Lets have a talk about green tea. Earlier today my roommate Noelle handed me two HUGE green pills and told me to take them . She told me that they were green tea, and that by taking them (along with diet and exercise) I would have a better change of losing weight! WOOT! Well, I wanted to learn a bit more about green tea's health benefits, and here is what I found out for ya:

* Research has shown that green tea may have a key role in;lowering cholesterol, burning fat, preventing diabetes and stroke, and staving off dementia.
*Recent proof shows that green tea may help fight against heart disease and cancer .
*Green tea's antioxidants scavenge for the free radicals that can damage DNA and contribute to cancer and blood clots.

Also, green tea contains as much caffeine as a bottle of pop, but provides many more benefits for your body. Next time you need to choose a beverage...go for the tea :)

REST UP! Finals are coming!

Finals week is coming fast, and we all know that it brings along with it stress and sleepless nights. But did you also know that sleep deprivation can also lead to other major health risks? Inadequate rest is a serious problem which may impair our ability to think, handle stress, and even maintain our immune system. It also can lead to more serious mental and physical impairments. Be careful!

Be sure to rest well and study hard in the upcoming days. Good luck on your finals!!!

Desperate Plea!

So in another attempt to improve my eating habits I am asking for advice concerning a new diet. I am thinking about something similar to a high carb, low fat eating plan, and if anyone has a solid, easy to follow regiment I would love to hear about it. Anything that may have worked for you in the past would be greatly appreciated. I am heading fast into summer, and I am hoping to find my long lost bikini body by that time. Again, any advice would be helpful. Thanks so much :)

THUNDERSTORMS!!

As I type, this very moment, there is a massive thunderstorm occurring outside of my house. Now I know that many people hate storms, but I love the lightning and huge booms of thunder.



Thunderstorm Facts:
*Did you know there are about 1800 thunderstorms occurring at any moment across the world?
*also, lighting is usually striking 10 miles outside of where the actual rain is falling during a storm.
...interesting right???

I know that this post isn't necessarily health related, but I truly believe that storms are beneficial for some people. I for one will sleep ten times better during a storm than on a night without thunder. Also, my stress level completely levels out once a storm begins. Just thought I'd share :)

For all of you on the weight watchers bandwagon...did you know that vegetables are 0 points?! Well, I know you probably knew this, but I have now decided to take advantage of it. Today I have found myself one of the largest salads that you could ever imagine. Super filling and only one point from the dressing that I put on it. I think that salads are going to be the official consistent item in my daily diet. Lets hope that I can continue with it, and not travel to McDonald's on a regular basis :/

I just wanted to make a final shout out for the class of Zumba. Next Tuesday is my last (mandatory) Zumba class, and I have to be honest, I am a little sad. Zumba was never boring. Not once did I dread going to that class, and I want everyone who reads my blog (who hates working out) to take this following suggestion seriously. Take a class!!! If you have thought about it, for even the tiniest millisecond, then you need to give it a try. I promise you won't regret it.

Childhood Memories

So, do you remember when you were a kid and the only mode of transportation that you would ever use was your bike? Well, what ever happened to that? I loved going on rides around the neighborhood with all of my friends. It was one of the best things that I had ever learned...especially once I got the riding with no hands trick down.

Just this past week I decided to give bike riding another try. I had to get to my zumba class at a workout center a mile away, and you know what...I took my bike. Riding a bike is something you never forget. It does seem to get harder though. My young body must have been in great shape, because once I was done biking that mile, my legs felt like jello! I feel like riding my bike to and from certain locations might be an additional workout method that I am going to try for a while. We'll see how that works out.

Girls Night!

Tonight is going to be great! About a year ago my bestest friends Marissa and Noelle, along with myself, made homemade sushi for the first time ever! Well in the next few hours we are going to make it again. Sushi is my favorite food, and it tastes even better when it is made from scratch. Wish us luck!

Food Rules!!

This Valentine's Day my dad gave each one of his daughters a book entitled "Food Rules". This book, by Michael Pollan, is an eater's manual and follows the mantra of "eat food, mostly plants" Michael Pollan also encourages his readers to;
*Avoid food products containing ingredients that no ordinary human would keep in their pantry.
*Avoid foods that have some form of sugar listed among the top three ingredients.
* Avoid foods that contain more than five ingredients.
*Avoid foods you see advertised on Television.
These, and many other suggestions, are in the "Food Rules: An Eater's Manual" and by following a few of them you may see an improvement in your health.

SWENSONS!

I have an unhealthy recommendation for you. For all of those people who love a great burger and fries you need to go to Swenson's. It is a drive-in restaurant near my home-town that probably has the best food that you could ever imagine (don't tell anyone that I ate meat there this weekend). There are only a few locations, but it is completely worth the drive...so find a Swenson's near you today!

