Alcohol Part Three: The Freshman Fifteen
"The Freshman 15" is a term that is used to describe the "supposed" 15 lbs that a freshman student gains in their first year of college. Now is this scientifically proven? No. It could be more like the Freshman 5 or the Freshman Minus-10...it all depends on the person going to school. My weight fluctuated down my freshman year and then up my sophomore year - again, it just depends on the person. BUT, what we cant deny is that it is obvious with many students that come back from school their first year, that they have gained weight. Maybe not 15 lbs, but something noticeable. So, what is the deal with this weight gain?
Well, there are many many factors that set up a young college student for an unhealthy lifestyle:
1) Sleep.
Most people don't know this, but sleep is a HUGE factor in our body's state of health. This is one of the hidden reasons behind why adults cant seem to lose weight even though they are exercising and eating right. The fact is, that hormones are regulated during our sleep patterns and there are 2 specific hormones that deal with weight: Leptin and Ghrelin. Leptin (greek: leptos = thin) is the hormone that signals our brain to tell us that we are full. This feeling of fullness is called "satiety". Not "Im so full I feel like I want to explode" - that is an unhealthy form of fullness. Ghrelin does just the opposite - ghrelin tell us that we are hungry.
In a study done out of Stanford University (This one is for you Tyler) they were able to demonstrate a relationship between sleep and metabolic hormones stating, "...where chronic sleep restriction is common and food is widely available, changes in appetite regulatory hormones with sleep curtailment may contribute to obesity." Did you know that people who sleep 2-4 hours per night are 73% more likely to be obese than normal sleepers? Interesting how this ties in with college life. In fact, the study showed a 14.9% increase in ghrelin (hunger) and a 15.5% decrease in leptin (fullness) in people who consistently slept for five hours compared with those who slept for eight!
This means that....
2. Funds - Fast Food is cheap.
This topic ticks me off more than any other topic out there. It is absolutely maddening to me that when you drive through fast food places, the burger or tacos is a dollar and to add apples instead of fries is an extra charge. Are you kidding me??
This is one of the biggest excuses I hear as to why someone isnt able to "eat healthy". Because its just too expensive. Now, in some cases, yes the organic produce can be expensive (a post on organics and if its worth it is coming soon), but there are plenty of things you can buy for cheap that will last you a long time and are healthier choices than the drive thru. Here are just a few examples:
3. Meal Times.
College is CRAZY for timing. You cant help what classes you get or when you need to leave to make it to class on time. Sometimes you'll have back to back classes for 5 hours and other times you'll have class right in the middle of normal meal hours and even at night. So you know what this means? Planning and organization.
You should never go more than 4 hours without eating max. The metabolism feels more comfortable when it gets a little nourishment throughout the day rather than having 2-3 big meals with lots of time in between. If you go long enough without eating the body can slip into a panic mode and think its "starving" in which case it begins to store nutrients (and protein, fat, carbs) in case you need it. The human body works for survival remember, and it is going to do everything it can to prevent the worst.
Create an emergency pack to keep in your dorm, backpack/purse, pantry, office, etc. Have non-perishable items in there that include protein, produce, carbohydrate and fat. Examples: foil tuna packs, crackers, mandarin orange cups, whole oranges or apples, beef or turkey jerky, raw nuts/seeds, dried fruit, etc. This way youll always have a healthy alternative when you start to come up on 4 hours without eating. This will prevent a run to a drive thru or unhealthy food choice.
4. Dating.
You meet lots of really cool people when in college and around the college age, so naturally youll be eating out with someone you like. Restaurants cook for flavor, not for health. This means that no matter what you order its going to have more fat or calories in it than you think. Thats okay, just make some smart choices. Always ask for dressing on the side, extra veggies and a to-go box. Arrange your plate to look like the plate model (refer to previous blogpost: http://crave-health.blogspot.com/2009/02/portion-sizes-vs-serving-sizes.html). And make sure you watch how much of that bread or chips you take before the food even comes! Dont be afraid to modify and substitute your order, so many people do this now that restaurants are used to it and dont mind at all. Plus, it might show that person you like across the table that you are confident and can take initiative :)
5. Alcohol.
Like we said before, alcohol has calories. About 100-150 per drink. Most people dont have just one either. So you need to weigh your options, whats really worth it?
The biggest thing Ive seen students do is "save up" their calories for the drinks in the evening. HUGE mistake. Do not do this. You are basically starving your body all day, creating a storage of nutrients, and then adding a toxin into the body afterwards, creating more storage of nutrients. You will get sick if you do this and will also increase your risk for alcohol poisoning. So DO NOT DO THAT!
The craziest thing that tends to happen after a night out drinking is the urge to hit the drive-thru on the way home. Most everyone who has been drinking that night will probably beg the designated driver to hit whatever local fast food place is open on the way home. This happens with guys, girls, after a few drinks or a lot, and theres a physiological reason for this crazy craving at 2am.
