Eating healthy during finals week

During finals week, I know I tend to be stressed. One of the ways I deal with stress is by eating. In my sorority, we call finals week "zero calories week" meaning that we don't think about calories at all. I have done some research on what kinds of snacks to eat during finals week. These choices are healthy, so there is no need to watch how many calories you are eating. Unless you just can't stop eating, then you have a problem.

Here are snacks in each food groups:

Grains: Whole-grain cereal, bagels, tortillas and graham crackers.

Vegetables: Raw veggies like broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers and vegetable juice.

Fruit: Apples, bananas, pears and berries

Dairy: Yogurt, pudding, cheese slices, milk and frozen yogurt.

Meat and Beans: Tuna, nuts, peanut butter and cooked chicken.

These are just some healthy suggestions from My Pyramid to help you prepare for finals week to avoid eating junk food.

Sleep Aids and Stress Reduction

Finals are two weeks away at my university and students are stressing out, including myself. I have been researching healthy ways to reduce stress and aid sleeping from suggestions my Lifetime Wellness  professor. Some of these may interfere with some antidepressants and other medications. Check with a pharmacist or health professional before combining. This is meant for general educational information only and not a recommendation or endorsement.


Herbs:

Rhodiola- adaptagenic- helps with energy or sleep/stress management

Ginseng- adaptagenic- helps with energy or sleep/stress management

Valerian helps relax to aid in sleep
 

Hormone:

Melatonin- .5-3 milligrams, take 30-60 minutes before bedtime. Helps prepare the brain for darkness.  Also helps GERD and decrease hormonal cancers.  

Vitamins/Minerals/Amino Acids:

Calcium- (take with Mg) : Citrate form of Good products.  Take 500 milligrams on empty 

stomach before bedtime.

Magnesium-(take with Ca) : Citrate form of Good products.  Take 250-300 milligrams on 

empty stomach before bedtime.

L-Tryptophan- 50-100 milligrams reduces stress and helps relax and increases Rapid Eye Movement dream cycle.

GABA- 200-400 milligrams reduces anxiety and helps relax and increases REM dream cycle.

Foods:

Dark Cherry juice- Reduces inflammation, pain and increases melatonin

Walnuts- Decreases GERD and increases melatonin

Pumpkin seeds- High in Zinc (low levels increased anxiety and worry.)
Need 8 milligrams a day. High in L-Tryptophan, an amino acid that relaxes.

GMOs

GMO stands for genetically modified organisms, which are organisms that have been genetically altered. GMOs are popping up in the food that we eat because GMO seeds are being planted in crops more and more.

The problem that I have with GMOs is that it is not labeled on the food that we eat. There is not a lot of research on GMOS and I don't want to eat something I don't know. I do not like that the government does not think that it is okay to regulate GMOs like other countries. According to the Non-GMO Project's website, "In more than 60 countries around the world, including Australia, Japan and all of the countries in the European Union, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production and sale of GMOs."  If many other countries think that GMOs are unsafe and will plant them in their countries, then why should our country be subject to something that isn't proven to be safe and be forced to ingest it.

All I want is for our country to at least label foods that use GMOs. That is the first thing I would like our government to do. Then I would like them to do more research on GMOs. I feel that I should know what is in my food that I eat, so that I can make the decision.

The best way to avoid eating GMO food is to eat organic food. However, organic food does not get tested for GMO. More organic foods sellers are starting to label its food with non-GMO to let consumers know that their products are GMO free. You can also check out the Non-GMO Project's verified list of products.