Staying healthy throughout the year means increasing food and exercise variety in your daily lifestyle instead of restricting yourself through brief diets.
The Student Dietetic Association and the Nutrition and Wellness Association hosted The 2nd Annual Hungry for Health Fair Monday evening in the SAC Ballroom. The fair featured free cooking demonstrations, relaxation techniques and health and sustainable food organizations for students. The purpose of the event was to offer students a full view of their personal health possibilities, said Meghan Mullaney, spokeswoman for the College of Human Ecology.
Susan Hochman, interim assistant director of health promotion and public information, said UHS offers individual consultations with a registered dietitian for students with nutrition-related health concerns throughout the year.
“Nutrition plays a significant role in helping students keep their energy levels up throughout the day, which is important for concentration and focus in class or while doing school work,” Hochman said.
Hochman said the Health Promotion Resource Center at University Health Services emphasized and discussed five core messages regarding nutrition at the fair.
“Students have to eat breakfast daily, stay hydrated, eat moderate portions and snacks throughout the day, incorporate variety into their diet and handle stress without turning to food,” Hochman said.
Nutrition senior John Regnery, a nutrition peer educator with the HPR, informed students about proper ways to be healthy.
“We want to focus on letting people know that you don’t have to necessarily follow a diet to be considered healthy,” Regnery said. “You can eat what you want but just in moderation.”
Regnery said him and his fellow peer educators wanted to implement the idea of intuitive eating to students at the fair.
“It’s a concept that basically states to follow your hunger cues and not limiting yourself to what you want to eat,” Regnery said. “Your body knows best about what you need and want and if you follow that, you can still live a healthy lifestyle.”
Regnery said there’s a lot of talk in his nutrition classes about following certain diets and restricting calories but wants students to know there are other healthy options available.
Robert Mayberry, executive chef for the Division of Housing and Food Services, demonstrated how to make cold Asian noodle salad, grilled zucchini roll ups and berry crunch yogurt parfait. All the recipes were available for students throughout the fair.
While making the cold Asian noodle salad, Mayberry said the recipes demonstrated were just guidelines for students to follow, but they should make their own by experimenting with different alternatives.
“Even if you’re on the go, you can buy a couple of items for your pantry and refrigerator that are fresh and ready to use,” Mayberry said.
Printed on Tuesday, March 6, 2012 as: Wholesome habits displayed