Eating the Rainbow
Rainbow Massage chairs, body composition analysis, and nutritional counseling—all these offers are part of the new program “Personalized Health Promotion” of the Institute of Sports (IFS). FORUM author Luisa Gebhardt tried it out for herself.
“So, what purple food do you eat?” my coworkers ask when I mention that our daily fruit and vegetable intake should resemble a rainbow. It’s something I learned from Bianka Velte during my nutritional counseling session with her at the Institute of Sports (IFS). Counseling, body composition analysis, and a massage chair treatment are the three components of the IFS Personalized Health Promotion program (Individuelle Gesundheitsförderung) that I tested for FORUM. The idea behind the program was developed by the IFS together with the university’s occupational health management team at Division V. “We wanted to create a comprehensive prevention program that’s easy for students and staff to use,” says IFS deputy director Charlotte Werner. And it really is straightforward: I simply booked appointments for all three offerings on the IFS website.
Nutritional counseling starts with tracking what I eat for a week—and how I feel while eating it. Easier said than done. That cookie at 11:30 a.m. in the office—was that boredom, stress, or a real craving? “What’s your impression of your eating habits after the week?” asks Velte, 54, when we sit down. I’m afraid my diet might be too one-sided. But as we go through my notes, she reassures me: “You eat a balanced diet—especially when it comes to fruit and vegetables, you really are eating the rainbow.” Since I exercise regularly, she recommends focusing more on protein—maybe adding tofu or legumes to my weekly roasted vegetables.
Whole grain bread, avocado and nuts
I feel completely at ease with Velte. We talk about digestion, specific foods, the effects of alcohol, and she offers more helpful tips (freeze fruit before it goes bad!). I get to ask anything I want. One thing I really want to know: how can I stay full longer after meals? “Whole grain bread and pasta,” she says. “That keeps your stomach working longer.” The same goes for raw veggies and healthy fats like those in avocado and olive oil. Her favorite snack tip? A handful of nuts.
After the consultation, I head to my body composition analysis. I’m curious—have I gained muscle over the past few months? The device sends short, imperceptible electrical impulses through the body to measure it. Before stepping on, student assistant Natascha Totsche reminds me: “Please remove your socks and take off your watch.” I stand still for a minute, gripping two handles with sensors. A cheerful tune plays while the machine precisely reports which body parts it’s analyzing.
Afterward, Totsche and I sit down to compare my June results with those from November 2024. The printouts are packed with data: muscle-fat analysis, weight recommendation, water balance, visceral fat levels, cellular mass. We go through everything together, and the 24-year-old sums it up: “All your values are normal and well-balanced for your age and height.” I’m pleased to see I’ve gained muscle mass—but also a bit of fat. The report even shows exactly how much and where. When I ask about building more muscle, she suggests I check out the university’s own D2 FitnessGym.
But today, after work, I opt for the massage chair instead of a workout. Getting a deep-tissue kneading while meditative music plays? Absolute bliss. As the chair moves up and down my back and I nearly drift off, I find myself thinking again about my coworkers—and the rainbow. My answer? “Eggplants, olives, and plums are purple—and I love them!” Thanks to the nutritional counseling, I now rarely find myself raiding the fridge at 9 p.m.
Text: Luisa Gebhardt / August 2025
You can find all Personalized Health Promotion services on the IFS website.