August Focuses on Social Wellness

As we prepare for what the next academic year will bring, you may be taking extra precautions to keep you and your family safe and prepared, including making sure you have everything you need at home. We are all much closer to snacks and facing more stress, both of which can trigger overeating and poor food choices. Good nutrition doesn't have to be restrictive or overwhelming. Small goals and changes can have a positive health effect, and every little bit (or bite) is a step in the right direction. Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Treat yourself, but have a plan. From going on a trip to getting ice cream with friends, it's OK to treat yourself. But before you do, have a plan to adjust your meals throughout the day or resume healthy eating afterward.
• Stock up on healthy snacks. When trying to maintain a healthy routine, it helps to have foods on hand that you won't feel guilty about eating. You don't have to clean out your pantry and start over, try swapping out one new snack each week until you find ones you like and can stick to.
• Have an accountability partner. Talking to someone about your healthy eating goals helps in times when you just don't feel like eating healthy. Don't have someone to designate? Join the Foodies or Fitness and Nutrition Gurus social group through the Stay Connected, Stay Social! teams to connect with others on campus.
• Attitude is everything. Sometimes it's easy to say "Well, I already ate unhealthy foods this week, why stop now?" That feeling of "failure syndrome" is extremely common and the good news is there is a simple way to prevent yourself from going down the rabbit hole. Remind yourself why you want ot eat healthy and how you feel when you do. Prove to yourself that you can still be healthy even when you make less-healthy choices.

 

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