Since I blogged last about becoming a vegetarian I have brainstormed ideas on what I can and cannot eat. The biggest upset that I faced was that I wouldn't be able to scarf down a cheeseburger every now and again. Well don't cry for me because I found a substitute. I was first introduced to Boca Burgers last summer when my sister told me about weight watchers. They are veggie burgers that are advertised as being made with grains, vegetables and soy. Sounds kinda nasty, right? I thought so too until I gave them a try. Boca burgers are only 2 weight watchers points (and all of those who are involved in weight watchers know that for a burger that is a great point value), and with only one slice of fat free cheese added on top they become a delicious, healthy meal. Now don't expect the first time that you taste a Boca burger, or any other Boca product, that it will taste like beef (cause it won't) but it is very tasty. Go out and give it a try.

Spinning!

Previously this year I took a spinning class for a health credit hour at my college. Well I kinda let myself go and haven't spun in about two months...oops :/ Tonight I started up again, and I have to be completely honest, It was rough! Spinning is one of the best cardio workouts that you can do, and every time that I do it I feel beat afterward. But this is the good kind of beat. The kind where you don't regret the effort that you put forward and you leave the gym satisfied. I recommend spinning, but I would take a class with an instructor. Spinning alone will not let you learn the correct way to use the machine. Let me know if anyone gives spinning a try!

A weekend gone wrong

At the start of this weekend I knew what I was getting into. A few times every year my family and I will get into our car and make the two hour trip to Columbus to visit my aunt and uncle. This weekend was no different, and that means that upon arriving in said destination we were all handed plates heaping with food. As my foot entered their house my diet was a goner...but I was not mad :) They made the best lunch, followed by the best dinner, followed by the best brunch that I have ever had (except for anything made by my father). The week before this diet disaster I had successfully gone without meat, but I may have caved in that aspect as well. oops. Well this week marks a new start to my vegetarian diet and I have a feeling that I will not mess up again. Wish me luck!

Oh, and this weekend I also met my cousin's new baby son for the first time. He is one of the cutest babies that I have ever seen. It made my roommate Marissa and I want to look into adoption, but we figured that it didn't work like pet adoption :/ You can't just get a baby for the house at college. So sad.

My Worst Fear: Red-headed Offspring.

Dear Readers,
Have you ever wondered what your child would look like? Well, thanks to wonderful, flawless, 100% accurate technology, you could through certain websites online. Posting a picture of me and a wonderfully Italian brunette man, a beautiful baby without a single red hair in sight appeared. I also did some creative crosses with celebrities to determine the least-dark shade of hair in a partner I could risk having children with. Turns out, red is pretty dominant. Plus, there is always the fear of a sleeper ginger, or when a baby with a full, thick head of shiny chocolate brown hair turns 7 and his/her hair turns bright tangerine orange and a full face of freckles (not concentrated around the cheeks and nose, like a cute little sun child, only in awkward places, like the neck and hair line) appear. Now I am prepared for my future dating options, immediately canceling out all lighter than "Ryan Reynolds" blonde-brown, well, at least I'll make an exception for him.
The End.

Gluten-Friend or foe?

Today I went home to eat dinner with my family. As I have already gushed about in previous blogs, my dad is an amazing cook, and tonight was so exception. He made one of the prettiest pizzas that you could ever imagine, but while I was halfway through my first slice, he informed us all that it was gluten free. Gluten free? I had no idea what gluten was (other than the fact that it was an ingredient in my bread recipe), but I did know that some people were allergic to it. Well for all those who are as naive as I am, gluten is a protein found in wheat. It is used to bind substances together, and people with a wheat-gluten allergy react to one of the proteins found in the wheat. Sounds fun right? My dad told me that a gluten allergy wasn't discovered until around WWII. A doctor realized that while most people who were not receiving enough nutrients felt worse, as they should, many felt better. This was because they were not ingesting the gluten. Once these people began eating what they thought were healthier food, they felt ill again. The doctor narrowed the issue down to wheat, and then from wheat to the gluten in wheat. Interesting! Now symptoms of a gluten allergy may include; Abdominal pain, cramps, bloating, headache, and hives, just to name a few. So be careful, and if you believe you may have a wheat-gluten allergy then follow a gluten free diet.

Spicy!!

Now I had heard before that spicy foods could increase your metabolism, but did you also know that spicy foods can provide other health benefits. Well they can!!! First of all, spicy foods may help alleviate inflammation. It's all about the capsaincin. Arthritis and psoriasis are caused by nerve damage and cause pain on joints, but capsaincin is known to help get rid of that pain. This means that capsaincin may also relieve the chronic pain of headaches and osteoporosis. Don't worry it gets better! Cayenne and chili peppers can help lower your cholesterol. For the record, this information is no secret and by clicking HERE you can read more about the health preventions that spicy foods can provide.



