As a student, it’s so easy to forget to eat properly. But for optimum health, it’s so important. What’s good to look at (even at a relatively young age) is your family history. If you have a mother and grandmother for example who suffered from osteoporosis then you want to keep your calcium levels elevated. Even if you have no symptoms of brittle bones or problem teeth, chances are, as you age, you will. So in this case, you can enrich your diet with calcium in a relatively easy way. Good sources of the mineral include: dairy produce, tahini, sesame seeds, spinach, broccoli. No matter what your taste buds enjoy, there are dozens of recipes on the Internet these days that will tempt them somehow. Taking a calcium supplement isn’t a bad idea either, but do not think it is in place of the calcium-enriched diet. Take notes from a proper physician on what the best supplement would be. You can even do an early detection test for osteoporosis if it is in your family, but the best thing to do is take preventive measures, like adding it to your diet earlier rather than later.
Category: Lifestyle
Say ‘I Love You’ With Lasagna
I love lasagna, as do all the members of my family. My children expect it as their special dinner on their birthdays, and when we want to celebrate just about anything, lasagna is the main dish of choice. We all know about this wonderful pasta dish, but really, do we know the true essence of Garfield’s obsession?
What I believe is truly great about lasagna is how easy it is to make it, and how many variations there are on the theme. Lasagna can truly be made as a reflection of the inner self. A more health conscious mom might add some green vegies like broccoli or zucchini. My personal favorite is spinach. It is possible to mix in meat, but not necessary if you are a vegetarian. You can use lots of yummy pasta sauce, homemade or from a jar, or you can make it less tomato-y and more cheese-y, if you aren’t too worried about counting the calories in this slightly “heavy on the fat” lactose-intolerant person’s nightmare. And if that does happen to be the case, you can use cottage cheese instead of ricotta, no parmesan cheese, and go easy on the mozzarella. In short, lasagna is almost anything you want it to be. It is therefore truly you.
Giving Of Your Time
There is so much to learn when you are in college. Of course, there is the academic side that you signed up for but there is also much in terms of life lessons. One really needs to make the most of all the opportunities that are there for them. One good thing to do – especially for those people who enjoy animals – is to volunteer with the elderly using an animal. So often the elderly are incredibly lonely but it is difficult for strangers to just come and talk to them. If you take a dog with you however, then you break the ice easily and you may enjoy the visit more too. Sometimes it can even be advisable to take a more senior dog along with you; that way it won’t be so feisty and the elderly individual can feel an affinity with them. A friendly, licking dog can really make an old person feel good. There are no judgments, no questions, no “why don’t you do anything all day?” All dogs want to do is give love. And students have the opportunity and often the time to take these loving pets to the homes of the elderly in the community. It’s just a great way to give back.
Staying Healthy While Feeding Your Furry Friend
While you love your dog or cat, you may not realize that your animal’s food may actually be causing health risks for your child. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explain that salmonella bacteria in dried dog and cat food sparked an outbreak of salmonella infections between 2006 and 2008.
The CDC investigators, in their report in Pediatrics, explained that the connection did not come from children actually eating the pet food. More likely, it came from bugs that spread by direct contact with the pets. Infection, they found, was certainly more likely if pet bowls were kept in the kitchen.
Certainly, pet owners should wash their hands after feeding pets or handling pet food. Move pet food out of the kitchen or clean your floors frequently. Wash your hands after playing with your animal and avoid flea and tick-control products that have organophosphate pesticides in them.
Broaden Your Horizons Learning Meditation
College is a time of unparalleled opportunity. You have perhaps more time to justifiably explore new things in life than maybe ever before. Soon you’ll be working around the clock trying to make mortgage payments, so use these precious years to discover something new that also might act as a good tool for you in later life. Something like meditation. The benefits of meditation are tremendous and include: a) reduction in anxiety and depression; b) increase in capacity to concentrate; c) reduction in oxygen consumption; d) assists in relaxation; e) decreases pre-menstrual syndromes; f) can reduce blood pressure; g) increase blood flow to the heart and more. By learning meditative methods when you are not stressed or pushed for time (like in college), you can take the tools and apply them at a time when things are getting too much. As well, knowing how to meditate may later on lead to you not having to take drugs for anxiety or depression. You will be able to deal with these trials through your meditative skills.
Cooking in College
There is quite a lot to learn for students who have always had their meals cooked for them until they are suddenly out on their own. The big challenge is also how to keep it all healthy. It is so easy to get into very bad habits when you are first beginning to test out your culinary skills. So make sure you always have a lot of fruit and vegetables on hand and check on the Internet for recipes. You can even type in “easy vegetable recipes” if you don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen. The more fresh produce you have, the better. And make sure you make stuff that you like. There is no point in making healthy dishes that you know you are never going to eat. Soups are very good for winter; they pack in a lot of essential vitamins and minerals through the vegetables and are incredibly filling which means that you are less likely to eat junk after. So start doing some internet searches and see what you can come up with. It really does make a difference and will give you a ton of energy if you do it right that you will need for your college experience.