WELL NOW
Fall, 2004
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON
PAGE 2
Energy Drinks
Getting your energy from
sugar drinks? Check out
what’s in your favorite
energy concoction.
Flexibility
The oft overlooked part of
physical fitness and
gentle reminders for
keeping yourself limber.
HPV
The virus that causes
genital warts is not
always prevented by
condom use. Read why.
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Stress
Inevitable for college
students but resources
are within reach. Find out
what your Health and
Counseling Centers have
for the stressed out
student.
Sleep
When we don’t get it right
at night, sleep will sneak
in at the most
disagreeable times. Read
tips for getting a full night
of “zzz’s”.
Massage
Back by popular demand.
Massage is available
through the Sport’s
Medicine/Physical
Therapy Department at
the Student Rec Center.
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Suicide
Second leading cause of
death among college
students and resources
are available on campus.
Learning
Disabilities
Several departments on
campus provide services
for students who struggle
with learning. Find out
more.
When in Eugene... Bike!
Urva Kuzma
ant to explore the area
around campus?
Looking for a fun way to enjoy
the last few weeks of warm
sunny weather? Need to get
some exercise between
classes? Biking is a great way
to get out and enjoy
the city and some
fresh air. And
Eugene is a great
place to do it. Allow
me to share a few tips
for the road.
Biking Near
As you’ve probably
noticed, the UO is a
great campus for riding.
There are plenty of bike
racks and bike lanes. All
you need is the bike, a
lock and a helmet.
Although a helmet isn’t
required for riders over 16,
wearing a helmet is
sensible protection since
you’re here, after all, to
educate your mind.
While on the topic of safety,
be sure to follow the rules of
the road. Always ride with
traffic.be alert, ride defensively,
yield to pedestrians, use lights
and reflectors at night, and
follow lane markings. The
Department of Public Safety
has plenty of maps and lists of
rules for local riders.
Getting Out
Besides riding to and from
class, there are plenty of local
areas to explore off campus.
The Riverbank Trail System is
across campus on the other
side of Franklin Blvd. It is a
wide trail along both sides of
the Willamette river that takes
you past Autzen Stadium and
the Delta Ponds. You’ll find
other bikers, walkers, runners,
and roller-bladers enjoying the
river views and grassy parks
along the trail.
Riding from campus on
15th Ave.will take you to the
Amazon Creek Trail, which you
can ride to the outskirts of
Eugene, passing through
neighborhoods and wetlands
on the way.
When in Eugene, do like the
Eugeneans and have a great
ride!
Top 10 Reasons to
Ride a Bike:
10. If you live around campus,
commuting to class is faster
by bicycle than by car.
9. Parking is easy and free.
8. A bicycle runs on a variety of
non-petrolium fuels -
breakfast cereal, broccoli,
monster cookies ...
7. Biking around campus is an
easy way to squeeze in 30
minutes of moderate
exercise.
6. Bicycling is ecologically and
environmentally sound.
5. Commuting by bike saves
money.
4. The breeze will dry your wet
hair as you ride.
3. You can take your pick of
models, colors, seats,
handlebar streamers, etc.
2. Bicycling gives you a
completely different view of
the world.
I. It’s fun!
Iron Deficiency Anemia-A Common Suspect
by Erin Baldwin
magine you are taking a
test where one of the
questions is to explain why
students are often fatigued,
irritable,short of breath,or
have difficulty concentrating?
You might come up with
several plausible explanations,
yet might not have thought of
one common suspect— “iron
deficiency anemia”.
Suspect Defined
Iron deficiency anemia, in
the simplest terms, means the
depletion of iron reserves in
the body. In particular, this
condition is characterized by
depletion of hemoglobin
molecules within red blood
cells, whose job it is to
transport oxygen throughout
the body. If there isn’t enough
oxygen transportation, then it’s
easy to see why fatigue,
shortness of breath,or lack of
mental concentration may
result.
Iron deficiency anemia
develops slowly and is
certainly related to diet. Low
calorie or imbalanced diets
can lead to inadequate dietary
iron intake. Other contributing
factors include excessive
menstrual bleeding in women,
hemorrhages, blood donations,
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diarrhea, and use of antacids.
Symptoms
Other symptoms of iron
deficiency anemia can
include: pale skin color, low
blood pressure,sore tongue,
brittle nails, headaches, loss of
appetite,sensitivity to cold,
tingling limbs,and
gastrointestinal tract
abnormalities. One peculiar
symptom called “pica” refers
to unusual food cravings such
as ice,cardboard, clay, paint,
detergent and starch.Still, iron
deficiency anemia does take
time to develop,so more
commonly it is asymptomatic.
What about numbers
Although anemia is usually
associated with children,
pregnant women, and
endurance athletes.it is also
common among college
women.Typically women have
increased blood loss through
menstruation. According to
Medline Plus Medical
Encyclopedia, approximately
20 percent of all women, 50
percent of pregnant women,
and 3 percent of men are iron
deficient.
Iron deficiency anemia is
the most common nutrient
deficiency in the United States
and in developing countries,
according to UO Health Center
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Registered Dietitian Kristen
Oimos. “Iron deficiency
anemia ^usually diet related,
but there are often other
contributing factors,” Oimos
said. “Our diet replaces the
iron we loose through sweat,
blood, urine and feces.
Calcium inhibits iron
absorption,and excessive
amounts of coffee, tea,and
other products can [also
inhibit absorption].” Oimos
noted that the recommended
daily allowance for iron is 10
milligrams for men and 15
milligrams for women. She
recommends eating iron rich
foods (like refried beans, meat,
fish,chicken, stir-fried tofu,
lentil soup) along with vitamin
C rich foods (like strawberries,
broccoli, grapefruit, green
pepper, tomatoes, orange
wedges) which aid in the
absorption of iron.
Prevention and
treatment
A balanced diet, adequate
in calories and rich in both
iron and vitamin C is key.
According to Oimos, the form
of iron found in meat products
is absorbed 2-3 times better
than iron from vegetable
products.
A simple blood test at the
Health Center can determine
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if you are iron deficient. If so, a
practitioner might
recommend an iron
supplement such as ferrous
sulfate, ferrous gluconate, and
carbonyl iron,along with
vitamin C supplements, all of
which are available at the
Health Center pharmacy.
Kristen Olmos can provide diet
recommendations. For more
information or an
appointment at the UO Health
Center call 346-2770.
Servings of various
foods and their iron
content:
4 02. liver (4-9 mg.)
114 cake tofu (2-3 mg.)
I egg (I mg.)
I c. refried beans (4.5 mg)
112 c. cooked spinach (3 mg)
113 c. dried fruit (I mg)
I tbs. black strap molasses (3 mg.)
Nancy Clark’s Sport Nutrition Book
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