Healthy Living 2016 by Mustang News

Healthy Living

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Editors’ Note By Suha Saya and Kristine Xu As college students, we each have different responsibilities throughout the day, whether that means being a student, working part time or hanging out with friends. For many of us, it may seem like there aren’t enough hours in the day to eat a well balanced meal or simply get a good night’s sleep. We have so much on our plates that it may seem tough to maintain a healthy lifestyle. At the same time, however, Cal Poly is known for being a stereotypically “fit” university — the campus is filled with an extremely health conscious student body and an exercise culture.

For some of us, that might mean putting extra effort into our meal planning to get enough fruits and vegetables into our diets. For others, that might mean taking on the challenge of training for a triathlon. On a campus comprised of students with a variety of backgrounds, interests, majors and personalities, our healthy habits should not only reflect the different ways of being healthy, but in addition, should reflect the different parts of ourselves we can constantly work on. We all can be healthy by relaxing our minds while doing yoga, exercising our hearts with cardio classes or eating nutritious meals to contribute to a healthy body.

Not only do we want to emphasize that it is possible to Though eating healthily and exercising are great ways make time for a healthy lifestyle in our busy schedules, of staying in shape, it’s important to consider a more but in addition, being “healthy” goes beyond going to holistic approach to personal health by paying attenthe gym daily, or maintaining a certain body type. tion to our minds, bodies and diets as a whole. To us, a healthy lifestyle means many different things, Whatever healthy looks like for you, take a look and we want to highlight this diversity of healthiness through the pages of this edition to brainstorm ideas for you. This edition celebrates the different ways that of incorporating healthy living into your lifestyle. students on campus integrate healthy living into their lives, despite their hectic and busy schedules.

Suha Saya 2

Kristine Xu

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Five quick, easy and healthy college recipes By Beth Strutz

Nationally ranked Cal Poly Triathlon Team steps up its game By Rebecca Ezrin

14 Two weeks, 11 classes: A studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experience of the Rec Center By Hannah Benson

PHOTO BY DOMINIK WYCISLO

18 Unifying resources for mental health support By Kristine Xu

Five quick, easy and healthy college recipes By Beth Strutz Eating in college can be surprisingly difficult and stressful. Between trying to budget money and Plu$ Dollars, attempting to keep a little variety in your diet (as appealing as Chick-Fil-A every day may seem at first) and finding time to eat in your busy schedule, the actual nutrition of your diet can quickly fall to the bottom of your priority list. However, with a little bit of research, healthy and easy food isn’t as hard to make as you might think. For these recipes, all you need are some ingredients from Campus Market, a fridge and a microwave.

Kale chips Kale has the reputation of being a super-food for good reason: as a leafy green veggie, kale is packed with iron, which many people lack in their diet. It’s also a great source of fiber, Vitamin A and calcium. Kale might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think “college food,” but with this recipe, all you need is some salt, oil and kale from the Farmer’s Market downtown (or from Campus Market, if it’s in season).

What you need:

Kale Olive oil (or cooking spray) Salt to taste

Instructions:

After washing your kale, trim out the ribs (the spiny centers), and cut the leaves into roughly two-inch strips. Toss the kale strips and olive oil into a bowl until the leaves are lightly but evenly coated (or spray them with oil or cooking spray). Then lay them out evenly on a plate, not overlapping, and microwave for about 4

2-4 minutes or until they’re as crisp as you’d like. Add salt to taste and enjoy.

Healthy Top Ramen Ramen is probably the most popular of all stereotypical college foods, famous for being filling and cheap. Unfortunately, ramen is high in sodium, and linked to health risks like cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis. But, like most foods, it can be OK in moderation. If you are going to treat yo’ self to some ramen, try some of these add-ins to give your body a little something extra.

Peas: Frozen peas or other veggies are easy to add to

a bowl or pot of ramen and can make your meal a little more balanced.

An egg: Long touted as the “perfect protein,” eggs

are relatively cheap, and can give you the protein to keep you going for longer. Plus, they contain essential vitamins and minerals. A great way to add something a little more substantial to your ramen is by scrambling an egg and mixing it into the boiling water as your ramen cooks, stirring well. It adds extra flavor, texture and protein.

