The hot, The cold and The Refreshing

                Every morning when I get on campus, I walk through café 101. I can smell the freshly brewed coffee and the long line of students just waiting to get their own. For a college student, the most common drink to start their day is coffee.  Some cannot even function without having their first cup of coffee. A lot of people feel good and energized after drinking their first cup. It’s the effect of the caffeine working on the body. After some time, the effects of the caffeine wear off and many feel that crash. This is where you feel tired and need to get another cup. Caffeine is very addictive and it is no surprise if someone is on their second, third or fourth cup of coffee. 

What many students don’t know the dangers caffeine has on the body. Thecollegehelper.com notes that,

“Taking in too much caffeine can have serious health effects on your body. In the most severe cases, students can experience a form of caffeine intoxication when their caffeine intake is too much. Caffeine intoxication can cause irregular heart rates and disorientation. Some longer term effects include damage to sleep cycles, stomach ulcers, heartburn, increased depression and anxiety, and for women, it can also cause the formation of breast cysts.”

From thelatern.com,

"Caffeine can also make you jittery, and if you have heart disease or hypertension, coffee is certainly not good because it will increase your heart rate. At around 300-400 milligrams of caffeine intake, which isn't very hard to do, it increases urinary calcium excretion, which is bad for women. Once your body is used to caffeine, you can also experience withdrawal symptoms when you don't have any, such as headaches and dizziness."

      

A substitute to drinking caffeine, thelatern.com suggests, "Obviously, the best alternative is to just get some extra sleep. Working out is also a great alternative, even just a brisk 10 or 15 minute walk." If you must have your coffee, it is wise to drink it in moderation.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

                Energy drinks are a second common drink that college students choose to begin their day. Some of the popular brands are Red Bull, Rockstar, and Monster etc. I usually see students in my classes drinking an energy drink if they are not drinking coffee. Energy drinks contain high amounts of caffeine and sugar. Caffeine, taurine and glucuronolactone are three common ingredients found in energy drinks. Like coffee, energy drinks are addictive and students tend to consume more and more. 

An article Energy Drinks and Health Risks points out the health risks from caffeine in energy drinks,

“An increased level of caffeine in the body can lead to stomach problems, panic attacks, anxiety, and cardiac arrhythmias. Caffeine is also known to mask the symptoms of fatigue. When symptoms of fatigue are not apparent, the body is already overworked while the person is continuing to do activity, which puts further strain on the heart.” Energy drinks do not hydrate the body and leads to dehydration.

                There are healthy alternatives to drinking energy drinks. A drink called Purple has 7 fruits that are loaded with antioxidants—blueberry, black cherry, black currant, acai, pomegranate, cranberry and purple plum. Purple has no added sugar or chemicals. POM pomegranate juice is another healthy alternative that is full of antioxidants.

                Soda is another drink that appears around campus. Just like coffee and energy drinks, it contains sugar. Soda is insignificant to the body and has no nutritional value. It is often filled with artificial coloring and artificial flavoring. Sodas contribute to obesity and diabetes, which is a common health problem in our world today. Everyday Health states,

“Soda is loaded with high-fructose corn syrup, a sweetener that has been linked to obesity. Soda consumption also has been linked to the development of type 2 diabetes, both due to its sugar content and its effects on the body's hormones. And diet soda? It may not be any better. At least one study has linked artificial sweeteners, such as those used in diet sodas, to increased appetite, greater difficulty losing weight, and a harder time maintaining weight loss.”

Since it is also addictive, excessive drinking can damage your teeth. The carbolic acid weakens tooth enamel, leading to tooth decay and cavities. 

Some of us get so caught up in drinking coffee, energy drinks and soda. In doing that, water gets often neglected. Water is the big shot on campus. Water fountains are located everywhere in all buildings. So it’s easy to gain access to water. We may drink a cup or a bottle of water, but that isn’t enough for our body. About 60% of the human body is made of water. We also lose water from our bodies,

“The body must excrete a minimum of about 500 milliliters (about 2 cups) of water each day as urine—enough to carry away the waste products generated by a day’s metabolic activities. If a person drinks more water, the kidneys excrete more urine, and the urine becomes more dilute. In addition to urine, water is lost from the lungs as vapor and from the skin as sweat; some is also lost in feces. The amount of fluid varies, depending on the environment (such as heat or humidity) and physical conditions (such as exercise or fever). On average, daily losses total about 2.5 liters” (Whitney, and Rolfes).

