By Shiane Jacocks |Staff Writer|
Eating healthy is easy and life changing.
College students must find time for eating healthy and balancing their diet with realistic and smart planning or face an early death.
Some planning examples, without cutting into your schedule, can be to keep a journal to keep track of your food intake.
This helps students become aware of how much and what they are eating.
Students can think about their plan while they are waiting in line or during traffic.
Packaged foods like baby carrots and sweet apple slices can be more convenient to take along when you are rushing off to class.
“I think a diet is more important than exercise. They are both very important, but if you think about it, that’s unhealthy food you are putting into your system,” said student Jake Russell.
Fruits and vegetables can easily become part of one’s diet without eliminating unhealthy foods completely.
A USA Today article “College Eating Habits are Clogged with Fat” by Nanci Hellmich states, “Sixty-six percent of freshmen don’t consume the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.”
Students should choose foods they love and create their own recipes or find some recipes online.
Students who order a burger and fries can add a side of dark green salad and different colored fruits.
On the website HelpGuide, it states that different colored foods supplies a wide variety of vitamins.
It also stated, “One should not be overly concerned with counting calories or measuring portion sizes but instead think in terms of color, variety, and freshness.”
Water and exercise should also be considered in your diet.
I find carrying a water bottle filled with ice-cold water helps save me money on hot days.
Some students may disagree that exercising doesn’t fit into their daily schedule.
“It seems like the things that hold someone back from diet and exercise may be in the mind and the fear of it being difficult, but once you are at the gym it’s fun,” said Stephanie MacLean, RAFFMA staff member.
Exercise can be looked at in many different ways depending on the level and type.
Some small things that can help students stay in shape are taking the stairs, walking or riding your bike to classes, or doing stretching exercises while watching TV.
Riding my bike has proven to fill in the gap of exercise when I don’t have time to go to the Rec Center.
“I skateboard and I find it’s a lot easier than walking,” said student Michael Stewart.
Classes or just life in general can sometimes make it difficult to cook at home.
CSUSB, however, provides healthy options at the Commons and the Market that many students choose from every day.
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