Fit2BTide S12.E01: Welcome Back!

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Wvuafm tuscaloosa. [00:00:09] Speaker B: Happy Sunday y'. [00:00:10] Speaker A: All. [00:00:10] Speaker B: You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7. The capstone in it is August. It is the brand new start of a school year and I am happy to see you, my friend. [00:00:20] Speaker C: I am so happy to see you. And welcome back, listeners. Did you miss us? We've been gone for a hot second. We have. But time actually really flew by. It was like the shortest summer on record. [00:00:31] Speaker B: Yes, the shortest and the hottest. Like what? What in the what? [00:00:35] Speaker C: Man, we're like at 4:25 rural in the oven right now. Uhhuh. We, we're doing the whole like, you know when you're cooking a casserole and you're trying to make the top kind [00:00:48] Speaker B: of crispy, we're in the broiler stage. And I'm telling you, I think I saw a meme about this recently where it said, well, I don't have to worry about some hiding in my car to carjack me because they would have died of heat stroke. [00:01:03] Speaker C: Hang out in that back seat within 30 seconds. Yeah, that, I mean that, that's a silver lining that we get in the summer that we don't get in the winter. But yeah, I mean it's, it's too hot for foolishness. [00:01:15] Speaker B: It really is. Yes. So then, you know, you're looking for the indoor activities or you're looking for something with water, all of this stuff. But let. I would be remiss, my friend, if I did not mention what is happening with our food supply. It's like you can't eat fresh produce because you're going to get a parasite. Oh, you can't eat this certain brand of popsicles because there's some glass in there. Oh, well, a certain diet soda is going to give you stomach cancer. I'm like, well I, I just don't know what to do anymore. [00:01:48] Speaker C: And I tell you, I've never been as disgruntled as I was this summer that I couldn't have my salads. Uh huh. Yeah. Now I love my salads. Right. [00:01:56] Speaker B: I know, it's like we're trying to be healthy. We're trying to get our vitamins and minerals and you know, get that fiber and you know, eat water rich foods because it's hot. [00:02:05] Speaker C: But yeah, I know it's a weird day when the tater tot is healthier for you than a salad. I mean, truly, truly. Yeah. Our food. I am scared every day to see on the news what's recalled. Now you Know, and it's in the, it's the weirdest things. Like I understand the bacteria and the salmonella, but particles of glass and wood chips. And I'm thinking, are we, are we, you know, milling lumber in the same packaging plant as my Ling cuisine? Like, what are we doing exactly? [00:02:36] Speaker B: No, I know. And I. So it's very nostalgic for me to think about those older episodes of Mr. Rogers. And I remember, and Nika, you might remember this too. I would always be so fascinated. They would show behind the scenes at different factories. I mean, like pencils being made or you know, showing how, I don't know, like cereal is boxed or whatever else. But now I'm thinking, what is happening at the production warehouse? [00:03:07] Speaker C: We, we, we need some OSHA or somebody, Somebody needs to be, you know, going in the health department who does. I mean, I'm not sure, you know, I know that there's people with credentials that oversee these things, but are we just waiting for the consumers to report it at this point or are we finding it upstream? I don't know. [00:03:28] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm not sure. You know, and the fact that this is really happening, it's not just some AI photo or article that, you know, someone in my family who might be like, of an older generation has fallen for. [00:03:44] Speaker C: You know what I mean? Because it's not a scam, it's real. [00:03:46] Speaker B: Oh yeah. It's not something that my mom has like forward me in a Facebook message. I mean, I'm just me, I'm just keeping it right. [00:03:52] Speaker C: You know. Right. You're like, this is not real. No, this is sadly real. [00:03:57] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:03:58] Speaker C: Yeah. So stay, stay safe out there, my friends. Yes. If you are somebody who does not love to keep up with the news, I would say maybe make an exception right now and keep up with at least the food recall. [00:04:09] Speaker B: Yes. Get some, try to set up some kind of notifications right on your phone. But if you are listening to us for the first time and you're thinking, oh my goodness, what is this show about now? While we, we tend to go rogue and random in our first segment, you know, I think I like to describe it NA as really our show focusing on health and well being for our UA community. And that can look a lot of different ways. We have a lot of different dimensions of wellness. [00:04:39] Speaker C: We have a ton. I mean, people I think, tend to think that wellness is eating, eating healthy and exercising and those are very important parts. But I mean, it is far reaching and we have some great guests lined up this semester and I think we're hitting all the dimensions of wellness. [00:05:01] Speaker B: Absolutely. We truly are. And today, you know, it's. It's our welcome back episode. We always like to do that at the beginning of the semester. And so we're gonna really kick things off. But, y', all, we gotta take a quick break. Just a little teaser right there. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7, the capstone. [00:05:25] Speaker A: Wvuafm, tuscaloosa. [00:05:34] Speaker C: Welcome back, listeners. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena And Nika on 90.7, the capstone. [00:05:40] Speaker B: That's right. And if you are just now joining us, we were, you know, we were talking a little bit earlier about some of the random things that are being found in our food these days, but, you know, we're not gonna. We won't focus all on that. We were also mentioning, too, that this is our welcome back episode that we always like to do in August at the beginning of a new school year. And, you know, Nika, I think about just the rush of new students that we have on this campus, you know, whether they are transfer students and certain. Our freshman students. And I, you know, even though we've got some years on us, I feel like we can still vividly recall what that transition looked like for ourselves when we transitioned from high school to college. Do you think? [00:06:27] Speaker C: Absolutely. I think it's a core memory. And especially being back amongst the sights and the sounds and the smells of a new year, it really kind of awakens that memory. Yeah. Deep in my. My brain, you know, and I kind of reminisce a little bit this time of year about, oh, I remember when I did that or this or, you know, hauling it across campus, trying to get in 10 minutes and it being 110 degrees outside. [00:06:58] Speaker B: And I mean, truly. Yes, the heat has not changed. I will say, though, we can definitely acknowledge the way other things have changed, whether it's how students register for classes. I mean, my goodness, you know, the Internet is not what it is now. [00:07:12] Speaker C: Right. You know, we don't go to bookstores anymore and, you know, and try to buy used books. And, you know, a lot of things are just access online, you know, and then another big thing to me is just like the bus system. We didn't. I didn't have that in undergrad. I did have it in grad school. But, you know, having the best out because the university has grown so much. [00:07:37] Speaker B: Yes. And so, you know, thinking, Nika, about your first year at ua, did you live on or off campus? [00:07:44] Speaker C: I Lived in the dorm. Okay, about you. [00:07:47] Speaker B: I did as well. Which residence hall were you in? [00:07:50] Speaker C: So it no longer exists? It was Rose Towers. Yes, I lived there for. Well, I was supposed to live in Tutweiler and this is pre Internet. It, you know, it kind of got overbooked. [00:08:06] Speaker B: Yes. [00:08:06] Speaker C: And so when I came down my van, there was not room at the end that was okay. They found me somewhere in Rose and I lived there until they got me into my permanent, which was. It no longer exists. Which was Parker Adams hall, which is behind Little hall and the president's mention where one of the sortie houses now stand. [00:08:27] Speaker B: Yes, I. So I was in a similar situation in terms of just being in a building that no longer exists. I was in Harris hall, which is not too far from Parker Adams. But, you know, I was thinking about you living over in Rose Towers. And for our listeners who don't have that good old institutional historical knowledge, Rose Towers was one of our few residence halls that was fully apartment style. So you had access to a full kitchen. [00:08:53] Speaker C: I did, I did. It was really made and built for, you know, students that were married. I think that's what they originally built it for, maybe. But it was all older students who lived there. So it was very odd that I was a freshman. But I mean, you know, if you have visited campus lately, a lot of the dorms that are here now didn't exist back then. [00:09:21] Speaker B: Yes. [00:09:22] Speaker C: And so there was not as many options to put a female in because there really was no co ed living except Rose Towers. Now I lived with females in my dorm, but, I mean, next door could have been, you know, males, but I wanted the traditional all female, you know, kind of like what you would see on the movies. Yeah. And so they found me a spot in Parker Adams. [00:09:47] Speaker B: I love that. I love that so much. And you know, if we're thinking about core memories from our freshman year, you know, whether that's at some point during your first year as a whole or even within that first week, do you have any core memories of what it looked like navigating your, like, food situation or even like getting exercise into your normal routine? What did that look like for you? [00:10:12] Speaker C: Yeah, so actually I think I got a little bit more movement in than what I would have done in high school. Because high school we had seven periods and really we just moved around from class to class. Class. And coming as a freshman, it was very interesting having to walk as far as I did, you know, just kind of navigating classes around campus. That was good. But I also was so excited to find the rec center. And it was open till midnight. And I was like, what do you mean? I could take a class for free. Like, I could just pick a kickboxing class and just go. And they're like, yeah, I mean, I loved it. It was. You know, my hometown was small, didn't have a gym. Like that food situation was a little bit more different living in the dorm. You know, we just had the mini fridge and a microwave. And there was, again, because the