Post Spring Break

Terrible news - Spring Break is officially over. As a college student, that one week is so precious that it's depressing when it's done. One good thing about the week being over though, is going back to healthy eating. I did a lot of guilty eating and not a lot of sleeping or running. If that sounds like something you did, try some of the things I'm going to be doing.

Remember in my Mediterannean diet blog that it's one of the healthiest diets (and most delicious, in my opinion). I watched a video on cookinglight.com where they said Sardinia, Italy citizens have one of the longest life spans. This is mainly because of their diet, but also because they exercise daily, enjoy an occasional glass of wine (a minor splurge is good to feed the craving before it's too intense) and spend time with family.
How can that be translated into a college student lifestyle? Pretty easy. Walk to class. I do. Yes, you do have to wake up a half hour earlier, but I find the walk to naturally wake your body up. Plus, you can bump into people on the way to class or listen to your iPod. I've even managed to get some sun in, too. Once you feel these benefits, you'll start preferring walking and start realizing the bus to be jam packed, noisy and awkward when you have to sit so close to a stranger that your bodies are touching, and overhear conversations you definitely shouldn't be hearing. Trust me - walking is good!
Spending time with friends on week nights is a good thing. My first semester of college, I would wait until Friday night to really hang out with people. I did get my work done, but it would burn me out. I would sometimes blend class information together and not do my work as well because I was not allotting any time for breaks. You do need to give your brain a break. Have a friend over, or go over to a friend's house. Do it to where you still have enough time to get your work done, but make sure you relax.
Also, go for that occasional glass of wine, or for me, chocolate. All this means is listen to your body. Give it what it wants and be responsible about it. In the case of Spring Break, I went crazy on sweets. I went so crazy in fact, I could do with no sweets for a long time. I definitely do not suggest doing anything like that!
Lastly, the diet. Incorporate fruits and vegetables as much as possible, and make meats your side dish. It puts a bit of a twist to your meals, but think of all the side dishes that are so delicious that you wish you could have more of. In choosing the fruits and vegetables, go with color. The more vibrant and beautiful the fruits and veggies are, the better they are for you. Strawberries, peaches, apples, grapes, black berries, tomatoes and more are all in season right now. Carrots, broccoli and spinach leaves are great, too. Awesome snack ideas are soy nuts, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, raisins and dried cranberries. I made my own trailmix with these ingredients the other day. It was cheaper than pre-made storebought trailmix and tasted just as good!
Last but not least, SLEEP. Sleep, sleep, sleep. When your body is deprived of sleep, it attaches itself to anything and everything. It doesn't digest as well, so it stores more food. The immune system doesn't function well, and allows bacteria to make you sick. Basically, lack of sleep makes everything harder than it should be. Like I said before, listen to your body and go to bed when you feel tired. If you know you're tired from the last week, break your work into sections and take care of it day by day. I'm completely wiped out from my Spring Break, so I'm starting things that are due at the end of the week today.

So, incorporating or even changing minor aspects of your daily lifestyle by following these healthy and easy tips can make that treadful transition back to work more bearable. Good luck and see you in class!