College Food

Here’s a little slideshow I’ve put together centered around food and friends. I took these pictures myself with my 35mm film camera – yes, they still exist. I hope you enjoy, and see this as proof that you can eat healthy in college.

College Food

Click on the link above to watch.

Remember, You Are What You Eat!

Take your vitamins.

I know you’ve all heard that before from your mother, but never paid much attention to it. Well, mom was right. Vitamin supplements are a great way to make sure you’re getting all the nutrients you need, especially if you don’t usually include a lot of fruits and veggies into your diet.

If you want to know what kinds of nutrients I’m talking about, click here.

But be warned: taking vitamins supplements does not mean that you don’t have to worry about what you eat. While they are helpful, it is still better to get nutrients from food, so keep adding colorful fruits and vegetables to your diet.

So next time you’re at the grocery store, pick up some vitamins and start doing something good for your body. I still like the gummy vitamins you used to take as a kid!

You Are What You Eat!

Can It!

Want to know how to save money and calories in the lunch line? Ditch the soda.

Whether you call it coke, soda, or pop, it all means the same thing: more money spent on junk that makes your body unhappy. Studies have linked drinking soda with many nutrition problems, including weight gain, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and even cancer. For more information on the effects soda has on your body, check out this website, or just Google it. You’ll be shocked at what you find out.

Switching from caffeinated sodas to water and fruit juice is not only a major plus for your overall health, but it’s a huge money-saver as well. If a coke with lunch costs an extra $1.50, you’re spending about $20 every 2 weeks on something that’s going to lead to major health problems. By switching to water with lunch, you can put that extra $20 toward something you really want, like a new pair of jeans or a new video game.

That’s all for now. If you have any questions or comments, subscribe to my blog and leave a comment!

You are what you eat!

Spring Break or Bust!

We’ve all been patiently awaiting the arrival of Spring Break 2011, but just because you’re ready to let loose doesn’t mean you have to eat poorly! Press play to hear some tips on how to stay healthy on Spring Break, and how to stay on your budget. Enjoy!

Brown Baggin’ It

Bring your lunch to school!

Believe it or not, the grade school tradition of packing your lunch is actually a great way to save you money and keep you healthy in college. Here are some great reasons to get out your old Superman lunch box and bring a homemade lunch to school:

• Control – A packed lunch allows you to control what you’re eating, which is very important in a healthy lifestyle.
• It’s cheaper! – If you pack a healthy sandwich (on whole grain bread), pretzels, and a few pieces of fruit, you’re set for the day without spending a single cent on overpriced, unhealthy, cafeteria food. And don’t forget about leftovers. They make for a great packed lunch.
• Variety – What’s better than eating whatever you want? Nothing. Bringing your lunch to school is a great way to add variety to your diet, so mix it up! I even dare you to not bring the same thing to eat two days in row. 

My favorite things to bring for lunch are sandwiches, soups, salads, whole fruit, and pretzels! What are yours? Leave a comment and share you brown bag secrets.

That’s it for now. Remember, you are what you eat!

Less Is More!

When it comes to ingredients, that is. That’s right. I’m talking about all the stuff that goes into making the food you buy. If you’ve ever looked on the back of the cereal box in your pantry, you probably saw something that looked like this, but never paid much attention to it. Well, you should! It’s everything you’re eating!

Think about your normal grocery list. What’s on it? You could probably name mostly everything on your list. But answer me this: Do you know what’s in it?

Chances are, you don’t. That’s because most of the words on the ingredients list you can’t even pronounce (how on earth do you say disodium guanylate?). For more information, check out this page and read about some of the most common ingredients in processed foods and their effects on your body. What you find will shock you.

Now you’re probably wondering, how do I make good decisions when I’m at the grocery store? Well, that’s what I’m here for. Here are my tips for healthy shopping on a budget – because being a “poor college student” isn’t an excuse for buying unhealthy foods:

• less really is more – less ingredients means less chemicals and preservatives, which means a healthier body for you
• stick to what you know – you probably recognize the words “whole wheat flour” more than you recognize “silicon dioxide,” so look for ingredients that seem more natural to eat
• don’t overlook generics – I have found that it’s often the store’s generic brands that contain the shortest and most recognizable ingredients list…and they’re less expensive than the name brand!
• think colors! – adding colorful fruits and vegetables to your diet instead of greasy snacks is a great way to save money and provide your body with antioxidents and phytochemicals that help your body function
• be informed – if there’s an ingredient that you don’t recognize, look it up! being aware of what’s in your food will make you a more savvy shopper

So there you have it. In order to start living a healthy lifestyle, you have to be aware of what exactly it is you’re eating. It’s your body, and you have a right to know what you’re putting in it. If you have any questions, or want more advice, just leave a comment!

Remember, you are what you eat!

It’s All About Choices

Welcome to You Are What You Eat!

The title of this blog is You Are What You Eat for a reason, because I believe that the foods you eat have a direct effect on the way you feel about yourself. You literally are the foods that you put in your body. Making good decisions about food always makes me feel energized, confident, and ready to take on the day. Eating fast food or junk food makes me feel like crap, because that’s literally what I just ate. Crap. Doesn’t sound fun, does it?

So you have to ask yourself: Do you want to feel awesome today, or do you want to feel like crap?

You Are What You Eat will provide you with information that (hopefully) will make you think twice about what you put into your body, and help you feel great about yourself. You only get one body, so treat it like it’s special (because it is!) and give it the nutrients it needs and desires!

NOTICE: This is NOT a weight loss blog. It is a lifestyle blog.

I cannot promise you weight loss through my posts, but I can promise that, if you take my advice and change the way you think about food, you will notice a change in the way you feel. But I will tell you this: If you change your lifestyle, you and your body will change, too.

Let’s get healthy!