In This Issue:

Got the Dieting Blues?--Find out how you get stop the dieting cycle and still stay fit and healthy.

Alcohol: A Stress Reliever?--Think drinking alcohol will help reduce stress? Guess again.

Hey There, Sleepy Head!--Need some help getting a good night's sleep?

Fuel Up Before You Hit the Gym-- Learn how carbohydrates give you the energy you need to maximize your workouts.

Boost Your Performance: Diet Supplements--Thinking about using diet supplements to enhance performance? Before you start, you should learn about the risks.

The Lowdown on Gettin' High: Are more people smoking pot at the U of O? And, is pot smoking as harmless as most people think?

     So many things are piling up on top of you and you're beginning to feel like you've lost your sanity. So, what do you decide to do? Well, that's simple. You do what you think everybody else does - go to your favorite bar or stay home with your drink of choice and make all your problems go away.
     It may not be a new solution to your problems, but it seems to work for all your friends, so why not? Of course you're going to forget about your stress-filled life for awhile, but as soon as you get over that hangover from your "solution," you'll remember all your problems because, surprise!, they're still there!
     In reality, alcohol isn't a very good stress reliever because it acts as a depressant and elevates the stress levels in your body. This means that it depresses the central nervous system, giving you the sense of being more relaxed (which is why you went out in the first place, right?).
     But, after it's done making you feel semi-relaxed, it will then make you feel more depressed (which is something you didn't want!). This nervous system depression causes a stress response and adds one more thing to your already long list of stressors. Unless these stressors are taken care of appropriately, they can have serious effects on your health and lead to even more stress!
     Interestingly, seeing college students using alcohol as a stress reliever may not seem too unfamiliar at the University of Oregon. According to the 1998 University Health Center Survey, 14.2% of our student population report that they drink 3-4 days per week. But the same survey also shows that 71.1% of students handle stress "excellently" or "well." The point is that even though it may seem like a popular stress management technique for a lot of students, not everybody drinks it up when things get too stressful. There are other ways!
     Instead of using alcohol to manage the stress in your life, try some new approaches. Go for a quick walk, ride your bike, talk with a friend, go to the mall, rollerblade through the park, work out at the rec center, read a good book, do breathing exercises, join a yoga class - The list goes on and on, and you can add numerous personal touches to it.
     Be original! Be creative! Do something that is going to make you feel better, rather than tipping back the bottle and causing yourself some more unwanted stress.
     But if you feel like nothing can possibly help you, go to the Counseling Center located at the University Health Center (or you can call 346-3227 or 346-4488 after hours) and talk with a counselor, free of charge.