1. Pill Hustle This one makes me laugh. For some incredibly interesting reason if you make something, even the simplest thing, into pill form you can trick others to think you have found gold. For example, people are out there buying Apple Cider Vinegar pills for $20/60 pills. AND it is suggested to take 2-3 pills twice a day! So this is less than a month of pills for $20. Does anyone know how much a whole 32oz bottle of pure apple cider vinegar costs? The answer is around $5, including tax. Now I don't know if you've ever used this product, but a 32 oz bottle should supply you for well over a month. PLUS doesn't it seem like the actual product in it's pure form should always be better than a processed shape shifted form?? If you have the option, always buy the natural-real form. For example kale powder, superfood pills, probiotic pills, turmeric pills. Please for the love of all things Bragg, don't get conned into this scam. 2. DIET Foods For those of you who don't know, the companies that use this term forgot to print out the full length of it. Which actually stands for "Die Today". maybe tomorrow? Okay maybe not completely, but close enough. Point being, diet foods are HORRIBLE for you people. So I am going to let you all in on a dirty little secret... It is not possible to remove all fat and sugar and carbs from something and make it delicious. This defies all laws of physics. Newton is shaking his head and so am I. So how, might you ask does your soda, that has zero calories and sugar still taste sweet? The answer is poison. Pure, synthetic, man made chemicals designed to fit into the same ever so uniquely crafted slots in your taste buds that signal to your brain saying "ooh that's sweet". It's pure trickery! These chemicals destroy your gut and the normal processes of your body, trick your hormones to be released, makes you crave more sugar, and basically just wrecks havoc on the body. What are the long term affects of this you might ask? The fun part is we really don't know! it's so new on the market which means Dun Dun Dun (drum roll)..... WE are the test subjects! Yippee! I bet you didn't know you were part of a huge research project. (Yay science) 3. Natural Smatual Couldn't find a better rhyming word that actually had a meaning that worked.. Anyway, how often do you see the term "Natural" on a food label? Be it meat, eggs, cereal. I know I see it everywhere and what does it mean? Absolutely Nothing. Okay it is supposed to mean no added colors or preservatives, but there are so many loopholes and is so unregulated that it has been hotly debated to be illegal to claim. If you wanted to market your car as natural on craigslist the FDA would approve! There are no actual law or inspections done that allows a food product to be labeled "natural". Which means about the same as me saying I'm a vampire. Would you believe me? maybe. But am I? How would we ever know for sure? The only actual backed up claims are "organic" which means the product is mostly organic (like 90%) or USDA Certified Organic which means it is 100% organic product and is inspected and backed up by the USDA and their trusty stamp of approval. So bottom line, if you're convinced that natural means healthy, you should also wear garlic because I am a vampire. You can now trust this article, it has the stamp of approval
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Why is working out so difficult?
Why does simply moving our bodies sound so incredibly unappealing? I mean isn't that like the sole purpose of having one? I imagine its equivalent to being a shirt and absolutely hate being worn or being a pen but praying to god no one writes with you. While these things could be true, we'll never know, the thought seems ridiculous right? Then why does the human body that was designed to move all day and actually greatly benefits from it, resist the desire to do so very powerfully? I know that everyone is not the same here and some might even say that I am myself a work out freak and live to run, but this my friends is false. I promise you even Michael Phelps has shed a few God Dam**ts on the way to training. Even just the thought of working out can be miserable; your body instantly going into dread. "Nooo dont make me burn a calorie, please I'll do anything. I promise I wont feel this way if you would just make me start next Monday." It's quite hilarious. I can't count the number of times I've been on my way to the gym wishing I was doing just about anything else (maybe if I just accidentally throw my shoe out the window..) It's funny though because if you just bite the bit and go and post your mirror pics everyone thinks "Wow I wish I was them, they just naturally love working out, it's not fair"... This, is not true. Chances are that person is posting a pic in attempt to gain any type of support or motivation to continue going. I mean lets be honest like 80% of the guys (or girls) that live for it, are "using." And by using, ya I pretty much equivilate supplements to a drug. I'm sorry, but if you have to take powder that make your skin itch, hands shake and your eyes pop out of your head just to get in the mood to lift some weights, you my friend are not just naturally in love with working out. (I've been this person and ya it can actually make you itch). There's a reason supplements are a billion dollar industry, because people need a ton of boosters to stay motivated! So thanks to whatever incredibly inconsiderate individual that designed us to have endless pleasure in consuming calories, but dread at the thought of burning one. Us and our holiday muffin tops are all greatly thanking you. So how do you hack this natural human demise? Well so far, in my maybe 6 years of decently consistent working out would give you this advice... Cry and cuss. Jk, kinda. It does help. Honestly as I'm sure you all know, getting into a consistent routine is by far the hardest part. This first 2 weeks is the part you have to just grit your teeth, hate yourself, let a few tears out, but you MUST continue. Even if you just do something small, do not stop at all in the first 2 weeks. The only thing that brings pleasure from working out is the natural high afterward, the feeling of accomplishment for sticking to something healthy and of course, results. The first two weeks are absolutely crucial because about then is when you start to get that feeling that your actually doing something positive. You're accomplishing something healthy daily, you start to feel pride and even if not as much as chocolate cake, it is addicting. Start small. Even if it is just a walk, slowly increase, but do not take more than one day off each week for the first two weeks. I promise it will be miserable, you just have to accept that misery. If someone tells you they always love and can't wait to work out, don't trust that guy, that's the powder guy. The sh*t sucks, but can be so rewarding in the end. And once you get in the routine it becomes mindless, the misery is more dull, it's more of a "well this is my life now," but after every workout you're so happy you did it. I mean what else can you do in life that only takes 30 minutes to feel great? It's a pretty cool secret to have in your pocket, actually. I can't think of a single time I've worked out and thought "wow I wish I didn't do that," It can become a therapy. Wow how we changed our minds about moving. Who knew something that can make you want to cut your foot of as an excuse of avoidance could also make you feel so alive. Even if I kind of think this whole article could have been to convince myself to go to the gym today, I hope someone else does too! Good Morning, It's New Years Eve everybody!! And I could not feel less ready to start a new year. I'm not really sure why. Maybe because I haven't set foot in a gym in over two weeks and I've never been less motivated to do so, maybe its because I know the things I want to change this year I probably wont, maybe it's because I feel like I'm getting old and another year means well, another year. Or maybe it's just simply that I do not feel like taking down all my Christmas decorations. That last one is probably the most out standing one, but the rest are still strong seconds.
