FIGHT THE FRESHMEN FIFTEEN PSA

Being able to maintain a healthy diet in a college environment is a task that is easier said that done. The stress of having to keep up grades, while having a social life can have an impact on ones lifestyle choices, especially nutritional choices. First year students often find that college can be overwhelming at first, and can easily find themselves making poor food choices on a regular basis, leading to adverse health effects and unwanted weight gain.

This video shares a solution to eating a poor diet and a way to help fight the freshmen fifteen!

Fight The Freshmen Fifteen from Kip Colvey on Vimeo.

For more information on my campaign be sure to visit my other blog posts: App Recommendations For Nutrition, Debunking Myths About Nutrition, Fight The Freshmen Fifteen & Social Media, Your Guide To Nutritional Resources, and What Are These Kids Eating.

Also My Twitter account @FighTheFifteen is worth a look,

Thanks for following.

App Recommendations For Nutrition

The freshmen fifteen is a very real phenomenon that is present on many college campuses. A big reason for some people putting on weight in their freshmen year of college is because of poor nutrition. Often students are eating comfort foods that are high in fat and have too many calories. My campaign is directed at trying to raise awareness of this issue and present ways in which a change could be made. In this blog post I will recommend three apps that could be used to make a change and help freshmen monitor their own diet and food choices so that can avoid putting on any unwanted weight in their first year of college

App #1

The first app that I would like to recommend is the Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker by MyFitnessPal.com. This app is considered to be one of the fastest and easiest calorie counters out, here is why.

Platforms: This app is available on iOS, Windows, and Android

Ratings:         Current version – 4/5 stars from 1,1256 ratings

All versions – 4.5/5 stars from 451,495 ratings

Price: The app is free, although it does offer in-app purchases. The top purchases are MyFitnessPal Premium, which comes at $9.99 per month, or at $49.99 per year. Becoming a premium member allows you to have an add free experience and also adds some neat features such as food analysis, exercise calorie settings, and exclusive articles and tips that are only provided to premium members.

Description/Features/Function: This app is built to enable the user to be able to keep track of their diet through counting calories. MyFitnessPal has a database of over 5 million different food items to ensure accuracy. The app also has a barcode scanner that allows the user to import information instantly through scanning the item. It also has a built-in step tracker that will help user keep track of their exercise. Another cool feature that the app has, is the recipe importer, which lets the user import and track any recipe from the web with a touch of a button. With all of this information, MyFitnessPal is able to track total calories consumed, as well as fat, protein, carbs, sugar, and fiber separately. MyFitnessPal is also able to connect with over 50 other health and nutrition apps including Fitbit, Garmin, Strava, Healthkit and many more. This enables MyFitnessPal to be more accurate in tracking the user’s diet and exercise information.

It is easy to see that this app offers many features and functions that might help an individual, but how does it help with my goal of fighting the freshmen fifteen? Simple, knowledge is power. If students are able to see how many calories they are eating then they might be able to modify their own diets to their own specific needs. As the app is able to track specific nutrients within food items, then it will be easier for students to see how much fat/carbs/sugar are in an item and then make a more informed decision as weather or not to eat it. With students making more informed decisions they will be more likely to eat foods with less fat and keep their calorie counts within a normal range, meaning they won’t be gaining any unwanted weight.

As you can see from the screenshots MyFitnessPal is easy to use. Navigation through the various features is smooth and seamless, which makes it easy and convenient to track your food items throughout the day.

App #2

The second app that I would like to recommend is the Yum-Yum app developed by IGGY Media LTD. Yum-Yum is a fantastic app for anyone looking to learn fresh recipes with ease. Lets take a look at what the app has to offer

Platforms: This app is only available with iOS and is compatible with both iPhones and iPads with iOS 7.0 or later

Ratings:         Current Version: 5/5 stars from 13 ratings

All Versions: 4.5/5 stars from 109 ratings

Price: The app is free, although it does come with in app purchases. The most expensive upgrade available is the premium version of the app, which allows you to experience all of the current features without being distracted by any advertisements. In addition to the 1000+ recipes that come with the app, more can be purchased for as little as $1.99 (pasta, chicken, breakfast, and salad recipes) or as much as $9.99 (additional recipes in all categories).

