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If you’re a coffee enthusiast like most people now a days, your day probably look something like this picture. Coffee around the clock. Especially as students and people with jobs and families, we rely on coffee to get us through the day without crashing. If you’re one of those people who can’t get through the morning without a cup of joe, you probably can’t imagine going through your whole day without coffee! You believe that its the only thing that can provide the energy you need. And while coffee does provide most people with the energy they need to get through the day, there are also many other natural energizers that can do the same. Coffee, whether it is good or bad for you, is a big controversial topic. I am no doctor or nutritionist so I am not even going to begin to explain the controversies that people believe about coffee. But I would encourage you to go research it for yourself. And if after you’ve researched it you would like to try to wing off of coffee or just cut down on your intake, here are a few things that can help you get through the day.

If you are someone who’s days are filled with “to do’s” you probably feel the stress that accompanies a busy life. You might be under the impression that coffee helps to relieve some of that stress, but the truth is that coffee does the exact opposite. The caffeine in coffee, surprisingly, increases your stress hormones. These stress hormones draw out cortisol and increases insulin. This then brings about inflammation, which is what makes you feel “lousy.” (Hyman) A great alternative to coffee, if you’re feeling the stress of life but still need a boost, would be warm tea. A lot of teas have caffeine in them but not as much as coffee. By drinking a cup of tea, it will help energize you as well as relaxing your body by the warmth it provides, but wont put you to sleep. There are a few teas that are the best if you’re looking for something with a pick me up, but still allows your body to remain relaxed and not tense throughout the day. Green tea is a great substitute for coffee. It has just a bit less caffeine compared to coffee but is also filled with great health benefits, like antioxidants, disease fighters and more. Here is a great link of all the wonderful benefits of green tea!

https://authoritynutrition.com/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-green-tea/

Another fantastic tea to help energize you is ginger tea. It is filled with energy to help give you that boost needed but also helps with digestion. Ginger tea will definitely wake you up in the morning if you’re feeling slow and sluggish.

Wheatgrass juice is another great energizer. Its filled with vitamins, minerals and nutrients that will help keep you going all day. This might not be anyone’s first choice when it comes to taste but this natural energy supplement is easily digested, so it wont make you feel gross or heavy like coffee can sometimes do.

Pomegranate juice holds many great attributes. It is filled with antioxidants and energizers and will help get your day going. Along with that, I personally think that it tastes great! But if you’re not a fan of that taste, you can easily mask it by adding it to a smoothie.

Sometimes water can get boring to drink. If you’re trying to stay away from coffee and get your water in, try adding lemon. Lemon water is great for your body to drink in the morning to help with digestion and getting your body going. Stimulate your senses and do something good by detoxify your body with a glass of water and the juice of half a lemon. But make sure to drink it through a straw to help protect your teeth from the acid of the juice.

And finally the last tip that I have to keep you away from coffee but awake for the day would be to eat the proper foods that have nutritional values and exercise. If you’re making sure to give your body the foods it needs, you will be energizing it so that it can work properly. Make sure to eat breakfast so that you’re not hungry throughout the morning. Try to exercise regularly. Getting your body up and moving before you have to head off to work or school will help to wake up your brain and prepare your body for the day. When you take care of your body, you will give it the energy it needs to make it through the day without crashing on you.

But if after all of that you’re still thinking that there is no way you can give up coffee then try mixing your beans half regular and half decaf. This will give you the coffee taste and boost, with half the amount of caffeine and coffee jitters.

Those were just a few different alternatives to coffee and cutting down on caffeine that I suggest when trying to find ways to wake up your body and give it the energy it needs to take on the day. If you didn’t like any of those options or they didn’t work for you, I would encourage you to do your own research. Everybody is different and these things will work for some people but not others. Experiment and find what will give you that boost that you need but without all the jitters that accompany coffee.

Sources:

http://flatulencecures.com/replace-coffee

http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-drinks/15-creative-alternatives-coffee

http://www.hungryforchange.tv/article/10-reasons-to-quit-coffee-plus-healthy-alternatives

http://drhyman.com/blog/2012/06/13/ten-reasons-to-quit-your-coffee/

Makayla Crowley

Student Worker

College of Health Science

We arrived safely in the Philippines at 3:30 am on Sunday morning. Tired, but none the worse for wear, we arrived at the University of Santo Tomas at 7:00 am. We have had a few stomach issues, but nothing major. (Prayers for complete healing would be appreciated!)

