Having struggled with eating disorders for the better part of my teenage life, I made the mistake of hoping that eating healthy would be easier when I got to college. There’s usually plenty of healthy options in dining halls – fruits, vegetables, whole grains. Eating healthy would be a piece of cake…in so many words. I wasn’t wrong in assuming that the dining hall would supply healthy food options, but what I failed to account for was the bounty of garbage that would be readily available as well. Pizza, fries, ice cream, cupcakes, cookies – junk food is always there, always staring you in the face waiting for you to take out your frustrations about the exam you just failed. I’ve learned that it’s exceedingly difficult to make the right choices in the dining hall, and that the resulting poor health can take a toll on every other aspect of your life in college.
Everyone has heard of the “freshman fifteen,” but what most people don’t know is that that’s a myth. The concept of college freshman gaining unusual amounts of weight was fabricated by a magazine in the 90s to encourage students to remain active and eat healthy, but a poor diet means more than weight gain. A diet high in saturated fats and sugars can exacerbate depression, severely impact energy levels, making it difficult to focus on studying, lead to high blood pressure, which, combined with the stress of having to keep up with college life, can cause irreparable damage to the heart and liver. Not to mention the fact that these foods are highly addictive. Every time we spring for the more delicious, more comforting, or more convenient option, we’re polluting not just our bodies, but our lives.
My suggestion is simple – substitution. If you substitute junk for healthy food when you have a craving, you will retrain your body to crave those healthy foods. For example, if you’re craving sweets like ice cream or a cookie, it means that your body is craving sugar, so eat a banana or some strawberries or dried fruit. If you’re in the mood for something savory like chips or bacon, have some roasted almonds or peanuts. Instead of a shake, have a smoothie, or some Greek yogurt. It’s not easy – I know it’s not. It’s going to be hard and unpleasant when you first start out, but the more you try it, the better you’ll feel and the easier it will be to eat healthier.
