The Freshman Fifteen

Going off to college is exciting for so many reasons. New experiences, different people, and a new found freedom. With this freedom, comes the ability to make choices and strive for success (or fail miserably). In relation to the college diet, many first year students make the choices to ignore the smart choices our parents instilled in us and just for the easy ones. Regardless if it is late night study sessions or late night drinking binges, pizza and other fattening foods have a way of sneaking into our diets. Below are some recommendations on how to stay healthy in college.


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1. Don't drink soda.


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I understand its difficult to give up your beloved Coca-Cola, but one of the best things you can do for health and appearance is to stop drinking soda. Soda is a high calorie and sugary beverage that will make you fat, accelerate aging, and decay your teeth (rodale.com/facts-about-soda). However, if you are really having a hard time giving up soda, go for more healthy options like Virgil's Root Beer.



2. Get some exercise.



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To hit happy hour... or hit the gym? That is the question. However, exercise will improve your mood and personal confidence, along with making your mind sharper and body leaner. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain. Setting goals and finding inspriation is a great way to stay on the fitness track too.

3. A full 8 hours.



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Someone once said "sleep, a social life, and good grades in college... chose two". They could not have been more wrong. Time management is a useful life skill that will help reduce stress and make accomplishing goals more easy. Some of the benefits of getting a good nights rest include a sharper memory, reduce the possibility of depression, improve grades and maintain a healthy weight (huffingtonpost.com). Without an adequate amount of sleep your life will suffer in more ways then one. Plus, the junk foods and taco bell runs sound that much more appealing after midnight. Therefore, sleep isn't a choice. It's a necessity.