university has grown so much, there was not as many dining halls and options as there are now. And so you were kind of limited, and you were also limited when they opened and closed. And it took a lot, I would say, my entire freshman year to kind of get the groove with my eating. What about you? [00:11:20] Speaker B: Very similar. So I think in terms of the food situation, I do have a core memory of the weekend that my parents moved me in. It was on a Saturday. It was during the normal move in experience and not the early move in that some of our other students go through if they're coming in for sorority recruitment or band camp or anything else. And so it. I just remember being so sad after my parents left. And then I was thinking, oh, man, we didn't go to the grocery store or anything, which there wouldn't have been that much that could have fit in my mini fridge to begin with. And then I was thinking, I was like, oh, man, I was like, I'm kind of getting hungry, like, where do I eat? And the one place I could think of that was actually open on Campus was the 24 hour diner in Patey hall that no longer exists. So I just went there by myself. And the reason I went by myself, my. The roommate that I had my freshman year, we actually. We were from the same hometown, but she had a. She had a boyfriend who was also from our hometown. And so she was going out with him that night, and I forgot where they were going. And she invited me, but for whatever reason, I declined. And that now I regret that because I'm like, oh, I could have gone and done something with them, but I just kind of needed to process the whole, wow, we just moved in. You know, what do I do? And it really did take also my. My entire freshman year trying to figure out what food was going to look like for me, because during the time I was a freshman, they were not fully requiring meal plans for students at that point. And so I was just thinking, I'm like, you know, I'm like, oh, my gosh, these meal plans seem so expensive. Like, we won't do that. I'll figure it out. And now I wish that I had at least purchased even the smallest tier of meal plans, just to have that as an option, because I don't know what I was eating that first year. [00:13:13] Speaker C: I really don't know how I survived that first year. And it's weird because it's something you've done your whole life. And it's like you. You get here and you forget how to eat. You forget how to navigate. And I had a car, so I could at least go off campus if I wanted to. I couldn't imagine if I had not had transportation. [00:13:33] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:13:34] Speaker C: You know, because every now and then I would think, okay, I just want Taco Bell. And I would go. I'm like, taco Bell's familiar. I'll go there. Yeah. But also, I didn't have. We didn't have doordash. The only place that delivered was Domino's and Buffalo Fields. [00:13:51] Speaker B: Yep. I know. I know. It's so crazy just thinking about how different things are. And you mentioned earlier finding the rec center, and I remember being so enamored by the fact that it's like, what, you're open until midnight? Like, I don't have this. Like, I could just literally leave my. My room and go work out at 10pm I'm not having to tell anybody where. I'm dumb. [00:14:14] Speaker C: Yeah, I. [00:14:15] Speaker B: It was. It was so crazy. And, yes. I just, you know, but. But then, you know, thinking I'm like, okay, how frequently do I want to go? You know, what is this gonna look like? And then I remember as a freshman, getting there, and then you see these older upperclassmen. It almost felt like high school in. In a way, you know, like you're the young newbie, and then you see these older students that are used to using the facility. And that was before the rec center had the renovations for it to look the way that it does right now, too, you know? [00:14:45] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:14:45] Speaker B: So I know. So crazy. And I think, you know, we're. We're talking about these things and we're reminiscing because this is really a good segue for us. In our next segments to talk about what are our top fitness and nutrition tips for students as they're transitioning into this first year of school? Or maybe just having a brand new start in general, if you're a returning upperclassman, you know. [00:15:09] Speaker C: Right. Having lived it and fumbled around, you know, building the car as we were driving it, so to speak, as freshmen. And then all the years Past that, try to help some students not have those core memories like we do where we're like, what did we even eat our freshman year? [00:15:28] Speaker B: I know. So, you guys, y' all are going to benefit from this episode of not only us having lived the experiences that we have lived, but also now we're kind of experts in these areas. We got, we got some credentials, a few, you know, so, so that's a good thing. But you guys, we got to take a quick break. You are listening to Fit to Be Tied with Sheena and NA on 90.7 the capstone. [00:15:58] Speaker A: Wvuafm tuscaloosa. [00:16:07] Speaker C: Welcome back, listeners. You are listening to Fit to be Tied with Sheena and Neeka on 90.7 the capstone. And we are kicking off our fall episodes today. [00:16:20] Speaker B: Welcome back. [00:16:21] Speaker C: Like our season. Is that what we call it? Our, our fall season? [00:16:24] Speaker B: Yeah, it is our fall season. [00:16:26] Speaker C: I know. [00:16:27] Speaker B: And you know, I was actually just as you mentioned that I was thinking about the fact that this year, and we mentioned this back during our spring semester or last academic school year with our recordings, is that 20, 26. That marks 10 years of fit to be tied. [00:16:46] Speaker C: Wow. [00:16:47] Speaker B: I know. It's so crazy. [00:16:48] Speaker C: We are fourth graders. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Pretty much we're a decade old. [00:16:55] Speaker B: So, you know, Nico, before the break, you know, we were reminiscing about our time as first year students at ua and, and now we get to throw out some of our recommendations based on the life that we've lived and the education that we have. And so, you know, I thought for, for this segment, let's chat about what are your top fitness or movement tips for freshmen. [00:17:21] Speaker C: So coming from high school into college, it can be a time of really big decline in movement for a lot of people. We, you know, I'll ask a lot of my students, what all were you involved in your senior year? And you've got all kinds of sport and cheer, dance, just really active, a lot of things that keeps them moving after school. And then you graduate and you may not come here and be involved in anything collegiately. You know, you may not continue to play basketball or softball or be a cheerleader. It is very easy to get into the. I just get my exercising and walk into class. [00:18:09] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [00:18:11] Speaker C: And it's very important to not forget that we're still building bone at that age and that we're still cementing those good lifestyle habits that we'll keep for the rest of our life. And exercise is a wonderful way to burn off stress. And college is stressful. You have classes Right. So my top tips are, first of all, go to that rec center and explore it. [00:18:42] Speaker B: Yes. I just. Yeah, just peruse your rain, get the lay of the land. [00:18:45] Speaker C: Yeah. And you've got prayers. I think, you know, you've got the. I'm not sure what. [00:18:50] Speaker B: The Wit Center. [00:18:51] Speaker C: The Wit Center. I'm not very sure what the requirements are. You know, I think anybody that has a. [00:18:59] Speaker B: A rec center membership. [00:19:00] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah. But go over there and see. You may not want to do the elliptical or the treadmill, but guess what? They have the climbing wall. They have every class you can think of if you've ever wanted to try water aerobics, Pilates, yoga, hips, butts and guts. I mean, they have it. It's free. You know, drop in, take it. You may find a, you know, a new love. But then also, they have intramurals. [00:19:33] Speaker B: Yes. [00:19:33] Speaker C: And so you may say, I really only like to work out if I have that team kind of vibe or I want to go work out with a friend. They have intramurals. They have pickups, you know, sports. They have club teams. [00:19:50] Speaker B: Yep. [00:19:51] Speaker C: So go over there, first and foremost, and see how you can get involved. And I don't mean like get involved like a club. You know, I just mean just how can you plug yourself in? [00:20:02] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:20:03] Speaker C: So that can cut for. For me, reminiscing, it was my safe space because I did not know how to navigate campus because, you know, I'm a freshman and I did not know how to navigate a lot of college life, but I knew how to navigate a gym. Yeah. Because I, you know, grew up, you know, in high school going to one. And so I felt like, okay, I know. I know my way around here. [00:20:28] Speaker B: Yeah, Just it provides a place of familiarity. And I would say, you know, one thing that has been really great about our rec center facilities now is that they. They see it as an opportunity for social connection. And so I really love a lot of the different programs and events that they're doing because it's a way for people to find friendships there while they're also trying to determin what fitness is going to look like for them there. [00:20:56] Speaker C: But, yeah, I found my community there. I mean, I did not. Did not rush. I didn't do the sorority and thing. And then remember, I was kind of displaced over in Rose Towers for those first few months. Those are critical moments where you're making connections on campus for the first time. So my connections were actually made at the rec center, and I would see people around campus that I knew from the reg center. You know, and it just made me feel like I was a part of something. But I mean, you got to think they have an indoor track, an indoor pool, they have all the weights, the free weights. You know, they have everything you can ever want. It's a good way to go over there and still maintain your fitness level while also making the social connections. But we have a great walking campus. Yes. We have bike lanes that are dedicated to if you want to ride your bike. [00:21:52] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:21:53] Speaker C: There's just so many ways to get involved. But I would say this don't go from being super active to now that you don't have it scheduled in and built into your daily schedule anymore because you're no longer in high school in these organized sports to just dropping off and not exercising at all. Because