It's Crunch Time - April 2008
How to stay healthy during crunch time.
As you return from Spring Break refreshed, well rested, and hopefully, full of energy, it is now time to look forward to the last six weeks of school, final exams, and for some, graduation, and the beginning of adult lives. The remaining two newsletters for the Spring semester will be dedicated toward a healthy lifestyle. We will attempt to provide some insight on the importance of good nutrition, adequate sleep, and proper stress management to not only help you get through the remainder of the school year and final exams, but also to help you lay some ground work for a healthy future for many years to come.
Nutrition 101
Eating is primitive, like sleeping or going to the bathroom. When food sources are abundant, our brains are trained to eat as much as our body needs to function, survive, and reproduce. Eating can also be a source of comfort and pleasure. For some, food is a way to relieve the stress of our day to day lives. Balanced nutrition is essential to maintaining overall good health, but it also can affect your ability to cope with stress. Let's face it: Food is good! Eating is fun! It's no wonder we find it hard to deprive ourselves of this most basic and nurturing act. It all begins with balance.....
The Food Groups
The best way to jump start your metabolic function is to eat well, regularly and often. Food is the fuel needed to keep your body and brain energized. Try to eat a variety of foods and don't skip meals. Including all food groups in your daily eating is important because it helps to full your brain as well as your body. In times of stress, maintaining a well balanced diet becomes even more important.
Grains. Grains provide your brain and muscles with energy and are a good source of B-vitamins and iron. Include grains like rice, potatoes, pasta and whole grain bread at every meal.
Fruits and Vegetables. Fruits and vegetables help to boost your immune system, and are good for your eyes, hair and blood . They are a good source of vitamins A and C, minerals and fiber. A healthy diet should include 5 - 7 servings each day, of fruits and vegetables like apples, broccoli, pear, carrots, squash.
Milk and Dairy. Dairy products help to maintain strong bones and teeth. They are a good source of calcium and protein. Try to aim for a three servings of low fat dairy foods like 8 oz milk, 1 oz cheese, 1 cup of yogurt, cottage cheese , pudding or frozen yogurt each day.
Meat and Protein. Protein helps to build muscles, fight infection, and heal wounds. Try eating beef,chicken, peanut butter, fish tofu or eggs at two meals daily.
Fats and Oils. Fats keep hair and skin soft while giving you a feeling of fullness. Include a little fat like salad dressing, olive oil, guacamole, nuts or seeds at each meal.
Dining Hall Dilemmas
While people are quick to pin the blame on the dining hall for that additional weight gain while attending college, most college dining halls offer a wide variety of foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables. However, these healthy foods might not be the foods that college students choose for their tray. Many opt for the fried foods or the desserts instead. Here are some other suggestions to make healthier choices while dining.
Instead of |
Try
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Fried foods |
Grilled or baked foods
|
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Refined grains (like white bread or white rice)
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Whole grains (like whole wheat bread and brown rice) |
|
Whole milk |
Low fat milk
|
|
French fries |
Baked potato, veggies
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Sweetened drinks
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Water or seltzer |
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Sweetened desserts (like cookies, cake or ice cream)
|
Fruit |
Portion Control
As we look at the foods that we eat, we should also look at the amount . Portion size is very important when eating a nutritious, well balanced meal. Too often, students fill their plates with what looks good . Once they sit down at their tables, they may find that they eat everything on their overloaded plates even if they are not hungry. You do not need to diet to avoid such dining hall pitfalls. Instead, you should concentrate on food portions. A healthy plate starts with putting all of your food on one plate, as opposed to using a separate salad and dessert plate. Then, fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables, leaving the remaining half for you entree and dessert.
Another tool that you can use for great portion control is right at hand -- your own hand.....
Your thumb = 1 oz Your palm = 3-4 oz Your closed fist = 1 cup Your thumb tip = 1 tsp A handful = 1 - 2 oz of snack food, like nuts
Dorm Room Remedies
Irregular schedules, cramming for exams, or just trying to get those last few pages of a paper completed, can be stressful, as well as time consuming. If you are unable to get to the dining hall for a meal, you might resort to the vending machine as a quick dinner . An even better option would be to keep your room stocked with healthy snacks you can grab when you are hungry. This not only provides your body with the energy that it needs to get the tasks at hand completed, but also prevents unnecessary lethargy from the sugar enriched, complex carbohydrates found in the vending machine. Here are some examples of things that you can keep in your dorm.
Granola bars, Energy or protein bars, Popcorn (try the new mini-microwave bag), Animal crackers, Peanut butter, Crackers, pita bread, Cereal, Oatmeal (packets), Trail mix, Nuts, Tuna fish, Fresh or canned fruit, Soup, Pudding
If you have a fridge.
String cheese, Yogurt cups and smoothies, Baby carrots, Hummus, Water, flavored seltzer waters or low fat milk
Healthy Eating Tips
1) Eat a good breakfast every morning. Breakfast kick starts your metabolism. It provides your brain and your body with the energy needed to feel good, cope with stress , and perform better in the classroom and on the athletic field.
2) Eat three meals a day and two or more snacks. Eating every two to three hours is a good idea if you are under stress. This will help to prevent your body from getting hungry leaving you even more stressed and more apt to binge.
3) Eat fruits and vegetables. Foods high in potassium, such as orange juice, squash, potatoes, apricots, limes, banana, avocados, tomatoes, and peaches are low in calorie and high in energy. They can be used in a meal or as a snack to help keep your body going.
4) Eat foods that are high in calcium, such as yogurt, cheese, and tofu. These foods will build up stores of calcium in your body and prevent osteoporosis in later life.
5) Eat protein at every meal. Protein helps build muscles, fight infection, and heal wounds.
6) Include healthy fats in your diet, particularly foods rich in omega-3's . Avoid trans fats.
7) Completely avoid soft drinks and juices with high fructose corn syrup. Limit use of artificial sweeteners. These drinks can give you instant energy, but the fall out is that the energy is short lived, leaving you feeling lethargic and lazy shortly after.
8) Drink lots of water. Water is a very important nutrient that is often forgotten. Your body needs at least eight glasses of water each day, and if you exercise, or play sports, you may need more.
9) Limit sugar, sweets and junk food from your diet. These foods, available in most vending machines, offer minimal nutritional value and cause an immediate "high" followed by a prolonged "low".
10) Limit alcohol. Alcohol depletes your body's B vitamins and can disrupt sleep and impair judgment or clarity of thought.
11) Avoid caffeine (coffee, tea, cola, and chocolate). Caffeine causes nervousness and inhibits sleep if too much is ingested.
12) Take a daily multi-vitamin. A daily multivitamin can minimize the physical damage caused by stress.
13) Sleep deprivation can also contribute to snacking and poor food choices. When you are tired, your body releases hormones that affect your metabolism and make you crave empty calories like cookies and chips. So another healthy-eating strategy is making sure that you get the eight to ten hours of sleep a night that you need.