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.

Tips for Dealing with the Cold and Flu

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It’s that time of the year when getting sick is a huge possibility. The cold and flu are two of the most common illnesses during the winter months. The flu is usually caused by the influenza viruses A and B. Colds can be caused by a variety of viruses. Some symptoms of both the flu and cold include: a runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, cough and body aches.

Regardless of which illness you may have, getting sick can be time-consuming, stressful and agonizing. Here are six tips from the MSU Health e-Guide to help you deal with the cold or the flu this winter season.

sick woman in blanket
Taking good care of yourself will help you beat the cold or flu.

1. Get plenty of rest
Reduce the amount of activity involved in your normal day-to-day routines. Bed rest can help you feel better and avoid spreading the cold or flu to others.Continue Reading… Tips for Dealing with the Cold and Flu

Become Nicotine Free in 2014

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There’s no better way to start the New Year then to decide to quit smoking. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 70 percent of people that smoke want to quit. If you’ve ever thought about quitting, then the MSU Breathe Easy: Tobacco and Nicotine Cessation Program is for you.

The MSU Breathe Easy: Tobacco and Nicotine Cessation Program is a 15 month program designed to help participants eliminate any tobacco/nicotine addiction through support group sessions, with or without the use of prescription medications. Items the program focuses on include: cigarettes, cigars, patches and e-cigarettes.

Health4U has one of the most successful tobacco/nicotine cessation programs in the country, as measured by a 15-month sustained cessation rate of over 27 percent.

Participants of the program enjoy many benefits when they quit smoking and stop using nicotine products, including fresher breath, whiter teeth, better breathing, and more money to spend on the things they enjoy.Continue Reading… Become Nicotine Free in 2014

State of Mind Awareness

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Calming your mind allows you the opportunity to learn new information and develop new insights. EAP Counselor and HRD Facilitator Lisa Laughman (formerly Davidson) offers tips on learning how to manage your thoughts and become aware of your state of mind. Check out the video here.

Build your skills and grow professionally by enrolling in one of several upcoming HRD course offerings in the spring of 2014, or check out Lisa’s upcoming Health4U courses.

5 Tips to Stay Healthy in the Winter

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Staying active and eating healthy are essential steps in maintaining your wellbeing throughout the winter months. To assist you in staying healthy this winter, here are five tips from Health4U Nutritionist and Registered Dietitian Peggy Crum.

Physical activity combined with a balanced diet can help you avoid the cold and flu this winter.
Physical activity combined with a balanced diet can help you avoid the cold and flu this winter.

1. While it is tempting to hibernate in the winter, it is better to keep active.
Exercise invigorates the immune system by speeding up the cells that fight off bacteria. You don’t have to be a super athlete for this to happen—a moderate amount of exercise such as a daily walk will do. Check out this list of indoor walking facilities for places to flex your legs.

2. Get adequate sleep.
Your immune system relies on sleep to stay healthy. Ongoing sleep deficiency can change the way the immune system responds, leading to trouble in fighting common infections.Continue Reading… 5 Tips to Stay Healthy in the Winter

Strength in Numbers: The Importance of Knowing Your Personal Health Stats

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Doctor with a clipboard
Ask your doctor for the numbers. Stay up-to-date with your health statistics.

Staying healthy requires having the right information. The right information includes knowing your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Check out this Best Doctors article to find out why a yearly physical is essential and the medical information you should be aware of regarding your body.

View the PDF provided by Best Doctors.

Facing a medical decision? Best Doctors is here to help.

Call 1-866-904-0910 or visit www.bestdoctors.com/members

Flex Your Legs on Indoor Walking and Running Tracks

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It’s that time of the year, when the air is chilly and the leaves are falling. Snow and ice will soon follow, but luckily for walkers and runners everywhere there are several indoor walking facilities available in the Greater Lansing area to help keep you on track.

