If you haven’t read my first column on essential keys to health, then here’s a tip: Get lots of rest; it will make your life a lot easier.
Here’s the second key to health: Moderation. Moderation doesn’t mean ‘no chocolate cake,’ and it certainly does not mean starving oneself. Moderation means eating so your body is full, not stuffed, which means portion control so there is a healthy amount of food to fuel your body.
Portion control in general is difficult. When your schedule is crammed with stuff, it is easy to forget about your health. However, it is especially hard in college when you are racing from class to class while balancing tests and essays.
Between all this, it is easy to over-consume when you are presented with food. With Founders being a buffet style, it makes it easy to overeat. If you really wanted fifty plates of food, you could indeed have fifty plates of food. But is that necessary? Is that really helping your body function?
No, it’s not. Keeping your consumption down to one to two plates is the ideal portion size and can be easily done by just getting what you will eat, not what you think you may eat.
Our eyes have always been bigger than our stomachs. We always bite off more than we can chew, literally. A way to stop this munchie madness is by setting your plate up with the right foods.
According to Texas Tech University, half of your plate should be vegetables and fruits. A quarter should be composed of a grain/carb, such as rice or bread, and the last quarter should be a protein, such as chicken.
Throughout the day it is essential to eat healthy snacks, such as a handful of almonds or a granola bar, to help yourself from overeating at mealtimes.
Drinking water throughout the day helps with hunger, according to Shape.com. When our bodies are dehydrated we can confuse our thirst pains with hunger pains, causing us to unhealthily snack or overeat.
If you are not a big fan of drinking straight water, try adding water to juice, as most juices can contain about twenty grams of sugar. (www.shape.com)
On a personal note, these past months I have been healthy snacking, eating in moderation and drinking tons of water, and I have happily seen results in my body. I still have a sweet treat every now and then, but I have made my sweet tooth satisfied through healthy treats.
Greatist.com is an awesome site that has a list of delicious, almost guilt free treats. Chocolate covered strawberries (my personal favorite), smoothies and nutella with pretzels are just some ways to incorporate a healthier junk food into your life.
Moderation is hard at first and retraining your body to eat proper portion is difficult. But it is a necessity and the best option for your body.
