By: Nicole Marino
Recently, health has become more and more of a buzzword. More people, especially millennials, are taking exercise classes. There is a general trend of people caring more about their diets. Social media platforms like Pinterest, which allows users to “pin” their dream lives, promote this concept. Buzzfeed says, however, that the site is filled with plenty of untrue health claims.
In fact, there are much more important things to inform users about than a miracle weight-loss drink. For example, did you know that 4 of the top 10 leading causes of death can be prevented by maintaining a healthy diet? According to the CDC, they are 1) heart disease, 2) cancer, 3) chronic lower respiratory diseases, 4) accidents, 5) stroke, 6) Alzheimer’s Disease, 7) Diabetes, 8) flu/pneumonia, 9) Nephritis (kidney disease), and 10) self harm. Heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes can all be avoided by eating healthy foods.
Unfortunately, not enough people are aware of this and don’t understand just how many benefits a good diet can have. This is where a nutrition class comes in. Even if you do eat well, there is so much you can learn about different foods’ nutritional properties and their effects on your body. After all, you are what you eat, so being more aware of what you’re putting in your body is so important.
College is a great time to take a nutrition class. It’s a time of independence and trying new things. It’s when a lot of people start making their own food choices. It’s so easy to walk into the dining hall and quickly grab a pizza and a cookie, and there’s no one there to stop you. We’ve all heard of the infamous freshman 15, so why not make an effort to avoid it?
Understanding the health benefits of different food, and understanding how much of it to consume is a skill you will carry with you for the rest of your life, not just throughout college. Unlike what you learn in a class like Statistics, there will always be a need for understanding the components of a healthy diet. That way, you can walk into the dining hall with a better understanding of the choices offered, and not go for simply what looks good.
College isn’t the only time you can benefit from taking a nutrition class. Everyone, no matter what age, deserves to understand what they’re eating. A nutrition class doesn’t preach that you should only consume fruits, vegetables, and protein (at least a good one doesn’t). You shouldn’t end up leaving feeling guilty or overwhelmed. It should make a healthy diet seem attainable because it really is. Some key takeaways include:
– Why you crave certain foods when you do, and what drives food choices in general
– How much of each type of food is a healthy amount
– In what ways different foods can benefit your body
– Where you should be getting your health news from and information from
These are all important aspects of nutrition because it’s not all about just changing your diet. The most important, however, is learning who/what you can trust to give you nutrition information. There are so many claims on the internet that anyone can make up. Even if the information is found on a credible source, it should not be believed unless quoted by a registered dietitian nutritionist. Even your own doctor may have an idea of what’s healthy, but registered dietitians are the real experts. When it comes to your health, getting the right information is extremely important; it can quite literally be life or death.
While understanding what makes up a good diet is good for your health, nutrition classes are simply interesting. Who doesn’t love food? Nutrition is just gaining a deeper understanding of the things we eat every day. I have learned so many little things that I keep in mind on a daily basis. It can also be interesting to understand how your body breaks down and reacts to different kinds of food.
Whether you just want to learn how to live a healthier lifestyle, you’re interested in the science behind eating or think that it could be something that’ll help you later on in life, it’s worth it. You’ll definitely walk out smarter than you were when you walked in.
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