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THE HEALTH THREAD

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 3:10 pm
by fonzerelli
Assuming having a relatively healthy mind and body matter, to things like optimal cognitive functioning and more, who out there is "doing it right?"

Some considerations:

1. Stress management... what works, doesn't, tips, advice
2. Diet... same
3. Lifestyle.... cigarrettes (occcasional smokey treat or always avoid the cancer stick?) coffee, alcohol, etc
4. Exercise.... cardio, weights, etc.
5. Balance.... specifically, how to do this during LS
6. Whatever else.... this is an open thread

Re: THE HEALTH THREAD

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 3:24 pm
by goodolgil
On a similar note, how does health insurance for law students work?

Re: THE HEALTH THREAD

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 3:49 pm
by yo!
Great thread... I need help with all of the above........

Re: THE HEALTH THREAD

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 3:54 pm
by annapavlova
goodolgil wrote:On a similar note, how does health insurance for law students work?
Like normal health insurance, except you pay the entire bajillon dollar premium (mine is $2300 for the year) and student plans don't usually cover birth control :roll: .

Re: THE HEALTH THREAD

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 3:56 pm
by Kiersten1985
annapavlova wrote:
goodolgil wrote:On a similar note, how does health insurance for law students work?
Like normal health insurance, except you pay the entire bajillon dollar premium (mine is $2300 for the year) and student plans don't usually cover birth control :roll: .
Fanfuckingtastic.

Re: THE HEALTH THREAD

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 4:00 pm
by kn6542
annapavlova wrote:
goodolgil wrote:On a similar note, how does health insurance for law students work?
Like normal health insurance, except you pay the entire bajillon dollar premium (mine is $2300 for the year) and student plans don't usually cover birth control :roll: .
Every student insurance I've had has covered BC. Are you in Texas or something?

Re: THE HEALTH THREAD

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 4:07 pm
by kn6542
fonzerelli wrote:Assuming having a relatively healthy mind and body matter, to things like optimal cognitive functioning and more, who out there is "doing it right?"

Some considerations:

1. Stress management... what works, doesn't, tips, advice
2. Diet... same
3. Lifestyle.... cigarrettes (occcasional smokey treat or always avoid the cancer stick?) coffee, alcohol, etc
4. Exercise.... cardio, weights, etc.
5. Balance.... specifically, how to do this during LS
6. Whatever else.... this is an open thread
Hate to say it, but how can you be old enough to go to law school yet not know how to take care of yourself?
The basics are common sense. Beyond that, people respond to specific things differently. If you are paying attention, you should be able to work out what is ok for you and what is not. Also, queso is not a food group.

Re: THE HEALTH THREAD

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 4:49 pm
by fonzerelli
kn6542 wrote:
fonzerelli wrote:Assuming having a relatively healthy mind and body matter, to things like optimal cognitive functioning and more, who out there is "doing it right?"

Some considerations:

1. Stress management... what works, doesn't, tips, advice
2. Diet... same
3. Lifestyle.... cigarrettes (occcasional smokey treat or always avoid the cancer stick?) coffee, alcohol, etc
4. Exercise.... cardio, weights, etc.
5. Balance.... specifically, how to do this during LS
6. Whatever else.... this is an open thread
Hate to say it, but how can you be old enough to go to law school yet not know how to take care of yourself?
The basics are common sense. Beyond that, people respond to specific things differently. If you are paying attention, you should be able to work out what is ok for you and what is not. Also, queso is not a food group.

No I think you're missing the scope of the thread.... but thanks for the queso quip! ;) I intended it to provoke some "hey I tried pilates whenever I'm stressed and it's completely changed my life and made me more focused" type stuff.

Re: THE HEALTH THREAD

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 5:01 pm
by UFMatt
Probably best answered by current/former law students, but I'll try to:

1. Cook at home (i.e. healthier food)
2. Work out 5-6x/week (makes you feel better and reduces stress)
3. Study during the day to avoid time wasting
4. Avoid being a gunner. I'll try to "study smart" and not overdo things. Top 10% would be nice, but top 50% is fine too.

Easier said than done, no doubt, but a 0L can dream. :wink:

Re: THE HEALTH THREAD

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 5:46 pm
by kn6542
fonzerelli wrote:
kn6542 wrote:
fonzerelli wrote:Assuming having a relatively healthy mind and body matter, to things like optimal cognitive functioning and more, who out there is "doing it right?"

