Nutrition Tips for the Holidays!

It is sometimes hard, especially as a college student, to think we are being super unhealthy when at home for the holidays.  It sometimes can be easy to overeat, under exercise, stress out with family, and know that finals will be awaiting you when you come back!  Not to worry, follow these top ten tips over your break to keep your body happy and healthy.

1. Exercise. Get up 30-60 minutes earlier so you can get this in. Do it before company arrives. This will help you "get fully grounded" in your body and geared up for the day! Plus, it's a chance to offer up gratitude before the busy-ness sets in.

2. Eat Breakfast. "Saving Yourself" for your Thanksgiving Meal not only slows your metabolism but also leads to over-eating. So eat a healthy breakfast...and keep that digestive fire stoked all day!

3. Eat Strategically! Start with protein and veggies. Lastly, eat the starchy, bread-y carbs. You will feel more satiated eating protein and fiber filled veggies first which will cut down your intake of the starchy stuff.

4. Balance Your Plate. 1/2 of your plate should be green -- salad, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, roasted veggies, asparagus, etc. 1/4 of it should be protein such as turkey, chicken or fish.   The other 1/4 of it can be a starchy carb like mashed potatoes, stuffing, or bread. This should be your rule of thumb always, not just Thanksgiving!

5. Try Sample Sizes, not Servings. If it all looks SOOOO good, great! Try a little of everything. Dollops vs. full serving sizes! If it's THAT good, go back to get more later.

6. CHALLENGE: Try to be the LAST one to Finish Your Meal. The best way I know how to eat slow is to CHEW-CHEW-CHEW your food. Our first inclination is to hurry up and eat, so we can go get more. This inevitably leaves us feeling miserably full and bloated. So GO S-L-O-W. If you want more later, go back for more. But don't stuff yourself to the point of miserableness.

7. We DON'T GAIN weight overnight.  So you overdid it.  EH....No big deal.  Our bodies work over a bigger span of time than a day by day basis so if you know you overate at a holiday meal, try to be more active that day, eat healthier the next day and don't worry! 

8. Whether your family is hosting Thanksgiving dinner or bringing a few dishes to share, make your recipes healthier with less fat, sugar, and calories.

• Use fat-free chicken broth to baste the turkey and make gravy.
• Use sugar substitutes in place of sugar and/or fruit purees instead of oil in baked goods.
• Reduce oil and butter wherever you can.
• Try plain yogurt or fat-free sour cream in creamy dips, mashed potatoes, and casseroles.

9. Drink Water throughout the Day. Wine, water, wine.  OK, not realistic. Water, wine, wine, water, wine? :)

10. See the Good. This is for those fun, uh-hum, family dynamics! Of course you can see where your relatives fall short, annoy you, or come from a totally different planet. Your task is to SEE THE GOOD in them. EVERYONE has some good. Find it!

p.s. Your stomach is the size of your hands cupped together. I'm just saying..

Healthy Living Restaurant Review: Piola

This past weekend, after a long week of exams, papers, and problem sets, my friend and I really just wanted to de-stress with some good food. We were both really in the mood for pizza, but we wanted something fresh and light, not doughy and greasy like most pizza joints. We did a bit of online research and stumbled upon what may now be my favorite pizza place in Houston: Piola. This cute, trendy restaurant is downtown on Louisiana St., about a 10 minute drive from Rice, and they have over 40 varieties of authentic Italian pizza: thin crust, thick crust, no sauce, you name it!

The menu has a really wide variety of offerings, from pizza to pasta to salads to carpaccios. My friend and I did not want to play around; we were here for the pizza. They have a lot of the classic toppings that you would find in any pizzeria on the streets in Italy (prosciutto, porcini mushrooms, basil, ricotta, etc), but they also have some interesting pizzas with a South American flare. We decided to go for the thin crust varieties to cut down on the carbs (you can opt for whole wheat too). I got the Rio De Janeiro, which came with baked chicken and this life-changing Brazilian cheese called catupiry. My friend got the Italian, which was fresh arugula, tomatoes, and ricotta beautifully arranged to look like an Italian flag. And oh my goodness, were these pizzas delicious. They tasted like they came right out of Italy! The portions are huge, so we had plenty to take home with us for lunch the next day. All of the prices are really reasonable, as most pizzas range from $9 to $15 in price (but it's really like two servings--more bang for your buck).

