Monday, February 27, 2012

Living Beyond Limits

"Borders are where the actual ends, but also where the imagination and stories begin."
~Amy Purdy, top ranked adaptive female snowboarder

I've learned Life is a choice: we can choose to idly watch it go by or we can choose to make the most of it. At age 19, Amy Purdy tragically lost both her legs, yet she made a choice to not let that stop her from achieving her goals and living her life. Now because of her choice to achieve her goals and her determination, she is the top ranked adaptive female snowboarder in the world. Amy's story reminded me that no matter what circumstance I may face in life, I can overcome it, if I keep my imagination wide open and stay determined. Borders aren't there to keep us out, but, I think, to see how high we can jump over them!

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Have Overwhelming Thoughts?

There is so much going on during my junior year of high school-my brain is constantly overloaded with thoughts. However, I am learning about and applying mindfulness and the 'Mindsight' practice developed by Dr. Daniel Siegal. These practices have thought me to be aware of my thoughts. So how does that help me? When I have too many thoughts, and I am able to be aware of them, I can then identify which ones are crazy and unrealistic, and the ones that are there for a good reason. It's easy for my crazy, unrealistic thoughts to get the best of me, but because I've learned to be aware of them, they don't affect me in a negative way anymore. Instead of saying, "I am really stressed out and I can't get all my work done", I've learned to ask myself, "Why do I feel stressed? Well I feel stressed because I have a lot of work to do. But I know I can handle the amount of work." This slight change will tremendously helps me to feel more confident and at ease when I am faced with a lot of work. Taken from Dr. Siegal's website 'Mindsight' is: 
       "Mindsight" is a term coined by Dr. Dan Siegel to describe our human capacity to perceive the mind of the self and others. It is a powerful lens through which we can understand our inner lives with more clarity, integrate the brain, and enhance our relationships with others. Mindsight is a kind of focused attention that allows us to see the internal workings of our own minds. It helps us get ourselves off of the autopilot of ingrained behaviors and habitual responses. It lets us “name and tame” the emotions we are experiencing, rather than being overwhelmed by them.
On Dr. Daniel Siegal's website, there are podcasts that are worth listening to and much more information. I've listened to the 'Wheel of Awareness' podcast and it was amazing! The link to his website is http://drdansiegel.com/home/

Monday, February 20, 2012

Help Label GMOs

A GMO (genetically modified organism)  is an organism that has been changed by injecting it with a gene from another species. Herbicide tolerant crops are engineered to survive the direct application of herbicides, chemicals that would normally kill or stunt the growth of the crop. Bt crops produce are genetically engineered to produce toxins that kill certain agriculture. What freaks me out is we eat these crops that are engineered to produce toxins-we don't know how that affects our body?! The funny thing is 30 other countries around the world have banned GMOs or set regulations because they are not proven safe-the U.S. is not one of them. According to California's Department of Agriculture, 70% of processed foods found in American supermarkets contain genetically modified ingredients. 86% of corn and 93% of soybeans grown in the U.S. are genetically engineered. Think about all the foods that are made out of those two simple products? Corn syrup, soy lecithin, sugar, vegetable oil, and cottonseed oil. The only way to be certain you are not eating genetically modified food is to buy organic because by law organic foods cannot be genetically engineered. You can tell the FDA to label genetically engineered foods at http://justlabelit.org/.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Healthy Pizza!

Healthy and pizza, in the same title? You bet! I love turning the classic 'unhealthy' dish and making it healthy and even more delicious. That's what I did with dinner for my family. Everything I bought everything from Trader Joe's, but you can find it practically anywhere! I didn't exactly measure the amount of each ingredient-I just threw it together!

-100% whole wheat pizza dough
-Pesto sauce
-Broccoli
-Peppers
-Garlic
-Goat cheese
-Italian seasoning

Notice how colorful and delicious it looks:)

Thursday, February 16, 2012

What Do I Eat?

