By Cameron Luttrell
When Brittany Van Cleave first came to SMU, she knew she had to monitor her eating and exercise habits in order to stay healthy. While her peers ordered late night Greenville Pizza and frequented Chick- fil-A, Van Cleave opted out.
“The Freshman 15 is a real concern and I had to be more conscious,” Van Cleave said.
Gaining 15 pounds the first year of college due to unhealthy eating and alcoholic beverages is known as the Freshman 15. This is a common fear for many college students.
Jennifer Neily, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist in Dallas, said that the Freshman 15 is actually a myth.
“A 2011 study showed that actual weight gain averaged 2.5 to 3.5 pounds during a student’s freshman year,” Neily said.
However, it is important to keep in mind that this is an average, meaning that some students gained up to 15 pounds while others lost weight.
Most students are leaving home for the first time and face a variety of opportunities to overindulge, from unlimited food in the dining hall to numerous restaurants and fast food chains in Dallas.
For students that eat on-campus, Umphrey Lee and Arnold Dining Commons have a plethora of different food options. When a student walks into the dining hall, they are presented with cookies, cakes and pasta dishes. But the dining halls do offer a range of nutritious food to choose from as well.
David ter Kuile, the senior director of the dining services at SMU, said, “Each day and meal period there are lean proteins, whole grains, low-fat dairy and fresh fruits and vegetables to chose from.”
To keep food fresh and of good quality, ter Kuile said SMU uses local purchasing when possible and receives daily shipments of ingredients.
With so many options in the dining halls, portion control is an important aspect of staying healthy.
Ter Kuile suggests using the MyPlate method that was put out by the USDA and based off of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
To use this process, ter Kuile said “build your plate to look like one-half fruits and vegetables, one-fourth grains, one-fourth protein and one serving of low-fat dairy” in order to simultaneously enjoy all different food and still stay healthy.
In terms of snacking, Neily said students can avoid gaining weight by keeping tempting snacks “out of sight and out of mind.”
She recommends eating snacks that contain protein and carbs, such as Greek yogurt or an apple with peanut butter.
The temptation to eat unhealthy food or an abundance of food can be even greater during times of high stress. With finals coming up for the SMU community, students have to be mindful of their choices in order to preserve a healthy body and a healthy mind.
“I find it very hard to stay healthy during stressful times. A lot of people look to food as a ‘treat,’” said Lauren Kennedy, a junior at SMU.
According to the Harvard Health Publications from the Harvard Medical School, when people are stressed the brain releases a hormone called cortisol that increases appetite. Numerous studies have shown that stress increases the consumption of food high in sugar and fat.
Our bodies need food for nutrition and fuel, but food does not help with stress. There are many other ways to cope with pressure and anxiety.
Neily used SMU as an acronym to remember ways for students to alleviate their stress.
The S stands for sleep. Sleep is crucial because the brain retains more when the body is rested. All nighters should be avoided.
The M stands for move.
“Formal exercise isn’t a must. Think movement. Taking a walk around campus for 20-30 minutes can do great things to clear the mind,” Neily said.
Neily suggests recording lecture notes to listen to while exercising or walking with a study buddy to discuss the material.
Lastly, the U stands for use food wisely. Neily said to “limit fast food, fried foods, ‘junk’ food, sugar-sweetened beverages, high sugar/high fat foods as much as possible.”
Of course this is not always doable, but it is beneficial to your body. High processed and manufactured foods drain the body of valuable energy that is precious during stressful times.
For more of Neily’s tips and tricks, students should visit neilyonnutrition.com. She has many different articles and videos encouraging the importance of healthy eating.
SMU junior Genevieve Maher-Tell has some tips of her own.
“Whenever I was very busy or pressed for time I tended to be less healthy. I ate out more because it’s faster and worked out less as it becomes a lesser priority,” Maher-Tell said.
But after feeling the negative affects of not eating properly, such as exhaustion and fatigue, Maher-Tell manages her time and meals to stay fit.
“I try to organize my time with exercise in mind and schedule out my meals before the week starts so I have no excuses. As far as general stress goes, I actually tend to be healthier since eating right and exercise puts me in a better mood,” Maher-Tell said.
