Volume 15, Issue 1 Page 1

Directors’ Message Inside This Issue

Hi everyone! Welcome to PUSO! To those joining us again, we hope you'll enjoy all the new surprises Typhoon Ondoy we have in store for you. To the new members, welcome to PUSO!! PUSO is a club dedicated in General Member Spotlight helping you learn about the health field, while providing you a friendly environment to hang out and Dreaded Freshman 15 socialize. During this quarter, PUSO has many events and activities in store for you, so stick around and Exercise 101 know what “PUSO love” means. Mingle with that person next to you because that person may turn out to PUSO Board Spotlight be one of your closest friends. We have been working hard to ensure that you have a very memorable Being a Vegetarian experience while in PUSO. Lemuel’s “Ang Sarap- Sarap” Filipino Our meetings are dedicated to you, the general members. So feel free to approach anyone on board, Volunteering Opportunities and tell us your ideas! We want to know what YOU want to see during our meetings. You can contact Games any of us if you have any questions, problems, or if you just want to hang out!

On behalf of PUSO board, we hope that you will enjoy this club, because in PUSO, we are all family. <3 Upcoming Event! PUSO’s Pre Health With Much PUSO Love, Conference When: November 12, 2009 Where: Student Center The Directors. Time: 10-3pm Athena Madrid, Don Balanay, Jennifer Mendoza, & Michael Peyton (A.K.A. The IV Moogles)

PUSO Pages is a bi-quarterly newsletter. Information presented in these issues relate to academic improvement, club activities/resources, its members, and a pursuit of a health career. If you have any concerns, contact Franz Patrick Corrales at [email protected] and Jenny Robles at [email protected] Volume 15, Issue 1 Page 2

Typhoon Ondoy by Athena Madrid

On September 25, 2009, a month’s worth of rain fell on Northern Luzon, including Central Manila, in six hours. The rainfall during this time span reached heights of 341mm, which broke the highest 24- hour rainfall of 334mm. It also topped off the rainfall during the calamity of Hurricane Katrina. Typhoon Ondoy triggered one of the worst typhoons in the Philippines in the past 40 years.

The large floods left thousands of people stranded on their roofs, but some were able to escape into shelter houses. The typhoon caused officials to withdraw emergency money for relief and rescue. Volunteers also helped with the evacuation and any relief efforts.

The cause of the typhoon were still unknown, but Nathaniel Cruz, weather services bureau head of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said, “This could be again a manifestation of climate change. Due to climate change, we should expect more extreme weather events like extreme rainfall.”

What You Can Do To Help

Alyansa ng mga Kababayan is currently collecting food, clothes and any other donations in order to support the relief efforts. Additionally, Alyansa is making shirts with majority of the profits to be given to the Philippines. Deadlines for shirt submissions are due Sunday, October 18, 2009. For more information, contact Athena Madrid at [email protected].

“Too much rain too soon.” Philippine Daily Inquirer 27 Sept. 2009

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General Member Spotlight

by Jenny Robles

Name: Marie Symone Magsombol (Haha yes, I go by my middle name)

Year: 1st

Major: Undecided/Undeclared

What do you hope to be when you "grow up"? Something involving health care

What do you like to do for fun? Hang out with friends; going on midnight adventures to University Center with my suitemates!

What do you like about PUSO so far? I have made a lot of friends and have become close to them already. Everyone in PUSO is super nice and welcoming and I constantly feel like I’m in a close-knit family :).

Tell us something about yourself not a lot of people know but you wouldn't mind sharing with the rest of PUSO. I have a lot of severe food allergies - nuts, dairy, shellfish, eggs, berries, and chocolate.

