Category: Health and Wellness

Health and wellness is important to you and to MSU. The healthier our faculty and staff are, the healthier MSU will be. This category features information related to wellness at MSU.

Stay Healthy This Year with Safe Food Handling Practices

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With warm weather and sunny skies, a trip to the park for a picnic or an outdoor barbecue may be on your agenda. Safe food handling practices are important regardless of location, but they’re even more important when you’re handling food outdoors. Unsafe food handling practices can result in foodborne illness. To prepare you for upcoming food-related festivities, here are some safe food handling tips from the MSU Health e-Guide.

Proper food handling techniques will keep you safe and help you avoid becoming ill.
Proper food handling techniques will keep you safe and help you avoid becoming ill.
  1. Wash your hands and prepare a clean surface for cooking
    Wash your hands before and after touching food. Soapy water can clean your hands and cooking utensils. Make sure to keep cutting boards, knives, etc., clean. Also, make sure to wash fresh fruits and vegetables.

Continue Reading… Stay Healthy This Year with Safe Food Handling Practices

Staying Healthy Outside This Summer

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Summer is creeping up on us! Whether you plan on participating in summer sports or have to work outdoors, it’s important to know precautions when dealing with the warm weather. Here are a couple tips to ensure your safe as you work and play in the upcoming heat.

Women walking on campus
Light exercising in the warm summer weather can be relaxing and good for your health. Photo courtesy of Communications and Brand Strategy.

Being hydrated is key! Make sure you have water when working out or spending an extended period of time outside. MSU’s Health E-Guide suggests that intense exercise be avoided during the hottest times in the day. Dehydration occurs when your body has lost too many fluids. Remember to keep water and sports drinks nearby. At temperatures above 90 degrees, the heat can become dangerous. The article also recommends you consider humidity levels when deciding activity levels for the day.Continue Reading… Staying Healthy Outside This Summer

How to Deal with Stress

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Stress can cause headaches, anxiety and tension. Learn how to manage stress and reduce its negative impacts on your life with this video from Employee Assistance Program Counselor Lisa Laughman.

Want to learn more about stress management? Consider an Emotional Wellness course offered through Health4U, such as the Healing Power of Guided Imagery.

Upcoming Walks in the Greater Lansing Community!

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Are you looking to get involved in the Greater Lansing community? Here are some upcoming walks for great causes!

On Saturday, April 26, the March of Dimes is hosting its annual March for Babies Walk in Lansing. This is a safe, fun event for friends and family. The March of Dimes is setting lofty goals! The goal is to reach $104,000 in donations that goes directly toward improving the health of babies. Even if you can’t contribute financially, you can still make a difference by participating in the event. This is a great opportunity to help the families of those in need. To learn more, go to Marchforbabies.org.

MSU Walkers
There will be an abundance of walks and runs in Greater Lansing this spring! Photos courtesy of Communications and Brand Strategy.

The 2014 Komen Mid-Michigan Race for the Cure is Sunday, April 27! This is a wonderful opportunity to increase breast cancer awareness and research in Greater Lansing and beyond. For more information on how you can make a difference, go to komenmidmichigan.org. This is a golden opportunity to walk with your fellow community members in efforts to help others. This race is open to runners, walkers and anyone willing to give it a go!Continue Reading… Upcoming Walks in the Greater Lansing Community!

Get Fresh Produce at MSU from the Student Organic Farm

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Vegetable lovers have a resource right here on campus that provides access to organic produce. The Student Organic Farm Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program has a summer-only membership option available that runs from June through October. The program offers produce such as potatoes, beets, rutabaga, onions, garlic, parsnips, carrots, cabbage and squash.

The Student Organic Farm provides vegetables to the Greater Lansing community and beyond.
The Student Organic Farm provides vegetables to the Greater Lansing community and beyond.

Individuals that sign up receive a fresh box of local organic produce each week from the Student Organic Farm, which they can pick up on Mondays from 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. at the Student Organic Farm located at 3291 College Road, Holt, MI 48842.

