A Healthy Perspective

What is the key to proper nutrition?  That is the first question people ask when they are looking to lose weight, lead a healthy lifestyle or just have overall better health.

Proper nutrition is defined as getting the calories we need for energy and nutrients we need for proper growth according to the National Food Service Management Institute.

As first year students, most college kids are coming from a stable, balanced place where their diet has basically been the same for 18 years of their lives.

Suddenly they are thrown into a situation where they have much more freedom, not only in their social lives, but with their diets as well.

That being said, the percentage of people who gain weight because of this change in their lives is pretty surprising. According to Health Magazine, roughly 70 percent of students gain weight by graduation.

This includes the infamous “Freshman 15.” The average weight gain for students, according to a study done at Auburn University in Alabama, is 12 pounds but up to 37 pounds.

To avoid the weight gain problems that stem from this sudden change in lifestyle, there are certain things that students can do help themselves be healthier.

One tip for college students is to avoid processed foods as much as possible. As easy as it is to go to McDonald’s and grab a Big Mac, the detrimental effects of eating too much fast food will stick with the consumer for more than most realize.

Students should try to limit the number of times they intake fast food each week and try to buy whole foods instead and make their own food.

Easy recipes for college students can be found online at greatest.com.

Another tip is that students should try to avoid drinking their calories; not just in the form of alcoholic beverages either. For example, in only one Mountain Dew there is 350 calories according to myfitnesspal.com.

If a student drinks three of those a day, they are taking in half of their daily calories. Drinking sugary drinks and binging on alcoholic drinks is detrimental to students trying to keep a healthy weight. It is really all about moderation.

A third idea that students can use to their advantage when trying to be healthier is to understand that portion control is very important.

The average calorie intake per day for college students is 2,000-2,200 for women, and 2,600-2,800 for men.

Most health resources recommend that when dealing with portion sizes, students should try to only get one plate instead of two-three when in the cafeteria and they should remember that colored vegetables have the highest amount of micro-nutrients or vitamins and minerals and that filling up on these is much healthier than filling up with fatty foods.

Not only should students worry about their food intake, another part of staying healthy and avoiding unhealthy weight gain is to stay active.

Most students also change their lifestyles in this way and do not work out as much in college because their schedules change and they find it hard to find the time.

With dedication, however, students can overcome this as well.

There are millions of tips out there that can help students be healthier, but ultimately it comes down to the individual and their level of motivation to become healthy.