What does it mean to be “healthy?” As college students and young women, we work out, try to eat as healthy as we can, and avoid “unhealthy” foods. We read magazine after magazine and distinguish the “healthy” ways to lose weight apart from the fasting, binging, and purging methods (also known as eating disorder techniques).
Boston College continues to be one of the most active and fit college campuses in America, so the pressure to be healthy is definitely prevalent. However, many of us fail to understand what being healthy really means.
Terri Trespecio, “writer, editor, speaker, and healthy living expert,” came to BC on Thursday, March 22nd to debunk some myths about healthy living and give a lecture for alums and undergrad alike. Recently making the cover of Boston Magazine for her controversial testimonials about being single and loving it (oh yeah she gives great love advice too), Trespecio was thrilled to share some of her insights on living healthy with the Boston College community. Hosted by the Student Advisory Board for the Council for Women of Boston College in the Murray Room, Trespecio’s talk was titled “How to Live Your Healthiest Life – Not Someone Else’s.” Besides causing uncontrollable laugher in the audience, she was enlightening and inspiring.
Plainly stating, “diets do not work,” she offered some common-sense ways to live a healthy life. For example, Trespecio suggests that we should exercise daily for a vigorous 30 minutes or more, buy foods that expire quickly, and eat fresh and rich foods that make us happy in moderation. She says that we make cravings up in our head and we can simply resist them (what a concept). Also, she says that eating healthy takes practice. For detox diets, she proclaimed that we should not starve ourselves and “detox” to lose weight. However, if we do them correctly and for the right reasons (detoxing your system and making short term changes to your diet), they can be helpful for feeling more energized and healthy (there’s that word again). Not to mention that detoxing from time to time helps out our digestive system. If I learned anything from her talk, it was that eating bitter greens, eating slow, and eating well is important.
So what are some of these myths?
“Healthy people sacrifice foods they like and suffer.”
Not true. Trespecio states “diets are not high maintenance, people are.” Our bodies do amazing things and we should feed them accordingly. This means energizing ourselves with fresh foods and staying away from foods that could withstand the test of time. For picky eaters, I’m sure there is one vegetable or fruit that you can stomach for a healthy snack option. The fact of the matter is, healthy people do not suffer – they find foods they like and balance their cravings with healthier options. Trespecio says that we need to eat healthy foods that make us feel good.
“We all need to be vegans.”
Trespecio stated how she loves meat. When we think of healthy we think of the perfect yoga instructor who gulps down energy veggie shakes and snacks on granola. This hyped up picture of the earth-conscious individual is stereotypical for a reason. Just because we have this picture of the perfect vegan as the poster child for healthy living in our minds does not mean that we have to sacrifice meats and protein-rich food groups. If you like meat, eat it. If you don’t or do not agree with eating meat for personal or food-allergy related reasons, tofu, fish, and other foods can do the same job.
“Being healthy takes more time.”
Picking up a pack of strawberries at Whole Foods takes the same amount of time as picking up a bag of potato chips. Trespecio states that everyone has to go grocery shopping at one point or another: it’s not the time we spend grocery shopping, it’s what we buy that matters. Try to plan or write down healthy meals in your head, coupon clip, and buy fresh foods that you can prepare easily and efficiently. For the collegiette, this can be harder in a dining hall. Waiting on line for an Addie’s salad instead of a grilled cheese might be worth it.
“Healthy people are safer.”
Humorously, Trespecio yelled out “anyone can get hit by the Comm Ave bus leaving here tonight despite what you just ate for dinner!” Thankfully, no one did. However, the point she was trying to make is that we need to embrace healthy choices for our own pleasure and satisfaction: not to be safer. Although there are many physical health benefits of being in shape and eating healthy, no one is “safe.” The intrinsic value of being healthy is so much greater.
“There is a right way to be healthy.”
There is NO right way to be healthy or a right way to look. As we know, people come in different shapes and sizes. What may be a healthy weight for me is not a healthy weight for you, and vice versa. Exercising, eating healthy, and making healthy choices that also make you happy is the way to go. Remember, it’s not about the number on the scale; it’s about how you feel. Make small goals: being healthy takes time, effort, and individualized attention.
Boston College was recently rated by Huffington Post as one of the “hottest” college campuses in the nation. Whatever that means… It also remains on many lists ranking as the “fittest,” but is also one of the top college campuses for eating disorders. At BC, the eating disorders talked about on campus include the very colloquial and disturbing “plexorexia” and “drunkorexia.” Needless to say, there is a lot of pressure on young women to be in shape, thin, and “healthy.” With a little push from speaker Terri Trespecio, I have realized that being healthy is easier and more conceptual than I ever thought.
Be sure to Check out her blog, website, YouTube channel, and Twitter account.
Photo Sources:
http://alinaaaa.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/heart_vegetables.jpg
http://shenow.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Terri-T..jpg