When someone hears the word “diet,” they immediately associate it with restriction, scarcity. And when one hears the word “fit,” intense training comes to mind. But much of this is far from reality. According to a nutritionist, Jeanette Heredia, the term diet means regulating the amount and type of food. Between exams, projects, and trying to sustain one’s social life, a large number of students, especially in college, find themselves not finding the time and affordable ways to maintain their health and wellbeing. Before starting college, I can remember everyone I knew telling me to be aware of the term, “freshman 15” which simply means that during the first year one usually gain around 15 pounds. I remember looking at pictures from older friends who were in college and some gained a few pounds, and other followed a healthy routine religiously, so I thought that it wasn’t going to be a struggle to continue following a healthy lifestyle. Since day one, I began attending the university’s gym frequently and only ate salads, but with a lot of creamy dressings to satisfy my hunger some way. So, technically I wasn’t eating “that healthy,” I was not fully aware of how much “healthy food” I was eating which resulted in gaining a few pounds. I thought that was normal. However, I began attending parties each weekend which then were followed by ordering pizza late at night every week. But the food was not the only problem; my sleeping habits changed due to the increase in workload and stress. These were small changes that I wasn’t fully aware I was making that resulted in reflecting itself on the outside. I was constantly tired during the day; my clothes felt a bit tighter than normal, I had frequent migraines, I didn’t feel like “myself.”
Now, this article is not about obsessing about your weight, but it is a way of letting everyone know that they aren’t alone, especially in this journey to bettering ourselves. It is good to not deprive yourself of occasional sweets and delicious and cheesy mac and cheese, but be conscious that the key is to nourish and not to punish yourself. Besides, when one eats right, one feels right. Here are a few practical tips that anyone can follow with the goal of wanting to feel and look good too.
Drink a glass of plain water before and after each meal. Water helps to have adequate digestion because it moisturizes the tissues and helps to remove toxins from the body.
Have a healthy breakfast and light dinner. It always includes three food groups: fruits and vegetables, cereals and those of animal origin. The meal should be light; avoid the fruits at night and when the cravings come, eat pistachios, or popcorn (which is a complete underrated way of eating a healthy snack).
Consume enough fiber. They are necessary to stay healthy and fit. These are found in fruits and vegetables. These contribute to the better functioning of the intestines and better absorption of nutrients. It is beneficial for people with overweight, because they produce satiety, allowing you to spend several hours without eating excessive amounts of food.
When you plan on going out, try to limit smoking and drinking. It might be fun at times, but it is not fun the next day after one ended up making poor decisions, some might include overeating as well. One should focus on nourishing the body, giving it its necessary nutrient for your height and age, it all depends from person to person.
Avoid stress. Today the ups and downs of life can cause some eating disorders, sleep, etc. These things are not good for your health, so we must reduce stress levels in some way. Many factors cause this, but it is necessary to remain healthy and achieve the balance between work, studies, life. Sometimes these can interfere with our sleep habits, which is not convenient at all because it is where the body takes advantage to restore all its cells and energies.
You should always remember to NOURISH AND NOT PUNISH YOURSELF because that is the only way one will be able to live a healthier and fuller life. It’s these small changes in one’s daily routines that end up being giant steps to a better life without any limitations physically and mentally. This is because what one feeds himself, he reflects on himself too. It’s incorporating healthier habits that end up producing either good or bad results on your body and mind. So, if we are not taking care of ourselves, how can our organs function properly? Remember to balance and make this life your best life.