Off-Campus Living - The University of Missouri

Living off-campus brings with it a myriad of responsibilities including paying bills, dealing with roommates, and being a good citizen. Equally important, though easily overlooked, is your responsibility to yourself. Take advantage of the following useful information regarding eating habits, exercise, and mental well-being.

Good nutrition really isn’t hard to come by, but it does take some investigative work and planning. If you really want to know how nutritious your diet is, start by answering these questions:

Are the foods you eat adequate in essential nutrients to maintain health? For instance, do you eat enough foods high in iron (such as meats, beans and whole grains), high in calcium (such as milk, cheese and yogurt) high in vitamin A and C (such as fruits and vegetables)?
Do you eat a balance of all the food groups in the Food Guide Pyramid as well as a variety of all the foods within that group? For instance, if you eat fast food often do you find yourself lacking in fruits and vegetables? One of the best ways to create balance and variety is to make your meals as colorful as possible: along with your sandwich, add green salad and strawberries to your lunch (rather than fries).
Is your total caloric intake typically less than, more than or equal to what you expend in a day? The best way to determine this is to monitor your weight over time. Weigh yourself every couple days for a couple weeks as you keep track of your caloric intake. Then weigh yourself once every week or two to maintain your weight.
Do you eat many “nutrient dense” foods? The more nutrients and the fewer the calories a food item have the more nutrient dense the food is. For example, a can of cola and a bunch of grapes each provide 150 cal but the grapes have more nutrients for the same amount of calories.
Do you eat “low nutrient / high fat / high sugar” foods in moderation? The definition of moderation is unique to you. You should not deprive yourself of some of the foods that you enjoy, however should not be replacing other nutritious foods that your body needs.

Breakfast: Banana and peanut butter on whole wheat bagel; or cereal and milk with berries; or oatmeal made with milk, topped with fruit (add cottage cheese for extra protein)

Lunch: tuna salad sandwich on multigrain bread and cup of vegetable soup; or lettuce salad with crumbled cheese, fruit pieces, cut veggies from salad bar, chicken, leftover pasta with raspberry vinaigrette dressing; or Mexican salad with cheese, beans, lettuce, tomato, cut veggies and salsa-ranch mixed dressing; or pita bread filled with beans, cheese, lettuce, any vegetables, and salsa- serve hot or cold

Dinner: cook pasta or rice, add a serving of frozen vegetables heated in microwave, add chicken (you can roll it in bread crumbs and bake or buy canned chicken), add heated tomato sauce or salsa, toss together, serve.

Be more active in your daily routine.

When walking on campus, walk briskly but not to the point where you are short of breath. You should be able to carry on a conversation.
Take the longest walking route possible; if you walk briskly you may not need to add more time. However, give yourself plenty of time in the beginning so you know how to plan your schedule.
Take the stairs instead of the elevator- every chance you get!
Park your car as far away from your destination as possible. This will also reduce dents in your car doors from careless people.
Do simple leg lifts, arm circles and abdominal and buttock squeezes. Work your abs by pulling your stomach in tightly while you exhale, therefore pushing the air out Let your stomach out naturally while you breathe air back into your lungs. This works well while you are watching TV (especially during the commercials), as a short break from studying, or anytime you find yourself sitting and feeling tired and sedentary.
Do some of your simple reading assignments while on a stationary bike or Stairmaster.
Remember to be conscious of your posture while reading, typing, sitting in class or working on the computer. Stand or sit with a tall posture, and hold your stomach in as much as possible. This may help you stay alert as well as strengthen your muscles.

Aerobics: Aerobic activity is important to strengthen your heart, burn calories, control your weight by losing fat and building endurance. If you don’t have time for a half-hour long exercise commitment three times each week, exercising for 10-15 minutes a couple times a day also provides the same long-term cardiovascular benefits. Try these exercises for an aerobic workout: walking, jogging, running, rollerblading, Frisbee or biking on campus, swimming at the campus natatorium, low/high impact aerobic dancing, racquetball, basketball, soccer, stationary bike, step and rowing machines at Mizzou’s Recreation Complex. For more information about campus services visit: http://www.mizzourec.com

For out door exercise explore what the city of Columbia has to offer. There are multiple parks and trails located close to campus. The famous Katy trail runs right through town. Did you know that Columbia even has its own skate park? For more information on what is available in the Columbia community go to: http://gocolumbiamo.com

Strength training: Functional strength training a couple times each week is important to enhance coordination, strength and endurance, which will improve your ability to do everyday activities. Examples of strength training are abdominal crunches, push-ups, pull-ups, leg lunges and squats.

