by Sarah Orr
health page editor
Graduation is quickly coming
upon us, and many seniors need to
remember some healthful tips that
will keep them fit and trim and
hopefully healthy for years to come
Individuals can take many mea
sures to keep themselves from
becoming ill and/or developing
some chronic condition that will
plague them for the rest of their
Don’t smoke. This sounds
simple enough, and we have heard
the message time and time again.
However, many people refuse to
heed the warning. Smoking can
cause such horrible conditions as
emphysema, lung cancer, and
premature aging. All of these are
very easy to prevent by not smok
ing or quitting if you do.
Exercise. Exercising will help
you shed excess pounds that could
Dreams 9 anxiety ami you
Think dreaming only happens at night? Think again. Dreaming can happen at any time of the day, even when taking a catnap on your favorite
Reed Building (or Science Building) couch. Many dreams or nightmares indicate how much stress you might be experiencing, especia'ly at
the end of the semester or for seniors who are job hunting.
by Becky Weindorf
managing editor
For most of us, these last two
weeks of the semester will not
involve much sleep.
On the other hand, what sleep
you might get will probably
entail some dreams - perhaps
frightening, others
bothersome. Rarely will they
let us sleep in peace with what
few hours we might have
at night.
I’d like to interpretate
bad dreams and how they
relate to each and every
one of our readers, but
that would take a little
more than Miss Cleo’s
clairvoyant powers
(*snort* yea right).
Here’s what I can do,
though: offer some advice
on your dreams. I’m not
going to tell you that
you’ve contracted some
weird Freud complex
because of finals week,
but your dreams tell a lot
about you and the
experiences that you have
(or are facing).
For example, I have
been heavily planning my
wedding since January (I
won’t be married until
next July) and dealing
with the fact that my fianc6
decided not to come home this
summer. I experienced two
dreams in the past two nights:
one, that my fiancd and I lived
in a dumpy apartment with no
money for food or soap; and
two, that I was forced to be
lead to obesity. It can cut your
chance for heart disease in half.
Heart disease is the leading cause of
death among Americans, and it also
can be prevented. It will keep your
joints limber, keep your mind sharp,
and help you look'
Remember yoi
Healthy eating hi
emphasized time
time again, how
ever, there is truth
to it. Diet and
exercise go hand
in hand when
trying to mairitaii
healthy weight. '
eat foods that tasl
while still keeping
healthy dietary limits. Leafy
greens, fruits, vegetables, whole
grains, lean meats, fish, and low fat
dairy products are some of the
components that constitute a healthy
diet. Eat a variety at every meal, and
try to get the recommended daily
allowance of each.
Keep it in moderation. Modera
tion is the key to most things in life
engaged to another man.
All right. This might seem
painfully obvious to you, but it’s
all about being in tune to what’s
happening around you - have
you had the infamous “I’m
falling through space and I can’t
stop” dream? What is exactly
going on in your life that might
trigger this? Perhaps you are
preparing for an interview or an
acceptance to a master’s degree
program.
Famous dreams
A few excerpts from famous people
and their dreams (courtesy of
www.dreamtree.com):
* Abraham Lincoln had a dream that
he saw his own funeral shortly before
he was assassinated. He heard
mourners crying but did not see diem
as he walked through the. White
House. As he approached his own
funeral pyre surrounded by guards*
Lincoln demanded, “Who was killed
in the White House?” The guard
answered, “The President. He was
murdered by an assassin.”
♦A German chemist, F.A. Keule,
discovered the atomic makeup of the
chemical benzene in a dream.
The key is dealing with the
stress and anxiety that we all
have in these final weeks of
class. It is important to take care
of your body as well as your
mind, even when five different
professors press for five
different projects and/or tests by
You can have that candy bar and
drink a beer without fear of falling
over dead. Just make sure that don’t
eat too many candy bars or drink too
many beers. Find healthy substitu
tions for some of your weak
a drink of soda
/hen you are out at
far. Eat an apple
>tead of Reese’s
Peanut butter Cup
Keep things in
perspective and
you will be fine.
Drink
ts of water. Water
very vital to good
Be sure to drink
_jght glasses a day.
That’s 64 ounces of water you
should be putting into your
system every 24 hours. Water
replenishes the fluid in your body
that you lost while breaking a sweat
at the gym. It also encourages
healthy functioning of your kidneys.
Plus, it flushes toxins out of your
system. You will have a healthier
glow to your skin and feel better,
finals week. More importantly,
dreaming might be another way
of your body telling you that
you need to chill out, just as
your stomach growls if you’re
hungry or when your eyes get
heavy when you need sleep.
