How to Stay Healthy and Achieve Your Academic Goals in College
How to Stay Healthy in College
Even in the best of circumstances, student life can be stressful. Student life is nearly always associated with significant weight gain, especially during the first few semesters of college.
Many factors contribute to the dreaded “freshman 15,” and shedding those extra pounds can be difficult.
However: Mindfulness is essential. The more you know about the problem, the more equipped you will be to come up with effective solutions.
That’s why in this Essayleague.com essay we’ll look at some of the key causes of collegiate weight gain and recommend some adaptable methods of coping with them.
Some of the best ways to keep your body and mind in top shape while you’re cramming for finals and partying your way through college are covered here, including time-effective exercises, brain food, and healthy eating on a student budget.
What Causes Weight Gain in College?
Reduced physical activity, higher calorie intake from college staples like pizza, spaghetti, soda, and 3 a.m. street food, and elevated levels of stress are all key contributors to student weight gain.
Separation from the Comforts of Home
For many students, college is their first journey into self-sufficiency.
Even commuting students are likely to spend more time away from home than they did in high school.
This, in turn, leads to a slew of possible issues, and being able to identify them is the first step toward dealing with the consequences.
To counterbalance this detachment from your customary pattern, make concerted efforts to maintain a regular meal schedule and include familiar homemade foods whenever possible. If you are a commuting student, try packing a portion of your lunch from home or your dorm refrigerator.
This way, you are not entirely reliant on food trucks, quick food restaurants, and the college cafeteria.
The idea is to gain better control over a portion of your lunch, or rather, your whole daily calorie consumption.
You can control both the amount and the calorie content of your food.
A handmade sandwich or a plate of curry on rice or sesame noodles will almost always be less calorie than a massive double serve of cheese-steak sandwich. Instead of chips or cookies, add nutritious options such as fresh and dried fruit, seeds, almonds, and raw vegetables.
Stress Eating: How to Stay Healthy in College
Being removed from family and friends while being thrust into a whole new situation can be emotionally draining.
For some, this can manifest as blatant homesickness, while for others, it can manifest as a nagging, nebulous sense that something is missing.
For some people, the sense that something is missing can cause a hunger that no amount of food can satisfy.
Even the most disciplined dieters can be sabotaged by this type of emotional eating.
Emotional eating is a serious problem that may necessitate the assistance of a professional in the long run.
However, merely being aware of the possibilities is an excellent place to start.
Whenever you sense the want to eat, consider what other feelings you may be experiencing.
Are you lonely, angry, upset, frustrated, or anxious at the same moment you want a candy bar from the vending machine?
These are only a few examples of emotional states that the brain can interpret as hunger.
If you can identify an emotion other than hunger after a little self-examination, you should take a break.
Alternately, treat the underlying painful emotion:
If you must, cry. Rather than eating a chocolate brownie, yell, hit a pillow, or use bad language in a private setting.
No Time for Exercise
Colleges, unlike high schools, do not normally require students to participate in physical activity.
Of course, there are exceptions. Columbia University, for example, requires their grads to be able to swim, which is unique.
Because of the lack of compulsory physical exercise, the calorie intake that may have put you in metabolic balance in high school is incorrect in college.
Weight growth is unavoidable unless you drastically reduce your intake.
Furthermore:
Exercising in college can often feel like a waste of time for non-athletes.
On the one hand, colleges frequently offer complex programs of intramural sports, lifetime athletics, and, of course, intercollegiate sports.
On the other side, classwork is frequently rigorous, and your need to retain some kind of social life will lead you to a party rather than the gym.
So, how do you cope with these situations?
Tips for Making Time and Motivating Yourself to Exercise in College: How to Stay Healthy in College
Increasing activity is the best solution to the problem of decreased activity.
This is not a new idea, but how do you go about doing it?
Make Going to the Gym a Social Visit
Drinking copious amounts of booze and munching on salty snacks while socializing at a bar or party isn’t going to do much for your health.
Or maybe you won’t meet anyone if you just go to the gym in the evenings or on weekends for a solo weightlifting or swimming session.
As a result, integrate the two approaches wherever possible. Participate in social events that don’t only require you to sit down and eat, and choose workout options that allow you to engage in discussion.
Find a Gym Buddy: How to Stay Healthy in College
Organize regular gym outings with a pal or pals. Motivating each other and making the experience entertaining and social will help you get through it.
Be Active During Study Breaks
Taking frequent breaks of five to ten minutes is an excellent method to boost your productivity while also avoiding the different health issues that can arise from prolonged study sessions, such as eye strain and bad posture. Moreover:
If you take these breaks to complete a few short workouts, you’ll be able to keep in shape and healthy.
It’s never too early or too late to start exercising during a short study break!
Take a Jog or a Brisk Walk
In addition to being the simplest alternative, working outside provides you with some much-needed fresh air.
A short stroll or jog can help you unwind and recharge your mind and body, even if it’s just a few minutes.
Relax and have fun with your favorite tunes on your iPod or MP3 device.
Don’t Forget to Stretch
When you’re pressed for time and don’t want to waste any of it by venturing out, try stretching.
Additionally, it aids in the prevention of muscular and joint tension from sitting for lengthy periods.
When it comes to stretching, there are exercises for nearly every region of your body, but the most frequent rule of thumb is to hold the stretch for five to 30 seconds while relaxing your muscles.
