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Introduction
The UCI Health Education Center is here to help
you become a healthy AntEATER!
A professional health educator is available to provide confidential
and anonymous consultation as well as group presentations regarding
these and other nutrition topics such as:
- Healthy Eating on and off campus
- Portion sizes
- Freshmen 15
- FAD Diets
- Healthy Cooking for College Students
- Brain Foods
- Eating Disorders
Call 949 824-9355 and ask to talk to the nutrition
health educator, Emily Bell, MS or email her at ekbell@uci.edu.
Check Out the American
Dietetic Association TIP OF THE DAY!
This website gives a variety of nutrition tips
such as foods that lower cholesterol and foods that are high in
fiber.
http://www.eatright.org
Are you Writing a Paper?
Check out these websites to find out which nutrition
websites are trustworthy!
http://www.quackwatch.com
Here are some great Nutrition related websites:
http://www.nutrition.gov
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/
http://www.usda.gov/cnpp/
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov
http://www.eatright.org
http://www.mayoclinic.com
For Food Safety:
http://www.foodsafety.gov/
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/foodsci/agentinfo/
Just for Women:
http://www.4woman.gov/
Just for Vegetarians:
http://www.vrg.org/
http://www.vegweb.com/
Assessment
Eating disorder Assessment
http://www.health.uci.edu/services/nutrition/edtest.aspx
Analyze your dietary food intake
My Pyramid Tracker
(US Department of Agriculture)
http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/MyPyramidTracker.html
Test your knowledge on how
to read a Food Label?
(US Department of Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety
and Applied Nutrition)
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/flquiz1.html
Rate your Restaurant Diet
(Center for Science in the Public Interest)
http://www.cspinet.org/nah/quiz/index.html
Why is Eating Healthy Important?
At least four of the ten leading causes of death
in the U.S. heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes are directly
related to the way we eat. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables
and low in fat gives your body the energy it needs to function efficiently.
When you lack the supportive nutrients and vitamins in energy rich
food, the body responds by becoming tired or eventually may become
ill. Good nutrition can also help you maintain a healthy bodyweight.
The keys to good nutrition are balance, variety,
and moderation. You need the right balance of carbohydrates, proteins,
and fats as well as vitamins and minerals to be a healthy eater.
Eating in the Resident Halls?
Eating in the college dining hall for the first
time can be very overwhelming for students. College dining halls
tend to be cafeteria, buffet style dining. This type of dining style
can lead a student to a number of unhealthy eating patterns.
- Overeating, Going back for second and third servings of a dish
- Not eating a balanced meal with a variety of food groups
- Not including fruits and vegetables in meals
- Not eating at all
- Class and work schedules not allowing time for eating meals
- Social pressure of eating unhealthy foods
Here are some tips for the Dining Hall AntEater!
- Don’t skip breakfast. Breakfast
will get your brain ready for the day! You will also snack and
overeat less if you have breakfast.
- When choosing meats or poultry, select baked,
broiled, or grilled items rather than fried or breaded
items.
- Choose low calorie condiments such
are mustard, vinegar, herb seasonings or jellies instead of butter,
mayo, cream cheese.
- Frozen yogurt is a great alternative
to ice cream. It is also a great source of calcium.
- Try to include high fiber foods into
your meals such as oatmeal, whole wheat tortillas and breads.
- Drink water. Aim to drink at least
6-8 glasses a day. Carry a water bottle with you.
- Limit your intake of soda, juices, and fruit
drinks. They are generally extra calories loaded with sugar.
- Include fruits and vegetables in your meals.
Grab a piece of fruit as a snack when you are leaving the dining
hall.
- Eat at the salad bar. Try mixing
spinach into your salad.
- Eat a variety of different foods.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with new food recipes.
Check Out UCI Residential Dining for more information
about dining in the campus resident halls:
http://www.ucidining.com/
Eating Out
Fast food is often a part of life and it is certainly
a part of a college student’s life. The good news is that
there ARE Healthy Alternatives at fast food restaurants.
