Giving students a way to burn off winter weight, nutritionist Lisa Hark detailed the benefits of adopting her "no-fad, no-nonsense" way to eat well and stay healthy.
Hark, director of the Nutrition Education and Prevention Program at the School of Medicine, is a medical nutritionist with over 20 years of experience and the author of Nutrition for Life.
"This is an encyclopedia of nutrition," she said. "It is medically sound and combines what you need to know about nutrition and medicine, as nutrition is really medicine."
Hark went on to discuss her main topic: diet.
The "truth about weight loss" is that "there is no perfect diet," she said.
According to Hark, people should adapt their diet to fit their lives and personality, as "your diet is your destiny. If you start now to improve it, you are going to change your life, and it's never too late."
One the best ways people can eat healthy, Hark said, is to pay attention to the number of calories on food labels.
In addition, Hark warned of the danger of trans-fats.
Often food producers remove the trans-fats to make food appear healthy, but tropical oils like palm oil and coconut oil are used in their place. The use of the oils, which are high in saturated fat, defeats the very purpose of removing the trans-fats.
Hark's most important point, however, was "all about balance."
"Learn to listen to your body and see what your body needs. If you fuel your body like a Ferrari, it will run like one," she said, explaining that the portions of food one eats should directly relate to their level of activity.
Hark went on to give tips about how to ensure that students get the right type and quantity of fuel.
She recommended that students "pack ... lunch and avoid eating out everyday," as it adds up.
Hark said that if one cut out 100 calories per day, in a year that person would lose 10 pounds. She also noted the danger of adding 100 calories a day to a diet.
Audience members were satisfied with Hark's discussion.
Marie-Chris Ancheta, a post-baccalaureate medical student, said she "didn't realize how important nutrition was for [medical] students and how important it is" in general. The book, she said is "like a bible."
"The price is only $30, which is not bad, as you can use it for the rest of your life," she added.
Karen Hippie, a long-distance runner who largely depends on good nutrition to maintain her endurance, found the book particularly helpful.
"I knew a lot of stuff already, but I think the book is worth buying," the Philadelphia native said.