Description/Features/Function: This app is built to enable the user to be able to access thousands of recipes that have been developed and perfected by chefs from some of Europe’s finest dining restaurants. Each recipe that is in the app is accompanied by step-by-step instructions. All of the instructions are enhanced by a photograph, to help ensure that there is no confusion for the user. Yum-Yum also provides nutritional facts for each recipe to ensure that the user knows exactly what they are making in terms of fat, protein, carbs, and total calories. Another neat feature of the Yum-Yum app is the advanced grocery list. The advanced grocery list allows you to keep track of exactly what you need for each meal so that impulsive spending is limited. You can also automatically push all of the ingredients of a recipe to your grocery list so that nothing is missed.

Clearly this app has many cool features to help people with their home cooking, but Yum-Yum recipes also has the potential to help freshmen on college campuses across the country with their own diets and nutrition. If students used the app then they might be able to make meals for themselves rather than dining out, which often means that the meals they will be making will probably have less fat and more quality calories. Since the app has many recipes for any occasion, freshmen would be able to have variety in their diet and will be more likely to stick with making their own meals. Also if the app was to be paired with the Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker by MyFitnessPal.com (see above for description) then students would also be able to be more accurate in keeping track of how many calories they are consuming on a day to day basis. With this kind of knowledge, students would be much more likely to keep of any unwanted weight and fight of the freshmen fifteen.

The app is very easy to use as you can see from the screenshots below. Recipes are divided into different categories to make for easy searching, and each feature of the app runs smoothly and is self-explanatory.

App #3

The third and final app that I would like to recommend is the HealthyOut app developed by HealthyOut. HealthyOut is a great app for anyone wishing to find healthy meals while on the go. Lets take a look

Platforms: The app is available on both Android and iOS

Ratings:         Current Version – No ratings

All Versions – 4.5/5 stars from 1586 ratings

Price: The app is completely free and has no in app purchases available.

Description/Features/Function: This app is designed to help users find healthy meals from restaurants and prepared grocery items nearest to your location. The app is able to recognize meals in restaurants in over 500 cities across the country. HealhyOut’s definition of a healthy meal is one that has both half of the fat and half of the calories of an average American restaurant meal. The app uses your current street address and zip code to find food items that are nearby. Once the search is done you can add a variety of filters to find foo items specific to your own needs. Filters include a number of calories, specific ingredients, special diets such vegetarian and many more. Once you find a meal that fits your needs the app will offer detailed nutritional information about the food item, such as grams of fat and total calories. The app also suggests any modifications that can be made to make the meal have less calories or less fat.

Clearly, the app can give you the confidence that eating out doesn’t have to be all grease and fat, but how can HealthyOut help in the fight against the freshmen fifteen? A lot of the time college students across the country are very busy and don’t have time to cook every meal for themselves and must order food to be delivered. By using this app, students would be able to find meals and food items that would be healthy for them and not put them in danger of putting on any unwanted weight. If this app was combined with the MyFitnessPal app then students would still be able to keep track of their calories whilst eating out. This would further help them in trying to make better food choices and fight the freshmen fifteen.

Below are screenshots of the various features that the app offers. As you search through the app, each feature is presented in a logical order that makes the app very easy to use.

I sincerely hope that these apps are able to help you and your way to becoming a better eater and having healthier eating habits. We all know what the benefits of eating healthy are, so use these apps to your advantage and reap the rewards,

Fight The Freshmen Fifteen,

Stay Tuned!

Debunking Myths About Nutrition

Nutrition, the process by which we consume and utilize foods, is the supply of nutrients that we need in order to function. Someone who has good nutrition provides themselves with the necessary building blocks for growth and repair, as well as energy for activities of daily living. On the flipside, a person with bad nutrition or eating habits (which is common among college students) is more likely to be energy deprived, more susceptible to illness, and have impaired growth. This blog post will address 8 of the most common myths that are associated with nutrition and food choices. From various types of food, to different quantities of food, to how food is prepared, it is all addressed below.

