Getting Healthy in Nursing School

amfc · Jun 16, 2009

I bring cut up vegetables and fruits, yogurts, granola, and trail mix to class. The biggest thing for me was to NOT bring change with me because of the vending machines. They're so convenient yet everything in them are so unhealthy, lol. Also, bring a water bottle with you. Another thing I do is I bring candy, like airheads and jolly ranchers, only when I have a test for the glucose. I don't know how your class is scheduled, but with ours, we'll be there from 8 to 5 and every hour they let us have a 10 minute break. I take advantage of it to walk around the halls or outside the building.

JBGC4 · Jun 16, 2009

Consume protein and fiber my dear!!! These will help you feel full longer and quicker, all while working on your muscles and improving them while you sit, verses carbs that turn straight to sugar, all while you are sitting down. ALWAYS carry an apple w/ you in your bag along w/ a bag of almonds. Fiber One Bars are amazing!!! They fill you. But BEWARE! You need to make a transition week before class w/ the heavy fiber. It makes you terribly bloated and "gassy" for about a week and then wah-lah! So, I would start before school on the Fiber loading.

oguesswhat · Jun 16, 2009

More to add to the other persons...cheese and crackers, dried fruit, those 100 calorie snack packs (I personally feel as if there is not a lot of food in them but maybe you would think differently I don't know)...that's all I can think of for now.

Cherish · Jun 16, 2009

Consume protein and fiber my dear!!! These will help you feel full longer and quicker, all while working on your muscles and improving them while you sit, verses carbs that turn straight to sugar, all while you are sitting down. ALWAYS carry an apple w/ you in your bag along w/ a bag of almonds. Fiber One Bars are amazing!!! They fill you. But BEWARE! You need to make a transition week before class w/ the heavy fiber. It makes you terribly bloated and "gassy" for about a week and then wah-lah! So, I would start before school on the Fiber loading.

WARNING too much fiber one bars WITHOUT proper hydration (including adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables with high amounts of H2O i.e. melons) will cause you to drink prune juice and sitting on the toilet straining for hours!!!

Best way to get fiber is the NATURAL way barley, kale, raspberries (high fiber fruit!), Legumes (VERY High Fiber), Artichoke, peas (edamame is very portable and good for you:D), Avocadoes (guac and chips anyone?...high in good fatty acids and omegas!).

If you choose to go with FiberOne, watch your intake of fiber rich foods, as FiberOne is used to SUPPLEMENT your diet, it should NEVER replace the fiber that you normally receive from natural fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes.

SnowRain7489 · Jun 17, 2009

I totally understand where you are coming from. Last year, I snacked on saltine crackers, ritz, doritos, pop tarts, peanut butter cheese crackers, etc. I did gain some weight (don't know how much though). I have been working w/ a personal trainer & she said that to fix my snacking problem, I should eat a protein bar/shake. I drink 1 protein shake a week, because it has 21 grams of protein (which is alot), I eat two pieces of fruit and water between breakfast and lunch, I eat one protein bar between lunch and dinner, a few slices of lunch meat with some bread between dinner and sleep. So far it's been working.

madnurse2b · Jun 17, 2009

My favorite study snack is fat free salsa and celery sticks. You can scoop more :yeah:

I turned a bunch of my fellow students on to it - and it helps relieve stress and anger issues with the crunching! LOL

I treat myself by buying the precut celery sticks and carrot sticks and melon, and other fruits (my fave is mango). It's expensive but having it ready to go with no effort on my part is GREAT during school.

msdimplescsuf · Jun 17, 2009

I believe that stress management is a key to staying healthy while in nursing school. Most people eat and eat and eat when they are stressed out. I found that my transition to nursing school was unexpected (I was called the day before school started and asked to start) yet my support system tried to make the move as smooth as possible. I found myself coping with the stress and boredom of all of a sudden being alone in a new city by eating. Now, five weeks into NS, I have started to implement exercising back into my routine which helps me maintain my weight and relieve stress at the same time. Taking fruits and snacks to class helps tremendously and making sure that you don't buy junk food when you go grocery shopping.

JBGC4 · Jun 17, 2009

WARNING too much fiber one bars WITHOUT proper hydration (including adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables with high amounts of H2O i.e. melons) will cause you to drink prune juice and sitting on the toilet straining for hours!!!
Best way to get fiber is the NATURAL way barley, kale, raspberries (high fiber fruit!), Legumes (VERY High Fiber), Artichoke, peas (edamame is very portable and good for you:D), Avocadoes (guac and chips anyone?...high in good fatty acids and omegas!).
If you choose to go with FiberOne, watch your intake of fiber rich foods, as FiberOne is used to SUPPLEMENT your diet, it should NEVER replace the fiber that you normally receive from natural fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes.

This isn't a problem for me. I am a huge fruit and veggie eater as well. I was just offering her something she can carry in her bag w/o spoiling or getting messy.

Cherish · Jun 18, 2009

This isn't a problem for me. I am a huge fruit and veggie eater as well. I was just offering her something she can carry in her bag w/o spoiling or getting messy.

Wasn't picking at ya just that it is well known that MOST people don't get an adequate amount of fruits and vegetables hence the obesity weight issue today. Edamame, guacomole, raspberries, celery, carrots, matter of fact mostly all fruits and some veggies are portable and not quite as messy as you may think. Plus it's cheaper to buy then most processed foods out there as we are college students so budget does matter. Smoothie anyone?