Nutrition aids success

By Luke Newby/reporter

Students set out to maximize their time spent in college, mapping courses and working hard toward a degree plan, yet sometimes they neglect physical health as part of their holistic success. 

NE kinesiology instructor Victoria Babb said healthy eating, sleeping and exercise are all important. 

“These improve mood, health, well-being, self-esteem, motivation, energy level and overall sense of purpose,” she said. “This is what results in the positive correlation to success within the classroom. There are a lot of studies that show increased GPA related to time spent sleeping, exercising and eating well.”

Holistic success is the result of multiple choices. NW health and physical education associate professor Tonia Swan explained the causes and effects of those choices.

“Maybe you have noticed yourself more irritable when you are tired, or maybe you have more trouble concentrating without a nutritious meal, or maybe you get sick more often when you are stressed,” she said. “These are all proof of the correlation between our health and how effective we can be as humans with proper health.”

Diet and healthy eating are two different things because diet tends to be a short-term habit, Swan said. 

“We are surrounded by temptations,” she said. “The three main reasons why students do not maintain their health throughout the day are taste, convenience and cost. One thing students can do is just remember why you eat. There is a simple purpose to eating, and that is to sustain our bodies.”

Swan said students should listen to their bodies and nurture them according to their needs.

“Be your own healthy,” she said.

TCC offers fitness centers on all five physical campuses to make it more convenient for students to exercise. 

“Take advantage of our campus gym and our fitness classes,” Babb said. “Fitness classes are a fun way to get course credit while also starting an exercise regimen. A lot of students who start taking fitness classes will notice obvious changes in their life and start to take more, which encourages nutrition goals and contributes to overall well-being.”

Babb provided practical tips to help students begin developing healthy habits.

“Stop drinking Cokes. This includes all sodas and sugary drinks,” she said. “These have zero nutritional value and only cause damage to your body. Add one veggie snack to your day and bring it with you to school. This will help decrease the temptation of the bag of chips. Keep a food log because most people underestimate how many calories they consume on a daily basis. Park farther away everywhere you go. A few extra steps per day will add up.”