireland, the UK and Europe. Kickstarting the summer from May 29th to June 1st this year is the Rory Gallagher festival. Besides being relatively affordable, this tribute to the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best guitarist held in Ballyshannon has much to offer for those into music, particularly rock and roll. So if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re up for trying something a bit different, give it a go! Anyone looking for that special festival experience, the atmosphere, the people, the music, short the kind of experience you will remember for the rest of your life, should certainly look into the Body and Soul festival held during late June. Created as an alternative to mainstream festivals it has become increasingly popular, maybe just because it was not meant to be for just anyone. Experience and atmosphere seem more important than big acts and just as the name suggests, there is a certain degree of well-being and relaxation involved for all visitors. Coming into July one of Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most amazing, well known and biggest festivals can be found in Belgium, in the town Boom. Tomorrowland, held for 9 days from July 18th to July 27th, promises to be an unforgettable celebration of its 10th birthday. The line-up is yet to be revealed, however anyone thinking about going should join the waiting list early, as tickets can be very hard to get.
>>>A Quick Guide to your Summe
r
By Lisa Penski
Along the same lines as Tomorrowland, Sziget is an electro, techno, house, dance, a bit of mainstream and charts oriented festival held in Budapest from August 11th to August 18th. Tickets are affordable as far as festivals go, plus Budapest itself is a great and cheap travel destination. A trip to Sziget could be combined with a holiday in Budapest, one of the largest, and in summer hottest cities in the EU. Oxygen is held during the August bank holiday weekend. You all know the deal, whether you used to love it or hate it, Oxygen may still hold a lot to offer, and not just for leaving certs and first years. Many things have been said about Oxygen, both good and bad, however it remains Ireland’s biggest and most popular music festival. From August 22nd to August 24th Leeds Festival takes place in Yorkshire, this summer’s headliners are Blink-182, well known to anyone following the punk-pop rock scene. Well worth a visit for anyone into pop, rock, and punk-rock music.
Finally rounding up the summer with a festival known by probably everyone in Ireland, Electric Picnic on the last weekend in August should not be missed by anyone who loves electro, house, techno, and drum and bass, you get the gist. Though the line-up has not yet been revealed, it is already promising to be one of the UK’s and Irelands best festivals of the year, after making the final 10 at Europe’s Festival Awards 2013.
HAVEFUN
Hopefully this list of festivals will take your mind off the short, dark days and gloomy moods January brings with it. Take your pick, start planning your summer, every holiday is a chance to meet new people, experience something new or just have fun!
FITNESS This month’s fitness article will concentrate on the barriers that may stand in the way of you achieving you fitness goals.
fatigue kick in at the last second as they catch the very last hurdle and trip before the finish? There are dozens of factors that will influence how that race will end.
Imagine an Olympic 110M hurdles race with 10 hurdles that each athlete has to overcome to finish the race. Each of these athletes who have trained for hours upon hours for pretty much every day of their whole lives to run this race are now faced with these hurdles which could ruin their race at any given time if their timing or their speed or their concentration is only marginally off. Will they hit the first one and start the race slow or will
For those of you who are taking up a new fitness and healthy eating plan this New Year there will be hurdles and barriers along the way. The question is how you overcome them, how you get over them without getting tripped up. To go from a sedentary (Not exercising) individual to someone who exercises regularly and actually enjoys exercise is not an easy task and I can assure you more people fail at this task than those who are successful. This failure however is usually because of one of the following reasons;
1) I don’t want to be fit. I’m ok the way I am – This is an emotional weakness and usually the sign of self denial, pretending everything is ok when actually its not. 2) I don’t have enough time to exercise – A good exercise session that can boost energy levels, fitness levels, burn fat and leave you feeling good can only take 2 minutes a day. I don’t know anyone who can not commit to 20 minutes a day. 3) I’m too young to worry about being unhealthy – Talk to your elders those who have suffered at the hands of heart disease, diabetes and other lifestyle related diseases and ask them what their attitude was when they were young? 4) My friends and family live the same way as me and don’t put on weight – unfortunately we will all eventually suffer ill health as a result o poor lifestyles not just those who gain weight. 5) I’m always to tired to exercise – Exercise has been scientifically proven to increase energy levels, decrease stress and anxiety and increase quality of sleep. 6) I’m too lazy to prepare good meals – This is an indication that you are not lazy but that you don’t care enough about yourself to eat well.
7) Its too expensive to start a fitness program – This one really bugs me !!! There are 1000’s of FREE online fitness programs, fitness apps, workout DVD’s that you can do at home. Gym membership now a days can be as little as €1 per day and offer you a wide variety of different fitness disciplines. 8) I’m too old to start exercising now – As we age we increase our risk of developing lifestyle related diseases and we decrease our metabolic rate. Therefore the requirement for exercise increases and the right type of exercise is vital for older adults. 9) I’m only going to live once – Yes that’s true and its never going to change. More the reason why one should look after themselves and live a life full of energy where you feel good every day, where you feel confident and not guilty for enjoying the good things in life every now and then. 10) I’m afraid of not succeeding – Yes there is always the chance you wont succeed but you have to start somewhere, you have to try get over those hurdles because once you do I know you will feel twice the person you are now.
>>>Remember Jenny our lifestyle tra nsformation Well let me tell you how she’s getting on…
past who work hard when they are with you, but then scratch themselves when they’re on their own, Jenny is quite the opposite.
