Making healthy eating choices

When I first became a college student I relied solely on greasy fast food and soda for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It definitely was not the healthiest choice in food, and I've changed since then, but unhealthy eating habits are a problem many college students have.

Making healthy eating choices is important for college students because the right foods fuel your brain and make you sharper and more focused in class.

Don't skip meals

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day and the most common meal college students skip.

There have been numerous studies that have proven the positive effects of eating breakfast. Eating breakfast gives your brain and muscles an energy boost by feeding it glucose which will make you sharper in the morning and energized throughout the day. One other benefit from eating breakfast includes increasing your metabolism, which will help you avoid gaining unwanted weight.

Lunch is the second most common meal college students skip. Along with helping your metabolism, eating lunch keeps you going by giving you the energy you need to keep your mind focused. When you don't eat lunch, you are more likely to snack during the day on unhealthy foods or overeat at suppertime.

Even if you don't have time to sit down and eat a full breakfast, at the very least you should grab a piece of fruit to eat on the go. I am always finding that I'm too busy to eat so students in the same situation should learn how to plan out meals ahead of time. Take a healthy snack with you to munch on until you have time to sit down and eat.

Eat in moderation

The freshman 15 is not a myth and eating only one or two large meals will cause students to gain weight at a faster rate than those who eat three or more small meals throughout the day.

This is because you are forcing your body to metabolize food at a slow pace. The rate your body metabolizes food is one of the factors that determines your weight.

Slow metabolisms mean you gain weight faster and fast metabolisms means you gain weight at a slower pace.

Drink plenty of water

The human body is anywhere from 55% to 78% water depending on body size and to function properly, the body requires between one and seven liters of water per day to avoid dehydration.

Soda is readily available on all ACC campuses, but students should avoid drinking it because there are no benefits to drinking soda.

Drinking soda takes away calcium from your body because it contains a high level of phosphorus. This can increase your risk for osteoporosis in later life and can wear the enamel on your teeth.

Healthy alternatives for water include skim or soy milk, watered-down juice and unsweetened tea (specifically chamomile and green tea).

Choose foods wisely

If you must eat fast foods, choose wisely.

Choose fast food that is proportional in size and avoid fried and greasy foods as much as possible.

Eating just one fast food meal can pack enough calories, sodium and fat for an entire day or more and eating it on a regular basis can lead to a host of different health problems.

Some tips for eating a slightly healthier fast food meal include ordering pizza with half the cheese, avoiding the salad dressing and other special sauces fast food restaurants include on meals, order more vegetables and choose leaner meats.

The main thing to remember is that keeping and maintaining healthy eating habits will keep the body healthy and can lead to a longer life. Additionally, multiple studies have found that students who eat healthy see improved grades and experience less stress.