you will feel it at some point. You will miss how your body used to move, how it used to feel, how it used to sleep. You know, your flexibility in it will probably be maybe the start of spring semester when you're like, I gotta get back to what I was doing. Yes, it's better to just mitigate all the loss before it becomes, okay, I've got to start all back over now. [00:22:42] Speaker B: Well, and I, you know, I love the fact too that you mentioned at the forefront that movement is a great way to relieve stress. And so, you know, I think again, if we can get out of this narrative in our head, like, oh, you only work out or you only move if you're trying to lose weight, gain muscle, whatever else. But when we're thinking about all of the different ways that movement benefits our body, whether it is that stress relief, whether it is core directly correlating with the quality of your sleep at night, or even your ability to retain new information, you're learning because it's improving that circulation. So more oxygen is getting to your brain. So instead of you pulling an all nighter at Gorgas and going for that next cup of coffee or a Red Bull, why don't you do a walk? You know, do a lap, a couple laps around the library or the quad is a little like exercise and pick me up. [00:23:37] Speaker C: Right. To get oxygen to your body. Oh. See students all the time on the elliptical or the recumbent bike with their notes. Uh huh. Yep. So it's, you could tell that, you know, they were not pushing hard. Go, go, go. Like we think you should at the gym. You could tell it was just this repetitive movement because their brains were just getting in a groove where they were learning better. They were kind of relaxed, their body was moving the blood was flowing and they were studying at the same time. Yeah. [00:24:09] Speaker B: Well, going back to the social connection piece that you mentioned, if you personally want to contribute to that, the next time you're in a group exercise class, say hey to the people in your class. And the reason I say that is because I've recently experienced this with a place that I work out at really early in the morning in a group exercise setting. And there's an individual there who I've never met before. She ended up being on the treadmill beside me and she was like, hey, good morning. And I'm like, oh, my gosh, this person is being so friendly at 5am but now it, it gives me a reason to go because I'm like, oh, I'll get to see this person again. Like, we've built a little community from the fact that she was a little Chatty Cathy. So, you know, so my extroverted friends that are listening, like, you know, help out our introverted buddies by like, like letting them know that they're seen and they're valued. And you see them in this class struggling alongside you. [00:25:06] Speaker C: I cannot tell you how many friendship have that I made from just meeting you beside on the treadmill. Or, or you came to my class that I taught, when I taught, you know, hips, butts and guts. Or we happened to get. Stand beside each other in the locker room at the mirror at the same time every morning and put our makeup on to go to our class or to go to work. And we've been friends for 15 years. Look at that. I mean, you know, it's, it's because you've got somebody that's there. They're like minded. They're, you know, they value health in the way that you value it. Yeah. And, yeah, I mean, I love to go through my Facebook list and be like, rec center. Rec center. Yeah. [00:25:52] Speaker B: You know, I mean, like, I met this person in real life. It wasn't me sliding into somebody's DMs. Like, no, it was real life connection. [00:25:59] Speaker C: We sweated and we, we burned the, the fat together. [00:26:08] Speaker B: On that note, we gotta take a break because next up we're gonna talk a little nutrition. [00:26:13] Speaker C: I'm excited. [00:26:14] Speaker B: We just talked about movement. [00:26:16] Speaker C: I'm excited to hear from the guru herself. Oh, Sheena. [00:26:21] Speaker B: Well, you guys, on that note, go get hydrated. Do what you gotta do. We will be back. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7 the capstone. [00:26:35] Speaker A: Wvuafm tuscaloosa. [00:26:45] Speaker C: Welcome back, listeners. You are listening to Fit to Be Tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7 the capstone. And if you were listening to us before in the segment right before we just come back from breaking, I was sharing some of the top fitness tips that I wanted to share with freshmen or new students on campus. But now we are going to turn our attention to the nutrition aspect. So we have, if you're new to the show, we have our lovely, lovely host, Sheena, who is a registered dietitian, but has not just had, you know, some experience with dietetics, but very specifically with the college population. So, you know, you've got dietitians that just work in the hospital setting or you might have dietitians that just kind of focus on pediatrics. But you, my friend, you've done it all, but you really kind of cut your teeth working with the college population. [00:27:51] Speaker B: You are so kind. It is true that, yes, the majority of my professional career has been really supporting our college students, whether it's everyday nutrition, helping them have a healthy relationship with food, if there's, you know, been a history of disordered eating, but then also performance slash