Often I get asked, "what do you eat?" I realized I've never shared what my daily food regimen is like. I tend to go through food phases. I get obsessed with a specific meal and that's all I want to eat for a few months, then I'll discover something new and the cycle repeats. I have to eat every few hours otherwise I get crabby, but sometimes I get so busy I forget (which is not good and do not follow in my footsteps)! I will do different combinations, so I repeat some things, but I don't eat anything twice a day except fruit and veggies! I will only eat nut or nut butter once a day, so if I eat it in the morning, then I don't consume it in the afternoon. I try to limit my fat intake because between hummus and nuts it can get loaded, though they are healthy fats, everything in moderation! I also don't eat big meals. I tend to get full quickly because I eat throughout the day consistently. Here's a look at some of the things I choose to eat during the day:

Breakfast (7:30 am)
Acai Bowl
Protein Shake
Whole-grain cereal with almond milk and fruit
Almond butter and a banana

Snack (10:45am)
Spirulina drink with a piece of fruit
Siggi's nonfat yogurt

Lunch (12:45-1ish)
Salad with a chicken breast, fruit
Hummus with gluten-free crackers, carrots, and fruit
Greek yogurt, gluten-free granola, and fresh fruit mixed together
Veggie burger (topped with guacamole), fruit
Soup (lentil or chicken and brown rice), carrots, fruit
Turkey and a slice of low fat swiss cheese wrapped together, veggies, fruit

Snack (4pm)
Brown rice cakes with almond butter and raisins
Superfood trail mix
Apple and almond butter
Carrots and hummus
Almonds and raisins
Celery and peanut butter
Almond milk mixed with protein powder
Kale chips


Dinner (7pm)
Chicken breast with salad or broccoli salad
Brown rice mixed with veggies
Whole wheat pizza made with goat cheese, veggies, and pesto sauce
Whole grain pasta primavera
Turkey meatballs with 100% whole wheat pasta and salad
Black bean, brown rice, low fat cheese burrito and a salad

Sweets! (whenever I crave them I will choose a little something)
Dark chocolate (70% or more)
Tate's gluten free cookies
Fruit drizzled with dark chocolate
Almond ice cream with bananas and cacao nibs

Drinks:)
Water (I admit I am not the best water drinker, but I am getting better)
Coconut water
Almond milk
Fresh fruit juice
Green tea
Hot chocolate made with almond milk

This is a glimpse at what I eat!

Almond ice cream with cacao nibs and bananas

Kale chips

Spirulina Drink

Superfood trail mix


Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Reasons to LOVE Dark Chocolate

Valentines Day might as well be called "Stuff Your Face With Chocolate Day"-try not to do that. But you can indulge in the holiday treat. In moderation (no more than three ounces per day), dark chocolate has some sweet benefits. Here are some reasons to make yourself feel better about indulging in this treat:

-Dark chocolate activates the production of endorphins, a chemical found in our brains that stimulates the feeling of pleasure.
-Serotonin is also found in dark chocolate, which acts like an anti-depressent.
-Flavonoids found in dark chocolate absorb UV light, help protect and increase blood flow to the skin, and improve skin's hydration and complexion. People who have blood with high levels of flavonoids have a lower risk of heart disease, lung cancer, prostate cancer, asthma, and type two diabetes.

Remember, no milk should be in your dark chocolate, as milk is known to counteract the positive effects of the antioxidants. Also keep in mind, the larger percent of cocoa the better the dark chocolate is for you. 70% and above is best! Enjoy your dark chocolate:)

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Locally Grown Food

Today our food travels thousands of miles from the farm to our plate. But we can choose to support local farms thus helping our local economy. Sustainable, local farming is very beneficial to our environment by enriching the soil, protecting air and water quality, and minimizing energy consumption. The industrial food industry is making a big and negative impact on our environment. Industrial food production depends primarily on fossil fuels. When these fossil fuels are refined and burned, they create greenhouse gases that are a large contributor to climate change. What's even scarier is that forty percent of the energy needed for the food production goes towards the production of chemical fertilizers and pesticides! And these pesticides and fertilizers aren't even good for our body; they are harmful! Studies show that sustainable agricultural practices can increase food production by up to 79% and at the same time  reduce the effects of farming on climate change. To find local family farms, farmers' markets, grocery stores, Community Supported Agricultural programs and much more, check out http://www.eatwellguide.org/i.php?pd=Home