All of us have heard the saying of, “drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day.” Water needs depend on one’s “diet, activity, environmental temperature, and humidity” (Whitney, and Rolfes). The Adequate Intake of water for men is about 3 liters (about 12 cups) and for women is about 2 liters (about 9 cups).

Water does have health benefits, mayclinic.com says, “water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to your cells and provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues.” Dehydration can occur if one is not drinking enough water. I personally do not drink coffee, energy drinks or soda. I prefer drinking water since it’s widely available. Water is refreshing, calorie-free and healthy.

Drinking water is so cool! =]

Are you eating enough Fruits and Vegetables?

Growing up, we often hear our parents say “eat your fruits and vegetables.”  As kids, it’s common that most of us were picky and didn’t like the idea. Our parents would nag at us and wouldn’t be satisfied until we ate it. Now as college students, our parents aren’t around to tell us what to eat. We’re on our own and have freedom to make decisions for ourselves on what we eat on and off campus. Most of us happen to choose unhealthy foods to eat.  This causes us to miss out on plenty of nutritional benefits that fruits and vegetables contain.

Depending on our class schedule, some of us have only a short break and need to grab something quick before our next class starts. Other times we get so busy ans stressed out that we even end up skipping meals. This is a common thing that happens to us time and again. In an article from Science Daily, college students are not eating enough fruits and vegetables:

“The study by Oregon State University researchers surveyed the eating habits of 582 college students, a majority of which were first-year students. The study, now online in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, compares male and female students, but found that both were not getting the proper amount of fruits and vegetables. Male students had about five servings a week, slightly higher than female students who self-reported eating about four servings of fruits and vegetables. We found that students skipped meals fairly frequently, which could account for some of the lack of fruits and veggies," said Brad Cardinal, a professor of exercise and sport science at Oregon State University and one of the study's authors. Still, even accounting for fewer meals consumed, the students were on average not always eating even one serving of fruits or vegetables per day, far below the USDA guidelines.”

I admit that I personally did not choose to eat healthy foods that incorporated fruits and vegetables when I started attending SFSU. I mostly ate Chinese food or pizza since it was premade and quick to get.  I ate these foods for lunch for an entire semester and as a result I gained weight. The following semester, I changed my eating habits and included fruits and vegetables in every meal. I started bringing healthy food from home, rather than buying food on campus. I brought fruit like an apple or banana. When snacking, I ate a small bag of grapes, cherry tomatoes or baby carrots. If I did buy food on campus, I went to the salad bar. Only eating a salad and stocked up on veggies like cucumbers, tomatoes, and edamame. Not getting any of the hot savory cooked foods.

When I would stand and wait in the long line at the salad bar, I would look around at the students sitting at nearby tables. I saw that most of them bought burgers and fries. I also examined the other students ahead of me in line to see what they choose. I notice that most of them got a small portion of salad to make room for the savory foods. They stocked up on fried shrimp, shepherd’s pie or the very popular chicken fingers. I witnessed it for myself that college students aren’t eating enough fruits and vegetables. I’ve only seen a few female students eating fruits and vegetables.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Fruits and Veggies Matter website states that,

“Fruits and vegetables can protect your health. Fruits and vegetables contain essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber that may help protect you from chronic diseases. Compared with people who consume a diet with only small amounts of fruits and vegetables, those who eat more generous amounts as part of a healthful diet are likely to have reduced risk of chronic diseases, including stroke and perhaps other cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers.”

chart from fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov

From health.gov, “Consume a sufficient amount of fruits and vegetables while staying within energy needs. Two cups of fruit and 2½ cups of vegetables per day are recommended for a reference 2,000-calorie intake, with higher or lower amounts depending on the calorie level.”

                Some of us aren’t aware of what one serving looks like, here’s a chart to help you understand

             Not everyone needs the same serving amount of fruits and vegetables. It depends on your age, sex, and level of physical activity (the amount of time spent doing an activity). To find out how much fruits and vegetables you need, visit this link.

