I moved!

I'm Back!

IM ALIVE! I'm back and it feels better than ever. It was an unexpected goodbye to the blog as my summer progressed...  but as my break begins to dwindle down, I'm getting back into the swing of things. This summer has been one of growth-- I have never had such a busy summer! As you all know, I was a part of the orientation team, and my summer was full of incoming freshman and their parents. After two months of long days, I happy to say we ended in success. I cant thank my SOAR team enough for such an amazing summer-- WE MADE IT!

I have one week to relax before I begin my new position at the RAC as Assistant Program Director ( I get a desk and everything!). I have worked at the RAC since I was freshman, and I can honestly say that I never thought I would work my way up to something as awesome as this. While I am a little bit nervous to embark on such a position at the brink of my hardest semester ever... I am constantly giving thanks for these opportunities. Like I said, this fall is notoriously a dietetic majors hardest semester, as we prepare for our internships. Not only am I beginning to seriously fret about this internship, but I am studying for the GRE. Im not sure who invented standardized testing, but they can take a hike. Also, I plan on doing research with one of our professors, which seems pretty exciting to me! So, with a packed next few months, please keep me in your thoughts! The future is looking pretty bright!

I saw a friend in the grocery store today, she asked, "are you still veggie?"... with a little giggle I replied of course! I am happy to say that it was officially one year of vegetarianism this past month, June. A change I thought I would never make!

CANT WAIT to start writing again! Here are a few pics of my summer!

Summertime: Steak and Shake

It has been way too long. I miss writing but this past three weeks has just been way to crazy too sit down and write. I need to be better about this! Well, its official; ITS SUMMER! ... oh and I am a senior in college! Its so surreal to think that by this time next year I will be off in the world somewhere, no more Statesboro. I came out with a 3.76 GPA for the semester, I was very happy to see that! (:

After finals I headed home to Atlanta for a few days. As you all know, I will be doing SOAR for the entire summer, so this was one of my few chances to hang with my family. Although it was just a few days, it was much needed. I convinced my parents to go to Kennesaw Mountain for a few hours... I think they really enjoyed it. This is such a good way to plan a day for free. Pack a lunch and get moving on the mountain! You can enjoy nature, soak up some rays, and get that heart pumping!

Sunday I spent Mothers Day with none other than my mom (: We had a complete girls day, full of shopping and getting mani/pedis :) It was definitely an awesome way to end a nice break! I woke, ran a few errands, and headed back to the boro on Monday. I had some work to get done before I could start this May Training for SOAR. Our SOAR family celebrated my partner, Keonnies, birthday the night before! ..and it was a good start to the week... by wednesday morning at 10 am, I was ready to go. Our training is 2.5 weeks from 10am to 10pm. Needless to say, I am nothing short of exhausted. BUT, I would not trade this time with my team for anything. After May Training, we start our freshman sessions! I AM SO EXCITED :)

So our training is slowly coming to an end, as this week marks the last 3 days of 12 hour days. Also, added to the list, I began one of two summer classes. Environmental Sociology... and I am loving it! Yeah... it is definitely added stress to finish up all my work, but I am enjoying this class a lot more than I expected. Today, I took some time to finish up a couple modules, that way I can get ahead and not be AS stressed :)


I want to write about something today that really gets at me. In the past few weeks, Statesboro has had the new edition of Steak and Shake. Now I cant completely knock it, because back in the day, I was quite the fan of this place. But, I want to share with everyone about the foods. That away, you can be more aware :) It amazes me the amount of people that are constantly in line... I read tweets like : "I may go to steak and shake when it looks like Jesus isn't signing autographs inside." ... needless to say, its packed, packed with people consuming more than their daily.


Steak and Shake has been so kind as to provide the nutrition facts of their food. So please, let me highlight some things that are shocking to me.





