~Hunter Professor
Flying down train escalators. Caffeine rushes. Familiar faces, foreign faces. Oh my.
Fall semester is here. There is always a mix of emotions floating around my head at the start of a new semester. It's a feeling of nostalgia for learning new ideas, theories and knowledge. Then panic briefly strikes at the thought of long tiring nights. The days will certainly pass by and the holidays will arrive in no time. I'm sure most students are concerned about how to keep up their energy.
Our bodies are powerful engines. Yes, they can be fully energized. But, there needs to be the right conditions for our body to emit energy. I recently finished an enlightening self help book by Certified Nutritionist Kimberly Snyder called "The Beauty Detox Solution". Snyder unveils the simple truth of how food effects our digestion process. Our body can process fruits, vegetables and nuts a lot more quickly than starches and animal protein. The longer the digestion process more energy is required by the body to digest the food. Therefore, our bodies are hard at work leaving less time for the cells to carry out processes that can leave our skin glowing and maintain physical/mental energy.
Why is it that we are so tired after eating large holiday meals? It's because we are most likely stuffing animal protein, starches, vegetables and dessert all in a matter of an hour. Our digestion system becomes clogged and our body is hard at work. Some call it the "itis"!
Hopefully this semester you can tweak your eating habits to help you through those all nighters and finals. Try to follow these simple philosophies.
- Before a meal eat your fruits and vegetables first so your stomach can easily absorb its nutrients
- For efficient digestion pair animal protein (beef, chicken, fish) with vegetables/fruits, if you decide to eat starches/carbs (pasta, bread, grains) also eat it along with vegetables/fruits
- Try to avoid eating starches/carbs and animal protein together, it's a full blown workout for the digestive system!
- Hydrate throughout the day, add lemon, don't drink it all at once or else you will have to pee often
- Try a B Multi vitamin (time released) to sustain mental energy throughout the day
- Incorporate probiotic pills for a delivery of good bacteria in the stomach
- Take enzyme capsules or drink Kombucha to help aid the digestive flow
Remember, efficient and easy digestive flow with yield more mental/physical energy!