In our first two days, we have walked a lot. We have seen the entire campus including the botanical gardens, art museum, and the abundance of fast food places. We have been in two torrential down pours with fantastic thunder and lightning shows. We have gotten the faculty and several the students who have been very kind and hospitable.

Tomorrow we begin our clinical rotations with Team Morgan (Morgan, Isela, Jonah, and Junior) taking the first trip to Abucay, the rural health clinic. The Friesen Four (Lisa, Ashley, Emily, and Erica) will go to R.E.A.C.H. to help with rehabilitation. The Miller Mob (Amy, Kaycee, Jenna, and Laney) will head to the Philippine Heart Center to get involved with some cardiac rehab.

We are in good spirits, having fun, and excited to get started. We appreciate your prayers.

The Philippine Team

Yes. Simple as that. Foods affect your moods.

Combatting Hanger

When you haven’t eaten in a while, your blood sugar decreases which can lead to many emotions such as hunger (obviously), anger, irritability, and other unpleasant moods. One way to combat this is… snacking on healthy foods.

I personally am very sensitive to my blood sugar and I get hangry when I haven’t eaten good foods in a while. I have learned which foods will raise my blood sugar – and keep it up – and make me feel better. Here are a few of my go-to’s:

• a spoonful of peanut butter
• an apple
• a glass of milk
• strawberries & grapes
• a small piece of dark chocolate

Foods with natural sugars and protein will have you feeling better right away! Try to stay away from only carbs or dessert-sugars, like potato chips or M&Ms. They taste delicious and you will feel less hangry – but only for a little bit. Look for something with a longer-lasting impact.

Moving Past the “Blah”

Being hangry is an example of something that can be fixed quickly by something we eat. However, there are many other problems that can also be fixed by what we eat, over a longer period of time. Eating only unhealthy snacks or deep fried meals with little protein leaves you feeling sluggish and tired. When you are not getting the protein you need, you are also not getting the iron you need. Iron is essential to the human body because it is the atom within hemoglobin that carries oxygen around your body! When your iron is low and you can’t get oxygen where it needs to be, you will feel very “blah”. An easy fix to this problem is to start eating healthier snacks and meals that give you a good balance of protein, iron, and carbohydrates that leaves you feeling satisfied, full, and ready to take on the world.

The food you put into your body is a good representation of how you will feel after you eat it. If it is colorless, lifeless, and lacking in nutrition, your mood will reflect that. Make smart choices about what you put in your body, and remember that everything is good in moderation. Don’t eat only red meat, don’t eat only lettuce, and don’t eat only candy. Some of it all is a great plan.

Amber Leigh Sands

Student Worker

College of Health Science

How many times have you told yourself that you’re going to start working out on a regular basis but then don’t because you’re too busy? Odds are, most of us have said that to ourselves at one point in our life. And odds are we are really busy! We have school, work, family, friends, boyfriends or girlfriends, spouses, kids and more. A lot of times people are balancing at least three or more of these things in their life and it becomes hard to work out and find time for that as well. We come up with the conclusion that we are “too busy” to work out and just give up. But that’s not true! No matter how busy you are there is always time to take care of your body. Here are a few different ways to create time in your busy schedule to work out.

1. Create A Plan 

Make a calendar! Be intentional about looking at your week ahead of time and seeing where you have open spots to fit in a work out. Plan out when you are going to go for that run or get into the gym during your week. Once it is set as something in your calendar, you will be less likely to fill that time with unnecessary activities. Make a weekly routine for when you can work out. After going through this routine for a couple of weeks it will become a habit to work out on those certain days.

2. Something is Better Than Nothing

 EMOM: Every minute on the minute you do a certain exercise(s). Once you’ve finished, you rest for the remaining of the minute and then begin again at the new minute. Even Minutes- Do 10 push-ups and 10 air squats. From 1 – 2 minutes do 10 push-ups and 10 air squats.   

