Resolutions with Resolve—Advice from a College Student

I am thrilled to have Mia join our team as a social media intern. Mia joins us from Ohio State University where she’s studying to be an RD. And here she is with us, early in her professional journey, already diving into functional nutrition! Go Mia! DrKF

 

By Mia Rossi

 

With the New Year creeping up very quickly on us all, my thoughts are turning to the best resolution I can make to better myself as a person, and make 2017 the best year I can!

 

As a college student, I am always trying to find ways to keep a healthy lifestyle while being away from home, and it sometimes isn’t easy. My goal for 2017 is to become overall a healthier person, whether that includes going to the gym more often or incorporating more nutrients into my diet. It is important to take care of myself in college (especially when my mom isn’t around to tell me to), and I think keeping things simple and actionable will help me to do so.

 

Your health depends greatly on how you eat, how you exercise, your sleep, your stress levels, even your relationships. Change isn’t always easy, but fortunately there are ways to live a healthier lifestyle and enjoy it as well. If you put good things in your body, you get good things out—words I try to live by.

 

The tricky thing about New Year’s Resolutions is that it seems very easy to quit after the first month or two. If I’m being honest, I don’t even remember what my resolution was last year!

 

This year, my wish is that your resolutions become a part of your long-term lifestyle. To that end, here are my top tips to making your resolution more effective and enjoyable, and keep you from calling it quits:

 

1. Eat color: One important thing we should be doing to eat healthier is coloring our plate with food. Not only will it make food more appealing but we will be getting a host of extra vitamins, minerals and fiber. We’ll also be getting those important phytonutrients as well, like anthocyanins from berries and sulforaphane from cabbage. For example, instead of roasting just broccoli as a side dish in your dinner, try roasting broccoli, cauliflower, peppers and carrots.

 

2. Eat variety: A widespread perception about being healthy seems to be that all you have to do is eat salad. This is not the case. The more you try a variety of healthy recipes, the longer you will be able to keep this going, and the less you will get tired of eating the same thing over and over again. This is a big reason why so many people give up on eating healthy, and if you continue to switch things up, I can promise you that your resolution will begin to become a lifestyle change. Take a look at Dr. Fitzgerald’s recipe page for some ideas if you need them.

 

3. Skip high-caloric beverages: It is far too easy to over-consume calories as drinks. Sugary sodas can leave us feeling bloated and sluggish, and alcoholic drinks can leave us hung-over the next morning. Both will promote weight gain and blood sugar imbalance. Incorporating more water or herbal teas into your diet will leave you feeling much better and cleansed, and you won’t want to go back to your old habits of those high-calorie drinks!

 

4. Get some feel-good work-out accessories: One thing that I like to do is get workout clothes that I feel good in. Instead of wearing a baggy t-shirt and shorts, try getting a pair of patterned leggings and a tank top for comfort and style! It will make you want to get dressed and workout.

 

5. Get an instructor: Another thing I suggest is to take workout classes. I try and take spin or barre classes, because when I have an instructor telling me to do something, I feel more motivated to do it.

 

6. Go with friends: Making exercise a social event can be a great motivator and fun way to stay fit and catch up with friends.

 

Once you start to feel the benefits of eating better and working out, you won’t ever want to go back to the way things were before. Get to that grocery store for fresh, delicious foods, and make sure that gym membership doesn’t go to waste. We’ll be doing it together. Good luck!!

 

 

Mia Rossi is a college student at the Ohio State University. She is an aspiring dietitian major with a minor in psychology. Her passion for food and finding new ways to eat healthy has led her on the track to teach others how to eat right and feel good. Her interest in functional medicine stemmed from her belief that life revolves around what you eat and how you live, and that all these inputs have huge impacts on health.