Some considerations:

1. Stress management... what works, doesn't, tips, advice
2. Diet... same
3. Lifestyle.... cigarrettes (occcasional smokey treat or always avoid the cancer stick?) coffee, alcohol, etc
4. Exercise.... cardio, weights, etc.
5. Balance.... specifically, how to do this during LS
6. Whatever else.... this is an open thread
Hate to say it, but how can you be old enough to go to law school yet not know how to take care of yourself?
The basics are common sense. Beyond that, people respond to specific things differently. If you are paying attention, you should be able to work out what is ok for you and what is not. Also, queso is not a food group.

No I think you're missing the scope of the thread.... but thanks for the queso quip! ;) I intended it to provoke some "hey I tried pilates whenever I'm stressed and it's completely changed my life and made me more focused" type stuff.
I'm not missing the scope of the thread. You want people to tell you about common sense shit that someone should know by the time they are an adult, assuming they were raised by civilized people.

Re: THE HEALTH THREAD

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 5:55 pm
by jarofsoup
Don't smoke. Occasional smoky treat + huge amounts of stress may = Frequent and daily smokey treat

Re: THE HEALTH THREAD

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 5:59 pm
by fonzerelli
kn6542 wrote:
fonzerelli wrote:
kn6542 wrote:
fonzerelli wrote:Assuming having a relatively healthy mind and body matter, to things like optimal cognitive functioning and more, who out there is "doing it right?"

Some considerations:

1. Stress management... what works, doesn't, tips, advice
2. Diet... same
3. Lifestyle.... cigarrettes (occcasional smokey treat or always avoid the cancer stick?) coffee, alcohol, etc
4. Exercise.... cardio, weights, etc.
5. Balance.... specifically, how to do this during LS
6. Whatever else.... this is an open thread
Hate to say it, but how can you be old enough to go to law school yet not know how to take care of yourself?
The basics are common sense. Beyond that, people respond to specific things differently. If you are paying attention, you should be able to work out what is ok for you and what is not. Also, queso is not a food group.

No I think you're missing the scope of the thread.... but thanks for the queso quip! ;) I intended it to provoke some "hey I tried pilates whenever I'm stressed and it's completely changed my life and made me more focused" type stuff.
I'm not missing the scope of the thread. You want people to tell you about common sense shit that someone should know by the time they are an adult, assuming they were raised by civilized people.

False. There's a lot of remarkable claims out there with regards to health/wellness/etc. - I can't try it all. A thread such as this could be a good forum for exhange. I know the basics and am quite fit/balanced but there's always room for growth through suggestion. For example, herbal supplements (ginko, ginsing, etc.) - who has tried them? Some say Ginko aids in memory and brain function.

Re: THE HEALTH THREAD

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 6:02 pm
by Trifles
annapavlova wrote:
goodolgil wrote:On a similar note, how does health insurance for law students work?
Like normal health insurance, except you pay the entire bajillon dollar premium (mine is $2300 for the year) and student plans don't usually cover birth control :roll: .
Holy crap... the insurance I have through blue cross costs $600 a year. It doesn't cover birth control either, though. Why does every single aspect of law school involve bleeding us for money?

Re: THE HEALTH THREAD

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 6:06 pm
by HERetICal
1. Water - Drink at least 60 oz. daily. You'll be amazed at how awake and good you feel after about 2 weeks. 3rd best health choice I ever made was to consciously monitor my water intake.

Re: THE HEALTH THREAD

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 6:09 pm
by fonzerelli
HERetICal wrote:1. Water - Drink at least 60 oz. daily. You'll be amazed at how awake and good you feel after about 2 weeks. 3rd best health choice I ever made was to consciously monitor my water intake.
First two?

Re: THE HEALTH THREAD

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 6:14 pm
by 98234872348
1. Stress management... what works, doesn't, tips, advice

I've attempted throughout law school to live stress free and just take life as it comes; if you stress over everything, it's just going to detract from your productivity and generally depress you. Granted, avoiding stress in law school is impossible, but I try to avoid stressing over finals/papers and the like and I've managed to do well.

