In this segment, I learned about how college students are more likely to smoke or drink which causes negative health and academic performance. Alcohol and tobacco can lead to addiction that harms others whether they know it or not. My health aspect was to have a nutritious diet as well as exercising to the point where I enjoy being physically fit.
Chapter 7
In college it is probably the highlight of students night life to drink or smoke. There are many negative effects on our bodies that can be short term or long term. There are many incidents that have harmed the drinkers and even bystanders. For examples look up drunkpeopledoingthings on instagram. Although it may be funny, it is messed up when it affects their health and other peoples health. Videos posted there are due to people not knowing how to pace themselves or having way too much confidence in their drunken state.
Alcohol can be fine in certain social settings but it is when going behind the wheel of a car can it turn deadly serious. There have been many incidents of drunken car crashes in my neighborhood growing up and seeing the aftermath of it all is really overwhelming.
I learned some tips from this chapter for me on how to prevent making bad decisions and feeling straight awful in the morning:
- Don’t drink alcohol.
Chapter 8
One of the most important chapters in the book for me. Knowing and understanding how nutrition is an important part of being healthy can lead to a more satisfying lifestyle. As a 23 year old, I should be getting 2,600-3,000 calories a day. First thing I do when I wake up is get a drink of water. Throughout the day I drink water whenever I’m thirsty and rarely drink soda if at all. I usually skip breakfast but these couple weeks I’ve added a banana on my way to work. Protein is necessary for development and repair of bone, muscle, skin, and blood. It is also the key elements of antibodies, enzymes, and hormones. Protein can be found in chicken, pork, and steak. We consume over 83 grams of protein daily and I admit I eat a lot of meat. I’ve started to learn how to lower and spread out my portion sizes. Based on my weight of 154 pounds, I should be consuming 56 grams of protein each day. I am also a big fan of seafood. I can’t help but to be concerned about the dwindling supply as well as the health and environmental concerns.
After water and protein, carbohydrates should be consumed about 130 grams per day. Carbohydrates can be simple or complex. Simple carbohydrates, or monosaccharides, are found in fruits, vegetables, and dairy. Sugar comes in many forms such as glucose and fructose which contain only one molecule of sugar. Sucrose; granulated table sugar, lactose; milk sugar. maltose; malt sugar. Lots of everyday products contain sugar and the amount can be found on the food label. If you see high fructose corn syrup or cornstarch are high on the list then it is loaded with sugar and should be avoided. Complex carbohydrates are found in grains, cereals, legumes, and other vegetables. Also known as polysaccharides.
Fats are also important in nutrition and not all fats are the same and our bodies needs it to function healthily. It would be best to avoid saturated fats, those that come in meat, dairy, and poultry products. I’ve started to eat less meat and more vegetables that are high in carbobydrates and fiber. Trans fat comes in butter, baked goods, and deep fried foods. Avoiding this by eating more peanut and olive oils. We are recommended to consume fats that is 20 to 35 percent of calories with 5 to 10 percent coming from essential fatty acids.
Some good fats that should be added to our diets:
- Fish(mackerel, salmon, sardines, or tunas) at least twice weekly.
- Using olive oil, peanut, soy, and canola oil instead of butter
- Adding more leafy green vegetables, walnuts, walnut oil, and ground flaxseed
- Reading the nutrition facts on the food label and making sure it is low in trans fat or trans fatty fat
- Adding lean meats, fish, or skinless poultry. broil, steam, poach, or bake whenever possible.
- Less cold cuts, bacon, sausages, hot dogs, and organ meats that are high in fat and sodium
Chapter 9
I’ve never had an issue with my body image. I thought I could improve by adding more muscle mass. Something I found interesting was popular diet programs. The mediterranean diet is a plan that emphasizes fruits, vegetabes, fish, whole grains, beans, nuts, legumes, olive oil, and herbs and spices. Poultry eggs, cheese, yogurt, and red win can be enjoyed in moderation. Sweets and red meat are saved for special occasions. Ever since I watched that video about how this diet has lead to a healthy heart and lifestyle. It has been widely considered to be one of the most healthy, safe, and balanced diets. Weight loss may not be as dramatic, but long-term health benefits have been demonstrated. Rated the number two best diet overall by the US News & World Report in 2017.
Skills for behavior change: Keys to successful weight management
- I want to make this change because I am curious on changing up my diet and seeing how effective it is.
- Positive aspects about this diet: eating more fruit (apples, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, oranges) eating less red meat, limiting seafood to twice a week.
- Eating only two meals a day with fruit and veggies throughout the day. I’ve been adding hummus and some peanut butter to my snacks
- I try to establish a meal plan while I have free time.
- Exercising more at home and going for jogs around the block in the evening
- I have planned a bike ride with a couple of friends and also plan on swimming at the gym.
I have a friend who suffers from disordered eating and I hope to be able to share what I learned in this chapter with them.
Kevin's HEAL102 Blog 