Engaging with Student Life to Optimize Health The Student Union Assembly reached out to CORE to collaborate on a private event for coping with mental and physical health stressors surrounding finals and test taking. On the sunny mid-morning of March 13th, talented massage therapist Juan Alvizar offered five-minute chair massages to UC Santa Cruz Students. […]
Lowering Stress Through Diet
What we eat can have a sedative or magnifying effect on stress. Furthermore, if the diet is not controlled or at least acknowledged during times of stress it can pave the way for a number of eating disorders such a binge eating and anorexia. Research shows that roughly 40% of individuals increase their food intake […]
Dealing with Anxiety and Depression
Mood disorders such as anxiety and depression are very common in the population. According to the World Health Organization, depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide (1). With mood disorders becoming so prevalent that it is important to find healthy ways to cope with and prevent them. What are Anxiety and Depression? Anxiety: Anxiety […]
What is Mental Burnout?
Burnouts are experienced by everyone at some point in their lives but are especially prominent amongst high-achieving and ambitious individuals. High-demanding jobs in administration, education, healthcare, social work, and virtually every field can lead to a burnout (1). Individuals that over-work themselves and those that take on too much responsibility are more likely to experience […]
Massage and Autonomic Nerve Activity
Many of the benefits of massage therapy that we experience are mediated by the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system, also known as the involuntary nervous system, is largely involved in the physiological effects of both stress and relaxation. The autonomic nervous system consists of the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous systems, which affect […]
Nutrition is More Than Diet
Diet is only one of the many aspects that define nutrition. For this reason, Functional Integrative Nutrition (FIN) targets health status through more than diet alone. FIN takes many aspects into account including emotional state, daily activity, stress levels, sleep, genetic predispositions, and medical history on top of nutritional status. This helps paint a more […]
Top 8 Ways Endurance Training Strengthens the Mind
People who are serious about their health and fitness need to train consistently. Endurance training is an important part to any fitness regimen. This type of training brings forth a host of physiological benefits, including enhanced performance for athletes. Endurance training also strengthens the mind, and here are 8 ways it achieves that. 1. […]
Yoga: From Then to Now
The simple philosophy of yoga is mind, body, and spirit are all one. The Sanskrit word “yoga” has many meanings. It is derived from the Sanskrit root “yuj”, meaning “to control” (self-discipline), “to yoke” (egolessness), or “to unite”. Looking back, it has grown over the years into something completely different than what it started […]
Managing Stress With Fitness
Using tobacco products, consuming excess amounts of alcohol, and eating a poor diet are all common habits among Americans that are extremely detrimental to our health. However, there’s another that seems to be widely accepted yet not emphasized enough as equally harmful: Stress. How many times a day do we find ourselves checking our phones, […]
The Super Benefits of Swimming
It is a well-known fact that humans are composed of nearly 70 percent water. The earliest humans relied on water as a source of safety, food, navigation, and even recreation. This may not come as a surprise as about 70 percent of the earth’s surface is water. As we’ve evolved, water has become one of […]
