Don't Forget About Thanksgiving

It is official, holiday season is among us. At this time of year you hear your favorite holiday songs on the radio, see decorative  display  windows, and spot plenty of individuals walking around the streets holding their holiday themed Starbuck’s cups.  But it seems to be that once Halloween is over everyone’s mind goes to thinking about the holidays such as Christmas and Hanukah. But, why is that most tend to not want to celebrate Thanksgiving?

While growing up as a child Thanksgiving was my favorite holiday because it was the holiday that was devoted to food, family, laughter and, let’s not forget FOOD. However, the one problem that most tend to experience during this day is eating with their eyes and not their stomach.

By being away at college and not receiving those daily home cooked meals it can be an overwhelming situation when all of your favorite foods are all in one spot. In this article I will tell you how to how you can avoid that stuffed feeling of a Thanksgiving meal.

1.       Begin your morning like a regular day by partaking in a healthy breakfast.  Try not to tell yourself that you’re going to wait until the Thanksgiving meal to eat because this will more than likely have you overthinking about how hungry you are when it is time to sit down to eat and then you will over eat.

2.       Portion control is a must! I know you may think that your one uncle is going to eat all of your favorite entrée which is why you need to get as much of it as possible while you still have a chance but, this should not be the case. If anything grab yourself a doggy bag so you can have your favorite entrée dish to eat for the next day.

3.       After partaking in your Thanksgiving try and be active. Whether you are being active by going on a nice family walk or you are racing around the mall to find some good black Friday sales just make sure to be active to burn off some of those Thanksgiving calories.

Remember that Thanksgiving only comes around once a year and it is a great time to spend time with the family and reflect on all of the positive things that you have in your life. It is ok to have this day be a cheat day. Just remember all foods in moderation and enjoy every bite.

By: Rachel Johnson and Erin O'Shaughnessy 

Meatless Monday

How many times would you say that you consume meat in a given week? Every day, three times a week? If you feel as though you may be consuming large amounts of meat you may want to partake in the movement that will be explained further in this article. Here at Syracuse University, there is a campaign similar to Healthy Monday that is called Meatless Monday.

Meatless Monday came about by one of our Syracuse University Alumni, Sid Lerner. One day Sid Lerner was thinking about ways in which he could improve his diet after discussing his health with his doctor. At first, Lerner was going to cut meat all together from his diet but he realized that he would miss meat too much. He later did some calculations and decided that by not consuming any meat once a day out of the week would help him in becoming a healthier individual. After Lerner’s discovery advertisement of Meatless Monday, it is now a campaign that is known across the world.  

One reason why one should try and reduce their meat intake is because it can help in reducing their chances of developing heart disease or cancer. Also, studies have shown that by cutting back on red meats and other processed meats it can help against obesity and diabetes.

But, let me remind you that by cutting meat out of your day will not be as beneficial to your health if you do not find healthy choices to supplement for that meat. On the day that you decide you do not want to consume meat eat, vegetables, fruits, nuts and look up meatless recipes.  

If you think that this might be a movement that you may want be a part of feel free to go to http://www.meatlessmonday.com/ and get more information. Also, Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion which is linked to Syracuse University Maxwell College also promotes Healthy Monday. And here is a link to their website dealing with Healthy Monday which I would highly suggest taking a look at.  http://lernercenter.syr.edu/about/heathy_monday.html 

For those of you who do decide to try Meatless Monday I hope that it goes well.  And always remember to be healthy and be happy!

By: Rachel Johnson and Erin O’Shaughnessy

 How many times have you been sitting in class when all of sudden you hear that enormous sneeze from directly behind you? Immediately you feel as though you are being immersed in a million germs! Ladies and Gentleman welcome to flu season. As the air gets colder and winter slowly draws near, illness begins to flourish on campus. This being said, there are ways to stay clear and help prevent the spread of this infamous bug!

At your first convenience, head down to health services and get that flu shot. Health Services is located on 111 Waverly Ave Syracuse, NY 13244. Check out local pharmacies, like Rite-Aid, as other vaccination locations too.

Next, it’s all about personal hygiene, wash those hands! Dirt and germs are everywhere so taking that extra 10 seconds to wash them away can help. Also, try to wipe down surface areas such as tables, school computers and gym equipment before making use of them.

A well nourished body = A strong body. When it’s cold out our immune systems weaken. Get those proper nutrients by eating fresh fruits and veggies. Try preparing yourself a nice hearty soup mixed with a variety of veggies. It’s tasty and hearty healthy!

These are just some tips in keeping yourself illness free! Help prevent that nasty bug from spreading and stay healthy as the holidays approach!

      Rachel Johnson & Erin O'Shaughnessy

Take a Bite Out of Life

       

As fall approached, Syracuse students took full advantage of the beautiful outdoors. With the leaves falling, the brisk air, and ripened apples, orchards flooded with people and Facebook flooded with photos. Abbott Farms and Beak and Skiff Apple Orchard are just some of the many orchards around the Syracuse area where students went to pick their fresh fruit, laugh and enjoy time well spent with friends.

        Not only was the day away from campus a great study break but also a healthy activity! Grocery stores have bags of picked apples that are easily accessible and sorted, but a trip to the orchard allows you to walk around and get in a little exercise while picking your very own fresh and healthy snack. Junior Rachel Schectman, in the picture to the left, enjoyed a nice little workout as she gathered apples and took a bite out of them as well.