Depending on what dreams
you’re having, it is up to you to
interpret what anxiety is
affecting you most. Try some
of these relaxation techniques to
help relieve the stress (and take
♦The author Mary Shelley records
a dream about her deceased baby (19
March 1815): “Dreamt that my little
baby came to life again; that it had
only been cold, and that we rubbed it
before the fire, and it lived. Awake
and fold no baby. I think about the
little thing all day. Not in good
♦tile psychologist Carl Jung
dreamt his father talked to him in a
dream, that he “made a good recov
ery” and Ihat he would he home soon.
Jung had the dream a few days later
and writes that it forced to him to
think about life alter death.
an edge off your nightmares, as
well):
*Drink plenty of water (stay
away from the carbonated
brown sludge in the pop
machines). Aim for juices and
clear liquids that do not contain
sugars or liquor - this will cause
too if you make sure to get your
daily allowance of H2O.
Get plenty of sleep! This is
essential for college students,
especially. Many of us have jobs,
15-20 credit course loads, are
members of at least four or five
clubs, and occasionally like to hit
the party trail. Making time for
rest in your hectic schedule will
definitely be a benefit. I’m not
talking about sleeping in until
noon after a bender the night
before. Get on a regular sleep
schedule, and keep it on the
weekends. Your body will thank
you for it. You will be more alert
during the day and have more
energy. You will also wake up
feeling more refreshed.
My last bit of advice for a long
and healthy life is don’t sweat the
small stuff. It is clichd, but it’s
true. On average, worriers die
seven years earlier than those who
learn to just let it go. Be happy,
make time for fun and good luck!
dehydration. Dehydration can
also cause muscle cramps and
fatigue, especially on warmer
days of the year.
*Try yoga. Guys do take
yoga, too. I’ve seen it myself.
Try a yoga class or some type
of stretching regiment that you
can do right in your own room
every morning and evening.
*Don’t wait for that pill that
will build muscle tone for you
- exercise. This is not
restricted
marathon runners.
Even taking a brisk
walk around
campus (AND up
the Hill) will get
your blood flowing
and your leg, butt,
and abdomen
muscles in shape
just in time for
summer.
♦SLEEP! You
deserve it! Force
yourself to get
homework done
and tell your
employer (if you’re
part time) to cut
back your hours
until finals are over.
Most are glad to do
it for you, even for
a couple weeks.
♦Lose weight and
check
cholesterol. Yes, 20-
somethings can get high
cholesterol. Visit Health and
Wellness to make sure you’re
in decent shape for finals
week.
run
by Lyndsey Boor
contributing writer
Providing that winter leaves
Erie within the next three
months, bathing suit season
will be upon us! If you’re
thinking about shedding a
few pounds to fit into that
new bikini or trunks, may I
suggest running?
Now, before you get the
mental image of the track
team sprinting in the parking
lot, don’t panic! Running can
be simple, fun, very benefi
cial, and yes anyone can do
it. I hear so many people ask
me and my teammates, “How
can you run for fun?” Well
my friend, just sit right back
and let me tell you!
With heart disease being the
number one killer in America,
running can help to burn
those unwanted calories and
lower your blood pressure.
According the the American
Running Association, one 45
minute jog
a treadmill can reduce your
blood pressure dramatically
for up totwenty-four hours!
Running also helps boost
your HDL cholesterol, which
is good cholesterol that your
body needs.
A lot of people know that
running is a good way to get
in shape, but running can be
beneficial in many more
ways. Running is a great form
of stress relief. With finals
and graduation just around
the comer we tend to get a
little testy.
Instead of beating on your
roommate, try a 20 minute
jog on the treadmills or track
in the Junker Center. A study
of 135 college students, done
by the American Running As
sociation, showed that those
who exercised were able to
handle the pressures of col
lege life better.
Do you have trouble falling
asleep? Running can also
help
sleep better! When 700 men
and women were polled by
the American Running Asso
ciation, those who ran had
fewer symptoms of sleep dis
orders and were able to sleep
more soundly. That’s right,
running cures everything.
All right, so it probably
doesn’t cure everything, but
it’s definitely beneficial to
your health. There are a few
things to remember before
you head out running.
1) Always bring a bottle of
water with you to avoid be
coming dehydrated.
2) Remember to stretch
well before running so that
you don’t strain or tear
any muscles.
3) Start out slow. Don’t try
to become Michael Johnson
or Marion Jones on the first
4) If you’re outside, run
with someone. Being injured
out in the woods or at the bot
tom of the gorge would not
be fun.
5) Have fun! We cross
country and track runner
aren’t crazy. Running can be
fun!