My Experience
I live in the dorms here at Michigan State, so most of my daily diet is controlled by what the cafeteria offers. Usually I stick to a lot of salads, but honestly if they have fries... I will probably get fries. On day one we were instructed to eat as we usually do. However, on this particular day I was visiting home so I ate slightly less healthy than I usually would. As you can see the only thing in my day one diet that wasn't a processed food was water. Everything else was loaded with additives and taken apart so that it was far from its original form. I felt usual this day, because while for some people this amount of carbs and junkier food is considered a lot, this is my normal.
My second day contrast heavily from my first day, aside from a few slip ups. Almost everything I ate is considered very healthy. I was in the dorms so I stayed away from meat and bulked up on fruits, spinach, and quinoa. This day was hard for me especially when I was sitting at dinner not full and had to sit and watch my friends eat lots and lots of fries. I felt pretty usual this day. I had no dramatic change in my physical feeling of health, but I wonder if I ate like this for multiple days if I would. However, one difference I did notice is on my nightly run I felt lighter and less sluggish. At the end of the night I was in my dorm studying and i got hungry. So, I slipped up and had some snacks.
The biggest thing I took away from this experience is that processed food is nearly unavoidable, especially when you're eating in a cafeteria of pre-prepared food. This experience also made me more conscious of what I eat in one day and also made me consider what my food is made up of. I think for people who are trying to pursue a more balanced diet, writing in a food diary is a good option. It forces you to be aware of what you are putting in your body.
My second day contrast heavily from my first day, aside from a few slip ups. Almost everything I ate is considered very healthy. I was in the dorms so I stayed away from meat and bulked up on fruits, spinach, and quinoa. This day was hard for me especially when I was sitting at dinner not full and had to sit and watch my friends eat lots and lots of fries. I felt pretty usual this day. I had no dramatic change in my physical feeling of health, but I wonder if I ate like this for multiple days if I would. However, one difference I did notice is on my nightly run I felt lighter and less sluggish. At the end of the night I was in my dorm studying and i got hungry. So, I slipped up and had some snacks.
The biggest thing I took away from this experience is that processed food is nearly unavoidable, especially when you're eating in a cafeteria of pre-prepared food. This experience also made me more conscious of what I eat in one day and also made me consider what my food is made up of. I think for people who are trying to pursue a more balanced diet, writing in a food diary is a good option. It forces you to be aware of what you are putting in your body.