College is an exciting time. For many students, it's their first extended stint living away from mom and dad.
But the stress of maintaining good grades, living on a limited income, and getting along with roommates can take its toll, mentally and physically.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers these suggestions for staying healthy at college:
- Get regular medical checkups and vaccinations.
- Get plenty of sleep. Sleep deprivation can lead to bad grades, depressed mood, and difficulty maintaining relationships. It also raises your risk of chronic problems including diabetes and heart disease.
- Make time for regular exercise.
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Don't ignore symptoms of depression.
- Don't abuse drugs or alcohol.
- Take precautions to prevent sexually transmitted disease.
Health Tip: Evaluate Your Eating Habits
If you've tried various diets and can't seem to lose weight, maybe it's time to re-evaluate your eating habits.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers these suggestions:
- Keep a diary of all foods you eat, when you ate them, how you were feeling, and what you were doing when you ate. Review the diary after a few days and look for patterns in your habits.
- Take note of factors such as how quickly you ate, how much you ate, any meals you skipped, when you ate dessert, and when you ate despite not being hungry.
- Think about why you have those eating habits, and choose those that you'd like to change.
- Use your diary to figure out what causes you to eat when you aren't hungry (factors such as stress, while watching TV or being bored). Figure out of how to avoid eating in response to those triggers.
- Be consistent with your new eating habits, and realize that it may take time for them to stick.
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