DECEMBER 2016 ISSUE
VOLUME THREE
THE
APPLE NEWSLETTER
DECEMBER EDITION IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE HEALTH STUDIES STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION
DECEMBER 2016 ISSUE
VOLUME THREE
 
WHAT THIS IS The purpose of this newsletter is to help keep the students of health studies upto-date and informed of what’s happening within their faculty. Students can read about a variety of topics ranging from current health issues to studentfriendly recipes. If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or articles you wish to submit, email us at: westernhssa@gmail.com
VOLUME THREE
DECEMBER 2016 ISSUE
YOGA YOUR WAY THROUGH EXAMS By: Danielle Senior
Final exam season is approaching fast and the stress levels are rising. My advice: yoga your way through exams! I have recently discovered the many benefits of yoga and am eager to share: Exam-Related Benefits of Yoga • Helps you sleep deeper • Helps you focus • Gives you peace of mind • Regulates your adrenal glands • Relaxes your system • Encourages self care Physical Benefits of Yoga • Improves your balance & flexibility • Builds muscle strength • Perfects your posture & protects your spine • Betters your bone health • Drains your lymphs and boosts immunity • Drops your blood pressure & lowers blood sugar • Maintain your nervous system • Gives your lungs room to breathe • Prevents IBS and other digestive problems • Supports your connective tissue
Psychological Benefits of Yoga • Makes you happier • Founds a healthy lifestyle • Builds awareness for transformation • In cr ea ses yo ur selfesteem & gives you inner strength If you are looking for a healthy outlet to release exam stress, try out the yoga classes at the Yoga Shack located on Ann Street. Every Friday night at 7pm the Yoga Shack hosts a free community yoga class. The Yoga Shack is a warm and welcoming environment, one in which you can progress at your own pace. They believe yoga is for everyone of all ages, all genders, and all active levels. Give it a try this Friday! For more information on the Yo g a S h a c k v i s i t h t t p : / / www.yogashack.ca.
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EAT When I think of the holiday’s, I think of snow, presents, and an abundance of delicious food that’s tempting enough to make even the strictest health nut break their rules. I don’t believe that real food should carry guilt, you should be able to eat good food that is also good for you. A great way to always have something you can eat at a holiday party is to bring something yourself! Both of these recipes are allergy
Cauliflower “Wing” Recipe by Kaitlyn
Ingredients •
1 head of cauliflower (approx. 4-5 cups of florets) Dough Batter Layer: • 1/2 C unsweetened nondairy milk (almond or soy work best) • 1/2 C water • 3/4 C all-purpose flour (can sub gluten-free rice flour) (+1/4 cup added later if the batter isn’t think enough) • 2 tsp garlic powder • 2 tsp onion powder • 1 tsp cumin • 1 tsp of paprika • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional) • 1/4 tsp sea salt • 1/4 tsp ground pepper Hot sauce layer: • 1 tbsp earth balance buttery spread • 1 C frank's red hot sauce
I have tried and tested these recipes multiple times and they are always a hit. The first, my cauliflower “wings” bites are a favourite of mine for parties because they are so easy, and all you need to do when arriving at your friend’s / family’s place is pop them in the oven quickly to warm them up and voila, a truly amazing dish everyone will be coming back for more
Directions 1. 2. 3.
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Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 450 F. Wash and cut cauliflower head into bite sized pieces/florets. Place cut florets into a large microwave – safe bowl with about 1 – 2 inches of water in the bottom and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave on high for 5 – 6 minutes. This “steams” the cauliflower and makes it slightly softer after baking. I prefer soft bites but if you like crunchy cauliflower, go ahead and skip this step. Cauliflower should be easy to poke with a fork, but not too soft. Check on it at the 3-4 minute mark as every microwave is different. Mix all the ingredients for the dough batter layer in a mixing bowl. The batter shouldn't be so thick that it doesn't drip, but also not so thin that it doesn't coat or stick to the cauliflower. I prefer a thicker coating of batter, so when I make it I add extra flour so its very thick. If you want to have less batter on your wings then go for the suggested amounts of flour. Lay florets in an even layer on the parchment lined baking sheet without over crowding. NOTE: parchment paper or a silpat mat is essential in preventing the batter from coming off throughout baking! We've tried oiling the baking sheets and they tend to stick. You need parchment paper! Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown, flipping the florets over half way through to get all sides golden brown and crispy. Check the wings at about 10 minutes in, some ovens are hotter than others so just keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. While the cauliflower is baking get your ranch dip and wing sauce ready. In a small saucepan on low heat melt earth balance and mix in hot sauce. Remove from the heat just as it starts to melt. Stir together and set aside. Once the cauliflower is done it's first bake in the batter, remove them from the oven and put all the baked florets into a mixing bowl with the wing sauce and toss to coat evenly, or you can do this in smaller batches. Then spread all the florets in wing sauce out onto the same baking sheet. Bake in the oven for another 25 minutes, flipping the florets over half way through. AGAIN – watch your wings, the timing is always different even when I am making them. Just keep an eye so you don’t burn them! Take them out of the oven and allow to cool. Bon apetite! If you are planning on bringing these to a holiday party, just check with your host if you can toss them in the oven for 5-10 minutes to reheat them.