sports nutrition. And so, you know, I think that probably for me as a nutrition professional, I have a love, hate relationship with, with the Internet and social media and the amount of information that is on there these days. [00:28:23] Speaker C: Oh, it angers me. It's, it burns my soul. [00:28:25] Speaker B: It's so crazy because there's, you know, so much that can now be easily accessed and can misconstrued. Yes. And that's tough because I think that sometimes when people think of this whole concept of eating healthy or finding what's appropriate for them, it has to look like this very curated, beautiful, intentional experience where sometimes the very simple things that we do are going to be the best things of all. You know what I mean? And so I think for when we think about this whole transition to campus and you know, we were reminiscing about us kind of navigating our first years, I would say a big thing for me that I like to tell our first year students is, you know, you really, you don't want to skip meals just because no one is making you eat. It can be really easy for us to be inconsistent with fueling our body because we don't have those external cues of a built in lunchtime like we did in high school or mom making breakfast for us or whatever. And that's not to say that, you know, if you're not truly hungry, then you should force yourself to eat anyways. But I think that you should make a game plan for making sure that there's some sort of intention or pattern to nourishing yourselves. A general rule of thumb that I like to tell students is you really don't want to go more than four or five waking hours without some kind of fuel. You know, it can be easy when we're stressed out from a class or we've got that new science class we're taking that has an afternoon lab where we're kind of locked away for the afternoon, where sometimes we. We can miss those hunger cues because we've gotten so used to kind of working through our normal meal time. So, you know, really thinking about having some level of normalcy to your eating patterns, because if your body is getting that perception that it's not. It doesn't have regular access to food, it's not going to be as efficient at communicating those hunger cues, even though at the cellular level, those cells are going to need some glucose, AKA some carbs, like every three to four hours. [00:30:39] Speaker C: Right. [00:30:39] Speaker B: And our brain, you know, our brain cells. Those neurons. Our brain is one of our body's hungriest organs. And so, you know, sometimes, oh, I didn't really move my body today. You know, I don't really need to eat anything. It's like, no, dude, if you're, you know, if you're burning the midnight oil, working on a paper or studying for a test or whatever else you are using those brain cells, and it's going to be great to have some study snacks, but pick some things that you know will actually be beneficial to you because it's easy for us to kind of impulsively choose some kind of convenience item. So pre planning, you know? You know what I mean? [00:31:18] Speaker C: Yeah, I know. I know what you mean. So instead of waiting until you have the worst headache of your life because you've not had anything to eat all day, and now you're standing in front of the vending machine and everything is gone except for the candy bars. [00:31:36] Speaker B: Yes. [00:31:36] Speaker C: Have something in your backpack. What are. What are you like. And again, I know you want to be careful because you don't want to say these are the perfect foods because there's not, you know, but what is something where, like, if a student's like, hey, I get to go to Target today, and I can, you know, I need something that I can put in my backpack that is not going to require refrigeration. What's some, like, good snack ideas? [00:32:00] Speaker B: Yeah, no, perfect question. So I think first and foremost, it's helpful to Think of having carbs and protein together. They are each other's wingman. What carbohydrates are going to do for you, whether getting it from something starchy like breads or potatoes or rice or crackers, or if you're getting it more fruit based like an apple or a banana, or even from a dairy product like some yogurt, the, the carbohydrate that's coming out of there, that glucose, it's going to help fuel your brain, but it doesn't do a good job of keeping you full for a long amount of time. And that's where you want to pair some protein with it. Protein is going to slow down that digestion, so it's going to keep you fuller for a longer amount of time. And protein is also going to make sure that that sugar or that glucose in that carb you're eating goes into your bloodstream at a more slow and steady rate throughout the day. So you have a pretty stabilized blood sugar versus getting a quick sugar rush from a candy bar and then crashing. So, so thinking about that combination, if we're wanting to think of convenience items like peanut butter crackers or some trail mix that has some dried fruit and some nuts with it, or if you want to have an apple with a string cheese stick on the way to class or a banana with a little bit of peanut butter, something along those lines. Or, you know, think about your favorite protein bar, but you know, if it doesn't have a lot of carbohydrate in it, maybe having a piece of fruit with it too. So, you know, kind of thinking about that combination. And that's not to say if, if you're missing, you