If you and your friends are sick of the same old Domino's and Papa Johns routine, I strongly recommend giving Piola a try!

Tea Tuesdays in the Wellness Center

Did you know that every Tuesday, the Wellness Center offers free tea for all students? From 10 am to 2 pm, you can stop by the Wellness Center to grab a cup of your favorite tea (we have green, black, fruit, and herbal varieties), hot chocolate, or cider and relax in our comfortable lobby. This is to encourage you to take a peaceful break and become more mindful of your well-being.

While we are on the topic of tea, you should know that tea isn't only good for revitalizing the soul...it also does some amazing things for your health! Here are some of the health benefits of tea:


1. Boosts your immune system. The theanine in tea stimulates the disease-fighting capacity of your T cells, which helps your body's immune response when fighting infection.

2. Lowers your stress hormone levels. Studies have shown that drinking black tea daily can lower your cortisol levels by almost 20%. Can you imagine being 20% less stressed?

3. Weight loss and cholesterol control. The caffeine in green tea helps with fat oxidation, which helps fight obesity and lower your LDL ("bad") cholesterol.

4. Contains antioxidants. This helps protect our body from dangerous free radicals, like X-rays, pollution, smoking, and alcohol.

5. Raises your metabolism. By drinking about 5 cups of green tea per day, your metabolic rate increases so that you can burn 70 to 80 more calories per day.

6. Reduces your risk for cancer, heart attack and stroke. And these are the top three causes of death in the United States (according to the CDC). Shouldn't you try to reduce your risk?

7. Contains juuuust enough caffeine for you to make it through the morning. Tea has about 40 mg caffeine per cup, whereas coffee sits at around 135 mg. So if coffee makes you jittery or interferes with your sleep, switch to tea.

--Cristina, Wellness Intern

No Shave November!

It is every Rice man's favorite time of year, a time when every man can embrace and boast his masculinity. That's right, it's NO SHAVE NOVEMBER!

Did you know that the average male spends 140 days of his life shaving? Did you KNOW that on average, men's facial hair grows about 5.5 inches per year?! Do you want to fight the system and let your manly whiskers grow wild and free?

No Shave November is a nationwide movement, popular on most college campuses, in which men abstain from shaving facial hair for the entire month. The purpose of No Shave November is to flaunt one's beard-growing-abilities, but at Rice it is also a charity event. Starting on November 1st with a clean shave, guys can begin to collect donations from their peers for every day they don't shave. All proceeds will benefit the Fifth Ward Enrichment Program, which empowers young men to become responsible leaders in their community. There are three levels of sponsorship:

- Peach Fuzz ($8): can shave after one week (*Note: may face ridicule from fellow beard growers)
- Lumberjack ($15): trimming for Thanksgiving only
- Hobo ($20): no shaving at all

Check out the lovely beards on campus this month, and watch the manly competition unfold.


--Cristina, Wellness Intern

Oh yes. You could look like Gerard Butler.

The Post-Midterm Recess Stress Fest

This will probably be me in the next 48 hours...

Ahh...you've just returned from midterm break, and you're so relaxed because you finished all of your work, right? If you are anything like me, you spent your break hanging out with your friends or family and put off all homework until the end of the break. I can already tell this short week is going to be rough, and I can sense the stress hormones are about to flood across my body.

Psychological and emotional stress can take a physical toll on your body. When you are stressed out, your body releases cortisol, which signals us to replenish our body with energy and thus making us very hungry. What do our bodies crave the most, especially in times of stress? Fats, salt, and sugar of course, which go perfectly with those skinny jeans. These foods nourish our brains, which release tension-reducing "pleasure chemicals." Stress-eating can become a vicious cycle that is hard to escape, especially while we are constantly surrounded with junk food on campus.

