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As a college student living in and out of the dorms I ate a lot of ramen and take-out chinese. Without doubt this contributed to the stress and depression that I felt during that time. An important aspect of studying of any kind is to ensure proper nutrition, so that your body doesn't face any more stress than the many tests, papers, and other assignments will cause in the first place.

The basic guidelines for eating healthy that I have discovered since then remain the same whatever your vocation or walk of life. Starting a good habit of eating well in college can be an asset for the rest of your life. When choosing processed foods (that is food that someone already cooked for you in a factory or restaurant) try to avoid any and all artificial ingredients and preservatives.

Artificial flavorings, colors, and preservatives are made in chemical factories near the Jersey turnpike, and if you ever go near the place, you'll know how unwholesome these additives are. Some preservatives, such as BHA and BHT, which have been approved by the FDA are known carcinogens that appear in pie crusts and dog food among other foods. Every fast food place uses preservatives and artificial flavorings in their food that have not been tested in any meaningful way. Avoid this stuff to any excess.

What most people won't tell you, because they don't know, is that the best way to fail any diet, or even any undertaking in life, is to take the idea to excess. I mean to say that if you want to eat healthy, allow yourself a soda, buy the jar of pickles with artificial flavoring and Yellow 50, go out to eat with your friends. These are OK. Food should be more about celebration than nutrition anyways. Do not ever feel guilty for deviating from some plan in your mind, and you'll be much more likely to accomplish your overall goal, which is not to regulate every morsel to enter your belly, but to be a more healthy person overall.

And, in fact, that's the best suggestion anyone can offer you. Don't be an absolutist one way or the other. Avoid eating any one thing to excess too. Your body can handle removing the toxins from a package of Ramen noodles or a Grand Slam from IHOP, but it will have a much harder time with ten packages eaten successively over a period of days. Keep switching your diet up, and do try to have fresh, whole food for at least every other meal.

The hardest moments are going to be when you have gotten out of the third class for the day and are starving but have nothing

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