Study Habits for Finals Week

Finals week is this coming week and finals are under way at my University.  That means that the time of stress is upon us.  Finals mean eating junk food late at night while you are studying, or not eating at all because you are too busy to think about food.  It also means your stress level can be through the roof, which can cause you to get sick, and make studying and taking those final exams even harder.  So, here are some study habits to follow for finals!

1. On final exam day, make sure you have breakfast, and eat before the final.  Also, bring water to your final.  
2. Make sure you are eating.  Don't simply forget to eat because you are too stressed.  
3. Make sure you are thinking about eating, not just absent-mindedly nibbling on snacks while slaving over those textbooks or your computer,  
4. Also, choose snacks that will help with your study habits.  
5. Get lots of sleep the night before your final exam.  
6. Don't stay up cramming until the wee hours of the morning.  It won't help as much as you think it will and it isn't a positive study habit.  

Study Habits to help you Save Yourself from Burn Out

1. Take a study break.  
2. Take a walk around campus, or your neighborhood.  
3. Take a quick trip to the gym to release some endorphins and relieve that stress.  
4. Go grab a cup of iced coffee/tea/smoothie, whatever your favorite cool drink of choice is. 
5. Take a shower
6. Call a friend or your parents, make sure the phone call doesn't take too long, so you can get back to your studies, but sometimes hearing a familiar voice is comforting

Make sure when you study you are in an environment that suits your personal study habits.  If you need noise, then play some music, if you need it silent, then go somewhere where you can find absolute silence.  

Do what works for your own study habits, and take care of yourself, so you don't get sick before your finals.  

Good Luck on Your Finals!

Stay Balanced!

Finals are Upon Us

Finals are under way at my University and that means that the stress is upon us as well.  Finals mean eating junk food late at night while you are studying, or not eating at all because you are too busy to think about food.  It also means your stress level can be through the roof, which can cause you to get sick, and make studying and taking those final exams even harder.  So, here are some tips to follow for finals!

1. Make sure you are eating.  Don't simply forget to eat because you are too stressed.  
2. Make sure you are thinking about eating, not just absent-mindedly nibbling on snacks while slaving over those textbooks or your computer,  
3. Also, choose snacks that will help with your studying.  Carrots, peanut butter, pretzels, celery, and fruit have all been proven to assist with brain function and study habits.  
4. Get lots of sleep.  
5. Don't stay up cramming until the wee hours of the morning.  It won't help as much as you think it will.  

When you feel yourself getting stressed and you know your brain is going to give up:

1. Take a study break.  
2. Take a walk around campus, or your neighborhood.  
3. Take a quick trip to the gym to release some endorphins and relieve that stress.  
4. Go grab a cup of iced coffee/tea/smoothie, whatever your favorite cool drink of choice is. 
5. Take a shower
6. Call a friend or your parents, make sure the phone call doesn't take too long, so you can get back to your studies, but sometimes hearing a familiar voice is comforting

Make sure when you study you are in an environment that suits your personal study preferences.  If you need noise, then play some music, if you need it silent, then go somewhere where you can find absolute silence.  

Do what works for you, and take care of yourself, so you don't get sick.  

Good Luck to all of you taking upcoming finals! 

Health Tips to Teach Kids About Staying Healthy-The Food Pyramid

Adolescents need a strong foundation to start their "balanced" lifestyle with.  They need positive role models to show them how to live healthy lives by teaching them health tips like how to cook, and what to cook.  They need to know what healthy living is and how to make healthy living choices.  They need to learn how to follow a balanced lifestyle; this can include eating well, exercising, and taking care of their mental and emotional health as well as their physical health.  

Are You Gaining Weight Instead of Losing? Here are Some Tips that might Explain Why!

I have found a list of reasons why some "weight-loss" plans just end up backfiring in our faces.

1. Are you cutting back on your calories throughout the day and then gorging on a large dinner? By doing this you are slowing down your metabolism. Instead, eat a big breakfast, then a medium lunch and then a medium dinner.  You will be hungry for breakfast in the morning, versus still full from a huge dinner overload the night before.  
2. Don't graze, plan your meals out! Everyone is different, so figure out how many meals you need to eat a day to stay energized, and then focus on that.  Also, keeping a food journal can help as well.  
3. DON'T CRASH DIET!! I can't say this enough!! Some diets are healthy, but crash dieting, and starving yourself can be irreversibly harmful to your health.  By safely dieting, you are making sure you shed fat, not muscle.  If you crash diet, you are more likely to shed muscle as well and become weak, and possibly ill.  Burning calories is always healthier than just not consuming any.
4. Low-fat does not mean low-calorie.  Don't be fooled.  Studies have watched participants primed with a bowl of regular candy and a bowl marked "low-fat" candy, and the participants always pick the "low-fat" one and then eat more of it, thinking it is healthy.  It usually doesn't have any less calories than the regular one does though.  You can still loose weight eating the full fat types if you limit yourself

Also, have you ever noticed that the "low-fat" diet foods are usually more expensive than the regular brands? It is healthier for your bank account to get the original stuff and then just learn to portion control.  

