Written by Daphne Oz, the daughter of Mehmet Oz, cardiac surgeon and author of You: On a Diet (we know him better as Dr. Oz on Oprah), the The Dorm Room Diet: The 8-Step Program for Creating a Healthy Lifestyle Plan That Really Works is for college freshmen who have just emerged from underneath the protective wings of their mothers. A hectic lifestyle, availability of fast foods and popular trends lead to widening waistlines. This book offers the skinny on how to avoid that.
The dorm diet: an overview
As a teenager, Daphne gained a lot of weight when she left for college and lived on her own for the first time. Every year, the same thing happens to countless college freshmen who arrive at campuses, ready to take on whatever the world may throw at them. In the buzz and the hooplah, it is only natural that healthy food patterns deteriorate and weight starts piling.
The dorm diet is based on a few simple rules of healthy eating:
- eat healthy
- drink plenty of water
- take small meals every three hours
- prepare for study sessions armed with healthy snacks
- control your cravings
The book is based on a sane eating plan that avoids calorie laden food like sugars, creams, sauces, sodas and full fat dairy. To overcome the craving for such foods, Daphne suggests a diet rich in healthy snacks like fruits and vegetables. In case of exhaustion, she recommends munching on semisweet choco chips, instead of high calorie foods like chocolates.
The author is familiar with the sudden food attacks that teenagers are vulnerable to. So, she suggests that you drink fresh fruit juice before eating as this fills the stomach and thus takes the edge off the craving.
Exercises are given a lot of importance in the diet plan. Since gyms are easily accessible on college campuses, it is easy to follow the recommended 3 days a week exercise program. Cardio is nicely mixed with resistance exercises to give a complete body workout.
The dorm diet: a review
The book is filled with a number of practical tips and tricks that help college students get a hold of their wayward appetites and introduce some discipline to their eating habits. It’s tough to do when you have a ton of work to do. So, a ready-to-follow guide is just what the doc ordered!
Pros:
- Encourages healthy eating habits
- Inculcates awareness of emotional eating and triggers that set off the desire to overeat
- Loads of practical advice
- Easy to follow
- Suited to the teen mentality and the college lifestyle
- Emphasizes the importance of exercises
- Healthy, easy recipes
Cons:
- Some of the food recommendations may not fit into a college student’s budget
- Requires strong will power as munchies are not looked upon favorably
- Targets college students
- Recommended foods may be difficult to find in the college cafeteria
In conclusion:
If you’re leaving for college and feel that you need a little something to prepare you, then, this book is a must read. The diet plan is healthy and well rounded. The principles are well worth implementing. It is not an all-inclusive diet plan, but then, it doesn’t pretend to be one.
