What it takes to be a healthy college student

This post appeared in Drake University’s award-winning Drake Magazine Online on March 23, 2011. View the article here in the Student Blogs section.
Your friend complains about her physical appearance, weighs herself daily, but doesn’t bother to eat healthy. Another friend works out for hours upon end but doesn’t realize that the junk food she eats en masse is preventing her from making any progress. And we all have that friend who can eat whatever they want and never gain a single pound.

Coming to college is a different experience for everyone, but there’s no doubt that the choices students make in their collegiate years will follow them rest of their lives. Whether you become a gym rat, compulsive scale-ogler or a snackaholic, there’s a way to find a happy and healthy medium. During my quest to defeat the infamous Freshman 15, I’ve compiled a few of my personal mantras that I think can be applied to anyone’s life.

• “Diet” doesn’t necessarily mean eating less. It means eating smarter. There’s no need for crash dieting or fad diets–they just confuse your body and may end up doing more harm than good. Not eating, or eating absurdly small amounts is not only senseless, but also dangerous. You’re single-handedly damaging your body and destroying your metabolism. Try to include every food group (remember that Food Pyramid?) in your meals.
• Just because you spend hours at the gym doesn’t mean you can indulge on everything in sight. People tell themselves, “It doesn’t really matter what I eat, as long as I work out.” Your intentions are good, but chances are high that your caloric intake of unhealthy food is not being balanced out by your exercise habits.
• Don’t eat empty calories. Candy, junk food, and soda are the biggest source of them. I hate to say this, but you might want to ditch that daily Starbucks run and think of it more as a treat. If you’re really jonesing for your daily dose of caffeine, drink tea. It’s low in calories and fat.
• Find a healthy alternative to that bag of chips or bowl of ice cream. Why wouldn’t you want to snack on something that supplies you with vitamins and fills  you up? It’s like killing two birds with one stone!
• Take breaks. Working yourself to exhaustion for hours upon hours 7 days a week isn’t productive. Your body needs a break, so try to dedicate at least two days of your week to some good ol’ rest and relaxation.
• Learn to love fruits and vegetables. You don’t have to love broccoli or choke down fork-fulls of spinach to eat healthy. Look for nutritious veggies that you do enjoy and find a way to include them in your diet daily.
• Don’t obsess over calories. Something that has zero calories–take diet soda for instance–isn’t always good for you. Look for foods high in fiber that will keep you full for hours, and don’t stress too much about the calories.
• Minimize your alcohol intake. Yeah, it’s college, but don’t forget that alcohol has calories too, and probably a lot more than you even realize. I always say that I’d rather eat my calories than drink them.
• Remember: It’s okay to give yourself a treat once in a while. Just make sure “once in a while” doesn’t become a daily occurrence.

It’s okay to break away from what everyone else is doing. Health is a personal goal. Although the media surrounds us in images of what we’re “supposed” to look like, the truth is that we’re all different.

Basically, maintaining good health is one giant balancing act. If you eat a balance a smart diet with an active exercise schedule, you’re on the right track. The trick is making your lifestyle changes permanent. Make way for good habits and try to eliminate the ones you know aren’t good for you. Who knows, you could shed a couple pounds!