Expert Article: Squash that Freshman Fifteen

Squash that Freshman Fifteen

The best way to keep off the "freshman fifteen" and stay healthy throughout the four years of college.

Does the freshman fifteen ring a bell? That's because this dreaded phrase has become widely known and used among incoming college freshman. The "freshman fifteen" is a commonly used saying in the United States that relates to the amount of weight a college freshman will gain in their first year.

Do all college freshman really gain 15 pounds? Research studies reveal that the phrase is overexaggerated. The definite weight gain among college freshman substantially varies, but the average mean is 7 1/2 pounds (Brissette). The phrase has since then been used to describe general weight gain throughout the four years of college.

College is a time of newfound freedom and independence. There are no parents around to make sure you eat breakfast or finish your veggies at dinner. You could even eat ice cream all hours of the day with no-one to stop you- except maybe a stomach ache. Developing healthy habits in college will set you up for healthy habits in the future. With a few painless tips, these healthy habits are easily maintained.

Find a Cooking Partner

The best piece of advice that I can give you is to find a cooking partner. Discovering a cooking partner not only helps you save money and produce (because you can split the groceries,) but also encourages you to cook when you are too lazy. The biggest complaint I hear from my peers, is that they don't have enough time to cook. With a cooking comrade, creating the meal takes half the amount of time, because you have twice the amount of helping hands. Blast some tunes while cooking and it can even be fun..... that is until you have to clean up.


"Meal-Spiration" 

If you're anything like me, then eating the same meals over and over again sounds like a nightmare. To prevent this from happening, peruse the internet in search of some "meal-spiration." Once you locate your inspiration, meal planning and grocery shopping with your cooking partner for the week is effortless. This is key to eating healthy while saving money in college. It also helps keep you accountable and saves wasted time deciding on what to cook on busy school nights. My favorite "meal-spiration" websites are the following: 
  • Feedyourglow.com
  • Bonappetit.com/healthyish
  • Acouplecooks.com
  • Sproutedkitchen.com
  • Naturallyella.com
  • Happyyolks.com

Eating at home > Eating out 

When it comes to healthy eating, the number one rule nutritionists inform you is that eating at home is far more beneficial than eating at restaurants. Eating out has been linked to body weight, obesity, and poor diet quality. As opposed to eating in, which has been linked to decreased BMI and improved health (Raber). For one thing, when one dines out, you have no idea what is going into the food you are consuming. Cooking at home allows an individual to monitor every little thing that is going into their body. According to a Dafiniti study, eating out proved to be significantly more expensive and contained remarkably more calories than eating in. Next time your friends begin planning a dinner out, try proposing a dinner party instead? Maybe even show them the two images below to further persuade them..... 


Always Start with Breakfast

If you think your mom is the only one who stressed the importance of eating breakfast, then you are mistaken. According to Doctor Jon Ivy, "Breakfast is a critical meal because it influences practically every dimension of our being during the course of the day, including how we perform physically and mentally." It instantly gets our metabolism going, increases the body's energy level, rehabilitates the blood glucose level back to normal after a night of fasting, and helps control appetite (Ivy). 

For me it is hard enough waking up in time for class, nonetheless waking up in time to make breakfast. But after learning about the benefits of breakfast in the past, I have made it a necessity in my diet. I have even notices ho more alert and awake I am in my morning classes after eating breakfast. A few fast and easy breakfast ideas for on the go include: 

  • Avocado on grain crisp bread with chilli flakes 
  • Granola in individual yoghurt cups 
  • Oatmeal with berries and honey
  • Bananas with peanut butter
  • Hard-boiled eggs

Incorporate the Rainbow into your Diet 

The idea of "eating the rainbow" means consuming a diet of food that is made up of all the colors of the rainbow. This idea stems from the concept that eating foods of various colors assures that an individual is getting the proper amount of essential vitamins, nutrients, antioxidants, minerals, fibers etc. By adopting this habit, it can help guard against various ailments as well as weight management (Cardiff). The rainbow colors will also appear aesthetically pleasing, which could brighten up anyone's day. 