The Student Organic Farm also has a year-round CSA. The year-round program is the first year-round CSA in Michigan. Michigan residents who are members of the CSA can receive locally grown organic produce for 48 weeks of the year. In the winter, produce includes: kale, collards, scallions, herbs and chard to salad mix. The year-round program also includes summertime produce.Continue Reading… Get Fresh Produce at MSU from the Student Organic Farm

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

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March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.  According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, colorectal cancer is the second highest cancer killer in the U.S.

Doctor
Staying healthy requires regular checkups and screening tests.

Colorectal cancer develops when cells that aren’t normal grow in your colon or rectum. These cells grow together and form polyps. Over time, some polyps can turn into cancer.

The American Cancer Society provides tips to reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer in the following flyer.

Colorectal cancer, like so many other health-related topics, can be complex and confusing. Sometimes you have questions for which you need answers, but you don’t know who to talk to. That’s where Health Advocate comes in.Continue Reading… March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

Best Doctors’ “Ask the Expert” Service Helps You Gain Access to Medical Experts

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Finding the right medical information for a condition or illness you have can be a daunting task. With so much information available, it can be hard to decipher what’s right and what’s wrong, what’s trustworthy and what’s not. But with the Best Doctors’ “Ask the Expert” service, you can gain direct access to experts in the medical field that can answer any questions you may have. The following video explains how this important and beneficial service works and why it might be just right for you.

Winter Farmers Market Continues Through April

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Who says you can’t find fresh home-grown goods in the winter? The Meridian Township Farmers Market comes out to Meridian Mall in Okemos every first and third Saturday of the month from December to April. Approximately 25-30 unique vendors are present at each market day. The event is located in the JC Penney corridor of the mall from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m., and will continue through April 19.Meridian Mall Farmers Market

Everything that is sold at the farmers market is grown locally or within the state of Michigan. It is the vendors’ commitment to the quality of their products and services that results in continued support from the community. The event will not only give the public an opportunity to purchase fresh, locally-grown produce, but it will also give them a chance to meet and talk to the farmers who provide the goods. Come in from the cold and see what these local providers have to offer! For more information about the farmers market, visit their Facebook page or the Meridian Charter Township website.

You may also wish to check out other great farmers markets open year-round in the Lansing area such as the Allen Street Farmers Market, Lansing City Market, Bath Farmers Market and the Holt Farmers Market.

Cold vs Allergies

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Woman in doctor's officeLet’s decipher the differences between the two. Seasonal allergies are common for plenty of us.

According to MSU’s Health e-Guide, allergies are caused by an overactive immune system. Unlike a common cold, allergies aren’t contagious but they can be inherited over time. For instance, when someone has a cold it’s relatively rare for them to have itchy, watering eyes, but with allergies it’s quite the opposite. You’re also likely to have repetitive sneezing, especially during morning hours. The duration for cold and allergy-related symptoms differ depending on your unique case.Continue Reading… Cold vs Allergies

February is American Heart Month

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February is a month to celebrate your heart. Not only do we celebrate Valentine’s Day on the 14th, but we must also be aware of heart disease. Heart diseases are the number one killer of American’s today, while strokes are the number four killer. The research done by the American Heart Association can be very helpful for those who want to learn more about the risks and causes. The Go Red for Women campaign strongly encourages everyone to participate in National Wear Red Day on Friday, February 7 to raise awareness about heart disease in women.Holding a Heart

The American Heart Association claims that a healthy lifestyle will decrease the risk of heart disease. Here are some tips from them to maintain a healthy lifestyle:

  1. Don’t smoke
  2. Maintain a healthy weight
  3. Engage in regular physical activity
  4. Eat a healthy diet
  5. Manage blood pressure
  6. Take charge of cholesterol
  7. Keep blood sugar, or glucose, at healthy levels

Fill your heart with love this month, but don’t forget to always keep it healthy.