Fit With Forester: Healthy Living

Welcome back! Or, for those new to campus, welcome to LSC! Just before the break I began this column to provide the student body (and maybe some faculty) with a few ways to stay healthy and active even with heavy workloads and hectic schedules. I believe staying healthy is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves so I am looking forward to continuing this column.

It's the beginning of a new semester and it is a time to start fresh with a clean slate. Yes, that is a cliché but it is true for this time of year. Whatever stressors or setbacks you had last semester are gone and if you are just starting, why not start off right? 

Exercise of the Week: Fun Cardio

I hate running. I really do. But it is necessary to keep fit and maintain heart health so what can I do? Working out doesn't have to be the boring standard routine of going to the gym. There are plenty of ways to get your heart rate up without getting on a treadmill. I love to dance. It doesn't feel like a workout even though it is getting me in shape while I have fun. I go out to dance with friends, I have dance routine videos at home (The Pussycat Dolls Workout video is a favorite among my friends and I) and I take classes like Zumba. It's all cardio, but it's ten times as fun. Find a fun form off cardio this week. Maybe swimming, snowboarding or skiing (downhill or cross-country), have a snowball fight with a group of friends, or make it a competition night with Wii sports. Just have fun!

Recipe of the Week: Yogurt Parfait

Ingredients:

1 cup of your favorite yogurt

1 cup of berries (preferably fresh but frozen work too whether heated or not)

1/2 cup of granola or cereal

1 Handful of sliced almonds (optional)

Directions:

Alright this is pretty simple. Layer the ingredients in a bowl or tall glass if you want to see the layers better. It doesn't matter which ingredient you start with, it is entirely up to you, but in the end you will have a tasty breakfast or anytime-of-the-day snack. 

To make it extra healthy use Greek or Mediterranean yogurt. It has just about twice the amount for protein as regular yogurt and usually has less sugar in it than Yoplait or Trix yogurts. Also try using Kashi Go Lean Crunch as your cereal layer. It is also loaded with protein and also has a ton of fiber to help keep you full longer. Enjoy!  

Activity of the Week: Embrace and Celebrate a New Culture

We all received the email from President Gold about the incident of LSC students yelling out racist remarks to International Students from L.I. It is a sad really that these college students are so close-minded towards other cultures that can be extremely interesting. 

Did any of you try to order Chinese food this past weekend like I did? Well if you tried and failed (like I did), did you ask yourself why none of the Chinese restaurants were open? Well if you looked at your email or if you know Chinese culture well, you knew that they were closed to celebrate the Chinese New Year, the beginning of the Year of the Dragon! To celebrate students and faculty were asked to wear red on Sunday and Monday and to hang red pieces of paper on their doors to ward off bad luck and evil spirits.