For more information about by campaign on nutrition for freshmen and fighting the freshman fifteen, be sure to check of my previous blog posts: What are these kids eating? Fight the freshman fifteen and social media and Your guide to nutritional resources

Myth #1: You can’t eat too much protein. False. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) says that increasing protein intake beyond a person’s need can be harmful to health and has been linked with cancer, osteoporosis, and kidney disease. The PCRM also states that the average American diet is already too high in protein and no extra protein consumption is necessary.

Myth #2 Microwaving food is bad. False. The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) states that cooking food in microwave ovens does not reduce the nutritional value of the food anymore then conventional cooking methods. In fact the foods cooked in microwave ovens may keep more of their vitamins and minerals because microwave ovens can cook faster and without adding water. The FDA also provides information on safety and other health concerns with regards to microwaves

Myth #3: Skipping meals results in weight loss. False. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says that while skipping a meal can restrict calories, it often creates an energy deficit too big. Because of this large deficit, your body thinks it is going into famine and adapts so that it uses less calories to perform activities of daily living, resulting in no weight loss.

Myth #4: Vegetarian Food = Healthy Food. False. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics states that a food that has a vegetarian or vegan label might not always be good for ones health. Some vegetarian foods might be high in unhealthy fat or sugar such as veggie burgers or chips. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics also says that the best way to check if a vegetarian food is actually good for you is to check the label. If the product has high levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium, then it might be best to find an alternative.

Myth #5: Caffeine helps with weight loss. True. According to the MAYO Clinic products that contain caffeine such as coffee, and tea can slightly boost weight loss or prevent weight gain. When consumed, caffeine can suppress the appetite for a brief period and can stimulate thermogenesis, which can help to burn calories. The MAYO Clinic also says that the consumption of caffeine must be in moderation as too much can lead to insomnia, nausea, and increased blood pressure among other side effects.

Myth #6: Eating eggs raises blood cholesterol. False. The MAYO Clinic states that while chicken eggs contain a high amount of cholesterol, the actual effect that this has on ones blood cholesterol is minimal. Other nutrients such as saturated fat and trans fat have a much greater effect on one’s cholesterol levels. With that being said is wise to eat eggs in moderation as too many can quickly take you over the recommended 300mg of daily cholesterol.

Myth #7: Eating after 8pm will make you fat. False. According to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) there is no research that indicates that the time of day influences how your body metabolizes food. However many people’s late night eating habits consist of high-calorie foods that are high in fat such as cookies, pizza, and ice cream. It is these extra calories that are consumed that will cause you to gain weight, and not the fact that it is late at night.

Myth #8: It is unhealthy to eat no fat. True. Even though it might be harmful to consume high amounts of fat, cutting it out of your diet altogether can be harmful to your health. The Harvard Medical School states that as well as being a major source of energy, fat is needed to build cell membranes and also helps with the absorption of certain vitamins and minerals. The Harvard Medical School also provides useful information on which fats are better for you, and which fats can be harmful to your health.

As you can see there is a lot of information out there on nutrition and diet. The problem is a large portion of this information can be misguided and actually lead to people developing unhealthy habits that can be harmful to their health. To make sure that you are reading reliable information be sure to stick to websites such as MyPlate, which is a government based project, and The Nutrition Source. Although social media can sometimes be unreliable, there are some pages or users that actually provide useful information with your health and wellbeing as one of their top priorities. A great example of this is the twitter page USDA Team Nutrition, @TeamNutrition. The twitter page provides useful tips and facts regarding nutrition and also provides healthy recipes to help keep you on track.

Stay Tuned

My New Video!!

Check out my new video!!!

https://vimeo.com/127679465

Stay Tuned…

Fight The Freshmen Fifteen & Social Media

Having a healthy diet is often a term that is tossed around without any accuracy, but what does it actually mean? The meaning for every individual or society might be different. However a healthy diet can be referred to as a consuming the right amounts of foods from all of the food groups that meet your personal nutritional needs. In the college environment, having a healthy diet is essential, as often the students are still growing physically and more so, mentally. The goal with my campaign, fight the freshmen fifteen, is to help college students learn the correct habits associated with maintaining a healthy diet so that they will be able to make better choices and support their own growth. I believe that freshmen and other students living on campus must be targeted because they are they are often the students that are away from home for the first time and must learn how to care for themselves by developing good habits, such as not going to taco bell at 2 in the morning!