The liver is the organ that is responsible for metabolizing toxins in the body. Alcohol is considered a toxic substance to our body - crazy that we still consume it huh? The liver is also responsible for regulating our blood sugar levels, along with the pancreas. The pancreas produces insulin - a hormone that brings blood sugar levels down - and the liver breaks down food into glucose and pulls glucose from storage (making blood sugar levels go up) in order to keep that blood sugar balance with the insulin. Okay cool, so the pancreas produces insulin to make blood sugar levels go down and the liver sends glucose to make the levels go up - they work together to balance. The only problem is that the liver can only do one thing at a time....and what do you think the livers' priority is when a toxin enters the body? Yeah, it works to get the toxin out of there first. That means that it stops sending glucose...but the pancreas is still sending insulin....uh oh. This creates a drop in our blood sugar levels. A drop in blood sugar signals the brain that we need glucose, and our body is smart enough to know that we can get glucose fastest from carbohydrates! Which is why some people experience strong sugar cravings without alcohol, but also explains why we get "hungry" when we drink. Its a false hunger. And when you drink without eating those levels drop even faster.
A simple fix is to eat when you drink. Paring alcohol with adequate protein and carbs will help keep your blood sugar levels stable. And if you didn't eat and are experiencing that hunger, rather than that double cheeseburger at 2am, go home and drink 6oz of orange juice and wait 10 mins. Your blood sugar will slowly come up, making you feel much better. You don't need more than 6oz, and you'll probably also need a lot of water! If you can avoid this drive-thru thing every time you drink, I bet you wont gain weight. If you follow all these guidelines and be sure to get your exercise in for heart health, you'll be in great shape all the way through that freshman year.
Blessings,
Ashley
Disclaimer: I am in no way condoning underage drinking. It is against the law to consume alcohol under the age of 21 in the US and I support that fully. Its no secret that kids across our nation are drinking underage and most of that increase coming during the college years. This phenomenon called the "Freshman Fifteen" is a topic of health concern that I feel comfortable addressing; but in no way do I encourage or support someone under the age of 21 consuming alcohol. Got it?
Well, there are many many factors that set up a young college student for an unhealthy lifestyle:
- lack of sleep / crazy sleep patterns
- lack of funds for healthy food / fast food intake
- skipping meals due to classes or studying
- eating out on dates (seriously this one is sneaky but its true!)
- and last but not least, increased alcohol intake
1) Sleep.
Most people don't know this, but sleep is a HUGE factor in our body's state of health. This is one of the hidden reasons behind why adults cant seem to lose weight even though they are exercising and eating right. The fact is, that hormones are regulated during our sleep patterns and there are 2 specific hormones that deal with weight: Leptin and Ghrelin. Leptin (greek: leptos = thin) is the hormone that signals our brain to tell us that we are full. This feeling of fullness is called "satiety". Not "Im so full I feel like I want to explode" - that is an unhealthy form of fullness. Ghrelin does just the opposite - ghrelin tell us that we are hungry.
In a study done out of Stanford University (This one is for you Tyler) they were able to demonstrate a relationship between sleep and metabolic hormones stating, "...where chronic sleep restriction is common and food is widely available, changes in appetite regulatory hormones with sleep curtailment may contribute to obesity." Did you know that people who sleep 2-4 hours per night are 73% more likely to be obese than normal sleepers? Interesting how this ties in with college life. In fact, the study showed a 14.9% increase in ghrelin (hunger) and a 15.5% decrease in leptin (fullness) in people who consistently slept for five hours compared with those who slept for eight!
This means that....
2. Funds - Fast Food is cheap.
This topic ticks me off more than any other topic out there. It is absolutely maddening to me that when you drive through fast food places, the burger or tacos is a dollar and to add apples instead of fries is an extra charge. Are you kidding me??
This is one of the biggest excuses I hear as to why someone isnt able to "eat healthy". Because its just too expensive. Now, in some cases, yes the organic produce can be expensive (a post on organics and if its worth it is coming soon), but there are plenty of things you can buy for cheap that will last you a long time and are healthier choices than the drive thru. Here are just a few examples:
- Grains. Dried beans or grains in the bags at the bottom of the aisles are sometimes under a dollar, and usually wont be much more than a dollar. There are plenty of servings for one in that bag of brown rice or black beans, it just takes time to cook them (unless you have a pressure cooker or rice cooker of course).
- Fruit and Veggies. Fresh or frozen, there is always produce that is on sale for __cents per pound. Make sure you actually eat it and it doesnt rot on your counter and its worth the money. If the fresh is too expensive frozen produce is just as good if not better! Produce is frozen soon after being picked so the vitamins and minerals remain in the fruit/veggie. Sometimes fresh produce (if not bought locally) can be on a truck for weeks before ending up in the store, meaning those nutrients have been fading that whole time.