Healthy Alternative's to Your Childhood Favorites!

As a kid did you love corndogs? Pigs in a blanket?
Do your kids love them now? But you don't want all that processed fat going into their bodies?
Well, Outoftheboxfood.com has awesome recipes that take your childhood favorites and makes them in a healthy way.
Below are some of the recipes for my favorites!


Corn Dog-
1 1/4 cups of cornmeal
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour, plus 1/2 cup for dredging.
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp honey
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
8 uncooked turkey hot dogs
8 wood skewers (you can make these without the skewers if you want and just cut them up)
Vegetable oil for frying, approx. 2 quarts

1. Preheat 1-2" oil in a pot until @375 degrees
2. Put hot dogs on skewers
3. Place cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt in a container, shake until all combined
4. Add eggs, milk and honey.  Shake until all combined again.  
5. Pour reserved 1/2 cup of flour onto a plate and roll skewered hot dogs in flour to coat
6. Dip hot dogs into container several times to coat with batter 
7. Place corn dog in hot oil until golden brown
8. Remove and put on paper towel lined plate.  

Pigs in a Blanket-
Trader Joes' All Natural Cocktail Pups
Pillsbury Reduced Fat Puff Pastry Dough

Just cut the pastry dough into triangles, then roll the cocktail pups up in the puff pastry! Cook at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  (until golden brown and puffed up).  You can add reduced fat cheese or low-fat mustard before you bake the pigs in a blanket if you would like as well.  Or just use the mustard as a dipping sauce.

Pop Tarts:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
4 tbsp flax meal
16 tbsp butter (cold)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
1 egg, beaten
5 tbsp ice water

For filling:
2 12 oz bags frozen organic strawberries
1/4 cups raw sugar

For Jam-

1. In a saucepan, heat strawberries until they begin to release juices 
2. Add sugar
3. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Cool and set aside
5. Place

For Pastry

1. Place butter in freezer for about 15 minutes to make sure it is very cold
2. Whisk flour, flax meal, and sea salt
3. Cube butter into 1/2" pieces and add to flour mixture
4. Blend with pastry press or in food processor until crumbly
5. Drizzle ice water over flour mixture and toss with a fork
6. Turn dough out onto smooth surface and divide into four pieces 
7. Using your hands, press dough down lightly, don't overdue it though and warm it with your hands
8. Scrape up all dough and place on a sheet of plastic wrap, press down into a 4-5" disk and wrap in plastic wrap
9. Refrigerate for about an hour

To assemble Pop Tarts-

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Roll dough into a huge rectangle
3. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut an even number of equal sized squares or rectangles our of the dough
4. Place a dollop of the strawberry jam into the center of half of the dough pieces 
5. Top each jam topped piece of dough with one of the equally sized plain pieces
6. Crimp the edges of the pop tarts with a fork
7. Brush with egg wash and bake for 15 minutes 

These can be frozen too :) Super easy snack or breakfast! 

Secrets to Staying Slim

The term slim is tricky.  Slim technically means healthy, svelte, a weight that is good for your height and proportions. It does not mean toothpick, or skinny, or size 00 or anything that should cause a person to make themselves starve to create a warped body image.

I found 8 Secrets to Staying Slim (they may be updated if I find more, but these are the starting 8)

1.  Satisfied over Stuffed-Be aware of how full you are.  Take breaks while you eat and do a check in for yourself of how full you are.  Use a 1-10 scale.  If you are above an 8, then slow down, you are probably almost full and the food just needs to digest.  
2. Being hungry isn't an emergency-don't rush to the fridge the second you feel a slight twinge of hunger.  Make sure you really are hungry before you rip open that bag of chips, and better yet, reach for a protein bar, or a bag of grapes
3. Don't cure sadness with food-Teach yourself about HALT-hungry, angry, lonely and tired.  If you are hungry, eat a snack like a handful of nuts or some fruit.  If you are angry, instead of eating a sleeve of Oreos, go for a run or walk around your house.  The endorphins you create will lighten your mood.  If you are lonely-call a friend, go to the mall, e-mail a family member.  Being around people helps you feel more comfortable to your community.  If you are tired-SLEEP! 
4. Eat more fruit-Sprinkle berries into your cereal or yogurt in the morning.  Add sliced apple or pear to your sandwiches.  Add berries or sliced fruit to your salads.  Aim for 3 servings a day. 
5. Creatures of habit-Dr. David Katz(author of The Flaver Full Diet) says that most people who stay thin usually have a food index that they stay around.  An example would be cereal for breakfast, a salad for lunch and grilled chicken with steamed veggies for dinner.  Its ok to add turkey to your salad or switch up your veggies, but keeping on a track helps your stay balanced.  
6. Self-Control gene-create self-control for yourself for when disinhibition is high. When you are at an event, tell yourself you will only take 3 or 4 hors d'ouevres that are passed around.  If you go out to dinner, order an appetizer and then share a dessert if you find something you really want on the menu.  And if it is finals time or tax season or a busy month in the office, make sure you have tasty, big flavored and crunchy snacks like carrots, granola, or fruit at the ready.   
7. Movers and shakers-Make sure you are moving around.  Many people over-estimate how active their days really are.  Where a pedometer so you can gauge how much you are moving.  Take the stairs instead of the elevator, and try to get up to 10,000 steps a day.
8. Sleep Well-make sure you are sleeping.  It sounds easy, but it is very important.  Work your way up to 8 hours and see how much more refreshed and happy you feel.  