In support of my campaign I have created a few social media websites to help promote my messages. They can also be used to stay up to date, informed, and find ways to participate in my progress. The campaign fight the freshmen fifteen, is on twitter at @FighTheFifteen and can be used to stay up to date on my latest blog posts and other useful information with regards to fight the freshmen fifteen. The page will also contain links to other sites and social media sources that might be useful.

My YouTube channel, Kip Colvey will be used to post interesting and interactive videos with regards to Healthy diet, nutrition, and how to adapt to food on a college campus. I will be posting links about my latest post to both my YouTube and Twitter accounts to connect all of my social media and make things more accessable to my followers.

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out my previous blog posts, what are these kids eating?, and your guide to nutritional resources

 

Stay Tuned

Your Guide To Nutritional Resources

As stated in my last blog post, there is a big gap in what is and what ought to be when it comes to eating well on a college campus. There is a lot of literature out there to help people learn about, and become better at making healthy food choices. The fact that there is so much information available shows how important the topic is. But not all of the information being provided is credible or even helpful at all. MyPlate, The Nutrition Source, and Shape.com are all three web pages that provide information on how you can adapt your eating habits to have a more balanced diet during your college career.

MyPlate was first created by Michelle Obama and the Federal Government to serve as a reminder to help consumers make healthier food choices. The MyPlate website provides good information on a variety of topics including: nutritional tips, recipes and menus, daily food plans and programs, and strategies for healthy eating on a budget. All of these areas are focus on helping the individual make healthier food choices each and every day. The MyPlate website also has several useful tools including the SuperTracker, which is designed to help track the foods that you are consuming as well as help in the planning and analyzing of you own diet. Another tool that is specifically designed for college students is the MyPlate On Campus Toolkit. The toolkit provides tips on how to use the resources that your campus offers and how to modify your life in order to make healthier food choices so you don’t have to worry about that freshmen fifteen becoming a reality!

The Nutrition Source was originally created in 2001 by the Harvard School of Public Health, and is directed by Lilian Cheung who is a lecturer of Nutrition. The site works to provide information on diet and nutrition for not only the general public but also for clinicians and other health care professionals. The Nutrition Source offers detailed findings on specifics that are within a diet. For example the website explains: the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats, what types of fats one should be eating, the different sources of protein and which ones are more suitable for your diet, as well as tips on the consumption of vitamins. All of the information on their website is backed by credible sources, so you should have no doubts about the tips that they offer.

Shape.com is the website of the fitness magazine Shape. Shape was originally launched in 1981 by Weider Publications, but has since been purchased by American Media. Every single issue of the magazine provides the latest news on health, fitness, and nutrition. Shape.com shadows the magazine and acts like a blog post, sharing all ideas related with health, including nutrition. Since this is a magazine, the information is not necessarily focused on educating on what you can do better your eating habits but more so on what is new and interesting. Most of the posts on the website are just recipes that look great but might not be the best option for a college student. Having said that, there are some good tips that Shape.com has to offer, they are just few and far between.

Having looked through various resources available to the public with regards to health and nutrition, the sites that are sponsored by the government and educational institutions such MyPlate and The Nutrition Source provide the most relevant information that can be used by a college student looking to avoid the freshmen fifteen. Be careful when looking at other social media websites and magazines as they can be misguiding and might not have your best interests in mind.

What Are These Kids Eating?

Eating healthy is a phrase that is tossed around frequently but it is something much easier said than done, especially among college students. Eating healthy on campus is not easy. Typically, food options available are quick and easy for students on the go, and in turn, sacrifice nutritional value.

A recent study shows the eating habits are not up to standard. The study surveyed 582 college students with the average student consuming less than one serving of fruit/vegetables a day, which is much less then the recommendations set by the Centers for Disease Control Prevention. This study highlights the fact that college students are not eating adequately. This is likely because they either are not educated on proper nutritional habits, they are well educated and chose to eat poorly, or the availability healthy food is just not there.

There is a clear gap between what is and what should be. College student don’t have to eat poorly. As this is the first time living away for a lot of people, it is important to develop good eating habits and to educate those who are inadequate not only of what a healthy/well-balanced diet consists of, but also on what the benefits of eating a healthy/well-balanced diet are.