Prevention

Maintaining a healthy body weight and consuming proper nutrition can help prevent chronic illnesses and diseases including diabetes, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.

Here are some small changes to make that can help you prevent some of the many chronic diseases associated with poor nutrition:

Replace saturated and trans fats with unsaturated fats. This will help reduce the risk of coronary artery disease.

Make sure to consume an adequate amount of fruits, vegetables and folic acid intake. Evidence indicates that high intake of fruits and vegetables will reduce the risk of coronary artery disease and stroke.

Consume cereals that are in whole-grain and high-fiber form. Fiber from cereal products has been associated with lower risks of coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes. Whole-grain and high-fiber foods can also help you to manage weight control.

Vitamin D and calcium keeps bones healthy and strong and prevents osteoporosis. Include foods high in or fortified with vitamin D and calcium such as milk, yogurt, orange juice, cereals or soy-based foods.

Limit your consumption of sugar. Sugar has no nutritional value, aside from calories, which has negative health implications for people at risk of being overweight and/or obese. Sugar is also related to the risk of diabetes and coronary artery disease.

Limit sodium intake. This can help manage blood pressure which is a major risk factor for coronary disease and stroke. (Anand, 2015)

College can be an exciting time for students, but transitioning to an independent and busy lifestyle can bring the challenges of finding balance in the new "real world."

Below are some nutrition related tips for college students:

Be mindful of what you're eating. Consume healthy, well-balanced meals and avoid or limit foods high in solid fats, added sugars and high salt. These include cookies, ice cream, candy, sweetened drinks, pizza and fatty meats

Avoid skipping meals. Make sure to have a well-balanced meal before class. This can lead you to achieving your academic goals by helping you stay focused.

Go to class prepared. Having nutrient-dense snacks on hand will help you avoid the pitfalls of heading to vending machines. ex. nuts. fruit, vegetables, low fat cheese and yogurt

Meal prep. Take the time to meal prep so you can have ready to eat healthy snacks and meals. This can prevent you from eating out and resorting to junk foods.

Take a water bottle. Soda, energy drinks, and sugar-sweetened coffee drinks and sports drinks are a major source of added sugar and calories. Having a water bottle with you throughout the day and utilizing the water fountains across campus can help manage your calories and keep you hydrated..

Living on campus? Here are some healthy food choices to keep in your fridge for quick snacks.

Pre-washed and pre-cut fruits and vegetables

Low-fat cheese

Nuts and nut butters

Boiled eggs

Low-fat yogurt

Hummus and veggies.

Resources

The UNLV Nutrition Center provides evidence-based nutrition education as well as handouts and links for helpful tips and information to UNLV and the Las Vegas community

The UNLV Food Pantry supplies non-perishable food items to UNLV's students, faculty and staff.

Utilize the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist at UNLV to assist you in developing healthy eating habits

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is an excellent source for science-based food and nutrition information

References

Obesity, nutrition and, physical activity. Retrieved from https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/science/obesity-nutrition-and-physical-activity

Anand, S. S., Hawkes, C., Souza, D.,Russell J., Mente, A., Dehghan, M., Nugent, R., . . . Popkin, B. M. (2015). Food consumption and its impact on cardiovascular disease: Importance of solutions focused on the globalized food system : A report from the workshop convened by the world heart federation. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 66(14), 1590-1614. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2015.07.050