You may be thinking that you won’t get an illness from a swimming pool because they are treated with chemicals. But, the chlorine doesn’t kill germs right away. This could be a common place to get an illness here because the apartment pools are shared by many people especially during pool party season! The natural water sources get their contamination from rainwater runoff. This can be fixed by people cleaning up after their dogs, and by watching what chemicals you put in your yard.

What to do to prevent illness:

                These illnesses can be prevented from just your knowledge that there is a possibility that you will get sick. With many popular public beaches, health departments test them regularly for contamination, so before heading to a beach or lake check with that local health department to see if it is safe. Also if it has rained within the last 24 hours it is best to check out any dangers before getting in the water. As for swimming pools, you can’t personally check to make sure that there aren’t any bacteria before jumping in. With all sources of water there are some water safety tips:

• Shower before and after going into a swimming pool.
• Stay out of water if you’ve had diarrhea in the last 2 weeks to help protect others from infectious germs.
• Try not to swallow recreational water.
• Avoid swimming or playing near places where storm water is released on the beach.
• Stay out of the water for at least 24 hours after a storm.
• Always wash your hands before you eat or drink.            

                One way to get physically active is to sign up for the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award. This is a 6 week challenge that encourages you to get regular physical activity that you enjoy. This could be as easy and fun as taking your dog for a walk and playing at the dog park! Another way to get physically active is to play a sport with some friends. UF offers many great resources to help students get physically active including gyms and recreational activities.

UF Resources:

• Lake Wauburg:  wakeboarding, boating, challenge courses, rock wall, etc.
• Southwest Recreational Center:  cardio room, weight room, group fitness classes, sand volleyball courts, basketball courts, tennis courts, and indoor track.
• Student Recreation Center:  swimming pool, cardio, weights, group fitness classes, etc.

Websites with more information:

• National Physical Fitness & Sports Month
• University of Florida Department of Recreational Sports
• The President’s Challenge

Where does this idea come from?

A group of Indians living on an island off of Panama have a low risk of cardiovascular disease and  high blood pressure.  This same group tends to consume a high amount of cocoa (a different form than we consume). The chocolate we eat is processed which can extract 2 main components from the cocoa beans (the cocoa solids and cocoa butter). The darker a chocolate is the more cocoa solids it contains. In addition, researchers believe that the cocoa solids are the healthy component of chocolate.

Research has shown in the past that there are positive correlations between dark chocolate and blood pressure. A research study performed at Harvard shows that eating more dark chocolate can lower blood pressure especially for those participants who had high blood pressure to begin with. There are some limitations with the study though. Many people who eat chocolate eat it with another food, so a study on just chocolate may be unreliable because the other food could play a factor in the outcome. Another limitation is that these studies have all been relatively short. Other studies have even shown that chocolate can help with cancer rates, but again they are ongoing and the results are not proven yet.

So, Should you eat chocolate?

                Depending on the type of chocolate you eat can determine the benefits of it. If you consume white chocolate then you are not getting any of the cocoa solids so it would not benefit your health in any way. Chocolate that we eat also has many additives in it that makes it high in calories, and we all know that our weight is associated with our health as well. For those of you who are eating chocolate, try eating dark chocolate. I know it has a bitter flavor compared to the sweet/smooth flavor of milk chocolate, but it does have health benefits. Eating dark chocolate can be a yummy way to lower your blood pressure.

Anxiety plays a role in activating your body’s stress response causing almost every cell, tissue and organ to go on a high alert which can wear your body down. Another common behavior seen during exam week is countless all nighters in the library which also plays a major role in your immunity. During the reading days and anytime you have before your exam, the best thing to do is to take breaks and to get sleep. Once you’re done with your exams I’m sure the last way you want to start your summer break is by being sick from anxiety and lack of sleep. So while studying stay relaxed and get some sleep.

Some ways to de-stress:

• Exercise. Even if you just go on a walk you can free your mind and think of other things other than your exam material.
• Socialize. Hang out with some friends for a little while to get your mind on other things.
• Take care of yourself. It is easy to forget to eat healthy when you plan on spending most of your time studying, but it is still important to not skip meals and to eat healthy. It is also very important that you get some sleep
• Get some fresh air. Being in the library for hours at a time can be depressing to your mood so take breaks and walk outside to get some fresh air.
• Think positively. Remember you have been taking exams like these throughout the semester and your college career; they shouldn’t be scary just because they fall within “final exam week,” plus they will soon be over!