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EAT MORE Mini apple pies baked in apples Recipe by Kaitlyn Tyschenko
Ingredients
Filling: • 8 Cortland Apples (2 for the filling and 6 for the pies) • ⅓ Cup Brown Sugar • ¼ Cup Butter (sub for vegan if there are allergies / food restrictions) • ¾ Teaspoon Cinnamon • ¼ Teaspoon Nutmeg • 1 Recipe Easy Vegan Pie Crust or store-bought pie crust Crust – can make your own OR do what I do… and buy crust dough from the store. (for someone who cooks and bakes a lot, I’m still lazy and will save time when I can)
Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 375F (190C). 2. To make the filling: Peel and chop 2 of the apples, then add to a saucepan along with the brown sugar, vegan butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir over medium heat until the apples are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. 3. To make the pies: Cut a thin slice off the top of 6 apples. Then use a melon baller, or spoon to carefully scoop out all of the core and seeds. Make sure to leave a thick enough wall of apple, so that once baked, the apple is still strong and doesn’t collapse. 4. Pack the prepared filling into the apples. You might have some leftover apple filling, and if you do it goes wonderfully on top of oatmeal!
5. Roll out pie crust, and use a large circle cookie cutter, a knife, or any shape cookie cutter you like to cut rounds of pie crust. I used a small tart pan to cut my crust, which gave me this perfect scalloped edge. Use a knife to cut small vent holes in the top of each pie. At this point, if you don't want to enjoy them right away, you can store them covered in the fridge for up to a day until you are ready to bake. 6. Bake 18 to 22 minutes until apples have softened and are just starting to sag. There might be some juices that escaped and that’s a-ok! Serve hot from the oven with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream.
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Tips & Tricks By: Jenna Williamson
It is hard to believe that first semester is quickly coming to an end. With this being said final assignments and exams are fast approaching. It is easy to feel overwhelmed and as though there is no time for anything else besides studying. Though, it is important to find a healthy balance between work and leisure. This may seem impossible when trying to study and you may prioritize studying over other aspects of your life. In order to feel as though you have time for the leisure aspect of your life, time management is an important factor. Here are some useful tips on how to feel as though you can manage your time better: • Make a schedule – this way you can physically see what it is you need to accomplish and can check off what you have completed. • Take time to exercise – whether this be going to the gym or a quick walk around the neighborhood, taking a break from studying for a little bit will make you more productive when you sit down to start studying again.
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Prioritize – Plan to do the things that are due sooner and may be worth more of your grade before the easier things, this way you can get them out of the way and not feel as though you still have a lot to do closer to the due date. Set goals – By setting goals this will make you want to finish what it is you need to get done so that you can reward yourself afterwards.
It is important to take care of yourself during this time of the year. Plan ahead, allow yourself some time of leisure, and reach out when needed! Happy Studying!
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GRAD COLUMN Monthly Interviews of Health Studies alumni who are currently pursuing graduate studies or employed in the workforce. By: Arushan Arulnamby (VP Academics) Name: Jaitra Sathyandran
Favourite health sciences course: Health Implications of International Migration, Healthcare Law & Health Innovation and Leadership
barriers to accessing adequate health care, among other things. When we look at health, it is important we use an intersectional lens, acknowledge the broader social structures in play and how they may disproportionately affect certain individuals. By pursuing a Masters in Public Health, I am able to delve deeper in critically analyzing these social forces, as well as learning how public health initiatives can play a role in addressing health disparities among certain groups.