What are your New Years Resolutions? What is a New Year Resolution? If you want my honest opinion it pretty much complete bulls**t. If that doesn't ruin your NYE sparkle I don't know what will. I'm really not trying to ruin the fun I swear, I think it all sounds just as exciting as the next dreamer, but I truly wonder how many people actually believe that starting a new year will give them the opportunity to make the changes they want to see in their life. What was wrong with last Tuesday? There was no opportunity to change there but this day, this very day, the day that Rome was founded and the calendar was put into place with Julius Cesar's help in year 706 marking that there are 365 days before the earth passes the sun.... this will be what marks the day that you can actually start living the life you love! Sorry I'm laughing. Not at you, I promise. I'm laughing at the fact that I just googled where the calendar came from and now I know that we base our whole lives off of something that was established in the year 706 because two dudes realized the earth passes the sun every 365 days. BAM there's your year. And we humans, in a time where we don't even know if there's a real sun in the sky or if it's a virtual illusion from technology, are basing our lives and ability to change off of this made up concept of a "year". (hah) The funny thing is almost all of our ideas of what determines our daily lives such as time, holidays, superstitions all stem from something one person started thousands of years ago, but no one questions it! No one ever says at the family Easter party "hey so like why do we have to hide all these fake eggs and pretend there's a more than terrifying human size bunny that brings gifts?" We just get excited about that furry dude, put on our pink polka dotted shirts and go hide those eggs. It makes me laugh, really hard actually. I mean it is fun, but why do we never actually question these things? (Nine out of ten holiday traditions were created by large manufacturing companies to make money). Humans are funny creatures. So get out there guys, put on your sparkly clothes, pour yourself a midnight toast and celebrate that guy in 706 that saw the sun pass the earth! Hi everyone, which I'm pretty sure is really no one, but even if it is just is one, I'll take it! So I haven't been on my blog for maybe upwards of about 3 years (wow how time flies). I just got done reading my old posts and I am tiddlywinked (tiddlewinked?) Idk they both have red underlines maybe its not even a word, anyway, at how cute I was as a little "starving" college student. Well I'm back now with my degree, a real job, the ability to afford avocado on my subway sandwich and a strong curiosity about why Americans suck. Woah. Too blunt? or maybe too out of the blue. Either way I decided I wanted to write today (possibly inspired by the nearby mimosa) about who, what, when, where, how and what the hell is wrong with Americans these days. Why do we all have everything while are simultaneously depressed and miserable? I'm fed up, I've had enough and I want answers...
So let's start with my hypothesis. If you know me you know I'm slightly old fashioned. I have an Iphone 5 (let's hear the comments "wow that thing has color? Does it have internet?" Or my all time favorite is watching a 5 year old at dinner with a phone 4 generations newer than mine look at me like I'm homeless. But you know what people it's by choice! (partly, also partly because my inner jew will not allow me to part with my money for a newer version of something that in my mind gets the job done just fine). Anyway moving forward, my truck is old (like not in the vintage way) which I must credit to my boyfriends and their more than adorable attempts to keep me mobile while holding back the attempt to slit my tires and force me to buy something new. Anyway if you haven't got the point, I'm frugal as F**k (This could also stand for Frank, but it doesn't here.) Wow we've got off track, quite the distractions. Back to my hypothesis, I believe that the human brain, going back to ancestors, cavemen perhaps, are quite simple. Sleep, hunt for food, eat, drink (oh ya my mimosa!), love, reproduce and die. That is what we came from people! Humans were not made to sit on a couch with every stimuli in front of their face having a meal dashed to their door with a small servant hired to dish chicken nuggets into their mouth until they fall asleep in their self reclining bed. We weren't designed to have 3 jobs, payments, debt, endless stress, and I mean mental stress, the type that gets your heart rate up without moving. This kind, my friends, will kill ya. I think humans as a society have gone so and I mean SO far off the beaten path of what we were created to be and what we were created to do. I believe this has caused a complete stimulus and stress overload that we cannot deal with. For example, take a moment to think... How many people do you know that have an addiction? Be it alcohol, pills, food, gambling, drugs. I guarantee it would be easier if I said count your friends/family that don't self-medicate. But do we blame us? Take the average Joe family. Joe has a good job, married with kids, good house, all the works. Joe should wake up every morning and beam from ear to ear because Joe is simply Living the American Dream. Right? Uh oh. Joe's frowning. Lets dig deeper. Joe has a very large mortgage on this house he had to buy to accommodate his family and also keep the "status" everyone has of him; Joe has a car payment he knows he wont pay off for the next 20 years. He has kids that he has no idea how they are getting into college with the debts he has and on top of that he works so much that he has endless guilt that he doesn't spend enough time with his family. But he has to in order to keep all of these materials that make his family "perfect". Right? Does Joe sound familiar? Maybe. Maybe not. I dont completely relate to Joe, but I believe most typical American families can and I think its sickening. Not to mention social media. Ohh the media. I mean at least if I'm miserable I can go to a virtual page that reminds me that my life is perfect and I'm so happy Disneyland would sponsor me (barf again). I wish people would post pictures of themselves miserable at work, driving their screaming kids to school, crying after a horrible stressful day. Instead we see Cabo, drinks on Friday night, parties and the perfect family photos. This type of stigma people make for themselves has to be overwhelming and really who are we trying to convince.. I truly believe nine times out of ten it's ourselves. Does anyone agree with this? What are we we living for people. An image of happiness? A new car? If I get the Iphone 68 I'm sure Ill be happy! Sorry to put it blunt, but real true happiness, at least as far as I have seen in my short but seemingly long 26 years on earth does not come from something that is made out of materials. In a time of ultimate connection, why are people the most disconnected? In a time of absolutely everything (literally we don't have to stand up to get groceries) do we feel like we have nothing? I really don't know what this article was to solve, maybe to create awareness, maybe to see if anyone agrees, but I think I just needed to rant about the American Misery I mean American Dream as I drank my mimosa on this beautiful Sunday. Oh look, it's almost gone, gotta go pour another!
