With the beginning of the education year, problems related to the nutrition of not only schoolchildren but also students attract the attention of specialists. What and how do modern students eat? The problems of the proper nutrition of this group of the population are discussed in this article.
Students and Healthy Nutrition
Students are young people aged 16-23 years old with unfinished processes of growth and formation of the body. These young people are fully engaged in their main activity — education. Their time is clearly scheduled. Very often they do not even have time to complete certain tasks, for example, write an essay, a thesis, or prepare for an exam. In such cases, students seek help from online services, such as DoMyEssays, they enter a request in the search bar “who can do my essay for me”, and immediately open a website that assists students in writing different types of works at the highest level. The use of such services allows students to save time, not to waste the energy on complicated assignments and take care of health.
It is necessary to mention that an important place in maintaining the health of students belongs to the organization of a balanced diet. Students belong to group I according to labor intensity (persons engaged in mental work), which is characterized by:
- Minimal physical activity;
- Irregular working hours;
- High neuro-emotional stress.
Thus, students are characterized by age-related features. The main physiological systems, primarily neurohumoral, are not yet completed in the body of young people. That is why they are very sensitive to an imbalance in food rations.
The Role of Proper Nutrition for Students
Nutrition is the most important factor that determines the health of the population. Proper nutrition ensures normal growth of students, contributes to the prevention of diseases, prolonging people’s lives, increasing efficiency and creates the conditions for adequate adaptation to the environment. Preservation and strengthening of youth health are one of the main tasks of the state and society.
However, the lack of time associated with preparing for classes, electives, sports, the pace of modern life are factors that violate the proper diet. In addition, the growing popularity among students of instant food products containing a large number of various flavors, dyes, modified components, is disturbing. As a result, malnutrition becomes a serious risk factor for the development of many diseases: of the cardiovascular system, peptic ulcer, pancreatitis, obesity or underweight, diabetes mellitus, neurosis, etc.
The Main Rules of Healthy Nutrition
The rational nutrition of students provides for the observance of simple rules:
- Drink water to prevent dehydration, which negatively affects metabolic processes and the condition of all organs. An ideal amount is 40 ml of water per kilogram of weight per day. Drinking with food is not recommended, it is better half an hour before and an hour after it;
- It is recommended to eat fractionally, for example, 5 times a day in small portions. This will help to never feel hunger and have a quick metabolism;
- Each meal should consist of proteins, healthy fats, carbohydrates, and fiber-rich foods. Then the body will receive all the substances necessary to maintain an active lifestyle;
- It is advisable to consume fast carbohydrates minimally. If you really want a bun or confectionery product — it is better to eat it in the morning;
- Supper must be 3 hours before bedtime. The best set of foods for this meal is protein foods + vegetables;
- Nutrition and mental performance of students are closely related; therefore, they should eat products that activate the brain. These are walnuts and other nuts, fruits, oily sea fish, avocados, etc.
These rules of the student’s useful menu must be supplemented and improved individually for each person.
Mode
The nutritional characteristics of students are that they often do not have time to eat the right number of times and slowly. But, as the practice shows, if you want, you can find the time, and after a few weeks, the regime will become a habit. It is recommended to draw up a plan for the next day every evening to understand when it will be comfortable to eat.
The best nutrition for students is a five-time meal with a time interval of three hours. It is necessary that all of them be at the same time every day — so all body systems will work together, and metabolic processes will be fast.
An example of a student’s daily meal schedule:
- 7:30 — breakfast
- 9:30 — snack
- 12:30 — lunch
- 15:00 — snack
- 18:00 — supper
- 20:00 — second supper
In any case, proper balanced nutrition requires time and effort. But the energy, good mood and well-being that it gives the student will allow him to do much more than when he eats junk food on the go.
Article Submitted By Community Writer