Why did you choose this Master’s program, especially focusing on Health Promotion?
What did you do in your undergraduate years in and outside of school to prepare yourself for graduate studies?
I chose to pursue a Masters in Public Health, specifically within the Social Behavioural Sciences (Health Promotion) stream because I wanted to be a part of a program that looks beyond the scope of medicine in improving the quality of life for all individuals. Health equity and social justice are predominant values in Public Health. These values also align with my own personal values and interests in working with individuals, like refugees who are often marginalized and face many
For two years, I worked as a Residence Advisor (RA) on campus. Although it may not seem to directly relate to my degree right now, working as an RA helped me develop some great skills in working with people. As a RA you deal with a lot of sensitive issues and learning how to problem solve and work with multiple people who share different perspectives and values as you, is important. Pursuing a MPH involves a lot of collaboration and working with people from different backgrounds and skill sets. Public Health is an interdisciplinary and broad field and so learning how to adapt and work with others is valuable and beneficial.
Graduate Studies: Masters in Public Health Undergraduate: Bachelor in Health Sciences- Health Studies
Another highlight of my undergrad was joining Western’s Rotaract club and being a part of the Global Health executive committee in my third year. That year, we held Western’s First Annual Global Health Symposium, which ended up being a great success. The following year, I got the opportunity to become Co-VP and organize and execute the 2 nd Global Health Symposium with another Co-VP and an extremely dedicated committee. The theme for that year’s event was “Health among marginalized populations” and shed light on health issues and inequities among different marginalized populations. We had three great speakers with experience in Indigenous health, immigrant and refugee health and child and maternal health. The conference was a great learning experience in understanding that global health issues are not restricted to the developing world, but that healthpromoting initiatives can have large benefits in our own backyard. This experience I believe was influential in my decision to pursue a MPH.
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Grad Column Continued… H ow wa s t h e t r a n s i t i o n f r o m undergraduate to graduate studies like? The transition from undergraduate to graduate studies can be a slight learning curve. There is definitely a lot more pressure and expectations when working at a graduate level, but you soon learn how to adapt. In my graduate degree, I barely have exams. A lot of my assignments are essay related which is a change from undergrad, where most evaluations were multiple-choice exams. There is also more group work in my Masters degree, so being able to work well with your peers and having a common ground is important. I also commute to school now, which definitely takes more time and makes me appreciate now how easy it was to roll out of bed and get to class within half an hour in my undergrad. Being able to manage my time well, schedule and not procrastinate is very important in graduate school (which I am still working on). What is the structure of the MPH program at University of Toronto? The MPH program at UofT is divided in 5 streams: (1) Epidemiology (2) Family and Community Medicine (3) Nutrition and Dietetics (4) Occupational and Environmental Health (5) Social and Behavioural Health Sciences (Health Promotion) These streams are quite separate and you have your own number of courses and expectations. There is a course that you must take in your first year called “Introduction to Public Health” which all 5 streams must take together. This is one of the few opportunities where you can work with others across streams and really gain some interdisciplinar y
learning. Within my first year of my program in the Social and Behavioural Health Sciences (Health Promotion) stream, there was a lot of structure and mandatory courses that I had to take. However, now in my second year of the program, I have a lot more room and flexibility in taking courses that cater to my interests. Additionally, after your first year of the program you must complete a summer practicum (placement). This placement must relate to Health Promotion or Public Health in general and you have the option of applying to work abroad or locally. What is unique about UofT’s program is that you also get the opportunity to complete a second placement in your second year. This is great because it allows you to gain more practical skills with an organization that caters to your interests. What do you like best about your program? What I like best about my program are the people. Everyone in my program comes in with different backgrounds, experiences and interests, so it’s really great to work with such a diverse group of people. It’s also great to see how peoples’ interests transition from first to second year and some of the research projects and community initiatives your colleagues are working on. What I also like about my program is that the school is situated in a diverse city (Toronto), where there are many opportunities and things happening. The school has some prestigious and very knowledgeable faculty, as well as connections to many intuitions and organizations in and outside of Canada. This is great because you’re able to build connections and gain exposure to seminars, events, faculty and organizations that do work that interests you.