Here's the ingredients! (I got all of my ingredients in the open container bulk section at whole foods for about $10) 1. Choose your favorite nuts: Almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, etc. About 1 cup 2. Choose favorite dried fruits: Dates, apricots, raisins, cranberries About 1/2 cup 3. Favorite fat: Coconut oil, canola oil, butter. About 1/2 cup 4. Favorite seasoning: Cinnamon, cloves, cardamom. 1-2 tsp 5. Favorite flavor: Vanilla, almond, coconut extract. 1-2 tsp 6. Oats: 4-5 cups of oats Step one: Chop nuts and fruits and combine all dry ingredients. I chose almonds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, dates and raisins. Tip: add the dried fruit when there's about 5 minutes left or you will be left with small burnt pieces of glass like I did. Step two: Combine wet ingredients I used coconut oil, brown sugar and a splash of maple syrup. Although I would have preferred honey, I didn't have any at the time.
Enjoy in milk, yogurt, or just by itself! Simply simple and delicious. Are you a starving college student that unfortunately is not reaping the benefits of starving? Jk, starving has no benefits and you also don't have to be in college to be interested! But what I mean is are you tight on money, but would still like to have your health under control and the body that you want? I'm beyond annoyed with all the diets out there that not only cost a fortune but do not last and aren't healthy in the long run. Or the programs that are healthy usually cost a fortune. I am on a pretty strict college budget, but find it so simple to eat a very healthy diet, it is not impossible! I always have people ask me to make them meal plans, mainly because they know it is my hobby in life, so I figured why not make a thing out of it and help where needed! Let Me Help You How I can help? As a food science major with a strong background in Nutrition I have a very wide knowledge of food from the metabolic to chemical level. Being that I have not graduated yet you can get the benefits without having to pay me for being certified. ;) Also I have tried many many different diets, fads, etc. So I really do know what works and what doesn't. What do I need from you? 1. Send me an email saying you are interested in the help 2.Your height/weight 3.Your goals 4.Your budget 5.A three-day food recall, which basically tells me how you typically eat so I can tailor your meal plan. What you will get: 1.A two-week meal plan deigned specifically for you 2.Access to talk to and ask me nutritional questions whenever needed and give support If Interested, Email me at: [email protected] HAPPY SUMMER Follow these 5 easy guidelines to make sure your diet 1. Can you see yourself eating this way for at least 2 years? The ability for stability of a diet can tell so much about the practicality of it and if it is actually going to work. If it is only possible to maintain it for a week, then that is exactly about how long the weight you lost will stay off. For example if you go on a 5-day juice cleanse and lose 10 pounds, it'll be back within 5-7 days. The most successful diets have to be something practical that you can maintain for years, otherwise your wasting your time and suffering. 2. How many types of macros are you eating? If your answer isn't ALL (meaning protein carbs, and fats) then throw it out. Any diet that doesn't contain or largely limits one of these is not going to work, at least not long term. Your body is designed to utilize all three nutrients and therefore will become depleted in absence of one resulting in a domino affect of metabolism issues. Trust me, the detrimental affects caused by depletion are not worth the quick few pounds that might come off the first week. 3. You should never be starving. Ever. You should not be starving yourself to lose weight! Not only is it not good for your body, but it causes so many negative factors. Simply put, If you are miserable you aren't going to continue the pattern you are on and the diet will be once again a short-lived experience. Also when your body is in starvation mode it slows the metabolism because it wants to conserve energy causing you to gain fat more easily when you eat anything. Not worth it! 4. Listen to your weight A practical and healthy diet consists of losing 1.5-3 lbs a week depending on your size. Anything more than this is a sign that it is unhealthy and is not a long-term plan. Pay attention to this in order to assure that you are doing things right. When you lose weight at a rapid pace you lose a lot of muscle as your body is more likely to eat muscle because it is a more readily available source of energy. 5. Fatigue means something is wrongAlthough little bit of tiredness the first week of switching your diet can be expected due to your body adjusting, it should not be extreme or long term. If you feel like simple tasks are exhausting or your moods are off you most likely aren't eating enough and have a drop in blood sugar. Meaning you might need to up your carbohydrate level a little bit or slightly increase your calories. Once again living your life on edge with no energy IS NOT GOING TO LAST! HOPE THESE HELP! IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS LET ME KNOW! I'M HAPPY TO HELP OR GIVE SUGGESTIONS.
Now you can be healthy, you can even know most of the ins and outs of food, but there are some things that commonly cross only the minds of super health freaks. If you are food and nutrition obsessed these thoughts most likely go through your head on a daily basis...if not, then you might just be the average healthy Joe. No One's Judgin! # 1 Saucy Secrets These Have NO Calories. Well at least most of them dont! You have come up with some really interesting concoctions of seasoning and hot sauce to give your food flavor without the calories. Admit it, sometimes your creations have left you in burning tears. #2 Fruit Fruition You don't consider fruit to be the best snack. Fruit is sugar and most the time is used as a treat not as a rewardable health food. Apple a day keeps the doctor away, not the belly. #3 Useless Veggies A vegetable is certainly not just a vegetable. There is a huge difference in how you rank them. Peas, carrots and corn are categorized as treat vegetables. Basically sugar with little benefits, such a sad life. Eat your kale and fake a smile. #4 Two words: FOOD.LABELS. This consumes you. Everything you buy that is in a package is thoroughly examined, ranked, researched, and judged. You aren't letting anything fool you. I see you partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. #5 Organic is a touchy word for you Organic does not simply mean healthy! You can't stand how everyone buys organic everything and think they are a health god. Many things don't need to be organic as well as many different labels don't even mean that they are fully organic. what does organic even mean anyway? This subject keeps you awake at night (Or maybe that's just me?) #6 Calories can't hide from youGum, mints and small candies aren't mindless items to you. You are fully aware that they contain calories and sugar and you aren't going to pretend they don't! Who wants to waste 100 precious calories on a few mints? #7 Scandalous Whole wheat No, actually I hate you. You wonder how bread can be whole wheat but the first ingredient is whole wheat white flour. What is whole wheat white flour? What does cracked wheat mean? Is whole grain better, whats the difference between a grain and a wheat? AHH I'll just eat a different form of carb. #8 Big does not mean better to you This is scary in so many ways. While it is nice to have more food, a chicken is not physiologically supposed to be that big! You don't get excited when you see how large the chicken or eggs are at the grocery store, instead you are rather repulsed. HORMONE ALERT! #9 Liquid has calories, a lot of themJuice and sports drinks don't fool you. You are not going to compromise 300 calories on an unsatisfying glass of sugar. Juice is far from healthy and many times contains more sugar than soda! But you knew that ;) #10 You wish you weren't so smart Sometimes you wish you didn't know all that you do about nutrition and food. You would love to go out to eat and not feel like you just consumed a laboratories supply of chemicals, but hey, too bad. You're better off knowing, right? :)
I love writing poems, I just find it a fun stress reliever. This poem came to me due to a lot of strong feelings I have toward this generation. I by no means am talking about everyone so don't get me wrong, I just feel that much of our generation feels deserving without working. We are so sensitive to everything yet desensitized to what matters in life. Anyway, I can ramble all day. Here's a fun poem expressing some of my views: MillenialsThe world is at our fingertips
consequently takes place of our lips Accepting each day as if deserving In reality though what are we earning? Everything handed so simple and thoughtless Ignorant to building incredible mess Today a celebration tomorrow as well This party becoming our progressive jail We are creatures of the surface Creating useless and ignorant fuss Interest is tied to instant reward In a blink we find the mind very bored This time offers great opportunity How do we have such ambition immunity The pride has been stripped the ethics are frayed How did advancement create such dismay Morals restored accountability instilled Integrity grows and stability filled All that you want, no matter the price I promise won't come from the roll of a dice Open your eyes beyond whats in front Visualize the gift that's found in the hunt Seeing the light you will apprehend The depth of the life you would recommend The world is in the palm of your hand Live that advice it just takes a plan Do you ever wonder how many calories you really need to eat? I'm sure you have at least contemplated the thought once or twice, possibly while devouring a double cheeseburger, but hey, a thoughts a thought! Today there is so much confusion and although there are average recommendations based on your age and height, they can be rather off. The most scientifically approved way of determining this (equationally) is by the Mifflin St. Jeor Equation. Although it sounds like a King in a far away land, it's just a simple equation that determines the amount of calories you need to eat a day based specifically on your body. Now this is a BMR calculator and if you haven't heard that term before, it stands for BASAL METABOLIC RATE. Now I'm sure you could decipher what that means just by breaking down the words, but I'll save your precious brains from rigor and explain. Your BMR is the amount of calories that your body needs just to maintain itself, just to blink, make new cells, hair growth, support brain activity, etc. (Isn't it awesome that all that burns calories?!) Actually 60% of the calories you use each day are just from your vital functions! pretty cool huh? Now if you were to go in for a BMR screening, things might be a little different. More information would be taken such as carbon dioxide and oxygen analysis, but this is the closest you can get for an at home self-counseling session. So put on your white coats and get out your calculators! Mifflin St. Jeor Equation For men: BMR = 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (years) + 5 For women: BMR = 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (years) – 161 Now don't try to be a hero here, you WILL need a calculator, it gets kind of sticky (I am just math-ly challenged) Lets start: 1. Convert your weight to kilogroms which is just weight divided by 2.2 2. Convert your height to cm. Most people usually know how many inches they are. For example, 5ft is 60 inches. 12 inches in a foot. I shouldn't have to say much more... 3. I would suggest doing each part of multiplication separately and then adding or subtracting, it helps keep things from being multiplied wrong. (once again, just a way I deal with my math-challenged life) Here is mine to give you an example: Women's equation with my numbers plugged in: 10 x (63.63) + 6.25 x (67) - 5 x (22) - 161 So next, I get: 636.3 + 418.75 - 110 - 161 Final Answer is.... 784.05 calories per day (for me) Now I know that seems really low and is rather depressing, but you have to remember that this is just your basal rate. If you were to lay in bed all day and move only to readjust your pillow (maybe not even that) that is how many calories you need. So walking, moving, exercising, is not taken into consideration here. It's just a fun thing to know.
Over Achiever Alert!! If you want to go further and calculate how much you burn with activity thrown in to the mix to really give you better overall calculations: Multiply the last number you got (BMR) by which category you fall under. Now be honest here, you're sedentary secrets are safe with Old St. Miff. 1. Sedentary: Multiply by 1.2 2. Mild activity: Multiply by 1.3 3. Moderate activity: Multiply by 1.5 4. Heavy or labor intensive activity: Multiply by 1.7 5. Extreme activity: Multiply by 1.9 Congratulations, you just passed a college level BMR calculation course! Jk, but really this is the part everyone stresses over in upper level nutrition classes. The number you got is most likely lower than what you have recently been told or heard, but it is scientifically the most accurate equation used by professionals. I hope you can take something away from this (other than depression), it never hurts to have a little knowledge about what your body requires! These cookies are AMAZING! And super easy. Don't let the Ricotta throw you, it's a great addition. Unfortunately, the sprinkle section of my cupboard really only sees daylight in Christmas so they ended up being random red and green sprinkles. It's what's inside that matters, I promise! If you click on the recipe you can see how awesome they look if you have the right sprinkles. They have potential to be adorable little cookies (just not when I get ahold of them). I encourage all to try them, my family went crazy over them and to better explain the texture my dad asked, "So are they biscuits or cookies?" this is also the same man that last weekend asked if water could burn... But still! They are super light and fluffy. Like a little cloud of sweet heaven. I'm serious, you "cotta" have em'! Seriously, You Cotta
.....Avoiding Fat Pants We all know there's no avoiding the extra calories on the holidays, but there are some small tricks to lower the amount you consume! These are some of the secrets I've created through years of wanting to enjoy Thanksgiving and not hate turkeys for the next 5 months. Small changes can lead to hundreds of calories saved!
And The Number 1 Tip....
DO NOT WEAR YOUR FAT PANTS! Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!! LIFE'S LITTLE PLEASURESToday I decided to appreciate a day full of Fall. In all reality Fall and it's many pleasures ends today. Starting on Thanksgiving, the world will shift over to Winter and Christmas. Out with Pumpkin Spice in with Peppermint! Goodbye Turkey and pumpkin, greetings Santa Clause and Presents! This is not necessarily a bad thing, I just think Fall deserves a little more time and appreciation. There is nothing more beautiful than Fall trees and the beauty that comes with this season. Today I captured some of it. The canal by where I run has THE most beautiful trees. The picture doesn't even do it justice. I had to stop and take it all in. Nothing beats nature's pure beauty. I love to incorporate colors into my meals! It's way more visually exciting and also helps make sure you are getting a variety of nutrients. This plate had a great display of Fall colors! Sweet potatoes are god's gift to earth. Honestly, nothing is more amazing than watching thick cream slowly swirl into a cup of cold, dark coffee. This is such a simple pleasure of mine, really, it is one of the coolest things to watch. (don't mind my sharpie and extra large book) This smoothie literally had everything and the kitchen sink in it. I started with my base of green max powder, Suja green drink and Greek yogurt; I also wanted to stick to my Fall theme so I added organic pumpkin puree. I was on the phone with my boyfriend not paying attention to what I was doing and before I knew it, I had half the kitchen in my blender! These are the things that made the cut, I'm talking like high school football cuts (everyone makes the team): -Walnuts -Dark Chocolate Chips -Peas (leftover from lunch) -splash of milk -Cinnamon -Blueberries -Pumpkin Puree -Green Max Powder -Suja Green Drink It turned out extremely flavorful! I'm telling you, you can literally throw anything in a blender. These are just a few of my simple pleasures in life that I am thankful to be able to enjoy!
Life is so hectic. Take a minute, breathe and look around you. There is hidden beauty everywhere. HAPPY THANKSGIVING Tonight I started my travel home for Thanksgiving and boy did it turn in to an Ed-venture. Let's start with the rain, of course it started pouring just as I was leaving. For some reason that we may never know, how people drive in the rain makes me slightly ashamed for the human race. People act as if their brains have been wiped clean of all navigating knowledge. Their drive has suddenly turned into a an experience similar of Christopher Columbus fighting the Black Sea (I'm not entirely positive Columbus went through the Black Sea, but you get the point). I actually felt obligated to take lead, roll my window down and speak words of encouragement "It's alright guys, I know it's wet out here, but we're gonna get through this together...." blah blah, make some promises I can't keep... ANYWAY, that wasn't even why I'm writing, I just had to get that out of my system. As I was driving (extremely slow due to the previous discussion), I got out a bag of pumpkin seeds that I had in my bag and that was the moment when my life would never be the same.. # of pumpkin seeds eaten = ~7,985.. (Somebody please call Ripley) What I found most interesting is that not only did consuming 7,985 and some odd shells not give my brain the "hey champ, good work out there, but you've had enough" signal, but it chose to give me a heads up only by physical pain in my throat from swallowing endless seeds! I kid you not..it took a raw, scratched throat to realize I had eaten an extremely unacceptable amount of pumpkin seeds. That is the moment I realized that I had been SEEDuced. It was the only answer. I never would have eaten that many without some outside force. At this point, I'm worried about my vitality. If my throat is damaged, how will my stomach handle the consequences? Are you even supposed to swallow the shells? If not, I've made over seven thousand mistakes! I was scared, alone and confused. I couldn't spin my tires fast enough to find shelter where I could google. Finally arriving at home, the research began...... Google search engine: 1. How many pumpkin seeds does it take to kill someone? (google assumed I was plotting a murder via pumpkin seeds) Okay, Reword 2. Will I die from eating too many pumpkin seeds? (Google laughs) Ugh, Reword 3. Can eating too many pumpkin seeds be dangerous? Based on contradicting, but sufficient data, I'm going to make it! In fact, I think I might even evolve into a superhuman species with all of these nutrients! I just thought I might as well share since I did the research..... Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds: 1. Magnesium (Heart health) 2. Zinc (Immune support) 3. Omega-3 fats (great for the brain!) 4. Anti-diabetic effects (better than diabetic effects) 5. Tryptophan (good for rest) 6. Anti-inflammatory benefits (good for everything. Inflammation=bad) 7. Helps depression! 8. High in protein! (who doesn't enjoy muscles) Oh! And yes, the shells are edible (whew, dodged that bullet) In the end, I guess we all could benefit from being SEEDUCED! I just finalized my logo and I couldn't be more excited about it! Let me just take a moment to explain why I chose it....
My name is Emily, so therefore after some thought, I solidified that part. The Ed-venture part stemmed from days of trying to think of words that started with an "E" so that the title would flow. As you can tell I did a fantastic job at coming up with a good E word... (that was a joke) After not liking the sound of anything I decided that life shouldn't have boundaries, so I created my own word "Ed-venture!" I actually ended up loving it because it symbolizes what I want this blog to be about. I think that everything you experience in life can have a huge learning experience if you are open to seeing it. In my blog, I want to explain the adventures that I have in life while being able to simultaneously learn and pass the information on to the world. I mean, I make mistakes I learn from everyday, why not make others lives easier from explaining the tips and tricks! I chose the picture because I feel that it symbolizes food and education which is everything that my life is. I hope everyone enjoys my sarcastic posts, stay tuned, the Ed-venture has really just begun! Yes, the title is true! These rolls are full of excitement and adventure. A few days a go I was given the notice that my job this Thanksgiving would be creating rolls for the family dinner. Now, we usually have a family friend that handles this task for us and she just so happens to get her rolls from heaven's bakery where the bakers are nothing short of angels in aprons blessing each individual ball of dough(are you getting that I have big shoes to fill?) So this morning I decided in the early hours of the morning that I had to come up with something that would not disappoint this annual celebration. I wanted my rolls to be the very factor that people had a reason to be Thankful this year! I started with my research, digging deep into the depths of bread and all things bakery (scrolling pinterest) until I laid eyes on this god sent recipe. It may not be Heaven's bakery, but it appeared to be the next best thing! So I gathered all of the ingredients and began the recipe. Today I learned a few things about myself, such as I never really have made bread rolls before, so maybe it was just me, but it was such an exciting, heart wrenching, but overall dough-tastic experience. Follow me through my adventure! My heart wrenching moment: Mixing the active yeast with the liquid ingredients, staring at it for the 2 minutes it was supposed to be "activating" and started to panick because it appeared as if my yeast was dead, it wasn't bubbling as we all know it was supposed to. It was like I killed all of them! I had to make a split decision to either hope and pray they would come through and maybe they were just slow starters or try again using different yeast. After a small grieving ceremony, I threw that batch out and started over. This time I made sure that I used warm enough liquid to wake them up! (honestly I dont think anything was different this time) but I went with it, mainly being that I had no yeast left for a third try. The pain: I also do not have a kitchen aid or mixer so I came up with my own human levels of low and medium speed of mixing. Want to make time stop? Try mixing bread dough on human speed "medium" for 2 minutes. Not only was I sweating, but my forearm almost fell off. Twice. Anyway, that was just to let you know that you don't HAVE to have a mixer to complete this recipe, if you are tough. After I made the dough, the recipe called to let it rise in a warm place so I put it in a bowl, covered it with a hand towel and brought it next to the heater with me while I studied for almost an hour (we had a good time) Before I was even through a full chapter of biochemistry, the dough was ready to go! So I rolled it out into a large rectangle and cut small rectangles. Then I flipped them into the roll shapes. Let me tell you, this was so much fun!! I literally had a blast throwing these things around and the best part is it actually worked! Watch the video by pressing the button to learn how to do it. The video is 4 minutes long, but due to my chronic impatience, I skipped through it, watching about 30 seconds total and had the technique down in no time! I was so excited about my dough flips at this point that I just had to take a picture! I really thought that this was the highlight of my roll making experience, but little did I know what was coming.... I then read the next step in the ingredients and it was "let rise AGAIN for an hour and a half! Good thing I didnt want to eat today... jk so I cover them and come back to look after about 30 minutes and all I could say was WOW!! The yeast really made their star appearance here! Pilsburry dough-worthy these things became! I was just so awestruck by their size and fluff, I started to move some of them over and just FYI don't do that. The three that I touched instantly wilted. Alright, alright note taken, I stopped touching them and just threw them in the oven!
They really turned out amazing as you could tell in the very first picture. Give your family something to be Thankful for! I mean C'mon who doesn't love smoothies? I'm pretty sure we all can agree that they are awesome! The possibilities of different creations you can make are endless! Yay! Okay, so I LOVE making green smoothies. I make them every week and they never fail to make me happy. They really are a great, refreshing way to wake up or a nourishing snack after a work out! Here is a great recipe I have come up with! (I am drinking it as we speak) Taste tested! Delicious Nutrient packed Give you energy Support immune system Great detox Low calorie Here's the recipe: (I honestly eyeball everything, but these are the measurements I would assume I use) -1/2 cup of milk -1/2 cup of Suja green drink -Handful of spinach -1/2 ripe banana -1/2 cup greek yogurt -1/4 cup frozen blueberries -4-5 Ice cubes -Tablespoon of flax seed (optional) -Dash of cinnamon (opitional) Instructions: Throw, toss, or gently place (your call) all ingredients in a blender and blend away until desired consistency! My favorite products: Here's the Suja drink I buy, you can find it at most grocery stores or whole food stores, it's mildly sweet with a hint of ginger which is why I love it!
Good luck and Happy Blending!
As dietetic students, we all know that the struggle is definitely real. Here are just some of the daily encounters... 1. Never brings carrots to school, but on that one rare occasion, OH let the stereotyping begin! 2. When someone asks what your name is and you accidentally cite your source... 3. Clinical Hours..... 4. When others talk about their summer plans and your just like... 5. Ohhh, so you're like a nutritionist right? 6. When someone points out that a "dietetic" student is actually eating calories.. 7. When your friend complains they need 10 hours of community service for their major.. 8. "Okay so I really need to lose weight and you like know about food, can you make me a meal plan.." 9. When the girl next to you is crunching extremely loud on her carrots... 10. "What's the average salary of a dietitian..." Just had to put this together for my fellow dietetic friends! Honestly, I had way to much fun making this. Hope you all enjoy! Today is Sunday with such a small, sad glimpse of sun. I think this day should be open to interpretation depending on the week and current conditions of earth. Therefore, today was Rainday in my book. Naming a day based on a condition is just setting it up for failure. It's like naming your kid Richie; there's a slight change he might be, there might even be days that he is, but there are just too many odds to beat in order to classify this as a good idea. Since I don't like the rain I have to find ways to cheer myself up. Today that cheer came in the form of weight lifting, meal prepping, green tea and dark chocolate covered pumpkin seeds (seriously, if you haven't had them, HAVE them) I also was lucky enough to be able to dedicate half of my day to homework; after taking a whole day off of work yesterday, I almost died this morning from stress which is what kicked me into gear. (Oh, the life of a D.S.) The main reason I wanted to write tonight is to remind everyone to meal prep this week! I'm telling you this is the secret to losing fat! If you have all of your individually packed meals ready to go for the week, you will succeed for multiple reasons. Reasons: 1. You are going to eat them because you spent time,money, sweat and tears making them (I wrote tears because if you're like me, I burn myself at least 8 times before the job is done) 2. They make your life 15 times simpler, like if we were playing Super Mario, this is comparative to having the feather that makes you fly past the entire level. Yes it's that awesome 3. You will thank yourself so much when you come home exhausted from work/school and all you have to do is pop the top off of a cheap, more than likely bent, tupperware. 4. You are going to start feeling leaner and better within the first few days! Sunday is not a day of rest, it is a day of prep! Well, then you can rest I guess. Just felt the need for something inspirational there. Here is the pic of my meals for the week. I also have some chicken and turkey left that is not pictured, but this will have me pretty set for the week. I am going on my third week of this and have already seen drastic changes! DOOOO ITTTT All I have is ground turkey, chicken thighs, broccoli, steamed mixed veggies and sweet potato.
Just relax and KISS Keep It Simple Sweetheart Fall is here everyone! Although it seems as if we skipped fall and went from the heat of the summer to a cold winter chill, I guess we still consider this time fall as I am unwilling to be robbed of my favorite time of year. If you are craving soup, pumpkin spice latte's, and beautifully colored trees then you must agree with me! I have recently had an obsession with soup; I can actually mark the night my obsession set in. It was a cold night about 2 weeks ago, I was eating hot chili (from a can, actually it was a box and it was organic not that I think "organic" even matters when it comes to packaged chili.. ) Anyway, I warmed it all up after a long, cold day out in the world and as I started eating it, I realized how incredibly comforting the warmth and slight spice was at this time of year. BAM, the obsession started as I began to crave the need for warm food. For the past few weeks I have been trying out new soup, chili and stew recipes and it has really been delightful. Although one of my favorite parts was getting local products from the farmer's market on Saturdays, unfortunately they are done with them for the rest of the year, so I have to take my sad self to the grocery market and purchase my products from who knows where is harvesting kale and squash at this time of year. Since my obsession began, I have dedicated every Saturday to trying out a new recipe and have had some great results, thought I'd share! Today I decided to make beef stew with a homemade Rosemary Olive Oil Bread. Starting with the stew, it really turned out amazing. The beef melts in your mouth and the flavor is perfectly spiced with a semi sweet heat due to the addition of ground cloves mixed with Bay leaves, garlic, onion and other great spices. although it was somewhat time consuming, it's simple work, you just have to let it cook for a few hours as goes for any noteworthy soup. It is a perfect recipe if you are planning on relaxing around the house for a while, hence a lazy Saturday! The Rosemary Olive oil Bread was to die for! It came out ever so moist, but held perfect firmness to dip in the stew. It was also soo simple! Nothing beats fresh warm baked bread, my fall loving friends! I really hope somebody else decides to try these recipes, my family and I really enjoyed this dinner and it has definitely earned a spot in my growing list of soup obsessions.
It is truly, stewpendous. Okay so if you know me, like at all, you know that I can not stand all of the crazy weight loss, meal program, fad diets, etc. that American's continue to eat up, literally. I PROMISE you people that there is no magic ingredient, there is no special diet that is going to give you the perfect body, it just doesn't work that way. if you don't believe me, that is great, honestly, I encourage you to go on the "liquid diet" and drop 10 pounds in one week, get diabetes and then gain it all back the day you start eating food again. Or you could try "low carb" and eat nothing but proteins and fat, drop weight quickly, probably pass out a few times, and then jump back on carbs like they are god's gift to earth (which they might be), but anyway you're gonna gain the weight back in about half the time it took to lose it. Trust me, I have tried many of these diets which is why I allow myself to talk so negatively. They just don't work, they aren't realistic and they wont give you the results you are looking for. Unless you really do want to lose 15 pounds for a few days then gladly gain it back, then by all means, go on lettuce and water only diet, run a few miles and boom you have achieved the depressing, momentary slim. With these diets you aren't losing weight, you are just simply misplacing it for a few days; it will find you, and it will kill you.. Have I scared you yet? The exciting part, if you are still reading, is that there is an extremely simple way to lose fat and lean out and honestly, based on my own experiences, you will notice changes in the first week. At least I did. So here's the deal, I had always been a strong believer that weight is purely based on calories, but I found myself in a rut. I was only eating about 1200 calories AND working out when I could (usually 2-3 times a week), don't judge, I'm a dietetic student so we read and learn so much about physical activity that sometimes I forget I didn't actually do it. Anyway, that is less calories than I should have been eating to lose weight, but I wasn't losing anything except for my dignity. Jk but I was getting very frustrated. So I decided to switch up my diet, not in the amount of calories, but purely in WHAT I was eating. I honestly am eating more than I was before and I have been waking up feeling wayy leaner than before. I've noticed I'm losing the stubborn fat that I just could never seem to lose. Soo are you wondering what I did? What is the magical secret? what potion have I come up with? What drug am I taking? Am I starving? The answer: None, I didn't, I'm not, and I'm fuller than Santa on Christmas Eve, respectively. So here's what to do......Drumroll Pleaseee........ Steps: Step 1. Buy about 12 small, square tupperware containers, I got mine at the dollar store 2 for $1, can't beat that bargain! Step 2. Buy: -chicken, ground turkey -sweet potatoes or regular or both, -brown rice -broccoli, asparagus, or really any kind of veggies. I recommend sticking to heavier ones that are more filling and satisfying such as broccoli, asparagus, squash, zuchinni, stuff like that. If you haven't picked up on the pattern, we're focusing on your main macronutrient groups (protein, carbs, fats). These are some of the ones I prepared, just to give you a little idea! I'm not picky with the amounts of each, I just put the amount of protein (chicken, turkey) I want first, then veggies, then carb (potato, rice) with whatever room is left. Step 3... BE CREATIVE!!
This is the fun part! You can literally do whatever you want with the ingredients (please for the love of god don't fry them) But as far as seasonings and how you cook them, that's entirely up to you. In the end, you are eating very lean and healthy so a little extra sodium or fat from olive or coconut (my favorite) oil won't hurt. So steam, sautee, bake, roast away! Step 4. In each container put around an equal amount of a meat, a carb (rice, potato) and a vegetable, seal the lid, throw in the refrigerator and you get slim, it's as easy as that.... Okay jk, you have to actually have some discipline in the sense that you have to eat the meals you prepared. My recommendations would be to eat either eggs or oatmeal for breakfast and then eat the prepared meals for lunch and for dinner. I usually have a snack between lunch or dinner which is most likely a protein bar or a yogurt or something simple. If you follow this and you are human I promise you will feel a difference in a week, I did! So there you have it, how to successfully lean yourself up in 4 simple and effective steps. No side effects, dizziness, depression have ever been reported from this meal planning lifestyle so if nothing else, it still beats most weight loss plans out there! Good luck friends! Sorry I haven't posted in a lonnng time, I'm sure all 5 of my viewers have been on pins and needles, biting at the grit, not able to contain themselves waiting for my next post! I apologize and am here to relieve the anxiety. The world of a dietetic student is rather busy at times and sometimes I get really caught up in exams, volunteering, cooking, crying, starving, you know, the ussh, use? Idk how to spell the first half of usual and make it have that cool shh soun.... Okay any way back on topic. We are currently doing a project in my class called SNAP Challenge and we get $21 for the whole week for food. We cannot take free food from anyone and we can't go over our budget. It has been a horrifying week, I'm starving, cold, sad, uphill both ways in the snow, and it's only Tuesday (It's been less than 48 hours). Have you ever thought about what you can buy today with a mere $21? Me either because the answer is precisely a carton of eggs and 3 sweet potatoes! Okay, I bought a little more, but not much! The idea of the SNAP Challenge is to see the actually struggle that people that are on food stamps go through and how hard it is to really eat on the $21 budget. It's about $3 a day and doesn't leave any wiggle room for Starbucks (the S word currently brings a tear to my eyes) I mean unless you can survive on only one coffee a day as your source of nutrients (a grande at that)and trust me, that option has crossed my mind, but that would not be a very future dietetic-like decision now would it. Anyway I would love to see more people try this challenge and see who can come up with the best plan/budget/ideas possible! It will be wayy more fun if we all starve together right?
If you're a good sport and like to try new things here are the guidelines: I encourage you to comment and post pics of what you buy/eat and how you feel Challenge Guidelines: 1. Each person should spend a set amount for food and beverages during the Challenge (7 days). That amount is $21.00 for all food and beverages.This includes $3.00/day on average. The SNAP incentive program allocates $0.30 cents for every dollar spent on fruits and vegetables up to a total of $60 per month on a $200 a month budget. Therefore, for every dollar you spend on fresh fruits and vegetables, you can add $0.30 back into your budget. 2. All food purchased and eaten during the Challenge week, including fast food and dining out, must be included in the total spending. 3. During the Challenge, only eat food that you purchase for the project. Do not eat food that you already own (this does not include spices and condiments). 4. Do not accept free food from friends, family, or at work, including at parties, programs or events. If you take free food, add that to your calculations. 5. Keep track of receipts on food spending and take note of your experiences throughout the week. Need to provide receipts. 6. Invite others to join you! If you do this with me I will love you forever, don't make me do it alone! Good luck friends! :) |
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