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The Dreaded Freshman 15 by Joy Anne Nicolas

As a first year, weight gain must be the least of our worries when compared to the burden of transitioning into arduous college courses while upholding a healthy social life and attempting to obtain a substantial amount of sleep each night. Though we must admit that the term “Freshman 15” lingers in the back of our minds, reprimanding us to eat less, to steer clear from fast food, and to exercise more. Despite the rumors, we can determine whether or not we will fall into the “Freshman 15” category. Nevertheless, it is important to monitor our eating and exercising habits under these stressful times in college to ensure our health is up to par. Before conducting a health plan for the year, we must first understand how weight gain in college occurs. Volume 15, Issue 1 Page 3

1. Lack of exercise: The walk to Biological Science buildings may be excruciating, but don’t rely on it too much as your daily exercise. How to avoid this bad habit: It is understandable for us to want to focus on school, but while free time is seldom, it is better to be spent on being productive through a workout than spending quality time on Facebook. 2. Late night munchies: Whether it is your late night studying or crazy dorm mates that keep you awake, the longer you stay up the more food you consume. How to avoid this bad habit: If you are nocturnal, consider purchasing the 100 calorie snack instead of a bag of Hot Cheetos. 3. Sleepless Nights/Energy Drinks: We all know the day before an exam means one thing–last minute cramming. This can lead to energy drinks that provide unnecessary calories at least 6 times throughout the quarter. How to avoid this bad habit: It is time to improve your studying habits. Make school your priority and study a little each day, not only to receive better grades, but also for your health’s sake. Remember, you must get at least 7-9 hours of sleep each night. 4. Fast food: It may be the unhealthiest food you will consume, but prices are definitely enticing on a college student’s budget! How to avoid this bad habit: Limit any type of eating out to only once a week and use the rest of your budget money on healthy food from a grocery store. Take advantage of the hall kitchen–hardly anyone will be there. 5. Dining Halls: Buffet style dorm food is definitely not helping us maintain a healthy lifestyle. How to avoid this bad habit: Try not to pile food onto your plate. Most of the time, stick to the available healthy foods section and if you happen to succumb to the more tempting unhealthy foods don’t forget to portion, portion, portion! 6. Excessive consumption of alcohol: Please drink responsibly. How to avoid this bad habit: Let’s not get too crazy. Try to limit alcohol consumption as much as you can and go easy on the soda chasers. It is possible to have fun at a party sober.

Although this may seem like another factor to stress about, it’s just a type of lifestyle to adapt to. If you take this information into consideration, it will certainly help you in the long run.

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Exercise 101

By Josh Pineda

Being in college for two years now, I know how it feels when the constant bombardment of stress starts to wear someone down. With so many other things to worry about in college such as classes, homework, studying, work, etc. who has the time to worry about keeping yourself in shape?

The truth is, exercise should be a crucial component to any person’s health and well-being, especially for us college students. Why, you ask? College can be one of the most stressful environments for a person. Among the more important psychological benefits for a college student, daily exercise can help you relieve stress, boost your mood and self-esteem and relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety. The physical benefits of daily exercise include losing weight, reducing your risk of heart disease, increasing bone density, strengthening the heart and lungs, giving you more energy during the day, and helping you sleep better.

So now, we all know that exercise is healthy for you, but unfortunately not many of us take the effort to make time to actually get off the couch on our free time and get ourselves into that ARC. Here are a few tips to help keep yourself motivated:

* Remind yourself of your weight loss goals * Think of a future event to get ready for (a wedding, a vacation, etc.) * Consider how much energy you'll have to get more things done * Imagine how relaxed you'll feel after a workout * Think of your exercise time as the only time you may get to yourself all day * Remind yourself how good you'll feel by following through * Promise yourself a reward for completing your workout * Think of all the diseases and illnesses your workout could protect you from * Remind yourself that this workout is necessary to reach your goal

It’s important to do cardio. Cardio guidelines: Cardio strengthens the heart and lungs, increases endurance and burns calories which help you lose weight. Make sure you do cardio at least 3 times a week (30 minutes at a time) to maintain your health. Remember to stretch before and after every workout.

These are very basic guidelines, and every person has different goals to accomplish. With that in mind, following these guidelines will surely set you on the right path to achieving the exercise goals you set for yourself! So what are you waiting for? Stop reading this, get to the ARC and go!