2. Diet... same

For my first semester I've tried to diet well, unfortunately I have a certain proclivity to cooking for flavor rather than health. I would recommend staying away from fast food in general, even though it is much easier and more convenient, as your body will thank you. In addition, while I have no experience otherwise, I can only project that eating healthily has improved my mental capacity, although I can't attest to this because law school is so damned inundating that it doesn't really feel like I ever have adequate mental capacity to retain everything that is thrown at me.

3. Lifestyle.... cigarrettes (occcasional smokey treat or always avoid the cancer stick?) coffee, alcohol, etc

While in school, I try to limit myself to drinking once a week, I think it's for the best and it definitely helps me stay in shape. I try to avoid coffee and other caffeinated products or energy drinks because I don't like relying on artificial stimulants, although during finals it's almost unavoidable. I quit cigarettes my junior year of college and I haven't looked back since. I think that was one of the best decisions of my life.

4. Exercise.... cardio, weights, etc.

I am a big proponent of exercise. I worked out 5 days a week last semester and plan to continue doing so. I think it helped to balance me out and it was nice to take a break from the library every once and a while. I also think it kept me motivated; setting goals in weight lifting helped motivate me to excel in LS. While I don't think that everyone needs to be quite as dedicated as me to exercise, I think it is generally positive to stay in shape, since you feel better about yourself and it helps to solidify the positive mental outlook that I believe is necessary to do well and enjoy life generally.

5. Balance.... specifically, how to do this during LS

I try to take one day off a week, up until about a month before finals. Also, I found that taking a 3 day break from studying about a month and a half before finals helped me to placate my mind and get ready for the mental marathon that is studying for finals. I also suggest taking time to go out and socialize; granted, my social life was constrained by all the time I spent in the library, however, those times that you can manage to entertain the idea of taking a break, it's good to go out and have some fun. It gives you something to look forward to and is sort of like positive reinforcement in the sense that you're working towards a goal (i.e. if I study hard all week I can go out on Friday). At least, that's how I manage to balance things; I'm sure different methods work for everyone and, unfortunately, you can't really know what will work for you until you experience it.

Re: THE HEALTH THREAD

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 6:16 pm
by kn6542
fonzerelli wrote:
False. There's a lot of remarkable claims out there with regards to health/wellness/etc. - I can't try it all. A thread such as this could be a good forum for exhange. I know the basics and am quite fit/balanced but there's always room for growth through suggestion. For example, herbal supplements (ginko, ginsing, etc.) - who has tried them? Some say Ginko aids in memory and brain function.

That's why I just told you that these things tend to affect people differently. So, what works for one person might work for you, or not.

Ginkgo increases circulation, including across the blood-brain barrier. It can therefore increase oxygen to the brain, but that likely won't improve your memory. It also increases the circulation of everything else in your blood stream, so if your diet isn't good, or you are on certain medications, it can make you feel worse.

Ginseng is an adaptogen, so it tends to normalize homeostatic functions. It's not likely to harm you, but unless you have some kind of endocrinological problem, even rather minor, it won't do anything.

Re: THE HEALTH THREAD

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 6:18 pm
by fonzerelli
mistergoft wrote:1. Stress management... what works, doesn't, tips, advice

I've attempted throughout law school to live stress free and just take life as it comes; if you stress over everything, it's just going to detract from your productivity and generally depress you. Granted, avoiding stress in law school is impossible, but I try to avoid stressing over finals/papers and the like and I've managed to do well.

2. Diet... same

For my first semester I've tried to diet well, unfortunately I have a certain proclivity to cooking for flavor rather than health. I would recommend staying away from fast food in general, even though it is much easier and more convenient, as your body will thank you. In addition, while I have no experience otherwise, I can only project that eating healthily has improved my mental capacity, although I can't attest to this because law school is so damned inundating that it doesn't really feel like I ever have adequate mental capacity to retain everything that is thrown at me.

3. Lifestyle.... cigarrettes (occcasional smokey treat or always avoid the cancer stick?) coffee, alcohol, etc

While in school, I try to limit myself to drinking once a week, I think it's for the best and it definitely helps me stay in shape. I try to avoid coffee and other caffeinated products or energy drinks because I don't like relying on artificial stimulants, although during finals it's almost unavoidable. I quit cigarettes my junior year of college and I haven't looked back since. I think that was one of the best decisions of my life.

