Living at home, students have parents to take care of nutrition. Healthy meals are typically offered on some kind of a regular basis. When students leave the nest and head off to college, however, nutrition problems can rise up and cause problems in other areas. Without anybody to remind them it’s time for dinner and push them to eat their vegetables, students busy with lectures or holed up in dorms taking online college classes can quickly pack on pounds and watch their health deteriorate. Here are some tips to help college students everywhere avoid the weight gain of freshman year and maintain their great health:

Eat Regularly

Skipping meals will only lead to unstable blood glucose levels and unhealthy eating. Dining on a regular basis will keep blood sugar stable. This means you can’t keep skipping lunch to go talk with friends. Grab something to go from the cafeteria and take it along with you. If you have to study during lunchtime then you should take the books with you to the cafeteria and eat while you catch up on your reading.

Healthy Munchies

When you’re cramming for an exam into the wee hours of the morning it’s normal to get hungry for a snack. Enjoying a nibble of something during study sessions is perfectly fine, as long as you’re choosing healthy snacks. Invest in a small, dorm-size refrigerator that you can stock with yogurt, blocks of cheese, and fresh fruits and vegetables. Nuts are also a healthy snack that can be enjoyed anytime. The next time your study session goes late, don’t just order pizza.

Have it Handy

If you don’t have healthy snacks in your dorm room then you won’t be able to take advantage of them. When you’re at the store picking up foods you can grab in a hurry, take the time to choose healthy ones. Leave the chips at the store and head back to campus with sunflower seeds and a bunch of bananas.

Watch out at Parties

Of course you make time for the occasional party. After all, you’ve got to blow off steam sometime. The problem is parties are usually stocked with snacks that aren’t too good for your body. Don’t skip dinner and then head to the party thinking you’ll eat there. Before you go to the party, chow down on a healthy snack and a big glass of water. You’ll find it easier to turn down the junk food, and have more time to visit with friends instead of scavenging.

Sleep Still Matters

It doesn’t matter how old you get, you’ll always need plenty of sleep. The connection between sleep deprivation and weight gain shouldn’t be underestimated. Give yourself the best chance at success by making sure you’re getting enough sleep. Late-night study sessions may be necessary once in a while, but they should never be a regular habit.

Hydrate

The importance of drinking enough water can’t be stressed enough. Staying hydrated keeps your body healthy and helps you control your appetite and cravings. Invest in a closeable water bottle and keep it with you throughout the day. Sip on it in every class and between classes to ensure that you get all the water your body demands.

Heading off to college is full of challenges. There are new schedules to adjust to and the high demands of professors. Taking care with your nutrition and making healthy choices will make it easier to make the transition and be successful, not to mention make it easier for you to maintain the trim figure you enjoyed in high school.

Want to keep your mind sharp, lower your cholesterol, keep your bones strong and prevent hardening of your arteries? Then blueberries are for you! They’re sweet taste may make you pop them like candy, only they won’t enlarge your waistline. Blueberries are a new super food – packed with power from their rich blue color loaded with antioxidants. This berry contains a number of compounds that researchers believe have many medicinal properties that can be applied to treating various diseases.

New research is discovering how phytochemicals from blueberries protect healthy cells from damage and slow the growth rate of pre-cancerous cells keeping cancer at bay. Research has shown that, as with cranberries, blueberries can help ward off urinary tract infections by preventing infection-causing bacteria from sticking to the walls of the urinary tract. Blueberries can also help make blood platelets less sticky, lowering the risk of blood clots and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Want to learn how to make this super food part of your healthy lifestyle? Then check out the tips below.

What Types Of Blueberries Should I Eat?

• Fresh, frozen, dried and as juice – all types of blueberries are packed with power
• Wild blueberries contain 40% more antioxidant potential than cultivated varieties.
• If choosing blueberry juice, try to avoid the brands with added sugars or mixed with other juices.
• Frozen blueberries taste great, cost less and can be enjoyed all year round.
• The darker the color the more anthocyanins and the higher the antioxidant potential. Anthocyanins are the anti-oxidant coloring compounds that make blueberries blue.

  How Much Do I Need To Eat?

• A 1/2 cup serving 3 to 4 times per week to help maximize your body defenses.
• To keep your antioxidant levels high, try eating smaller amounts of blueberries throughout the day.

What Are Some Tasty Blueberry Treats?

• Home-made baked goods, jams, pies, whole grain pancakes, smoothies and as a topping on low fat frozen yogurt.
• Briefly microwave frozen berries, remove and gently mix them together to spread heat evenly. Add to vanilla or plain yogurt, topped with whole grain cereal, walnuts* and cinnamon to start your day the antioxidant way.
• Instead of a mango or peach salsa to accompany fish or chicken, try experimenting with a blueberry base salsa.
• Chop dried blueberries in a blender along with almonds and raspberry jam to make a fruit chutney – tastes great on top of a sweet potato or with ricotta on toasted whole grain toast.
• Blueberries make a great snack for toddlers or preschool aged children, for infants try cutting them in half, or use the smaller wild variety also available frozen.
• Pack them for your child’s snack or in their lunch box in a small re-usable plastic container to keep them from getting squished.
• Blend frozen blueberries with a frozen banana, a tablespoon or orange juice and a dash of cinnamon to create a delicious frozen sorbet.