The great thing about EMOM’s is that you’re racing against the clock, which helps keep you motivated to keep going and to not move slow. This will keep your heart rate up and help you sweat. And you can change up the movements to whatever you want! Want to work out your legs? Change the movements to just leg movements. Just want to do cardio? Do 100 meter sprints every minute instead.

Repeat this until you reach 10 minutes.

From 0 – 1 minute do 10 burpees and 10 crunches

Odd Minutes – Do 10 burpees and 10 crunches.

10 Minute EMOM (Every Minute On the Minute)

Most people believe that a work out needs to be at 45 minutes if not, an hour or longer. But that’s not true! Working out for 10 to 30 minutes can be just as beneficial and is better than not working out at all. Get up 30 minutes earlier and go for a run or to the gym before work or class. Or create your own work out at home. Don’t have time for 30 minutes? 10 minutes is still better than nothing! Work out for 10 minutes right when you wake up or go to bed. Or take a study break and work out then. Don’t know how to do a 10 minute work out? Well here is an easy one that can be done anywhere at any time!

3. Find a Work Out Buddy 

Working out by yourself can get a bit boring and eventually you lack motivation to get up and go. Find a trainer or a work out partner that can help keep you motivated! One of the great benefits of CBU is that by being a student or staff you get 10 free sessions with a personal trainer at the Recreation Center! Don’t want to work out because you don’t want to miss out on spending time with a friend? Well instead of going to dinner or watching a movie while you hang out, go on a run, play your favorite sport or try out a class at a gym. This way not only are you committed to yourself to work out, but to someone else, as well.

4. Stop Being Lazy 

We all use the excuse that we’re “too busy” or “too tired” to work out, but the reality is that we are just lazy. Yes, we are busy and tired people, but we are not too busy or too tired to take care of our bodies and be healthy. We are just going to continue to grow busier and more tired as we get older so do yourself a favor and create a habit of working out now. Reality is if it’s important to you then you will make time for it. You might be so busy and tired from school and work, but you still make time to see your friends, family or spend hours on your phone/computer. Its mind over matter when it comes to working out, so instead of telling yourself “But I’m so tired!” tell yourself “I’m going to work out and make my body healthy!” While you’re working out instead of allowing yourself to think “I can’t do this, it’s too hard” tell yourself that you can! Your body can go much further than your brain allows you to think. When you change your mind set, everything else falls into place. Be joyful and find ways to stay motivated.

5. Speaking of Staying Motivated… 

Find what keeps you motivated! Is it blasting music while you run or lift weights? Or it could be printing out pictures and quotes that remind you of working out, setting goals for yourself, or putting aside a little bit of money to train for a race or competition you want to take part in. Whatever it is, find it and keep reminding yourself of it!

6. Nutrition!!

Finally, one of the most important ways to fit health into your schedule would be eating right! Even if you are too tired or busy to go to the gym, you have to eat eventually. So choose the right foods that energize and help your body to function properly. You can work out 5 days a week, but if you are not eating the right foods, it won’t do much to help you be healthy. Even if you’re not able to make it to the gym or go on that run, do your body a favor and eat the right foods to stay healthy. Your body needs a proper balance of carbohydrates, fats, proteins and a certain amount of calories. I would encourage everyone to do some research and figure out how much of those things you should be eating to fit your body type, activity level, and age. Everyone is different, so make sure you are finding what you need. Also, READ THE LABELS! Don’t just grab something that sounds healthy. Instead read what’s in it to make sure that it is healthy.

Makayla Crowley

Student Worker

College of Health Science

We all know and love that glorious smell of popcorn as it pops in the microwave. Waiting for those three minutes to pass by so that we can devour every last kernel. The butter, the salt, that crunch; its delicious! Its become an American favorite that is simple, easy and has been proclaimed to be a better choice for a snack. But is that really true? Is microwave popcorn actually a healthy option? The answer is no and here is why.

For years people have been under the misconception that microwave popcorn is the healthier option for a snack compared to chips and cookies. But what most people don’t know is that traditional microwave popcorn is filled with large amounts of extremely dangerous toxins and chemicals.

