Many students believe that the key to a successful school year is mainly reliant on the amount of effort put into studying and the number of hours spent in the library. Schoolwork is an integral part of the semester and it is important to have a study plan and stay in control. However, proper nutrition is equally as important, and having a balanced nutrition plan just as essential. The way you treat your body and what you put into your body will ultimately determine how you perform.
The body is incredible and has the capacity to do so much. However, in order for the body to work properly it must be fueled properly. Fueling your body correctly and supplying your body with what it needs is the key to your success at school. Yet, as the year progresses and the stress levels go up, proper nutrition often falls to the wayside. The best way to make sure that your nutrition does not become an afterthought is to start off your year with healthy habits. Establishing healthy habits now will propel you through the school year and keep you ahead of the game and above the stress. Here are a few tips to ensure that you stay healthy and on top of both your academic and nutrition game plans this year:
- Eat breakfast. Start your day off right with a good meal when you get up. Whether you’re rolling out of bed at noon or up at the crack of dawn for class, make sure you start your day with a balanced, healthy meal.
- Drink water. Drinking enough water can help boost your concentration as well as keep you from overeating. Make sure to keep hydrated as you go through your day by bringing water with you.
- Don’t skip meals. With so much to do, it is easy to forgo eating to run off to class or the library. Don’t skip meals. Set up foods you can eat on the run so you will have the energy to keep going.
- Don’t fight stress by eating. It can be tempting to reach for a bag of chips or some cookies when you are stressed out about an impending exam. Eating will not help your stress go away, so avoid filling up on snacks. Try working out, drinking water, or taking a break instead.
- Keep healthy snacks around. It is easy to eat healthy if you keep the junk at bay and stock your dorm room with fruits and other healthy snacks. You will be more likely to reach for these than junk food if you keep them nearby or in your backpack.
- Try to eat fruits and veggies. Even if fruits and vegetables are not your favorite, try to incorporate at least a few of them into your diet each day.
- Make eating right convenient. Do not make it hard for yourself to eat right. Buy healthy foods and stock your fridge and room with them to ensure they are the first things at hand when you get hungry.
- Limit the junk food. Junk food is fast and easy and many students end up eating a lot of it while they are on the run to class or to work. While a little junk food now and again won’t really hurt you, make sure it doesn’t become a habit.
- Limit sugary and caffeinated beverages. Beverages may not fill you up, but they sure can help fatten you up and have a detrimental effect on your overall health. You do not have to completely give up soda and coffee, but you should scale back in order to keep yourself in tip top shape.
- Indulge every once in a while. A little treat now and then is a great way to reward yourself for maintaining a healthy diet. Give yourself a break and indulge in a food you love but can not eat all the time.
Here’s to a successful- and healthy- fall semester!
Eliana Soskin is the President of the Nutrition Club
Article based on http://healthservices.camden.rutgers.edu/topics_wellness