WE ARE EATING GOOD NOW: DINING HALL EATING

College students have the hardest time finding what is appropriate to eat for their bodies while eating in dining halls and grocery shopping. When you think of the dining hall most would think junk and all you can eat. This is a problem. Students are hungry and end up over eating and not getting the nutrients their body needs. Here are some tips to avoid and do that will make your body thank you!

1. Firstly, do not skip breakfast! Skipping breakfast usually leads to overeating later. Most dining halls best, healthiest meal is their breakfast. This is why you should eat breakfast. There are options such as eggs, omelets, yogurt, fruits, oatmeal, toast/bagels, and cereal/granola.

2. Secondly, avoid socializing in the dining hall. Students meet up with their friends to eat in the dining hall. It is time to catch up in between classes and talk about all the gossip from the weekend. You should avoid this because then you social eat, which leads to overeating that you don’t even realize you are doing.

3. Eat small and controlled. Snacking can be okay, but it has to be small, healthy options. By snacking you limit making yourself too hungry, which helps stop binge eating in the dining hall. This will help control portion size and not letting your eyes be bigger than your stomach. Even if you are paying for so many meal plans, you do not need to get your swipes worth of food.

4.Keep a balance. Don’t get too much of one food group. Don’t just eat all carbs or veggies. The body needs the right amount of each food group like what was disgusted in my first post. Get creative on how you mix and match your foods. Take a look around before you decide what you want to eat.

5. Lastly, it is okay to have a bad day, but don’t let that bad day turn into a bad week or month. If you have to eat a whole thing of ice cream because of that boy/girl drama or failed exam make sure it’s not a daily occurrence. 

So, how do you do this at EIU? Well, there are a wide variety of dinning halls. The dining halls all offer a salad option. Salad is a good way to get the vegetables needed. Also, each offers a good selection of fruits. Some options include bananas, oranges, apples, etc. Taking a fruit to go and saving it for later is good for a healthy, controlled snack between meals or breakfast. Having some fruit and maybe some peanut butter to give you some protein is a fantastic morning breakfast. Stevo has a great variety of healthy options. There is a sandwich station to make a healthy sandwich, fruits, vegetables, salads, yogurt etc. Also, the Union has a really good variety of healthy options including sandwiches and salads, Subway, and fruits/vegies. Eating healthy while living in the dining hall is not absolutely impossible, even though it may seem like it. Keeping these simple tips in mind can help.

Woodruff, C. (n.d.). 7 Tips For Navigating The Dining Hall. Retrieved March 04, 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/20/dining-hall-nutrition_n_3757333.html

IT'S TIME TO PARTY!

College is a huge time for partying. With partying comes alcohol, and not just a little bit of alcohol but over consumption. Everyone is told don’t drink alcohol because it can cause problems like liver cancer. The real question is- is there a way alcohol can fit into our diet or does it not belong at all? The answer to this is not really it does not fit into our essential diet, but it is not completely terrible.

Our essential diet includes carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water. An essential diet means if you take out one or more of those six things from your diet that it would cause problems to your health. Alcohol is not in this list of essential nutrients, but there are arguments that state it has its benefits. According to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, “Moderate drinking seems to be good for the heart and circulatory system, and probably protects against type 2 diabetes and gallstones.” With the positives, come the negatives. Alcohol causes many motor vehicle deaths, damaged liver and heart, harm to unborn children, increased chances for cancer, and violence. The key is to understand the right amounts.

What are the right amounts and what should you drink? Men can have one to two drinks per day, while woman should have only one drink per day. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “In the U.S., one drink is usually considered to be 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1½ ounces of spirits (hard liquor such as gin or whiskey).” There are some studies that suggest that red wine is the best thing to drink, especially with a meal. Red wine has been known to protect against heart disease, prevent blood clots, and prevent oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (bad cholesterol). Studies have shown that men who dank the moderate amount everyday have lower heart attach risk than those who drank once or twice a week. Moderate drinking is the key, not over-consumption.

Another important part of drinking is to know your limits. Do not over drink because it can cause so many health problems. Do not drink away problems because they will just be there the next day. Know your family history because genes play a role. Just because you can drink everyday, doesn’t mean you should. Carefully weigh the benefits with the risks. If you don’t drink already, DON’T START! The best way to know what is right for you is to sit down with your doctor and talk about the pros and cons.