Stress is unavoidable for a college student during midterms, so I've come up with a list tips to help you (and me!) get through these next couple of weeks alive and still relatively healthy.

1. Eat small, frequent meals to boost your metabolism and fight the munchies. This should help to prevent you from binging on carby snacks during your study sessions.

2. Avoid overdoing the caffeine, even if you think this is impossible. Caffeine actually raises your cortisol levels, which can contribute to stress-eating.

3. Avoid sugary foods. Yeah, this one is pretty much a given. These foods can leave you feeling jittery and can lead to a crash later on. Plus these foods are probably ridden with unwanted calories, so you want to eat these only in moderation.

4. Take an exercise break to get your mind off of things and pump some endorphins into your blood. You don’t have to go super hard at the gym, but take a 20-30 minute break to do some light cardio and stretches.

5. Get some sleep. Sleep deprivation is a major stressor and can make you hungrier throughout the day. Aim for a solid 7-9 hours per night when possible, and avoid those all-nighters!

6. Don’t skip breakfast, as it truly is the most important meal of the day! If you skip breakfast, this can leave you groggy and unable to concentrate in the morning, and you will more likely have a larger meal at lunch to make up for your calorie deficiency. While you are grabbing a quick bite from the servery on your way to class, try to incorporate whole grains, proteins, and nutrients (vitamin C, calcium, etc.) into your meal. Try a piece of whole grain toast with peanut butter, a banana, and a yogurt to keep your belly and your mind satisfied.

7. Study break with some friends! You deserve one. Socialization is good for the soul, I hear.

--Cristina, Wellness Intern

P.S. Have you noticed that a lot of these tips are similar to the ones from the last post? You now hold the key to healthier lifestyle. Godspeed. 

How About Those NOD Bods?

This week marks the first week of October, meaning there is approximately one month until the big day: NOD. The month leading up to his scandalous party is usually characterized by a crowded rec center and number of crash diets, as students dedicate hours and hours to perfecting their "NOD Bod." While diet and exercise are important components to trimming down and toning up, this pre-NOD cleanse is usually not a very healthy way to lose weight. Crash diets are diets that severely limit caloric and nutritional intake that are used for rapid weight loss, such as the grapefruit or cabbage soup diet (gross...). These diets are deprive the body of essential nutrients and slow your body's metabolism, which prevents any long term weight loss. What's worse is after your "cleanse" and you revert back to your original diet, you put back on all of the weight you lost...and then some.

There is a healthy way to lose weight with a proper nutrition regimen. To help you slim down to your NOD Bod, dietitian Maria Tsakalis has provided some great tips to make simple changes to your lifestyle that have a big impact on your overall health.

1. Timing. Your body will feel and perform at its best when you are properly fueled. Maria recommends eating every four hours, which may require snacking between meals. This helps to control hunger, improve digestion, maintain energy, and provide nutrients.

2. Balance. Your meals should include a variety of whole grains, proteins, (healthy) fats, and plenty of fruit and veggies.

3. Portions. Use the plate method! This includes fewer meat and grain servings and more fruits, vegetables, and dairy.

4. Moderation. Restricting a food, even if it is bad, only leaves you wanting it more, which could lead to a binge. Everything in moderation!

5. Hydrate. Drinking enough water will help you regulate your hunger, enhance concentration, and nourish your body.

6. Exercise. Exercise is good for your physical and mental health, and when combined with a nutritious diet, it can lead to weight loss. Don't overdo it at the gym though, as this can affect your body's ability to recover.


Of course, as the body image intern, I have to throw in a personal message about how the NOD-Bod diet/exercise mentality is potentially risky to your self-image. Think about it: are you willing to put your health at risk and tear yourself apart for a month to spend one evening, baring it all in as little clothing as possible? NOD is an awesome good time, and you should attend the party to have fun and let loose. If you think that the only way you can go out in public in your underwear is by eating next to nothing for weeks before and drinking a ton of alcohol the night of, that is not the right mindset to entering this party. If you want to make changes to your diet and exercise patterns, do so because you want to enter a healthier mindset, not to look a certain way in your underwear.

