Take a break, refuel for finals

This semester I have been taking a course called “Food: Famine and Festival” through the Anthropology Department. We focused on different societies and cultures by examining their festivals and other famines throughout the world.

I am required to make an in-depth final research project on whatever topic I want.
My choice? Eating habits of college students, specifically, those of students who eat alone and those who eat with company.

As the semester comes to a close, I thought some of you might find my discoveries interesting.

We have a tendency to forget to eat, especially when alone.

More specifically, we tend to forget to eat when alone while living in the dorms. I say this because the majority of the students I observed lived in the dorms and had little to no access to a decent kitchen.

For example: my boyfriend. He’s a hard-working guy, focusing on his academics and work and lets very few things distract him. This means he doesn’t have the best diet.
He typically has two meals a day, with a snack or two in there as well. Breakfast is considered one of his snacks. Dinner is typically a larger meal, and he usually eats with his friends. For lunch he typically only has soup or a small sandwich.

While there is nothing wrong with this, he said that he prefers to eat lunch alone and sometimes forgets to eat sometimes. It’s simply not healthy.

I realize that physically we are almost completely mature, so getting enough nutrients for growing bodies is not an issue anymore. But we need healthy diets to maintain healthy bodies.

Especially considering our workloads during school. If you’re a dedicated student who tries hard to succeed and learn, chances are you’re pretty worn down each day.
And, if you don’t remember to eat, you will tire out more quickly.
The hardest thing about this project was listening to some friends say they felt they simply didn’t have the time to eat.

There is no excuse for not eating. Our bodies cannot function without some source of fuel — specifically food and water — to get through each day. Otherwise we deteriorate physically, which leads to more health problems and a weaker immune system.

I assume the majority of students will be spending most of these last weeks hiding in their rooms or the library, studying and cramming and putting the final details on group projects. This means minimal social time, which is completely understandable.
But if my project has taught me anything, it’s that socializing with food is one of the healthiest things you can do. It will not just boost your immune system and fuel your body, it will help your mental health by giving you a break from intense study sessions.

So for dead and finals week, I hope you remember to take time and grab lunch or dinner with your friends, or order take-out with a study group in the evening.
Take a break for an hour, eat something and relax!