Overnight oatmeal jar Breakfast is known for being the easiest meal to skip. But eating a balanced breakfast has been repeatedly shown to have a major impact on memory, attentiveness and test performance. With this easy recipe, you put all the ingredients into a mason jar and let it sit in the fridge overnight. In the morning, you’ll have a sweet and relatively healthy breakfast that’s quick to eat.

PHOTO BY ILIANA ARROYOS

What you need:

One-bowl mac and cheese

Add-ins:

Macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food, but sometimes microwave Kraft just doesn’t cut it. While mac and cheese isn’t exactly a healthy food, this one-bowl recipe for the microwave is full of calcium and protein and is also super filling. And just like ramen, you can add in just about anything to mix it up.

½ cup of old-fashioned oats (not from oatmeal packets) ½ cup milk Mason jar Cinnamon

Flax seeds Berries Maple syrup Brown sugar

Instructions:

Mix the oats and milk in a mason jar, then stir in whatever add-ins you’d like. Oatmeal is naturally pretty savory, but adding syrup and fruit can add some sweetness. Once it’s stirred well, tighten the lid and let it sit in the fridge overnight (for at least seven hours). In the morning, stir, add some more milk if you’d like and grab a spoon to enjoy!

What you need:

½ cup pasta of your choice ½ cup water ¼ cup milk A sprinkle of salt ¼-½ cup shredded cheese (depending on how cheesy you want it) A deep microwave-safe bowl

Add-in suggestions: Frozen veggies Bacon bits

Crumbled kale chips Pieces of lunch meat Herbs

Directions:

Microwave the pasta, salt and water in the bowl for about two minutes, then stir. Be careful, the bowl will be hot! Keep microwaving in two-minute intervals until the pasta is fully cooked. If the water gets fully absorbed, add a couple tablespoons more.

Directions:

Layer in the items that you’ve chosen. You pretty much have complete freedom in this, but it generally works better to start with heavier items (Nilla wafers, bananas) toward the bottom, and put pudding in between the layers of toppings. If you want the Nilla wafers, granola or any other crunchy things to soak into the dessert, throw those in and refrigerate for a few hours. Otherwise, dig right in!

Once the noodles are cooked, stir in the milk, cheese and any add-ins. Then, microwave in 30 second intervals until it’s fully melted and forms a cheesy sauce. Stir well, and enjoy!

Layered pudding dessert This dessert is easy, requires no cooking and can be taken into a lot of different directions. You can add as many different fruits as you’d like, plus granola for a little extra fiber and protein. This is still definitely a dessert, but easy and healthy enough that it makes a good dorm room meal.

What you need:

Mason jar or tall cup Pudding (It can be from cups or a mix, and in as many or as few flavors as you’d like)

Layer-in suggestions:

Whipped cream/Cool Whip Sliced bananas Blueberries Sliced strawberries Granola Nilla wafers Chocolate chips Nutella Cookie butter 6

PHOTO BY ISIDOR EMANUEL

Nationally ranked Cal Poly Triathlon Team steps up its game By Rebecca Ezrin As with anything in life, success doesn’t just fall into one’s lap; it takes vigor, ambition and practice. Take it from Devin Volk, the top male athlete on the Cal Poly Triathlon Team. “When you’re pushing on the bike and it’s starting to hurt, you gotta stay mentally strong and keep pushing. That’s the difference between winning and losing,” Volk said. “A lot of it comes down to personality. How badly do you want it?”

During practices, the triathlon team divides into green, white and gold groups, from least experienced to most advanced. The team also participates in competitions amongst itself, such as the duathlon event, which will be held in a few weeks. Additionally, the team has time trials, which track time improvements of team members. Mace works with a professional coach to create and maintain a training plan for the team. She said the top athletes are doing more than just attending practices.

