Substituting for Sustenance: Patterning Healthy Habits

Editor’s Note: This is part of a series sharing videos made by Human Health students in the Health 1, 2, 3 program. To see an overview of the program and this series please read this post.

By: Xavier Bell

Social media platforms are teeming with trendy photos of mouth-watering plates and the ‘ideal’ snack. Individuals with limited access can easily find themselves passively lambasted for their own meals not aligning with what they see. The perfectionistic images miss the underlying commentary of “I wish they could eat like you.” For many, this image equates to one’s lifestyle trajectory, and how not actively seeking change in these areas is indicative of less than perfection and laziness that’s “Your own fault…”

College students are especially susceptible to these notions during a time when they are expected to juggle assignments, extracurriculars, a social life and the all-encompassing question of what do I want to do with my life. In order to understand this dynamic, I sought to analyze the college mindset.

First and foremost, what is nutritional eating? I know…I know, it’s ‘greens, vegetables, fruits, lean protein, etc.’ However, there are many factors that shape how we choose to apply and adopt this knowledge. One of the first steps in understanding this is to understand that access is fundamentally unequal, and that not all individuals have access to the aforementioned categories all together. Access barriers could be due to a lack of financial means, physical accessibility, time, and/or skill.

I challenge you to make one simple change a day to shift your nutritional trajectory.

In relation to my research through the Center for the Study of Human Health’s 4th level program of Health 1, 2, 3, I (alongside other students) were tasked with identifying pre-existing knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding nutritional eating on an academic level to inform the a method of encouraging nutritional eating among our peers at Emory. And upon conducting informal interviews and reviewing the literature, I identified key preconceived notions about access and nutritional eating among college students:

• Healthy/Nutritional Eating isn’t cost-effective
• Healthy/Nutritional Eating isn’t tasty
• Healthy/Nutritional Eating isn’t convenient

Without devaluing someone else’s opinion, I sought to understand and provide alternative viewpoints to the above statements as it related to college students. Because I get it, college isn’t easy, and eating healthy isn’t exactly on top of my priorities list. But, research has shown that eating healthy does positively impact the body’s physiological constitution which can make the mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and social strain of dealing with college all the more easier. But why is it difficult?

Healthy/Nutritional Eating isn’t cost-effective

One of the more leading notions, cost effectiveness of nutritional eating has proven very burdensome for most American households. According to a 2013 Harvard School of Public Health survey, 30-40% of American families are financially burdened by $1.50/per person/per day increase relative to unhealthy eating.[1] When this trend is modeled to college students (with limited capabilities in working), the same burdens can arise.

These statistics are similarly backed by research findings that college students who are removed from their home circumstance are increasingly likely to tend towards unhealthy eating habits.[2] But, cost is but one of many causes.

Healthy/Nutritional Eating isn’t tasty

One of the more subjective notions, but it’s a no-brainer that a lot of people are simply turned off by healthy eating.[3] A salad vs. pizza, easy choice: pizza. It’s like a secret rule when it comes to eating, the less healthy stuff is generally tastier. And, when taken from a scientific standpoint it makes sense; as, unhealthy foods generally high in sugars are seen to play a role in neural doping, with such sugars shown to act as a pseudo-reward that activates the Ventral Tegmental Area and thus stimulate the release of dopamine (pleasure hormone). When this is also modeled on college students, who are constantly working and completing assignments, sugar is the perfect stimulatory reward.

Healthy/Nutritional Eating isn’t convenient

Upon watching blogs, videos, and recipes about healthy eating, one can easily be dissuaded by the long list of preparation and time taken to construct a healthy dish relative to an unhealthy one.[3] It could take anywhere from 40 mins to up to an hour to fully prepare a full meal, and thus inclinations towards unhealthy “quick meals” seem increasingly convenient.

My aim in this research is to understand that these plights are wholly understandable, and utilize a video to encourage a simple patterned nutritional eating. In identifying the prevailing concerns, a method of alleviation I found was through the idea of substitution. Substituting in eating can one achieve a better nutritional state, even if the substitutions are small.

Solution: Simply Health Swaps

The good news is-there is a solution! By substituting, a simple change can greatly impact your nutritional trajectory. A pizza fundamentally has a marinara base and cheese layer, with the rest left to the individual’s own desire. For example, substituting some of the unhealthy toppings such as the oily, fatty proteins (pepperoni, sausage) with some vegetables can have great benefits. The same also applies to snacks: chips to popcorn, cookies/candy to fruit.

These affordable, easy changes during times when you feel a desire for a sugary, salty fix, can stop the craving in its tracks by mimicking that same food profile. The added bonus of these swaps is that they are filled with beneficial nutrients while also allowing you to get your fix. When choosing your swap consider foods rich in fiber like whole grains, fruits and vegetables to keep you feeling full and reducing the likelihood that those pesky sugary/salty cravings creep in.[4]

It’s all about encouraging great change through small substitutions throughout your day. Substitution works by changing out unhealthy options for healthier options that satisfy the same desires. The video I made outlines ways we can tackle these notions of healthy eating while highlighting the greater physiological importance of these small substitutions.

I challenge you to make one simple change a day to shift your nutritional trajectory.

References

1.Eating healthy vs. unhealthy diet costs about $1.50 more per day. (2014, January 13). Retrieved from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/healthy-vs-unhealthy-diet-costs-1-50-more/

2.Sogari, G.; Velez-Argumedo, C.; Gómez, M.I.; Mora, C. College Students and Eating Habits: A Study Using An Ecological Model for Healthy Behavior. Nutrients 2018, 10, 1823.

3.Food Preparation by Young Adults Is Associated with Better Diet Quality Larson, Nicole I. et al.Journalof the American Dietetic Association, Volume 106, Issue 12, 2001 —20074.Harvard University (2011). The Healthy Eating Plate [image]. The Nutrition Source: Healthy Eating Plate & Healthy Eating Pyramid. Accessed: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/