Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

The Paisano

Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

The Paisano

Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

The Paisano

    How to be and stay healthy

    Your morning class is dismissed and you immediately race out to grab some food before your next class. Two breakfast tacos and a large coffee later, you make it to your next class with only a minute to spare.

    You start to panic when your psychology teacher begins reviewing for the five-chapter mid-term that completely slipped your mind because now you have only a short 48 hours to prepare.

    You sigh while planning out how you will pull this off; all you can think of is picking up some fast food and about four energy drinks to fuel you while you study and canceling your original plans to go out with your friends.

    College life has responsibilities that can be difficult to juggle, and with your focus on so many different things, sometimes it’s easy to forget the importance of taking care of yourself.

    Your body’s health is what allows you to attend class, study, work a part-time job, attend extra-curricular activities and spend time with your friends, so you must not neglect it.

    According to an article by Earl Salzman from Healthy Living Magazine, “‘Too little time’ is the most common excuse people give for not engaging in healthy behaviors. To counteract this, make a timetable of your typical day.”

    A timetable will help you manage your time and include activities that enhance a healthy lifestyle. Create simple guidelines that you can follow every day to ensure that you’re treating your body right.

    A good place to start is by making sure you’re practicing healthy eating habits. Nancy Hellmich, USA Today, mentioned a recent survey by Tufts University where they found that “66 percent of freshmen don’t consume the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, and 50 percent of all students don’t get enough fiber (25 grams a day).”

    Getting the correct amount of nutrients that your body needs to function is an essential part of healthy living, and implementing this habit into your life now will make it easier to follow long after your college years.

    Another good habit to work into your college schedule is working out or getting other kinds of physical activity. Studies from the National Health Interview Survey show that “when considering all leisure-time physical activity, 33 percent of adults were considered inactive, 33 percent of adults had some leisure-time physical activity and 35 percent of adults engaged in leisure-time physical activity on a regular basis.”

    The UTSA Campus Rec is the on-campus recreation center available to ensure that you are getting the right amount of daily, physical activity. For those who aren’t interested in working out, there are also intramural sports and fitness classes available.

    Thirty minutes of daily physical activity also provides time to take your mind off of class deadlines, relieve some built up aggression and de-stress.

    Before you pick up that energy drink or cup of coffee in order to pull an all-nighter for studying, take into consideration that getting enough sleep is also a vital part of staying healthy.

    “Not getting enough sleep has been linked to a laundry list of mental and physical health problems, including those that stem from an impaired immune system,” Denise Mann, WebMD.com, said.

    Your immune system keeps bad germs and bacteria from negatively infecting your body, so, when you lose sleep, you are potentially inviting a cold or flu to take control and make you sick. Making sure you get enough sleep every night will help ensure your overall health.