Part of the college experience is learning household skills, and a big part of that is cooking (or a lack of it). During my first few months on campus, I fluctuated between eating at the dining commons and eating at home, with more instances of eating instant food than thoroughly cooked and prepared meals. It was all too easy to forget about the nutritional aspects of food and too simple to wolf down instant meals and call it a day without thinking about the long-term health effects. I didn’t see any negative consequences until after nearly 3 months straight of my unhealthy eating habits, and when the results arrived, I was wholly unprepared.
However, there were a few tips I learned from the overall ordeal. Starting from when I had nothing to work with to shoulder through the pain (aka no Pepto Bismol or other medication), I had to work my way up from salvaging the poor conditions of my gut microbiome to rebuilding it.Â
It was helpful to drink large amounts of water and eat rice porridge, which although of little nutritional value, (much more so since I only had instant rice) was easy on the stomach. Water helps by making it easier to break down food internally while rice porridge has a high ratio of water to grain and is mush, meaning the stomach has less work to do and will therefore not be aggravated. To make rice porridge, the estimations of the bare essentials are as follows:Â
(For one serving) Put a bowl of rice into a pot with enough water to cover the rice by an inch. Add about a teaspoon of sesame oil into the water and boil until the rice appears like gruel and has an oatmeal-like consistency. It is critical to stir the pot occasionally. If the mixture isn’t stirred, the hot air bubbles will explode and cause a gooey mess. When the water is absorbed into the rice, adding soy sauce will help with the flavor. There are fancier and tastier ways to make porridge, but soy sauce is a cheap alternative to adding ingredients like oysters that you may find served in restaurants.Â
Ingesting caffeine is also recommended since it helps the dietary tract, as well as avoiding foods that are difficult to digest like dairy, spicy, or hot foods. Capsaicin in spices can lead to additional abdominal pain, and the lactose in dairy is difficult to digest. Now, to actually sustain a healthy gut microbiome, you can buy probiotic capsules with a recommended dosage of a daily intake, while also trying to incorporate more vegetables and fruits into your diet.
For instance, buying apples and other fruits helps with maintaining a healthy balance of vitamins. And despite knowing how instant food isn’t too nutritious, even sprinkling in green onions and other greens helps make the meal healthier. Trader Joe’s often sells pre-diced onions in bags, so time and efficiency are no trouble for adding healthy add-ons to quick meals like ramen. Buying salad kits is also extremely helpful in not only eating healthy but feeling energized rather than lethargic, and making eggs with a few cherry tomatoes in the morning for a lazy breakfast is rewarding to both the taste and body.Â
After having to miss over a week of school due to stomach issues, I am doing everything in my power to integrate even small portions of fresh produce into every meal of the day. From indulging in avocado toast, adding onions to ramen, and eating apples every day, I genuinely feel that my body is slowly but surely recovering from the months-long horror of forgetting entirely about the nutritional value of the food I ate.Â