One of the most popular: The frisco melt. With 750 calories (about half of your daily calories), 480 from FAT, 17 grams of saturated fat and 1160 mg of sodium (your daily limit is 1600-2000mg)


Wait, cant forget about our french fries... SCARY. That is calories for the first column, calories from fat, total fat, saturated fat,.... and the very last number is sodium.



Then for the most popular selection... the milkshakes. This is one choice at Steak and Shake and don't let the "dark chocolate" health claim fool you...



OKay people! This is your chance to make good decisions... I know its cheap and its quick... but don't compromise your health for all that nonsense! Its okay to occasionally indulge, but don't make this an everyday thing! I am off to watch My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding... guilty pleasure if I don't say so myself. Its memorial day tomorrow!


Have a great week everyone!

The Final Stretch!

A week plus... yup I have been slacking with writing in this! You know how finals are... right? Well, happy Monday and happy first day of finals! Luckily, I have completed 3 and only have 4 left. 7 finals? That just doesn't seem okay with me. I guess teachers think we take on some superhuman form in the last two weeks of finals. Well, reality check, I am still me... no super powers to study for 7 tests! So much has happened in the past week! I didn't write about it on my last post, but I want to share my exciting news! So, about two weeks ago I attended the 15th Annual Student Leadership Awards Night. First of all, let me just say how honored I felt just to be there, be in SUCH GREAT company. The room was full of student leaders from all over campus. Second: I just want to say how PROUD I am of my SOAR family.

 Third: Sending out a huge thank you to my boss for writing a nomination for me. After dinner, awards started, and I was blessed to receive the Southern Talon Award. Presented annually to students with above 60 credit hours who have exemplified a commitment to enhancing campus life at Georgia Southern. Students must demonstrate outstanding involvement at Georgia Southern. This is a one-time award. Its days like that one that make me feel all my hard work is for something.

This past week was also the Annual CRI End of the Year Banquet. Its always  bittersweet attending this. It is one of the few times of the year that the whole CRI family gets together. But, it also signifies a large chunk the family saying goodbye. I have been with group fitness now for 2+ years, so I have been there through lots of hires/changes/etc. This year really holds a special place in my heart- I have worked with some of these graduating seniors since I was hired. Even though I hate to say goodbye, I know the future holds great things for each and every one. 

Speaking of graduating seniors, Saturday marks the day for commencement. Yet again,  I feel like I am repeating myself, but this is a bittersweet thing. With such a small major, we have built quite the system within. I am sad to see all of our seniors head out into the real world but I know they are off to an awesome places. That is the beautiful part of our profession: we will always be able to help someone. Congrats and good luck to all seniors. 

                            

On that note, I can not believe where time has gone. IM GOING TO BE A SENIOR! ... not before this summer is done of course... but for real where did time go? I remember moving into Centennial like it was yesterday. 

May training for SOAR starts next week. M-F, 10am-10pm. Also, the second week of that, I start one of my summer classes. I think its Environmental Sociology? Gotta love that minor. Then, making our way into SOAR sessions. Gonna be a great summer.

Off to study for my next final. I wish all of you the very best of luck. 

I know it is hard, but try and sleep, it is the very best thing you can do... other than eating balanced meals :D Good luck and stay motivated. Hey... we are almost done!

Listen to your body!

And another week is done. All I could think about all week was this advanced food science test, and yes I probably didn't study hard enough, but I think I did alright :D On top of that test, I had a whole list of things to do. 8 page paper, presentations, plenty of SOAR stuff, blah blah blah. The next two weeks will be nothing short of miserable though. Trying to keep a positive attitude though because its almost summertime! I have a full weekend ahead as well. Farmers market, brunch, teaching spin, CRI banquet, girls day/night, and SOAR time! Oh, lets add in homework somewhere in there. The weather has been weird this week, but I'm definitely enjoying the nice weather right now! Go outside and get some vitamin D!

