Knowledge in what not to do

With all the health mumbo jumbo thrown out by the media these days, the amount of information can be quite overwhelming. Who has time to pay attention to all the diet pills, workout routines and nutritional programs out there? Instead, here’s a list of what NOT to do if you wish to improve your eating habits.

Do NOT skip Breakfast:
It truly is the most important meal of the day. You see, if you eat earlier in the day, you give your metabolism a kick start so that when you grab lunch or dinner, you digest it a lot quicker. Without breakfast, its possible that lunch combined with any snacks or dinner will not be completely digested by the time you head off to bed, especially if you don’t get much exercise.

Do NOT eat before bed.

Any food consumed before sleep will often lead to indigestion and/or an unpleasant night’s sleep. While no studies confirm this, it is also generally regarded that eating before bed does indeed contribute to weight gain since all food consumed isn’t worked off at all.

Absolutely NO soda.

While New York City’s proposed ban on sugared beverages might be taking things a bit too far, it does make a fair point. Hardly anything can so easily be attributed to unnecessary weight gain than sugary drinks. Featuring loads of sugar dissolved into every ounce, anyone consuming these beverages multiple times daily is simply asking for a weight problem. Besides regular sodas, Energy Drinks, Ginger Ale, Lemonade, Sweetened Ice Teas, Capri Sun and Hi-C are all loaded with sugar.

Carbohydrates...here’s the thing:
Whether it be bread, rice, potatoes or pasta, carbs provide a lot of energy, especially helpful if you intend on doing a lot of physical activity. However, if you are not particularly physically active, eating a lot of these foods is a bad idea. While carbs can provide a lot of energy, if you’re not taking the time to work them off, they stockpile much easier than other foods. This also includes Beer which is essentially liquid bread. So remember next time you choose to start chugging a bunch of cold ones, unless you work it off, you’re going to be paying for it in more ways than one.

It’s UConn: Walk!
Take it from a commuter who has to walk (or bike) from W Lot across campus every day, its not a big deal. Besides getting exercise, due to the inconsistency and irregularity of the buses, it can also be a valuable time saver. Most places can be reached in a short few minute walk. The longest, a walk from W Lot to South at most takes 25 minutes. Do yourself a favor, and give it a try.