Well Now
The Ki^ht Way to a New You
By Dennis Morrisroe
“I know I should
eat better and exer
cise more, but it’s
too hard.”“I want to
eat healthier and to
be in better shape,
but I don’t know
how.” Sound familiar? Odds are that
either you or someone you know has
said these words when the subject of a
healthy lifestyle was brought up.This
feeling of helplessness is completely
understandable given that we are bom
barded with conflicting information
from TV infomercials, fad diet pro
grams, and the often misleading adver
tising of those amazing “FAT FREE!”
foods. It is difficult to know what to
believe and where to start. So how do
you sort out the useful information and
get going on the road to fitness?
Be Informed
Up-to-date and accu
rate information is cru
cial when starting a fit
ness program. Not
knowing the facts can
lead to lack of proper
nutrition or injury. Start
with finding out about the food you
are eating. Many have no idea how
much of each type of food makes up a
healthy diet and what they eat reflects
this lack of knowledge. Fortunately, the
Student Health Center (SHC) offers
free nutrition analysis based on a
detailed food diary. Simply pick-up a
form, available in the Health Education
office on the first floor of the SHC, and
record everything you
eat for three days. A
computer program ana
lyzes the data about
your diet and Peer
Health Educators are
available by appoint
ment to help you inter
pret the results. If you’re
wondering whether you get enough
calcium or protein or B vitamins, the
nutrition analysis program is a good
place to start.
In addition, many students don’t
have all the facts about their current
health status. In a recent survey con
ducted by the SHC, only 43% of the
students polled had their cholesterol
level checked in the past five years.
You can find out your level for free at
the SHC.Testing occurs every Tuesday
and no appointment is necessary. You
can also get your blood pressure
checked while you’re at it.
Moreover, many students may not
know how many calories their bodies
actually require. Each person needs a
different amount of calories based on
their age, height, weight, gender, and
activity level. Each
activity uses calories
and lists are available
that show exactly how
many calories are used
I for a specific type of
exercise. With this
information, a person
can calculate the number of calories
they need to eat and burn off in order
to lose some weight, allowing them to
plan exercise and meals that will meet
their needs in a safe and effective way.
Be Consistent
No matter what some advertisers
say, getting into better shape is no
overnight process. It entails incorporat
ing healthy eating and exercise into
your life every single day over a long
period of time.There are lots of ways
of doing this without having to go to
the gym or for a run. When you go to
work or school, get off the bus early
and walk the rest of the
way. Take the stairs
instead of the
elevator. Sign up for PE
classes or intramurals
where you exercise sever
al times a week and have
fun doing it.
For lunch, stay away
from fat-filled fast foods.
Watch the amount of alcohol you
drink—a few drinks at a party can add
up to half the calories you need for a
whole day and cause the infamous
“beer belly”. Instead of eating out at
restaurants, learn to cook some low-fat
dishes in your own kitchen.
One of the best ways to learn new
and healthy behaviors is to sign-up for
a workshop with the
Health Education
Program.They have a
lending library full of
cookbooks and books
about staying fit, among
others. In addition, each term, the
Program offers several workshops, free
to registered students. Weight manage
ment will be offered this term. See this
page under Fall Workshops for more
information.
Be Realistic
Being healthier will
require changing your
lifestyle and resisting tempta
tion. Avoid joining the ranks
of failed dieters by setting
some attainable goals for
yourself. Write down the
changes you would like to see and the
small steps you will use to get there.
Reward yourself when you attain a
goal with some non-food related treat.
Keep a log each day of exactly what
food you eat and exercise you do.This
log will cause you to look more closely
at the type of
foods you eat
and to map
out the
progress you
are making toward your goals.
Remember that change takes time, so
relax and enjoy the process of becom
ing a healthier person.
Resources
Health Education Program:
Free workshops, peer counseling,
lending library, nutrition analysis, and
cholesterol screening. Main floor of the
SHC, 346-4456.
Carbo4oadm<£!
By Maziar Sattarl
Carbo-ioading?
Many of us have
heard about this
mystical dietary
technique used by
athletes, but not
many of us know
what it is. How do I carbo-load? Is it
for me? Is It a useful practice for all
athletes?
The main and most efficient fuel
used by our bodies comes f rom car
bohydrates, and is stored in mus- ,
eie tissue in the form of glyco
gen. Glycogen, in turn, is bro
ken down into many dif»
fcrent molecules of glu
cose, and is used as ^
the ultimate fuel
source for muscle cells.
