It's Not Personal - RecSports

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HEALTHYLIVING
Mother was Right…
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day
By Kate Donlin
We’ve all been there. After hitting the
snooze button three times, piling on
enough layers to battle the brutal South
Bend winters, and finishing your last
few homework problems, there’s no
time to eat breakfast before your 8:30
a.m. class. Think it’s okay to wait to
join the masses at South Dining Hall
at your lunch break until you have
your first bite to eat of the day? Think
again. Studies have shown that eating
breakfast not only helps enhance your
attention span and ability to focus, but
also serves a crucial role in weight
maintenance.
Even if there is no time to sit
down, pour yourself a bowl of cereal,
and grab an apple, it is important to
jump-start your metabolism for the
day. Occasionally replacing your usual
breakfast with a quick, on-the-go meal
is easy and makes a big difference.
The key to a quality breakfast is
getting a combination of protein and
carbohydrates. Proteins digest slowly,
therefore fending off hunger until
lunchtime; and the carbohydrates will
provide you with the energy you need
to get through the morning.
Keeping your dorm room stocked
with quick, easy breakfast foods is
the first step in establishing a healthy
morning meal routine. Make sure you
have foods on hand that you enjoy
so you’ll be likely to grab them, but
also ones that will satisfy your body’s
nutritional needs. By the time it takes
you to run to the vending machine
and buy a pack of Pop-Tarts, a much
better option would be to prepare some
instant oatmeal. Oatmeal is high in fiber,
which not only digests slowly, but also
helps to lower cholesterol and manage
blood pressure. Adding fruit, nuts, or
cinnamon to oatmeal will not only
create more diversity, but also add more
nutritional benefits to your breakfast.
Meal replacement bars have also
become a popular on-the-go breakfast
choice for students. The Huddle
and quick-snack stops like those in
Mendoza and Jordan sell NutriGrain,
Clif, and Luna Bars. Instead of skipping
breakfast, try one of these. Because
they provide a balanced mix of protein,
carbohydrates, and fiber, they supply
you with sustained energy. In addition,
many of these bars provide a decent
amount of one’s daily calcium and
vitamin needs. Luna Bars are designed
for women, having fewer calories
than traditional protein bars and an
emphasis on calcium, iron, and folate,
essential components of women’s health.
The important thing is to get some
type of nutritious food in at the start
of your day. Avoiding simple sugars
and refined carbohydrates is a sure way
to avoid a sharp, temporary spark of
energy that will only leave you feeling
tired and hungry.
Kate Donlin is a sophomore Marketing
and Political Science major from Atlanta, GA.
Studies show that students who eat a good breakfast every day experience better health than those who eat breakfast only some of the
time. In addition, in the book Fitness and Health (Champaign, Ill.: Human Kinetics, 1997), author Brian J. Sharkey, Ph.D., states that
eating a good breakfast is essential to performing well in work and sport.
Other research suggests that you should eat your largest meal at breakfast—definitely more than a muffin and coffee—since adults who
eat nutritious breakfasts have been shown to maintain better mental and physical efficiency throughout the day in contrast with those
who skipped breakfast.
Register for Classes Online
No more waiting in lines!
Beginning January 24, you will be able
to sign up for fitness classes online
through our new RecRegister website.
Just go to recsports.nd.edu/recregister.
WORDSEARCHANSWERS
(from pg. 16)
RecSports Staff Profile: “He’s Got a Basketball Jones”
By Ann Marie Woods
For junior Alex Klupchak, basketball
has been one of his passions from
a young age. Hoping to have the
opportunity to continue his athletic
interests at a competitive level while
at Notre Dame, Klupchak became
involved in intramural
sports on campus.
Klupchak has played
basketball since he was
five, and says his favorite
part of the sport is the
competition aspect, both
on an individual and
team level. Participating
on O’Neill’s interhall
basketball, football,
and racquetball teams allows him to
pursue his competitive passion. It also
allows him to enjoy the camaraderie
that interhall sports generates among
the students in his residence hall. It’s
been fun, he says, to participate in
“the natural rivalries that have formed
between dorms over the years.”
A captain for O’Neill’s basketball
team, Klupchak is pleased with the
wide variety of intramural sport options
available to students. “From broomball
to being the only place in the country
with intramural tackle football, there
really is something for
everyone.” He’s also glad
that he can access the
basketball courts as much
as he does.
Not only does Klupchak
play, he also works as
a RecSports official for
basketball. He’s found
officiating to be both a
flexible and enjoyable job
at RecSports. Here at Notre Dame and
through RecSports, Klupchak is able
to continue his passion and love of the
game both on and off the court.
Ann Marie Woods, who resides in Farley Hall, is a
sophomore American Studies major and RecSports staffer.
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