Thursday, February 25, 2010

Spring Break

Spring break is rapidly approaching and one wonders how to get the beach body in a short time. Two of the main things to consider are exercise and nutrition. A lot of people tend to think that they can lose weight strictly by dieting while in fact, that is a poor choice. Depriving the body of important nutrients and calories puts your body into starvation mode. The best way to start losing weight is becoming more active. Once accomplished you can then trim your diet and make healthier choices. If you think about it, it is easier to change the amount of time you move compared to the way you eat.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for physical activity is
• 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity aerobic activity
o Snow shoveling, hiking, dancing, biking (less than 10 mph), walking (about 3.5mph)…
• If this takes up too much time of your week then you can simply increase the intensity of your workout to vigorous intensity with an accumulative time of 75 minutes.
o Running, swimming laps, cross-country skiing, jumping rope…
• For those of us crunched for time, it’s okay if you need to exercise in small amounts of time. You can exercise in 10 minute bouts if it fits into your schedule. Walking would give you the greatest benefits. You can go for three 10 minute walks per day for 5 days and that will satisfy your need for aerobic physical activity.
• It is also important to include weight lifting in your schedule.
o The recommendations for that is 2 days a week getting all of the basic muscles groups with 8-12 repetitions and 1-3 sets.
o The easiest way to do this is the basic 8 routine:
 squat, leg curl, calf raise, lat pull down (one arm row), bench press, shoulder press, bicep curl, triceps extension and end with abs

Along with exercising comes the concern of fluid intake. You need to make sure you rehydrate your body with water or an electrolyte mixture (such as Gatorade) after working out and even throughout the day.

Once you become more active, the diet can follow. It is important to follow the USDA’s my food pyramid http://www.mypyramid.gov/ recommendations. This new and improved pyramid can be accustomed to your life style. Here at UB, we are lucky enough to have many choices of foods that fit into the pyramid. All across campus you can find Grab and Go salads, vegetable trays, 0 calorie beverages, light yogurt, fresh fruit, eggs, tuna, and soups. As long as you remember to stay active and eat right, you’ll be ready for the beach in no time.

By Christine (Campus Dining and Shops intern)

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Beat the Winter Blues

Shorter winter days also mean less sunlight every day and sunlight helps us feel more awake. Need a extra boost choose your foods wisely.

~ Folic Acid - It helps the body process and lower your homocysteine levels. This is important because high levels of homocysteine can damage your blood vessels. Impaired blood flow may leave you feeling sluggish or slow to process or recall information.

Good sources- leafy vegetables (spinach,broccoli,kale), potatoes,beans,peas,and fortified breads and cereals.
~ Omega-3 fatty acids - People who experience seasonal depression during fall and winter have been found to have lower levels of omega-3s.
Good sources- Salmon, tuna some plant oils (flaxseed,canola) and walnuts.

~ Vitamin D - Lack of sunlight in winter,causes many people to have low levels of vitamin D. Low levels cause fatigue and depression in some people.
Good sources - Low fat milk fortified with vitamin D,some oranges juices
(check labels) and sunlight.

~ Protein - A diet high in protein and lower in carbohydrates may help to improve mood,stimulate energy and chase away feelings of sluggishness.
Good sources - Low fat dairy products like milk, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt,lean meats,poultry and eggs.

~Rosemary - This herb has shown to increase blood flow to your brain and improve your mood. It may also benefit your immune system, keeping your immune system strong during flu and cold season. So sprinkle a little on your mealsfor flavor.

Just keep in mind that spring is just around the corner, and March 14 the time changes which means more sunlight and warmers days ahead!

~Be Healthy

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Chocolate Lovers - A Sweet Treat at Perk's


  A term that may be unfamiliar to you is flavonoids antioxidant.  A flavonoids antioxidant is found in plants like oranges, grape juice, apples, onions, tea and cocoa.  Eating plenty of plant based foods helps to reinforce our own body’s defenses.  Thanks to nutrient-rich cocoa beans people benefit from eating chocolate, especially dark chocolate. A small piece of dark chocolate has only 50 calories, but most candy bars contain at least 200 calories.So go ahead and eat a small, 1.6 ounce bar of dark chocolate everyday because it's good for you.
  Treat yourself or someone special on Valentine’s Day to a sweet treat at Perk’s, located in the Ellicott Food Court.   Rich, decadent desserts are the perfect indulgence including heart shaped cookies, homemade fudge, chocolate covered strawberries and much much more.  Enjoy chocolate for its distinctive flavor as well as for its potential health benefits, but remember that chocolate contains fat and added sugar. Everything in moderation!  
Be Healthy ~

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Gluten -free foods at Ellicott Food Court

People with celiac disease cannot eat foods containing gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, splelt and other grains. The body immune system responds to gluten by damaging the lining of the small intestine. The only treatment to celiac is to eat a gluten -free diet. There are plenty of foods that are naturally gluten free, including fruits, vegetables, beef, poultry,fish, nuts,eggs and more. The key to understanding the gluten-free diet is to become a good label reader. A growing number of foods are being developed by manufacturers to answer consumers increasing interest in gluten -free foods.

Here at Campus Dining and Shops we are meeting the needs of students with celiac disease. All four residential dining centers have in stock all the foods needed to eat a balanced gluten -free diet. Recently the Ellicott Food Court added a gluten -free menu.

Stop by Sizzles and you can order a gluten-free pizza, pancakes, chicken sandwich, a variety of burgers, two gluten-free salad dressings, and more. Just ask the cashier for the gluten-free menu and they will place your order. The quality and variety of prepared items continues to grow and improve. We are very fortunate to have options that allows Campus Dining and Shops to put students first.

Be Healthy ~