                               

For all of you who follow my blog or just know me in general, you know I suffer from a migraine a couple times a month. About a month or two ago I wrote about a drug called Topomax. I was put on this as a "preventative". Take it once or twice a day and it should prevent my migraines. Well I was on 200 mg, which is a very high dose and it didn't touch it for the most part. I ended up taking myself off it after about 4ish years because of two things. First, I did my research on it and well needless to say, I wasn't liking what I was reading. Second, the side effects were starting to appear. While reading the news today, I found an article on CNN called "Preventative medicines can help migraine sufferers." As I started to read, I became more and more angry. "Many migraine sufferers could have fewer, less severe headaches if they took preventive medicines, but few eligible patients do, say doctors releasing updated treatment guidelines Monday." Saying that out of the 40% that are qualified for the meds, only 3-13% take them. "You have a lot of gun-shy patients because of a lot of bad experiences," says Michael John Coleman, founder of the patient group MAGNUM, also known as the National Migraine Association. Many spend months or years taking medicines that don't work and make them miserable, he says." Yeah I would agree with that... I mean when the side effects include: 

1. Unusual sensations, such as burning or tingling (paresthesias) -- in up to 51 percent of people
2. Dizziness -- up to 32 percent
3. Fatigue -- up to 30 percent
4. Drowsiness -- up to 29 percent
5. Mental and physical slowing or delays -- up to 21 percent
6. Nervousness -- up to 19 percent
7. Upper respiratory infection (such as the common cold) -- up to 18 percent
8. Coordination problems -- up to 16 percent
9. Weight loss -- up to 16 percent 
10. Loss of appetite -- up to 15 percent
11. Taste changes -- up to 15 percent
12. Confusion -- up to 14 percent
13. Difficulty with concentration or attention -- up to 14 percent
14. Nausea -- up to 14 percent.

... of course people would doubt the effectiveness of this drug. I experienced many of these side effects and thats why I stopped taking it. Not to mention all these commericals that say, "If your taking Topomax and have given birth to a baby with cleft palate...etc" Oh, that really makes me wanna take the drug now???!  Just as Emily Guzan, 26, a lawyer from Pittsburgh who was diagnosed with migraines in 2008. After taking the dosages, she began having nightmares, an altered sense of taste, an unwanted 30-pound weight loss and memory problems... oh wait and don't forget that she was in the hospital at least once a month with migraines (even on this medicine!!). After trying a few more meds and getting off Topomax, she began a few lifestyle changes which she says has helped WAY more than this drug.

I guess my take-home message is just to be do your research and be aware of what you are putting in your body. It is the most precious thing we have. Listen to your body!

Have a wonderful day! Enjoy the sunshine!

A Uniq Day :)

Happy Sunday! Are you ready for this week to start? I made a "to-do" list and well, needless to say I have no life this week. I am NOT ready for finals. At all...


This weekend, like I said in my previous post, my good friend Kylee came in from Auburn. So, it was a good time for all of us to get together!

Saturday morning, I woke up and got ready for my mom and aunt to come! When they finally got here, mom and I headed to Savannah for a girls day. Came home, after getting caught in pouring rain, and had dinner with Buck. We woke up this morning and had Sunday brunch at Sugar Magnolia, where I was able to get some fresh granola! YUMM! Then, my favorite part of the day.... we decided to tye dye! i dyed some shirts and my sheets!! I forgot how fun it is to be a kid!

Sadly, mom had to leave pretty early.... so I made some cous-cous spring salad (recipe coming soon) and cut up something pretty awesome. Its called a Uniq Fruit. Looks pretty gross... but the inside is a hybrid between tangerine, grapefruit and Seville orange. And it tastes so yummy!

Have a GREAT week!

Protein in a veggie diet

Cant believe another week is gone. I cant keep up with time anymore. Only 2 weeks left till finals and well, till we all go a little crazy in the head. On that note, how was everyone week? Did you participate in No Impact Week? Walking around campus this week, seeing all the No Impact shirts, was definitely awesome! The farmers market, as always, was yummy! 

