SMU sophomore and advertising major Sydney Maners started her three day cleanse on Wednesday, in pursuit of a bikini-ready body with summer only a couple months away.
Besides Dedman Center becoming noticeably more crowded, students like Maners are making changes to their eating habits as they get in shape for soaking up the sun.
Students like Maners often start cleanses or diets with inspiration from social media. Websites like Pinterest are beneficial sources for finding simple at-home recipes for low calorie diets or liquid cleanses.
“My roommate and I are both doing a cleanse [that] I found on Pinterest. It’s a basic smoothie cleanse where I make it at home… a lot cheaper compared to other cleanses,” at only $50 for the entire three days instead of the average $150, explained Maners.
Maners also shops at Trader Joe’s and Central Market, which she said helps her choose healthier groceries.
Yet figuring out where to start when it comes to changing familiar eating habits, especially on a college campus, can be difficult.
SMU sophomore and marketing major Marissa Mathews explained that when getting ready for bikini season she tries to avoid eating dessert but as for meals, “it’s hard to change diets when limited by on campus food.”
However, SMU Dining Services has made changes to offer healthier alternatives on campus including vegetarian options offered every day at all dining service locations.
It was only two years ago that RFoC at Umphrey Lee didn’t have a gluten-free station, but now healthy initiative signs are found in front of places like Café 100 and P.O.D. at the Bonelli.
According to SMU’s Dietitian, Lauren Hickman RD/LD, Dining Services offer other ways to stick to a healthy eating lifestyle like opting for lean proteins and “limiting higher fat condiments, such as cheese, sour cream, mayo and ranch dressing.”
SMU has also adopted the Healthy for Life initiative which promises to, “reduce the amounts of sodium and unhealthy fats in our recipes,” according to the CampusDish website.
CampusDish also has a mobile app that allows students to look up today’s menus that include calorie and nutritional information.
First-year marketing major Alex Porter makes eating changes when he’s dining at RFoC around springtime.
“I try to avoid the buffet style areas because there you can easily load up on a massive amount of food,” Porter said.
For students who usually eat off campus and do not have a meal plan, there are online resources with simple suggestions.
Boards on Pinterest like “Gluten-Free” by William Sonoma, “Gluten Free Recipes” by Foodista and “Gluten-Free Zone” by Whole Foods Market Cooking offer hundreds of recipes for those who want to jump on the gluten free wagon.
Mathews said she notices a change in her roommates’ eating habits around this time of year.
“They go gluten-free or start eating salads for most dinners,” Mathews said.
Popular television doctor, Dr. Mehmet Oz, also has helpful recipes on his Pinterest boards. “Detox!,” “9 Slimming Smoothies” and “Goodbye Gluten!” are among the few.
Whether you agree or disagree with Dr. Oz’s philosophies, these boards are notable resources for jump starting healthier eating habits.
