Amidst the chaos that comes with being a college student, it can feel like you don’t have time to eat, let alone sit down for a healthy meal. Speaking from experience, it can be easy to get caught up in the mental to-do lists and never-ending work. It is important to take your health seriously, and that starts with feeding your body with the proper nutrients to not only power you through your long days, but also to leave you feeling unstoppable. Try these four tips to eat healthier and boost your mood.
1. Eat the rainbow
Fruits, vegetables and other plant foods consist of a rainbow of vibrant colors due to their rich abundance of antioxidants and minerals. When you eat a diverse diet that consists of many colors from a variety of plant foods, you can be positive that you are getting the proper nutrients that your body needs to feel good. Plants are a rich source of many nutrients, comprised of healthy fats such as folate, minerals like potassium, protein and fiber. Eating a diet rich in plants has been linked to preventing obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer and heart disease. A 2016 study looked at how a plant based diet can help prevent type 2 diabetes in men and women. The study followed 200,000 adults in the United States for over 20 years that ate a diet high in plant foods and low in animal foods. The study indicated that eating a diet rich in plant foods helped to decrease the risk of diabetes by 20%.
2. Drink water . . . and eat it
Drinking around two liters of water a day is important for hydrating your cells as well as flushing out toxins. In order to ensure that you are staying properly hydrated, make sure that you are also eating water-rich foods such as lettuce, watermelon, cucumbers, and many more. The water in these plant foods is contained in their fibrous structure, providing a deep hydration for your bodies cells, plumping them for glowing, ageless skin. A 2011 study found that drinking water improves both short- and long-term health and improves daily performance. Something that motivates me drink more water is to cover my water bottle in stickers. That way I can collect stickers from various events and places and showcase them on my water bottle. It is also a way to personalize the water bottle and make it unique to you.
3. Seriously eat your greens
This is probably something you heard a lot growing up, and there’s a reason that parents try to teach their children the importance of green foods. Greens encourage the diversity and stability of healthy bacteria in the gut. Your gut health is a major component to your overall wellness. They are incredibly high in water content and assist in hydrating your cells over a longer period of time. Many people leave greens out of their diet, even though they are vital for inner and outer health. Romaine lettuce has more fiber than steak, twice the amount of protein, ten times the iron and 100 times the calcium. If you want improved gut health and obtain a radiating glow, eat as many green vegetables as you can. If you are not a big veggie lover, try incorporating a portion of leafy greens every day into one of your meals. Trying blending a handful of spinach into a fruit smoothie. Aside from the green color, you won’t be able to tell the difference! You will start to notice a change from the inside out.
4. Take note of your thoughts
While eating healthy is a first step in feeling good from the inside, it is important to correct negative thoughts and work towards creating a positive mindset. If you know anything about the manifestation process, you know that it is important to give your dreams meaning by writing them down and speaking about them. It is necessary to take time to be conscious of your thoughts when you start your day. Many people like to take time in the morning to put their phone away and step outside, journal, listen to music, and feel what it is like to notice their surroundings and be truly present in the moment. No matter how healthy your diet is, leafy greens cannot cure negative thoughts, hate and constant criticism. You must ask yourself, “What do you want to create?” This could be an improved relationship, a dream job, a workout routine and so much more. Start to manifest these dreams by treating them as if they are already a reality. While eating healthy is a first step in feeling good from the inside, it is important to mediate negative thoughts and work towards creating a positive mindset. It is important to note that these tips may not be enough on their own, but can be a strategy used in conjunction with therapy.
Remember that everyone’s health journey is different and takes time. These tips can be incorporated slowly in small increments and overtime you can adjust them to your life. Eating healthy and thinking positively is not only important for your physical health, but also for your mental health, which is just as important.
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