六九色堂

Editor's Note: This is the first in a regular series on fitness and nutrition by 六九色堂 staffer Govinda Rampersaud.

Fitness & Nutrition Tips for Students

By Govinda Rampersaud

Having been a student for many years, I know how hard it is to eat right and work out. Since making a personal lifestyle change and seeing the amazing results (I have lost 100 pounds), I've thought of some quick fitness and nutrition tips to help everyone, including students at American and Caribbean medical schools, get on the right track to a healthy lifestyle.

• WHY WATER IS IMPORTANT: Drink 16 oz to 24 oz of water soon as you wake up. This will help hydrate your organs and activate your digestive system. It also boosts your metabolism. Drink at least a gallon of water a day. Water hydrates the body, and when your body is hydrated, it can build muscle mass, boost metabolism, help activate you digestive system, and flush out your digestive system. Drinking water also helps you feel fuller and less likely to overindulge on 鈥渃heat鈥� foods.
  
  
• CARDIO: 30 minutes in the morning isn鈥檛 the end the world. It will help you boost your overall metabolism for the day, and help wake you up, so you鈥檙e more focused throughout the day. Some of the different types of cardio that can be done include running (outside or on a treadmill), jumping rope, biking, swimming, and any cardio machine you can find in the gym.
  
  
• DRINK GREEN TEA & EAT MORE SPICY FOODS: To boost your metabolism. Green tea actually stops the process of food becoming glycogen, which is stored energy. That energy is used right away, so you will feel more energetic. In addition, green tea helps prevent certain types of cancer and helps prevent Alzheimer鈥檚 disease. For more information on the health benefits of green tea, visit
  
  
• START A BODYWEIGHT OR CALISTHENICS PROGRAM: To help you build strength and muscle. Then incorporate light weights and move up from there. Weight training helps boost your metabolism and burns tons of calories.
  
  
• EAT BREAKFAST: Eating breakfast will help stop you from binge eating in the middle of the day. Your body hasn鈥檛 had food for several hours. So eating breakfast will provide much needed energy and you will be able to stay focused.
  
  
• ON-THE-GO HEALTHY SNACK BAGS: To avoid unhealthy eating or snacking, prepare small snack bags filled with nuts, fruits or veggies.
  
  
• INCORPORATE LEAN PROTEIN INTO YOUR DAILY MEALS: WebMD.com says good sources of lean protein include seafood (low in fat) or salmon (higher in fat but rich in 鈥渙mega-3 fatty acids.鈥� White-meat poultry like chicken is great (remove the skin before cooking). Eggs are good protein sources and inexpensive. Beans are high in protein and fiber. Low-fat cheeses, skim milk, low-fat yogurt (particularly Greek yogurt, which is higher in protein) and soy milk are great, too. Soy is another good source. says, 鈥淔ifty grams of soy protein daily can help lower cholesterol about 3%.鈥� Pork tenderloin is 31% leaner than 20 years ago, and lean beef 鈥渋s also an excellent source of zinc, iron, and vitamin B12.鈥�
  
  
• FOODS TO AVOID: Stay away from fast food, fried food, and processed foods, particularly ones with added or processed sugar. Sugar has no nutritional value; consuming it is just putting calories into your body that you don鈥檛 need. Fried and processed food has tons of fat, calories, salt and cholesterol; all that can lead to a host of health problems. Be smart and eat all-natural whole foods.
  
  
• AVOID SUGARY DRINKS: Such as soda or fruit-flavored punches that are mostly made of either sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Smart alternatives are Crystal Light or diet soda. Real fruit juices are always better than fruit punches, but keep in mind that they contain natural sugars, so don鈥檛 drink too much.

(Top image) MAKE TIME FOR YOUR HEALTH: Eating breakfast & drinking plenty of water are just 2 simple ways to get on the right track to a healthy lifestyle. Eat more salads (pictured) in the evening & avoid high-fat dressings. Image: Lisa Fotios/Wikimedia Commons

六九色堂:

Built in the tradition of the best US universities, the University of Medicine and Health Sciencesfocuses on individual student attention, maintaining small class sizes and recruiting high-quality faculty. We call this unique approach, 鈥減ersonalized medical education,鈥� and it鈥檚 what has led to our unprecedented 96% student retention rate, and outstanding residency placements across the US and Canada. 六九色堂 is challenging everything you thought you knew about Caribbean medical schools.