You know that amazing buttery smell that radiates off the popcorn when it comes out of the microwave? This scent is a butter flavoring, labeled on the box as “artificial flavors.” Even though the FDA might call this butter flavoring “artificial flavors,” its real term is a chemical called diacetyl. So what is diacetyl and why should you care about it? Well, an investigation took place by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) on workers in microwave popcorn factories. They found that the smell of this very chemical was giving many of the workers lung problems, which in some cases escalated to a condition called bronchiolitis obliterans (a lung disease that causes inflammatory obstruction of the lungs airways.) But not only that, there have been many studies that have linked diacetyl to brain problems down the road, such as Alzheimer’s disease and the passing of the chemical through the blood-brain barrier, which is meant to keep toxins out of your brain. So that satisfying smell of your microwave popcorn is actually a disguise for the damage it could cause to your lungs and brain by over exposure .

Another problem with microwave popcorn for your health are the chemicals they use to line the bags. Without these chemicals the oils for the popcorn would end up seeping through the bag and making it wet. So to prevent this, they line the bags with two chemicals called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). When heated, these chemicals fuse into the popcorn. So when you eat microwave popcorn, you are ingesting these chemicals. What do these chemicals do to your body? These chemicals can cause high cholesterol, bladder cancer, thyroid issues, mess with your endocrine system and much more.

So instead of taking the easy route and risking your health, next time you’re craving popcorn try making your own on the stove top. There are hundreds of easy recipes to make healthy popcorn, where you can control the flavor and leave out the harsh chemicals.

Sources:

http://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/deliciously-dangerous-why-microwave-popcorn-can-be-terribly-harmful-745984

http://insider.foxnews.com/2014/04/28/dr-oz-reveals-hidden-dangers-microwave-popcorn

Makayla Crowley

Student Worker

College of Health Science

Did the spring allergies get to you again? Well… do not worry, here we will be sharing some tips with you on how to survive this allergy season!

1. Spring cleaning

Clean your home thoroughly. Many people are allergic to dust and mold as well as outdoor allergies. To reduce allergies in the home, keep your pets off the bed, vacuum regularly and check for moisture often.

2. Nasal Saline

Rinsing with a salt water solution decreases inflammation in the sinuses. Nasal saline can dilute and rinse away pollen and molds that have traveled to your nasal passages. Professionals recommend rinsing your nasal passages daily during pollen season.

3. Take allergy medicine

If you have seasonal allergies, take your allergy medicine early! Taking the correct meds before symptoms are severe, guarantees that they will work better. Take an antihistamine every day, if needed, to keep symptoms under control. Taking an antihistamine before bed can help with feeling better less congested in the morning during allergy season.

4. Reduce stress

When cortisol levels are imbalanced, the immune system is weak. A study published in the April 2014 issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology supports stress-reduction therapy, it found that allergy sufferers with persistent stress experience more allergy flares.

Maria Perez, Health Science Pre-Med

Student Blogger

College of Health Science

It is very easy to grab a bag of chips, go through a fast-food drive-through for some fries, or eat one too many scoops of ice cream. Everyone knows doing these things on a regular basis is bad for your body and your health, even though they may taste delicious. Every once in a while, an unhealthy snack will not be that detrimental. But the majority of what we eat should be beneficial to our bodies, not only so we look better, but we will feel better and honor God with our bodies.

“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your bodies.” — 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

So here are a few healthy alternatives to satisfy your middle-of-the-afternoon cravings that take only a few minutes to make.

Nice Cream

A cool, smooth, delicious treat for a hot summer day – or any other time you’re feeling ice cream!

Freeze banana slices and then put them in a food processor. Add a splash of vanilla extract. For other flavors, add other frozen fruits with it! Top with (not frozen) fruit and a little chocolate sauce.

Fruit Smoothies

Save some money, and instead of going to JuJu Bar or Juice It Up, make your own!

Add of greek yogurt, frozen berries, half a cup of lemonade or juice, and ice into a blender. Voila!

*** There aren’t exact measurements because everyone makes it different. For a creamier smoothie, add more yogurt. For more flavor, add more berries. For an icier smoothie, add more ice! Make it your own.

