The Diet of the Average American

You’re probably eating too much meat. Now, I know what you’re thinking – don’t worry, I’m not trying to push a vegetarian lifestyle on you. However, an average American eats over three times the global average amount of meat and consumes one and a half times the average protein requirement in a day, according to a 2010 report, and meat intake in Americans has increased even since then. Further, most Americans do not meet the daily recommendations for vegetable or fruit intake. We’re seeing a wide-spread excess in meat/protein consumption and deficiency in the nutrients provided by plants.

The Health Benefits of Eating Less Meat

High meat consumption is associated with a plethora of health risks. Meat products often contain environmental pollutants that are highly soluble in fat, meaning that they won’t be flushed out in waste but rather stored in the body fat; this increases health risks, specifically for cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. Studies have also shown that a quarter of the meat eaten by Americans consists of processed meats like bacon, deli meats, hot dogs or sausages. Processed meats are much higher in cholesterol and saturated fats, which increases the risk of heart disease, hypertension and cerebrovascular incidents where blood flow to the brain is disrupted; additionally, processed meats were classified as carcinogenic to humans, specifically in relation to colorectal cancer, by the cancer agency of the World Health Organization. In the same study, red meats were classified as “probably carcinogenic to humans.” There is also strong evidence that high red meat intake increases the risk of diverticulitis, inflammation in the colon, among men. Multiple studies have also noted a link between red meat consumption and ulcerative colitis (UC), which is contributed to by the interaction of meat heme and amino acids with the gut microbiome; those components are converted into toxins that increase risk for UC. 

Diets that rely on more plant-based foods, however, provide various benefits to human health. Focusing on grains, lentils, peas, nuts, beans, vegetables and fruits culminates in a diet that is much richer in vitamins, fiber and other nutrients. This helps support heart and digestive health, as well as disease prevention. Meat-based proteins lack the amount of fiber, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants provided by plant-based proteins. That said, plant-based proteins are typically not complete proteins on their own, meaning they don’t contain all of the essential amino acids that your body needs to derive from food. As such, it is important to consume proteins from a wide variety of sources.

How to Make a Change

Making any big changes in your diet can be difficult, but you don’t have to make those changes all at once. A great first step may be to eat a meal with no meat once or twice a week. When eating plant-based proteins like beans, try to pair them with a whole grain like brown rice; this will provide the complete spectrum of amino acids that your body needs. Certain plant-based protein options do offer complete proteins completely on their own, such as tofu. These foods may seem overwhelming to prepare, but there are a lot of great resources online that outline easy ways to put together tasty dishes with no meat. Budget Bytes, for example, has great options listed for a variety of types of meals, and they’re all affordable. Alison Roman also keeps a list of unique dishes with no meat, which can be fun to make. Beyond Meat is a popular meat substitution brand, and their website includes recipes that teach you ways to prepare meat substitutes, if you’re interested in trying some of those out. There are many different ways to approach a meatless meal, and the internet is a wonderful resource for exploring them.

When you do eat meat, you may want to focus your consumption primarily around leaner meats, such as fish or poultry. Avoiding red meat outside of special occasions could be enormously beneficial, especially if eating entirely meatless meals is a struggle for you. You don’t have to completely cut anything out of your diet unless you want to, but being mindful about what you put on your plate now can make such a huge difference for your health down the line.

Photo by Ilan Dov via Uplash.

When your morning alarm jolts you awake, the most effortless response is to roll over, retrieve your smartphone and begin what my partner refers to as doomscrolling. Apparently, this term has become so popular that it has claimed its own entry in the Merriam Webster Dictionary—defined as spending “excessive time online scrolling through news or other content that makes one feel sad, anxious, angry, etc.” Sound familiar?

Last fall, I published an article to the Hilltop Monitor exploring the benefits of a digital detox. In that article, I noted some of the benefits I have taken from stepping away from my smartphone and relocating my time elsewhere. This has most notably changed my morning routine and my night routine, which previously revolved around the aforementioned habit of scrolling deeper into anxiety! Since writing my initial article, I have begun reading at night and running through a basic self-care routine each morning. In this article, I’ll be sharing the new habits I’ve formed and how they’ve improved my life.

Gratitude List

After making the choice to step further away from my smartphone, I have started each morning by creating a mental gratitude list. I aim to think of three unique things that I’m thankful for. This can be as simple as appreciating the nice weather when I see through the window that icy roads won’t affect my drive to school. Implementing this exercise has significantly improved my mood by shifting my attention towards positive thoughts that make me eager to navigate the day! 

