Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Using Nutrition and Exercise to Maintain Sanity During Grad School

Guest Blog post by our Development Assistant, Drake Turner
 This post is part of our month-long blog series in celebration of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' "National Nutrition Month." This year's theme is, "Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day," so each of us here at Hunger Free Vermont will take a turn to share a personal goal, story or fact regarding nutrition through daily blog posts throughout the month.
A lot of us can identify with the feeling of juggling responsibilities. I love my work as the new Development Assistant at Hunger Free Vermont, but I’m also balancing grad school, finishing my thesis, and training for a half marathon. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming, but there are many ways to cope with every day stresses and gain energy and clear mindedness in the process. For me, nutrition and exercise have been absolutely crucial to my ability to stay on top of my professional and personal life. By eating lots of nutrient dense foods, I know I am fueling my body and mind to perform at their highest potential. Nutrition can fit into even the busiest lifestyle, and I’ve come up with a few tips in my every day life that have helped me to stay on track. I cook more time-intensive foods (chicken, roasted veggies) and chop veggies for salads in big batches on Sundays, so all week all I have to do is assemble and head out the door. I also make it a priority to exercise at least three times a week – it might be hard to get to the gym, but it’s also the best way I’ve found to deal with stress and lift my mood. It’s not always easy, and I don’t always get everything done, but my commitment to nutrition and exercise have made it possible for me to maintain sanity in the face of mounting responsibilities and demands on my time.

No comments:

Post a Comment