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PUSO Board Spotlight

by Camille Garcia

Name: Athena Mae Mepa Madrid Birthday: April 14, 1989 Hometown: Union City Nicknames: Athens, Theeney, Greece, Apple, KitKat Major: Biological Sciences, Educational Studies minor Volume 15, Issue 1 Page 4

Her advice to those majoring in Biological Sciences and minoring in Educational Studies: “For Bio, the best advice is to not get behind. Bio is such a broad topic that professors try to shove as much info into one lecture. A studying technique that helps me is making flashcards of the key words and writing my own questions to answer after I review. Another tip, know what the professors are researching on. If their research is related to the lecture topic, they're likely to talk about it and possibly put it on the test. It's also a good way to talk to professors to get those recommendations. For Education, it's an easy and quick minor. However, if you are too busy, I don't think this is a minor for you. It requires 40 hours of fieldwork, meaning working with kids either during or after school. There are classes that require 20 hours to pass the class but some will be lenient as to what is considered ‘fieldwork.’ One final advice about minors, don't try to add on a minor unless you feel comfortable to have additional classes next to your major. “

Her most memorable PUSO moment (she’s been involved in PUSO since her first year at UCI): “It was general member retreat during my first year in college. I believe we went to Lake Arrowhead sometime in January. We ended up making a large ramp from the front door of the cabin all the way down to the driveway. It took awhile to make it, but riding down it was worth the build. After dinner, we ended up playing Ultimate Uno the rest of the night.” Here is her most embarrassing PUSO moment: “Let me start off by saying that this happened during my quarter of KitKat obsession. I was doing an announcement about PUSO meetings during a Kababayan meeting. The room was filled with people and as I was beginning to say my part, I looked at the audience and see a friend waving a KitKat in the air. Because of an inside joke, I ended up laughing and the audience being completely confused. I'm pretty sure everyone in the room thought I was crazy.”

Why did Athena join PUSO and PUSO Board? “I didn't know about PUSO until Lisa asked me to come with her to a meeting. I initially joined because it was the only way for me to meet people. I didn't live in a dorm so the only way to befriend someone was if I joined a club. It was a really tight-knit group of people and it was my reason to stay in the club. I had a really great first year and I would like to share my first year experience to everyone. Thus, I joined PUSO board.”

Athena’s advice to current PUSO members: “It may sound cliché but it's for real: Take every opportunity being offered to you while it lasts because you may miss your chance at doing something great.”

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Being a Vegetarian

By Sarah Grabarsky (5 years and counting Pesci-vegetarian)

First things first! The term, “vegetarian” is used quite broadly. Here are a few terms that will help you understand the differences between various types of vegetarians.

True-vegetarian: avoids all foods of animal origin, including animal by-products such as eggs, dairy, gelatin, and honey Semi-vegetarian: those who are making progressive steps towards a vegetarian-food style, consumes meat, but only fish and chicken Pesci-vegetarian: consumes fish, but avoids all other types of meat Lacto-ovo vegetarian: most vegetarians fall under this category, avoids all types of meat, but will eat dairy products (milk, butter, ) and eggs Ovo-vegetarian: consumes eggs, but no meat or dairy products Vegan: avoids meat, animal or dairy products completely

Vegetarian diets have been known to lower the presence or degree of heart diseases and several types of cancer such as breast, prostate, colon, and lung. Vegetarian diets can help maintain weight, curb those crummy eating habits, prolong life, and build stronger bones.

It’s important to know that the health benefits associated with vegetarianism go beyond improved eating habits. More often than not, people who have been practicing a traditional vegetarian diet for a number of years may be healthier because they usually avoid the consumption of alcohol, caffeinated products, and refined food. This leads to a more positive lifestyle, by increasing physical activity and reducing stress levels. Furthermore, a balanced vegetarian diet is rich in complex carbohydrates and extremely low in fat – these factors combined help boost performance and energy.

The greatest challenge that most vegetarians face is having an adequate amount of essential nutrients. An outsider may question a vegetarian and claim that a vital amount of protein is found in meat, however obtaining enough protein is not an obstacle for most vegetarians. Generous servings of protein can be satisfied by eating legumes, nuts, and whole grains. Combining plant foods with grains or nuts will also ensure that protein and fiber needs are met.

Iron deficiency anemia is prevalent in some vegetarians due to unbalanced intakes of absorbable iron. Females require more iron than men per day, so consuming iron-fortified foods such as cereals, bran, and oat are central to maintaining sufficient iron levels.

Some other nutrients of concern include zinc and vitamin B12. Unfortunately, Vitamin B12 can only be found in animal products. In order to overcome this deficiency, vegetarians must consume multi vitamins or supplements.