- Cans. Canned beans, olives, mandarin oranges, etc is a great way to round out a meal cheaply. Just rinse the contents with water before eating to take care of the excess sodium issue and with mandarin oranges try to find brands that are canned in their own juice or water - not heavy or light syrups.
- Eggs. A dozen eggs are just a couple bucks - you can do scrambles, egg sandwiches, eggs salads, breakfast for dinner, etc. Great source of protein.
3. Meal Times.
College is CRAZY for timing. You cant help what classes you get or when you need to leave to make it to class on time. Sometimes you'll have back to back classes for 5 hours and other times you'll have class right in the middle of normal meal hours and even at night. So you know what this means? Planning and organization.
You should never go more than 4 hours without eating max. The metabolism feels more comfortable when it gets a little nourishment throughout the day rather than having 2-3 big meals with lots of time in between. If you go long enough without eating the body can slip into a panic mode and think its "starving" in which case it begins to store nutrients (and protein, fat, carbs) in case you need it. The human body works for survival remember, and it is going to do everything it can to prevent the worst.
Create an emergency pack to keep in your dorm, backpack/purse, pantry, office, etc. Have non-perishable items in there that include protein, produce, carbohydrate and fat. Examples: foil tuna packs, crackers, mandarin orange cups, whole oranges or apples, beef or turkey jerky, raw nuts/seeds, dried fruit, etc. This way youll always have a healthy alternative when you start to come up on 4 hours without eating. This will prevent a run to a drive thru or unhealthy food choice.
4. Dating.
You meet lots of really cool people when in college and around the college age, so naturally youll be eating out with someone you like. Restaurants cook for flavor, not for health. This means that no matter what you order its going to have more fat or calories in it than you think. Thats okay, just make some smart choices. Always ask for dressing on the side, extra veggies and a to-go box. Arrange your plate to look like the plate model (refer to previous blogpost: http://crave-health.blogspot.com/2009/02/portion-sizes-vs-serving-sizes.html). And make sure you watch how much of that bread or chips you take before the food even comes! Dont be afraid to modify and substitute your order, so many people do this now that restaurants are used to it and dont mind at all. Plus, it might show that person you like across the table that you are confident and can take initiative :)
5. Alcohol.
Like we said before, alcohol has calories. About 100-150 per drink. Most people dont have just one either. So you need to weigh your options, whats really worth it?
The biggest thing Ive seen students do is "save up" their calories for the drinks in the evening. HUGE mistake. Do not do this. You are basically starving your body all day, creating a storage of nutrients, and then adding a toxin into the body afterwards, creating more storage of nutrients. You will get sick if you do this and will also increase your risk for alcohol poisoning. So DO NOT DO THAT!
The craziest thing that tends to happen after a night out drinking is the urge to hit the drive-thru on the way home. Most everyone who has been drinking that night will probably beg the designated driver to hit whatever local fast food place is open on the way home. This happens with guys, girls, after a few drinks or a lot, and theres a physiological reason for this crazy craving at 2am.
The liver is the organ that is responsible for metabolizing toxins in the body. Alcohol is considered a toxic substance to our body - crazy that we still consume it huh? The liver is also responsible for regulating our blood sugar levels, along with the pancreas. The pancreas produces insulin - a hormone that brings blood sugar levels down - and the liver breaks down food into glucose and pulls glucose from storage (making blood sugar levels go up) in order to keep that blood sugar balance with the insulin. Okay cool, so the pancreas produces insulin to make blood sugar levels go down and the liver sends glucose to make the levels go up - they work together to balance. The only problem is that the liver can only do one thing at a time....and what do you think the livers' priority is when a toxin enters the body? Yeah, it works to get the toxin out of there first. That means that it stops sending glucose...but the pancreas is still sending insulin....uh oh. This creates a drop in our blood sugar levels. A drop in blood sugar signals the brain that we need glucose, and our body is smart enough to know that we can get glucose fastest from carbohydrates! Which is why some people experience strong sugar cravings without alcohol, but also explains why we get "hungry" when we drink. Its a false hunger. And when you drink without eating those levels drop even faster.
A simple fix is to eat when you drink. Paring alcohol with adequate protein and carbs will help keep your blood sugar levels stable. And if you didn't eat and are experiencing that hunger, rather than that double cheeseburger at 2am, go home and drink 6oz of orange juice and wait 10 mins. Your blood sugar will slowly come up, making you feel much better. You don't need more than 6oz, and you'll probably also need a lot of water! If you can avoid this drive-thru thing every time you drink, I bet you wont gain weight. If you follow all these guidelines and be sure to get your exercise in for heart health, you'll be in great shape all the way through that freshman year.
Blessings,
Ashley