Stretching: Stretching your muscles works to improve balance and range of motion. Always stretch before and after exercising and between weight-lifting sets. Never stretch a cold muscle. Make sure you have warmed up before stretching. Hold a stretch to a level of light tension for about 15-30 seconds. Don't bounce or jerk while stretching- remember to breathe! Yoga and palates are great examples of stretching exercise techniques.

Time management: This skill is one of the most important in de-stressing your life. Follow these steps to help you juggle the college schedule:

Keep a record for a few days (including a weekend) of how you spend most of your time. This will be helpful in recognizing what makes you stress and what activities you do to relieve stress.
Prioritize your time. Categorize the tasks by: need to work on now, need to work on later, want to work on when there is time. Schedule personal time daily and don’t commit to things that are not important and meaningful to you.
Ask yourself if you are able to concentrate and complete each task at hand or if they taking longer than they should. Plan for a quiet, non-interrupting environment where you can work on one thing at a time.
Use a day planner and set your own short term deadlines for those huge research projects, as well as the smaller reports. And now, Stick to it, but if you can not revise your plan. You are able to achieve your goals!

Self-talk: What words do you use to describe yourself? Dealing with negative thought processes can help reduce stress. Take a day and to record your thoughts periodically. Now, sit back and examine how often you put yourself down or pat yourself on the back. Becoming aware of this can help you next time to stop a negative thought before it starts. This can also help you to stop the negativity from becoming exaggerated and causing you to worry unnecessarily. The next step, turn the negative thought into a positive one.

Writing: Writing about stressful events and circumstances can help relieve worry that you may feel. Using a journal may help you learn to express your feelings clearly. You don’t have to write everyday to feel the benefits of journaling. Write as often as you feel the need.

Exercise and Nutrition: Exercise releases endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. Stretching is also a good way to relieve stress tension in the muscles. The vitamins, mineral and antioxidants in colorful, whole foods such as fruits and vegetables help your body prevent and heal from damage that occurs from everyday living. Reduce caffeine intake which can cause increased tension and anxiety. Or better yet, avoid it entirely and substitute it with crisp, clean water!

Lifestyle: Limit your consumption of alcohol and don’t smoke or use drugs. These coping mechanisms actually cause more stress to your body rather than helping you to relieve it. Instead, help your body recover from the stresses of the day by getting 6-8 hours of sleep each night. Try one of these ideas to help you relax: play some soothing music, take a hot shower or a long bath with candles and a cool cloth over your eyes, wear your favorite comfy clothes or pajamas, enjoy a hobby such as gardening, crafts, painting, singing, walking your pet, watching TV, talking on the phone, emailing friends, going to the gym, or grab a group of friends and form a “Stress-Free Group”.

Social support: Surround yourself with positive people, including those you trust who also understand and know you. Talk to them. By expressing your feelings to others (in a positive, respectful way), you will be able to understand and cope with them better.

Professional advice: Check out the Stress Management & Biofeedback Clinic in the Counseling Center in Parker Hall- they will help you recognize your stress and work with you to get control of it. You can also schedule an appointment with a Counselor there. Call 882-6601 for more information about these and other options.

Body and mind relaxation skills: These are techniques to help the body relax. Some of these include breathing exercises, massaging tense muscles in the shoulders and neck, meditation, guided imagery and visualization and music therapy. Mindfulness is an awareness that comes from living each moment completely and helps us tap into our own strength and effectively deal with stress and difficulty. Visit the Student Health Center website for more information about mindfulness and other programs at www.muhealth.org/~studenthealth.