        Along with being a healthy snack, these apples are locally grown crisp fruit. Bored of eating apples plain? Spruce it up with these recipes for a fun and exciting new way to eat apples! A personal favorite is a the Kraft Foods: Nilla – Apple Crisp which we tried this weekend with friends.

1.      Food Network’s  2005, Ellie Krieger, Apple Muffin Recipe

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/apple-muffins-recipe/index.html

2.      Kraft Food’s Nilla Apple – Crisp

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/nilla-apple-crisp-104482.aspx

3.      However if you want a quick snack try some sliced apples with some peanut butter on the side.

            

        Enjoy a nutritious and fun time with friends at the apple orchard; even partake in other fun activities after. At the end of your apple-picking take a stroll through the corn maze or for something a little more relaxing, go enjoy a cup of hot apple cider with a cinnamon covered apple donut. Just remember eat them in moderation! Be healthy, be happy!

Erin O’Shaughnessy and Rachel Johnson 
 

What's Coooking in Lyman?!?

We are quickly approaching the end of this fall semester which means we are approaching class selection day for the spring semester. Last Monday night the Falk Healthy Monday crew made our way over to Lyman where we got the opportunity to see Falk College’s, Chef Uyehara, teach his HPM 201 students (also known as Professional Baking) about puff pastries.   Although, this class may not be as healthy as the  Farm to Fork class which is offered as course here at Syracuse University it is delicious. In this class one will learn how to make different desserts from scratch using proper technique and fresh ingredients. That Monday night the class was able to enjoy apple turnovers as displayed on the bottom middle of this article. The class also made cheese danishes topped with whatever topping they desired With that being said, if you have any spare time in your schedule next semester and want a relaxing and delicious class you may want to check out HPM 201 with Chef Uyehara.

Fresh Food

Being a college student sometimes one can forget to put down the bag of Doritos and reach for an apple instead. One may also, feel as though an item such as an apple if inaccessible unless you go to the dining hall. This feeling may also be more prevalent if you are a freshmen living in a dorm without a car. However, there are many ways in which one can get fresh fruits and veggies.

One place you can go to obtain fresh foods, is on 826 Euclid Ave. Here one will find Syracuse Eastside Neighborhood Farmers' Market providing others with goods such as strawberries, apples, squash, tomatoes, potatoes, to items such as cookies, pies and jams. Don’t believe me feel free to look at their Facebook page and look at their market. Although, this market is only open once a week it is still a good resources if you want fresh foods because it is within close proximity of Syracuse University. https://www.facebook.com/syracuseeastsideneighborhoodfarmersmarket

If however, you would like to go to a bigger farmers market one can go to 2100 Park Street Syracuse, NY 13208 to the Central New York Regional Market. At this farmers market vendors from around the area bring varieties of fresh foods to sell at the farmers market. When talking to junior Nicole Williamson she said, “I was surprised at how much food I was able to buy for such a little amount. I was able to get 8 oranges for only $1.” One can go to the market on Thursday’s 7AM – 2PM and Saturday’s 7AM- 2PM.

I hope all of you who read this article get the chance to visit one of these markets and make delicious recipes if you haven’t already done so.

By: Rachel E Johnson

Making Takeout Healthy

Have you ever wondered which school in the country orders the most late night food? Well, wonder no more because on August 28, 2013 Grub Hub reported that Syracuse University held the number one position for the most late night food orders over any other university. Grub Hub even went further in their study to say, “And it's no wonder that many struggle with the "freshmen 15," as college students order 186 percent more mozzarella sticks, 77 percent more cookies, and 71 percent more General Tso's chicken than the average person.”

             

Now, the above statistic is to not to judge anyone for how many times they do or do not order off of Grub Hub.  Let’s face it, we all have those nights of coming home from a long day of classes and nothing in your cupboard or refrigerator is appealing to your taste buds. However, this isn’t the say that when you go to place your order that you cannot purchase and item that is both nutritious and tasty.

            You may be wondering how you can improve your eating habits if you do find yourself ordering late at night. The first thing you should do is think about just how hungry you really are. There is no need to order large amounts of food to eat and not have it properly digest. Next, try not to go for the typical takeout food like pizza, fries or soda. Instead try ordering something that won’t be too heavy on the stomach like half of a sandwich with veggies on the side. Also, try a light but filling soup like a tomato bisque or maybe a butter nut squash soup.

            However, if you do find yourself ordering food late at night and you realize that you want a slice a pizza, this is ok as well. One way that you can make that pizza a little healthier is by asking if the chef would be able to fix the dough with whole wheat flour instead of all purpose. Also, instead of having pounds of mozzarella cheese on your pizza ask to substitute for another type of cheese such as parmesan. Although, I have given you one way in which you can make your late night order a little healthier, there are other typical takeout foods which you can alter to make into a healthy late night dinner. Just remember don’t be afraid to ask the chef for other options so you are able to enjoy your meal properly.

By: Rachel Johnson

 http://alittlenutrition.wordpress.com/2012/03/04/myth-3-late-night-snacking-will-make-you-gain-weight/