I know this post seems a little random, but just yesterday my roommate made me the BEST salmon with this incredibly hot sauce on top. I do not handle spicy well ( as most of my friends and family know), but I scarfed down that fish because I knew that there were some health benefits that I had to be receiving from that torture. Well I figured out what they were, and know you know them too!

NEW IDEA!

Alright, so I am seriously considering becoming a vegetarian. I do not know that much about it, but I figure it will be a sure fire way to reduce my fast food intake. If anyone has any information that they could share with me I would really appreciate it. Thanks so much!

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!! I hope you all have a great day :) Eat and be merry!
FUN FACTS: Did you know that the Easter bunny is based off of a German legend, and that the rabbit is a symbol of life and rebirth in ancient Egypt? Well now you do!!

Failure :(

What does food and no exercise equal?? A very sad and full girl. :(

HAPPY EASTER!

Today, April 1st, 2010, marks the beginning of the end. I am now home for Easter weekend and there is no way that I am making it out alive. The amount of candy, carbs, and fast food that I will consume will automatically wipe clean all of the work that I have made in maintaining a healthy lifestyle...oh well!!! It all starts fresh after Easter.

Fun New Workout!

--*WARNING* THIS WORKOUT IS NOT FOR THOSE EASILY EMBARRASSED OR CLUMSY-- It is called Bosu, and it may have been one of the most difficult and fun exercises that I have ever done! It all started when I went home over spring break and allowed my sister to rope me into some workout classes. The feeling in my chest when I waked into the room and saw <-- this "ball" was like nothing I'd ever felt before. All I knew was that I was going to have to stand on top of that unstable, round object and maintain a balance that I didn't possess. Take a good LONG look at that "ball" and you tell me that you'd be okay standing on it. Well then you can only imagine my fear when I was told that I would have to jump, run, and perform jumping jacks atop that instrument of death. Yea!!! But there is a happy ending to this story. Bosu turned out to be fantastic, and I only fell a few times. After only one class my legs felt stronger and I felt steadier. ATTEND A BOSU CLASS! YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!

Fail :(

Today was simply a disaster :/ Did you know that movie theater popcorn is one of the worst things that you could ever eat? Well I did. I found this fun fact out months ago, but did that stop me from consuming an entire small bag of popcorn (without butter. Like that would actually make a difference)? NO! I ate every single kernel, apart from the few found in my purse after the movie, and I now feel a shame spiral coming on. Yes, today was a disaster, but I find that disasters are what Sundays were made for.

Only Recipe You'll Ever Need!

This blog is dedicated to my dad, Old Pop. A few years ago my dad started eating healthier, and along with this new diet came a bread recipe that is OUT OF THIS WORLD. It all starts with the Healthy Bread in 5 master recipe. From this one single recipe you can make ANYTHING that you could imagine. My roommate Marissa and I have made regular wheat bread, pizzas, focaccia, and bagels, but the HB in 5 cookbook has many, many more recipes to choose from (and it's guilt free....bonus!) Today we went with the pizza option, and when we set our minds on something we do it big!

Zumba! Take 2

So today was my second day attending a zumba class (seems like a good start right!). Unfortunately, I completed a Jillian Michaels workout DVD the night before and every move I made brought along with it the most intense muscle pain ever! For those of you who have never done a Jillian video, imagine riding a horse for six hours and then swimming 100 laps...this is the soreness that is felt once you wake up the morning after. Now don't get me wrong, I highly recommend all of her DVDs! They are some the best workout routines that can be done at home. Here is a video of one of her workouts. GIVE IT A TRY!!!

I FOUND AN EXERCISE! Go me ;)

ZUMBA! Even the name sounds exotic and fun! It has to be something that a failed exercise doer could continue to do...right? Well today was my first attempt at a zumba class, and believe me when i tell you, it is not a place for those easily embarrassed. The hip gyrations and pelvic thrusts that went on in that class could make even the most secure person cringe, but I am not going to give up. Zumba, along with other (yet to be found) exercises, is going to help me up reach my summer goals and find my healthy body. YAY!

DAY ONE!!! Turning over a new leaf

Today is a special day!!! It not only marks the first day that I will be writing a post on my blog, but also the fourth day that I have been off of my "it will work for sure this time" diet. Most people who know me would not be surprised by this in the least. I have fallen off of every exercise and diet bandwagon that you could ever imagine, and this newest diet was obviously no exception. Well at least it wasn't an exception until the start of this blog. This is the starting point of me buckling down and figuring out what I need to do in order to find a routine that works best for me. Luckily, my dad is also a masterful blog writer and diet follower, and I have no problem with utilizing his talents for my benefit! Being a college student I am taking these last weeks until my summer break to find every exercise, recipe and crazy diet that could work for me. Be prepared because I am taking you along for the ride!!!