4. Exercise.... cardio, weights, etc.

I am a big proponent of exercise. I worked out 5 days a week last semester and plan to continue doing so. I think it helped to balance me out and it was nice to take a break from the library every once and a while. I also think it kept me motivated; setting goals in weight lifting helped motivate me to excel in LS. While I don't think that everyone needs to be quite as dedicated as me to exercise, I think it is generally positive to stay in shape, since you feel better about yourself and it helps to solidify the positive mental outlook that I believe is necessary to do well and enjoy life generally.

5. Balance.... specifically, how to do this during LS

I try to take one day off a week, up until about a month before finals. Also, I found that taking a 3 day break from studying about a month and a half before finals helped me to placate my mind and get ready for the mental marathon that is studying for finals. I also suggest taking time to go out and socialize; granted, my social life was constrained by all the time I spent in the library, however, those times that you can manage to entertain the idea of taking a break, it's good to go out and have some fun. It gives you something to look forward to and is sort of like positive reinforcement in the sense that you're working towards a goal (i.e. if I study hard all week I can go out on Friday). At least, that's how I manage to balance things; I'm sure different methods work for everyone and, unfortunately, you can't really know what will work for you until you experience it.
All good things. You know, considerations like this, although often ignored, are probably some of the most important for any LS student. Thanks for the contributions...

Re: THE HEALTH THREAD

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 6:20 pm
by HERetICal
fonzerelli wrote:
HERetICal wrote:1. Water - Drink at least 60 oz. daily. You'll be amazed at how awake and good you feel after about 2 weeks. 3rd best health choice I ever made was to consciously monitor my water intake.
First two?
#1 was work as a weeklong AT hike leader at a kid's camp for multiple summers.
#2 was kick my cocaine habit.

Re: THE HEALTH THREAD

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 6:22 pm
by fonzerelli
HERetICal wrote:
fonzerelli wrote:
HERetICal wrote:1. Water - Drink at least 60 oz. daily. You'll be amazed at how awake and good you feel after about 2 weeks. 3rd best health choice I ever made was to consciously monitor my water intake.
First two?
#1 was work as a weeklong AT hike leader at a kid's camp for multiple summers.
#2 was kick my cocaine habit.
Shite! Well congrats.... aside from it being illegal, addictive and dangerous.... I can't imagine (unless you're absurdly rich) that's a sustainable habit for any LS student.

Re: THE HEALTH THREAD

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 6:23 pm
by HERetICal
fonzerelli wrote:
HERetICal wrote:
fonzerelli wrote:
HERetICal wrote:1. Water - Drink at least 60 oz. daily. You'll be amazed at how awake and good you feel after about 2 weeks. 3rd best health choice I ever made was to consciously monitor my water intake.
First two?
#1 was work as a weeklong AT hike leader at a kid's camp for multiple summers.
#2 was kick my cocaine habit.
Shite! Well congrats.... aside from it being illegal, addictive and dangerous.... I can't imagine (unless you're absurdly rich) that's a sustainable habit for any LS student.

It was the addictive aspect that created the problem for a few years.

Re: THE HEALTH THREAD

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 6:24 pm
by sibley
bc: mine's $5 a month at target. lower than my copay would be anyway.

Re: THE HEALTH THREAD

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 6:38 pm
by kumba84
This may be a dumb question, but do law students get free access to the regular campus's health clinic and counseling center? It seems like these should definitely be included in the price.

Re: THE HEALTH THREAD

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 7:09 pm
by Trifles
fonzerelli wrote:
HERetICal wrote:
fonzerelli wrote:
HERetICal wrote:1. Water - Drink at least 60 oz. daily. You'll be amazed at how awake and good you feel after about 2 weeks. 3rd best health choice I ever made was to consciously monitor my water intake.
First two?
#1 was work as a weeklong AT hike leader at a kid's camp for multiple summers.
#2 was kick my cocaine habit.
Shite! Well congrats.... aside from it being illegal, addictive and dangerous.... I can't imagine (unless you're absurdly rich) that's a sustainable habit for any LS student.
Worked fine for Bush and Obama!

Re: THE HEALTH THREAD

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 7:27 pm
by fonzerelli
Worked fine for Bush and Obama![/quote]

What an unfortunate truth that is....