Healthy Ranch Dressing

Hello there college of Health Science students, faculty, friends and family! My name is Makayla Crowley and I am a student worker here at CBU’s college of Health Science. Today I want to share with you a personal experience I had that has made one the biggest impacts to my body, my health and my wellbeing.

In my life I have always been a sweets person, as many people are. Anything sweet of any kind and I want it! Cakes, brownies, candies, pies, whatever you offer me, I will eat it! Now obviously I knew that eating too much sugar was not good for my body, but I didn’t care. I was an active person my whole life playing basketball and volleyball since I was young, so I figured they balanced each other out. As long as I stay active, I can eat whatever I want. Right? Well it wasn’t until I got a little older, around Jr. High and High School, that I began to see the negative effects all these sweets were having on my body internally and externally. Not only was I gaining a bit too much weight for my height and age, but I was losing energy way too quickly and I was falling out of shape. I began to try to work out more. First I tried running and that worked for about a summer to help keep me in better shape, but not the best shape I could be in. Then after running I tried crossfit and that really did help a lot! The people at my gym motivated me to not only keep coming to work out but to eat better as well. However I slowly began to fall out of the routine I had created for myself. More times than I should have I would turn away the fruits and veggies and go eat some candy or a brownie. And from then on I was always back and forth with my daily eating and exercising. Some weeks I would get on this health kick and do my best to work out and eat well, and then most weeks I just didn’t care.

Then I began at CBU. And that made things even harder. An ice cream or a cookie with my meal at Chick-fil-a!? The option to pick a brownie or a cookie at Brisco’s or El Monte? And the Caf… it was an endless buffet of all I could eat ice cream, cakes, puddings and waffles! Beginning of my freshman year I was having some sort of dessert at least once a day, maybe even twice. Yes, I was trying to go to the gym when I could but I knew going to the gym did not mean I could not eat whatever I wanted.

It wasn’t until about half way through the first semester of my freshman year that I decided to make one of the best decisions for my body that I could have ever made. My boyfriend, who attends CBU with me, decided to try out not having any sugar 6 days out of the week, other than natural sugars from things like fruit. When I saw him doing this it challenged me to try this as well. And let me tell you it was hard! Especially because I lived at CBU so most of my meals came from the food on campus and there are so many opportunities to grab ice cream or a cookie with your meal. But week by week it grew easier to not eat sugar. I began to not even miss it. So as I was working out and only eating things with processed sugars once a week, I began to see the biggest transformation in my body. Yes my exterior was changing but what  changed internally was the biggest difference! I had so much energy! I didn’t get tired every day by 2:00pm and it became so much easier to wake up for class in the morning. It was actually possible for me to have classes during the day and then go to work afterwards without feeling like I might die of exhaustion. I enjoyed my days and didn’t feel like I was dragging my feet. I could focus a lot longer while in class or doing my homework. And then after a few months into this new “life style” whenever I would/do eat more than one dessert on my day off from no sweets I would feel sick. And now I prefer to not eat sweets over eating them because my body has grown so sensitive to eating too much sugar. Yes I still enjoy the occasional cookie or bag of candy every week but my body created a limit for myself. And when I push past it, it is not fun and I immediately regret it.

I know, for most people the thought of not eating any processed sugar for 6 out of 7 days sounds ridiculous or maybe even impossible for some. That’s what I had thought for myself too. But maybe start by not eating sugar once a week and build your way up. I can promise you that not only will cutting most sugars out of your diet (along with exercise) make a huge difference with how you look, but it will also give you so much energy for your day and make your body feel and actually be healthy. It is worth it. Hard… but worth it.

Makayla Crowley

Student Worker

College of Health Science

Summer has been off to a great start on the College of Health Science campus! Our campus is currently under construction and will be up and running in time for the Fall semester. We are all excited and look forward to the many new renovations that will be taking place. With that said, we are continuously trying to implement different ways to stay healthy and motivated during these summer days! These next few weeks we will share a variety of stories, recipes, tips and health facts with you to encourage you to do the same!

We hope that you will enjoy these posts and share them with your coworkers, friends, and family!

Maria Perez, Health Science Pre-Med

Student Blogger

College of Health Science