Healthy Eating & Academic Performance

     The link between eating healthy and increased academic performance is immensely important. From adding appropriate foods such as legumes, which are known as beans or lentils, can improve your cognitive memory. Legumes contain substantial amounts of protein which helps power the brain and help improve the ability to recall information because of their high concentrations of folic acids. Additionally adding good fats to your diet such as Omega-3 found in fish can lead to better grades. This is why fish is sometimes called fatty fish, because the fatty acids in the fish are essential for proper neural function. Since most of the brain consists of fatty tissue, the good fats in fish help us focus more intense and helps us study more efficiently. The last brain booster food I am going to give an example of are apples. An apple a day not only keeps the doctor away, but can help improve academic performance and study skills as well. Something interesting to know is that the peel of the apple contains a pretty powerful antioxidant called quercetin which enhances your cognitive memory.

     Some additional benefits that come from changing you’re eating behaviors to a healthier, wholesome and appropriate diet are increased school attendance, increased cognitive performance and the best of all in my opinion reduced stress! If you would like to learn more about this subject you are invited and encouraged to come be apart of one of the upcoming nutrition workshops at TCC SE Campus.

References: 

CDC. (May 2014). Health & Academic Performance. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/health_and_academics/pdf/health-academic-achievement.pdf

Guest Blogger (August 2013). Top 10 Brain Foods that Help You Study and Get Better Grades. Retrieved from http://www.campustalkblog.com/top-10-brain-foods-that-help-you-study-and-get-better-grades/

Learn how to be a “Supermarket Scholar”!

We have all seen the nutritional information labels that are on all of the foods that we purchase.  How many of us actually take time to look at that nutritional information label before you make that purchase? Do you actually know how to read them?

Reading food labels provides so much valuable information, it’s not something to ignore. Food producers are required to least each and every ingredient in the product so you know exactly what you are feeding yourself and your family. They let you know how many calories are in both an individual serving and the container, how much of the item is a serving, how many servings should be in the container, as well as what the Percent Daily Value of each serving is.

In addition, know what your nutritional goals should be! Meet with a dietetics professional, such as a Registered Dietitian (RD). You can find an RD in your area by visiting: http://www.eatright.org/programs/rdnfinder/.

If you’d like to know more about this or other nutrition topics, please join me in at one of our nutrition workshop at Tarrant County College Southeast Campus.

References:

1.  http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/LabelingNutrition/ucm274593.htm

2.  http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HeartSmartShopping/Understanding-Food-Nutrition-Labels_UCM_300132_Article.jsp

3.  http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=10935
4. http://www.eatright.org/programs/rdnfinder/

This is a school project developed by Tarrant County College Dietetic Technician students. For more information on becoming a Dietetic Technician, please contact:
Tarrant County College Dietetics Program
2100 Southeast Parkway
Arlington TX 76018
Phone: 817-515-3051
Email: tcc.dietetics@tccd.edu
Website: www.tccd.edu/dietetics

Healthy Eating PSA

Watch our PSA on healthy eating!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7mp2GmSk9U&feature=youtu.be

Fighting the Freshman 15

Weight gain in college has become something to be expected. Most college students seem to think that it is inevitable and there's nothing they can do to stop it. In reality, there are several ways a college student can prevent or fight the "freshman 15".
There are 4 components to fighting the freshman 15; healthy eating, exercise, adequate sleep, and stress/time management. The 3 P's of food, which are portability, practicality, and price, are very important factors in a college student's food choices. Making sure that your food has all the 3 P's AND is healthy will ensure that what you're eating is going to help you, not hurt you, and will be easy to carry around and eat at school.
Exercise goes hand in hand with your diet. The #1 excuse for college students not participating in physical activity is "there's no time". Studies show that "only half of college students meet recommendations for vigorous physical activity". Well, in just 20 minutes a day, college students can reap the benefits of regular exercise and still have enough time to study.
Getting enough sleep is crucial to maintaining a healthy weight. Healthy adults need 7-8 hours, and those college student still in their teen years need upwards of 9 hour a night.
Stress is definitely rampant on college campuses everywhere, and it's a major contributor to college weight gain. Exercise, yoga, stretching, or simply managing your time properly can all help alleviate stress.
College is hard enough already. Practicing these steps will help college students not only in maintaining their weight, but also their success in college.
If you would like to know more about fighting the freshman 15, you can attend one of the upcoming nutrition workshops at TCC Southeast campus.

References

Ebben, W., & Brudzynski, L. (2008 October 5). Motivations and barriers to exercise among college students. American society of exercise physiologists. Retrieved November 6, 2014, from http://www.asep.org/asep/asep/EbbenJEPonlineOctober2008.pdf

Physical Activity

Physical activity is a critical part of overall health and wellbeing along with many other aspects. In order to maintain your current weight you should workout at least 150 minutes a week, which is broken down into 30 minutes of vigorous physical activity 5 times within a 7 day period, but in order to promote weight loss you must add 15 minutes to every workout to total about 250 minutes a week.

Physical activity can be found in many different forms like endurance, such as cross country running, strength, like in weight training, and flexibility/balance, common in pilates and yoga. All are good methods of physical activity because the type solely depends on the person and what goals they hope to accomplish.

To learn more about physical activity and overall health and wellbeing I would like to invite you to attend one of our upcoming nutrition workshops at Tarrant County College in Spring 2015

References: http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/adults.html

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/physical-activity/what.html

Nutrition While Pregnant

Eating healthy is important.  Eating healthy while pregnant is very important.  It’s not only you that you have to think about, but your baby as well.  Making the right food choices will greatly benefit you and your baby.  You will feel better and have more energy, as well as greatly increase your chances of having a strong, healthy baby.  Picking a variety of foods that come from all 5 food groups helps your body get all the nutrients that it needs to grow your little one.  Did you know that you only need an extra 300 calories per day when you’re pregnant?  Those extra calories should come from foods that are high in nutrients. What you eat while pregnant DOES affect your baby.  By making good, healthy choices, your body, and your baby, will thank you.  If you’d like to know more, please join me in a nutrition workshop at Tarrant County College Southeast.    

References

Brown, J. (2010). Nutrition Through the Life Cycle (4th ed., p. 516). Belmont: Cengage

Learning.

Eating for Two. (2010, September 27). Retrieved from

http://www.womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/you-are-pregnant/staying-healthy-safe.html#a

This is a school project developed by Tarrant County College Dietetic Technician students.
For more information on becoming a Dietetic Technician, please contact:
Tarrant County College Dietetics Program
2100 Southeast Parkway
Arlington, TX 76018
Phone: 817-515-3051
Email: tcc.dietetics@tccd.edu
Website: www.tccd.edu/dietetics