How To Choose Them

• When buying fresh berries choose those that are firm, uniform in size and indigo blue with a silver, powdery look.
• Rinse thoroughly just before serving. While best eaten right away, they will keep refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Halas-Liang, MA, RD, CDE, CNSD is the Program Coordinator for the Online Certificate in Nutrition for Optimal Health, Wellness, and Sports. This program is offered in partnership with Colleges/Universities throughout the nation and can be taken anywhere. To learn more, go to http://www.efslibrary.net . She is also founder of http://www.superkidsnutrition.com , where she is “saving the world, one healthy food at a time (TM).”

Though I’m not a great fan of the infamous Strawberry Shortcake cartoons, I remembered many of my childhood friends were. But strawberries have always been one of my favourite fruits – bright red, juicy and sweet. They make excellent healthy snacks for any time of the day by dipping in sugar or simply eating them plain.

Strawberries are also chosen as perfect ingredients for salads, smoothies, bread, cakes and desserts, especially fondues. Due to their bright, appealing appearance, chefs also like to use them as decorations to enhance the presentation of dishes, making them more appetizing to the guests.

How did strawberry get its name?

It was believed that the word "strawberry" did not exist until 1538. During the harvest time, children would pick the fruits and string them on straws of grass to be sold, thus the fruit was named "strawberry".

In the olden days, strawberries originated from the wilderness of Europe and America. Wild strawberries are small and tend to bear fruits only during month of June. But now the berries we buy today are much bigger in size because they had been cross-pollinated by scientists over the years. The scientists crossbred the wild species with the Chilean strawberries which were so much bigger in size than the wild berries.

What are the nutritional properties in strawberries?

Strawberries are the only known fruit to have their seeds outside, with an average of 200 seeds per fruit. The leaves and roots of strawberries are claimed for their medicinal benefits in terms of easing diarrhea, digestive upsets and gout. You’ll find strawberries leaves in blended herbal teas. The fruit juice is also useful in soothing sunburns, cure skin blemishes and remove discolouration on the teeth.

Nutrients found in strawberries include vitamin A, C and B6, fiber, potassium, folate and various antioxidants and flavonoids. These nutrients are important in boosting your immune system against diseases like cardiovascular diseases and cancers.

Compared to fruits like apples, oranges or bananas, they score highest in most of the nutrients. For example, 100g strawberries contain 60mg Vitamin C, which is more than 100g of oranges (50mg) will have. Best of all, they are low in calories and absolutely fat-free!

The Fighter against Heart Disease

Potassium, fiber and folate present in strawberries help combat heart disease. Studies have proved that potassium can significantly lower blood pressure, which may then reduce the risk of heart disease. Fiber, both soluble and insoluble, also lowers the risk of both cardiovascular diseases and hypertension. Homocysteine, an independent risk factor for heart disease, can be reduced by folate.

The antioxidants also deter the oxidation of bad cholesterol. Oxidation speeds up the build-up of arteries-hardening plague, also known as arteriosclerosis, which endangers the heart. Besides as an antioxidant, the flavonoids have anti-inflammatory effect on arteries, meaning they prevent blood clotting, thereby reduces risk of stroke.

The Fighter against Cancer

Because strawberries are highly effective in fighting oxidation activity, they are ranked the top among 12 fruits that were analyzed. The credits go to the high levels of polyphenols and Vitamin C in strawberries.

Antioxidants protect your body cells from damage by carcinogens, the cancer-causing agents. They inhibit the carcinogens formation, block its initiation, as well as suppress the progression and spread of tumors. When strawberry extracts were added to cancer cells, it was found that it slows down the cancer’s growth.

The Booster for Immune System

To have a long and healthy life, your immune system is the key. It is responsible for fighting infections and removing damaged or malfunctioning cells. But bad news is, your immune system ages with your age. So to maintain your immune system in tip-top condition, you need to load your body with plenty of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

As mentioned earlier, strawberries provide most of the nutrients beneficial to your immune system, and the body easily absorbs these nutrients.

Top Ten Skincare Food

In United States, strawberries are rated as one of the best foods for skin care and weight loss. Studies have shown that regular intake of strawberries can improve skin and hair conditions. They help you lose weight, due to its high fiber content and aspartic acid , so they are often included in a weight loss diet plan. The role of aspartic acid is to remove excess toxins from your body.

Selection and Storage

In the past, strawberries are not commonly found in supermarkets. But now with the help of technology, you can buy them any time of the year as they are flown in from Austrialia or United States.

When choosing fresh fruit, look for ones that are a bright, deep red and very glossy, without green or white hard tips. The caps and leaves should be fresh green. If you like sweet strawberries, go for the bright red, smaller ones. Large ones can be watery.

Also ensure the top layer of ripe berries isn’t hiding an unripe layer underneath because strawberries will not ripen after they were harvested. If there are red stains or liquid leaking from the box bottom, it means the berries had been on the shelf for too long and thus, not worth your money.

If you want your strawberries to stay fresh and last longer, do not wash them until you want to use them. Place them in a container, preferably in layers with paper towels in between the layers, and a dry paper towel at the bottom.

When you are ready to use them, wash them with the caps attached, under cool running water. The caps protect the strawberries from absorbing excessive water and turning soggy. After washing, you can remove the caps by slightly twisting them or cut with a fruit knife.

Laura Ng is passionate in providing quality nutritional facts and health tips, plus recommending 100% toxic-free vegan recipes to anyone who cares about his/her health. Join her iOneHealth Club now to receive more health secrets and freebies available to her members only. You’ll gain plenty but lose nothing. Promised. Visit http://www.ionehealth.com now.