Firstly she has now become part of the machinery at The Fitness Bay.J The sessions she has done with Dan and Rachel have been second to none. Aside from what she does in her Personal Training sessions, she works incredibly hard by herself and with other members in the gym. Compared to other clients I have had in the
Name Jenny Ranson
participant?
Here are her stats over the past 6 weeks bare in mind 2 of these weeks where over the Christmas period which is always a difficult time to say no to all those treats.
Week
Height (M)
Weight (Kg)
1 2 3 4 5 6
1.55 1.55 1.55 1.55 1.55 1.55
113.4 111.2 109.7 109.2 107.9 107
Loss (Kg)
BMI
% Fat 50.52
2.2 1.5 0.5 1.3 0.82
47.20083 46.28512 45.66077 45.45265 44.91155 44.53694
48.8 48.1 47.1
What you can see from the start she is losing weight consistently, she is losing the right amount of weight on a regular basis and has already lost 1 stone since starting with us. She is an inspiration to others even at this early stage. She has shown huge increases in strength, endurance and most importantly her confidence to train hard in a gym has grown massively. The results are well deserved as she has followed the right guidelines from both myself and Laura from Act of Nutrition to exercise well and eat well. Check out the pics from our last PT session J
STEP UP
PUSH PRESS
DEADLIFT
RIP 60 - LAT PULL
BACK SQUAT
Dan Fagan, Sports Scientist and Personal Trainer. Find out more at The FitnessBay.ie
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AvoidColds Winter may be pretty much over but this is still the worst time for coughs and colds. The weather is still cold and it’s Ireland, so chances are it’s raining right now. There’s nothing worse than being stuck in a lecture hall or a small classroom or a library that’s simply crawling with germs. People are coughing and sneezing and blowing their noses left right and centre and you’re thinking “there’s no way I’ll get out of here without a cold”. The chances of picking up germs in environments like these paired with the cold weather and the rain that could leave you sitting in wet clothes until after college mean the odds of you catching a cold are extremely high.
But there are certain measures you could take to avoid getting a cold. Get your Greens: According to a study by the Babraham Institute in Cambridge, eating plenty of leafy green vegetables can significantly boost your immune system. These vegetables contain certain food chemicals that ensure the white blood cells in the body can effectively fight infection. Cabbage and bacon has never looked so good! On the topic of food, try to avoid sugary foods as these can make your immune system a bit slow and sluggish.
Drink Plenty of Water: Keeping hydrated is essential for fighting colds and flu because it reduces symptoms such as sore throats and a stuffy nose. Furthermore, water helps your body to assimilate nutrients, converting food into energy. Water also helps your body to flush out toxins and impurities. If you’re not crazy about drinking two litres a day, though, check out my article on ‘How to eat your water’. Take your Vitamins: It’s important to take high quality vitamin and mineral supplements every day if you want to keep your health up. Vitamin C has long been praised as the go-to supplement when you have a cold and it’s true that boosting yourself up with this vitamin will help a lot. But it’s also important to take other vitamins such as Vitamin D, which is also important for boosting the immune system. While Vitamin C can be found in a lot of foods, Vitamin D comes from the sun. In the winter months, as you’ve probably noticed, there’s a lot less sun than we’d like so it’s important to take a good Vitamin D supplement. Also, a good probiotic can reduce the length of a cold by up to two days! Try eating a pro-biotic yogurt regularly if you don’t want to take the capsule version. Get some Sleep: Our bodies recharge and recover while we sleep, so it’s important to get a decent kip every night – you’ll wake up feeling refreshed and much better. If falling asleep is difficult for you, try switching off all laptops, phones, televisions and other electrical distractions and read a book or relax. Darkness is important for good sleep as it promotes the production of melatonin – a hormone that aids sleep.
>>>How to avoid the dreaded cold By Jessica Thompson
Spice things up: Curries and spicy foods have been known to get the nose running. This is great if you’ve got a cold as it helps to remove the bug from your system. Cayenne pepper contains an active ingredient called capsaicin which thins the mucus in your nasal passages. Garlic is also great for killing infections. Why not add some spices to soups or other dinner dishes for a cold-busting, tummy-warming meal? Exercise: If you’ve already caught a cold, moving is the last thing you’ll want to do. But getting in 30 minutes of moderate exercise is great for sweating out bugs. Exercise boosts your metabolism and helps your body to fight disease. Even a 30 minute walk is beneficial. It helps you to get some fresh air and the movement will release endorphins, boosting your mood and helping you to feel happier. Stay Positive: And speaking of feeling happier, it’s important to be optimistic. Your mental state helps your physical state so pessimism or depression directly affects the hormones produced by our bodies. Chemicals such as cortisol, which are released when we’re feeling low, depress the immune system, so stay positive and cheer yourself up however you can.
STAYCLEAN
Wash your hands be fore eating or touc hing your face. If you shake ha nds with someone w ho has a cold, or touch somet hing that has been to uc hed by someone who has a cold, there’s a stro ng chance you’ll catch their co ld. Your eyes, nose an d mouth are the easiest plac es for germs to get in , so avoid touching those parts of your face especia lly. Also, it’s a good idea to stay at least three feet away from someone who is coughing and snee zing.
I see an adventure in your future this Summer. Student Plus Account Holders Talk to any of our staff today about financing your trip abroad this year. For travel tips and your chance to win some great travel prizes, join THE FUTURE PROJECT today. Drop into any branch â&#x20AC;˘ 1890 788 336 â&#x20AC;˘ www.aib.ie/students
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29/10/2013 15:34
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