You are what you eat. So, eating healthful foods will definitely lead to you feeling better mentally, physically, and emotionally. This month, March, is National Nutrition Month..and BYL is teaming up with Dining Services for “I heart veggies”.

When it comes to eating vegetables (and fruits) at Tufts, it can be difficult. Prices of these items can be high, some may not taste great to you, they may not be easy to find outside of the dining halls, you may not know how to prepare them, and more. Thinking about eating more and finding ways to do so, however, will increase your intake. By eating more veggies and fruits, you’ll eat less of other foods that may not be as healthful and have a better overall diet.

Here are some ways to get more fruits and veggies in your diet:

• Try adding a variety of fruits and vegetables as pizza toppings (broccoli, spinach, green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, and pineapples, just to name a few).
• Come to a BYL cooking class and learn how to prepare fruits and veggies.
• Try crunchy vegetables instead of chips with your favorite low-fat salad dressing for dipping.
• Instead of having two cups of ice-cream, have one cup of frozen fruits mixed with one cup of ice-cream to make it just as satisfying and a lot healthier.
• Add veggies to pasta and rice dishes.

Other things to keep in mind during National Nutrition Month are:

More whole grains!

• Try replacing your white rice with brown rice or even black, purple, red rice.
• Try whole wheat bread instead of white bread.
• Choose cereals with a whole wheat stamp on it, and a lot of them are tasty.

Switch to fat-free or low-fat dairy products

• Fat-free milk and yogurt is more desirable than whole milk versions.
• Low-fat version of frozen desserts could be as enjoyable as ice cream.

Be physically active your own way

• Go to a Students Everywhere eXercise or Gym Comes To You class with friends.
• Take advantage of PE classes for credit or mini-courses.
• Join a pick-up frisbee or basketball game.
• Grasp every opportunity to walk, jog, hike, or just simply play under the sun! You can find some safe running/walking routes here.
• Clean your apartment or your dorm room and do some calorie-burning.

By: Xuan Qin

Editor: Kate Sweeney

February is American’s National Heart Month, which attracts nation-wide attention to heart health once again. CDC just published its 61 volume of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) on February 10th, in which they investigated on American’s consumption of salt. As you may know, excessive consumption of salt raises blood pressure especially in sodium sensitive population: a threat for a healthy heart.

CDC’s report analyzed data from the 2007–2008 What We Eat in America, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), in which approximately 7100 people within various ethnic groups had participated.

Following are the key findings and recommendations from the CDC report.

1. Many Americans eat too much salt.
Recommended daily sodium consumption is <2,300 mg, and is 1,500 mg for
groups that are more sodium sensitive. However, American’s average dietary
sodium intake is 3,266 mg/day, and about 90% of us consume way more sodium than recommended.

2. 44% of the sodium consumed is coming from 10 main categories of foods, and surprisingly, bread is at the top of the list.
The 10 main categories are: bread and rolls, cold cuts/cured meats, pizza, poultry, soups, sandwiches, cheese, pasta mixed dishes, meat mixed dishes, and savory snacks.

3. More than 85% of dietary sodium from foods and drinks comes from stores or restaurants rather than home cooked foods.

4. Reducing the sodium content of the 10 leading sources by one fourth would reduce total dietary sodium by more than 10%.

How come breads and rolls contribute the most toward our sodium intake? While the amount of salt in commercial bread is not extremely high (about 150mg per serving), we eat so much of them on a daily basis and small quantities added up.

To cut back on your sodium intake, you can:

• Choose unprocessed foods.
• Prepare more meals and snacks at home.
• Limit your intake of bread, deli meats, and canned soups.
• Choose other starches like rice, pasta, or potatoes over bread.
• Eat fruits and veggies for snacks.

By: Xuan Qin

Editor: Kate Sweeney

Source:

Centers for Disease Control. Vital Signs: Foot Categories Contributing the Most to Sodium Consumption- United States 2007-2008. MMWR. February 10, 2012. 61(05);92-98.

Question: Coming from a different culture, I often find America’s obsession with diets to somewhat jarring, especially the tendency to banish foods into “good” or “bad” categories. I personally firmly believe that there are no “good” or “bad” foods, only good or bad diets, because anything can be healthy (either physically or psychologically) in moderation. In fact, I find that obsessing over what one eats to does more psychological harm than good. What’s the expert’s view on this?

Answer: This is a great question. Rather than focusing on “good” and “bad” foods it is better to focus on an overall healthy eating and physical activity plan that fits in your lifestyle. Of course, there are foods that are better for you (like fruits, vegetables and whole grains) and foods that are not as good (like chips, cookies and candy) but all of them can be included in a healthy diet. You just want to make sure to base your diet around the healthier items and keep the portion sizes of your treats under control. A good rule to follow is the 80-20 rule; try and make 80% of your foods healthy and the other 20% can be slightly more indulgent.

Because you mentioned America’s unhealthy fixation with dieting, I think it is
important to note here that National Eating Disorder Awareness (NEDA) week
is coming up from February 26 – March 3, 2012. The link to NEDA can be found
here.  Sadly eating disorders, disordered eating and body image dissatisfaction exist in America. NEDA works to help raise awareness surrounding these issues and support individuals and families affected by eating disorders.

By: Lisa D’Agrosa

What are whole grains? How can you find out if a product has them? How do you cook them? Why are they so good for you?

Check out the video below for information on whole grains!!

byl_wholegrains2

“TRY this: place a forkful of food in your mouth. It doesn’t matter what the food is, but make it something you love — let’s say it’s that first nibble from three hot, fragrant, perfectly cooked ravioli.”

Mindful eating, as written about in a recent NY Times article, is a a way of meditation and focus that helps to decrease overeating and decrease stress. By putting down your fork between bites of food and concentrating on the flavor, textures, and complexities of your meal, you’ll enjoy it more. And, you’ll probably eat less. It takes about 20 minutes for your satiety signals to kick in, so by eating slower you’ll feel that hunger abide and stop when you’re full.

The mediation aspect of mindful eating can be powerful. Instead of multi-tasking, which we tend to do even when eating, you’ll put a stop to your daily activities and concentrate on one thing. The clarity this can bring you will carry over into your hectic lives as a college student- give your brain a rest so it can concentrate better on the tasks to come.

Check out the NYT article for more!

Source: Gordinier, Jeff. “Mindful Eating as Food for Thought”. New York Times Online. Accessed on 2/8/12 at  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/08/dining/mindful-eating-as-food-for-thought.html?ref=dining.