There are no major benefits of extra antioxidants from pills or special drinks. Get your nutrients from food instead!

Most people don’t need to soup up their diet with extra vitamins and antioxidant supplements. If you eat a well-balanced diet rich in whole grains, fruits, veggies, and lean protein, you should be getting the nutrients you need.

Caveats to that are iron, vit. D and calcium, which many people don’t get enough of! Iron and folic acid supplements are recommended for women of childbearing age, endurance athletes and vegetarians. Fatigue is a symptom of low iron (anemia). 

Research has yet to show any benefits to high doses of antioxidants. A Cochrane Review that analyzed 67 studies on antioxidant supplements found they do not lower people’s risk of death or prevent disease. Supplement your diet with extra veggies instead : )

Chef Presentation cooking featured at Edmondson Dining Room at Collin this week!

Visit Collins dining hall tonight (Tues.), or this Thursday between 5 and 7pm to enjoy 'Noodle Bowls'!

It's a great option for those on a gluten-free diet, as the entree utilizes rice noodles and stif-fry veggies of your choice. Wed., March 30th at Collins there will be a chef presentation omelet bar from 5-7pm.

If you don't live at Collins or have not been there for a meal, get some friends together and make the trip! It's the most vegetarian-friendly dining hall on campus and regularly offers vegan options as well!

Can’t stop eating until you’re stuffed? Dine with people who practice portion control.

You may think eating alone is a way to cut back on calories. After all, if you’re not distracted by conversation and you’ll be more mindful of how much food you’re shoveling into your mouth.

...But that isn’t always the case. While some people eat less when dining solo, others chow down when no one is watching. If you frequently overeat, your best bet is to dine with people who practice portion control. We unconsciously mirror others’ habits and eat less when others are doing the same. Likewise, if you choose a salad over fries, your friends may opt for something more healthful too!

Move more, eat well...live longer!!! Even modest amounts of exercise and fruit and veggies — along with not smoking — could add years to your life span.

A recent study in the Archives of Internal Medicine tells us what most of us probably already know: Bad habits like smoking, drinking too much, being sedentary and not eating enough fruits and vegetables can age a person by 12 years.

You don’t have to be extreme in your habits to see benefits. Even two hours of exercise a week and three servings of fruits and veggies per day offer a protective effect! Of course, we recommend at least that much, but once you achieve that, aim for four cups of produce and 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day.

Where do I start?! 

Visit the Eat Right concept at Gresham and Wright (next to Classic Comforts in the food court). It's also served at Read for lunch and dinner. There, you'll find low fat entrees, whole grains, and nutrient powerhouses such as fresh kiwi, plums and grapefruit.

	RPS Eat Right Menu: March 28-April 1, 2011
		Fat	Carb	Fiber
Monday	Chicken w/Brown Rice & Vegetables	21g	37g	4g
	Cauliflower		FREE	2g
	Carrot Coins		7g	3g

Tuesday	Vegan Black Bean Tortilla	4.5g	36g	13g
	Corn Cobbettes		27g	3.5g
	Fresh Pico de Gallo		FREE	1g
	Mexican Rice	6g	36g	2.5g
	Guacamole	3g	7g	1g
Wednesday	Chicken Creole Jambalaya	7g	25g	2g
	Baked Zucchini		FREE	1g
	Roasted Dilled Baby Carrots	5g	17g	5g
	Brown Rice	1g	28g	2g
Thursday	Roast Turkey	2.5g	FREE
	Rosemary Green Beans	1.5g	6g	2g
	Cooked Cabbage		FREE	2g
	Brown Rice	1g	28g	2g
Friday	Vegan Tofu Stroganoff	8g	20g	3g
	Green Beans		FREE	1.5g
	Sauerkraut		FREE

Prevent muscle and bone loss by eating your fruits and veggies! Plant foods help preserve bone and muscle.

Meat, potatoes and pasta — the typical American diet is protein and carb heavy! When we eat them, these foods produce small amounts of acid in the body. Over decades, this disrupts our pH levels, leading to an overly acidic environment. For optimal functioning and increased immunity, our bodies require slightly alkaline conditions and consistent hydration.

According to the USDA Nutrition Research Center at Tufts University, acidosis, this slight shift in pH, can trigger muscle wasting and bone loss as we age. Help combat deterioration by eating a diet bursting with fruits & veggies! Spinach, apples, citrus fruit, watermelon, asparagus, and grapes leave alkaline residue behind in digestion and help balance pH. Foods rich in potassium like apricots, avocado & brussel sprouts all help keep muscle loss at bay.

Reduce your cancer risk!

YOU can reduce your cancer risk. Be active by walking 150 minutes a week, drink < 1 glass of alcohol a day, and eat your fruit and veggies.

Think cancer is out of your control? Whether you get the disease may be partially determined by your genes, but for most people, it’s not etched in stone. Most cancer cases are caused by a combination of family history and lifestyle choices. In fact, according to the World Cancer Research Fund, 30 to 40 percent of cancers can be prevented. You can significantly lower your risk by following a few simple rules — many of which you already know.

Get 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week...jogging, walking, bicycling or playing sports with friends. Limit your alcohol intake to less than one serving a day. Women who drink any alcohol will want to consider a folic acid supplement to decrease the risk of breast cancer. People with a strong family history of cancer may want to avoid it altogether. Limit exposure to carcinogens like UV rays and first- or secondhand cigarette smoke. Eat the recommended amounts of fruit and vegetables every day — at least two and a half cups of produce!

An easy way to do this: Make a colorful salad for lunch. Include items that will make you look forward to it like turkey, avocado, walnuts, dried cranberries, apples and low-fat cheese.

March is Nutrition Month! Focus on adding COLOR to your plate with fresh fruits & veggies.

Don’t forget to come up for air when eating! Chowing down and eating until you’re full triples your risk of being overweight.

..Is your food gone before your friends have a chance to taste theirs?!

Many of us inhale our food so quickly, we barely have a chance to register what we’re eating. While that might be okay if you’re a competitive eater, for the rest of us, it’s not a winning strategy! Research shows that this kind of turbo approach to eating, along with not stopping until we’re full, TRIPLES our chances of being overweight.

When we chow down hurriedly, our body doesn’t have enough time to process how much food we’ve consumed. By the time the message that our belly is full reaches our brain, we’ve already eaten too much. Every bite we take has about 25 calories. If you take 10 more bites past the point of fullness, that’s an extra 250 calories every time you sit down to eat! All it takes is 3,500 extra calories to gain a pound of weight, so you can see how quickly pounds can add up. Slow, mindful eating, on the other hand, is associated with weight loss. To slow down your meal, chew each bite 30 times. Resist the urge to shovel more food into your mouth by putting your fork down. Drink water with your meal, and try to savor the food and make your meal last at least 20 minutes.