During this month, let’s educate ourselves on what we can do to prevent sexual assault.  The most dangerous myth to believe is “it can’t happen to me.” In fact, 1 in 4 college women experience unwanted sexual contact meeting the definition of rape or attempted rape. Sit down, have lunch, and talk with your friends during this awareness month.

What you can do: Tips from the STRIVE campaign and the CWC on campus

• Protect yourself. Try to avoid walking alone at night, leaving drinks unattended, and getting so drunk that you are unaware of your surroundings. The University offers the SNAP system to give you a ride anywhere on campus for free at night time.
• Be assertive. Set limits and communicate them clearly with your partner. Just because you may have done something before doesn’t mean you have to do it again if you don’t want to.
• Avoid victim-blaming. Offer your support and encouragement to the victim.
• Refuse to support rape culture. Some things you say could support violence as an expression of power or masculinity, by doing this you might be helping maintain an acceptance of sexual violence.

Helpful Campus and Community Resources:

• Counseling and Wellness Center (CWC): (352) 392-1575
• University Police Department (UPD) – Victim Services: (352) 392-1111 (24/7) or (352) 392-5648 (M-F, 8a-5p)
• Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) Program – UPD: (352) 392-1409
• Student Nighttime Auxiliary Patrol (SNAP): (352) 392-SNAP [7627]
• AAREST (Acting Against Rape Every Student Task Force): aarest@sg.ufl.edu
• Alachua County Victim Services and Rape Crisis Center: (352) 264-6760 or (866) 252-5439 (toll-free)
• Alachua County Crisis Center - Crisis Hotline: (352) 264-6789
• Peaceful Paths Domestic Abuse Network: (352) 377-8255

More: National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) website - www.nsvrc.org/saam

There are three easy ways to pay bills from UF Physicians:

1. Call UF Physicians Patient Relations Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at (352) 265-7906 or (888) 766-8154.
2. Visit billpay.ufp.ufl.edu.
3. Mail a check for the appropriate amount to the address noted on your bill.

Should you require further assistance, please contact SHCC Patient Financial Services at (352) 273-4546.

Alcohol awareness month has been going on during the month of April since 1987. This year the focus is on underage drinking, mainly prevention of it. While the majority of this campaign focuses on high school aged students, underage drinking still involves students in college.

Going out to midtown on a Friday night it seems like everyone is drinking, but did you know that many college students overestimate the amount that their peers actually drink? I’m sure you remember that survey we were given before we could register for classes about how much we drink and then we were compared to other people our age. This showed us that our perceptions were off.

During this month let’s take the time to get educated on the different statistics and myths about alcohol. Some things that we have been told our entire lives about alcohol might be wrong advice that could harm us in the future, it is always better to know the truth.

Common myths about alcohol:

Myth:  “Alcohol isn’t dangerous.” 

Fact:  1 in 3 18-24 year olds admitted to the emergency room for serious injury are intoxicated.

Myth:  “If I stop drinking, I’ll be sober enough to drive.”

Fact:  It takes about 3 hours to eliminate the alcohol content of 2 drinks.

Statistics among college aged students:

Alcohol consumption and binge drinking are common among college students.

• About 4 in 5 of all college students’ drink, including 60% of students age 18-20.
• Approximately 2 of every 5 college students have reported engaging in binge drinking at least once during the past 2 weeks.

Excessive drinking in college leads to many adverse outcomes.

• 1,700 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die each year from unintentional alcohol-related injuries.
• 599,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are unintentionally injured under the influence of alcohol each year
• More than 696,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking each year
• More than 97,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape each year (about half among students under 21).
• More than 400,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 had unprotected sex as a result of their drinking and more than 100,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 report having been too intoxicated to know if they consented to having sex each year.
• About 25% of college students report academic consequences of their drinking including missing class, falling behind, doing poorly on exams, and receiving lower grades overall.
• About 11% of college student drinkers report that they have damaged property while under the influence of alcohol.

Additional Resources:

• “Alcohol and Other Drugs” – GatorWell Health Promotion Services
• Straight Talk on Alcohol and Other Drugs: A Website for College Students
• “Underage and College Drinking” – National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.