On Monday, Feb. 10, students gathered in the Bowld at 7 p.m. to hear Jonathan Wilson, director for campus recreation, lead an Adulting 101 session on health and nutrition. Adulting 101 is a series of events hosted by Residence Life throughout each semester.
Wilson is a Union alum who is a licensed athletic trainer as well as a certified strength and conditioning specialist.
“Nutrition has to be individual because we are all different, but more so, it has to be geared toward your goals,” said Wilson. “So if you don’t have goals, that is the first place to start.”
The two main goals Wilson categorized individuals in are weight gain or weight loss. Reaching either goal consists of resistance training, drinking nothing but water, eating fruits and vegetables and eating more protein at every meal.
“If you want specific results, you have to impose specific demands upon your body and then change accordingly,” Wilson said. “The biggest thing to remember is CICO, calories in and calories out. That is the key of all formulas.”
Despite highlighting that a calorie surplus will cause weight gain while a calorie deficit will cause weight loss, Wilson focused on the fact that results fluctuate for different people. To emphasize this, Wilson gave a brief overview on the basics of metabolism- the sum of chemical processes within the body.
He continued by discussing the three major macronutrients bodies need for a heightened metabolic rate: proteins, carbohydrates and fats. These three macronutrients are needed at different intakes depending on how much an individual physically exerts himself on a given day.
Proteins are animal products, beans and legumes that assist in body composition with or without exercise. Wilson emphasized the importance of a high protein intake because it is a building block for tissue.
Carbohydrates serve as an energy source and consist of bread, pasta, fruits and vegetables. According to Wilson, carbs are not an enemy, but they should be treated with caution.
Fats are necessary for testosterone, estrogen, vitamin D and cortisol. However, fats should only compose of 25 to 30 percent of an individual’s diet. Again, Wilson stressed that fats are not an enemy but should be eaten in moderation.
“It was very informative,” said sophomore elementary education major, Rebekah Holland. “The whole thing about how much protein we need is something I feel like people gloss over because we emphasize fruits and vegetables but not meat. The same with carbs.”
The night finished with a raffle where students had the opportunity to win a gift card to smoothie king or a yoga mat to promote healthy well-being.
