Eating whole grain foods as opposed to eating refined grain foods may yield health benefits that most consumers do not think about. Whole grains may help to reduce the risk of stroke, reduce risk for developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease, maintain healthy weight, lower risk of high blood pressure and reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. The recommended daily servings of whole grains is 3 to 5 for adults and 2 to 3 for children. Most Americans (about 40%) do not get any whole grains in their diet. One problem with whole grains is that many consumers find that they do not like the taste, however, after eating whole grains daily, you will probably find that you prefer the taste of whole grain foods over refined grains; for example, after you eat whole wheat bread for a while, you will probably prefer whole wheat bread over plain white bread. Whole grains also contain essential nutrients that your body needs, including protein, fiber, iron and B vitamins. The easiest way to get your recommended daily amount of whole grains is to try and include at least one whole grain at every meal. If you do that, you will be well on your way to a healthier lifestyle!

http://wholegrainscouncil.org/

      Almost every person in college has heard of the freshman fifteen, referring to the additional weight that a new college student will gain during their first semester of attendance.  Of course gaining weight is bad because we might not be able to fit into out favorite pair of jeans anymore, but have you ever thought about what that extra weight is doing to your body?  
      Being overweight or obese is considered "abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health" defined by the World Health Organization.  Being obese puts you at risk for many things that are harmful to your health, such as diabetes.  Also, being obese increases the risk of someone getting diabetes by 44 percent.  Getting diabetes will change someones life because they will no longer be able to do anything without having the thought about it in the back of their mind and have to deal with the burden constantly.  Not only does obesity cause diabetes in some people but it is also the fifth leading cause of death in the world.  Being obese or overweight actually causes more deaths then being underweight!
      So before ordering a burger or getting up for a second round at the dining hall, think about all of the health repercussions on your body that eating that might have.  If you do chose a burger, make sure to balance the rest of your day out accordingly after that.  Keep those jeans fitting just the way you like them to.
      http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/index.html

While we highly discourage eating at fast food restaurants, we are all human and crave that greasy, fattening food every once in a while, some more than others. When we have that lapse of good judgement and stroll into Mickey D's, you should take a closer look at the food you are considering eating.

You don't have a lot of time, so you tell yourself you will be healthy and pick up a salad from McDonald's. While this may seem like the healthy alternative to a hamburger and fries, the nutrition menu may suggest otherwise....

Let's take a look at the salad you ordered. You decided on the premium southwest salad with crispy chicken (450 calories, 820mg of sodium) with ranch dressing (170 calories,    530mg of sodium). 620 calories and 1,350mg of sodium later...you have consumed your "healthy lunch". now let's take a look at the hamburger and small fries. The hamburger has 250 calories and 490mg of sodium, the fries have 230 calories and 160mg of sodium. So what we may think is the "unhealthy" food choice actually only has 480 calories and 650mg of sodium.  

Not all salads have as many calories as the premium southwest salad with crispy chicken, but if you are thinking of stopping at a fast food restaurant while still trying to eat somewhat healthy, make sure you do your homework!

http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/getnutrition/nutritionfacts.pdf