How to Start and Maintain Healthy Living Habits

These snacks are undoubtedly yummy, but probably not very good for you. Photo courtesy of Old Shoe Woman. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.College is a great time to start up good healthy habits for your body. It's a time when you're defining what's important to you, and amongst the hustle and bustle of classes, extracirrucular activities, and your social life, sometimes it can really be hard to commit to a healthy lifestyle. However, with a few easy to follow tips from Daphne Oz, author of the bestseller The Dorm Room Diet, you can start living healthier and also maintain these habits throughout your college career.

The main problem that college students seem to have when it comes to exercising and keeping their body active is finding time to do so. Sometimes it is simply a matter of finding an hour or two to carve out of your day to dedicate to going to the gym. It doesn't come easy for extraordinarily busy students, and it usually requires a sacrifice of some sorts, whether it's getting up early or cutting back on your social life.

If you absolutely can't find time to work your body, Oz says that, "The most important thing to remember is that exercise does not need to take place in a gym. Even if it’s just a ten-minute break while you’re studying to run stairs, or going to a bathroom on a different floor, or walking your errands, getting more activity in your day will keep your metabolism running high."

Another problem that college kids seem to have a problem with is snacking. Freshman year, I snacked a lot. It was just relaxing to come back to my room, watching some TV, and eat my favorite snack (Goldfish are so yummy). However, snacking during the day is usually unnecessary and not healthy. If you can, try to resist. It makes a real difference in the way that your body feels. If you can't fight the urge to snack, Oz suggests that you take out all of the unhealthy snacks and replace them with things like hard fruits like apples and pears, cirtus fruits which give you an immune boost, soychips which will satisfy your salty-crunchy craving, and even small amounts of chocolate chips to give you a chocolate fix if you so desire.

If you find that you're snacking too much with your friends while watching TV or just chilling in someone's room, try just grabbing a bowl and put some of the snack in there. That way you're still eating with your friends but you're also controlling your snacking portion which is much better than eating straight out of the bag. When you eat out of the bag, it's harder to realize how much you're actually eating.

For more healthy living tips from Daphne Oz, read the full article here.

Are these realistic tips for you? How do you stay healthy in college? Let us know in the comments!

[via USAToday College]