Spring Break....Time to Get Back on Balance and Avoid Falling Off

It is Spring Break here! And I am SO excited! I can't wait to see my dad and my puppy at home.  I can't wait to sleep in and lay around all day and have free time to do whatever I want.  Oh...and want to know what else I can't wait to do...I can't wait to EAT! I love going home to Southern California because I get to eat at my favorite restaurants.  I get to eat steak at Flemings, the best Veal Milanese at Il Barone, and garlic parmesan fries that would make your mouth water from a mile away at The Counter! None of this sounds healthy though does it?

They aren't leafy salads and cucumber soup, but they do have nutritional value.  Lean beef is an anti-inflammatory, did you know that? It is also filled with iron, omega 3, and Vitamin B12.  The nutrients in red meat help your body create healthy skin, bones and eyes.  Veal is one of the leanest meats, and is usually the most tender. Both veal and beef are stated to be "part of a well balanced diet".  And well....parmesan garlic fries are just really tasty.

Eating Healthy Doesn't Need To Be Expensive...and I'll Prove It!

Eating healthy doesn't need to be expensive, and I'll prove it to you! I went to the grocery store today and I was so peeved by how expensive a lot of the typical "health foods" were.   (Ex. Atkins and South Beach bars, Slim Quick system, and other similar products).  But, you don't need to eat those to stay healthy, in fact most of the time, just eating in a healthy manner is much better.

Healthy and Fun Desserts that the Kids Can Help Make!

Dessert-Everyone Wants It, so EAT it!

Here are my top favorite desserts that are healthy, EASY, and fun to make!


Also, these are a great way to get kids and teens who love to cook involved.  Even inexperienced bakers can handle them with ease!

Kicking Off Love Your Body Week In Style

This week at my college campus is Love Your Body Week.  This is one of my favorite times of the year! This week is all about promoting healthy living and balanced lifestyles.  Today (Monday) kicks off the week with "Chalk the Walk" where students can write inspirational messages on the walkway in front of the Student Center as well as the departments putting on Love Your Body Week are handing out t-shirts to promote the week! I am going to get one in a few minutes.


Tomorrow (Tuesday) Chris Blackburn, a former contestant from the popular TV show, the Biggest Loser is coming to campus to speak.
On Wednesday they are showing the HBO documentary "Thin" which follows patients at Renfrew Center in Coconut Creek, Florida, a rehabilitation facility for individuals suffering from anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.  They are also bringing a panel of experts to speak about the subject of fad diets, eating disorders and the difference between disordered eating and eating disorders.
On Thursday, different local vendors are coming to campus to promote their products.  All the vendors are from companies that promote healthy living and pampering yourself.  So they include spas, hair salons, Bath and Body Works, massages, gyms, etc
On Friday, it is Treat Yourself Day to finish off the week. There will be snacks, non-food treats, and the smoothie bike will be on the lawn as an interactive way to make your own smoothie or milkshake.

I had the opportunity to help plan some of the events and I get to meet the speakers both on Tuesday and Wednesday and I can't wait to hear what they have to say.


Hopefully I will be able to post some photos later this week of me at some of the events this week! But Let me tell you, I am so excited to be a part of this important week on campus and all the advocacy that follows with it.

Baking from a Mix-The Easy Way To Make Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth!

Let's make baking fun and simple! Kids LOVE to help bake, and they love to eat the desserts even more.  So should everyone.  Sweets are an important part of a balanced lifestyle and a good way of creating variety in your balanced diet.  Below are some recipes all made from mixes, which are both healthy, and nutritious.  They satisfy your sweet cravings, while also not making you feel bad for eating them.

Adolescent Health...who is messing with it?

As someone deeply interested in Student Affairs, and with a major background in athletics and athlete mentalities, I have always had a sweet (or sore...depending on how you look at it) spot for how influences affect adolescents, especially when it comes to their health and their self-worth. Why are so many young people obsessed with their weight? And why do we always assume girls are the only victims? Are young men seemingly unaffected by eating disorders? NO WAY!

Healthy Lunches for Your On-The-Go Lifestyle!

Don't Let an On-the-Run lifestyle scare you any longer! Here are some menu options that will help you pick meals that will keep you full and balanced all day long, until you get home and can take that bubble bath and maybe a short cat nap in that favorite spot :) These balanced meals are perfect for work, the park, maybe a day trip somewhere.  Most of them don't need to be heated up.  The snacks are even kid-friendly!