IM East offers a variety of outlets for exercising, including an indoor track.
IM East offers a variety of outlets for exercising, including an indoor track.

Jenison Field House

Jenison Field House offers an indoor track available to faculty, staff and students. Availability of the track varies each day due to classes and possible events. The track is not available on weekends and typically closed on Fridays and Mondays for event setup and/or break down. The best way to discover if the track is available is to make a trip to Jenison on the day you want to walk and inquire.Continue Reading… Flex Your Legs on Indoor Walking and Running Tracks

Take a Break with the Rest with Music Series at MSU

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A day at work can always be made better with music and a moment to relax, and that’s exactly what the Rest with Music series at MSU provides. The Rest with Music program helps connect faculty and staff to local musicians that provide a free 50-minute live music session every month at Abrams Planetarium.

“What we know about music is that music has the capacity to impact human emotions in ways that’s pretty phenomenal. We know that it reduces experiences of depression and anxiety. We know that it actually improves people’s health and there’s lots of both scientific and anecdotal evidence,” said Jonathon Novello, an employee assistance counselor with the University Physician’s Office at MSU.Continue Reading… Take a Break with the Rest with Music Series at MSU

Sharing the Road Safely at MSU

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Bicycling is a part of life for the MSU community. Everyone needs to share the road and sidewalks safely. Remembering the roles of pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists can make this process easier.

Police officer on bicycle
The Bicycle Patrol Unit and MSU’s bicycling ordinances are meant to help bicyclists share the road safely with motorists and keep pedestrians and skateboarders safe.

All across campus you’ll find tons of bike lanes designed to help bicyclists share the road with motorists and keep bicyclists off the sidewalks in the path of pedestrians. But on MSU’s campus a number of people still choose the sidewalk as the preferred method of travel while on a bicycle.

An MSU ordinance makes riding a bicycle on non-designated sidewalks and through crosswalks illegal and can result in a ticket.

During 2012 there were 17 bicycle accidents. These accidents included those on the sidewalks, single bike accidents, bike on bike and bike vs. pedestrian. Several required medics.

Whether you’re a faculty member, staff member or student, remembering MSU’s bicycling ordinances can make bicycling safer and more enjoyable.

MSU Police Sergeant Andrea Beasinger offers the following safety tips for bicyclists:Continue Reading… Sharing the Road Safely at MSU

2013 Campus Flu Clinics

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Dropping temperatures and shorter days means flu season will soon be among us and preparation for the foreboding season is vital. The University Physician’s Office will be offering flu clinics at various campus locations in October and November. Flu vaccines administered at the flu clinics will be subsidized by Human Resources for MSU faculty, staff and retirees and will be offered at a cost of $10. The vaccine cost for non-MSU employees and students will be $30.

Woman sick in bed
The flu can be time-consuming, stressful and agonizing. Be sure to get your vaccination provided by the University Physician’s Office.

This flu season the University Physician’s Office is stocking the new quadrivalent flu vaccine, which includes two influenza A strains and two B strains to help protect against influenza disease, in both injectable and intranasal formulations. Until this year, seasonal influenza vaccines included two influenza A strains and only one B strain.Continue Reading… 2013 Campus Flu Clinics

Get Medical Information Delivered to Your Inbox with the MSU Healthy Email Service

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Decoding medical information can be challenging, but not anymore thanks to the Healthy Email Service (HEM) offered by the University Physician’s Office at MSU.

The Healthy Email Service makes access to medical information efficient and convenient.
The Healthy Email Service makes access to medical information efficient and convenient.

The Healthy Email Service provides up-to-date, evidence-based medical information about traditional medicine and alternative practices. The emails cover multiple topics, such as calcium supplementation, sleep medications, head injury in children and more. The emails are delivered bi-weekly throughout the academic year. Each email is written in an easy-to-understand format and can be used for discussions with your health care provider.Continue Reading… Get Medical Information Delivered to Your Inbox with the MSU Healthy Email Service