The Cal Poly Triathlon Team is the largest club sport team “Their priority is triathlon. They’re working their on campus. They placed in ninth of about 150 teams at schedules around it and a lot of people create training nationals this past year, in Clemson, South Carolina. plans that address their personal needs,” Mace said. Annually, there are about 10 races for team members For most of the team’s top athletes, their success was to choose from within the West Coast Collegiate Trigradually earned. athlon Conference (WCCTC). There is one national race each year, which includes all conferences nation- “Members of our team are not usually coming in and wide. Nationals will occur in April. landing on the podium during their first race; it’s very competitive,” Mace said. “A lot of people join with “Each team comes up with their own qualifying criteria some experience in swimming or running, but many for nationals. This season, we’re using the top six men are getting a road bike for the first time.” and women plus two additional guys and girls, based on an application process,” Volk said. For Volk, his first triathlon was not exactly representative of his athletic abilities. The Cal Poly Triathlon Team divides its practices into three categories: swim, bike and run. According to “Before coming to college, I was in a local race back Student Head Coach Julia Mace, swim practices are home and I was not prepared whatsoever. I had a bike held three times a week. Biking practices are also held a few sizes too big and was coughing up water while three times a week, which include one day of intervals, swimming,” Volk said. “When I joined the triathlon one day of long distance and a drill called a “brick,” team, I started in the lowest swim group and never where team members quickly transition from biking swam competitively. Since then, I have doubled my to running. Running practices are three times a week swimming distance in the same time.” as well, which include a long run, easy run and a track day.

With more training sessions than days in the week, you may be wondering how students balance triathlon with school, social life and health. “A healthy diet is huge because we’re burning a lot of calories at practice. On Friday, after practice, we go out to dinner together. Everyone’s always trying to keep up on sleep,” Mace said. “Balancing school and practice is hard but a lot of people benefit from it. It’s also important to take recovery days.” Cal Poly Triathlon Team President Jake Pickett has his hands full. Not only does he race, but he oversees the team’s many committees and leaders. The team essentially runs as a business, with its specialized coaches, secretary, treasurer, public relations officer, apparel coordinator, sponsorship coordinator and webmaster.

COURTESY OF CAL POLY TRIATHLON TEAM

“A lot of it comes down to personality. How badly do you want it?” –Devin Volk

COURTESY OF CAL POLY TRIATHLON TEAM

This year, the triathlon team faces a unique obstacle. One of its most favored races, Wildflower, has been canceled due to low water levels.

The team currently has about 150 registered members and is the cheapest of Cal Poly club sports.

“Triathlon takes a lot of time commitment and energy. Still, Pickett doesn’t think the team will lose members. If you want to be good, you have to put in the hours In fact, he has big goals for the triathlon team for this and push yourself. That transfers to anything. If you upcoming year. want to do well in school or work, you have to take that time,” Volk said. “There’s no medal for going hard “We want to win the West Coast Triathlon Conference, in practice.” which is a series of races in which scores are added up. For nationals, our goal is to get into the top five,” Pickett said. “I think that’s doable this year. We have a much quicker team than we’ve had in the past.” 10

COURTESY OF CAL POLY TRIATHLON TEAM

Two weeks, 11 classes: A student’s experience of the Rec Center By Hannah Benson Hannah Benson is a Mustang News columnist. The views expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints and editorial coverage of Mustang News. Every student at Cal Poly has access to a multitude of services that student fees pay for, including bus rides, reduced visits at the health center and access to the Recreation Center. Over the course of the past couple weeks, I attempted a variety of the group exercise classes at the Recreation Center. Despite my muscle soreness, I was determined. Each class I took was free, offered at various times throughout the week and unique to fit all workout preferences. For the cardio-lovers: The difference between “I can’t dance” and “I will dance” lies in the Zumba class. I walked into the studio self-concious of my lack of grace. However, once I heard the Latin-inspired tunes and began to move to the beat, my inhibitions disappeared. I may have misstepped more times than I can count, but so did everyone else. As a result, we now have new moves to break out at parties. Speaking of parties, the Breakaway spin class I took is a party in itself. The dark room, booming music and disco ball help you overcome that theoretical hill you’re pedaling up.