We college students spend a lot of time studying for quizzes and exams. Snacking on fruits and vegetables is inexpensive. It’s a better choice than eating chips, cookies, and candy. Some of us are allergic to certain fruits and vegetables but we’re not allergic to all of them. We’re capable of eating different kinds. Taste the rainbow and eat a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables.

Enriched Grains vs. Whole Grains

                Toast or sandwiches are a common choice of food when it comes to breakfast, lunch, dinner or a snack. We are often faced with the decision between white or wheat? It all depends on which one we personally prefer. Deep down, it’s more than just what color the bread is, but the important nutrients that each one contains. Whole grain has more nutritional benefits than enriched breads.

To make these breads, it all starts with the wheat kernel. The wheat kernel comprises of three parts; bran, endosperm and germ. The bran is rich in nutrients and fiber. The endosperm contains starch and proteins. The germ contains vitamins and minerals.

The process of how enriched grain and whole grain products are made is what sets them apart. When making enriched grain products, refined flour is used.  Refined flour is a finely ground endosperm that is usually enriched with nutrients and bleached for whiteness; sometimes called white flour (Whitney, and Rolfes). On the other hand, whole grain products are made from whole-wheat flour. This uses the entire wheat kernel. All of the nutrients are intact, making whole wheat products a more nutritional choice.

There is a history of major drawbacks of refined flour other than making it white,

When it became a common practice to refine the wheat flour used for bread by milling it and throwing away the bran and the germ, consumers suffered a tragic loss of many nutrients. As a consequence, in early 1940s Congress passed legislation requiring that all grain products that cross state lines be enriched with iron, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin. In 1996, this legislation was amended to include folate, a vitamin considered essential in the prevention of some birth defects (Whitney, and Rolfes).

Many of us are unaware of the benefits of eating whole grains. According to nutritionmythbusters, “Whole grains help your heart by clearing out plaque that may be in your arteries. This plaque is typically known as blood cholesterol. Whole grains also help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease due to the soluble fiber in the whole grains.” From thegreatplate, “A slice of whole-wheat bread usually has about 2x the fiber of a slice of enriched wheat or white bread. Whole-grains are good sources of vitamin B6, potassium, magnesium, zinc, fiber and phytochemicals (refined grains are poor sources of these nutrients).”

Be honest, a lot of us don’t even bother to look at the nutrition facts panel when we go grocery shopping. If you can take the time to text or play games on your phone, then you can take the time to look at the nutrition facts. It won’t hurt and will only take a few moments of your time. When shopping for bread, don’t be fooled by the labeling. Companies use all kinds of words to convince you to buy their product. Look for the descriptive words whole grain or whole wheat and check the fiber contents on the Nutrition Facts panel of the label—the more fiber, the more likely the bread is a whole-grain product (Whitney, and Rolfes). On a food package, the ingredients are arranged in order by weight.  Keep an eye out for “whole wheat flour” as the first ingredient.

Warning, not all wheat breads are created equal. There are fake wheat breads out there. The website thegreatplate states that,

“Honey Wheat,” “Country Wheat,” “Mulitgrain Bread,” or simply “Wheat Bread,” may throw in some specks of grains to appear healthier (or add some high-fructose corn syrup to help give the bread a healthful-looking brown color) but are not necessarily much different nutritionally from white bread. Some of these products may be made with whole wheat flour, but the only way to really tell is to check the ingredient list. “Enriched wheat flour” is not the same as “whole wheat flour.” 

Don’t be fooled by the brown color. Look at the nutrition facts panel carefully to make sure you are buying real wheat bread and not a fake one in disguise.

                It’s not just breads that are made of whole grain. Many types of pasta are also available as a whole grain alternative. Examples of whole grain foods are amaranth, barley, buckwheat, bulgur, corn (and popcorn), couscous, millet, oats (and oatmeal), quinoa, rice (brown or wild), whole rye, and whole wheat (Whitney, and Rolfes).  It’s easy to start eating whole grain if you incorporate some of these foods in your meal.

I <3 Whole Grain =]