We Are What We Eat By Litzy Tafolla Edited By Karen Liao The four dining halls on campus grace us with their presence after an 80-minute lecture and fulfill us when we need it most. Hamburgers, hotdogs, some sort of fried potato, and more. They become your comfort, and you know where they reside in the dining hall. For a solid three weeks I had the same meal for lunch and dinner a slice of pizza, a side salad, and a cookie if I craved something I am well accustomed to. This comfort does not take into consideration the nutritional value of what I’m putting in my body. The buzz of course discussions and practice sets can push our nutritional health to the end of the list of things to take care of. What is oftentimes disregarded is that our bodies work inside out. The human body is a vessel, or a machine. A lack of nutritional balance is one of the building blocks necessary for our bodies to work efficiently and prevent a crash in the afternoon. A good night of sleep should be equally prioritized with a balanced diet and intuitive eating. The urgency of assignments blindsides college students and creates a heavy negative impact in the long run that would be stopped if we make well-informed decisions now. What is a balanced plate? The green, red, purple, orange, and blue balanced plate is shown in doctor’s offices nationwide to inform people of what a pulse 9
well-rounded plate looks like. Despite the instilled image, it seems to be the first thing that is disregarded when we look for food in the dining hall. Counting portions and ensuring we are receiving all of our nutrients can be quite a task. It is crucial to stick to simplicity when making decisions on how we will fuel our bodies. Vegetables provide a majority of the main nutrients that our bodies require. This includes but is not limited to iron, vitamin C, D, and B6, and potassium. These nutrients allow our bodies to create blood cells, boost our metabolism, reinforce the strength of our cells and more. Not eating a sufficient number of vegetables can cause a multitude of digestive problems and repeated fatigue which causes a domino effect on other troublesome health issues. It is recommended that adults consume around three cups-worth of vegetables daily. However, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, only 10% of adults in the United States said that they regularly ate the recommended portion size for vegetables in 2019. There is a wide range of reasons that cause this
to happen, but most prominently there is a lack of education on the importance of vegetables. An article published by the Iranian Journal of Public Health highlights how the lack of vegetables has contributed to global wide health crisis amongst adults such as cardiovascular risks, fluctuating cholesterol levels, obesity, and more. Fruits and vegetables go hand in hand because their fibrous composition is beneficial to the human body in multiple ways. The natural sugar in fruits is an ideal alternative to the sugar substitutes found in many sweet treats. They are a natural boost of energy and sugar that simultaneously provides fiber and nutrients to keep the body running efficiently. Fruit can easily be the disregarded food group, where protein and vegetables can be eaten implemented into our main dishes, we need to include fruit on the side in order to obtain their health benefits. Protein is easily filled in our nutritional plate. Most main dishes, whether they are “healthy” or not,