Oh and Always Carry around Healthy Snacks 

This last piece of advice has saved me in college. Whether I have back to back classes, am busy catching up with friends, or too much homework to handle, carrying around healthy snacks has been a lifesaver. When I am too busy to eat during the day, I end up binge eating junk food like a raccoon when I come home. Snacking helps satiate hunger in between meals, keep blood sugars at the correct levels, and increase energy levels. Healthy snacks can also enhance concentration, elevate memory, and increase mental alertness (Baertlein). 

Some of my favorite healthy snacks to carry around are:

  • Unsalted almonds with dates
  • Hummus packet and cut up veggies
  • Unsalted popcorn
  • Edamame
  • Whole grain protein bars
  • Peanut butter and apple slices
By integrating these simples steps into your college life, you can start establishing healthy habits to take with you the rest of your life. Eating healthy improves your cognitive, physical and emotional well-being, so what are you waiting for? 


Works Cited
Baertlein, Lisa. "Healthy Snacking Benefits." EverydayHealth.com. N.p., 02 Feb. 2016. Web. 06 Feb. 2018.
Brissette, Christy. "Weighing the Truth behind the 'freshman 15'." Chicagotribune.com. Washington Post, 26 Sept. 2017. Web. 06 Feb. 2018.
Cardiff, Emily. "Eating the Rainbow: Why Eat a Variety of Colorful Fruits and Vegetables?" One Green Planet. Health Monster, 23 Apr. 2014. Web. 06 Feb. 2018.
"Is It Cheaper to Eat Out or In?" Datafiniti. Dafiniti, LLC., 19 Sept. 2016. Web. 06 Feb. 2018.
Ivy, John L. "Why Breakfast Is the Most Important Meal of the Day." EAS Academy. University of Texas at Austin, 29 Nov. 2013. Web. 06 Feb. 2018.
Raber, Margaret. "An Evidence-based Conceptual Framework of Healthy Cooking." Preventive Medicine Reports. Elsevier, 17 May 2016. Web. 06 Feb. 2018.




Comments

  1. Maren J LeeFebruary 6, 2018 at 4:41 PM

    Although I am not a freshman and I've felt like since moving out of my parents house Ive lost weight instead of gaining weight. However, I've try to be more aware of the food I've been putting into my body since Im getting older. I like how you use a lot of list and visual graph to help illustrate your idea.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ggloriaFebruary 6, 2018 at 8:11 PM

    Hi Elisa! Thank you for writing this. I recently try to escape from the freshman15 curse. I totally agree that we should have a healthy diet. The first and second headline are good. You can expand more on your following paragraphs. btw, the blog layout in my computer is pretty strange, I don't know if it happens to others computer. Those graphs and diagrams are really helpful as well.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Cynthia JiangFebruary 6, 2018 at 8:57 PM

    Hey Elisa! Great article, great content, loved the use of visuals and graphs to really illustrate your point and offer statistical evidence to back up your argument. Like Gloria said, there were some weird formatting errors on my computer; but other than that, it was a good article. The only thing I would suggest improving on is to use an attention grabber for your first paragraph to really engage the reader and allow them to read the rest of your amazing article!

    ReplyDelete
  4. KingofAptosFebruary 6, 2018 at 9:42 PM

    Hey Elisa!
    I really liked your article! I love the way you presented the graphs and information at the bottom that shows how much unhealthier eating out is, and how much better cooking at home is. I like the fun and healthy ideas about food options as well, the only problem I had was viewing your article, there is some formatting error.

    ReplyDelete
  5. sbsimon13February 6, 2018 at 11:10 PM

    Hey Elisa,

    Great article! Very clear and informative. I think your headings are very effective in drawing attention and separating the content of each paragraph. The only thing is that I also noticed some words seem disconnected on the post, it might be because the document was justified?

    ReplyDelete

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