I then proceeded to trade cycling sprints for hard, fast punches in the martial arts-inspired BodyCombat. I found the techniques of uppercuts and sidekicks to be beneficial not just in a bright studio but a dark alley as well. For those who want to strengthen and tone: Six-Pack Abs class is the answer. Too busy? This class is only 30 minutes. Poor posture from constant sitting? This class works your abs, back and waist, using muscles I didn’t even know existed all to promote a strong core. Feeling down? The trainer sometimes sings along to the overhead pop songs, creating smiles all through the class. Body Pump is another class that uses barbells and dumbbells to strengthen each body part to the point of feeling the burn rather than being completely burned out. This class certainly left a lasting impact on my muscles as I walked up the incline of Mustang Way afterward. Fusion Pilates was also an equipment-based class that combined weights and yoga moves, which gave me the burn and a good stretch all at once!

ICONS BY ROSTON JOHNSON

Meanwhile, Vinyasa Yoga adds more constant movement to the yoga poses and focuses on form, letting me feel more power than pain in my muscles. After testing all of these different group exercise classes at the Recreation Center, I concluded that the power of group exercise doesn’t just come from muscles, but also a shared experience. “As a group, for an hour you become one. You have that special time together,“ said Doriana Pirolo, a Body Pump, Six-Pack Abs and Fusion Pilates instructor at the Recreation Center.

For the star-cross(ed) trainers: Of all the classes, I was most intimidated by H.I.I.T. (High Intensity Interval Training). The constant movement from squat jumps to tricep curls to inverted crunches turned out to be incredibly exhilarating. Even though it’s easy to fall into routine in our day to day lives, it’s impossible to do so in H.I.I.T. As I looked around at the class I saw not only an immense amount of sweat but smiles as well.

So the next time you’re looking for something new to do at the Recreation Center, check out one of the many free group exercise classes offered. Experiencing the camaraderie of these classes is unlike anything else; it creates a special relationship and acts as the motivation to fuel a hearty workout.

Mindfulness on the body: Gentle Yoga was a welcome change in the midst of all the heart-pumping workouts that I was taking in such a short amount of time. Each individual body part was stretched and soothed through soft adjustments in poses. Another kind of yoga I tried was Hatha, just a step above as far as intensity. We spent long periods of time in poses that ranged from downward dog to a complete twist of all our body parts, giving me some much needed stretching with a touch of intensity

“As a group, for an hour you become one.” –Dorianna Pirolo

ICONS BY ROSTON JOHNSON

PHOTOS BY JESSICA FERGUSON

Unifying resources for mental health support By Kristine Xu

PHOTO BY JOSEPH VAYSMAN

Cal Poly mental health officials are facing a surge in demand for their services, an occurrence that is mirrored in counseling centers across the nation. These services range from individual therapy sessions and skill-based workshops at the counseling center to classroom accommodations and support programs at the Disability Resource Center (DRC). For students with pre-existing or developing mental health issues, reducing the stigma against mental health issues on college campuses has made students more comfortable talking about their experiences and accessing mental health resources. According to a survey of 95,761 students across the country conducted by the American College Health Association, 17 percent of students expe18

rience anxiety and 13.9 percent of students are diagnosed with depression. Cal Poly’s Assistant Director of Community Prevention & Intervention Services Hannah Roberts conducts a similar annual survey on campus called the Healthy Minds survey, which takes a representative sample of Cal Poly students and provides an analysis of mental health on campus. “It paints a pretty similar picture to what we’re seeing at counseling centers across the nation, having increased levels of distress and definitely increased severity of stress,” Roberts said. While students can find psychological support by visiting the counseling center, they may also need to find academic support at the DRC for help in the classroom.

During the 2015-16 academic school year, the DRC serviced 800-850 students, and that number grows every year. A decade ago, the DRC serviced 425 students. During the 2015-16 academic school year, the DRC serviced 800-850 students, and that number grows every year.

them an explanation of what the needs are in terms of leveling the playing field, giving equal access to the education process and what their role and responsibility is in helping meet those needs.”

Today, 900 of the 21,000 students on campus seek help for physical disabilities, temporary injuries, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorders, visual or hearing impairments, autism spectrum disorders and traumatic or acquired brain injuries.

If a student has a mental health issue, a diagnosis by a trained physician will grant them accommodations with the DRC. Students can bring medical documentation about their diagnosis and receive accommodations in the form of extended time on exams or prolonged due dates for assignments.

There are only three full-time employees and one intern at the DRC to handle the nearly 900 students who seek help for their disabilities.