Try putting your hands behind your head and squeezing the shoulders together until you feel a slight tenseness in the upper back while stretching your back.
You can also try to lengthen your arms by pushing them out in front of you or above your head while holding your hands together with your fingers interlaced.
To keep your body in shape and flexible, you should perform stretches like these.
Develop an Exercise Routine: How to Stay Healthy in College
Having a well-thought-out exercise plan will help you maximize your limited time.
You may get a terrific workout in as little as five or ten minutes if you select the right activities.
When performed correctly and repeatedly without breaks, jumping exercises (such as jumping jacks or leaping in place) sit-ups, and punches are among the most demanding.
Tips for Eating Healthy on a Student Budget
Make staying hydrated with water and other nutritious clear drinks a key priority, and don’t skip meals.
Snack and eat mindfully. If you aren’t consuming a diverse range of fresh, unprocessed foods, take vitamin and mineral supplements.
What are you supposed to eat?
Proteins are an essential component of a healthy brain diet.
Amino acids, which are essential for neurotransmitter formation, are found in protein-rich meals.
Proteoproteins (tips for eating healthy in college). Proteins are classified into two types: animal proteins and vegetable proteins.
Animal proteins include all of the amino acids required by the body to construct, repair, and function.
Animal proteins include dairy products, fish, eggs, and chicken, all of which are excellent brain meals.
However:
These animal proteins are likewise high in saturated fat, thus they should be consumed in moderation.
Vegetable proteins, except avocados, contain only a subset of the necessary amino acids, therefore you must carefully combine them to create a complete protein diet.
This is why becoming a vegetarian is more than just eliminating meat.
Nuts, beans, and whole grains are examples of vegetable proteins.
The most basic rule of thumb is that combining a legume with grain yields a complete protein.
Rice and beans, wheat and peanut butter (peanuts are a legume), tortillas and bean dip, tofu and rice, lentils and barley, miso and buckwheat noodles, or teff bread and lentils are all delicious and complete protein pairings.
To optimize the impact of proteins on the brain, combine them with carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars and contain glucose, which serves as brain fuel.
Whole grains, fruit, cereal, and vegetables are examples of foods high in complex carbs.
Because these foods contain fiber and minerals in addition to carbohydrates, they take longer for the body to digest and absorb.
This slower absorption rate (known as the glycemic index) is beneficial to both the body and the brain.
However:
Taking too many simple carbs, or consuming them in a way that accelerates their breakdown, may result in elevated blood sugar levels.
Elevated blood sugar levels frequently cause wild changes in energy (known as sugar shock) and weight gain. To address this issue, be sure to combine carbohydrates and proteins in your meals.
Fats are also a normal part of a healthy diet.
Most students have a little issue including this portion of the food pyramid in their diet.
Consuming a proper amount of fatty acids is beneficial to the brain while eating too many fat results in weight gain.
Avoid processed and quick foods if you want to get the most out of your fats. Concentrate on natural animal products, particularly fish.
Fish products include omega-3 fatty acids, which aid in the transmission of messages in the brain.
Indeed, many scientists believe that fish oils are the best nourishment for the brain. Omega-3 fatty acids are abundant in fish such as salmon and sardines.
Other Tips for Taking Care of Your Physical and Mental Health in College: How to Stay Healthy in College
Prioritize your sleep.
You’ll be more alert and less stressed if you get adequate sleep.
Take care to keep your hands and the area you’re in clean at all times.
Wash your hands frequently, especially if you’re going to be in a classroom with a lot of other students.
Commonly used surfaces can be cleaned with antibacterial products like Lysol.
When you have a cold or don’t feel well, be respectful of others and avoid touching other people’s food, and cover your mouth when coughing.
Be informed about medical care accessible to you as a student.
Colleges commonly have either a campus health clinic or a configuration with a hospital or medical practice that can provide medical services to students, so reap the benefits of these options to care for yourself appropriately.
Be sure that you consult competent medical guidance as needed, and always follow the doctor’s directions.
Keep up with any needed or recommended vaccines, such as your flu shot, and don’t fall behind.
Regular dental checkups and good oral hygiene should not be neglected.
For the benefit of both your health and your social life, stay up with your oral care. Make a note on your phone to remember you to get your teeth cleaned once a year.
Maintain a good dosage of socializing.
You’ll need to discover ways to interact with others in person, in groups, or online, depending on how much time you have.
Social relationships will sustain you emotionally even when you are focused on learning.
It’s also critical to develop the ability to recognize people who aren’t beneficial to your well-being: Stay away from those who cause you to lose focus, who promote damaging conduct, or who are just plain negative or poisonous.
Learn to control your stress
To reduce your stress over the long term, attempt doing exercises like meditation, yoga, or stretching; joining religious services, or getting active in local charity programs.
Learn to handle your stress.
Utilize the services of the counseling center at your university.
Counseling services can provide excellent emotional support and often offer valuable advice on student life, tutoring programs, and jobs. They are there to assist you, and you have already paid for them to do so!
Take breaks from studying, and pace your work.
Finally, avoid crowding by arranging and allocating time properly.
Move around while you’re studying or doing other activities that require you to be sedentary. Maintaining good health is essential if you want to earn the finest grades and the best education possible.
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