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Grad Column Continued… What is a typical day of graduate studies? A typical day in graduate school can vary, depending on how heavy your workload is and the extracurricular activities you’re involved in. My classes are no more than 3 hours and I also don’t have class everyday. There are some periods during the semester that can be quite stressful and other times when things are slower. Over the past 6 months, I got to be a part of a team of 30 students across all streams in the MPH program, in organizing and executing a very successful two-day student-led conference on income insecurity. A lot of my time earlier this semester was dedicated to helping organize the conference and being a part of this extracurricular activity. Normally though a typical day would involve attending class and either heading to the library, hanging out in the common lounge or attending a talk/seminar on campus either within my department or other departments at UofT. What do you plan on pursuing after completing this program? What are your future career goals? Being in a MPH program is great because you get an exposure to many different areas of work, but can also be quite confusing because there are so many options. Public Health is super broad so you can really pursue anything you connect with. When I entered the program, my interests centered on immigrant and refugee health. This still remains and I hope to pursue work with this population. I’ve also started to grow a passion in learning more about human rights, law and foreign affairs. These disciplines are a big interest of mine and I hope to pursue work in an area where I can merge international human rights law and public health together. What that entails, is a little unclear for me at the moment but the opportunities are endless! Is there any advice you would like to share with current Health Studies undergraduate students? What I appreciate about the Health Studies program at Western was that a lot of the foundational knowledge I learned in my undergrad, served to be extremely beneficial when entering my Masters Degree.
The program has some great courses so take advantage of them. Try not to take “bird courses” that you may not be that interested in because they’re advertised as easy. I found that I always did better in my Health Sci courses because I was actually interested in the content. Take courses you’re interested in because they’re there to enhance your learning. Additionally, one thing that I wish I did more of during my undergrad was get involved in the community. As a student it’s typical to be stuck in the “Western bubble” and not really engage with the broader community. Getting yourself involved in the community by volunteering with an organization is a great way to enhance your learning in an area you’re interested in. Whether it may not seem to be directly related to health or not, you’re contributing and possibly learning something new that you wouldn’t normally get in a class setting. Additionally, Western offers practicum courses where you get an opportunity to work with a community partner for a semester. This is a really great opportunity to apply your knowledge to practice and network. Another piece of advice I would give is getting some meaningful research experience. In my final year of the program I also pursued an Independent Study (HS 4490). I worked on a research project on understanding the mental health of Canadian Tamil Sri Lankan refugees. This was definitely a highlight of my undergrad because I got to work with a professor who was keen on enhancing my knowledge and understanding in doing research. I’m really appreciative that Western has a course like this because it allowed to me work on a project that was really important to me, but also introduced me to research methodology that I never got exposure to through class. Currently I am still in touch with this professor and developing a manuscript for potential publication.
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Laughs with Staff
Monthly interviews with Health Studies staff members. This week: Emericks Rivas Role: Administrative Assistant Hometown: London, ON Previous schools studied in (and what degrees): Western University, BA in Administrative & Commercial Studies with Economics Years @ UWO: 12 years Office hours: 8:30am to 4pm Favorite place on campus: UCC Interests/Hobbies: Family movie night, taking kids out to the park Fun Fact: I could eat avocados everyday What do you do in the School of Health Studies? I provide administrative support to the School Director, staff and faculty in the areas of Human Resources, budgeting, managing faculty research grants, and others. What’s the hardest part about the Administrative Assistant role? What’s the best part? I would say the hardest part is the most attractive part of my position – fast pace work environment. Nearly every day I come to work I am faced with different challenges, deadlines, etc. so it never gets boring for me. The everyday challenges and helping others is what keeps me motivated at work. Tell us something that students don’t know about you. I love technology and the productivity benefits you can reap from it.
Tell us something that students don’t know about you. I love technology and the productivity benefits you can reap from it. What advice would you give to Health Studies students? Appreciate hard challenging tasks. Consider them as opportunities for individual growth and achieving greater self-confidence. Do you have a crazy story from your undergraduate years you’d like to share? Not that I can remember at moment. What’s the biggest change you’ve seen at Western University during your time here? T here is definitely strong er student involvement in all aspects of university life than 10 years ago. I see more student committees across campus, more student led events, etc. and this is a great thing. ***Okay, now tell us a joke! (This column is called “Laughs with Staff ” for a reason.) I can still remember a time when I knew more than my phone :_)
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