Don't sacrifice your satisfaction with your body for one night of decadence. Show up, strut your stuff, and remember to love your body for what it is.

--Cristina, Wellness Intern

Recharge-U

Cranberries, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds,
golden raisins, yummmm

Since its grand opening, Recharge-U has been quite the hype around Rice campus. This "convenience store" (which is conveniently open until only 7 p.m. each night), replaced 13th street, which boasted hot sandwiches, snacks, sushi, salads, and a Smoothie King. The fresh food has been replaced with mostly processed snacks, leaving only a few chilled sandwiches and small bowl of fresh fruit that is hidden behind the slushie machine (I'm not kidding). Though the number of fresh food and snack options is very limited at Recharge-U, fear not! Maria and I took a walk-through of the store to see what healthy snack options are still available. 

The Good Stuff, with some cautions...

1. Along the huge snack wall, there are a variety of nuts. We liked the natural almonds and edamame, which are full of healthy fats, protein, and antioxidants. Pay attention to the seasoning that could be added to the nuts, which could add lots of unwanted sodium.

2. Dried fruits are also an awesome snacking option because they are an organic, all natural way to have something sweet with no added sugar, plus they are even better for you when you mix in some nuts for protein. Dried fruit isn't all raisins and prunes! You can try all kinds of dried fruits from cranberries to strawberries, to peaches, or to my favorite, apricots. Some of the types we liked were the Peeled Snacks and the freeze-dried apple crisps.

3. Trail mixes are awesome because every bite is unique! Choose mixes with nuts and dried fruit over the more processed ones with candies, pretzels and sesame sticks. These will have the least amount of sugar, salt, and saturated and trans-fats. Beware of the yogurt covered trail mixes, which sound healthy right? There must be added saturated fat for the yogurt to harden and form a shell over the fruit, nuts, and other contents. Eek.

4. Pop chips. 100 calories. Air-popped and delicious. Enough said.

5. Bars, bars, bars. Bars are one of those things that everybody thinks is a health food, but it varies. Bars are highly processed foods, so they contain a lot of added refined sugar and artificial fiber, which can cause G. I. upset. Some of the better bar options are the pure bars, which are made out of whole grains and organic fruits, and the Clif bars, which use natural cane juice as a sweetener, not refined sugar. A good tip is to check the ingredients list. If one of the first ingredients is some form of refined sugar, kick it to the curb and find a healthier option.

Look at all of these delicious flavors!
My favorite is the chocolate brownie bar, which is made
out of dates, cocoa, and organic nuts. That's it! It has the
flavor of a brownie without the guilt, plus it has 7 g protein!

6. All-natural peanut butter squeeze packs are a good way to get some protein without too much added sugar. Smear some of this on one of those apples hidden on the back counter and you are good to go!

7. One of my favorite finds are the little hummus and pita chip packs in the refrigerated section. Hummus contains a number of good nutrients, including protein, iron, and folic acid. Try to find a brand that uses olive oil, which adds a healthy fat.


General Rules of Thumb

1. Keep your snack a snack-sized portion, not a meal. Snacks should hover around 200 calories, and it is beneficial to have around 15 g of protein and less than 5 grams of healthy fat (poly- and monounsaturated fats are the good stuff).

2. Remember that snacking is good for you! Small snacks throughout the day keep your metabolism in check so that you are less likely to binge at your big meals.

3. Watch the serving size on packages. It may look like 150 calories at first, but the entire bag could have 3 servings.

4. Try to go for the least processed foods possible, which at Recharge-U is VERY DIFFICULT. Processed foods tend to be high in added sugar and sodium. Keep in mind that your daily sodium intake should be 2400 mg, and some of the packaged microwavable meals border 2000 mg...

5. Beware of a lot of the "diet foods." These tend to be high in salt, which can actually make you look more bloated, and they also lack vitamins and other nutrients. Stick to the more natural foods, such as nuts and fruit, to get more bang for your buck.

--Cristina, Wellness Intern