Even though I commend Columbia for providing freshmen with a meal plan that eliminates the trouble of scouting for food and provides a great opportunity to chat with your friends, I have to be honest: dining hall food kind of sucks. Particularly if you’re among that sect of us that’s permanently dieting (tip: lay off the dieting! Diets don’t work and carbs taste good!). Even though I have somehow managed to avoid the dreaded freshman 15, a few unwanted pounds have made me all the more conscious of my daily food choices.
At HC Columbia, our focus is keeping healthy—not losing weight—and here are a few tips I’ve developed to help me cope with the challenges of eating healthy on campus.
1. Drink water before eating.
You’ve probably read this a thousand times, but be honest: have you ever actually put this into practice? Clearer skin, stronger nails, lowered cancer risk—water’s pretty much perfection in a cup and the closest thing you’ll get to a magic pill for health and energy. Even though you should be drinking water continuously throughout the day, experts recommend drinking a glass of water before meals—but not during! The explanation is simple – water before a meal fills you up, causing you to eat less, but water during a meal dilutes the acids in your stomach, slowing down your metabolism.
2. Don’t mix simple carbs and protein.
Nutritional therapist Lizee McGraw advises against the usual tip of mixing carbs and protein for energy and fullness. According to her, “proteins need hydrochloric acid which our systems produce when the relevant food enters the digestive tract. Carbohydrates, on the other hand, require an alkaline environment.” When we eat both types of food together, the digestion of carbs is stalled because the hydrochloric acid is working on the protein, slowing our metabolisms and making us uncomfortable—the digestive processes are only completed when they’re done separately.
Personally, I prefer to eat carbs in the morning, as they give me a great source of energy for the rest of the day. Oatmeal and orange juice are definitely the way to go if you want to feel full right until lunch. And don’t forget to grab a banana – these are all carbs!
After breakfast, try avoiding simple carbs like breads and pasta, opting instead for complex carbs in vegetables and leafy greens. Stop by Ferris to get some greens with chicken. Also, try to go lighter on that creamy Italian dressing; sometimes some vinegar and olive oil can make a salad taste just as delicious. Dinner is by far the toughest meal, especially if you’re trying to dull the pain of a coming night in Butler with the comfort of food. Don’t be afraid to indulge, but do stay conscious of what you put into your body.
3. Inadvertent Exercise
I live on the 14th floor, YES, the 14th floor…up there, with the Greek gods. But I decided to spin this tragedy around and try to walk around it (hehe, get it? “walk”…) Yes, the first days were tough, but I can now proudly tell you that I can climb the stairs in a little over two minutes. Look for small ways to stay fit, like taking the stairs whenever you can. (If you live on three, that should be everyday, cough cough).
4. One day off, but DAY!
So, you’ve been a good the entire week? Awesome! Now it’s time to nom on pizza and JJ’s! BUT, remember that it’s a day off, not a never-ending circle of overeating. Splurging is okay in moderation, but make sure that you’re not just eating for the sake of eating. Listen to your body: maybe you didn’t even want to that last piece of cake.
5. Make sure it’s worth it.
Let’s face it: the desserts in the dining halls are not good. They just aren’t. Whenever I look at them, I just think about huge bags of sugar being stuffed into my body and going through my blood with minimal taste. If you’re treating yourself, making sure you’re doing just that: treating yourself. Pieces of cake from John Jay are not worth it, nor are cookies from Ferris. If you’re making the conscious decision to indulge in some sugar and butter, make sure it’s a delicacy. Head to any one of the spectacular bakeries in NYC and treat yourself to something that’s actually good. Trust me, after Laduree (864 Madison Ave, wink wink), those Ferris cookies won’t even seem worth it in the end.
Yet another casual reminder: diets don’t work. Life is not about torturing your body, but instead about making good choices that are sustainable in the long run. Making small changes will get you a long way! Bon chance!