Check out these websites to find out what is really
in the fast food:
http://www.mcdonalds.com/usa/eat/nutrition_info.html
http://www.yum.com/nutrition/menu.asp?brandID_Abbr=5_TB
http://www.jackinthebox.com/ourfood/index.php?section=7
Use this guide to help you if you are eating at a restaurant:
http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/325/
7101/34081.html?d=dmtContent
http://www.deliciousdecisions.org/oa/eat_tips_main.html
Supplements
What is a Dietary Supplement (US FDA Center for
Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, DSHEA, 1994)?
- Any product intended to supplement the diet, which contains
at least one of these ingredients: vitamins, minerals, herbs or
other botanicals, amino acids, metabolites, or combinations of
these ingredients.
- Usually taken in pill, capsule, tablet, or liquid form
- Labeled as “dietary supplement”
- Not for use as the sole item of a meal or diet.
Bottom line
Get nutrients from foods first! Foods contain many
helpful compounds that are not present in supplements.
Look at these websites for more information on
supplements:
http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Edms/supplmnt.html
www.consumerlab.com
www.quackwatch.com
Caffeine, Is
It Safe?
Yes. Coffee is safe if you consume it in moderate
amounts. For most healthy adults, moderate amounts of caffeine –
200 to 300 milligrams a day, or about two to three cups of coffee
– pose no physical problems (American Dietetic Association).
Caffeine is a mild stimulant, which is found in
the leaves, fruits, and seeds of many plants. Tea leaves, coffee
and cocoa beans, as well as kola nuts all contain caffeine.
Caffeine can be found in coffee, soda, chocolate,
some pain relievers, cold remedies, weight control aids, and various
prescription medications.
For more information on coffee check out these
websites:
A Buzz
about Caffeine
American
Dietetic Association
Nutrition
Action Healthletter - Caffeine: The Inside Scoop
Caffeine
Corner: products ranked by amount
Weight Management
Being at a healthy weight lowers your chances of
serious health problems such as: diabetes, heart disease, high blood
pressure, and high cholesterol.
What is a healthy weight?
Usually overweight is defined as 20% or more above
the ideal body weight. Underweight is often defined as 15% below
ideal body weight. There are different ways to measure weight (ERT
Associates, 1999):
- Height/Weight Tables. These are based
on information from life insurance companies. Disadvantage: They
set weight goals that are often hard for people to meet or maintain.
- Body Mass Index (BMI). Measures the
relationship between height and weight. A high number suggests
health risks of being over weight. A low number suggest health
risks of being underweight.
- Waist-to-Hips Ratio. Measures the
relationship between size of the waist and size of the hips. This
can help determine whether distribution of body fat is more likely
to lead to health problems.
Check out Shape Up America! at www.shapeup.org
to find out if you are at a healthy weight.
Key to Weight Management is Eating Healthy (ERT
Associates, 1999):
- Choose food you like to eat.
- Eat more low-fat and low calorie foods
- Try to eat these foods everyday:
6 servings of cereals, breads, grains, rice or pasta
3 servings of vegetables
3 servings of fruits
2 servings of low-fat milk, yogurt or cheese
3 or fewer servings of fish, poultry (without skin) or meat (with
fat cut off)
- Drink 8 glasses of water everyday
- Choose low sugar or sugar free fruit juices and sodas
- Limit alcohol. Have no more than 1 drink a day
Check out UCI Health Education’s alcohol
section for more information at http://www.health.uci.edu/services/alcohol/alcoholdrugs.html
Follow these Healthy Eating Tips (ERT Associates,
1999):
- Eat slowly.
- Eat when you’re hungry.
- Eat 3 small meals and 2 snacks everyday. Don’t skip meals.
- A healthy weight loss is 1 to 2 pounds a week.
- Find ways to reward your self that doesn’t focus on food.
- Drink water. Sometimes people get a craving to eat when they
are actually thirsty.
More Help on Campus
Anteater Recreation Center
www.campusrec.uci.edu
Center for Women and Men
www.cwm.uci.edu
Counseling Center
www.counseling.uci.edu
Residential Dining
www.ucidining.com
Student Health Services
www.shs.uci.edu
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