Story by Marin McGrath
“How to be healthy on campus” is a question often posed when students come to college.
The University of Arkansas has various ways students can answer such a question.
Director of Nutrition and Wellness for the university, Ashton Julian, said leading a healthy lifestyle can pose a challenge for students due to the change in environment and busy schedules.
The stressors of college mixed with an involved lifestyle cause students to rely on quick and inexpensive options such as fast food.
“You might be really busy studying for a test and not have time to cook or have that idea that you don’t have time to choose healthy options so I think we get that in our head too,” Julian said.
According to the U.S Department of Agriculture’s “MyPlate”, a balanced plate consists of protein, grains, fruits, vegetables, and dairy.
One way students can get their plate to consist of better options is by making “swaps” in the dining halls, Julian said.
Each of the dining halls on campus allows for healthier options that allow for a quick meal to have nutritional benefits.
The director said these substitutions can be choosing whole grains rather than white bread or white rice, fruit instead of dessert, and grilled options as a replacement for fried food.
Such swaps can be practiced while getting food on campus or even at home. Julian recommends having healthier snack options and a lot of water around, so the “junk” food cravings don’t take over.
Although students may feel that eating healthy is hard or not efficient, there are many options on campus that allow for swaps or healthy additions to meals.
Another tip she said she includes in her eating habits, is Julian makes sure to have a fruit or a vegetable with each meal.
Prioritizing healthy food options can lead to various benefits that come with eating healthy.
Many people correlate living a well-balanced lifestyle with appearance, but it is just as good for mental health as it is for physical health.
A National Library of Medicine study revealed a link between high sugar intake and psychological health.
“People don’t realize that it’s not only about the way you look or your weight,” Julian said. “Eating a balanced diet and a variety of nutrients that can help support good sleep and gut health can help reduce your stress and actually promote a good mood.”
Emma Leeker, senior advertising and public relations major from St. Louis, MO, said she feels that along with food, leading a healthy lifestyle has helped her throughout her college experience.
When she was first stepping into college life, Leeker said she had fear of finding a balance in her daily life. She wanted to be able to make new friends, enjoy being in a sorority, and succeed in school.
Although she knew she wanted to make the most of this new experience, she said she knew it was equally as important to put herself first and make healthy choices. Leeker wanted to keep her sense of self and make that a priority.
“I guess finding that balance is what scared me the most,” Leeker said.
Leeker said she had to figure out many aspects of what a healthy lifestyle would look like on campus. She wanted to know where the gyms were, all the dining hall options, and tackle the uncertainty of it all
Once she secured her own routine, in her sophomore and junior years, Leeker was the health and wellness chair for her sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha.
Getting to plan fitness events and create a social media platform that prioritized wellness helped her to discover her passion for spreading awareness of healthy living, Leeker said.
Leeker now uses an Instagram account by the name of ‘lift_with_leeker’ in order to promote a balanced lifestyle.
She uses her platform as a means to encourage college-aged women to value self-care and fitness in daily life.
“For me, it was not, ‘oh look how good I am or how much I workout’, but it was more of the idea of helping others and inspiring others to be their best selves and live their best life,” Leeker said.
Being a student in college, it can be a challenge to lead a healthy lifestyle, but the benefits of doing so can improve daily life in many ways. Taking care of physical and mental health alike can create an environment for a positive college experience.
As Director of Nutrition and Wellness, Ashton Julian also said that healthy food can improve mood, immune systems, and productivity.
Julian revealed some of the options on campus including “1021” and “Where the Wild Greens AR” as places students can conveniently find healthy meals. Each of these spots is located on campus and allows for students to use meal swipes if they are on a plan.
On the other side of living a healthy lifestyle, there is fitness. Each of these habits has been proven to improve many aspects of life.
Social media accounts such as Emma Leeker’s ‘lift_with_leeker’ platform show various workouts that can be done in gyms such as the HPER or the union.
Leeker said that while sharing different workout ideas is fun, the real passion behind her social media is encouraging women to do their best and not overthink when it comes to living a well-balanced lifestyle.
Healthy food and physical activity have both proven to have various benefits on health, mood, and wellness.
The University of Arkansas has resources that support students’ wellness and encourage leading a balanced lifestyle.