So, now that you’re well informed about vegetarianism, you’re probably wondering what you can do to integrate a vegetarian lifestyle.

• Start slow and try a vegetarian entrée (Veggie Grill, Wheel of Life, or Native Foods Café specialize in excellent vegetarian dishes) Volume 15, Issue 1 Page 5

• If you’re seriously considering a vegetarian diet and want a full-fledged veggie household, you should try asking a friend or roommate to join your veggie quest • If you’re still not convinced, take it step by step. Try cutting out beef and pork if you just can’t quite make the leap. I’ll even make a term for those of you who half-ass it and just can’t live without chicken: white meat vegetarian

** Fair warning – if you exercise this term, be prepared for dirty looks from your true vegetarian friends and even a chucked tomato from those hardcore vegans!!

Feel free to ask me any questions regarding vegetarianism and I’ll be happy to help you out!

Lemuel’s “Ang Sarap-Sarap” Filipino Spaghetti

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef 1 26 oz. bottle of your favorite spaghetti sauce ( I use Prego w/mushroom) 1 19 oz. bottle of (UFC!!! JUFRAN is no good) 4 Tbsp of olive oil 3 cloves of minced garlic 1 medium diced onion 4 Filipino hot dogs cut into rings Salt and pepper to taste Grated cheese 1 (454g) pack of Spaghetti 1 Tbsp

Procedure:

Cook the spaghetti according to the packet directions. Strain in colander and mix with the butter so noodles do not stick. Set Aside

In a large sauce pan, add olive oil. Once heated, add onions and garlic. Let onions and garlic cook for 5 minutes or until they are translucent. Add ground beef and cook it until the meat is no longer pink and is heated thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste and then the hot dogs. Let it cook for 5 minutes. Add spaghetti sauce and banana ketchup. Let it simmer for 20 minutes on low, occasionally stirring to prevent the bottom from burning. Serve the sauce separate from the pasta or you may toss it together. Serve with grated cheese on the side.

Veggie options: 1) You may substitute the ground beef for veggie patties and the hot dogs for veggie dogs. 2) You may completely omit the ground beef, , and banana ketchup for an “Italian” style spaghetti sauce.

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Volunteering Opportunities

By Jennifer Mendoza

There are so many ways to get involved in our community. Here are just some events that are coming up that you may be interested in volunteering in!

1) Science Discovery Center - Interested in helping children learn about science? The Discovery center offers volunteering opportunities in helping children learn about the body and many other areas of science! - Spooky Science mixes science, art, and culture as they present Skeletons October 17 - November 8. Visitors can explore a spooky 3-D maze, learn about "El Día de Los Muertos," piece together a skeleton, and play a life-size Operation-style game. Volunteers will play an important role in making this exhibit a success by helping visitors solve a forensic science mystery and leading El Día de Los Muertos arts and craft projects on the weekends. - Explore the science under your skin this Fall with Discovery Science Center's new exhibition: Head to Toe: All About Your Body! Volunteer now through January 3, 2010 and help visitors learn about skeletons, organs, the senses, keeping healthy, and general body facts.

2) Give a Day, Get a Disney Day! - Next year, 2010, Disneyland is offering a free Disneyland ticket when you volunteer! Sign up at this website http://disneyparks.disney.go.com to receive volunteer opportunities near you! Once you finish volunteering and it is certified, you will get a Disneyland ticket!

Volume 15, Issue 1 Page 6

Watch out for more opportunities to come! We will be announcing opportunities at our meetings. If you have any questions, or would like to learn more about any of these opportunities, contact me (Jennifer Mendoza) at [email protected].

Guess Your Board Members and Win a Prize!

Objective: Match each baby picture to the corresponding board member. The first person to match the right name to the right photo will receive 5 PUSO Pal Family points. Come find one of the Board Members when you think you’ve figured it out!

Names: Jenny Robles, Josh Pineda, Michael Peyton, Joy Anne Nicolas, Don Balanay, Athena Madrid, Franz Patrick Corrales, Lemuel Zamora, Jennifer Mendoza, Connie Betz, Camille Garcia Volume 15, Issue 1 Page 7

The first person to come up to one of the Board Members will receive 2 PUSO Pal Family points! So, get to highlighting! Volume 15, Issue 1 Page 8