know, enough protein in a snack, then, you know, you're, you know, you're kind of up the creek. But just for the most part, if you can generally think of like, okay, how can I get some carbs and proteins together? Because you want your, you want your body to get that fuel. And also for those students who are, who are being active and maybe part of their health goals with their movement is building that lean body mass. I think I've mentioned on the show before, Nika, I have a colleague, her name is Marie Spano. She's sports dietitian. She's actually the sports dietitian for a major baseball team. And so one of the, one of the analogies that she often uses with her athletes when it comes to building muscle is you want to think of building muscle kind of like building a house where carbs are your construction workers. And protein is your raw material at the job site. So if you have someone who's mostly focusing on carbohydrates but they're not eating enough protein, that's like having a ton of construction workers at the job site, but they have no raw material to work with. Same thing goes, is if I have someone who all they want to do is eat some protein, but they're not getting any carbs at all, that's like having all this raw material that's ready to go at the job site, but there's no construction workers to productively do something with it. [00:34:57] Speaker C: I love that. And it's so easy to remember. [00:34:59] Speaker B: It is very tangible. And the same thing goes, you know, even if we're just thinking about daily function, you need a little bit of both. It doesn't have to be that, you know, they don't necessarily have to be in equal amounts, but you got to have some construction workers there to do something with all that protein that you're eating. So you want to think about that and you know, when you think about act accessing food on campus. One thing I really want to focus on for our first year students, especially if they have a meal plan in the dining hall, you really want to think of the dining hall like a resource, as a resource and not just this all you can eat, you know, food competition where you're trying to eat as much as possible just because it's all you can eat style. And one hack that I've told some of our students is that, you know, many of our dining halls have takeout containers where you can make a plate of food and, and take it back to your residence hall and eat it there. Well, so many of these salad bars have pre cooked grilled chicken that you should load up on that, take it back to your room so you've got a pre cooked protein to add to that easy Mac that you might be eating in your microwave later on. Or there's also so much fresh fruit that's available at the dining hall where, you know, if you, you take a couple of extra bananas, bring them back to your room and freeze them to use in a smoothie or some of those apples. And I feel comfortable explicitly saying that because my friends with our on campus dining have said it's okay to encourage students to think of that in that way because you know, you're investing in that meal plan and you really do want it to work for you even when you're, you know, eating in your room and not necessarily always physically in the dining hall. [00:36:47] Speaker C: Right. I mean, it's not like we're dining at, you know, Golden Corral and we're telling them, hey, wipe. Wipe the bar clean. That's not. That's not bama dining. It's. They're focused on students. Yeah. So they have a different business model in mindset. [00:37:02] Speaker B: Yes, absolutely. So, yeah. So again, you know, think when you're making, you know, making it to Go container on a Friday and thinking about the fact that Saturday and Sunday that facility might not be open. What is something that would be great from some of those different stations that you could take with you that could be helpful with making the things that you do have in your mini fridge back at your room more of a [00:37:27] Speaker C: complete meal where you're not stuck eating peanut butter crackers. [00:37:31] Speaker B: Exactly. [00:37:32] Speaker C: On the weekend. Yes. [00:37:34] Speaker B: Another thing that I will acknowledge. I know I'm going over a little bit, but we got to talk about hydration. You know, if you're going over to the rec center or you're walking on campus and everything else else, don't let that hydration be an afterthought. You know, being dehydrated and chronically dehydrated, that does affect the way that our brain can perform in class. [00:37:55] Speaker C: You know, you're tired and you're grumpy and you're sleepy. [00:37:57] Speaker B: Yes. And if you are waiting until your throat is dry or your lips are nasty chapped and all, you're in an active state of dehydration. Your body will sometimes mimic the feeling of hunger as an initial sign of dehydration. So. So make sure you're on point with that water intake. And it's easy for us to think about it right now because it is so hot outside. But once the winter hits, it's actually really easy for us to be dehydrated because we don't have those hot temperatures to naturally prompt us to want to drink water. [00:38:29] Speaker C: We don't think, oh, I've. I've. You know, I've had a lot of sweat today. I need to drink. We don't do that in the winter, but we. We can very much get dehydrated in the winter. Yeah. [00:38:38] Speaker B: So. So go get hydrated. And y', all, you know, we gotta take a break. And, you