Eating healthy on campus: The ‘Freshman Fifteen’

“Eating healthy, while living on campus, can be hard, but it’s not impossible,” says Ty’Asia Peoples, a sophomore at Michigan State University. “It takes a lot of discipline, but it’s not impossible.”

The “Freshman Fifteen” is a notorious phrase among college students, especially when it is referring to dining on campus. Whether speaking to fellow college peers who are older, or reading testimonies online, you may see many stories told are young adults about their difficulties eating on campus. Students, such as Peoples, can often recall a time during the kickoff of their college experience, where they took advantage of the unlimited access of food in dining halls campuses, due to their meal plans. A common factor, in most of these stories however, is that this habit usually resulted in weight gain.

Eating green: becoming vegan or vegetarian

Reasons for choosing to follow a vegetarian or vegan diet vary between people. Some do it for health reasons, others for ethical. Some do it as an experiment, to see if they can handle the dietary change. 

“I just started to grow bored meat. Then I watched a documentary about dairy farms … that official did it for me,” explains Christina Melaku, a graduate of Michigan State University, who is currently trying to transition into vegetarianism. 

The choice to become a vegetarian or vegan is typically an easy one.

Michigan’s Medicaid program will now require many recepients to work

Medicaid is a federal medical assistance program administered by the states that provides healthcare coverage to individuals and families who meet eligibility requirements, Bob Wheaton, the Public Information Officer for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said. “This legislative work requirement is significant, because it is a new requirement for maintaining healthcare coverage for beneficiaries of the Healthy Michigan Plan under the Medicaid program.” Wheaton continues. The requirement in which Wheaton is referring to is the new work requirement bill, Senate Bill 897, that has recently passed vote by the Michigan House of Representatives. If passed and signed into law by Gov. Rick Snyder, starting in 2020, able-bodied patients between the ages of 18 and 62 will have to show proof of workforce engagement to be qualified for Medicaid. Some Michigan residents, due to their understanding of the bill, are outraged by it.

Prostitution In Michigan: The fight for advocacy

 

Sex work can be defined as any form of employment that falls under the sex industry. Forms of this may include exotic dancing, prostitution, sex operators, pornography actors and actresses, and more. In Michigan, prostitution is referred to as an act of offering, performing, or consenting to sexual conduct for payment. Solicitation, however, is the act of seeking sexual services for hire with the intentions of payment. In Michigan, both acts are prosecutable crimes.

Michigan voters to consider green light for recreational marijuana

On April 26, the proposal pushing for a referendum on recreational marijuana was approved by a 4-0 vote. Michiganders will be able to vote on the measure during the November 6 Michigan ballot. “Adult use of cannabis is a human rights issue,” Jeffery Hank, Chair of the Board of Directors and Executive Director for MILegalize, an advocacy group for the proposal, said. “As we move towards more fairness, freedom, and justice in our cannabis policy, the public will benefit.”

Like many advocates for the passing of the proposal, Hank believes that the approval of recreational usage in Michigan can bring many jobs and decrease crime rate. “[It will] … end the unnecessary 23,000-plus arrests per year of adults in Michigan every year; a horrible waste of taxpayer resources and an affront to our constitutional liberties,” Hank said.

Summer skincare important for African-Americans

Summer, arguably for some, may be the best season of the year. Naturally, because of the warm temperatures, longer days, and increased sunlight, many people wear less clothing and participate in more outdoor activities. This leads to more sunlight exposure. “It’s pretty imperative take care of your skin during all seasons … but summer most importantly,” Monet Edwards, Assistant Office Manager for Doctor’s Approach Dermatology, said. “Because of increased exposure to Ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun, the summer can actually wreak havoc on one’s skin.”

Often, people of African-American decent say how they do not wear sunscreen during the summer.

The importance of nutritional wellness

In these modern times, healthy eating and living seems to always be reminded to us. Whether is it on television shows, such as Dr. Oz or news programs, magazines and blogs, such as Health.com, or even our personal physicians; the importance of healthy living is stressed. “There has been an advocacy, in a sense, for awareness of healthy living and wellness in America. Most of this is because of the growing number of diseases being diagnosis in patients and the scientific research that links these diseases to poor diet.” says Lynn Sutfin, a Public Information Officer for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. There are many benefits to paying attention to your health and fitness.