Self-Love List

In a similar vein of positivity, I follow up my gratitude list with a compilation of three things I love about myself. I am to include one recent thought I’ve had, emotion I’ve felt and choice I’ve made. My therapist suggested this template after noticing I focus on skills, abilities and interests rather than intrinsic qualities when discussing what I love about myself. Taking this new approach to self-love has improved my self-esteem by not only highlighting my positive qualities, but encouraging me to reflect on what I don’t love and replacing it with something that I do. This has led to less insecurity and more confidence in my day-to-day life.

Thought-Reframing (CBT)

As a full-time student with a full-time job and a maxed out calendar, I tend to get overwhelmed. This can lead to burnout and feelings of discouragement or self-doubt. One approach I’ve taken is to start my morning by considering one dreaded task I’ll need to complete that day, then practicing thought-reframing to reflect on a more helpful way to view my situation. For example, “Today, I have to waste time going to the bank to deposit cash even though I barely have time to eat,” can be rephrased as “Today, I will choose to go to the bank to deposit money as an act of responsibility and independence.” This approach reminds me that I do not need to loathe my daily routine because I have the power to shape it. 

Pray (In Your Own Way)

Regardless of your religious affiliation (or lack thereof), the practice of prayer falls under a broad scope and can be implemented in a number of ways. I believe it can improve the life of anyone seeking change. Each morning, I recite prayers commonly highlighted in recovery programs, focusing on the importance of surrendering control—something I struggle with as someone who tries to anticipate every possible outcome and avoid the unwanted and unexpected. Doing so has helped relieve my anxiety by reminding myself that I am never truly in control. Instead, I should spend my energy focusing on what I can change without stressing myself out over things that I can’t.

Early Start on Daily Tasks

By the time I’ve completed the previous tasks, I’m now awake enough to achieve my first wins of the day! If you’re anything like me, your morning is completely loaded and you don’t have time to solve world peace before lunch time. This is why I aim to make my first wins of the day small and attainable. This includes making my bed, maintaining or improving the state of my room (even if it’s in a small way) and filling up my 64 oz. water bottle to ensure proper hydration throughout the day! 

Conclusion

Each of these practices allow me to better myself in ways that are meaningful but realistic—and as someone with far too much on my plate to keep it all in my brain, apps like Finch helped me stay organized and build these exercises into long term habits. I now have my morning routine memorized and can start my days with optimism and positivity without even needing the reminder! 

Starting each morning with a positive outlook has been a complete game-changer for my health and productivity. If nothing else, I hope these examples give you a few ideas of how you can gift your time back to yourself and practice self-care.

Photo by Jannis Brandt via Uplash.

If you’re anything like me, you might find it easy to fall into a boring and redundant dietary routine. Personally, I love trying new foods, but I often only think to do so when dining out or traveling—neither of which I do frequently as a full-time student with a full-time job. It was only after I read a Healthline article describing the benefits of “eating the rainbow” that I truly realized how dull and colorless my diet had become. Since my realization, adding more diversity to my dietary selection has brought on a number of benefits I’m eager to share with you in this article!

A colorful diet comes with health benefits:

Did you know that diversity in vitamins and minerals is correlated with the color of your food? While eating fruits and vegetables is commonly understood as the ideal strategy to maximize vitamin intake, slimming down your color selection can deprive you of nutrients you might not be getting anywhere else. Here are a few key insights to keep in mind when selecting your produce, courtesy of Healthline:

Red produce is anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, may help lower risk of heart disease and certain cancers and may help reduce sun-related skin damage. 

Yellow and orange produce is anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, supports eye health and may help lower risk of heart disease and cancer. 

Green produce is anti-inflammatory and antioxidant; cruciferous veggies in particular may help lower risk of cancer and heart disease. 

Blue and purple produce is anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, may help improve brain function and may help lower risk of heart disease, neurological disorders, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers.

Dark red produce is anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, may help support athletic performance through increased oxygen uptake, may help lower risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and certain cancers

White and brown produce is anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and may help lower risk of heart disease, colon cancer and other cancers.

According to the National Library of Medicine, a diet containing a vast selection of colorful biolative pigments in fruits and vegetables is linked to positive health outcomes regarding body weight, lipid profile, inflammation, cardiovascular disease, mortality, type 2 diabetes and cancer. 

A colorful diet encourages you to try new foods:

After beginning to practice mindfulness in my diet’s color palette, I quickly noticed that I rarely eat blue or purple foods. As someone who prefers savory foods and saving money, solving this problem with an excess amount of blueberries and blackberries did not seem feasible. As an alternative, I’ve discovered that I really enjoy beet kraut as a sandwich topping along with my usual sauerkraut!

