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.

How to Prepare Your Skin for the Summer

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With summer fast approaching it’s time to say goodbye to harsh winds and snow, and hello to flowers and summer skin care. As the seasons come and go, your skin care routine must change with it. Skin care in the summer will be different from skin care in the winter. These five tips from board-certified dermatologist Dr. Ali Moiin and MSU’s Healthwise Knowledgebase can help you make the transition.

Suntan lotion
A great summer starts with great skin care, such as using sunscreen and wearing protective clothing.

1.  Avoid sun exposure

The best way to prevent a sunburn is to avoid sun exposure. Stay out of the midday sun from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., which is the strongest sunlight. Find shade if you need to be outdoors.Continue Reading… How to Prepare Your Skin for the Summer

Monitoring and Managing Cholesterol

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Maintaining lower levels of cholesterol can improve your health and overall well-being.
Maintaining lower levels of cholesterol can improve your health and overall well-being.

Cholesterol is a fatty substance, also called a lipid, that’s produced by the liver. It’s found in foods high in saturated fat, like fatty meats, egg yolks, shellfish, and whole-milk dairy products. Moderate cholesterol levels in your blood are a vital part of the structure and functioning of our cells, but high levels of LDL cholesterol — low-density lipoproteins — can lead to a slow plaque buildup in the arteries over time, and serious progressive health problems.

There are three main components your doctor evaluates when you have a blood test to check your cholesterol levels. They are LDL (bad) cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol, and triglycerides.Continue Reading… Monitoring and Managing Cholesterol

How to Beat the Winter Blues

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When winter rolls around, sadness or depression can too. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that affects people during the same season every year. Typically, people who experience SAD feel worse in the winter months and better in the spring and summer.

SAD can affect everyone, but according to the Health4U’s Health E-Guide, those more likely to experience the disorder include:

  • People who live in areas where winter days are very short or there are big changes in the amount of daylight in different seasons.
  • Women.
  • People between the ages of 15 and 55. The risk of getting SAD for the first time goes down as you age.
  • People who have a close relative with SAD.Continue Reading… How to Beat the Winter Blues

February 1 is National Wear Red Day®

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February is American Heart Month and the tenth anniversary of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign wants you to wear red on February 1.  Some things to consider:*

  • Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, and is more deadly than all forms of cancer combined.
  • Heart disease causes 1 in 3 women’s deaths each year, killing approximately one woman every minute.
  • An estimated 43 million women in the U.S. are affected by heart disease.
  • Ninety percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease.Continue Reading… February 1 is National Wear Red Day®

Get Moving with These Wellness Opportunities!

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MSU is offering some great opportunities to increase your movement!

You may have already heard about the MSU Moves “Walk on Wednesdays!” program. The first walk, the “frosty walk” edition, is tomorrow, January 30 from 12:15 p.m. to 1 p.m. There are four starting locations to choose from, including the Student Services building main entrance, the north entrance of Plant and Soil Sciences, the northwest corner of Communication Arts and Sciences, and the Nisbet building main entrance. Representatives will be at each location to pass out walking loop maps and answer questions. More information can be found on the MSU Moves Facebook event.Continue Reading… Get Moving with These Wellness Opportunities!

MSU Encourages You to Choose Wisely

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In 1999 the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation (ABIM Foundation) started Choosing Wisely®—a health care practice strategy that focuses its recommendations on reducing and eliminating unnecessary or over-used medical tests, procedures and practices that increase the cost of health care and may put the patient at increased risk of harm.

Choosing Wisely® recognizes that better use of limited health care resources is the responsibility of both health care providers and patients, and in partnership with Consumer Reports, has published the same recommendations with easy-to-understand explanations for patient use in discussion with their health care providers.Continue Reading… MSU Encourages You to Choose Wisely

Come Skate at Munn Ice Arena this Winter!

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Trying to find a way to stay active in the winter? Head over to Munn Ice Arena and take advantage of public skating, open hockey and freestyle skating.

Public skating admission prices are $5 for the public, or $4 for MSU Students, staff or faculty with ID, along with anyone under 18. If you do not have ice skates, Munn has rental skates available for only $2!Continue Reading… Come Skate at Munn Ice Arena this Winter!

Don’t Forget Your Annual Check-up!

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As we begin a new year, it’s a good time to consider scheduling your next physical exam.

A routine physical is one of the most basic and vital tools for monitoring and maintaining your health. Annual physical examinations help your physician to detect and diagnose any problems early on, to promptly provide any treatment needed.Continue Reading… Don’t Forget Your Annual Check-up!

Driving Safely in Winter Weather

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It’s that time of year—slushy, slippery roads are here. But fear not! MDOT has tips and reminders to keep you safe while driving on Michigan roads this winter.

  • Slow down when visibility is low and/or when road conditions are snowy or icy— in ice and snow, take it slow!
  • Give snowplow drivers plenty of room to plow and salt/sand the roads— snowplows need room to groom!
  • Be extra cautious on bridges because they can be icy when roadways are dry
  • Accelerate and brake slowly and avoid abrupt steering maneuvers, especially when merging or changing lanes
  • Don’t pump anti-lock brakes
  • Don’t text or talk on the phone while drivingContinue Reading… Driving Safely in Winter Weather

Congratulations to MSU Moves Me Program!

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The Midwest American College Sports Medicine (MWACSM) ActiveU Award is given to the university that has the most creative and sustainable collegiate program that makes physical activity an integral part of personal healthcare. After a popular 2012 movement/fitness tracking challenge, the MSU Moves Me program won the 2012 MWACSM ActiveU Award!

The MSU Moves Me 2012 challenge ran from January 23 until March 4, 2012. The program will continue to hold more activities and challenges throughout 2013!Continue Reading… Congratulations to MSU Moves Me Program!