Oily food of canteen and tasteless food of mess and restrictions to go out and project deadlines and college stress, make hostel life hard enough, but what suffers the most in this is our HEALTH. Hostel mess food and clean healthy diet seem anti parallel. At times when you enter the mess starving, expecting lunch and then finally you are served with food and the smell of curry makes you sick and then you got no option than to binge on savory fried snacks or have that oily cutlet from college canteen. Within a number of days this becomes your daily habit, it just seeps down in your veins and within a span of time burger king becomes your best friend and the worst is that we hardly notice it, we rarely think about what we are having and how we are treating our body.
Here are some basic lifestyle changes which may help improve your health in spite of living in hostel:
1. DRINK ABOUT 3 LITRES OF WATER- We have all heard about the benefits of water, but still we tend to neglect it. The way to not forget about having water is set alarms and after a week you will get used to having that amount of water. Always carry a handy water bottle with you.
2.AVOID DRINKING CALORIES- Carbonated drinks have done good to no one. But they are expert at provide empty calories and health issues.
Read this article to know more about energy drinks https://thefittyou.blogspot.com/2020/08/all-about-energy-drinks.html
3. Though most of the hostels prohibit use of electrical appliances including electric kettles but we all smuggle it through one way or the another and use it for making everyone's favorite MAGGI, replace maggi with EGGS and you will keep trans fat, sodium away and will welcome proteins into your body.
4. We can't deny what a pleasure it is to go for evening stroll with friends and have ICE CREAM as permanent companion, but this small daily treat isn't a great option for long way. Swap ice cream with yogurt or frozen fruit.
5. An easy effort to make your gut love you. take some green gram whole(sabut moong dal) and brown chickpeas (chana) soak them overnight, drain the water the next morning and let it stay for few hours, once you get the SPROUTS just add some cucumber, tomato and chaat masala and there is your healthy and tasty meal.
6. The most unhealthy meal in most of the hostels is EVENING SNACKS. I feel like the oil in one piece of cutlet is enough to moisturize the entire body. The best option is to say NO and munch on something that you might not regret later. Going out and having maggi or chole kulche(we do this, sometimes) isn't a real great alternative.
You can have brown bread with peanut butter(small amounts) or sprouts or fruits or boiled eggs, there are a number of swaps.
7. Staying away from home without any family restrictions and spending most the time with peers at times lead us to adopting a lifestyle with incorporates ALCOHOL, CIGARETTES, WEED and what else not. These short term pleasures have a crucial role in ruining our health.
Do not smoke, limit your alcohol intake and do not indulge in drugs, this addiction doesn't does end with college.
8. One of the practices which promote change a lot is PORTION CONTROL . taking care of what you consume is important but how much you consume is important as well. Overeating healthy food is also an unhealthy practice. Download any calorie tracking app to help you manage daily calories, I use MyFitnessPal.
9. Keep HEALTHY SNACKS handy. Roasted black chickpeas (bhune chane), peanuts, dry fruits, fox nut( makhana) , puffed rice, unbuttered popcorn, protein bars, dry figs are some of my favourites.
10. SUGAR is a weakness for many and at times you can't pull down those cravings, replace white sugar with jaggery or honey or dates but in small quantities.
11. Don't SKIP MEALS in order to keep up with deadlines. Work out a schedule. When the body starves, the body piles on fat.
12. Take a deep look at the mess menu and decide what to eat and what not to. Roti, Dal and sabzi is a better combo than curries and noodles, or anything that uses too much of oil and refined carbs. And try to sneak in protein in every meal.
13. WORKING OUT is the key to fresh mood and flawless skin, you don't have to spend hours at gym. Some hostels have no gym facility so you can just go for a run in the campus or do yoga in your room or maybe some HIIT in playground, the focus should be engaging your body, sweating it out and feeling good.
14. School work , night outs and netflix are certainly contributors to disturbed SLEEP PATTERN. Sleep deprivation disrupts metabolism, makes you feel tired, increase your cravings for sugary drinks, may disturb your hormones and eventually lead to a viscous cycle of weight gain.
So sleep for 6-8 hours every night, do not nap too often.
15. If you have the freedom to COOK then don't leave the opportunity, cook whenever you find mess food unhealthy or nasty.
Don't stress out much , it's college atleast have fun in first year that's when you are special just make wise decisions, the ones you don't regret about later. Nothing comes easy, you have to make efforts to get something.
A very well written article ��
ReplyDeleteThank you :)
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