Likewise, yellow and orange foods rarely make their way onto my dinner plate, which encouraged me to recently try yams for the first time. My family wasn’t very fond of sweet vegetables, so foods like sweet potatoes and pumpkins were a rarity. Now, I have been making yam and tofu bowls as part of my regular meal prep—which has become one of my favorite things to eat.

From regional, in-season produce to exotic fruits you didn’t know existed, there are very few limits in selection thanks to the wonders of modern agriculture. You might as well take advantage! What foods do you think you might be missing out on?

A colorful diet promotes well-being:

While subjective, it has been my experience that visually appealing meals make my life feel less bland and more vibrant. The enchantment of a colorful selection of food brings positivity into my life at every step of the process, whether at the grocery store surrounded by a vivid selection or at home preparing my plate with a sense of elation. Pair this appreciation for edible radiance with the sense of adventure and tangible health benefits as mentioned earlier and the result is a profound sense of holistic well-being.

Final thoughts:

Each time I prepare a meal, I now challenge myself to incorporate every color of the rainbow. Doing so has helped me find a new sense of both creativity and balance within my diet. If you find yourself lacking proper nutrients, void of fresh inspiration, or simply feeling bored and underwhelmed with your diet or surroundings, perhaps introducing some color into your diet is the change in pace you didn’t know you were looking for! 

Do you know how much time you spend each day staring at a screen? If not, perhaps it could be worth it to go ahead and check. Earlier this year, I did just that and was shocked to learn I spent an average of 8 hours per day looking at a screen! 

Before this discovery, I had always thought of myself as a moderate user. Well, it turns out I am! On average, college students spend 8-10 hours per day on their smartphones. Each year, that adds up to a whopping 3,024 hours, which is equivalent to 126 days of non-stop phone use. 

By limiting my screen time using apps like Opal, which block certain apps at specified hours, I have taken note of many benefits. In no particular order, here are five reasons I plan a regular digital detox:

Improved Mental Health

Studies have shown a correlation between heavy social media use and anxiety, depression, loneliness and suicidal ideation. Taking a step away has allowed me to take control over my life and be mindful, intentional, and disciplined. Consequently, I feel a new sense of autonomy, gratitude and fulfillment. In practice, this has come in measures simple as getting out of bed sooner than I would scrolling through a news feed. It means redirecting my boredom towards projects, chores and activities that bring me fulfillment.

Higher Levels of Focus and Productivity 

Not only do phones pose a distraction when trying to work, but high intake of social media and other digital outlets can even lead to the development of a shorter attention span. Since beginning my digital detoxes, I’ve found that I get bored less easily and feel less inclined to reach into my pocket each day. I can now fully acknowledge the beautiful outdoor/palette coloring my walk to each class; from the bright green trees, to the cyan blue skies, to the red telephone booth outside of Brown Hall! 

Better Sleep and Physical Health

While many of us might think of late night phone use as a way to fall asleep to mindless content, phone use can actually interfere with our natural circadian rhythms by exposing us to bright lights prior to sleep. This can lead to a deficiency in melatonin and even cases of insomnia at bed time. In pursuit of a healthier sleep schedule, my digital detox involved disabling my “wind-down apps” like YouTube and TikTok near my bedtime. In doing so, I discovered that I am often much more tired by the end of the day than I ever would’ve realized. My long-time habit of phone time as a means of tuning out my thoughts before sleep was quite likely contributing to my overstimulation and lack of rest. 

Reconnection with Hobbies

Have you ever wanted to learn a new skill, or perhaps dust off an instrument you haven’t played since grade school? Just think about what skills you could develop each day with an extra 8-10 hours! As college students, we often feel pressed for time; yet we waste so much of it. While much of our time spent scrolling is likely in passing, cutting from my daily routine the hour or so I’d spend on TikTok each night has allowed me more time to play my guitar and get lost in Carcassi.

Focus on Real Life Connection 

When you’re focused on staying digitally connected, it’s easy to lose the feeling of genuine connection. Placing a barrier between myself and Facebook messenger, Instagram DMs and Snapchat has encouraged me to get more involved with my own community and feel more immersed. The time I spend with my family, friends and loved ones feels much more enriching when I can fully dedicate my time, energy, and attention. 

Conclusion

Life is too short to waste away the present by living it halfheartedly. I hope this article encourages you to live in the moment and practice mindfulness by limiting what distracts you from it! A digital detox might just be the perfect place to start.