I am pretty excited for this week to come to end though... a good friend who recently transferred to Auburn, will be coming in Friday! Then, Saturday morning, I get to spend the day with my mom and aunt. I don't think I have seen my aunt in like 8 years... so... this will awesome. Gonna head up to Savannah and have a girls day :) 

Lately, my vegetarian lifestyle has come up A LOT in conversation. Most of the time, with people who still eat meat, and all asking the same two questions. "WHY!!?" and "So... how do you get your protein if you don't eat meat?" I love sharing the knowledge, and well, I guess Ill share with you both of my answers.

Why Did I Go?

Hmmm. Rewind to, well, my whole life. I grew up on everything meat. Chicken almost every night for dinner, hamburgers from my favorite restaurants, and one of my favorites, BBQ. I did not go one day without meat in diet. Also, let me point out that I never really got into "healthy" living until my junior year in high school. A friend of mine, Ashley, and I, always joke about our earlier "healthy-living". a diet coke, a turkey and cheese sandwich, and maybe some Wheat Thins.... my oh my how things have changed. So anyways. Moving on to the college years. When I declared Dietetics as my major, I never had a clue how much it would impact my life. There is no way NOT to look at food the same way after you know just about everything about it. Between my major and many food documentaries, I still never thought I would make the change. Just to hard, right? Then last July, while at a fitness convention, I sat in on a lecture about The China Study. If you have never read the book or watched Forks over Knives, please take the time, it will impact you on some level. As I sat there and listened to this MD from the Hipprocates Institute, I could not help but want to change. And that very day, after listening to his amazing lecture, I made the switch. Just quit all together. I told myself, "Just try it for a month or two, and then depending on how you feel... make the decision then." ... never thinking I would actually stick to it. A friend of mine gave me maximum 2 months of sticking (haha proved you!). It just happened that when I returned home from that conference, I had to see my doctor for some blood work. She ran lipid panels on me (checks the fats in your blood/cholesterol/all that good stuff). With an official beginning number of my blood work, being a vegetarian became a little experiment for me. Would it really effect my blood, make me feel better, give me more energy? At almost a year now, I am happy to say, my good HDLs have risen and LDLs lowered, my energy has increased, I have rid a thyroid disease, face cleared up... I mean I cant describe how amazing I feel. My overall happiness with life is just incredible. Feeling good is contagious.

major+documentaries+lecture+food not being the same as it used to+more sustainable= briannas reasons.

So... what about protein?

This is my favorite question, because for the most part, people are just not educated on food. Which is fine, I totally understand, nutrition is not exactly the easiest thing to study!! So, for all you non-believers out there, this is where I get my protein!

1. Beans. Need I say more? Packed with everything a food could ever need. Minerals, vitamins, fiber, protein, good carbs... hmmm jsut a good food. 12-14 grams of protein for one cup... but lets be real, I probably double that portion haha. If you were to add lentils to that mix... 1 cup of lentils contains 18 grams of protein!

2.Greek yogurt. Yum. How can you turn yogurt down? 15-20 grams of protein per 6 ounces. Greek yogurt is a protein powerhouse, with twice the protein and half the sugar and carbs of regular yogurt (same amount of protein as a piece of lean meat). This plus a handful nuts will give you your daily serving of protein... just at breakfast!

3. Tofu. I always told myself how gross tofu was and that I would NEVER eat it. Well, I take all that back. With 8 grams per serving, I add this to just about anything. Burritos, sushi, and even veggie lasagna. In my food science lab, we even made a chocolate 'silk' pie with it. Surprisingly, it was very good! YUMM

So, those are a few of my favorites, but protein in non-animal sources is not just limited to these examples. Nuts, eggs, and avocados are all also very good sources! And, each and every one of those has its own awesome benefits! So eat up!

Well, I am off to bed here soon. I went to yoga tonight with a good friend, Corey, and well, I am nothing short of relaxed. I hope everyone has a wonderful, healthy, weekend! Tomorrows Friday, TGIFFFF!