know, on that note, talking about hydration, go get hydrated, Run to the restroom. Do what you got to do. We're going to close this out with one more segment, but we're going to take that break. You are listening to Fit to Be Tied with Sheena and Nika. On 90.7 to Capstone. [00:39:00] Speaker A: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa. [00:39:09] Speaker C: Welcome back, listeners. Thanks for joining us today as we have kicked off our fall show, a fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7, the capstone. [00:39:19] Speaker B: That's right. And we, you know, we've just for one, we've been reminiscing about our own, you know, first years on campus and that transition from high school to college. But then we've also been dropping the knowledge when it comes to our recommendations for fitness tips as a first year student. You know, what are some go to's when it comes to nutrition. And you know, I think that with all of that said, just give yourself grace this first year and be open to learning not only in the classroom, but outside of the classroom because we have so many different types of experiences that you can engage in as a student on campus. [00:40:04] Speaker C: You spoke about the dimensions of health earlier and we'll rattle those off as we go through, you know, this semester. But like you said, you know, the, you're learning so much about who you are and what, how the world works and your independence and how to get yourself up in the morning and put yourself to bed at a good time and to study and manage your time and exercise and eat and build relationships. It is truly this explosion of growth that, you know, I don't care how old you are, you're navigating a, you know, if you come here as a freshman, as 18, you come here as a, as a transfer student, like let's say you got out of the military and you're 25. It is such a time of exploration of everything and take advantage of it and, but just remember you, you need to sleep. [00:41:05] Speaker B: Yes. Oh my God. [00:41:06] Speaker C: You need, you need to rest, you need to eat well, you need to hydrate, you need to move your body. You need to call your, your family and tell them you love, check in with them. But really and truly, you just need to get to know the resources on campus because whatever you might be struggling with or whatever you might be going through, whether that might be mental, emotional, financial, academic, you know, food insecurity, whatever, there is a resource on this campus. [00:41:37] Speaker B: Yes. [00:41:38] Speaker C: Plugged in and ready to help you. [00:41:40] Speaker B: Yes. I don't know any other time in your seasons of life where you're gonna have so many concentrated resources available to you at one time and those resources either be free or really, really, really, really cheap. You know what I mean? [00:42:00] Speaker C: And really, really, we're not doing like a, a flyer here about your mental Health, we have got licensed professionals. But everybody, no matter what you do in, you know, whatever help, you're seeking out a resource, the. The people that are helping are the gurus. They truly are what they're doing. [00:42:26] Speaker B: Yes, you know, we. I love the fact that we have staff and faculty on this campus that are committed to what your experience is. You know, just take a walk around campus, explore the things that are there. Take a look at UA's website. You know, what's really great about the landing page for your mybama is that it has a lot of those quick links for some of those really basic resources that are nice for students to have. And, you know, again, we probably can't emphasize enough the fact of just, like, just take it all in. It doesn't have to all be learned in one day, but really, you know, commit yourself to learning what kind of resources are available to you. So, you know, what you have access to over the next four years or what, however long your journey is at [00:43:13] Speaker C: the capstone, put it in your toolkit. You may not need a hammer and a wrench on the project you're working on today, but you know, you may need it in a month from now. Well, you're going to want to know that you have that in your toolkit. So build your toolkit, build your resources. Know those links, know those phone numbers, and if you need them, have, hey, they're there and you know how to access them. [00:43:36] Speaker B: Amen, sister. On that note, y', all, we're. And I'm just gonna laugh right now because I, like, on my drive over to the studio, I was like, oh, man, I'm a little rusty. It's been a few months since we've recorded, but it feels so good to be back with you. [00:43:50] Speaker C: It does. I have missed you and it feels like we ended yesterday, but it's been a minute. [00:43:56] Speaker B: It has been. [00:43:57] Speaker C: But I am so thankful for the, the privilege and the honor to be back with you and co hosting and just trying to bring the. The love of health and wellness to our listeners. [00:44:10] Speaker B: Yes. And with that roll tide, y', all, we will be back next week. We've got some fabulous guests for y'. [00:44:16] Speaker C: All. [00:44:16] Speaker B: We've got a great semester of some guests, so it's going to be a fun time. We hope you stick with us this year. You have been listening to Fit to Be tied with Sheena and NA on 90.7 the capstone. [00:44:32] Speaker A: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa.