Cooking experiments cont...Quinoa recipes

Experiment #2: Quinoa salad- if you don’t know about quinoa, you must add it to your diet regime asap! It is a whole-grain that looks similar to cous-cous. It is a great source of dietary fiber, it has an unusually high protein content and is gleuten-free so it’s easy to digest. Here are a few different recipes starting with quinoa cooked in chicken or vegetable stock and a cube of bouillon:

1. Tofu, chicken, shrimp or steak prepared how you like. Add a veggie, good choices are broccoli, mushrooms, squash or zucchini. Mix a tsp of olive oil with a tbsp of balsamic vinegar and drizzle on top. (served warm)

2. Whole foods inspired with onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, low fat feta cheese and a tsp of lemon juice. (served cold)

3. Dried cranberry, chopped walnuts, green onions, garlic, and drizzle just a little bit of honey (my fav so far!)

Cooking for Dummies

Upon my much-anticipated move to Chicago in a week I have earth shattering (and slightly tragic) news; I am officially hanging up my college party pants for the domestic (ever elusive and obviously foreign), apron. Yes friends you heard it here first, I’m a big girl now and it’s high time I graduate from microwave to oven. Don’t get me wrong I’m shakin’ in my boots. For those of you who say cooking is easy, whatever. Not all of us grew up with mother Martha Stewart (or anything remotely close) so for those of you who, like me, grew up on Ramon Noodles and cake batter. I render it necessary that I document this momentous occasion and share with you my trials and tribulations.

Experiment #1: Sweet potato fries- if you order these at a restaurant or buy them frozen from the grocery store they will hardly be any better for you than regular fries. However, if you make them yourself you know exactly what is on them and how they were prepared and can rest assured they are healthified. I cut up two sweet potatoes into long thin strips and laid them on tin foil. I sprinkled extra virgin olive oil and various spices. I put them on the grill and what came out was nothing short of heaven. Absolutely delish and a perfect veggie to pair with any kind of poultry!

Stay tuned for more!

The Living Healthy Lifestyle

One of the biggest lessons I have learned since Freshman year is that being healthy is a lifestyle, not a diet. You have to make a choice that no cookie or piece of cake tastes better than fitting into your jeans. Easier said than done in a society plagued with artery clogging cuisine. Old habits die hard and now-a-days you have to try hard to make healthy choices when you are constantly being tempted with sugar and lat laden food. You can only “diet” for a short amount of time therefore making lifestyle changes that you can stick to is more worth your time than just losing weight. So learn to love veggies and say no to sugar. Cutting sugar out is one of the best and easiest things you can do. I swear, if you stop eating candy, cookies, cake, etc. you won’t miss it anymore. Some people can have just one and be satisfied but not me. I’m a “once you pop, you can’t stop” kind of girl. If I can muster up the self control to say no when it’s in front of me, I’ll be able to forget about it 10 minutes later. But that’s not to say you can’t. Everyone is different and like I said, it has to be something you can stick with. So if you can’t give up that cookie-a-day habit than change something else, refined carbs is another easy way to drop pounds and give you more energy throughout the day.

Oopsie poopsie!

So I guess I’ll start with an apology due to my month-long hiatus from blogging. The truth is I have been thoroughly enjoying my last summer before entering the “real world” and in so doing I have not been exercising, consuming three times the daily recommended caloric intake and drinking beer, wine and spirits likes it’s going out of style. Nice role model huh? At least you know I don’t lie, and I’m certainly not perfect.
If there is one thing I have learned on my journey to a healthy lifestyle it’s that consistency is one of the hardest things to achieve. Prior to my disappearance from Bloggyland, I was eating 5 small, healthy meals a day and exercising regularly. I then dived headfirst into a tub of potato salad holding a beer in one hand and a cheeseburger in the other, and haven’t looked back, until now. If you can’t sense my frustration let me tell you, I am at an all time low. I haven’t felt this defeated since the summer after freshman year. Finding motivation now to start all over again is proving to be harder and harder with the new responsibilities that have been continuingly coming my way since graduation.
I know for a lot of you this might sound freakishly familiar so after some deep soul searching (and maybe a little googling) I came up with some things we can do to get us out of this rut and back on track…..again!
1. Something is better than nothing- You may be at the point where you would rather eat dirt than go to the gym in which case I remind you that getting any form of exercise is good. Don’t tell yourself you’ll go tomorrow or later because you won’t. Take the dogs for a walk, clean the house, do something and little by little you will regain the energy and motivation to do more. Just don’t expect yourself to wake up tomorrow and be excited to go to the gym again, that takes a while, so start slow.
2. Don’t cut all at once- You’re body has now become accustomed to eating whatever and however much so start by cutting refined carbs at dinner or chips with lunch. Just don’t decide you are going to redeem all of your food sins from the past month in two weeks of fasting, you will just end up right back here.
3. Back to the basics- when you start planning your meals and snacks remind yourself that a fruit or veggie should be incorporated in every meal time. Fill up on these before you eat anything else and try to stay away from heavy cream dressings and dips. You can still enjoy a cheeseburger just loose the bun and if you can handle it loose the condiments, which are packed with sugar.
4. Drinking counts too- take into account that most beers are in the range of 150 calories per beer. Pop, even diet, has its adverse effects on your hunger as well so just because it’s a liquid don’t consider it harmless (unless it’s water of course which you should increase your intake as much as possible).

Bringing me down to earth...

(From left to right: Mary, Erica (my sister!), Asha, Dionne before the Prom for adults with special disabilities)

Too often we loose sight of the things that really matter in life because we are so concentrated on things that don’t. I am reminded of this every time I visit my sister. For those of you who don’t know, my sister was born blind and autistic. She lives in a group home not far from my parents’ house with three other girls who are also handicapped. While Erica, now 25, cognitively remains at about a five-year-old level, she is a bright, vivacious, intelligent woman whom friends, family and acquaintances have learned so much from.

I often catch myself complaining about petty things, forgetting to be grateful for the simple things in life. There is nothing that can put things into perspective for me and bring me down to earth faster than visiting her. The ability to walk, run, see, hear and move our bodies and minds as we please is a luxury, not a right. It amazes me even more how happy and content they are in a situation where you or I would feel helpless and defeated.

You may find this post uncharacteristic of me (as I typically write in a more humorous tone) but I thought this was important. Stress is a major contributor to weight gain and our lives are full of it. We create it by being constantly accessible to friends, family and work and we are bombarded with negativity on various forms of media. It’s hard not to get wrapped up in it all but since very few get the opportunity to go to a place like my sisters and have this experience for themselves I thought I would do my best to pass it on to you.

Be happy with who you are and grateful for what you have. Take a moment to put your problems aside and imagine a world where you are confined to a wheel chair, have never seen a sunset, or never heard your own voice. Think about all of the things that you have, not what you lack. Enjoy the simple things in life and take a deep breath every once in a while. Remember that good health is body and mind, being emotionally stable is just as important to your health as staying active and eating well.

Summer Slim Down

Does it get any better than Jessica Alba circa Into the Blue? Her athletic build is enviable but it’s not fair to compare yourself to her. I included this pic as motivation, not as a realistic goal. Staying in shape is important to a healthy lifestyle but you need to do what is best for your body type and be content with that. That said, slimming for summer and the constant threat of being bikini ready is daunting but not impossible, as long as your goals are realistic.

If you’ve ever uttered the words “my diet starts Monday…” prior to polishing off a large bowl of Noodles’ mac and cheese (with extra cheese), this post is for you. The great thing about slimming down for summer is that you are no longer limited to just working out in the gym. The hard part is that it’s long term (unlike slimming for spring break) and the cheeseburgers and beer are cheap and plentiful.

If fitting a workout into your schedule is your problem, try the buddy system. Pick your buddy wisely though, your best friend may not be the ideal person. You need someone that will push you, isn’t their for social hour and will set a time and day to go without bailing on you.

If summer grub is your roadblock, try slashing calories where you don’t need them. Eat a cheeseburger without the bun or fruit instead of fries. Drink plenty of water, which does wonders on your body.

You’ve been cooped up all winter, take your workout outdoors! Bike, hike, run, walk, rollerblade, swim, the options are endless. Try incorporating your social life into your fitness life. Go for a walk around the lakes and gossip with your girlfriends instead of meeting for lunch or drinks.

Something is better than nothing. People think if they don’t have an hour to spend at the gym there’s no point in going. Do crunches during the commercials, take the dog for a walk, anything that gets you moving is worth your time.

Happy Little 500

*DISCLAIMER: I wrote this post partially for entertainment but more so for the purpose of endorsing a healthier state of mind when health is often the farthest thing from your consciousness (or lack thereof). This does not mean I encourage, promote, or participate in the following activities. This may or may not be satirical; that said, you are free to interpret it the way you like. NAMASTE

Unless you are looking to achieve super-senior status, this week marks the last hoo-rah for IU 2010 graduates. Campus is a-buzz once again with Little 500 fever (For those of you who don’t know, it is the equivalent of Mifflin at Madison WI, 4^th of July on Big Island, or any other major event in which excessive binge drinking ensues.) After three years of experiencing this event first hand I thought I would offer my most sound advice on how to avoid reeking insurmountable havoc on your gut, derriere, thunder thighs, fat arms, et al.

Chase wisely- you are already ingesting a significant amount of sugar through the liquor so why make matters worse with empty calories? When possible, use chasers that have zero sugar such as soda water, crystal light, or sugar-free soda and juice. You’re less intensely hungover self will thank you in the morning.

Keep finances in check- no I don’t mean opening a tab (which I strongly discourage based on the level of ease it is to order 22 shots of patron, on YOU!) I’m talking about your calorie bank. Splurge as you like but know that means you need to save in another way. Drunk college kid translation: if you want a cheeseburger, don’t play beer pong. If you want to play beer pong, have a hamburger without a bun and scrounge for some veggies or fruit. Have small healthy snacks on hand so you a) don’t get too drunk, or b) don’t get too hungry you don’t have anything but cheeseburgers to eat, which you eat two of because now your really drunk and just don’t care and want to eat everything in sight.

2-4-6-8 HYDRATE- get over your lame frat-guy pride and order a glass of water. You’re dehydrated enough as it is drinking all day, do yourself a favor (and probably everyone else around you) and drink water, especially towards the end of the night. Chances are you’re probably sufficiently drunk as it is. If you can remember to drink it often throughout the day you will also feel less hungry (alcohol induces a false sense of hunger) and be less tempted by all the on-hand crap food.

Slow and steady wins the race- don’t be that guy/girl that starts pounding shots and ends up hugging the porcelain God by noon…..on a TUESDAY! Drink at your own pace because being the drunkest person at the party is social suicide. Not to mention at our age, succumbing to peer pressure is about as lame as Ed Hardy paraphernalia.