It is important to note that the same benefits can be achieved from exercising. Think about what you are putting in your body after drinking all of those calories at a party. That Taco Bell, pizza, McDonalds, etc. is even more terrible calories being added to your body after that party. None of these supply the nutrients the body needs. They do not fit into the categories of essential nutrients because you have already surpassed you calorie intake for the day by over consuming alcohol. Most do not realize that in only a few drinks you will drink the amount of calories you need in one day, and alcohol does not provide any essential nutrients. One drink of the correct amount is okay. Amounts consumed at a party is not okay and is terrible for your health. No amount of exercise the next day will reverse the harm you have done. Make smart decisions, your body will thank you later!

There is no real way to scare a college student out of drinking. If they want to do it, they will find a way. So, instead of telling you the same information you have repetitively been told, I have offered a different look. Remember, alcohol is never good in huge amounts. I HIGHLY suggest drinking water or a fruit juice like grape juice, exercising daily and avoiding alcohol. But.. If it is a must remember these facts and think twice about the consequences and risks that could be faced later in life. It might be all fun and games now, but in 20 years you might be thinking other wise. Lastly, remember, alcohol is NOT an essential nutrition needed in our diet. Like I said in my last post it is mostly added calories, which lead to extra fat and the gaining of the freshman 15. I hope this makes you think twice about how often you or your friend(s) drink.

Exercise and a healthy diet will always be a better, smarter decision!

Note: If you think someone has an addiction to alcohol it is important to get help.

References:
Alcohol and Nutrition: Learn About Benefits and Risks. (n.d.). Retrieved February 24, 2016, from http://www.medicinenet.com/alcohol_and_nutrition/article.htm

Alcohol: Balancing Risks and Benefits. (n.d.). Retrieved February 24, 2016, from http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/alcohol-full-story/

Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. (n.d.). Retrieved February 24, 2016, from http://health.gov/DietaryGuidelines/dga2005/document/default.htm

NUTRITION IN COLLEGE? IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?

Why do college freshman gain weight? What is the difference? What is their nutrition? What causes it? What habits should be avoided? Why is it hard to keep the weight off? Why 15? Answers HERE!

The Huffington Post recently posted an article after talking with a nutrition specialist from Penn State University. ­­The truth is revealed… Mom and dad are no longer there to tell us no– no snacks, no McDonalds, no to a whole pizza. The whole concept of making our decisions is new to us. Add in the stress of school, new friends and environment, lack of sleep, no motivation to go to the rec, and peer pressure to drink; no wonder college freshman are known to gain some weight. High school and college are two lifestyles that are completely different, which would seem reasonable on why college freshman usually gain weight.  So, how can this be fixed?

Well according to the Huffington post some of the habits to avoid are late night eating. This is where the highest calorie foods are consumed. Another habit to avoid is large portion sizes and constant snacking. While doing homework most college student snack, and this is a problem because it is uncontrolled and usually full of saturated fats. Also, avoiding the grab-and-go meal instead of traditional sit-down. Avoiding the newest trend in diets is huge. None of them work! The best diet you can have is eating the right amounts of each food group and get the recommended exercise daily. How do you know what is the right amount for your body?

Well, we have all at least once in our lives learned the daily food pyramid. But, do college kids actually come close to the daily amount of nutrition to keep their bodies need? We have learned for many years the basic food pyramid of 6-11 servings of grains, 3-5 servings of vegetables, 2-4 servings of fruits, 2-3 servings of both dairy and protein, and very limited fats, oils, and sweats. The problem with this is that everyone is different. So, the best way to know what is right for you as an individual is to use a food and fitness planner. Two of the best ones out there are http://www.webmd.com/diet/food-fitness-planner/ and http://www.choosemyplate.gov/myplate-daily-checklist-input. But how do you use them and what do they do?

These are actually very simple websites. When you go on they ask a few simple questions like: age, sex, weight, height, and physical activity. With this it will tell you exactly what is right for your unique body. For example, calorie intake, daily exercise needed, water intake etc. All that is left to do is keep track of yourself each day. The easiest way to do that is to print the food journal sheet off and hold yourself accountable.

So, I challenge you to try these websites and see how you stand on nutrition. And.. for extra fun if you cannot remember what you need for daily nutrition here is a fun rap to help. Enjoy!

 https://youtu.be/AQ25MBWiaXg

Tarullo, J. (n.d.). Nutrition in College: Answers From the Experts. Retrieved February 15, 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/julianne-tarullo/college-health_b_6704896.html

ABOUT ME

Hi I'm Taylor Monahan. I have chosen the topic of nutrition because I am interested in how the body is affected by what is put in it. Nutrition, to me, is something everyone should know and understand because everyone is affected in some way. With being a student-athlete here, I wanted to learn how to better take care of my body and educate others on what I have learned. This will also be beneficial information for me as I pursue a career as a pediatrician. I hope you find what I share to be fun, interesting, and informative.