Unfortunately, our muscles are
only able to store a limited amount
of glycogen at any one time, amount
ing to only about half a days supply
for a sedentary person. For this rea
son, active people should be sure to
replenish the body ’s supply of mus
cle fuel by eating adequate amounts
of carbohydrates several times
throughout the day. For athletes, suf
ficient dietary maintenance of carbo
hydrates can pose a problem.
According to Jane Brody (1987),
carbo-loading offers a method for
athletes to maintain an adequate sup
ply of muscle glycogen for various
competitions. She recommends the
following program: Starting three
days before an event, decrease the
intensity and amount of your exer
cise program. At the same time,
increase your consumption of carb6
hydrates, concentrating on starchy
foods like pasta, potatoes, and rice.
Carbohydrates should consist of
about 70% of your day’s calories,
with the remaining calories fulfilling
the rest of your daily need for pro
tein and fat. This type of diet should
be consumed as three or four large
meals a day, and has been shown to
super-load muscles with glycogen.
Carbo-loading is recommended
only for occasional, prolonged
endurance events, not as a reg
ular dietary pattern. It is of
, no known benefit to those
3 whose strenuous activity
lasts for only 30-60 min
utes, nor can it help brief, high-inten
sity activities such as sprinting.
Carbo-ioading is a means by which
athletes, as well as other highly
active individuals can maintain suffi
cient amounts of muscle glycogen
for sustained aerobic activity lasting
typically more than an hour. As a
reminder, one should not start such a
program without first consulting
one’s physician and/or trainer.
For more information on carbo
ioading or athletic nutrition, check
out the Health Education lending
library on the first floor of SHC.
References
Brody, J. 1987.Jane Brody’s Nutri
tion Book. New York: Bantam Books.
Well Now Staff
Director of Health Education: Joanne Frank, M.S.
Peer Health Educator Coordinator: Annie Docbnahl, M.S.
Registered Dietitian: Kristen Olmos, M.RH..R.D.
HIV/A1DS Coordinator: John Tullius
Editor of Well Now: Holly Knight, M.A.; John Monahan
Outreach Coordinator: Rick Ginsberg
Salesperson: Anne Amador Production: Ingrid White
Second Term Peer Health Educators: Melissa Durham, Amy
Erenberger, Emilie Hart.Tamberiy Koorndyk, Alesha Liddell, Dennis
Morrisroe, Maziar Sattar-Raoof, Melanie Weber, Lorri Wilson
First Term Peer Health Educators: Jamie Abbott, Greg Byrd,
Jeff Erickson, Amy Getman, Jennifer Hoyt, Dan Maclellan, Lisa
Meneely,Tessa Moser, Mathew O’Brien, Robin W'eber
W l
!SHC!
4, J
Practlcum Students: Melissa Crown,
John Dodd
The Well Now is a newsletter sponsored by the
Student Health Center and produced by the Health
Education staff with the assistance of the Oregon
Daily Emerald.
Fall Workshops
The following workshops are FREE to registered students
Smoking Cessation
This is a six-week educational support group to assist those who are ready to quit tobacco and for those
who have already quit.
Tuesdays, 4:00-5:00 p.m. • October 22-November 26 • Medical Library, Student Health Center
Weight Management
This four-week workshop is designed to assist participants in improving eating habits and
adopting a healthy and more balanced lifestyle.
71
Thursdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m. • October 24-November 14 • Medical Library, Student Health
NIA - (Neuromuscular Integrated Action)
This exercise class combines dance, martial arts and yoga to create a mind-body mcwfcmeiyt ,
form. NIA is wonderful for all levels of fitness and is a relaxing, fun way to start the
"0s!
Fridays, 4:00-5:00 p.m. • October 25-November 15 • Room 219, Gerlinger
SAD - (Seasonal Affected Disorder)
The goal of this class is to increase awareness of the physiological and psychological \
effects of seasonal change and to offer alternatives to cope with this stress, including -
rull spectrum lights, optimal diet and exercise. f ,/• •• V
Wednesdays, 4:30-5:30 p.m. • October 30-November 13 • Medical Library, Student HcalOtCent'er
Call 346-4456 to register or for more information. Drop-in s welcome!
This four-page insert is a paid advertising supplement. Material contained herein was provided and paid for by the Student (fi&stfsir.