It takes a village

Allen-Barker is one of the three full-time employees Sixty percent of those students fall under the Learnat the DRC. She handles 275 students alone. ing Disorder and Attention Deficit Disorder category, “All of us are feeling the burden more than we nor20 percent receive support for psycho-emotional disorders and 20 percent receive support for physical mally would,” Allen-Barker said. “I estimate that I’ve already processed and enrolled almost 80 students and sensory impairments. since the end of June.”

It’s more than just a label

Students with mental health issues may have a harder time attending and participating in class, which may also affect their classroom performance. The DRC seeks to alleviate that stress by granting accommodations such as note-taking help, postponed due dates and excused absences.

After facing a combination of medical issues and the stress of college, art and design senior Jeff Jensen decided to seek help from the health and counseling center on campus.

“I tried to go and get help from the health center even before school had started last year. [The health center] sounded like they were there for me and give However, because of the stigma against mental health, me support, but I got an appointment, they gave me students, faculty and staff may not always be support- Prozac and said ‘okay, we’ll check you up in a month’,” ive of the extra help. Jensen said.

“Some students [and some staff and faculty] on campus don’t understand the needs of a person with a disability and are not supportive of those needs,” DRC Access Specialist Jennifer Allen-Barker said. “Part of our role is to reach out to those persons and give

For someone with mental health issues who made the difficult decision to seek help, that sent a contradictory message. Though Jensen’s experience is an extreme example, there are still more and more students experiencing some sort of mental health distress during college. 19

While the number of students seeking support at the DRC will statistically increase as Cal Poly pushes to increase its student population, that doesn’t mean it is the DRC’s responsibility to tackle the issue of mental health alone. “It’s important for the campus to know that we’re here to assist and collaborate with any faculty or staff or program or department on campus,” Allen-Barker said. “The best way we can support our student clients is to make sure that all of those entities — our campus colleagues — also know how to support the student, so that we can all share that responsibility.” On a much larger scale, San Luis Obispo receives minimal federal funding and grants for mental health resources due to its isolated location and rural background, making it decentralized and lacking in community resources. However, Cal Poly counseling services still strives to provide treatment and services for as many students as possible.

The journey to disability awareness The DRC also provides three support programs: the peer mentor program, the Connections program and the Access Allies program. The peer mentor program is designed to pair a student with a mentor who volunteers their time to give the student advice about using the DRC and other campus programs. Students may find this especially useful because it provides guidance and mentorship from someone with similar mental health issues. Connections program is privately funded and available to every student on campus. It aims to provide a safe and fun environment for fostering relationships. High interest activities such as surfing lessons, field trips to Disneyland and visits to the Monterey Bay Aquarium are tailored for students who might be shy or who are at risk for isolation because they have difficulty building relationships with other people. The third program DRC provides is called Access Allies. It allows students to volunteer their time for mental health related projects and issues, modeled

PHOTO BY JOSEPH VAYSMAN

after the Pride-related activities for the LGBTQIA community. Volunteers can help raise awareness for mental health and advocate disabilities as an aspect of cultural diversity. Access Allies can also be helpful in representing the DRC at events across campus, especially given the fact their office is currently understaffed.

How you can help

“We’ll have friends waiting in the waiting room for someone, showing someone where to go. We’ll have friends calling on someone’s behalf and handing the phone off to them, those kinds of things,” Roberts said. “We really see our students pull through and support one another in a really beautiful way.” Jensen now sees a counselor in San Luis Obispo and ultimately decided to take the quarter off. Students in similar situations can opt to take a break from the stress, come back with a different mindset.

In addition to all the services on campus that support students with mental health issues, there is one re“I have a more clear view now that I’m removed from source that certainly isn’t lacking: support from family the stress and removed from the situation,” Jensen and friends. said. “In the near future I can come back and approach it in a different way and hopefully get what I Though there might be instances of students need to get out of the college experience.” slipping through the cracks of an overworked and underfunded system, bystander intervention and behavior still allow friends and classmates of students with mental health issues to use the resources on campus to their full potential.

One resource that isn’t as obvious as the other services offered on campus but is still used by many students is support from friends. 21

PHOTO BY ASHIM Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;SILVA

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